This Again?

Borba, Adam. This Again?

April 16, 2024 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Noah Nicholson has an absolutely disastrous day when he has to give a speech for the class president election at East Hills Middle School in Albany, New York. He has a plan. A good plan. It involves becoming class president, doing well on the bowling team, going to Harvard like his older brother Paul, and becoming a college professor of physics. His parents are co chairs in a university science department, so there is a definite trend toward embracing academia. However, he's not doing well in math, and his pants rip when he stands to give his speech. He panics and runs off staging, giving everyone a glimpse of his pink underwear. This horrifies him. He tries to get over it, but keeps seeing someone who looks just like him hanging around town. When his doppelganger knocks on his window late at night, he finds out the truth. His parents, inspired by a new blender, have invented a time machine, and he's traveled from eight days in the future to try to help himself avoid his mistakes. His future self, who helpfully suggests he be called "Future", which certainly makes things much easier, has some odd suggestions, like making Noah learn to drink tea. He wants to help Noah win the election, and has a plan to make him more popular that involves an afternoon detention picking up trash with the popular kids. Future manages to engineer a meeting with Noah's crush, Lucy Martinez, at a tea shop, so the tip about tea was a good one. Noah doesn't break the blender, so the family doesn't need a new one, and efforts have to be made to change this so that time travel will be invented. This happens, and the resultant machine involves a computer and a claw foot bathtub, very similar to Welford's in Time Traveling with a Hamster. Noah is subjected to all sorts of embarassing things, like showing up in a lime green tuxedo to play basketball, but in the end, he finds out that this is the twentieth time Future has tried to fix the day. When Paul comes home from Harvard, having dropped out, Noah must reassess his life. Is it worth traveling through time to be perfect, or should he take what life gives him and make it work?

Strengths: Noah's math teacher, Ms. Tucker, was my favorite part of this book, with the bowling being a close second. It's so common for students to try to stay in advanced classes for which they are not developmentally ready because they have friends or older siblings who have taken the classes. Ms. Tucker tries to let Noah know that it's okay not to be brilliant in math; it doesn't mean the rest of his life will be ruined. I wish more of my students had life plans, although not as rigourous as Noah's perhaps. The nascent romance is a nice addition. This is a fun, goofy look at attempts to change one's life course, even when it ends up being unnecessary. 
Weaknesses: In almost 25 years of teaching, I have never seen a school election, much less one with speeches in an auditorium. Back in 1982, I had a slogan very similar to Noah's "Know-A Good Thing" in my riff on the Hallmark classic: "Yingling, when you Karenough to Choose the Very Best". I don't remember there being speeches, because then I would certainly have delivered a memorable performance. I wouldn't have won, but it would have been memorable. Hope you're doing well, President Chuck Smith. 
What I really think: I liked this even better than Borba's goofy The Midnight Brigade or Outside Nowhere, and it's a great addition to humorous speculative fiction titles like Thayer's The Double Life of Danny Day, Lubar's The Emperor of the Universe series, or Thompson's The Day I Was Erased. 
 

MMGM- Bradford's Virtual Kombat

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Bradford, Chris. Gamer (Virtual Kombat #1)

April 2, 2024 by Union Square Kids

Originally published by Barington Stoke, 2012

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

After a widespread virus killed a huge portion of the adult population in 2030, many children were left orphans and are living on the violent streets. One of these is Scott, who is struggling but still a good person. When he sees the violent Stck and Juice beating up twins Tammy and Tommy and stealing their food, he steps in. This angers the two, and brings Scott into the sights of Shark, the head of the Bleeders gang, who threatens to "blaze" him with a dangerous pulse blade weapon. Luckily, a Virtual Kombat playing pod comes to the street. Society has broken down, and people have turned to online gaming to channel their anger and despair. Vince Powers, the founder of Virtual Kombat, recruits young players from the streets, offering them a place in his Orphans Home to those who are particularly talented. Shark scores a seat, but Scott does not... until Tommy hails him and gives him the seat he has grabbed. Scott manages to do well, but Shark does not win a place, angering him further. The rules of the Orphans Home are simple; be respectful stay in the home, and go to bed on time, and children are provided with three meals a day, clothing, and safe beds to sleep in. There are analysts who watch the children play the game, but Scott is surprised that the players feel pain; it is explained that the hoodies they wear deliver electrical impulses that simulate the feelings but don't injure the participants. Scott meets fellow gamers Kat-Ana (Kate) and Ginger Ninja, who teach him about Trigger Time, the state during which the brain is thinking faster than the game, allowing players to not feel the effects as strongly. When Shark shows up, Scott knows he is in danger, but is there a greater danger from the founder of the company, Vince Powers? There are two more books in this series, Virus and Cyborg. 

Strengths: This was nonstop excitement, whether surviving on the streets, playing the video games, or fighting against the evil people who run Virtual Kombat. The setting is described quickly but effectively, and Scott is an engaging character who won me over right away when he saved the twin's food despite the peril to himself. This is a quick read (136 pages), and has a dyslexia-friendly font. 
Weaknesses: If this had just been published, I would have thought "Too soon!" about the pandemic killing everyone, but since Bradford had this idea in 2012... I guess we're lucky? It's not as well written as his Bodyguard series, but I'm sure there were strictures on vocabulary and text complexity that he had to consider. The cover will make this an instant success with middle school students. 
What I really think: Students who want the virtual gaming adventure of  Dao's Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena,  Zhao's Last Gamer Standing, or Ross' Game Over but are not quite ready for longer books will appreciate the fast-paced dystopian gaming adventure that is Virtual Kombat. 

Bradford, Chris. Virus (Virtual Kombat #2)

April 2, 2024 by Union Square Kids

Originally published by Barington Stoke, 2018

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Scott, who lost his friend Kate to the virtual reality game Virtual Kombat run by the evil developer Vince Powers, is back on the streets trying to survive after escaping Powers' orphanage, which was a cover for killing children in order to feed interest in the popular game. Now, he is being chased by robotic wasps as he is trying to get the word out about the dangers of the game. He runs into his nemesis Stick who is about to destroy him when a girl appears with an electromagnetic pulse weapon to disarm him. Java is working with Pentium Powers, Vince's brother, who is trying to close down his brother's horrible game. Pentium, who is in a wheelchair due to injuries, developed the game, but didn't realize that Vince would use the PlayPods for children, whose brains are not strong enough to withstand the equipment. The kids, including Pac-Man and Spam, hack into Virtual Kombat to try to take it down. They need to take a computer virus and release it in the Crown in the last level of the game. With so many players, they hope to go undetected, but can only reach the Crown by playing the game. Scott's skills are useful. He manages to defeat the Reaper using Trigger Time techniques, and the group runs across Ginger Ninja as they defeat riddles, tigers and sharks. Scott even thinks he sees the dead Kate, aka Kat-Ana, but is this just a residue of her personality that was left in the game. Probably not, and at the end an incident occurs that could mean the end of Virtual Kombat... or does it? Considering there is one more book in the series, we can assume it's not over yet!
Strengths: Bradford is very good about having lots of exciting scenes in his books, and he paces his stories very well, moving from adventure to adventure in a very smooth fashion. We get a decent amount about Scott's motivations, but because this is a short, high interest, low reading level book, there is not the level of character development we find in this author's Bodyguard series. For the intended audience, this is perfect, because they would rather have this type of nonstop, video game action. The villain is clear, the children work together, and there is a satisfying conclusion with the promise of further adventures.
Weaknesses: This may only be available in paperback. Parts of this were hard for me to envision because I don't play video games, and there were occurrences in the scenes that didn't make as much sense because of this. I've read enough Minecraft novels to know that the life levels have something to do with progress in the game, but I don't quite grasp the full impact. Kids who play games won't have this problem!
What I really think: This is a great book to help emerging readers who enjoyed graphic novels like Hansen's My Video Game Ate My Homework , Ali's Game On!, and Nisson, Johnson and Darnell's Power Up! build their reading skills before moving on to Brady's Trapped in a Video Game and Ross's Game Over.

