Ginny Off the Map

 

My Thoughts:

This upper elemenary children's book is about two sisters who are very close in age but very different in talents, personalities and friends. When their physician father is deployed to Afghanistan at the same time the family is moving to a new town, the two sisters and their mother are each facing challenges individually. The support glue that holds them together, their dad, is too far away to help with the major meltdown that is coming to the three characters.

The main character, Ginny is a geography buff who can spout off facts and "did you knows" and tie anything to her knowledge of geography. However, only her dad seems to understand her. Her sister is a talented athlete who makes friends easily while Ginny is socially awkward. Until the three of them are really tested, Ginny feels like the black hole of her life continues to threaten to swallow her.

This is especially for those kids that feel like they are misunderstood, picked on, bullied, or laughed at. Hopefully, they will learn, alongside Ginny that following your own true North is the only way to gain confidence and self-esteem.

From the Publisher:

There are two things Ginny Pierce loves most in the world: geography facts and her father. But when her dad is deployed overseas and Ginny’s family must move to yet another town, not even her facts can keep her afloat. The geography camp she’s been anxiously awaiting gets canceled, and her new neighbors prefer her basketball-star sister. Worst of all, her dad is in a war zone and impossible to get ahold of. Ginny decides that running her own camp for the kids on her street will solve all her problems. But can she convince them (and herself) that there's more to her than just facts? 
 
With a fierce heart and steadfast determination, Ginny tackles the challenges and rewards of staying true to herself during a season of growth. This thoughtful novel explores the strength that develops through adversity; Ginny must learn to trust her inner compass as she navigates the world around her.

Product Details:

Author: Caroline Hickey

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books (June 20, 2023)

Two Tribes, graphic memoir

 

My Thoughts:

This graphic story inspired by Emily Bowen Cohenʻs life, is about Mia who lives with her mom and new stepfather. She is sent to Jewish day school and as a family, they practice Jewish traditions. But Mia is also part Muskogee from her biological fatherʻs side. Like her mom, her dad lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Mia sticks out at her Jewish day school because she does not look like her classmates, and that just makes her hungry to get to know her Native American side of her identity. Her plan is to take her bat mitzvah money and sneak away to Oklahoma to visit her dad and his new family. It is a little disturbing that her mother does not seem to see her or that the teachers at the Jewish school do not curb the ethnic shaming by the students, especially when Semitic attacks are prevalent in the world. 

Her mother eventually finds out and is very upset that Mia left and was staying with her dad and his family, but eventually she understands that the divorce is not about Mia and Mia should not be isolated from both sides of her family. 

As teachers we cannot control parents, but it is our job to ensure that all students understand their identity as well as the gifts that come with being and/both, not one or the other. 

This is another book out of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of Harper Collins Children's Books. 

From the Publisher:

Mia is still getting used to living with her mom and stepfather, and to the new role their Jewish identity plays in their home. Feeling out of place at home and at her Jewish day school, Mia finds herself thinking more and more about her Muscogee father, who lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Her mother doesn’t want to talk about him, but Mia can’t help but feel like she’s missing a part of herself without him in her life.

Soon, Mia makes a plan to use the gifts from her bat mitzvah to take a bus to Oklahoma—without telling her mom—to visit her dad and find the connection to her Muscogee side she knows is just as important as her Jewish side.

Publication Information:

Author, Illustrator: Emily Bowen Cohen

Publisher: Heartdrum (August 15, 2023)

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom

 

Release date: July 6, 2021

My Thoughts:

This book is kind of a cross between Inkheart and Harold and the Purple Crayon with Indian mythology and a mental health/self care theme. 

This is a great tween adventure for readers who love girl power stories. What makes this more cheer worthy is that the "heroine, Kiki feels that her anxiety and OCD has taken over so much control of her world that she truly believes that her brain is broken and nothing can help her. Her self shame keeps her from reaching out for help, so the only way she feels she can quiet her mind is by drawing another world filled with the kids who know how to be brave and heroic for her. 

But when an ancient Indian demon that she drew starts creating havoc in her created world and in her own world, Kiki can no longer hide behind the heroes she created. In order to keep both worlds safe, she needs to conquer her brain and find her own source of strength. This sliding glass door story will also be a mirror for young readers who need to see beyond their own anxiety to the potential and strengths that they always possessed.

