Category: Middle Grade Fiction Review

BONUS REVIEW: Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge by Grace Ellis

BONUS REVIEW: Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge by Grace Ellis

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lois Lane is ready for the best summer ever. She is working on her video channel and hopes to make a #FriendshipChallenge video with her BFF Kristen that goes viral. But Kristen wants to focus on the local bike race and getting ready to go away to camp for the first time.

When a rival bike shop springs up near their neighborhood store, the owner is convinced the new rival wants to rig the race. She shows the girls a threatening note, and then her fireworks for the big race are stolen. Lois is certain she and Kristen can solve the mystery. In fact, Lois is already sure she knows who did it – Izzy, the new girl in town.

Review

Lois is a LOT to take in this book. I was exhausted by her as I read. She’s an intense person, earnest. She has big ideas and big plans. And she easily gets tunnel vision. She isn’t trying to be a bad friend, but she tunes out anything Kristen says and anything that doesn’t fit her ideas of what is going on or what is important.

Lois is so over the top I don’t think readers will have any trouble seeing the friendship red flags in the story. The bigger question is will readers like Lois enough to stick with her through the book in the hope that she will learn and grow? Thankfully that does happen. Lois starts to see how she is behaving, and then she decides to make some changes.

I liked Henrietta/”Henri,” an older, mentoring, voice-of-reason sort of character. Not only does she try to speak into Lois’ friend issues, but she also shows Lois how journalism is like detective work. She also explains the importance of journalistic integrity – letting the facts drive the story rather than squishing the facts to try to make them fit into the story you decided to tell. Which is exactly what Lois is doing with Izzy.

Readers who enjoy graphic novel friendship stories might give this one a try. If you are looking for more Lois Lane stories, I HIGHLY recommend the Lois Lane series for teens by Gwenda Bond. I loved it!

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sara and Elizabeth meet at an afterschool cooking club at Sara’s new school. Her mom is teaching the class South Asian cuisine, and Elizabeth is taking it with her best friend, Maddy.

Sara’s struggling at the new school. Before this she went to a Muslim school. She knew all of her peers and felt like she fit in. Now, there are hundreds of other sixth graders, and even more 7th and 8th graders on top of that. Sara’s not sure she will ever fit in here.

Elizabeth and Maddy have been best friends for years, but ever since Elizabeth went away to summer camp, Maddy’s been more interested in being friends with another, more popular girl. With Elizabeth’s mom struggling with her grandmother’s death, things at home are strained, and now things at school are, too.

But Sara and Elizabeth find common ground at the cooking club. Sara might not like to cook, but she’s knowledgeable and skilled. Elizabeth loves the recipes they are cooking. And both girls, for different reasons, are coaching their mothers through the American citizenship curriculum. Maybe the moms could become friends, pass their tests, and life could get better – for both families.

Review

Outstanding! I loved this! Sara’s prickly at the start – at school and at home – so it takes a bit to warm up to her. But once I did, I adored the frank relationship she and Elizabeth have together, the freedom they have to ask religious and cultural questions of each other. (Elizabeth is Jewish, and her mom is British. Sara’s family is from Pakistan, and they are Muslim.)

All the threads – food, family, friendship, culture, anti-racism – are perfectly woven together. All of the pieces are kept in balance, and I loved every bit of it.

This is an excellent middle school friendship story that I think works for both older elementary and middle school students. The racism/anti-racism pieces are unambiguous, but also age appropriate for readers at the younger end of the range. There are creative elements with the food and cooking as well as Sara’s art that will appeal to kids. Mental health and mental illness (depression) are talked about in an age-appropriate way as well. This would be an excellent addition to classroom and home libraries as well as for reading aloud at school or at home. (Mental health/Depression)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: City Spies by James Ponti

BONUS REVIEW: City Spies by James Ponti

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Sara Martinez is arrested, she knows it’s a big deal. She was caught hacking. She did it to expose her foster parents for the abusive charlatans they are. But of course nothing happened to them, and Sara was arrested.

But then the British guy shows up. Pretends to be her lawyer. Masterfully works the court case to Sara’s favor, getting her sentenced to a fictional facility until she turns 18.

All so Sara can become a spy for MI6.

MI6 has a team of young spies ready to go on a super secret, super vital mission. But their hacker up and quit the program. If Sara can cut it, she’ll be their new hacker.

They’ve never seen a computer whiz like her!