Bradford, Chris. Cyborg (Virtual Kombat #3)

April 2, 2024 by Union Square Kids

Originally published by Barington Stoke, 2019

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

**Some spoilers in "Weaknesses"**

A major character who was thought to perish in VIRUS is, in fact, trying to get revenge in the real world, and Scott and his friends must help destroy him. They are training with martial arts instructor Sifu, and since they are no longer in the PlayPods, the pain is real. One of Sifu's most important moves is Bruce Lee's one-inch punch, which he practices thousands and thousands of times, since true martial arts practice is a life long journey and not an instant download. Since VR leads to memory loss, Pentium, who is helping the kids, has them limit their exposure to it. While the PlayPods seemed to have been empty with Virtual Kombat went offline, there seems to be a lack of elite players roaming the streets of the city, which is a concern. Stick, Scott's nemesis, is still around, and quite angry that the PlayPods are no longer around to afford children a way off the streets, and Java has to once again save Scott with her electromagnetic pulse weapon. Pentium develops an exosuit to help him walk again, and tells Scott that the only reason he thinks he sees Vince is the "Tetris Effect" where he's so used to seeing him that his brain still causes him to appear. When it's clear that Virtual Kombat is back but has taken to the streets and identified Scott as a bounty worth many points, he starts to be attacked from all sides by people trying to kill him for advancement in the game! Vince is back as a cyborg, and commits horrible atrocities. Scott finds out that an "ad blocker" that was installed in him with a chip is really a tracking device, and painfully has it removed. This helps a bit with eluding detection, but when a cyborg army and elite gamers are added to the mix, will anyone be safe? Since this is the last book in the series, we can assume so!
Strengths: This ends with a nice message about getting away from games and connecting with other people in order to make the world a better place. I loved this line: "Life is not a game. It's your one chance to live." I frequently tell children in the cafeteria who spend the whole time on their phones "No one ever died wishing they had spent more time playing Angry Birds"! This is a pell mell conclusion to an engaging series that will definitely help turn many kids into readers, which is the purpose of the original publisher, Barrington Stokes, which produces dyslexia friendly books.
Weaknesses: This may only be available in paperback. This is not for squeamish readers; Pentium meets his end in a rather gory way that was a bit much to me. There is a fantasy element to the violence; I'm usually okay if monsters, ghosts, or space aliens kill people, but dislike giving my students books with a lot of human-on-human violence.
What I really think: We need more books like this, with perhaps a slightly lower level of gore. It's difficult to find adventure books that are not hugely long, and science fiction books tend to be too lengthy for my struggling readers. I think this would go over so well with my students that I might buy it in paperback if that is the only format I can find.

Kids in the Kitchen and Blather

Like many women of my generation, I have a complicated relationship with food. I don't like to cook, but I like to feed people. Reading cookbooks is better than cooking, and I'm a big fan of Bracken's I Hate to Cook Book, vintage cookbooks, and M.F.K. Fisher's writing. My mother loved to cook, but she didn't really eat much of what she made. My grandmother probably spent thirty years of her life setting the table for twenty to thirty people; she had nine children and had to feed all of the workers on the dairy farm. 

I've had opinions about cookbooks before, but even though new cookbooks don't reflect my kitchen reality, which is largely based on processed cheese and cream of mushroom soup, I can't stop reading them. I had a large amount of cookbooks as a child, but oddly,  my mother didn't really want to cook with me. Had I shown her this cookbook, and asked to make a breakfast dish with hazelnut spread and coconut, she would have opened the cabinet above the kitchen desk, grabbed a handful of change from the jar, and slammed it on the counter, saying "It'd be cheaper to eat this instead". And yet, it was okay to eat two homemade chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. Just two. 

So this is a charming cookbook, but I'm not sure that any of my students are really going to believe there are 18 different kinds of butter and more than one kind of salt! 

 

Perez, Rossini. Kids in the Kitchen: 70+ Fun Recipes for Young Chefs to Stir Up!
April 2, 2024 by Rock Point
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Like most cookbooks for children, this starts with some rudimentary terminology and instructions. There are lists of helpful equipment and ingredients, to have on hand, including capers and anchovy paste as well as Agave syrup, shallots, figs, and dates, as well as five kinds of vinegar. (I've only ever bought white vinegar because you can also use it to clean. And put up pickles.) These seem awfully exotic for a children's cookbook. 

There is a a LOT of good information about how to season food, how to prepare fruit and vegetables, and handy tables on conversions and how to tell if meat is properly cooked. There's even a section on garnishing worthy of my 1955 Betty Crocker Cookbook! This is perhaps the best introduction I've seen. 

The recipes are mostly reasonable, and are interspersed with things like the history of bagels, information on herbts, the fact that a lot of stale bread is thrown out, and different types of cheese. I would be tempted to make the Rainbow friend rice with red cabbage, the Creamy Lemon Spinach Ravioli, and the Spinach Grilled Cheese. There are even some fun food quizzes that made me thinking fondly of Mrs. Mercer, my middle school home ec teachers. 

The graphics are colorful and helpful, and make this book really pop. This is a great collection to have alongside Omari' McQueen's Best Bites, David Atherton's cookbooks, and Washburn's 20 Recipes Kids Should Know. 

My students are not as enthralled with cookbooks as I am, and I already have so many in the library that they don't use that I probably won't buy this. My daughter actually has white pepper in her cupboard, and her husband buys white onions and Russet potatoes, so if they were to have children, I could see them using a cookbook like this and maybe zesting citrus and having access to Adobo. Will I allow anyone to put rainbow sprinkles in their waffles? Unlikely. But I am also the person who asked the pediatrician if I could put peanut butter or olive oil in my children's oatmeal so they could get the amount of fat they needed for their brains to grow without me having to switch from the much cheaper (at the time) nonfat powered milk. I just don't care enough about food to spend that much time or money on it. 

Fantastic book! Just not for me. 

