Middle Grade Monday: Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer L. Holm

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer L. Holm and illustrated by Matthew Holm. 224 p. Sunny Book 5. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., February, 2024. 9781338792447. Review of finished copy borrowed from public library. 

Happy penultimate Monday of summer break! I hope to make the best of the remaining days. Middle Grade Monday features Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer L. Holm and illustrated by Matthew Holm. This is the fifth book in the Sunny series, which is loosely based on Ms. Holm's childhood. This graphic novel series is enormously popular at TMS. Sunny is settling into middle school, sort of. While her classmates have extracurricular activities, such as cheering, Sunny hasn't yet found hers. Then, her friend Arun talks her into starting a debate club.Sunny likes arguing, so she and Arun find an advisor. At first, it's just the two of them, and then, Sunny learns there's a lot more to debate than just arguing!

The artwork, by Matthew Holm, continues to shine. Bright colors and dynamic panels move the story along. Of course, Sunny in all her relatability continues to charm. Must purchase!

Happy reading!

#tbt: Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

Image: Scholastic

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. 304 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., January, 2004. 9780545722865.

When I posted the Teen Tuesday review of Jordan Sonnenblick's latest book, Stepping Off, I stopped to wonder if I had read all of his books since his debut, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. Turns out, I have! As I perused the list of his books in NoveList, it hit me that Drums turned 20 in January! How did I miss noting that in a #tbt? I thought I had posted about it, but maybe I just thought about posting? I haven't exactly been on my game this past year.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is told from eighth grader Steven Alper's POV, opening while he's on stage for his graduation and flashing back to the beginning of the year when he thought his last year of middle school would be all about jazz band, drums and unrequited love. Instead, he also has to deal with his little brother, Jeffrey's leukemia diagnosis and treatment. What makes this cancer weepie unique, is that it is hysterically funny. Most middle school boys avoid weepies like the plague. Drums is checked out and enjoyed by both boys and girls over the last twenty years.

The cover image depicted above is the latest iteration. This is the cover of the original (and the one I read):

But, I think this is my favorite cover, especially as it complements the companion novel, After Ever After so well!

Waiting on Wednesday: Instafamous by Erika J. Kendrick

Image: LBYR

Instafamous by Erika J. Kendrick. 336 p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, October 1, 2024. 9780316566025.

I attended a wonderful online conversation about community in middle grade fiction courtesy of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on Monday. I am so happy, because all three books are now on my book order. Ms. Kendrick is a new-to-me author and her book releases on October 1.

Waiting on Wednesday features Instafamous by Erika J. Kendrick. This book sounds like so much fun! Here's the publisher synopsis: This funny and fabulous novel about a middle school diva’s hunt for the spotlight speaks to the importance of friendship and family—even in the midst of fame. 

Lyric Whitney Houston Darby has always wanted to be famous, just like her superstar mom. So when the hottest music-competition TV show announces auditions in town, it’s her chance to compete—and maybe even score a record deal.

There are just a couple of problems: First, the show requires industry experience. This means Lyric has to audition for her school’s production of The Wiz…as if middle school musicals aren’t totally beneath her. Second, she needs to mega-boost her platform on Instagram. Fast. This show is an influencers-only event!

Luckily she has her besties at her side! Or… does she? As Lyric starts to get everything she ever wanted, her BFFs are coping with their own challenges. Will Lyric be there to lift them up, or is she about to learn the real cost of being instafamous?

This bubbly story is as wise as it is witty, reminding readers of the importance of mental health, and that what you want isn’t always what you need.

Teen Tuesday: Stepping Off by Jordan Sonnenblick

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Stepping Off by Jordan Sonnenblick. 336 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., June, 2024. 9781339023175.