From the Publisher:

A rich fantasy-adventure that sees a girl's drawings of Indian mythology spring to vivid life--including the evil god who seeks to enter the real world and destroy it.

Kiki Kallira has always been a worrier. Did she lock the front door? Is there a terrible reason her mom is late? Recently her anxiety has been getting out of control, but one thing that has always soothed her is drawing. Kiki's sketchbook is full of fanciful doodles of the rich Indian myths and legends her mother has told her over the years.

One day, her sketchbook's calming effect is broken when her mythological characters begin springing to life right out of its pages. Kiki ends up falling into the mystical world she drew, which includes a lot of wonderful discoveries like the band of rebel kids who protect the kingdom, as well as not-so-great ones like the ancient deity bent on total destruction. As the one responsible for creating the evil god, Kiki must overcome her fear and anxiety to save both worlds--the real and the imagined--from his wrath. But how can a girl armed with only a pencil defeat something so powerful?

Under the Broken Sky

 

My Thoughts:

This story of the Japanese in Manchuria during and right after World War II is a new history for me and this historical fiction told in simple verse does a great job of telling that history through the eyes of the most vulnerable: the children/orphans left to push forward in a hostile environment and make their way to an unknown/unrealistic future they call home.

Like any good historical fiction, especially one told in sparse verse, what Under the Broken Sky does is leave the reader more curious about the actual history that is definitely untold in America, but probably largely untold in Japan too. When a book leaves me with more questions than answers, when it causes me to want to research, when it forces me to tap into my own lens to guess at what happened to these characters, then the author has done her job. Ms. Nagai gives us just enough water to make us realize that we are thirsty.  

One of the things this book led me to, mostly because I suspected that this would be the case, is to research what life in a newly defeated Japan actually would be like for these orphans, especially since some of these children were born in Manchuria. Historically, even when they are powerful, Japanese have not taken kindly to any group they see as "foreign," so the fact that the Japanese returning to Japan to seek out family were given a special label "hikiagesha" as a way to mark them as repatriates even on government documents just means that this is a history that needs to be remembered, but it was not pleasant. 

From the Publisher:

Twelve-year-old Natsu and her family live a quiet farm life in Manchuria, near the border of the Soviet Union. But the life they've known begins to unravel when her father is recruited to the Japanese army, and Natsu and her little sister, Asa, are left orphaned and destitute.
In a desperate move to keep her sister alive, Natsu sells Asa to a Russian family following the 1945 Soviet occupation. The journey to redemption for Natsu's broken family is rife with struggles, but Natsu is tenacious and will stop at nothing to get her little sister back.
Literary and historically insightful, this is one of the great untold stories of WWII. Much like the Newbery Honor book Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, Mariko Nagai's Under the Broken Sky is powerful, poignant, and ultimately hopeful.

The Last Fallen Star

 

From the Publisher:

Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to follow in her sister's footsteps when she herself turns thirteen, she's a saram--a person without magic. Riley was adopted, and despite having memorized every healing spell she's ever heard, she often feels like the odd one out in her family and the gifted community.

My Thoughts:

This is another Rick Riordan presents book like Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, except this one, by Graci Kim, weaves in Korean mythology into her tale of magic clans living amongst the saram (muggles in Rowling world or people without magic). Ms. Kim checks all the boxes for a tween best selling adventure story: a character or characters that feel like outcasts, misunderstood, odd balls and a very important quest that relies on loyalty, sacrifice and bravery. 

Riley reminds me of Chaya from The Girl Who Stole an Elephant. Like Chaya, Riley is headstrong, stubborn, and very brave. She has fiercely loyal friends (including a sister, Hattie, in Riley's case) and she puts them in danger. However, true to contemporary Disney princess  form, Riley (and Chaya) does everything they can to save their friends and repair the disasters that they caused, including, in Riley's case, sacrificing herself.  This is another great read aloud for the 5th, 6th grade classroom as well as a middle level enrichment class.  I hope to see more of Riley. I think she has a Percy Jackson like series of adventures in front of her. 

Delicates _graphic novel

 

Update: The author talks about Taking on Mental Health in YA in this Shondaland article.