Absolute Zeros: Camp Launchpad

Smith, Greg, Tanner, Michael, and Gomez, Gabrielle (illus.)
Absolute Zeros: Camp Launchpad 

March 5, 2024 by Little, Brown Ink

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus  

Camp Launchpad has been around for a while, but it is a space camp that has fallen on hard times. Becca's Uncle Fred runs it, and she helps, but the staff is fairly small, including pioneering astronaut Rhea Hae and Gage McGuff, a former military man. Campers include Mark, whose father is the vice president of the US and a former camper, who drops him off and hopes that his son will have a good time, even though he would rather be with his posh friends and the much fancier Star-X camp, run by billionair Xander Santos. Pete is quiet and not as wealthy as the other campers, since he is there on scholarship and has a large family. Val Herman is at the camp while her mother, an astronaut, is in space. She's SUPER excited to be at camp and lets everyone know it. The campers are assigned to pods, and the A-Zero pod is the three campers we've just met. For some reason, the other campers are not particularly nice to them, especially Pete. There are tons of camp activities, like building rockets and assessing their performance, constructing boxes for egg drops, although swimming is off the table because the swampy, unkempt pool has an alligator in it! When the campers go to a museum, Val knocks over a display, and overhears Fred talking to Xander Santos. The two make a bet; if Camp Launchpad can win the Space Race competition, Santos will give Fred ten million dollars, but if they lose, Santos will bulldoze the camp. This gives Val the underdog spirit that she needs, which is reinforced when Mark's friends from Star-X are snotty to them as well. Back at camp, the three "Absolutel Zeros" hone their skills in coding, building, troubleshooting, and working with antigravity machines, and eventually get chosen to represent the camp in the Space Race. Will their desire to save the camp make them triumphant? 
Strengths: This had a lot of good details about what might go on at a space camp, and it was interesting to see the children having to identify reasons why their rockets don't launch well and work through problems with coding. I'm sure many summer camps have fallen on hard times, so that was a completely realistic plot arc. The three main characters are different enough that they each add another layer to the story. The competition is interesting, and there is a twist at the end that was not something I expected. In the last year or so, there have been a lot more different kids of graphic novels, and this will appeal to readers who want something a bit different. 
Weaknesses: There's never any reason stated why the other campers at Camp Launchpad are mean to the pod A-Zero campers, nor do Mark's friends from school have any reason to be so nasty to the vice president's son. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who can't get enough novels about space camps, like Lackey's Further Than the Moon, Giles' Epic Ellisons: Cosmos Camp, and Gardner's graphic novel Long Distance. This also reminded me a bit of Miller's Out There, a graphic novel which deals more with a road trip and hunting space aliens. 

The Other Side of Perfect

Florence, Melanie and Scrimger, Richard. The Other Side of Perfect
April 2, 2024 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

 Autumn Bird is a popular seventh grade girl in her Toronto area school, but it's hard work to keep up her status. She has to dress a certain way, spend a lot of time on hair and make up, and put up with a lot of negative energy from her friend Mia and others, who want to dictate what she does. One of these things is her relationship with Connor. He's popular and cute, but Autumn doesn' really like him. She certainly doesn't want to kiss him, or do even more, as the girls hint. Connor thinks that Autumn did more with someone at summer camp, although that is not true, and this is one of the reasons he wants to date her. Cody has a very different life. His mother is not in the picture, and his father often becomes abusive when he drinks. The two live in a run down apartment which Cody's father doesn't keep clean. He even is unhappy when Cody cleans it, since that's something "girls do", so Cody tries to clean when his father isn't home. When Cody's father thinks Cody is laughing at him, he beats the boy so badly that he passes out. When he comes to, Cody decides to runaway to escape further abuse. He packs a small bag and leaves, but is so badly injures that he passes out in a clump of bushes while looking for a place to sleep. Amber is on her way to an important party to see Connor when she happens upon Cody. At first she thinks he is dead, but when she realizes he is injured, she helps him to her home. Autumn's mother is a doctor, so she immediately wants to bring her in to help, but Cody makes her promise to keep adults out of it. The father has an art studio in a building on the property and is done with work for the day, so Autumn settles him there. Her parents, who are both Indigenous, have taught her to help out whenever she sees someone in trouble. She manages to get Cody food and lets him clean up a little. At school the next day, Mia and her cronies ask about why Autumn wasn't at the party and give her a hard time, and also are not friendly to Cody, who does have some hygiene issues because of his father's neglect. After school, Autumn arranges to meet Cody, and once again tries to help him out. She's not able to hide him from her parents for too long, and is greatly relieved when her father discovers Cody. The father is understanding, but does want his wife to know and check Cody out for injuries. He also insists on telling Cody's father, bringing along the family's large but loveable dog Boomer as protection. Cody's father isn't at the apartment, however, and there is an eviction notice on the board. Mr. Bird also takes Cody to the prison where his mother is serving time for robbery, so that he covers all of the bases. The mother has some mental health challenges, but does give permission for Cody to have other caretakers. In the meantime, Autumn is tired of Mia's group, and reverts to her old self, in comfy clothes. She used to help at a community group that serves Indigenous people in need of some help, and brings Cody to that. The two end up doing a school project on the center her mother helps with. Cody is more comfortable at the center than at Autumn's fancy and expensive house, but is glad to not have to worry about his father. When the center has an anniversary celebration and Cody's father reshow up drunk, will it destabilize Cody's new situation?
Strengths: This has all the elements of the kind of "sad" book that my students like. While many adults seem to like books about children struggling with grief, my students seem to prefer stories about children in neglectful or abusive situations who work to survive, both in the situations and when escaping them. Autumn is a great character, who struggles with wanting to help, as she has been taught, and wanting to be popular because it makes school an easier place to be. Cody's struggles are depicted realistically, and he is glad to be in a better situation, but has trouble believing it will last. I appreciate that the Birds take the legally required steps to alert the parents and authorities. The father's artwork also played an interesting role in the book, and I was glad to see Cody given the opportunity to pursue some drawings of his own. The Indigenous representation (this is the Canadian term) is very balanced. This book really caught my interest and kept me turning the pages.

 

Weaknesses: The writing felt a little like the authors were working from publisher's notes that told them what to include. In some ways, this is good, because it shows really helpful ways to deal with difficult situations. One example is how Autumn deals with very racist comments that Cody makes about Indigenous people; she's very angry, but her father tells her that Cody is just parroting what he has heard. This is reinforced when the father shows up at the center's anniversary party. Young readers won't mind the deliberate feel, but one more round of editing might have smoothed the edges of the social message's inclusion in the text.

What I really think: This might need to be hand sold; the cover doesn't quite indicate what this book is about, but it will be popular with my students who are interested in books about children in challenging situations, like Rudd's How to Stay Invisible, Bowling's Dust, Toalsen's The First Magnificent Summer, Walter's King of the Jam Sandwiches, and the oldie but goodie (and my daughter's favorite) Robert's 1977 Don't Hurt Laurie.

How cool is that original cover? This is what my childhood looked like. I'm surprised that this wasn't made into an Afterschool Special with Kristy McNichol. 