Review

This was an absolute treat! I loved Sara from the start. She’s crazy smart, fierce, and loyal. My favorite sort of protagonist. The other kids on the team are fascinating as well – talented and quirky with interesting back stories. Even some of the adults get backstories in this book!

The mission and mystery are top notch. No surprise, really. I expected that after the delightful FRAMED series by this author. (I totally need to read those again!) There were several fantastic twists along the way. And some unresolved threads will pull readers into the next book, which is City Spies: Golden Gate, scheduled to release next spring. I already have it in my shopping cart!

Readers who love mysteries, kid spies or found family stories should NOT miss this one!!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Parked by Danielle Svetcov

REVIEW: Parked by Danielle Svetcov

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Jeanne Ann and her mother live in Chicago where her mom works in a restaurant as a cook. The hours are long, and her boss is awful. Jeanne Ann splits her time between school and the local library. She stays there until it closes, and the staff have a rule that someone stays with her until her mom gets there to pick her up. The library is like a second home. Jeanne Ann loves Mrs. Jablonsky, the librarian. She has a reading spot, and she helps shelve the books. The librarian even gives her review copies of upcoming books so she can tell them which ones to buy.

But one day, Jeanne Ann’s mom decides to pursue her dream, so they buy a run down orange van and start driving west to San Francisco.

They find a side street with a great view and park the van near some other folks with the same idea. Jeanne Ann’s mom says they are on vacation and can relax for a few days. But when she decides to look for a job, she runs into road blocks. The former co-worker who invited her to come out to San Francisco is gone. The apartment they thought they could live in isn’t an option. So they live on the side street in their van. Across from Cal’s house.

Cal was 8 the first time he approached one of the folks parked across the street. He gave the man some food. And ever since then, he’s been hyper-aware of the people living there. He wants to help them. He wants people to SEE them. But his efforts backfire. He’s gotten into trouble at school which means trouble at home. But the arrival of a new orange van – and a girl his age – catches his attention.

Review

This was SO good! I loved Jeanne Ann and Cal. Readers in books get me every time – and Jeanne Ann is a reader. That trait – and her relationship with books – is a thread through the whole story. Cal is earnest and determined. He’s young – both kids are going into 7th grade. His intentions are great, but his execution causes some trouble. But he keeps showing up. He keeps trying to help; he keeps trying to get his mom to see HIM and see the need right in front of them.

There’s a library thread in this that is absolutely delightful! Mrs. Jablonsky is trying to find Jeanne Ann and her mom when Jeanne Ann stops coming to the library and her books are flagged overdue. The love of this team of librarians for this preteen girl warmed my heart.

The ending of this is also spectacular. I loved how everything came together in the end. This feel-good story tackles a lot of topics – homelessness, helping vs. rescuing, success and failure, fear, friendship, food, reading, neighbors. So much to love here. This would be an AMAZING read aloud at home or at school. Be sure to check this one out.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Shuri by Nic Stone

BONUS REVIEW: Shuri by Nic Stone

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When a middle school aged Shuri discovers the Wakandan heart-shaped herb is dying, she throws all of her scientific know-how at the problem. At the current rate of decay, there will be no herb left for T’Challa’s next challenge day. If T’Challa loses and there is a new leader, he or she would not have the herb and therefore not have the powers of the Black Panther.

Despite Shuri’s brilliance, the problem is too big for her to solve on her own. With support from her best friend K’Marah, a Dora in training; someone from the X-Men; and an Avenger, Shuri leaves Wakanda, racing against time to save the future of her nation.

Review

I loved this! This diverges from the Marvel movies in several ways, but Shuri’s love for her home and her brilliance are as I expected. Yes, her adventure may be a bit over the top for a 14-year-old princess, but we don’t watch Marvel movies – or read the books and comics – for their realism.

The story here was fantastic. The outlook for Wakanda’s future is dire. And Shuri is the one with the time and the intellect to pursue a solution. She finds the right support to give her clues to what she’s missing so that she can get to work on a solution.

I adored the relationship between Shuri and K’Marah. This adventure was good for their friendship. Shuri also chooses a good mentor to help her through the story. The tech and gadgets were fun, and the pacing of the story – the risks and dangers as well as the closing confrontations – was terrific!

I hope there will be future adventures for Shuri and K’Marah! (Note: This is NOT a graphic novel.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science by Amanda Deibert

REVIEW: DC Super Hero Girls: Weird Science by Amanda Deibert

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The DC Super Hero Girls are friends at Metropolis High. And it’s time for the science fair. The judge of this year’s fair is a Cadmus scientist, and the first prize is an internship at Cadmus as well as a year of treats from the Sweet Justice Cafe. All of the girls are excited to get their science on!

