Tag: friendship story

REVIEW: Upstaged by Diana Harmon Asher

REVIEW: Upstaged by Diana Harmon Asher

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Shira is ambushed into auditioning for The Music Man. Her best friend, Cassie, thinks it’s a great way for Shira to move past her shyness. All Shira knows is that getting the first tenor part for the barbershop quartet in the play is drawing a lot more attention than she wants.

But being a girl cast in a male role in middle school starts to feel like small potatoes when Shira is asked to also be the understudy for Marian, the female lead in the musical. While Shira’s nervous about dealing with Monica, the 8th grade diva cast in the role, she really understands and identifies with the prim and shy librarian in the play.

But when Monica starts causing problems for Shira and her friends – and the production – Shira has to dig deep and find her voice, for the sake of everything that has become so important for her.

Review

This was so fun!! I had high hopes for this one. I adored the author’s previous book, Sidetracked. And I enjoy The Music Man as well as school stories, so this felt like it would be a good fit for me – and it was!

I think it will help readers if they have seen a production of The Music Man. Even if they don’t know the songs, it will help to understand the plot and especially the main characters. If I was doing something with this book in a classroom – a read-aloud, a book group – I would schedule a viewing if I could. It would be so fun!

Shira’s shyness is not an extreme example; she doesn’t have a paralyzing level of anxiety. She’s comfortable singing in private. And once she meets each new challenge in the story, she gains confidence and keeps moving forward.

There are plenty of middle grade standard elements here – friendship pieces, a mean girl, oblivious school personnel, amazing teachers, some crushes, etc. Any reader who enjoys contemporary middle grade fiction can find something here to love. Theater fans, singers, performers, and Music Man fans should absolutely check this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

REVIEW: Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free 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

A hungry Ben starts his day without sausages (his stomach is pretty put out about that!), but with a fortune cookie. But then he has to give the cookie away (cue angrier stomach), leaving him with just the fortune: “Good things come to those who wait.”

This seems like good advice. And Ben wants good things. So he decides to do more waiting. But it doesn’t always make things better like he thought it would. For example, he waits to claim a partner for a class project and gets stuck with Walter. They used to be friends, but now Walter is kind of an outcast. In this case, waiting might have been a bad move.

Review

This is book 2 in the illustrated Cookie Chronicles series. I have not read book one, which was not an issue for understanding this book. This is primarily a friendship story. Ben follows his fortune and it causes a fracture in his relationship with his friends at school AND it gets him “stuck” with Walter on this project. I loved watching Ben wrestle through his friendship questions both with Walter and with the other kids. He makes some mistakes along the way, but his heart is in the right place. I think readers will enjoy the scavenger hunt pieces of the story as well as the friendship pieces.

Ben and Walter are both 8-going-on-9 which pitches this young in the world of middle grade novels. Because of that, I think this would also work for younger kids reading early chapter books who are ready for longer, more nuanced stories that still don’t delve into the more mature topics tackled in some middle grade books.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: Serena Says by Tanita S. Davis

BONUS REVIEW: Serena Says by Tanita S. Davis

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Serena and JC have been best friends since 4th grade. But when JC gets a transplant in 6th grade, things start to shift. Serena gets sick so she can’t visit JC at the hospital. They can only see each other online for awhile. Then JC starts spending time with Leilani instead. Pretty soon, Serena is feeling like Leilani has pushed her out of everything – her class ambassador position at school, her WinterFest project plans, and her friendship with JC.

This leaves Serena wondering where she fits as she joins the Student Senate at school and deals with conflict with another classmate. But it’s possible that Serena has places where she could shine – opportunities she might never have tried if her friendship with JC hadn’t changed. Maybe there’s a silver lining in all of the 6th grade drama.

Review

I enjoyed this finding-your-voice story! There are lots of friendship pieces to this as well as some lovely family moments, but my favorite moments were the ones where Serena speaks up, sets a boundary, advocates for a peer, and carries the mantle of leadership.

There’s a vlog thread to this where Serena is learning to be confident speaking on camera and off the cuff. I think kids who also want to be You Tube stars will get a kick out of watching Serena find her voice through her videos. It’s a nice support piece to the work she does in the novel to find and use her voice in her school relationships.

I was pleasantly surprised that one of the friendship messages in this is that people grow apart. I would have liked a little weightier empathy for Serena’s hurt feelings to go with it. Sometimes the advice seemed too dismissive of her feelings. But I liked the normalizing of friendships that stretch and change and grow and drift over time. These things don’t only happen because someone is mean or thoughtless. Sometimes it just happens from growing up.