It Watches in the Dark and Seven Ghosts

Strand, Jeff. It Watches in the Dark
April 2, 2024 by Sourcebooks Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Oliver and Trisha are very excited to be canoeing in Missouri with their father, and glad to have an outdoor adventure. As we start the book, however, they are in dangerous rapids, and their father is instructing them on how to paddle so that they can stay afloat. When they hit a rock, the three are tipped out, and their father is injured. The kids manage to get their father to the shore, but he is unconscious. They are out out in the middle of nowhere, but do happen across a town, Escrow, population 999. While the people they meet act a bit oddly, a doctor, Belinda, helps them get their father into the hospital. She doesn't want the children to stay, although they would prefer to. Mayor Clancy directs them to the local diner, where they get a really good hamburger, but are reprimanded when they can't finish the enormous ice cream sundaes they are given. The people in the diner talk about the Scarecrow, a huge figure in the town square, and how they should be grateful. The mayor isn't happy that the children demand to see their father, either, and makes them sit in the square and look at the scarecrow. This freaks the children out, since they both hear the scarecrow's voice in their head. When they have to spend the night with the oldest woman in town, Edith, she has weird rules that definitely involve not going outside in the night because of the scarecrow, but of course the children sneak out. This is a bad idea, since they not only find their father trussed up in the medical center full of wires, but the scarecrow chases them. They break a window and get into a house, but the people inside tell them to leave and scream apologies to the scarecrow. The next day, Oliver and Trisha find out alarming things about the community and what exactly is being done to their father. The two try to fight the scarecrow, but if they manage to defeat it, who would keep the town safe... from the crows?
Strengths: Oh, my goodness! This was an excellent middle grade  horror book: gorey, scary, and the violence was all perpetrated by an evil straw scarecrow. It starts off very quickly but gives just enough background. The children are by themselves, really, because the father is incapacitated. Really, if you are a middle schooler, isn't that about the scariest thing of all, having to save an injured parent? The townspeople are freakishly odd, which adds another layer of discomfort. Even the scene with the ice cream sundaes; how scary would it be for strangers to force you to keep eating ice cream when you were sick and your father was in the hospital, unconscious, and you couldn't call your mother? There's plenty of scarecrow guts and bloody tubes, as well as a touch of human sacrifice for the young folk, but this was particularly brilliant because the cinematic, button-eyed, killer scarecrow is all part of a scenario that would be scary enough in real life. 
Weaknesses: I would have liked more backstory about the scarecrow and Escrow in general, delivered by one trustworthy person in town who could have been eaten by the scarecrow once the father was freed, but that would certainly slow things done for middle grade readers. 
What I really think: I loved this author's How You Ruined My Life, which is very popular with  my 8th grade boys. Hand this to readers who enjoy road trips that go horrifically wrong, like Cohen's The Shadow Grave, Preller's Exit 13, or Krovatin's Red Rover. (N.B. Rover's not a dog, it's a DEMON.)

Priestly, Chris. Seven Ghosts
April 2, 2024 by Union Square Kids
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Jake has won a writing contest at school and gets to go on a field trip to Grimstone Hall with other winners. After a tour, they will all write a ghost story. Mrs. Fox, the children's guide, shows them a creepy cracked mirror belonging to the odd Dr. Syrus, and Jake is oddly drawn to it. The history of the Hall starts in 1872 with a servant, Maisie, who has to attend Lady Agnes in her illness but finds that as she becomes weaker and weaker the more she is summoned with a china bell, the healthier Lady Agnes becomes. In 1893, young Rupert hates the local children, and closes the ice house door on a young boy who later dies, and is never the same after he is haunted. The house then passes to an American, whose son is told the legend of the folly of an ancient ruin, purportedly haunter by an "eye-catcher", a demon that only attacks those who don't believe in him. The son does believe, but when the tutor starts to doubt, bad things occur. In the 1920s, Lady Violet's daughter Margaret doesn't play the piano very well and is angry when her orphaned cousin comes to live with them and upstages her. When the two also must compete for the attention of the attractive piano teacher, what might Margaret be driven to do? In the 1970s, the estate is bought by a rock guitarist whose son Kingfisher is bullied about his unusual name. Kingfisher is told not to go into the library, but he does, and burns pages of the books. He starts to notice that the books show him tragedies before they happen; will they retaliate against his violence? Oddly enough, Jake sees all of the ghosts, but none of the others do. Mrs. Fox stops her tour when she only mentions six ghosts. Who might the seventh be? 
Strengths: This reminded me a bit of Preller's Scary Tales, which I have in my "quick picks" section for students who want a book that is shorter and at a lower reading level than most of my books. Published originally in 2019 by Barrington Stokes, which takes a lot of effort to make their titles dyslexia-friendly and, get this, says "Our books are tested for children and young people by children and young people." Yes! Focus groups! I've been saying for years that publishers should do this. I love that these books are written by well regarded authors who write longer books as well; others in this series are by the fantastic Chris Bradford, who wrote the Bodyguard series. The illustrations have an almost Edward Gorey feel to them and add a lot. I'll definitely purchase a copy if I can find a prebind of the paperback. 
Weaknesses: This was very English, with a lot of lords and ladies and servants; just not something we have on this side of the pond. Of course, I LOVED that about it! This author's Dead of Winter circulates on the strength of its spooky cover even though it has a similar feel, and I think this one will do likewise. 
What I really think: This is perfect for emerging readers who was a horror book that isn't too long and difficult. The story within a story is similar to Nance's Daemon Hall, Poblocki's Tales to Keep You Up at Night, and Szpirglas' Book of Screams. 

The Wrong Way Home

O'Shaughnessy, Kate. The Wrong Way Home 

April 2, 2024 by Knopf Books for Young Readers 

E ARC provided by Netgalley

**Some spoilers.**

Fern has lived with her mother on The Ranch, which is run by Dr. Ben, ever since she was young. She's twelve now, and excited about undergoing The Rite that will make her an adult member of the community. She knows there are risks, since fellow community member Rain died undergoing his. Still, Dr. Ben knows that the outside world, where Fern and her mother are not allowed to go, is even more dangerous, with its modern medicine, food, and chemicals as well as evil influences like television and cell phones. Before she can undergo The Rite, her mother wakes her up in the middle of the night, and the two travel by taxi to pick up a car and travel to Driftaway Beach, California. There, her mother tells her that they can't live on The Ranch anymore, and will be staying in a hotel while the mother works as a housekeeper there. Their journey has been made possible by another former member, who also escaped. Fern is distraught; this new world is dangerous, and she even has to go to school. Her mother even wants to call her Frankie, her birth name, that she changed in order to be part of The Ranch. The only thing that makes the idea of school better is that there are computers there, and she hopes she can use one to find the address of her former home and send a letter there. After an initial rough meeting, Fern and her mother get a lot of help from Babs, a friend of Fern's late grandmother, who runs a local tea room and pastry shop. Babs is glad to help out; she's still mourning the drowning death of her wife, Birdie. When Fern finds out that she can't find her former home, she contacts a local private detective, who says he will charge her $300 to help. Babs offers her ten dollars an hour to help clean out the other rooms in the house where the tea shop operates. With the help of Eddie, her school partner on a science project and the daughter of another local merchant couple, continues investigating. The two also put a lot of thought into their project, which Eddie is convinced will debunk the local legend of the Spirit of the Sea. Eddie's parents have moved her all over after the drowning death of her older sister, Skye, and their shop feeds into the local interest in this myth. They have a falling out when Eddie mentions that The Ranch might have, in fact, been a cult, but when her friend is injured looking for the Spirit of the Sea, Fern desperately wants to make up with her. *Highlight for spoiler:*Unfortunately, a letter she has sent to Dr. Ben was received, and he comes to California along with Fern's friend Meadowlark to take her home. Fern, who started to have doubts even before she mailed the letter, has the presence of mind to seek help from a waitress, and she is able to make it home to her mother. Babs has a surprise admission about the Spirit of the Sea, as well as about where Fern and her mother should live. 