All the girls except “Zee” Zatara.

Zee is all about magic, not science. But the Cadmus scientist and Zee’s friends encourage her to help her friends with their projects while she tries to come up with one for herself.

Each project ends in some sort of disaster. Is Zee bad luck? Is she sabotaging her friends? Or is something else going on?

Review

I’ve enjoyed the previous DC Super Hero Girls series, which takes place at Super Hero High, for awhile now. You can read my reviews of those graphic novels here. This is my first book, though in this new Metropolis High series. I prefer the earlier series myself, but I enjoyed this new iteration and setting.

At Metropolis High, the girls have to balance their superhero lives with their alternate identities at school which adds an interesting dynamic to this series. I also enjoyed references to other DC characters. There are appearances here from Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, Steve Trevor, and Lex Luthor as well as references to Superman. The next book – Midterms – promises Lois Lane and Harley Quinn and will release this fall.

This is a meaty story. Zee “helps” Bumblebee, Batgirl, Supergirl, Wonder Woman and a Green Lantern as she prepares for the fair. (It looks like this was originally published as 15 issues of a comic book series. There’s a lot here to dig into.) Every time Zee tries to use magic to fix a problem or speed something along. And almost every time it backfires. Zee doesn’t really learn a lesson from this, but she does find her way to the science fair for herself, and the mystery of the disasters gets solved.

Hand this to DC fans, graphic novel fans, super hero fans, and fans of this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed

REVIEW: Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Diana has been looking forward to an event where women leaders from around the world travel to Themyscira to share art and wisdom and weaponry with one another. It’s the one time Diana’s best friend, Princess Sakina, comes to visit. They get to spend one thrilling week together exploring the festival.

But instead of getting a week with her best friend, Diana finds a boy on the island – something that is NOT allowed. Augustus manipulates Diana into trusting him while he lies to her about Sakina’s family. But the truth is even worse. He’s been sent to the island by a demon who holds all of Augustus’ people hostage. Either Augustus brings Diana back, or all of his people die.

Diana and Sakina are on their own to decide how to deal with the threat as all of the woman on the island are in an enchanted sleep. What can three pre-teens do against a deadly demon?

Review

Young Wonder Woman is getting a lot of attention lately in the world of books. Young readers will be fascinated by Diana before she gains and understands her full powers. The various books that have come out lately – Diana, Princess of the Amazons; Wonder Woman Warbringer; and the many iterations of the DC Super Hero Girls – don’t seem to be connected to one another, but they all explore this idea of a young Diana figuring out who she is. (This is NOT a graphic novel, but a traditional middle grade novel.)

I enjoyed the team up with Sakina in this book. Sakina had the background knowledge they needed while Diana had the tactical knowledge, physical skills, and determination. The story is very suspenseful. There’s one challenge after another after another, even before they confront the demon. It made for a stressful yet compelling reading experience. I think kids will love it!

My review copy included a two chapter teaser for book 2 – Diana and the Underworld Odyssey. I was hooked after those two chapters and now I have to read the sequel! Hand this to Rick Riordan/mythology fans because I think the challenges here will appeal to them. Wonder Woman fans shouldn’t miss this one either!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

REVIEW: From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

On Zoe’s birthday, she picks up the mail at home and finds a letter from her birth father, Marcus. Zoe’s never met him because Marcus is in prison. She’s never heard from him before either, although his letter makes it sound like he’s sent others. Zoe tries to talk to her mom about Marcus, but her mom says he is bad news. Zoe decides to write him back anyway. And she doesn’t tell her mom or step-dad about the letter.

Zoe is home for the summer so she can pick up the mail before anyone sees it. Her best friends are gone for the summer, and she’s fighting with her neighbor, Trevor, so she has a lot of time on her hands.

As Zoe learns more about Marcus, she sees what they have in common – a passion for cooking, a love of music. And she finally gets brave enough to ask why he’s in prison. Marcus says he was convicted of murder, but he’s innocent. So Zoe decides she’s going to look into Marcus’ case and try to help him.

Review

This was SO great! I adored Zoe! It’s the nature of the story that Zoe has to keep some secrets and lie at times to stay in communication with Marcus. And I so badly wanted her to have that relationship with him. There are so many other examples of her good character – she’s a hard worker, she forgives her neighbor for the things that hurt her feelings – that I could let the lying not bother me for the sake of the story. I knew it would all come out in the end.

