Tag: middle grade fiction

REVIEW: Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick

REVIEW: Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Truly Lovejoy was devastated by her family’s move to Pumpkin Falls, NH. It’s January, so the weather is awful. It’s so cold, a waterfall is freezing, and it snows all the time. They were supposed to be living in their very own house in Texas, down the road from Truly’s cousin/best friend after years of military housing. After her father’s accident, days before he was supposed to come home and retire, though, everything changed.

Now, Truly’s father and his sister are running the family bookstore for their parents who have joined the peace corps. That means a mid-year school change for Truly and her siblings. A new town, a new school, and tons of new people.

Truly usually tries to blend into the background. It’s been pretty easy at home since she’s the middle kid of five. It’s harder in public when she’s almost 6 feet tall and not quite 13 years old yet. Usually she can manage to fade into the woodwork anyway. But when she finds a letter with a scavenger hunt clue tucked into a rare book at the store, Truly will need the help of her new classmates to solve the mystery.

Review

I had heard great things about the Pumpkin Falls Mystery series for years, but this was my first chance to try it out. What a delight!

The mysteries are fun. The 20 year old scavenger hunt pushes Truly to get to know her new home town and her classmates. There are also some fun references to Much Ado About Nothing, one of my favorite Shakespeare plays.

The family bookstore is a great place for characters to meet, story elements to unfold, and Truly’s family to start to heal. I adored the shop and all of the activities centered there. And Truly’s family (and her friends) are a treat.

The characters are what makes this book special. From Truly’s dad who is adjusting to a disability and the change in all of his ideas of what his retirement would look like to each of Truly’s friends who are distinct and delightful, there are tons of great characters in this. But Truly is my favorite of them all. She may not tell the adults in her life everything she is thinking and feeling, but she is very clear in her own mind. I loved watching her process the changes in her family, the transition to her new school, and the mysteries she stumbles into. I can’t wait to read the other books in this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = Loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Finally Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett

REVIEW: Finally Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Duckies. A yard full of rubber duckies.

That’s what launches Paul, “Shank,” and “Peephole” on their latest mystery investigation. Someone dumped a ridiculous number of bath toys in Mr. Babbage’s yard. Who would do that? And why?

Could it be one of his competitors from the big bratwurst competition? Or maybe it’s his grouchy neighbor? Then there’s a teen from the neighborhood who’s acting strangely and sneaking out of the house.

The One and Onlys are on the case. That’s the name of their detective agency, because the three of them are only children. Or at least, they were. Now Peephole’s parents are having another baby which is really going to shake things up. As if Peephole wasn’t already afraid and paranoid all the time. Everything for the One and Onlys could be changing this summer – especially if they can crack their first case.

Review

This was so fun! I love middle grade mysteries. The silly duckies are only the starting point for a low stakes case that pushes the kids to use their skills – Peephole’s photographic memory, Shank’s confidence and daring, and Paul’s problem solving. There’s a lot going on in town with the bratwurst competition as well as a big box store coming in that could dramatically change life for Paul’s family. There’s plenty to engage readers and keep pages turning.

The clues for the mystery are all there for clever readers to notice and fit together. The wrap up of the case was terrific and satisfying.

I would love to see more mysteries for the One and Onlys to solve. Their relationship with local law enforcement was great – I’d love to see where that could go in the future.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty

REVIEW: Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty

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

Felix Rannells is a rule follower. Benji Porter is a rule exploder. Benji doesn’t just bend rules or break rules – sometimes he outright destroys them. They are the odd couple of their field trip pairings.

When Felix finds a wallet on the sidewalk during their lunch break, he wants to turn it in. Benji sees it as a chance to get some lunch since he left his at home by mistake. He insists he’ll pay the person back. He even uses the $20 he takes to get Felix food, too.

Then the boys discover the wallet belongs to Laura Friendly, a billionaire. Benji insists that $20 to her is like a penny to normal folks. And they’re just “borrowing it.” Felix know they actually STOLE the money, but he doesn’t have $10 to pay back his half. And while Benji will be able to get money from his parents, Felix’s mom doesn’t have money just lying around. They are barely getting by as it is.

When Laura Friendly confronts the boys about the theft, Benji mouths off about his “penny” theory which gives the billionaire an idea. A penny, doubled, every day for a month is more than $5 million. She’ll give the boys that much money and they will have one month to spend it – with some restrictions. If they can pull it off, they will each get $10 million.

Review

This has a Brewster’s Millions feel to it (it’s a movie starring Richard Pryor from 1985), and I was here for all of it! I first encountered Stacy McAnulty’s work when I fell in love with her debut, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. She’s an author I watch very closely because I never want to miss her latest release. You aren’t going to want to miss this one, either. When I read the plot, I was immediately sold. And the book did not disappoint.