My Thoughts:

This book follows Marjorie in Thummler's very poignant graphic novel Sheets.  In my original review of Sheets I say

Marjorie speaks to the teen/tween/child in all of us who wants to disappear, who holds their little family together when the adults are too sad, who longs for something they will not have again, and who finds solace and comfort in unexpected encounters.

For this second book, Marjorie may not be that awkward teen who wants to disappear, and her reliance on her best friend Wendell is starting to fray, but she is finally accepted by the popular kids. What this second book explores is the cost of "fitting" in. Marjorie is still the same person on the inside, but is she willing to wear her own sheet to hide her true self? 

When she recognizes a little of her "pre-popular/pre-accepted" self in Eliza Duncan, is she able to share Wendell with someone who also needs him? What part must she play in getting her own humanity back? What does Marjorie want acceptance to really feel like? This is again a memorable story of what true friendship and humanity feels like.

From the Publisher:

Following the events of the bestselling graphic novel, Sheets, Delicates brings Brenna Thummler’s beloved characters, artwork, and charm back to life.

Marjorie Glatt’s life hasn’t been the same ever since she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. Wendell, who died young and now must wander Earth as a ghost with nothing more than a sheet for a body, soon became one of Marjorie’s only friends. But when Marjorie finally gets accepted by the popular kids at school, she begins to worry that if anyone learns about her secret ghost friends, she’ll be labeled as a freak who sees dead people. With Marjorie’s insistence on keeping Wendell’s ghost identity a secret from her new friends, Wendell begins to feel even more invisible than he already is.

Eliza Duncan feels invisible too. She’s an avid photographer, and her zealous interest in finding and photographing ghosts gets her labeled as “different” by all the other kids in school. Constantly feeling on the outside, Eliza begins to feel like a ghost herself. Marjorie must soon come to terms with the price she pays to be accepted by the popular kids. Is it worth losing her friend, Wendell? Is she partially to blame for the bullying Eliza endures?

Delicates tells a powerful story about what it means to fit in, and those left on the outside. It shows what it’s like to feel invisible, and the importance of feeling seen. Above all, it is a story of asking for help when all seems dark, and bringing help and light to those who need it most.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Tristan Strong, 1)

 

From the Publisher:

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia's epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods.

Seventh grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm in Alabama, where he's being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it--is that a doll?--and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature's hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price.

Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

My Thoughts:

The publishers call this a middle grade American Gods (Neil Gaiman), but this is a "Rick Riordan presents" so I will sell this as a centrifugal book spinning from or returning back to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series. True, Tristan is not half god, but when he enters Alke, he will find out that he brings powers with him passed down from his Nana as well as his best friend Eddie. 

Like Riordan's books, a new generation of readers are introduced or re-introduced to heroes and gods of the past, except these are African American folk heroes and West African gods. I recognized some of the characters from folk tales that are still shared with young students, like John Henry with his mighty hammer and Brer Rabbit (currently most known outside of the African American community as part of the Disney ride Splash Mountain - based on Song of the South), as well as Anansi the trickster. But what this book adds is more depth and complexity to even the familiar characters. This book will ensure that these characters stay present with this new generation and hopefully, this book will lead young readers back to the original stories to find out more about Nyame or Nyambe, the sky deity from South Gana, Gum Baby and even Maafa. 

Two of these, Alke (which is the world he lands in) and Maafa intrigued me enough to look them up. What I found was interesting in that perhaps Alke may perhaps represent Africa, but it is also interesting that there is an Alke in Greek mythology and was one of the Amazonians (like Wonder Woman?). Finally, when I looked up Maafa as the source of the malevolence in Alke, I found that Maafa refers to the Black Holocaust, a Kiswahili term for disaster, calamity, or terrible occurrence. It is the term used to describe the Trans-Atlantic slave trade/middle passage, which is why when it finally appears, it looks like a ship and also why the creatures that come from the Maafa to capture the folks in Alke are rusting fetterlings that look like slave shackles. I have more to explore based on the references in this book, but that just shows that the adventure and Tristan himself are motivation to read this, but also as an adult, this tween book gives me a great starting place to do my own research. 

Follow this book with Percy Jackson or if you want to go back to a more "canonical"/centripetal book, read or reread the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis (It starts with The Magicians's Nephew but most children have seen and are more familiar with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe book 2). There is also a second Tristan Strong book out now, Tristan Strong Destroys the World.