The author does a great job of rounding out Zoe’s story with the baking and cooking pieces (A recipe for her cupcakes would have been a fun addition to the book) as well as her friendship with Trevor. Those non-Marcus threads never distracted from the primary story, they only enhanced it.

The big conflict at the end, when Zoe’s secrets were exposed, felt realistic. And the resolution to Marcus’s situation was so satisfying! There were some details in the story about The Innocence Project, their mission, and statistics about wrongful conviction. There were also references to the biases and discrimination against Blacks in general and against Black men and boys when it comes to the law. It’s a timely story. I thought there might be an author’s note in the back with more information or resources, but the content of the story stands on its own.

I loved this story. Hand this to any and every middle grade reader. Zoe is a delight. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

REVIEW: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Millie, Thea, Cassie, Nathalie, Robin, and Wren are the Amelia Six – six girls who won the chance to spend the night at Amelia Earhart’s Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas. It was supposed to be an evening of food and fun with a scavenger hunt and a tour of the house, full of Amelia Earhart memorabilia. The prize attraction is a pair of Amelia’s goggles – a pair that is about to go the Smithsonian. But over the course of the evening, the goggles go missing.

The kids and the adults in charge of the museum are trapped in the house due to a snowstorm. There’s no cell reception. And everyone is suspicious of everyone else. The goggles are worth a lot of money to a thief.

But the Amelia Six are determined to find the goggles, get to the truth, and preserve Amelia’s memory. But what can six pre-teens do?

Review

This was a fun mystery with some unexpected twists. Millie was the point of view character, but the ensemble of girls was great. They worked well together once the investigation kicked in, and each brought something different to the sleuthing.

There’s a lot of great Amelia Earhart information both in the book and in the back matter. The setting for the story and the group that plans the event for the girls in the book are both real. Amelia Earhart fans will get a kick out of all the little nuggets of information.

Mystery fans, Earhart fans, and fans of books with great ensembles of characters should be sure to check this one out. It is a lot of fun with plenty of page-turning suspense.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin

BONUS REVIEW: Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

It’s Joy’s birthday, but she’s struggling to be excited about it. The memories of last year’s birthday – which started out so well, but ended so tragically – are unavoidable. For the last year, her parents have watched her carefully. No one really mentions Lukas. Joy can’t even think about him in the past tense. She talks to him in her head. How could she let go of her best friend – someone who might have been something more?

Joy and Lukas used to make scavenger hunts for each other for their birthdays, which were only a couple days apart. She has the first clue for last year’s hunt. It’s been in her desk for 365 days. But maybe it’s time to see where the note leads – to see if any of his clues are left. To see if there’s a hint that he heard her last words to him or not.

Review

I have mixed feelings on this book. It’s very well written. But I didn’t love it. I can positively recommend it to the right readers, but I don’t think I was the right reader, if that makes sense.

The authors did a nice job here of balancing what could have been an extremely sad story with some sweet friendship moments and some chuckles. It’s still a sad story. You know all the way through that Lukas – who tells the story of writing and placing his clues – is going to die. You don’t know how until the end, but it’s an ever-present weight on the story. Personally, that anxiety and wondering was a distraction at times from Joy’s journey through the scavenger hunt.

My heart broke for Joy. She comes across as still pretty numb and emotionally flat in her grief. And she doesn’t talk about Lukas or her loss, although she obviously thinks about him a lot. She holds back her tears so often. The stakes on the scavenger hunt are also big. Joy wants to have this last experience with Lukas, but the chances of finding all of his clues after a year are slim. What will she do if she can’t find them? I thought the authors did a terrific job of dealing with this issue in the book.

Because of the seriousness of the story and the crush components between Joy’s last words to Lukas and Lukas’ thoughts of kissing her and declaring his feelings, I would push the age for this up to an older middle grade range – 10 to 14 instead of the traditional 8-12. As I think back to my students, my 5th and 6th graders would have gravitated to this more than my 3rd and 4th graders on the whole.

Readers who want to be moved by their books, who love friendship stories, or who enjoy middle grade stories that wrestle with mature topics like grief and loss should not miss this one. As I said, it is very well written. It just wasn’t a good fit for me as a reader. My personal rating for this is a 3.5, but my official rating is a 4 to reflect the quality of the book outside of my reaction to it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