I loved Felix and Benji from the start. Even though they are very different guys, there’s something endearing about each of them. Felix is very aware of his family’s financial situation, and he wishes they had a little more breathing room. Benji generally has whatever material things he needs, but he’s looking for significance, and approval from his parents. Through the novel, not only do they each grow individually, but they also grow to be friends. I loved watching their journey.

Ms. Friendly is a fascinating character. Not much like her name, though. The boys learn a lot with her challenge, and I think she grows to like them. I loved watching her relationship with them over the course of the story.

I think this would make a fun classroom read-aloud or a book club selection. Anyone who has ever daydreamed what they’d do with a million dollars will be able to identify with these boys and their secret financial challenge. I loved how it played out over the month and how it wrapped up in the end. This is my favorite sort of middle grade novel – kids you love in fascinating circumstances who learn and grow over time. Do not miss this one! (LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – Loved it! Would read again!

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: Voyagers: The Third Ghost

REVIEW: Voyagers: The Third Ghost

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher – Dancing Lemur Press – in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This is a collection of short stories for middle grade readers. There’s a mix of genres – fantasy, science fiction, history.  As examples, there’s a story with ghosts, some with time travel, one with a character on a slave ship, and another with nature-based magic. It’s an eclectic mix so readers are likely to find a few stories that click for them no matter what genre they prefer.

I think the format of short stories can be especially helpful for developing readers. Shorter stories means a shorter time commitment. For the longest time the books my students all wanted to read were 400 page behemoths. My poor kiddos who weren’t strong readers languished for weeks trying to make some progress on those longer books. A collection of short stories might have allowed them a sense of accomplishment when they finished some of the stories. They can also be great for classroom use as a group of students could all read one story fairly quickly and move on to discussion, where reading whole novels takes longer.

“The Orchard” was probably my favorite of the stories – I liked the characters. “The Blind Ship” was good and also horribly sad. I liked that it was based on a true story and that the actual journal the character was keeping was used to fight slavery. “The Third Ghost” is the story that has stuck with me the most since I finished reading.

Rating: ♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O'Shaughnessy

BONUS REVIEW: The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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

Maybelle Lane lives in Louisiana with her mom. Not in Baton Rouge where they used to live – where Maybelle had a best friend and a more comfortable life. Now they’re in Davenport. Maybelle is alone a lot while her mom works two jobs to make ends meet. And instead of friends, she has a gang of boys to avoid whenever possible. They’re bullies at school, and they tease Maybelle because her mom went on a date with the art teacher. Maybelle’s mom called off the relationship with her when Maybelle asked, but apparently word got around anyway.

Maybelle is about to be even more on her own than usual. Her mom has a job singing on a cruise ship for a month. It’ll pay really well, and they need the money. And it could open doors for her mom for the future. So Maybelle will stay with a neighbor.

Just before her mom leaves, Maybelle discovers her dad is a radio DJ in Nashville. Her mom is adamant that there’s no place for him in their lives, but listening to him on the radio makes Maybelle feel a little less lonely.

When her father announces a singing contest in Nashville where he will be one of the judges, Maybelle knows she has to go. Her mom loves the idea of Maybelle performing – of course, Maybelle left out all mention of her father. So Maybelle and her neighbor head out on a road trip that could change Maybelle’s life forever.

Review

This was lovely. I adored the traveling trio on their summer road trip to Nashville. Maybelle was sweet, determined and afraid. There was just the right amount of introspection and self-discovery and awareness in this. A perfect balance of outward living and internal processing. Tommy and Mrs. Boggs were delightful – and did their own growing along the way. I got a kick out of Maybelle’s collection of sounds, something that threads through the book. There are also pieces in here about anxiety and panic attacks that are handled well. The book also looks at grief and evidence of child abuse.

I’ve read other road trip stories with secret or semi-secret treks to meet a relative or a personal hero or to dream an impossible dream. What makes this one special is the ensemble on the journey. I was thrilled to find an epilogue in this that shows a quick view of the next year in the characters’ lives. It’s a satisfying wrap up to the larger story as well as the individual journeys of the main characters. Be sure to check this one out.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Newspaper Club by Beth Vrabel

REVIEW: The Newspaper 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

When Nellie’s dad is out of town for a long term work assignment and her mom loses her newspaper job, her mom’s college friend, Mrs. Kim-Franklin comes to the rescue. She invites them to move to Bear Creek and helps them get set up in the house next door. By default that means Nellie and Mrs. Kim-Franklin’s daughter Min are now “best friends,” at least according to Min.

