#tbt: We Are the Ship: The story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

Image: LBYR

We are the Ship: The story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson. 96 p. Jump at the Sun/ Hyperion, January, 2008. 978078680328. (Own.)

#tbt features We are the Ship: The story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson. February marked the 100th anniversary of the formation of Negro League Baseball and there's no better way to learn about the many incredible athletes who played hard for pennies and endured racism on the road just for the love of the game. This masterful work was Nelson's author debut. He had illustrated around seventeen picture books prior to the publication of We are the Ship, which won the Sibert Medal as well as two medals from the Coretta Scott King committee - both the Author and Illustrator awards. 

This gorgeously designed, oversized volume has heft. Using a fictionalized narrator, Nelson tells the story of the league from the 1920s until 1947, when Jackie Robinson left it to join Major League Baseball. Click here for a short clip of Mr. Nelson talking about the book. Click here to view a short clip of him reading a chapter of the book. 

This past January, he finally received the Caldecott Medal. The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander won Alexander a Newbery Honor and Mr. Nelson the Medal as well as a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. He had previously won two Caldecott Honors. Sadly, the Youth Media Awards Banquet has been cancelled as were celebrations around the centennial of Negro League Baseball. Click here to view a CBS This Morning segment on him and view the painting this pandemic inspired. 

Arc Review: Every Missing Piece by Melanie Conklin

Image: LBYR

Every Missing Piece by Melanie Conklin. 284p. Little, Brown and Company, May 26, 2020. 9781368048958. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher ALAMW.)

Normally, a review for a book like this would go in a "Middle Grade Monday" post. Those are scheduled through June and this sweet book is publishing next month. Given that marketing events like book tours and school visits are cancelled, I wanted to spread the word about another 2020 MG favorite and encourage you to pre-order the book, preferably from an indie. (Rec below.)*

Eleven-year-old Maddie Gaines is very aware that tragedy can strike at any time. This happened to her three years ago when her father died. Since then, Maddie is ever-vigilant, always searching for ways accidents can happen. Her mom indulges her weekly safety checks but has to draw the line at calling the police. After a few panicked calls to 911, the sheriff insisted that they stop except for a true emergency. But what about the mysterious boy who's setting booby traps in the woods? The one that looks suspiciously like the boy who went missing six months ago?

That's not all Maddie's worried about. There's Stan, her mother's new husband. Stan is perfectly nice. Maddie acknowledges he is trying hard. But what about her dad? Stan is a puzzle piece that does not fit and her dad is a missing piece that can't be found. Maddie keeps his picture by her bed and texts him each night. She knows he won't answer but it helps.

Maddie's voice charms from the start when she misses the bus due to tornadoes. Well, potential tornadoes drove her to hide in the culvert and her bus driver has a reputation for being tough. She's surrounded by a community of appealing characters and a vivid southern setting. It is very easy to get folded into the warmth of this book and not want to leave. There's laughter, mystery, longing, friend drama, a potential tragedy, and a few tears. Something for everyone.

There are quite a few TMS students who are fans of the author's debut, Counting Thyme who are very eager for Every Missing Piece. I can't wait to introduce them to Maddie Gaines.

*I'm pretty sure Ms. Conklin was planning a launch at Words in Maplewood. I've trekked to this treasure of store for quite a few launches and would've for this one. If you are in the north Jersey area, it's an easy hop off the NJ Turnpike, for when the quarantine is lifted. In the meanwhile, they are filling online orders: https://store.wordsbookstore.com/pre-order-signed-copy-every-missing-piece

Waiting on Wednesday: Dogman #9: Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey

Image: Scholastic

Dogman: Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey. Dogman series #9. 240 p. Scholastic Inc., September 1, 2020. 9781338535624.

Publisher synopsis: The Supa Buddies bamboozled the baddies, but all's not right in the world. Dog Man has a new problem to pound, and he's going to need his entire pack to help him. Will he go barking up the wrong tree?

Dav Pilkey's wildly popular Dog Man series appeals to readers of all ages and explores universally positive themes, including empathy, kindness, persistence, and the importance of doing good.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: One of Us is Next by Karen McManus

Image: Penguin Random House

One of Us is Next by Karen McManus. Unabridged audiobook. ~ 10. hours. Narrated by Holly Linneman, Maria Lists, Fred Berman and Karissa Vacker. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio Publisher Group, January, 2020. 9781984842107. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.

Fans of One of Us is Lying, buckle up. Author Karen McManus, queen of the pageturners, has returned with a sequel. Teen Tuesday features One of Us is Next. It is a year after Simon's spectacular set-up and Bayview has had to put up with a few Simon Wannabes trying to resurrect the gossip app. Now, there's a new game in town - Truth or Dare - with the advice, "Take the dare" to sign off on every school-wide text. The first victim didn't take the dare, and embarrassing news about her was spread far and wide, causing her to become a pariah. The second victim took the truth as well and lost her best friend. So victim number three took the dare and, while embarrassing, it wasn't so bad. Lesson learned: take the dare. But then, the dare turned deadly. 

This gripping mystery takes place in the same community as One of Us is Lying. While some of those main characters are present in the story, younger students are chosen, one being the sibling of one of the Bayview Four. The story does stand alone, but do yourself a favor and read book one first. If you are a teen who likes whodunits, you will love this book.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger

Image: Scholastic

Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger. 250 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., April 7, 2020. 9781338306118. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger. Let me just start by saying that I love this book with all my heart. Our narrator, Hadley, is a prickly girl. She has a lot to be angry about though. She has an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa that is slowly stealing her eyesight. Her single-mom had been pushing Hadley to enroll in mobility classes for that day when her eyesight disappears. Hadley wants no part of it. Now, her mother is being sent to prison and Hadley is being sent to live with her sister, who abruptly left the family five years earlier and whom Hadley barely knows. Now, she's living an entire state away and has to start school after the summer break as "the blind girl."

Hadley's sister, Beth, is a dog trainer. She works with dog rescues to help their dogs become more adoptable. Hadley accompanies her one day even though she "ain't a dog person." She's annoyed by the eager, barking dogs scrambling for attention as she walks by their cages. Then she spies Lila, who lies in the corner of her cage, not paying attention to anyone. To the astonishment of Hadley's sister and the rescue director, Lila shows interest in Hadley. The two sisters take her home to foster even though Hadley "ain't a dog person."

I was instantly captivated by Hadley's voice and my heart ached for her even as I cringed at her rudeness. Beth is a rock. She's patient and accommodating. Her mom is flawed, but trying to do right. The story will cultivate empathy. Readers will learn about the challenges a blind person faces in an organic way.

I love everything about this book from it's striking and perfect cover through to the tearjerker ending. I can't wait to get this book into my students' hands when we get back to school! Lila and Hadley is a first purchase! I cannot recommend this enough. 

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For Review:

Image: Macmillan

Stealing Mt. Rushmore by Daphne Kalmar. 248 p. Feiwel and Friends/ Macmillan, August 18, 2020. 9781250155009.

Publisher synopsis: In Stealing Mt. Rushmore, Daphne Kalmar brings to life the social and political upheaval of the 1970s, revealing the heart of a family on the verge of falling apart and the courage of a young girl who does all she can to bring them together.

She almost always made things worse. But at least she'd be standing there.
I hated her for stealing the money. But I want her back.

Nellie's dad had planned on having four boys to name after the presidents on Mt. Rushmore. He got George, Nellie, Tom, and Teddy. No Abe.

It's the summer of 1974. Nellie's turned thirteen. Her best friend, Maya, has a crush on a boy. President Nixon might get impeached. And her mom's run off. The money for their family road trip to see Mt. Rushmore is missing and her dad's crawled into bed and won't get up.

Nellie's sure the trip out West will fix her family, and she'll do almost anything to come up with the cash. But she begins to wonder why it's always her, the girl, who's stuck with the dishes and everything else. And how can a mom just up and leave with no note, no forwarding address, no nothing?

And a package of books arrived at school from Charlesbridge. Teachers were allowed into the building to pick up material the other day, so my vice-principal sent it home with a willing colleague! So blessed.

Image: Charlesbridge

Rise Up! The art of protest by Jo Rippon. 62 p. Charlesbridge, March, 2020. 9781623541507.

Publisher synopsis: Celebrate the right to resist!

Human rights belong to every single one of us, but they are often under threat. Developed in collaboration with Amnesty International, Rise Up! encourages young people to engage in peaceful protest and stand up for freedom. Images of protest posters and other resistance media celebrate the ongoing fight for gender equality, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, refugee and immigrant rights, peace, and the environment.

Image: Charlesbridge

You're Invited to a Moth Ball: a nighttime insect celebration by Loree Griffin Burns. Photographeed by Ellen Harasimowicz. 40 p. Charlebridge Publisher, April, 20209781580896863.

Publisher synopsis: Have a ball with real-life moths in your own backyard!

Kids are usually asleep when moths come out at night. But discovering the wonders of your local moth population is simple – stay up late and set up a party for moths! Nature centers and museums host moth balls each summer, but kids can create their own right at home. Captivating photographs and clear, direct language empower young scientists to create their own backyard observatory.


Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones by Susan Lendroth. Illustrated by Bob Kolar. unpgd. Charlesbridge, March, 2020. 9781623541040. 

Publisher synopsis:  Read along, dig along, sing along!

Young paleontologists and dinosaur enthusiasts are invited on a fossil dig, set to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush." Hike the trail, scan the ground, and make a find – then discover how to build a T. Rex from its bones. Includes hand-play motions for sing-alongs and bite-size science sidebars.

Image: Charlesbridge

Dream Big, Little Scientists: a bedtime book by Michelle Schaub. Illustrated by Alice Potter. unpgd. Charlesbridge, February, 2020. 97811580899345.

Publisher synopsis: Twelve kids. A dozen bedtimes. