Category: Middle Grade Fiction Review

REVIEW: Wish Upon a Sleepover by Suzanne Selfors

REVIEW: Wish Upon a Sleepover by Suzanne Selfors

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the author in a social media contest. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Leilani longs to be one of the Haileys. They are a clique of six girls named Hailey (all spelled differently). They always have themed sleepovers and fun conversations. And Leilani wants desperately to be a part of it all.

It’s not that Leilani doesn’t have friends. She has Autumn, her best friend since kindergarten. But every other week Autumn goes to her dad’s. Then Leilani is stuck at home with her mom and great-grandmother, Tutu.

Leilani is convinced that if the Haileys just knew how fun she was, they would welcome her in. And the best way to show them is to have her own awesome sleepover – with a Hawaiian theme – and invite them. On her “Do NOT Invite” list is her second cousin, Todd, who always has gas. Also on the list is her new neighbor, William, who never speaks when Leilani talks to him. And finally on the list is “Manga Girl,” a girl at school who is always drawing comics, including a mean one of Leilani.

But Leilani’s invitations go to her Do NOT Invite list instead of to the Haileys. It’s Leilani’s worst nightmare. But maybe there’s a way Leilani can redeem her plans and get in with the Haileys after all.

Review

This was delightful! I loved the rich characters in this book. I expected a typical friendship story, but this went deeper than I expected. There’s a lot of anxiety issues addressed in the story – from shyness to stage fright, to selective mutism. I loved the extra layers this added to the story.

To be honest, Leilani is probably the character I liked the least. Her obsession with the Haileys started to grate on my nerves. But the insightful kids at her sleepover called her out. It was great. And Leilani learns a lot from the sleepover experience.

The book uses the story of Stone Soup with a nice Hawaiian twist. It was a great method of introducing depth to the characters as they went around town to get their ingredients.

This book can be handed to kids who love a good friendship story as well as kids who enjoy digging into books and characters who are dealing with mental health issues like anxiety. While the mental health aspects aren’t the central focus of the book, it’s a great thread. If readers are interested in learning more about selective mutism, they might try After Zero which addresses that as a central part of the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

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: Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes

REVIEW: Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When June’s parents find a school library book in her bag that they think is inappropriate, she’s mortified that her parents are being so overprotective. The idea of them complaining to the librarian is embarrassing! But the idea that her favorite teacher could lose her job over it wasn’t on her radar at all.

But that’s what happens. Ms. Bradshaw is suspended. Then a group of parents starts weeding “inappropriate” books out of the library. And being found with a banned book becomes a detention-worthy offense.

June is determined to keep reading, hiding a book in her bedroom or between the pages of a text book and taking advantage of a neighborhood Little Free Library. And over time, she finds a few fellow rebels at school who are eager to find new reading material. So June starts sharing her stash. The kids know they have to keep this secret, but school administrators are watching. They are determined to “protect” the students from books they think are dangerous.

Review

June is a great character. She has some excellent moments that made me want to cheer. Her parents and the school board, PTO and administration were infuriating. I was appalled by the idea of such an extreme censorship response, especially with so little input from any true educational experts. June’s parents’ “solution” for June’s personal library at home was ludicrous.

As a kid, my parents let me read anything I wanted. As a parent myself, I try to speak into what my teen reads. We talk about what we are reading and why one of us might not keep reading a particular book. We talk about listening to your conscience and the Holy Spirit when that voice tells you something isn’t a good thing to read. I want my child to be a thoughtful and critical reader. Those are skills in short supply these days, but they can’t be developed if I control his reading life.

This book has some things in common with Ban this Book which I reviewed earlier this year, although I think Ban this Book has more to offer readers than just the censorship story. Each one has its own “flavor” and stands on its own.