Nell’s not really had friends before. She’s brilliant and can be off-putting to her peers. But living in a new town, and stumbling onto some mysterious events at the park piques her journalistic curiosity. To get the answers she is looking for, Nell needs to get to know the locals. Nell’s neighbor Thom offers to walk her to the local newspaper office so she can give them the information on the park. Min tags along, and the three discover yet another mystery in this small town that Nell would like to dig into.

But the newspaper office is not what Nell was expecting. Many of the reporters are packing up their desks because they were laid off. When Nell asks the editor how the town is supposed to know what is going on at the park, or when it is safe to return, if there’s no newspaper to tell them, he tells her she might have to write the story herself.

With Thom and Min’s help, that’s exactly what Nell plans to do!

Review

I LOVED this! The six kids at the core of this book are delightful! Nellie is bright and brings the newspaper experience. Thom is loyal and thoughtful. Min is enthusiastic. Gordon is talented. Gloria is passionate, and Charlotte is brave. I loved them. I hope there will be shelves full of books starring these kids.

The mysteries here are kid-friendly – pranks or vandalism at the park and a sad business owner. There are a few serious moments which were especially endearing because I was already so attached to the characters from the rest of the story.

I loved the adults in this – the exasperated police chief who still answers Nell’s questions, Thom’s moms who make Nell feel welcome, Gloria’s dad who gives Gloria space to put her own “flavor” on their restaurant, etc.

The newspaper pieces are well written and informative. Readers could put together their own newspaper with the ideas and examples in this book. But it’s never overly technical.

Do not miss this delightful story! This would be so great as a read-aloud or for book groups. I loved this like I loved Beth Vrabel’s 2018 release, The Reckless Club. I can’t wait to see what happens for these characters next!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: 2019 Cybils Awards

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: 2019 Cybils Awards

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an advanced reader copy of The Bridge Home from another committee member and a published copy of Right as Rain from the publisher HarperCollins for review purposes. Both were passed on to a classroom teacher when my committee work was completed. All opinions are my own.]

The Process

Once again I had the privilege of serving on a committee for the 2019 Cybils Awards. This is the second 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 and the 2018 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.  Keep in mind that another committee determined what books we would be choosing from. These seven were not our personal best of 2019, but the ones chosen by another committee of readers based on nominations. Books here are listed in alphabetical order.

The Books

The Bridge Home – Four homeless kids make a family for themselves as they live near an abandoned bridge, but when illness strikes, will they continue to fend for themselves or will they have the strength to reach out for help? This was one of those “it’s well written, but I didn’t like it” books. This was dark and sad and upsetting and heart-wrenching. I did not enjoy reading it. But it’s well-written and there’s TONS of material in it for readers to dig into. This is for older middle grade readers (10+). Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

Maybe He Just Likes You – A middle school girl struggles to speak up about the behavior of the boys around her, especially when her friends tell her she is over-reacting or should be flattered. You can read my full review of this one here. I really liked this one! I feel like this is an important story that gives kids language for those behaviors that feel icky, but they can’t quite pinpoint why. There are other books releasing now that address similar situations (Chirp was a good one I read recently), and they are so important. This is another one that I think is good for older middle grade readers. Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

Operation Frog Effect – Eight kids tell the story of what happened that got their teacher in trouble. One of the stories is told in graphic novel format. To me this felt like a Mr. Terupt book (or something else by Rob Buyea), although not as in-depth. There’s a great, diverse group of students in this as well as an inspiring teacher. I enjoyed this. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise – Coyote and her dad have lived life on the road in their renovated school bus since Coyote’s mother and sisters were killed in an accident. But now she is desperate to get back home before her last moments with her mom and sisters are lost forever. You can read my full review of this one here. This is another story that deals with difficult topics, in this case grief. This also deals with the subject of identity, which is a favorite topic of mine, especially in kids literature. This is the book chosen by the committee to win the Cybils Award for 2019 for Middle Grade Fiction. Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

 

Right As Rain – A grieving family moves to New York hoping a change of scenery can help them in their loss, but Rain is convinced her brother’s death is her fault. While she holds her secrets close, a new friend may help her open up and shine the light of truth on what happened that night. I LOVED this! Of these 7 books, I had already read and reviewed 3 of them. Of the four that were new to me, this was my favorite. I adored everything about this – the grieving pieces as well as the poetry and the hot chocolate and the soup kitchen and the running. Fantastic characters. A story I just wanted to hug. A happy tearful ending as Rain finally shares her story. Beautiful! Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Roll with It – A girl with cerebral palsy who longs to be a baker adjusts to a new home and a new school. I loved Ellie and her family and friends in this one. The baking pieces were fun and sounded delicious. I don’t have a lot of books in my reading repertoire starring characters with disabilities, so I was glad to add this book to my list. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

Song for a Whale –  A deaf girl who is also a tech genius learns about a whale that can’t communicate with other whales, and she decides to find a way to “sing” to this whale. You can read my full review of this one here. I adored this book! Sure, there are moments where the reader has to suspend disbelief (like when the main character runs away to go on a cruise with her grandmother – and her parents don’t freak out more), but there are other moments that are so perfect. I loved the threads in this about finding community and being with others who understand you and share some of your life experiences. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

You can see all of the 2019 Cybils Award winners here.