Strengths: The middle schooler in me was enthralled by the concept of a modern cult, since this was a HUGE concern in my 1970s childhood after the Jim Jones Peoples Temple disaster (If you don't know it, don't look it up. It was bad. It's where the idiom "Drink the Kool Aid" comes from. Just don't.). The depiction of The Ranch is so well done, and it's fairly brief; we know just enough that it's good the two escape. It was lovely that they had somewhere to go with people who cared about them, but it was also realistic that Fern wanted to go "home", not matter how bad it was. Even her efforts at using a private detective seemed completely plausible, and ended up having a REALLY hair raising consequence! The mother is shown trying to get her GED, being stressed by it, and almost making more bad choices, but doesn't. The father is never mentioned, which is a reality for many of my students. Babs is fantastic, and Eddie is dealing with her own insecurities. There's a wonderful feeling of community, and a great happy ending! 
Weaknesses: Like this author's Lasagna Means I Love You, this is very long. I loved that one, but it's hard to get students to check it out due to the length. This books is 336 pages. I would have cut out all of the Spirit of the Sea portion; while it does play a role in the book, it could easily have been excised. I'm just never a fan of parents grieving so much over a lost child that they don't serve the needs of remaining children. I wanted to know more about The Ranch, and the hair raising part could have been drawn out more, because students will LOVE that! 
What I really think: This is a great title for readers who like stories about found families. I'll buy it for the cult extraction process, and will be able to find enough readers to justify its purchase. A really good book; just on the long side for my students.

Lightningborn and Sleeping Spells

Kagawa, Julie. Lightningborn (Storm Dragons #1)

April 2, 2024 by Disney Hyperion

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Remy is a street urchin whose father has left and whose mother has died of a wasting disease. He lives in the family's mouldering house in Cutthroat Wedge that no one has bothered to repossess, and manages to get by. He often hangs out at the local pub and talks to Crusty Bart, a storyteller who shares his love of dragons. When sky pirates steal Bart's coin purse, Remy goes after them, risking life and limb and not making friends when he outwits the pirates by jumping into the Maelstrom, since the whole kingdom is sort of free floating through the sky. Gem, on the other hand, has a life of privilege. She's the princess of and attends the College of Magic, where the students where black trousers, leather boots, and dark blue tunics with billowy sleeves (page 27 of the E ARC). She is often in trouble for using her magic improperly, but she is also worried that several of the mages have left, especially when she hears that the magic that keeps the kingdom afloat is being drained. Doing some reading in the school library, she comes across information about Ancient Ones and is determined to find out more. Remy, in the meantime, comes across a baby dragon after a spell storm, and keeps him, with Crusty Bart's help. It's really a dragon belonging to a very evil pirate, Jhaeros, who turns the neighborhood upside down trying to find the dragon. He captures both Storm, the dragon, and Bart, and whisks them away in the Windshark. Gem shows up in Cutthroat Wedge looking for the former sky pirate, Sir Bartello, who might have information that would help her find the Ancients and restore the magic. She and Remy join forces, and are also aided by a somewhat nicer pirate, Captain Cutlass, aka Mary Featherbottom. This pirate decides that helping the princess might be to her advantage. Will the two be able to retrieve their friends, vanquish Jhaeros, and save the day? (Spoiler: This is Storm Dragons #1, so the answer to that question is "not yet"!)

Strengths: Even though this is rather long (336 pages), it is a quick read. I was able to remember the different characters and the plot even though I didn't take notes, and this is a sign of good fantasy writing, since I often struggle with fantasy. This has the undeniable appeal of having one's own baby dragon, and of course Remy and Gem get to try to save the day. The cover will appeal to fans of Tui Sutherland's books, Durst's Spark, London's Battle Dragons, and Ritter's The Great Dragon Race. The floating kingdom reminded me of Savage's Mysteries of Cove or Ross' The Fog Diver. 
Weaknesses: Kagawa certainly writes a compelling dragon fantasy, but this book embraces standard fantasy conventions rather than breaking any new ground. There are already lots of street urchins, kingdoms running out of magic, and endangered dragons in quasi-Dickensian settings, but for a reason; readers who like this type of book can't get enough of them. 
What I really think: While this wasn't my personal favorite, I do need a fair number of dragon books for my readers. It's a perennially popular topic, and while I haven't had as many fantasy readers this year, dragon books are like horse books; I always need a couple new ones every year for those readers who are obsessed. The cover is very appealing, so I'll purchase a copy. 

Swore, Wendy. Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales

April 2, 2024 by Shadow Mountain

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Liam has been friends with Alaina for a long time. When they were in second grade, Alaina's dog, Festus, ran off and got in trouble in the park, and Alaina has always maintained that he crashed into a fairy area and caused a curse to be placed on the two. She was diagnosed with diabetes, and the two were never as close. Fast forward to middle school, and Liam is injured falling off his bike. Alaina sees him; nothing hits him, he just collapses. The two have to work on a school fairy tale project together where they have to write their own tale to help make sense of the world. Liam struggles with his health, and collapses several times. He plays soccer, and has had concussions before. His parents take him to the doctor, but believe that he is so tired because he stays up too late. Alaina knows what it is like to have people not take your health seriously; a substitute teacher tries to take away her diabetic monitor after he tells the students they can't have any devices out, and she almost passes out. Liam comes to her aid, her mother gets an alert on her phone, and the substitute does not come back. Liam starts to have trouble in school, and eventually tells his parents exactly how he feels. They take him back to the doctor, determined to get answers, especially after he falls asleep at soccer practice and his "friend" Jeremy takes a video of him that goes viral. People tease him and give him a hard time, but his diagnosis of narcolepsy is a small help. Alaina believes that the problems are caused by the fairy curse; she is also heavily into playing Dungeons and Dragons. When the two go on a field trip for a Marine Biologry program, they get caught out on a trail and both have health emergencies. Can they manage to save each other? 
Strengths: This had a lot of good information about diabetes; I understand the mother's reluctance to send Alaina on a school trip, since I have had diabetic students in my care on the cross country team and Washington, D.C. trips and am always hypervigilant with them! My best friend in middle school suffered from undiagnosed narcolepsy for years; I was in charge of sitting behind her in class and waking her up if I saw her drift off, but it never occurred to anyone to take her to the doctor for this! The scenes at the school concerning the fairy tale project arae absolutely spot on; we used to have an almost identical project for out sixth grade lanaguage arts classes. The D&D representation is appreciated, and the fantasy and realistic elements blend well together. 
Weaknesses: While this is a clever pairing of health issues and fantasy, I would rather see a realistic story about students with these health challenges, akin to Davis' Food Fight. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like books such as Malinenko's This Appearing House or Reynold's Izzy at the End of the World that discuss health matters in an allegorical fashion or this author's The Wish and the Peacock or A Monster Like Me. 

MMGM- Things That Shimmer and Keeping Pace

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

I have to say that the beginning of 2024 started out rather well, with April titles being generally MUCH happy than 2023 titles. I only bought 36% of what I read in 2023, because I could not see many of the titles circulating. These too definitely will. 

MY favorite is the first, Things That Shimmer, because it brough back my own middle school experience. I'm super excited about it, so kids will read it. They will be somewhat more likely to pick up Morrison's brilliant upper grade Keeping Pace, but both of these books have made me feel much more motivated to read new middle grade instead of retreating to the comfort of Cleary and Weber. 