Teen Tuesday features Stepping Off by Jordan Sonnenblick. Sixteen-year-old Jesse Dienstag lives on Staten Island, commutes into Manhattan to attend a prestigious public school and yearns to leave the real world for his family's vacation home in Pennsylvania each summer where he teaches tennis at the local recreation center and hangs out with his two besties, Chloe and Ava, who also happen to live on the same cul de sac as Jesse. There's a wrinkle this summer though. Jesse realizes that he is in love. With both of them. If he's being honest though, he's a bit more in love with Chloe and hopes he can maintain his best friendship with Ava. Love problems aren't the only things Jesse is facing during the summer of 2019. He's devastated to learn that his parents' marriage is in trouble, though neither one addresses the issue with him. His perfect July 4th moment with Chloe and Ava is marred by tragedy, leaving Jesse and Chloe struggling to find ways to support Ava and her sister. 

Returning to the "real world" leaves Jesse stressed and his school work suffers. He also feels a bit left behind by his city best friend, Carson, who seems to have matured over the summer. Visits to Chloe and Ava don't help. As the stress builds, the pandemic hits. 

No one does male teen angst the way Jordan Sonnenblick does. Jesse is smart, self-deprecating and a bit wise beyond his years, but so dorky and cringey, yet hilarious in his romantic misadventures. My students love Jordan's books, and I know this won't sit. Stepping Off is the perfect romance for middle school readers. 

 

Middle Grade Monday: Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Pla

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Pla. Illustrated by Tania de Regil. 208 p. Quill Tree Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, July, 2024. 9780063268852. Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.

Happy Monday! I have a little over two weeks left of summer break, and am pet/ housesitting for my oldest son while he and his family are away. I had to board Helga with the rescue since they didn't think it would be a good idea to bring her and Boo to a strange house with two strange dogs, one of whom can be territorial. Turns out, Helga will probably get adopted today. She had a successful meet and greet with the adopter and two of her dogs yesterday. Today, she will go to the country to meet the other two dogs and, if all goes well, will stay. I'm happy for her, but sad too. She's a smart, sweet dog who has come a long way. I'm happy to be part of her recovery, but she will be happier in the country with her new dog-trainer mom. Here's one of my last pix of her with Boo before the rescue came to pick her up.

Middle Grade Monday features Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Pla. Anxious Isabel feels like she doesn't fit in with her large, loud family. She knows she doesn't fit in at school, where new girl, Monica seems to have alienated her 'sort of' friends against her. Not only that, but her teacher doesn't seem to like her and is constantly reminding the class about the very important state testing that they have to do well on. She describes her feelings as "worry moths" and talks about practicing smiling and being a good friend, only to be crushed to learn that she was the only girl not invited to Monica's birthday part. Her mother thinks her stomach aches are all in her head, but one day, the pain feels different. Isabel feels invisible, but also, a part of her wants to be invisible.

This gentle, illustrated verse novel is told mostly from Isabel's point of view and beautifully conveys the struggles of a tween struggling with anxiety. Isabel is instantly relatable. Readers will laugh at her subtle humor and root for her as she finds her voice. Some poems reflect Monica's point-of-view, where readers learn a bit of her backstory. The illustrations add to the story. 

Once again, Sally J. Pla delivers an insightful glimpse into the inner life of a neurodivergent child. Invisible Isabel is a welcome addition to any library.

#tbt: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Image: Author's Website

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd. 336 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., 2014.

Happy Thursday! Happy August 1! There's just a little over a month left of summer break. I am so far behind in my GR goal, it isn't even funny. Part of the reason is Helga! She takes up so much time and energy! She's coming along, but she's A LOT!

#tbt features A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd. This was Ms. Lloyd's debut and published in 2014. Twelve-year-old Felicity is tired of moving frequently. Her mother has a sad and restless heart. When they land in Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, Felicity sees possibilities. She also has the gift of seeing words in the air. It seems Midnight Gulch has lost its magic. Can she and her new friend, Jonah help the town break its curse and can Felicity get Mama to settle down and stay for a while?

A Snicker of Magic was an E.B. White Read Aloud Honor book, an ALA Notable book, a New York Times Editor's Pick, and an NPR Best Book of 2014. Ms. Lloyd's subsequent books are: The Key to Extraordinary, Over the Moon, The Problim Children series, Hummingbird, and her forthcoming The Witching Wind, which I reviewed yesterday.

Happy reading!