REVIEW: Shine! by JJ and Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Shine! by JJ and Chris Grabenstein

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

Piper’s life revolves around music, although she says she personally can’t carry a tune in a lunch box.

Her mother was a cellist and also a singer. At Piper’s age she had a full music scholarship to Chumley Prep. Piper’s dad has always dreamed of writing musicals and directing orchestras on Broadway, but he never caught a break like that. When Piper’s mom died, he started directing music at Fairview Middle School so he had a steady job to take care of the two of them.

And now, her dad’s a cappella group has won the Winter Sing-Off, beating the Chumley Prep group. It’s a huge achievement for Piper’s dad. And it gets him invited to take the director’s job at Chumley after Christmas. A “perk” is that Piper can go to the school for free. She’s less than thrilled.

At the Winter Sing-Off, Piper overheard the arrogant Chumley kids mocking her dad and his group, but she was too shy to speak up. What is she going to do now when she has to go to school with those kids every day?

Review

“The brightest stars don’t just shine for themselves.”

What a DELIGHT! This is the kind of book I want to hug. I loved this – the characters, the plot, the message. It was a treat to read!

Piper is my favorite sort of middle grade character. She’s bright and sweet and over time she gets comfortable in her own skin. She finds a fantastic crew at Chumley which offsets some of the social issues at the school. Piper’s not perfect. She struggles with the pressure to be a star at Chumley and with her expectations of herself, and that leads her to vent that frustration onto a friend. But she finds her way back, on her own, given some time and space – exactly what you hope kids can do.

The story was almost as excellent as Piper. It’s a new kid story combined with an identity story as Piper is trying to figure out who she wants to be in this new setting. As an outsider, she catches glimpses of what the pressure of a school like Chumley can be like for kids, especially kids with parents who have sky-high expectations and the money to make things happen. And while Piper puts up with some taunting and some unfair treatment, she mostly has the freedom to find her place and be herself while she figures out the Chumley system and competes for an all-school award.

This would be terrific for a classroom read aloud, for book groups, or for family/bedtime reading. Don’t miss out on this one. You can check out my reviews of some of Chris Grabenstein’s other books here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Friendship Lie by Rebecca Donnelly

REVIEW: The Friendship Lie by Rebecca Donnelly

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Things seemed so much simpler in second grade. With her twin brother, Kyle, by her side, she could face anything. She didn’t need a ton of friends. But meeting Sybella was like fate. From their first meeting it was obvious Sybella had a great imagination and a sense of adventure. When Cora told her about the magical land of Aquafaba, Sybella “got it” right away. And for three years, Cora, Kyle and Sybella played and developed their magical, imaginary land.

By fifth grade, though, life is more complicated. Cora and Kyle’s mom is living in Belgium and going back to her maiden name. A new girl at school is trying to wedge herself into Cora, Kyle and Sybella’s trio. And Cora’s life is pretty consumed by her dad’s work in “garbagology.” Her school is even doing a Trashlympics competition later in the year.

When something fractures Cora’s friendship with Sybella, it’s the final straw. She’s lonely, she doesn’t have her mom close by to talk to, and she’s not sure if this fracture is something they’ll be able to mend or if their friendship is broken for good.

Review

What a terrific friendship story! This is a perfect story for upper elementary readers – an age group that often deals with growing pains in friendships. I think this would work especially well as a classroom read aloud. There’s a lot to discuss in the novel, and teachers can also help kids track the novel’s two timelines (“Before” and “now”), two perspectives (Cora’s and Sybella’s), and a 40-year-old story from a discarded diary.

Cora seems like a melancholy kid, even before the friendship drama. And I loved that Sybella and Kyle accepted her and never tried to “fix” her. The friendship fracture – like many conflicts – could have been solved with some clear communication, but that’s a great life lesson. There was an extenuating factor that wasn’t directly handled by the end (for good story reasons) that frustrated me. I think the impact of an outsider on the situation would make for a great discussion point for a book group or a class to dig into.

The garbology pieces of this were so fresh and creative – and quirky! Families or schools could use this as a starting point for further work on sustainability and environmental issues including recycling.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