Turtle in Paradise: A Graphic Novel

 

Publication date: May 4, 2021

My Thoughts:

This is a graphic novel adaptation of author Jennifer L. Holm's 2011 historic fiction novel of life in Key West in 1935 during the depression. The book takes place in the small, tight knit white community as Turtle is sent to live with her aunt and boy cousins. While staying on Curry Lane, although everyone is poor, her cousins, aka "the Diaper Gang," find ways to make "candy money" and take care of only the bad babies. Like Fight Club, there are rules to Diaper Gang. The first rule is "you gotta know the rules." Then, in order: no girls allowed, keep your rag clean, always duck, and never tell anyone the secret formula.

Turtle, her actual name, is spunky and a convincing liar so she fits in well with the fast moving Diaper Gang as well as the resident rum runner and sponge fisherman. She even out sasses the mean Miss Bea who turns out to be her grandmother who Turtle's mom insisted was dead. 

The illustrations by Savanna Ganucheau bring back the black and white comics of Little Orphan Annie, but the vibrant pastels of colorist Lark Pien help to evoke Florida in the mind of modern readers. 

There are enough adventures in this adaptation to satisfy the tween readers and the relationships that are created may bring them to the original novel. 

From the Publisher:

A graphic novel adaptation of the beloved, bestselling Newbery Honor-winning novel.

Eleven-year-old Turtle is smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935 and money—and sometimes even dreams—is scarce. So when Turtle's mother gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle heads off to Florida to live with relatives. Florida's like nothing Turtle's ever seen before, though. It's full of ragtag boy cousins, family secrets to unravel . . . and even a little bit of fun. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of her shell. And as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways.

Inspired by family stories, three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm blends family lore with America's past in this charming gem of a novel, now adapted into graphic novel form by rising star Savanna Ganucheau.

Reckless, Glorious Girl

My Thoughts:

This coming of age novel in verse introduces you to three generations of Kentucky "hillbilly" women through the strong voice of Beatrice Miller. These poems hold a voice and lyricism that makes me think of butter and salt and love, fried green tomatoes and the buzz of insects at dusk. 

Beatrice lives with Mamaw (her granny) and her mom, and even as Beatrice is eager to race forward to her future grown self, she does hold on to the lessons she learns from Mamaw and mom around food, cooking, gardening and the power of centering family in the kitchen.

It is hard to explain how special Beatrice is without sharing one of the poems. As a teacher, I cannot say enough for finding and sharing a recording or a video of author Ellen Hagen reading one of her pieces. It will sear the rhythm and voice of the poems into reader's ears. This poem, "Beatrice" is her name poem. She is named for Mawmaw and shares her complex love-hate relationship with her name (as most almost 7th graders are want to do):

The fact that it really is my mamaw's name/doesn't make it any better./Fact is - it makes it worse./Because I love my mamaw/more than the ocean/or french toast/or sleeping in/or bacon.

& when I don't spend all my time hating it/my name becomes a beacon./Some light to hang on to/when it's too dark/to see myself. 

 From the Publishers:

The co-author of Watch Us Rise pens a novel in verse about all the good and bad that comes with middle school, growing up girl, and the strength of family that gets you through it.

Beatrice Miller may have a granny's name (her granny's, to be more specific), but she adores her Mamaw and her mom, who give her every bit of wisdom and love they have. But the summer before seventh grade, Bea wants more than she has, aches for what she can't have, and wonders what the future will bring.

This novel in verse follows Beatrice through the ups and downs of friendships, puberty, and identity as she asks: Who am I? Who will I become? And will my outside ever match the way I feel on the inside?

A gorgeous, inter-generational story of Southern women and a girl's path blossoming into her sense of self, Reckless, Glorious, Girl explores the important questions we all ask as we race toward growing up.

 

Just for Clicks

 

My thoughts:

I got this book free on Amazon as part of the 10 free books program and I must say it wasn't bad, however, it wasn't innovative or unpredictable either. Therefore, read worthy = YES. Buy worthy = maybe not. I would borrow it, read it, enjoy, then return it. If your public library does not have a copy, then I would recommend that your public library buy it so that you can borrow it. 