Be sure to add this to your home or classroom library if you are in the market for a smart friendship story where the main character finds her voice – and uses it!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Izzy in the Doghouse by Caroline Adderson

REVIEW: Izzy in the Doghouse by Caroline Adderson

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Izzy is a spunky girl with tons of spirit, gumption, and crazy ideas. Zoe is her best friend – most of the time. But when Izzy’s ideas get them sent to the principal, Zoe storms off with another friend, leaving Izzy all alone.

But a new puppy might be just the thing to help Izzy in the lonely times when her mom is travelling or when she’s in the doghouse with Zoe. Plus, what’s better at a play date than a puppy?

Review

This was darling! Izzy is a hoot and completely believable for her age. Her quirks are endearing instead of annoying. And she shows great resilience when she and Zoe hit a friendship snag.

The puppy part of the story is a lot of fun. I especially liked how many times Izzy fell in “love at first sight.” The puppy doesn’t magically fix things with Zoe. Time does that on its own. But Rollo does make for a fun playmate when the friends reconnect.

There’s a great adoption thread to this that’s naturally woven into the story. I found it very sweet!

If you are looking for a great early chapter book for your new reader or for your classroom, be sure to check out Izzy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Name Tags and Other Sixth-Grade Disasters by Ginger Garrett

REVIEW: Name Tags and Other Sixth-Grade Disasters by Ginger Garrett

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lizbeth and her mom have moved to the other side of Atlanta, which means a change of schools. Lizbeth is certain that, with the right, happy approach, she can pick just the right person to be her new best friend. And that will set her up for a great year.

Instead, she is placed in a classroom with an exhausted and distracted teacher and in a pod with kids called the “weirdos.” Lizbeth’s choice for a new best friend can’t get away from her fast enough. And the only kid who seems to “get” her also seems to be the resident mean girl.

Lizbeth finds herself helping her podmates with the mandatory school talent show while she’s also stuck doing all the work for a partnered science project. On top of all that, she has her quest to sabotage her dad’s latest girlfriend. Lizbeth figures that’s the best way to get her parents back together which will mean Lizbeth can get her old, perfect life back, too.

Review

The ending of this is stellar! There were some ups and downs for me along the way, but the ending was fantastic.

I had a mixed experience here with Lizbeth. She’s a funny, quirky kid, which I loved. She’s a lot to take early on. The scene of her trying to be Hailey’s friend at that first lunch period was almost painful. And when it comes to her dad’s girlfriends, frankly, she’s a bully. She’s mean. For every point she earns in my heart because she defends her podmates at school, she loses several for her horrible, hateful behavior with these women. And her parents don’t seem to do anything about it. This made it hard for me to like any of the family. And it made it hard to root for Lizbeth in the larger story.

With some time, though, Lizbeth starts to mature. She starts to see things from other points of view. She begins to get some personal insight. And that made up for some of the early ugliness in the story.

The art pieces in this were excellent. And the climax of the story was as well. I absolutely adored the end. There’s a lot here for readers to enjoy, and plenty to think about and talk through – labels, bullying, art, friendship, family, dealing with divorce, etc. This could prompt some meaty discussions both at home and in the classroom.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½=Good+

REVIEW: Nat Enough by Maria Scrivan

REVIEW: Nat Enough by Maria Scrivan

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Just before Natalie starts at the local middle school, her best friend Lily moves across town. They’ll still be at  school together, but Lily’s been “busy” since she moved. So Natalie is feeling disconnected when school starts. Natalie’s nervous about starting at the larger school, but she feels secure knowing Lily will be there, too.

But Lily has made a new friend – Alex. Alex is super popular – athletic, talented, and stylish. Nat is desperate to get Lily back as her best friend, but it’s hard to compete with someone like Alex.

Review

This is lovely! Hand this new graphic novel to fans of Smile (♥♥♥♥), Real Friends (♥♥♥♥), or Just Jaime (♥♥♥♥), and I think they will love it! The art style here is great. The story is told through Natalie’s sketchbook. Readers should keep an eye on Nat’s pets because they are usually doing something fun on the pages where they appear.

There are hints in the art work early on for the sort of “friend” Lily is. Careful reading of the pictures will clue kids in that Lily is Nat’s friend because Nat lets Lily do whatever she wants. It’s pretty sad. But through the course of the book, Natalie makes some REAL friends – friends who point out what Nat isn’t ready to see yet.

The message of the story – focus on who you ARE rather than on who you are not – is reinforced in Nat’s contest entry which is presented at the end of the book. I love that the author included it – it’s a fun complement to the story.

Readers will enjoy this middle school friendship story (with a crush thrown in). The characters are endearing, the artwork is captivating, and the ending leaves you wanting to cheer. Don’t miss this one! Book 2, Forget Me Nat, will release in the fall. You can read about more great graphic novels for kids here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