Lots of terrific books are cited in this one. Hand this to any reader who loves books about books or who enjoys a little rebellion in their protagonists.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: After Zero by Christina Collins

REVIEW: After Zero by Christina Collins

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

Elise is the “quiet” one. It’s almost become a game for her. How can she get through the school day with as few words as possible? Unfortunately her teachers love things like group discussions and oral presentations. But a bathroom pass can do wonders to help her avoid those projects, at least for awhile.

Elise was homeschooled for elementary school. And she missed out on things other kids seemed to take for granted like birthday parties and negotiating social relationships. Now Elise is in a public middle school. She skipped ahead to 8th grade while her one neighborhood friend is in 7th. But Elise struggles even to talk to her.

At the beginning of the year Elise talked some. But a few false starts left her feeling exposed and awkward. It felt safer to just keep to herself.

But when Elise discovers a secret her mom has been keeping, things start to spiral out of control for Elise. And if she won’t – or can’t – speak up, how can she ever find out the truth or find help?

Review

For most of the book, I struggled to figure out where things were going. I cared about Elise and felt desperate for her to speak – to get help or stick up for herself. There were some out-of-the-ordinary moments that left me wondering if the book was somehow in the fantasy genre and I missed it in the description. If I hadn’t agreed to review this, I might not have pushed through to the end. And that would have been a shame.

This is the sort of book that you can’t evaluate except from the end. You have to press through all of your questions and frustration for Elise. Because in the end, everything ties together and becomes clear.

I learned a lot in this story about Elise’s situation. I don’t want to give anything away by saying more. I will say this will fit with the collection of middle grade books exploring mental health, but it brings an entirely new piece into the discussion. I don’t know of another book that looks at kids like Elise. And the author told the story in such a way that the reader was desperate for Elise to get her answers even if the reader doesn’t know how they are going to come about.

This would be great for upper elementary and middle school readers, especially for fans of books like Finding Perfect, Still a Work in Progress, Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes, and The Seventh Wish.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Planet Grief by Monique Polak

REVIEW: Planet Grief by Monique Polak

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Abby is furious with her father. She does NOT want to spend her weekend at some grief retreat. She’d rather be at soccer – with friends, running around, not thinking about how it is almost Mother’s Day and her mother is dead. If only a heart transplant had come through for her sooner, or if she had not even gotten sick at all.

Christopher isn’t quite as reluctant about the grief retreat as Abby. His main worry is that someone will find out exactly HOW his father died. His mom assures him that the retreat leader, Eugene, is the only one who will know. But Christopher still walks in with his defenses up.

The other kids in the group are Gustavo who has been to grief retreat before because of his father’s death. As a seasoned participant, he helps Eugene with the group activities. Antoine and his moms are grieving the loss of Antoine’s little brother who died from SIDS. And Felicia is there because both of her parents died.

As Abby and Christopher experience grief retreat and participate in some exercises to help them with their losses, they are surprised by the things they learn about their fellow group members – and about themselves.

Review

This is an emotional and touching story. And it is so well written. I felt like the grief and emotions expressed by the characters were completely on target. I felt them and understood them. The complicated experience of grief was portrayed in a way that middle grade readers can understand. I think kids who have experienced loss could read this and feel understood. They might even get some new insights into their own grief experience. Kids who have not experienced death have a chance to gain insight and empathy by reading the experience of these characters.

I think this book could find a home in every single classroom and school library as well as home libraries. For those who tend to avoid books with gay characters due to religious reasons, I think the two moms in this story (who are never in a scene together due to the extreme grief of one of the women) are a small part of a much larger – and much more important – story. I think the value of this book to grieving kids and their friends far outweighs any questions the kids might have about a character with two moms.

I highly recommend this story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Quid Pro Quo by Vicki Grant

REVIEW: Quid Pro Quo by Vicki Grant

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Cyril MacIntyre likes to say he started law school when he was ten years old.  That was how old he was when his mom started night school, and she couldn’t afford to get a sitter. So he quizzed her for her tests and ran to get her materials from the library. When she finally graduated, he was almost as proud of her as she was of herself.