This book will be enjoyed by tween and teen girls. McDowell taps into the fascination of this influencer/branding trend where a few people are able to make lots of money (Kardashian) and create a career doing this and many, many try but do not succeed. This family is doing very well for themselves, but McDowell also shows how it is a full time job and with positives, there are also many negatives. 

From the publisher:

Mommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom.Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they're expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much. Poppy embraces it. Claire hates it. Will anybody accept her as "just Claire"? And what should Claire do about Mom's old journals? The handwritten entries definitely don't sound like Mom's perfect blog persona. Worse, one of them divulges a secret that leaves Claire wondering what else in her life might be nothing but a sham . . .

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

 

Release date: March 01, 2021

From the Publisher:

An action-packed, instant best-seller in the UK! Hitch a ride on this global adventure from Own Voices debut author Nizrana Farook.

Chaya, a nobleman’s rebellious, outspoken, no-nonsense daughter, just can’t resist the shiny temptations the king’s palace has to offer. But playing Robin Hood for her impoverished community doesn’t come without risks, and when Chaya steals the queen’s jewels from a bedside table—a messy getaway jeopardizes the life of a close friend. After an equally haphazard prison break, Chaya barely escapes on the king’s prized elephant! With leeches and revolution lurking in the jungle, Chaya leads her companions on a thrilling adventure. After leaving her village as a thief, can she return as a hero? Or will Chaya’s sticky fingers be the beginning—or the end—of everything for the intrepid gang? 

Own Voices debut author Nizrana Farook spins an exciting, page-turning tale in a lush, vibrant, fictional Sri Lankan setting and featuring themes of friendship and loyalty, risk and reward, and heroism. A great middle-grade escapist novel and readaloud! 

My Thoughts:

This book was so fun! It is indeed fast-paced and read aloud-able. Reading aloud everyday in small chunks will drive middle level readers batty, which is the best kind of read aloud. This debut author uses the jungles of Sri Lanka as a backdrop for her fictional adventure tale of a stubborn, headstrong, and very brave girl (Chaya), her long suffering best friend Neel and a just as headstrong daughter of a merchant, Nour. Every time Chaya thinks she has done the impossible in order to help her friends, a larger challenge pops up. 

Like I said, this book is fun and I think what makes it fun is that there is no lull or breathing room in the adventures/misadventures of these three. Actually, counting Ananda, the stolen elephant who himself is a rounded out character, it really is about the adventures and misadventures of the four of them. 

This is perfect for 6th grade read aloud. I find Chaya a breath of fresh air as a heroine and unlike some Roald Dahl character, she is both loved and respected by her family, despite sometimes being very stubborn and single-minded. Like Pippi Longstocking or Anne from Anne of Green Gables, this is the newest girl with spunk adventure. 

Discussion notes from Nosy Crow @NosyCrowBooks

Dress Coded

 

From the publisher:

In this debut middle-grade girl-power friendship story, an eighth grader starts a podcast to protest the unfair dress code enforcement at her middle school and sparks a rebellion.

Molly Frost is FED UP...

Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top.

Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn't, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit.

Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and missed a math quiz, her teacher gave her an F.

Because it's impossible to find shorts that are longer than her fingertips.

Because girls' bodies are not a distraction.

Because middle school is hard enough.

And so Molly starts a podcast where girls can tell their stories, and before long, her small rebellion swells into a revolution. Because now the girls are standing up for what's right, and they're not backing down.

My thoughts:

This is a cute, sassy, middle level book. Carrie Firestone, the author, captures the middle level voice in her characters and the complex relationships ring true. As a long time middle level educator, this mirrors the drama going on via group chats as well as in the hallways. Firestone is so accurate in depicting the complexities of middle school including early bloomer problems, late bloomer problems, even the horrifyingly accurate menstruation problems. 

This is not just about students complaining over dress code. This is about gentle protest, equity, empowerment and giving voice to others. This is about all the awkwardness of middle school done in a way that still makes this a feel good novel. 

What is most refreshing is that the adults are neither cartoon versions of humans, nor are they oddly absent. The adults presence or lack of presence is often puzzling in YA literature, but in this case, the adults are also capable of complexity and as a whole, they are rounded characters and not just cardboard cut outs. 

This is a book for the middle school invisible student who spends their recess observing others and wants to be more than a silent witness to the parallel community we call middle school. 

What the Woods Keep

From the publisher:

What the Woods Keep is the stunning debut of Katya de Becerra, who combines mystery, science fiction, and dark fantasy in a twisty story that will keep you mesmerized right up to the final page.

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.

My thoughts:

I did not want to read this book. This was another fantasy book where the teenager is protected or hidden by a guardian or remaining parent and does not know until they hit some "magic" age that they are different and that they have some sort of super power. Does this sound like Harry (Potter)? How about Mortal Instruments, Percy Jackson? What makes this different is this is a one and done compared to most of the other stories that pull in readers with a series. 

One and done, though was not the problem. The problem was that I was not loving the cover. For some reason I kept seeing a face. Do you see it? I then realized that these are feathers, but they should be feathers from a white raven, so I had another problem. One more wondering/problem that really is not for just this book - is there something about virginity that holds "superpowers" tightly in check until they are forced to burst out? I have just been noticing this pattern but I don't have enough data yet. And the ending. I cannot give it away, but I wish I could have chipped in for a little more story line. Did I miss it? Where did her father go? 

What I did like was the pacing of this book. This is a fast-paced action-packed book once it gets started. I found myself reading faster because everything starts imploding, literally. Perhaps that is why I did not know what happened to the father. 

If readers want something shorter than a series, like the genre of fantasy, tween/YA, excitement, adrenaline. . .this is a great book for a long evening at home. 

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review. 

Tween Tuesday: Baker's Magic

Description:

Bee is an orphan, alone in a poor, crumbling kingdom. In desperation, she steals a bun from a bakery, and to her surprise, the baker offers her a place at his shop. As she learns to bake, Bee discovers that she has a magical power. When a new friend desperately needs her help against an evil mage, Bee wonders what an orphan girl with only a small bit of magic can do. Bee's journey to help her friend becomes a journey to save the kingdom, and a discovery of the meaning of family.

My Thoughts:

This has all the upper elementary, tween appeal of those classics like Anne of Green Gables or Pippi Longstocking, some of my favorite tween books growing up. As an only child, it sometimes seemed like I was an orphan and left to fend for myself. But I was shy and introverted. Nothing like the characters in my favorite books who were spunky and unique and unafraid. Bee, like Anne and Pippi  must fend for herself, but like these two other characters, she is spunky and brave different (and unafraid). She not only finds the source of her magic, but she is able to harness that magic to save her "family."  That kind of magic has never felt far fetched. Young ladies will find much to admire in Bee.

The Red Umbrella

Description:

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. And soon, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own.

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl?

My Thoughts:

Based on the story of the author's parents, this was really interesting to me because I was unaware of Operation Pedro Pan, an organized exodus of over 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children to the United States.  This historical fiction, told from the point of view of 14-year-old Lucia, is just very heartbreaking. As a mother, I always feel for these parents around the world who continue to make that very difficult decision to separate from their children in order to keep them safe and give them a better life. 

The voice of Lucia is very authentic. She is a typical teenager worried more about dances and clothes than politics but when she is sent away with her younger brother, she does her best to keep them together and be the adult even if she is just as lost and homesick. Her outbursts and tantrums are understandable. Her worries become the readers worries. What adds to the story is the foster family who are trying their best but are also a little culturally clueless. Still, I wonder how they would feel about what is going on now at the border?

Put this in your classroom library. Tweens  will trust the narrator and through her story learn about a history that is not always shared in the schools. 

Tween Read: Love Like Sky

Publication date: November 6, 2018

Description

"Love ain't like that." "How is it then?" Peaches asked, turning on her stomach to face me. "It's like sky. If you keep driving and driving, gas will run out, right?" "That's why we gotta go to the gas station." "Yep. But have you ever seen the sky run out? No matter how far we go?" "No, when we look up, there it is." "Well that's the kind of love Daddy and Mama got for us, Peaches--love like sky." "It never ends?" "Never." G-baby and her younger sister, Peaches, are still getting used to their "blended-up" family. They live with Mama and Frank out in the suburbs, and they haven't seen their real daddy much since he married Millicent. G-baby misses her best friend back in Atlanta, and is crushed that her glamorous new stepsister, Tangie, wants nothing to do with her. G-baby is so preoccupied with earning Tangie's approval that she isn't there for her own little sister when she needs her most. Peaches gets sick— really sick. Suddenly, Mama and Daddy are arguing like they did before the divorce, and even the doctors at the hospital don't know how to help Peaches get better. It's up to G-baby to put things right. She knows Peaches can be strong again if she can only see that their family's love for her really is like sky.

