Category: Five Star Kids

REVIEW: The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz

REVIEW: The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Tristan and Josh achieved their goal of making the “life-changing” chocolate cream doughnuts (The Doughnut Fix). Their doughnut shop is in an old train station where they share space with The Station House, Tris’ mom’s restaurant. And for a couple of 7th graders, they have an amazing business. People LOVE their doughnuts. But not everyone is thrilled with The Doughnut Stop. Folks who drive a long way and find the shop closed (The boys still have to go to school!) or the doughnuts sold out aren’t very happy. Tris is desperate to come up with a way to make more doughnuts faster so he can keep his customers happy.

While Tris is struggling to keep up with doughnut demand, the town of Petersville is struggling, too. More people are moving away than are moving in. The school is so small I could be closed. And Petersville is losing its post office. How will The Doughnut Stop – or The Station House and Tris’ family – survive if the town can’t bring in more people?

When Tris discovers a machine that could help him with his doughnut issues, he knows it could save the day for both The Doughnut Stop AND Petersville. Now he just needs to find $50,000 to buy one. And a reality cooking show could be his solution.

Review

Excellent! I loved this even more than I did The Doughnut Fix! All of my favorite characters are back – Tris and Josh and Tris’ family. There are lots of laugh-out-loud moments I just had to read aloud to my family. And the heart of the story was everything I love about middle grade fiction.

At its core, this is a cooking book. It’s the struggles of a food-based business. It’s a cooking reality show. And it’s the struggle for food businesses in a dwindling community. But it’s also richer than “just” those things. Tristan is a business person now. He feels that pressure and responsibility. He’s maturing. He’s also all the more aware of the things his parents are trying to shield him from. And I loved watching that dynamic unfold.

The reality show was almost a second story in the book once we established the business and town struggles. The show introduced a new cast of characters with the show runners and the other contestants. Honestly, I expected Tris to be nervous but to shine. He’d be this beacon of purity as his love of cooking overcame some of the pettiness and reality show stuff. And there were moments of that. But there were other moments of REAL turmoil. Tris wrestles with his identity – “shark” or “krill?” He wrestles with the competition aspects. And while not “perfect” in his choices, he still shines!

I highly recommend this delightful series! It’s a treat from start to finish. Includes recipes.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

REVIEW: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Iris is the only Deaf student at her school. And while she has an interpreter to help with communication, he can only do so much with teachers who won’t interact with Iris the way she asks them to. Or to help with an overzealous student who just flaps her hands in Iris’ face. And it wears on her, day after day, to feel like an outsider and to walk on eggshells hoping she won’t get in trouble for “acting out” when the frustration gets to be too much.

Iris isn’t the only one in her family who is struggling. Iris’ grandfather has passed away. Her grandmother is withdrawing more and more. And Iris misses the life she had with both of them. They were Deaf, too, and she related to them so easily.

Someone else who is struggling is Blue55. Blue55 is a hybrid whale whose song is so different from other whales, it leaves him isolated and alone. Iris sees and understands how that could feel for an animal like Blue 55. So she learns everything she can about Blue. And she creates a whale song to try to speak to him. If only she could get to Alaska to meet Blue and share her song.

Review

Look at that cover! It’s gorgeous and makes me happy every time I see it. It’s perfect for this stellar story. I adored every minute spent with Iris on this journey. This was a start-to-finish read for me. I didn’t want to wait to find out what happened.

Iris is fantastic. She’s crazy smart. Her understanding of electronics and radios is amazing for a middle schooler.  And I loved all of the things she did to better understand Blue and music/sound and whale song. Her struggles and need for belonging reminded me of some reading I’ve done on racial identity formation. It’s important for humans to spend time in groups with people like us – whether that’s people of the same race or people who are all Deaf, or even people who share hobbies and interests. Those groups help us feel  like we belong and help us better know who we are. Belonging is important. And Iris is trying to negotiate some of those identity and belonging issues in this story.

Iris’ family is pretty understanding when it comes to her solution for getting to Blue. Yes, there are consequences, but they don’t freak out like I would have expected. And the trip to Alaska is so good for both Iris and her grandmother. There’s a thread of dealing with grief in this story – both for Iris’s grandmother  and even for Blue – that was well done.