But Andy MacIntyre is brusque and abrasive and loud. She had a hard time finding a job. Eventually she became an “articling student” for a local lawyer who was always trying to help the underdogs. It’s a perfect place for Andy. She and Cyril are finally pulling things together for a more positive life.

Then Byron shows up. He pushes Andy’s buttons worse than anyone Cyril has ever met. And he holds something over Andy’s head because she let him move into Cyril’s room but she never wanted Cyril to talk to him. Just when Cyril starts doing some investigating into Byron and his history with Andy, they both disappear. Cyril is alone. He knows if he calls the police he’ll end up in foster care, so he’ll just have to solve the mystery on his own.

Review

This was a great mystery! Cyril is a smart, resourceful kid. He really has to work to get all of the pieces to come together. Some of the clues – like Andy’s notes – can be puzzled out by the reader. The legal terms at the start of every chapter are a great way to convey information and keep the theme of the story going.

Andy is a pretty rough-around-the-edges parent. She’s aggressive and foulmouthed (although all her swearing is bleeped out in the book), but underneath it all you know she loves Cyril and wants to do right by him.

I’d recommend this for older middle grade readers – middle school age – due to the bleeped out swearing, the older protagonist (Cyril is 13 or 14 – the ARC was inconsistent on his age), and some components of the mystery. This will be great for kids who love a first rate mystery and those who want to be a lawyer some day.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang

REVIEW: Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Jessie is spending the summer with her aunt and uncle and cousin “Ann-Marie.” Ann-Marie used to be just Ann and she was fun to hang out with back then. But when she became friends with Loralee, she wanted to be called Ann-Marie instead. She never sticks up for Jessie when Loralee is hateful, cruel or manipulative. Ann-Marie usually doesn’t pay attention to Jessie unless Loralee stands her up.

So Jessie decides to find her own summer fun by pestering her grumpy neighbor, Wes, to let her join his dog-walking business. Wes agrees to take Jessie along only if she learns the Rules of the Ruff – his rules for working with dogs.

Jessie learns a lot about the dogs – and about Wes – through their partnership. When a rival dog walker moves in on Wes’ business, Jessie is incensed. When she hears that the rival doesn’t even love the dogs like Wes does, that it’s just a job to her, Jessie decides to serve up a little vengeance and get Wes’ clients back. But things quickly turn ugly and the Rules of the Ruff might not be enough to set things right again.

Review

This was a cute story with characters that produced some strong emotions in me. Loralee is horrible. She’s a typical, hateful middle grade bully/mean girl, and she’s just awful. Monique, the rival dog walker, really ticked me off, too, with her cavalier attitude about putting Wes out of business. Max and Ann’s inability to stand up to Loralee at times was infuriating. The author did a great job developing characters that incited strong feelings.

I loved Jessie’s persistence and self-acceptance. She never tried to be something she wasn’t. And she makes some really selfless choices in the book that were both painful to read and also inspiring.

On one level, this is a dog story but even more than that it’s a relationship story.  Jessie’s relationships with each of the characters tell the reader so much about Jessie and about the people around her. The Rules of the Ruff come in handy with people, not just with dogs. Hand this to your favorite dog lover and be prepared for him or her to really connect with these characters, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Selkie of San Francisco by Todd Calgi Gallicano

REVIEW: The Selkie of San Francisco by Todd Calgi Gallicano

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a copy of the finished book from the author and the publisher, Delacorte Books for Young Readers, for review purposes. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It’s been while since Sam’s first adventure with the Department of Mythical Wildlife, and he’s itching for another case. His bodyguard/Guardian Tashi is by his side and his decoy, Nuks, is ready for action. The call comes in from Dr. Vance Vantana that a mythical creature – a selkie – appeared at Fisherman’s Wharf and then again at a fashion show with up and coming model, Pearl Eklund.