Lakritz, Deborah. Things That Shimmer

April 2, 2024 by Kar-Ben Publishing ®

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Melanie Adler is dealing with a lot at home; her family was in a car accident, and her mother was badly injured. Because of this trauma, she suffers from migraines and chronic anxiety, to the point where she panics is Melanie isn't home from school right away. Melanie has things to worry about at school as well; it's 1973, and she's read enough Teen Beat to know that as a 7th grader, she should be popular. Her long time best friend, Vicky, is starting to hang out with the popular crowd known as "the Shimmers", but Melanie herself isn't able to attract the attention of the queen bee. Instead, she gets picked by the principal to show the new girl around. Dorit Shoshani was born in Israel, and her father fought in the Six-Day War. Dorit has moved around enough to know that there are always popular girls, and she has no interest whatsoever in jumping through the hoops to be one of them. She and Melanie become good friends, especially when her family buys a house in the same neighborhood. The two are both dealing with family trauma; living with parents with PTSD is not easy, and this was a period of time when this was not identified or treated in the way it is now. Instead of worrying about make up, boys, or clothes, the two are more interested in swimming at the pool, doing crafts, and dancing to the new Carpenters' album. When Melanie is paired with the popular Marla in the Girls' Foods, the two enjoy working together, and Melanie is invited to Marla's bat  mitzvah celebration. Vicky is not, but the fact that Melanie might be considered for the Shimmers renews Vicky's interest in her old friend. Unfortunately, this  new popularity does not endear her to Dorit. When the Yom Kippur war takes place, Dorit is very stressed, and the family eventually decides to move back to Israel. Melanie wants to try to make amends before her friend moves away. Will she be able to?

Strengths: This is perhaps the very best example of including historical details that I have seen. It helps that I have experienced many of the historical details personally and can attest to the veracity of every single one. The New Betty Crocker Boys' and Girls' Cookbook, complete with Mad Hatter Meatballs and Flopsy Mopsy Carrots? On my bookshelf as we speak. Love's Babysoft Perfume? Still have a bottle. Watergate, Snoopy posters, pink-and-green bedrooms, Go Ask Alice, mood rings, The Partridge Family, baby oil at the pool, and innovations like blow dryers, digital wrist watches, and computer-printed schedules are all mentioned, along with the coup de grâce: a glass cup that "looks like an ice-cream sundae but it's really a candle that smells like strawberries" and wallpaper that is "green and gold flowers that look like popcorn balls" and is FUZZY. 

Whew. Sorry. Time traveled back to 1973 for a moment to the hallway of my best friend's house. Seriously. This was exquisiste. 

There are good points NOT related to my own personal childhood. The parallel experiences of parental trauma the girls must deal with is a good bonding mechanism. At its heart, this is a story of personal identity and the age old middle school experience of losing friends because you grow in different directions. It doesn't matter if this happens when you are wearing the bell bottoms and maxi dresses of the 1970s, the low slung jeans and chokers of the 1990s, or the Crocs and Buffalo Plaid pajama pants of the 2020s; it still hurts the same. This story could be told in a modern setting, but I loved that this is based off some of the author's real life experiences and related in all of the green shag glory of 1973.
Weaknesses: This is set in an indeterminate middle American town with a university, but it must have been one hip and happening place to allow girls to wear not only PANTS to school, but worn out JEANS. That, along with a mention of yogurt in a school lunch when the author CLEARLY meant to say "Delmonte Pudding Cup", is a slight anomaly that I would be remiss in not mentioning.
What I really think: This is a must purchase for any middle school to bolster the historical fiction section and will be great displayed along with other 1970s historical fiction like Collard's Double Eagle, Shang's The Way Home Looks Now, Dumas' It Aint' So Awful, Falafel, Bithell's Brave Bird at Wounded Knee, Kalmar's Stealing Mount Rushmore, Parson's Clouds Over California, Farmer's Malcolm and Me, Woodson's Remember Us, Budhos' The Long Ride, Frank's Armstrong and Charlie, Hitchcock's One True Way, Amos' Cookies and Milk, Alikhan's Marika Marches for Equality, Nokowitz's The Prince of Steel Pier, Supplee's The Sweetness All Around, Jones' Finding My Place, Toalsen's Colors of the Rain, graphic novels Harper's Bad Sister, Martin's MexiKid, Russo's Why is Everybody Yelling, Copeland's Cub, Holm's Sunny Side Up, and Tavares' Hoops,and Kuzki's Soul Lanterns  and Smith's Dawn Raid (for an international perspective!).

Morrison, Laurie. Keeping Pace

April 9, 2024 by Amulet Books

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Grace is stressing about her last exams in 8th grade; ever since she started middle school, she has wanted to win the top scholar award and have her name on a plaque in the school hallway. She has two major motivations for this plan; she hopes that maybe her father, a famous writer who was impressed by the award, will want to spend more time with her after her parents' divorce, and also, she hopes to beat her former friend Jonah, with whom she has been in competition since 6th grade. That was the year that her parents divorced, and also the year that Jonah's father died. There were a series of miscommunications that have estranged the two. This is even more difficult because Jonah's grandmother lives right next door to Grace. Her older sister, Celia, and her cousin Avery (who was born the same week she was) tell her to calm down, and to make plans for the summer that don't involve competition, because people should be more than their accomplishments. Devastated when she doesn't win, Grace makes plans for her summer, since she did not make it into an exclusive writing workship she had hoped to attend. Her goals include getting a haircut (Avery's idea), having her first kiss (also Avery's idea), and taking a class. When she meets Jonah when she is out running, a new goal emerges: run a half marathon and beat Jonah. She finds a training plan, and increases the distance on her already long runs. Since Jonah is just starting, she hopes that it will be an easy task. Her training is interrupted by having to babysit the son of her father's new girlfriend, Brie, when Brie is running a storytime at the community center. Sometimes she takes him to the park, where the four year old, experiencing some frustration, runs away. Luckily, Jonah is in the park and catches him. Brie teaches Grace a lot about how to interact with young children so that they can control what they do, and Grace recognizes that this helps a bit what her emotions as well. She and Jonah fall into a pleasant rhythm when they reluctantly train for the marathon together, and do talk about what led to their problems in the past, but in true middle grade fashion, there is another miscommunication. Will Grace be able to set a proper pace for her life, and will she and Jonah be able to communicate properly and remain friends?

Strengths: Morrison is a big advocate for upper middle grade, a cause I support completely. Most midde grade books would benefit from having 8th grade characters, because most children want to read about older characters. Grace is getting ready to go to high school, which intrigues all of my students. I also love that Morrison works sports into her books in such an intriguing way. Grace's lists of things to get done spoke to me VERY loudly; I have a quarter sheet of scrap paper every day with a lengthy list, especilly in the summer! I coached cross country, and it is definitely a sport that appeals to self-driven personalities like Grace. Her animosity towards Jonah is very realistic; I may still hold grudges about people with whom I went to middle school. It's more likely that children have parents who are divorced than deceased, and the logistics of going between two houses could be addressed much  more in middle school literature. If authors want emotional dynamite to mine, this is the way to go! Celia and Grace have a great relationship, and having a cousin nearby is fantastic, especially since the two are so different; Avery admitting that sometimes SHE would like to be the one to help Grace was great. There is some age appropriate, very sweet romance that just puts the perfect icing on this story. 
Weaknesses: Grace is very obsessed with grades, and it's good to see her trying to balance her emotions about that, but the comment is made several times that we are not our accomplishments. Boy, did that make me think all day! I even posed this question to many staff members. This seems to fall along generational lines. People my age and older agree with me that we are most certainly our accomplishments. Younger people don't. I will have to agree to disagree on this topic philosophically. Even though my GPA in high school was lousy (3.2? I managed to get a scholarship to study Latin, the money being available because few others were foolish enough to agree to a major that would not lead to permanent employment!), my entire self identity is tied to what I can accomplish. Is Morrison's message a better one for young people? Only time will tell.
What I really think: Like Morrison's Coming Up Short, Up For Air, and  Every Shiny Thing, which she cowrote with Celia Jensen (who gets a shout out in this book), this is a thought provoking novel of friendship and life lessons that will appeal to a wide range of readers. I'm glad to add this to my list of cross country running books that includes Vicker's Half Moon Summer.