The whale gets to be the point of view character for a handful of chapters. It’s brilliant. It gives the reader some connection to Blue – and also to Iris – as the whale seeks community.

If you are a classroom teacher or school librarian, get several copies of this one. It’s a fantastic selection for book clubs or reading groups as well as for individual readers. This would also make a terrific classroom read aloud. Great author notes add to the story and to group discussions of the novel. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet

REVIEW: The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet

Posted on by Jaymie

[I mentioned this book in my post a couple weeks ago about the 2018 Cybils Awards. Here is my full review of The Orphan Band of Springdale.]

Summary

In 1941, Gusta is put on a bus to Springdale, Maine to live with her maternal grandmother for awhile while her parents sort out their life in New York. Grandma Hoopes runs a boarding house for orphans and “state kids.” And Gusta finds a second home in the hustle and bustle of a house full of kids.

Aside from her clothes, Gusta arrives only with a head full of her mother’s stories about her grandfather’s days as a sea captain in Maine and her father’s French horn. While Gusta’s mom said the horn could be sold for room and board expenses, Gusta can’t imagine parting with it.

Gusta’s resolve to keep the horn strengthens when she has the chance to play with the high school orchestra even though she is only eleven. And she forms a little band with her cousin and the “First Girl” at the boarding house. But realities of life start crowding in for Gusta. Her uncle Charlie was hurt at the Mill and lost his job. There’s no money for the surgery he needs, and he’s sinking into depression. She tries to take what she knows about labor laws and unions to help but ends up making things worse. Maybe selling her horn and using the money for her family is worth the heartache she would feel over the horn. Or maybe that will be the final piece that causes everything Gusta loves to fall apart completely.

Review

I have mentioned before that I don’t generally read historic fiction. It’s not a genre I seek out. In fact, I often actively avoid it. But I had to read this for an award committee. I planned to endure it. I pushed it off to last.

And I loved it!

I was captivated by Gusta right from the start. I loved her voice and her observations and thoughts and questions. And then the other characters started pulling me in even more.

This stirred up a lot of emotions for me, too. There’s terrific heart in the story, and there were many moments I loved. There were others, though, that left me sad, surprised and even ranting-and-raving-mad. A good story can crawl up inside you and pull all those different strings. And this one does.

I learned a lot from reading this, too, especially about 1941 America – the swell of patriotism and the moments it twisted into paranoia. I also learned about the beginning of the labor movement, which is something we take for granted today. It was fascinating. And it was all woven seamlessly into the story so I never felt like someone was trying to make a point. It was just a facet of this intricate story.

In some ways, I was hoping for a more satisfying ending, especially with regard to a few of the infuriating parts of the story. But the ending for this is satisfying and pretty realistic. I can’t wait to tell kids about this one. I’m afraid it could be a hard sell because this is a long book. It’s so hard to summarize all the things that go on here – I didn’t even include them all in my summary.

But Gusta….

For me if you just come to this book to meet Gusta, you’ll enjoy all the stories that follow her.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog by Lisa Papp

REVIEW: Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog by Lisa Papp

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Peachtree Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Madeline Finn is back after her adventures in Madeline Finn and the Library Dog where she practiced her reading with a dog named Bonnie at the library. Now Madeline is ready for a puppy of her own – one of Bonnie’s! When Madeline picks out her puppy, she asks Mrs. Dimple how she chose Bonnie. Turns out, Bonnie came from a shelter. Mrs. Dimple and Madeline’s mom tell her about animal shelters and take her to visit one.

Madeline feels sad for the shelter animals who can’t play outside and don’t have someone who says they love them every day like her puppy, Star, does. They also don’t have anyone to read to them. So Madeline collects supplies for the shelter and invites others to join her for a reading day there. But what will she do if no one else comes?

Review

The perfection of Madeline Finn and the Library Dog is repeated here in Madeline’s second book. The illustrations are soft and sweet; you want to scoop up the animals for a snuggle. Madeline’s love and compassion for the animals is evident, even in the tightly written text of the story. And Madeline continues to put books and dogs – and other animals – together for a winning combination.