Everyone knows Pearl’s story. She was found after a boat accident that killed her parents. Her rescuer became her adoptive father, and she couldn’t be more well known.

Sam, Tashi, and Dr. Vantana need to get close to Pearl in the hopes that the selkie will try to find her again. But the selkie doesn’t want to hurt Pearl. He seems to think she is someone crucial to the continued existence of humanity and relative peace between the selkies and the merpeople.

Sam has his new case! But maybe he should be more careful what he wishes for.

Review

I enjoyed Sam’s first story when I read it, but my memory for it was pretty fuzzy when I started this one. Once the action kicked in with the selkie, though, I was in the swing of things and didn’t put the book down until I was done. This sequel was so good!

I love Sam. He’s bright and resourceful. He has great insights about people and situations. The rest of the team is great, but Sam is my favorite. There are tons of mythical creatures in this one – from lots of different cultures. Mythology and Rick Riordan fans should definitely try this series.

One unusual feature to this for me is the ever-changing point of view characters. It’s not often that adults get to be POV characters in middle grade novels. But it works here as the adults are the only ones with some pieces of the puzzle in the book.

The case takes the team all over the world, The book is long, but it’s not filler. Each step gave them pieces of either the selkie story or the Sam story at the center of the book – finding his father.

There are some emotional moments in this one. I’m grateful for the epilogue which redeems some of it and gives us a title for book 3 with hints for where the story is headed.

Thanks again to the author, Todd Calgi Gallicano, for arranging for a review copy for me!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

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: The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie

REVIEW: The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Guinevere, her sister Elizabeth (Bitty), and their dad move back to Gwyn’s parents’ home town, Crow, Iowa, because of Vienna. Vienna is Gwyn’s mother. Six years ago, when Gwyn was four and Bitty was a baby, Vienna’s heart stopped. Her brain was without oxygen for a long time. While she was eventually revived, her brain was damaged. Vienna doesn’t remember anything now beyond age 13. She remembers her husband because they had been childhood friends. She remembers her mother and sisters, but she can’t reconcile their older, adult lives with her childhood memories. She doesn’t know her daughters at all.

In Iowa, Gwyn and Bitty have Nana and their dad there to help them with the day in and day out activities. They see Vienna at her care facility and on outings, but it is hard to see the person who should love you the most not even know who you are. One saving grace to the whole move is Gwyn’s friendship with Micah and Jimmy. Along with Bitty, the four kids do everything together, including their attempts to solve the disappearance of a local man. Micah’s mom, Gaysie, is Gwyn’s primary suspect. Everyone in town talks about her and whispers about “the accident” that happened when Gwyn’s parents and Gaysie were kids.

Gwyn will learn a lot about her new community, her new friends, her mom and even herself as she experiences these early months in Iowa.

Review

This is a lovely, heartbreaking story of family and friendship. There are several layers to this, and they all worked well.

On the surface, this is about Gwyn and her family, especially her mother. My heart broke for Gwyn (who acts older than 10 in a lot of ways) as she tries to manage her emotions about her mother. The situation is difficult and tragic, but Gwyn’s dad refuses to lose hope. Gwyn’s anger and resentment is understandable; she is grieving in her own way the lost of her mother in a parental role in her life.

This is also about the past. The family moves back to Iowa hoping the familiar people and places will help Vienna regain some of the memories she has lost. There are a lot of references to the past, especially to the friendship between Gwyn’s parents and Gaysie, and the mysterious “accident.”

Then there’s the mystery. Gaysie’s neighbor and friend, Wilber, disappears, and Gwyn is determined to figure out what happened to him. At the same time, there’s also her friendship with Jimmy and Micah which grows while they work on the mystery.

I don’t think the mystery is central enough to put this in that genre. I’d categorize this as realistic fiction. It’s beautiful and emotional. A really engaging story. This would be a great addition to personal libraries, school libraries, classroom libraries and class read-alouds. Just be sure to have tissues nearby!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