How to Draw Kawaii Manga, Lost & Found, and Intercontinental Drifter

Yu, Mei. Lost & Found: Based on a True Story
April 2, 2024 by Union Square Kids
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic, semi-autobiographical memoir, we meet young Mei, whose family is moving from China to the US. She isn't happy with the move, but does her best preparing, even if it includes filling a suitcase with dumplings and soy sauce! She and her stuffed cat (who talks to her and interacts with her) instead pack clothes and are on their way. The trip is stressful, even though she can watch all of the movies she wants. When they arrive, Mei realizes that she doesn't understand what people are saying or what the signs say. This is illlustrated quite well  by having the words she does understand printed in green and the words she doesn't printed in black. The family has a new apartment (the pictures of which are very appealing; I sort of want to live in that building!), and Mei starts school. Of course, she understands very little, and the printed cards her father gives her with helpful phrases to show people don't help much when he didn't include a translation! Her teacher is helpful, but it's stressful being with other children who laugh at her in a mean way. To cope, Mei draws pictures in a notebook and puts the new English words next to them. This helps a little, but when her notebook is lost at school, she worries that the others will make fun of her. Luckily, her teacher and fellow students embrace Mei's way of learning, and work with her to investigate new words. There are notes at the end of the book about the author's experiences of moving to Canada when very young, as well as information about drawing and her artwork. 

Strengths: The method of showing the words Mei understands in a different cover is very helpful in understanding what it feels like to be in a place where the language is difficult to understand. Mei's story is told simply and effectively. It's also very cute, with her cat having a lot of fun hijinks. This would be a great book for elementary students who are meeting a classmate who is learning English. 
Weaknesses: I wish Mei had been portrayed as slightly older; this would have made it more appealing to my ELL readers who don't like to be seen reading books that seem young. The cover's anime style will help, and it will certainly be a big hit with readers who are themselves struggling with a new language. Also, I'm not a fan of the over-the-top emotions of Manga style illustrations; "puppy dog eyes" irritate me intensely for reasons I don't even understand. 
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who enjoyed Castellanos' Isla to Island or Lai's Pie in the Sky. 
 

Misako. How to Draw Kawaii Manga Characters

April 2, 2024 by Walter Foster Jr.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

The author of the Manga flavored graphic novels Bounce Back and No Such Thing as Perfect gives tips on how to draw characters similar to hers. There are chapters on how to draw eyes (including all of the starry ones), face angles, hair, bodies, and hands. There are step-by-step instructions with a lot of good information about proportion. The facial expressions, complete with explanations of how to make angry eyebrows, are especially good, although I didn't try to do any drawings. There's a discussion of the difference between teen and tween bodies, and even how the wrong proportions can make a tween face look like a toddler one. There are some pages meant to be drawn on, but these are accompanied by a QR code where young artists can access the templates to print out. Most of the chapters concentrate on drawing girl characters; drawing boys is only addressed in the last chapter. This author also has How to Draw Manga Fashion being published as well. 

The pandemic led to a resurgence in interest in Manga at my school, and I have a lot of students who would love to try to replicate the drawing of the girl holding her cat. Right now, these are only available in paperback, which won't hold up well, but I'll see if Follett Content Solutions of Perma-Bound offers these in a prebind. Both volumes would make excellent gifts for young artists, accompanied by some of the kawaii drawing supplies described at the beginning of the book. And yes, I still have The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation? by Gilles Poitras (November 1st 1998 by Stone Bridge Press) in my library! 

MacLeod, Kathy. Continental Drifter

April 2, 2024 by First Second

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel memoir, we get insights into the life of the author, who was born in 1984. Her parents were older; her mother, the founder of a chain of salons in Thailand, and her father, a retired military man from Maine. Both had children from other marriages. The family lives in Bangkok, where Kathy and her older sister Jennie attend an international school where many of the children are multiracial. Kathy sometimes doesn't feel that she is Thai enough because she doesn't speak the language well or like spicy food. She looks forward to the family trips to Maine. When she is middle school aged, not only does she get to go to Maine to spend time with family, but she gets to go to summer camp, which makes her think that she will finally get to experience US life the way she sees it on television shows. She loves seeing her father's family, and her aunts Barbie and Louise are talkative and fun, interacting with their families in a warm, casual way that the MacLeods don't interact in Thailand. Even though she feels out of place in Maine, worrying that people question where the family is from, she loves going to the mall and Old Country Buffet and hanging out with cousins. Camp is a little more stressful, because people assume she's from Taiwan instead of Thailand, and make fun of her for not knowing current talk show hosts and having paper underwear that her mother packs for emergency laundry situations. Kathy says "There will always be something not right about me," and gets only the most minimal support from her camp counselor, Bri. The family returns to Thailand even though they all seem happier in Maine; the author now lives in Germany. 

Strengths: I liked the illustration style of this, and the pale blue and white give way to the more vibrant blues and greens of Maine in an effective way. Kathy's unhappiness is so apparent. It's good to see that she does have a small outlet in diary keeping and drawing, and she doesn't have a bad relationship with her sister; it's just that she's five years olf and that's a lot during middle school. The family scenes are wonderful, and she does get to meet her 40-year-old half brother Scott for the first time. The family photos at the end of the book tie this up nicely. 
Weaknesses:This was sad in a way that makes me worry that the author is still not happy. I know this is based on real life experiences, but I wished that young Kathy had had more support than just one camp counselor. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for fans of Telgemeier's introspective graphic novels, Waka Brown's While I Was Away, or Matula's The Not-So-Perfect-Life of Holly Mei. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Meet Me On Mercer Street

Vivat, Booki. Meet Me On Mercer Street

April 2, 2024 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
 

Soon-to-be sixth grader Kacie Sitthiwat lives in the city on Mercer Street, where her parents work very hard at their business, Smiley's Cleaners. Kacie is very fond of drawing, and spends a lot of her time chronicling her life in a series of notebook sketches. In an uncharacteristic move, she was sent away "on vacation", living with relatives for the summer, and so has not been in touch with her best friend, Nisha Khanna, whose father has a grocery store down the street. When she returns home, she finds that the grocery store is shut down for renovations, and she still hasn't heard from Nisha. She knows that her friend was upset before Kacie left, and looks around the neighborhood to find her. Before long, she realizes that a new boy who has been skateboarding around (and getting in some trouble) is now living in the Khanna's apartment. She and Danny explore the street, checking out the community garden, talking to the "bench grandpas", and having paletas at the local shop, but still can't figure out what has happened to Nisha. Kacie's parents seem stressed, but tell her it's nothing to worry about, but Kacie can tell that things are changing in her neighborhood. The Khanna's shop reopens... but as a $mart store, where Kacie is definitely not welcomed. There is talk of shutting down the community garden, and there are men in suits wandering around the area, which is never a good sign. When Kacie runs into her parents as they are coming out of the bank, she finally learns that things are very hard. Rents are going up, stores are closing, and even Smiley's might be in danger. Kacie uses her artistic abilities to try to help her family's business as well as to help another local artist cover up some graffiti. She also writes a letter to Nisha, having asked the local mail carrier for help in finding her friend. As the neighborhood pulls together, will Kacie be able to come to terms with the changes in her world? 