If this is your first introduction to Madeline Finn, run out and scoop up both of these books. You won’t regret it! And if you loved book one as much as I did, you’ll want to pick up Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog asap! Highly recommend.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: 2018 Cybils Awards

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: 2018 Cybils Awards

Posted on by Jaymie

Once again I had the privilege of serving on a committee for the 2018 Cybils Awards. This year I served with the group choosing the winner in the Middle Grade Fiction category. You can see my post about the 2017 Cybils here. Now that our committee work is done, I am able to talk about the finalists we read this year. These are my personal thoughts on each of these books and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full committee who presided over this category. Books here are listed in alphabetical order.

The Doughnut Fix –  A boy trying to adjust to a new town decides to open a doughnut stand and make the town’s secret doughnut recipe once again. This was so fun! I adored Tristan and his family. There’s lots here for kids to relate to – family stuff, friend stuff, a move, etc. So many funny moments, but also lots of great information about starting a business and about cooking. This was delightful! I’m looking forward to reading the sequel this spring. Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

 

Front Desk – A girl holding a lot of secrets, including the dream of being a writer, hopes to make it through the year keeping the biggest secrets from the owner of the motel where her family lives and works. I was temped to DNF (“did not finish”) this book when I was about 50 pages in. It was stressful – instead of the sort of suspense that keeps you moving forward, I was filled with dread as I read. What other horrible thing was going to happen to these poor characters? I’m glad I stuck with the book because there were hopeful things to balance out the painful. My favorite part was the way Mia learned to use words and writing to change circumstances for herself and her friends. I’m not sure the ultimate solution in the end is 100% believable, but I was so desperate for this family to get a win, I didn’t care. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Harbor Me –  Six kids meet together in a space where for the first time they can be completely honest about the things they are facing.  I wasn’t convinced any school would let 6 teens meet unsupervised in the school, but I did enjoy watching the connections unfold. The “be a harbor” and “harbor others” sentiments were great. Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

 

 

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl – When a lightning strike gives a girl genius level math skills, her grandmother challenges her to complete one year of middle school and a series of tasks before she can leave for college. You can read my full review here. This was one of my favorite books from 2018, so my love for this one is clear. Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥

 

 

The Orphan Band of Springdale – The two historical fiction books on the list were brand new to me. I didn’t even have them in my Book News lists for last year. This one is about a girl who is sent to live with her grandmother who runs a home for orphaned and displaced children.  This is a hard book to summarize because there is SO MUCH going on. I’m going to do a full review in a couple weeks so I can cover it in more detail. I will say I was set to dislike this one on principle because I don’t generally enjoy historic fiction, but this was an absolute delight! I loved Gusta’s voice and her spunk. I learned a lot about 1941 in America, and the various threads of the story really pulled at my emotions. This one was fantastic! Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

The Parker Inheritance –  From the author of the fabulous Great Greene Heist comes this story of a forgotten letter, an old injustice and a possible fortune. A girl finds an old letter addressed to her grandmother who left town in disgrace. The letter promised a fortune for the town if a puzzle could be solved. The girl and a friend try to solve the puzzle on their own to help their community and restore her grandmother’s name. This is a terrific puzzle story/mystery with strong social commentary on not only racial issues but also sexual orientation. I enjoyed the references to The Westing Game and the flips from past to present throughout the book. Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

Skylark and Wallcreeper – The second historical fiction book in this set is about a girl caring for her grandmother during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 who discovers her grandmother’s secret history in the French Resistance. This has a nice merging of the 2012 hurricane/family story with the 1944 World War II/French Resistance pieces told from the grandmother’s perspective. Solid for fans of historic fiction, books with split story lines/time lines, and fans of WWII fiction. Rating: ♥♥♥½

 

 

You can see all of the 2018 Cybils Award winners here.

