Review: Spy School British Invasion

Spy School British Invasion by Stuart Gibbs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ben Ripley and crew find themselves being chased by SPYDER in Europe. This book picks up almost immediately after the events in Spy School Goes South. We have the same characters who have become old friends at this point.

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Review: Who Was Anne Frank?

Who Was Anne Frank? by Ann Abramson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This non fiction series introduces young readers to famous people. It is well researched and makes the subject of these biographies approachable. There is no better way to make history come alive.



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Review: Bob

Bob by Wendy Mass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Livy is visiting her grandmother in Australia. It's been 5 years since she was there last, and she only has a few memories of her last visit. Once there she finds a green creature - maybe a zombie? - dressed in a homemade chicken suit. This creature knows her and has been waiting for her. Livy is determined to figure all of this out.

This was a sweet book that pulls from folklore. I found the beginning of the book a bit more engaging than the finish.

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Review: Finding Langston

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Langston and his father are part of the Great Migration. They move from the south to Chicago after Langston's mother has died. He also moves from the country to the city and finds adjusting to so many things difficult - until he discovers the library and a poet named Langston Hughes.

This is a beautiful story. It's a love letter to libraries and Langston Hughes.

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Review: Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish

Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marcus Vega is an 8th grader who is large for his age, but still has run-ins with bullies. On one occasion he reaches his breaking point and punches another boy. Marcus' hard working, single mom is near to a breaking point herself and decides the family needs to get away. She works for an airline and gets free tickets so the small family - Marcus, brother Charlie and mom Melanie - head to Puerto Rico and the homeland of Marcus' absent father. Marcus is hopeful that he will be able to see the father that left the family 10 years ago.

This is a wonderful search for identity, family, and culture. Marcus' extended family is lovingly, yet realistically portrayed. The book also paints a beautiful picture of the island - although the author does note that it is depicted as it was prior to the recent, devastating hurricane.

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Review: The Parker Inheritance

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of two friends, Candace and Brandon, who love books and puzzles. They learn of a mystery that Candace's grandmother tried to solve years before. The two work during the course of summer vacation to solve the mystery.

I loved the puzzles and the shout out to great children's literature. In addition to being a book that presents puzzles to be solved, it tackles some big issues. The author handles race, segregation, and many subtle yet related issues with sensitivity. I do think the book could have been a bit shorter, especially since it's a middle grade book and nothing sends a middle grade reader running faster than a book with more than 300 pages.

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Review: Front Desk

Front Desk by Kelly Yang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a treat! Mia and her family are immigrants who operate a motel in California for a horrible owner. They are hard workers, but life has not been easy for them. 10 year old Mia mans the front desk while her parents are busy cleaning and doing the laundry for the motel.

Mia is a plucky heroine who has an indomitable spirit. Much of the plot is based on the author's experiences. Wow!

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Review: War in the Ring: Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, and the Fight between America and Hitler

War in the Ring: Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, and the Fight between America and Hitler by John Florio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a well researched nonfiction book about a very famous boxing match. While this book is mostly about the match between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, it also explains why this was so much more than a fight for the world heavyweight title. I learned why Joe Louis and his successes were so important to black people in this country and ultimately why the Louis-Schmeling match was so important to Americans of all races. The book includes pictures and an extensive bibliography. This is middle grade nonfiction at its finest.

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Review: The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mason Buttle is a boy who is honest as the day is long. He lives with his uncle, grandmother, and friend. His best friend recently died in what appears to be an accident, although the police keep coming back to ask Mason more questions.

I liked the way small town life was portrayed in this book. I liked Mason's good nature and innocence throughout the book. I also liked that kids with a variety of special needs were just represented as kids.

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Review: Wolf Hollow

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book takes place in Wolf Hollow during WWII. Annabelle and her brothers live with her parents and grandparents and work on the family's farm. All is well until two people move into town. One is Betty, a bully Annabelle's age who moves in with her grandparents and the other is Toby, an odd drifter who moves into an abandoned smoke shack.

I really enjoyed this beautifully written story. The book has won many awards, but I wonder who it was really written for? I'm not sure the average middle grade reader will find the book as engaging as I did. Some very adult issues are touched upon and the ending shows us that we don't always get what we want. I hope young readers will read and appreciate this story.

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Review: Fast Break

Fast Break by Mike Lupica
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jayson is a middle school boy who faces tragedy and is abandoned to live on his own. Basketball is the best thing in his life. He tries to hide his situation from everyone, but eventually gets caught and placed in the foster care system. His placement is with a loving family from the other side of town. He's attending a school across town with an excellent basketball team, but he will be playing against his old team and friends. While many people at his new school are friendly and willing to give Jayson a chance, not everyone is so open to accepting the new kid. Jayson doesn't always make it any easier with some of this anger erupting while on the basketball court.

This book takes a difficult situation and shows the good that can come from it. They foster care system is shown as a safety net, not a punishment. As a non-basketball player, some of the on court scenes were a little long for me, but Lupica wrote them in such a way that even I could see the action unfolding in my mind's eye.

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Review: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alvin Ho is a boy who is a list maker with a sense of humor. He is also afraid of everything including school. At school he is so afraid he can't speak with his voice, he can only speak with his eyes. He carries a PDK with him everywhere. PDK stands for Personal Disaster Kit.

I found this book to be very amusing and occasionally laugh out loud funny. His list are hilarious, his family is quirky yet loving, and Alvin's voice is completely believable.