Strengths: Vivat's Frazzled (2016) series is very popular with my students, and Mercer Street looks like the pages will be in full color! Since I don't like the smell of that much ink (or the cost!), I wish it were in black and white, but my students would much prefer color. This is a highly illustrated novel, like Pichon's Tom Gates, and the illustration style is very appealing. Mercer Street definitely comes alive in the illustrations. I liked that she was able to go out on her own and explore, along with Danny. This will be a popular choice with both elementary and middle grade readers, so I will definitely buy a copy. 
Weaknesses: Change is hard for middle grade readers, but also inevitable. I wish there were  more books about dealing positively with change rather than railing against it. Also, I think it's time to stop comparing books to Harriet the Spy (1964), which is older than I am, and not all that applicable in this case. (The publisher describes this book as "Harriet the Spy meets Front Desk".) It also seemed unlikely that Kacie would have no idea where her friend went,  but it makes for a bit of mystery. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like reading about fighting gentrification and have enjoyed Giles' Take Back the Block, Watson's This Side of Home, Dilloway's Five Things About Ava Andrews, Nelson's Umbrella House, Negron's Underdog City, Broaddus' Unfadeable, or Cartaya's The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora. 
 

Guy Friday- The Club and Ultraviolet

Walters, Eric. The Club

March 2, 2024 by DCB Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

**Necessary Spoilers**

Jaxson is a talented trumper player who loves band, although his best friend Logan gives him a hard time about it and wants him to join the basketball team. Over the summer, Jaxson has been texting Samantha, and is excited to begin 8th grade with a girlfriend, even though he's not entirely sure what that entails. A girl new to the school, Liv, also plays trumpet, and she and Jax find an instant connection. She's a talented player as well, but forthright and funny. She doesn't brook any nonsense from the popular girls who are mean to her and ask if she's in 6th grade. Logan admires her as well, and soon has a little crush on her. The band director, Ms. Hooper, has Jax and Liv prepare a duet for a school assembly, and the two are evenly matched in playing levels. Liv even loans Jax her expensive trumpet. When their mothers meet, they instantly connect as well. Even though their styles are very different (Liv's mother is a cybersecurity expert who is a minimalist, and Jax's mother is a college art professor who embraces a more artistic chaos), the two have a lot in common. They remark on how similar Jax and Liv look. Unfortunately, it turns out that Liv is enrolled in the wrong school, and has to leave, and it looks like the music program might get cut. Jax has problems trying to figure out how to balance his friendship with Liv and his relationship with Samantha when surprising information comes to light: both Liv and Jax's mother used a donor to have the children, and they have the same father! This catapults them into a world of DNA testing, family reunions, and an exploration of what it means to be family as they meet their half siblings. They also work together to try to help save the music program.

Strengths: This took a direction that I did not expect, becoming more like Robert's Nikki on the Line than the light middle school romance I thought it was going to be! I read a few books, so surprising me is NOT an easy thing to do. I adored Liv and her slightly snarky attitude (She tells Logan "You look someone who spends a lot of time confused"; she's not wrong!), and she and Jax get along so well. There should be many, many more books where boys have crushes or "go out" with girls, and the situation with Samantha seemed very realistic. There is a lot of good information about genetics, and I can see this being used by science teachers as a read aloud during a unit on this topic. Walters always does a great job appealing to middle grade readers, with titles as varied as The King of Jam Sandwiches, Elephant Secret, Hockey Night in Kenya, and the perennial dystopian favorite, The Rule of Three. 
Weaknesses: Decisions to keep or cut music programs are not made on a building-by-building basis, as least in Ohio. It's always a district wide decision to insure equitable access (or equitable denial), but maybe things are different in Canada.  
What I really think: The cover of this is great, and will appeal to readers who like a light romance or a band related story like Grosso's I Am Drums, Dionne's Notes From an Accidental Band Geek, and Herbach's Gabe Johnson Takes Over, aka Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders. 

Salazar, Aida. Ultraviolet

April 2, 2024 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in vese, we meet Elio, a cisgender Latino boy who has fallen in love for the first time. The object of his affections is the artsy Camellia, and her presernce makes him feel like the world is more colorful in ways he never saw before, hence the title. They are in eighth grade in a STEAM centered school, and all of Elio's friends seem to be paring up, no matter what their orientation His best friend, Paco, is very interested in girls as well, but more as acquisitions. When Camellia assents to "going around" with Elio, he is so delighted that he attempts to write a song for her. His mother, a graphic designer, tries to support him. His father, a city planner, is rather harsh when he sees Elio crying and tells him to "man up" even though he is evolved enough to do most of the cooking in the house. Elio is debating kissing Camella, because that seems to be the point of dating in middle school, but he isn't sure he wants to; when Camellia kisses him, he finds he enjoys it, and the two take any opportunity they can find to engage in this new activity. There is a one day sex education class where students are divided by binary genders, but it's not that informative. Eliois experiencing the effects of puberty, from growing pains and stretch marks to erections. When Camellia is absent from school, she tells Elio that she was out because of menstrual cramps, and while he doesn't react appropriately in the moment, he later asks his mother if the salve she uses for his growing pains would work for cramps, and the two make up a "feel better bag". Elio's father's toxic masculinity shows itself when he takes his son to the cock fights, but he later see the error of his ways and creates a Brothers Rising group of fathers and sons that get together to discuss various issues and become better men. Camellia breaks up with Elio, and starts dating his friend Chava, but when Elio finds out that Chava is forcing Camellia to kiss him, he steps in, even though he has trash talked her in the wake of their break up. When Elio and Chava are about to fight, Elio passes out, and a medical examination reveals that he has a heart problem. Will Elio be able to go forward with his life as a better young man with a healthy attitude ttowards relationships?

Strengths: Salazar wrote this to go along with The Moon Within, since she didn't see an analagous book for her son. Considering how many, many books there are about female puberty, especially menstruation, it really is rather surprising that there aren't more books about the subject from the male perspective. (Other than Blume's Then Again, Maybe I Won't, I can't think of any. And that's from 1971.) The descriptions walk the fine line between instructional and informative and cringe worthy in the best possible way; I would feel comfortable handing this to a young reader, since the language is clinical and circumspect. 
Weaknesses: The Brothers Rising group seemed a bit odd; I can't see any group requiring men to strip down being successful in my neighborhood. At one point, a teacher talks to Elio about possibly being soul mates with Camellia; I try very hard to never make personal comments about students' relationships, because that can only get one in trouble. There were multiple mentions of "pedo face"; because there were a number of Spanish words included, which was great, I thought it might be Spanish, but my best guest is that it is derived from "pedophile" and means "an awkward smile", but I had trouble defining it correctly. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a book about burgeoning romance and puberty  like Bryant's  Abby in Between: Ready or Not or Evans' Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins, but from a male perspective.