REVIEW: 2018 Christmas Books

REVIEW: 2018 Christmas Books

Posted on by Jaymie

Last year I did a list of Christmas book reviews, and that seems like a good idea for this year, too. I am pretty far backlogged on reviews, so unless a Christmas book is something I am reviewing for a publisher (like this one and this one and this one), I have a hard time squeezing in reviews. So here are the Christmas books I have read so far this season and what I thought of them! You can see last year’s post here.

 Santa Bruce – This is the only Christmas book I have read for kids so far. It was adorable! I love the Bruce books! Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

 

 

 Catching Christmas – A first year law associate and a cab driver connect over a wheelchair-bound old lady who is on the hunt for a date for her granddaughter. Overall this was cute, but I didn’t click with the characters. Other readers, especially fans of the author’s other work, might enjoy this one more than I did. Rating: ♥♥♥½

 

 

 

The Christmas Remedy – A young Amish woman runs into issues when she tries to help her community recognize how important it is to value their health and wellness, and the pharmacy that serves the community comes under fire. You can read a full summary and review here. I will say that this book ends at Christmas, but a lot of the action happens in the months leading up to the holiday. Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

 

 

The Christmas Star – A girl in foster care plays matchmaker for an after-school program volunteer. This is a sweet Christmas story with lots of heart. There’s not a lot of conflict or suspense in this one – just a touching Christmas tale. I read one of the other books in this series a couple years ago and loved it. Now I make a habit of looking for a new Christmas book from this author. You can read my review of the other book here.  Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

Dear Santa –  You’ve Got Mail with a Christmas twist. A woman running her family’s Christmas shop writes to Santa through an app about the national chain that has come to town, not knowing that the guy from the chain is the one answering the Dear Santa letters. This is another story without a ton of conflict or tension – just a nice holiday story to help you enjoy the season! Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

Deck the Hounds – The first Andy Carpenter book I ever read was a Christmas one – The Twelve Dogs of Christmas – and it launched me into a frantic  quest to read every book in the series. The second Christmas tale in the series is just as enjoyable. Everything I love about the series as a whole. In this book, Andy and his wife get more than they bargained for when they reach out at the holidays to help a homeless man and his dog.  Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

In Peppermint Peril – A woman home for the holidays finds murder at a stately manor where she played as a child. This is the first in a new mystery series. You can read a full summary and review here next Wednesday. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

 

Lark! The Herald Angels Sing –  Meg’s brother, Rob, is named as the father of an unknown baby left in the manger at their church’s live Nativity. For me, this was the quintessential Meg Langslow mystery – it has all the family and town antics that I love as well as a first rate mystery. (This time the mystery focuses less on a murder, which happens off the page, and more on the fall out from it. It’s a fascinating story!) Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

 

 

 

Murder in Her Stocking – First in the new Granny Reid Mystery series, a spin off of G. A. McKevett’s Savannah Reid/Moonlight Magnolia series. This one goes back to when Savannah was a kid and Granny looked into a murder at Christmas time. I loved seeing Savannah as a 12 year old and see how the personalities of her siblings were already on display at a young age. I think readers will enjoy this more if they are already familiar with the characters from the original series. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

The Peppermint Mocha Murder – A chocolatier/”chocolate whisperer” heads out on vacation for the holidays and finds murder at a holiday musical production. I’ve only read the first book in this series, and then this one, so the relationships aren’t quite solid in my head for this series, yet,  but the mystery was good.  Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

 

Premeditated Peppermint – Another chocolatier finds herself investigating a murder when her ex comes to town to do a show on her family candy shop and his producer winds up dead. I enjoyed the mystery in this one, and the characters are always a treat for me in this series. I’ll be writing up a more detailed review of this in December. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

 

Six Cats a Slayin’ – Someone leaves a set of kittens on Charlie’s door and a murderer hits the neighborhood as well. You can read a full summary  and review here. This is probably my new favorite book in this delightful series. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

 

 

 

 

‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas – In the midst of Christmas celebrations on the tree farm, a woman’s best friend is accused of killing a sleazy guy she dated one time. This is book 2 in this series and I have loved both of the books. The characters and the setting for this mystery series are first rate. You can read a full summary and review here. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

REVIEW: Definitely Daphne by Tami Charles

REVIEW: Definitely Daphne by Tami Charles

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Stone Arch Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Annabelle had no idea what was in store for her. Since her mom’s in the military, they’ve moved a lot. She thought this move to New Jersey from Germany would be like all the rest – her mom would do her stuff, her dad would work from home and homeschool Annabelle.