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Review: The Next Great Paulie Fink

The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Caitlyn and her mother have moved to a new town that is completely different from where she previously lived. She needs to make new friends and navigate a new school. She finds her classmates are quirky, and the school is the strangest school she's ever been in. She keeps hearing about a boy who suddenly moved away, Paulie Fink. Everyone tells stories about him and offers a different description of what he was like. Caitlyn doesn't know what to make of this, but mostly she knows she doesn't want to be his replacement.

This book brought up many issues facing middle schoolers without be pedantic or preachy. The author does a wonderful job of showing Caitlyn's evolution through the story. I loved the quirky kids and they way they were valued for being themselves - something many middle schools don't necessarily allow, as revealed through Caitlyn's communications with her friends from her previous school. And then there's Paulie - who was he really? Can we ever say we really know someone?

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Review: Saving Winslow

Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Winslow is a runty donkey. Louie is a boy in need of a friend. He decides he'll take care of Winslow and help him grow. His quirky neighbor Nora develops an interest in Winslow too. After a few ups and downs things seem to be going well, until the neighbors decide that a small backyard in a regular neighborhood is NOT the place for a donkey.

This is a delightful story that reminded me a bit of Charlotte's Web. Louie is a sweet child and Nora brings balance to their friendship.

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Review: Pay Attention, Carter Jones

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Carter Jones is facing some tough times. He's about to enter middle school, he has 3 younger sisters, his dad is deployed to Germany, and his mom is sad much of the time. When out of the blue, on the first morning of school a butler arrives and offers his services to the family. The butler had worked for Carter's recently deceased grandfather and was now available to Carter's family. Carter's very American family took some time adjusting to the very British butler, but he worked to win everyone's trust and heart.

This book was a delight - a cross between Mary Poppins and Downton Abbey. The author uses the game of cricket as a way to guide Carter in a very gentlemanly way. Each chapter begins with a fact or rule about cricket, and as the book progresses so does our knowledge of the game. The butler helps Carter navigate through difficult revelations and is a lovely presence for an adolescent with no male role model for guidance. My only hesitation about recommending this book to the middle grade readers at my school is the unfamiliarity American students have with cricket. With a little thoughtful scaffolding this is a book that will be enjoyed by many.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. #PayAttentionCarterJones #NetGalley

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Review: Amina's Voice

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amina is a 6th grader whose family immigrated here from Pakistan when she was a baby. She has a beautiful voice and a big case stage fright.

This story packs a lot into a few hundred pages. We see how friendships change as children grow older, we see how important family dynamics are, we see what it's like to live with each foot solidly placed in two different cultures, and most importantly we get to see what discrimination feels like.

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Review: Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow by James Rollins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jake Ransom and his sister Kady are the children of famous archaeologists. Their parent's camp was attacked while on a dig in Mexico and they are missing, presumed dead. The British Museum is hosting an exhibit of their latest finds and have invited Jake and Kady to attend. They fly to London and their world is changed forever.

This is a rollicking good read - think Indiana Jones meets Jurassic Park. First in a series for middle grade readers.

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Review: The Dragonet Prophecy

The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of five young dragons (dragonets) and their journeys. It is suspected they are the dragons of prophecy and the dragons who will stop the wars in their land and save all dragons.

I was a bit skeptical about this book, but I have several students who LOVE dragon books so I gave it a try and what a world I tumbled into!! The author has very thoughtfully created different breeds of dragons with very specific attributes and alliances. The dragonets have very distinct voices and characters. Initially I felt obligated to read this book, but soon I was hooked and raced to get back to it. This is Game of Thrones for dragons!!

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Review: What Is Poetry?: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems

What Is Poetry?: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems by Michael Rosen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I fully expected to like this book. As a school librarian I see that students love poetry and it's taught at only the most superficial level - haiku, acrostics etc. I found this book written in a less than engaging fashion, the poems chosen as examples were not inspiring, and the text was too dense. Since I read the ARC, I'm hoping the last was corrected in the final book. I'm also not sure who this book was really intended for. The style of prose and the content seemed a bit incongruous to me. I'm sad about this, because I like Michael Rosen's other books.

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Review: Refugee

Refugee by Alan Gratz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud. They are three children living in different times and different parts of the the world, but they are all refugees. They are attempting to escape war, persecution, or political unrest. Their safety and freedom comes at a very high price. This book tells of their journeys.

Alan Gratz has created an incredible book. He bases all three stories on historical events and people. He doesn't whitewash the journeys of the refugees, but the book is not exploitatively violent. He has put a human face on this complicated issue, and presents it in such a way that it becomes accessible to the middle grade reader.

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Review: Ghost Boys

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is Jerome's story. He's a 12 year old, 7th grader living in Chicago. He's bullied at school and lives in a neighborhood that is not safe for him to play outside. He lives with his parents, sister and grandmother. His family is intact and loving, but both parents work at minimum wage jobs. They value education and hard work, and see college as a part of Jerome's future, but Jerome's future ends in a dramatically different way.

Wow! Jewell Parker Rhodes is not afraid to tackle tough issues, and make them accessible for the middle grade reader. She speaks some truths that are very hard to hear, especially if you are a white middle class reader. She weaves in many different issues including a glimpse of what life is like for the policeman and his family. She also gives us some historical context through Emmett Till's story - which is very difficult to read. There are no winners here. Reality is so different for young, urban, black males that it's hard for me to understand what it might be like for them. This book helps.

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