My Thoughts:

I am showing my age and upper elementary or tween readers do not know Judy Blume's work as well as I did at this age, but this book reminds me of a Judy Blume book because the perspective of the main character stays true to that age. Youngblood, like Blume does a great job of speaking to girl tween readers at their level. The author tackles the difficulties of fitting into a blended family, navigating the middle child issues, balancing love for both parents and step parents, loyalty, guilt, friendship, sisterhood, bullying and young love. 

Love Like Sky legitimizes the complexities that even tweens go through. They are young but want to be old. They want to know what is going on and do not want to be treated like babies or "protected" from the truth. 

This is both heartbreaking and uplifting -- always a good combination.

Last words:

We'll love her. . .like sky," I whispered, and wished for the wind to whisk my words straight up to heaven.

An advanced copy provided by the publisher and Net Galley for an honest review.

The Wellspring Trilogy: The Crystal Key

Description:

The sun has not shone in over a thousand years. Sixteen year old Felicity lives in a world where the Dark rules. Humanity stays to the Wellsprings, illuminated swathes of land where the light of eternal fountains keeps the skies bright all day long. But beyond that, the world is wrapped in eternal shadows, filled with monstrous Horrors who pray on the unsuspecting. When Felicity discovers that she is a Turnkey, a guardian selected to protect the Wellsprings, her life unexpectedly changes. Not only is she gifted with a magical Key with amazing abilities, but her fate soon takes her deep into the Dark, where with the help of a mysterious boy named Tobin she must survive astonishing odds. For it is soon that the Horrors begin hunting her, and a race to get home is only the beginning of her worries.

My Thoughts:

This is a great book for tweens and middle schoolers who like Harry Potter without the bulk of reading Harry Potter. This first in the trilogy takes a girl with hidden talents thrust into a world she is not familiar with who must face horrors and zombies and things that go bump in the Dark. If you like magic, quests, a little romance and things that can kill you in the dark, this is the book for you.

A Few Words:

"Tobin - " she began.     He looked up languidly. "You shouldn't call me that. It's not my name."  "It is," Felicity insisted, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "To me, you are Tobin. I've never known you by anything else. Besides, some people can name themselves, why not you. I like that name."

An ARC provided by Net Galley for an honest review

Magic Box

This is just a well drawn, mystery/fantasy/coming of age story about a sad little girl, Nola, who recently lost her mother. For her 8th birthday, her father gives her a music box that belonged to her mother when she was a young girl.

Nola is transported to the world of Pandorient (within the music box) and the people there seem to be familiar with Nola's mother. Her new friend Andrea needs Nola to help save Andrea's mother and figure out what is making her sick. Part mystery, part adventure, Nola must rely on the tips she picked up from her mom in order to help these friends. 

For elementary and tween readers, the fast paced story, attractive illustrations and a precocious main character will pull readers in.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

Crossover

Review:

This award winning book is perfect for the upper elementary and middle school male reader. It's a novel in verse about twin basketball stars trying to win the game, win the girl, win the adoration of their dad. There is a lot of growing up in this short book and the rhythm is as fast paced as the game.

Last words:

He dribbles/back to the top of the key,/fixes his eyes/on the goal./I watch/the ball/leave his hands/like a bird/up high,/skating/the sky,/crossing over/us.

Sheets

Release Date: August 28, 2018
Lion Forge

My Thoughts:

I wrote about this graphic novel, Sheets, before and put it on my TBR wish list. Sometimes wanting something and then getting it is disappointing, but this story did not disappoint. My husband cries over children's books about dogs dying and moms getting older. It is the combination of the illustrations and the simple words.

This graphic novel does the same thing. Marjorie speaks to the teen/tween/child in all of us who wants to disappear, who holds their little family together when the adults are too sad, who longs for something they will not have again, and who finds solace and comfort in unexpected encounters.

At the laundromat this morning, I caught myself staring at the dryer and feeling like a ghost spa would be the most indulgent idea ever. This is one to own, just so you have it on hand when someone needs it.

*An advanced digital copy provided by Net Galley and the Publisher for an honest review.