Not this time.

Shy Annabelle is off to middle school, full of cliques, strange customs and expressions she doesn’t know. When Annabelle announces she wants to quit after the first day, her parents send her to a therapist to help with the transition.

The therapist thinks Annabelle’s love of making movies could be the key to helping her make some friends and adjust to her new circumstances. Annabelle agrees to try it under a few conditions. Her account has to be private – family viewing only. And she’ll use her middle name – Daphne – and only be on camera with a disguise. There’s just one part of the plan she doesn’t tell the adults – she’s going to use the vlog to show how awful school is so she can go back to homeschooling!

Review

I loved everything about this! Annabelle is so relateable. From the new school and friend issues to her vlog and therapy to her feelings about her mom’s deployment. It’s all real and familiar.

Annabelle goes through some ups and downs. She tries on some new identities in the story – both “Daphne” and others – with mixed results. Through it all I couldn’t stop cheering for her.

The “Daphne Doesn’t” vlogs were great – things kids will definitely recognize about school. And the blog was a way for shy Annabelle to share her thoughts and feelings – and be affirmed for them. Which eventually gave her some confidence to share with those closest to her. She even has the gumption to reach out to someone who doesn’t make it easy, but who needs a friend just like Annabelle does.

This was absolutely perfect from start to finish – a delight to read. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Reckless Club by Beth Vrabel

REVIEW: The Reckless Club by Beth Vrabel

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Running Press Kids in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

  • Jason, The Nobody
  • Lilith, The Drama Queen
  • Wes, The Flirt
  • Ally, The Athlete
  • Rex, The Rebel

Five teens spend their last free Saturday before starting high school at the Northbrook Retirement Village. This is their penance. Because of their choices at the end of eighth grade, they have “detention.” This day of service will be their punishment and will hopefully teach them something so that they make better choices in the future.

The kids may have gone to the same middle school, but that doesn’t mean they are friends. Jason rarely strings a whole sentence together, but his sketch book tells a lot of stories. Lilith is hoping to redeem the day by developing character ideas from some of the elderly folks at the Village. Wes turns on the charm and has everyone eating out of his hand. Ally has her father’s words ringing in her ears – complaints that this is a lost day of practice, and admonishments to make up for it wherever she can. Rex is the one they all know. Her anger is legendary around the school.

What will happen when these five students come together for a day of service and senior citizens?

Review

This is The Breakfast Club meets The Golden Girls. And it’s outstanding! I loved everything about this – the characters, the humor and the heart. A slam dunk from start to finish.

The kids take turns telling the story, like a Rob Buyea novel (Saving Mr. Terupt, The Perfect Score, etc.), which is a structure I love in middle grade novels. It allows the reader to be in the head of a variety of characters and personalities. But the students in this weren’t the only great characters. The elderly folks at Northbrook were so fun! Agnes was my absolute favorite, although there were several close seconds. And the dynamic between the facility manager and the kids’ principal was a hoot!

For 80% of the story, the reader is learning the characters, watching them warm up to each other and then push each other away. The reader is putting the various puzzles together. And just when you have a good feel for everyone, the author hits you with the heart. All the build up pays off. I was surrounded by a pile of tissues for the ending. It was perfect. I was sad to see the story come to an end. I would love to spend more time with these characters – both the elderly ones and the teens. There are several nods to The Breakfast Club, but they are subtle and clever and fit right in without being a distraction.

This is my new favorite middle grade for 2018. It’s been a great year for middle grade, and this is a terrific addition to the collection.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon and Dean Hale

REVIEW: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon and Dean Hale

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Doreen Green is new in town. She had to leave her friends – squirrel and human – behind in California. But her mom insists there are lots of squirrels in New Jersey, so Doreen will get to make new squirrel friends. And there’s always her junior high school for human friends.

Sure enough, Doreen’s first friend in New Jersey is a squirrel named Tippy-Toe. Doreen saves Tippy from a high tech squirrel trap. Since Doreen also speaks squirrel and has a bushy squirrel tail, Tippy decides she might be okay.

Doreen’s first human friend is a girl at school named Ana Sofia. They initially bond over Doreen’s efforts to brush up on her sign language to help her communicate better with Ana Sofia in the loud lunchroom. Then they also click over some of the mysterious things going on in town – stolen bikes, vandalism, wild dogs and now the squirrel traps. Ana Sofia discovers Doreen’s secret when Doreen starts dealing with some of the neighborhood crime. And she encourages “Squirrel Girl’s” efforts to clean up their community. But their activities catch the eye of the local super villain, the Micro Manager. And he’s determined to make his reputation by destroying Squirrel Girl.

Review

This was outstanding! It took me a little while to find a rhythm with the story. There are footnotes all through the book – like in Hale’s Ever After High series – which I found tiresome at times in that series. And it takes a little while for Doreen to find her footing in her new community, which also made it hard for me to connect to the story. But once she had carved out a little niche for herself, I was hooked.

The characters are fantastic. I love Doreen and Ana Sofia. Doreen’s parents are a hoot – they are completely enamored with Doreen so they have a hard time disciplining her when she’s saving the day, even though they want her to stay safe. The sections with the villain reminded me of another awesome superhero series – N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley. Both are smart and funny with excellent action and pacing.

The story is terrific – a classic superhero/supervillain tale – but with squirrels. The chapters when Tippy tells her story are some of my favorites. She has a great voice for the story. My other favorite parts were the text exchanges between Doreen and various Marvel heroes. They’re smart and funny and remind the reader that Squirrel Girl is part of the Marvel universe (a veiled reference to DC comics was also funny).

This was a treat all the way around. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the story, the world building – all of it! I bought book 2 immediately after finishing this one, and it is on my TBR pile right now.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Breakout by Kate Messner

REVIEW: Breakout by Kate Messner

Posted on by Jaymie

[Thanks to the folks at Netgalley and Bloomsbury Children’s Books for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Nora is breaking out her journalism skills for the Wolf Creek Time Capsule project. Five letters for the time capsule will get her extra credit for 8th grade English class in the fall.

Elidee and her mom just moved to Wolf Creek from New York City to be closer to Elidee’s older brother who is in the prison at Wolf Creek. Elidee hates being the new kid for the last two weeks at school. If that doesn’t make her stand out enough, she’s also only the second African American in her grade. It doesn’t take long before the whispers start following her down the school halls.

All of Nora’s expectations for writing about Wolf Creek Traditions like the Middle School field day vanish when two inmates break out of the maximum security prison that employs most of the folks in town.

The prison break changes everything. Nora’s dad, the prison supervisor, is under a lot of pressure to explain what happened. Elidee and her mom are cut off from her brother when the prison goes into lock down. The whole town is on edge, afraid the inmates are still in the area, armed and dangerous. The break out shows Nora, her friend Lizzie, and Elidee things about the “quiet, friendly town” they never experienced before.

Review

This was exceptionally good! The three main characters were a delight. Elidee has a great perspective on life in her new town. Her affinity for Hamilton and poetry was a great piece of the story. I loved Lizzie’s humor and her satirical news articles. But I connected the most with Nora. The “stages” she goes through regarding the racial issues in the story – oblivious to questioning to wanting to change – felt a lot like my own experience over the last couple years. It’s honest, and I loved it.

The time capsule is the vehicle that makes the story possible. It gets the kids writing – something else I loved about this story. The whole story is told in letters and transcripts of conversations or news reports. It’s such a fun format! The escaped inmates are hardly in the story, but they impact every character as well as the town’s sense of self.

This is the perfect sort of middle grade book for me. There are fantastic characters learning and growing through challenging life experiences. There’s an emphasis on writing as well as great pop culture tie ins. And the story makes me think.  This would be a great fit for any 5th to 8th grade classroom and school library as well as home collections. I highly recommend this book.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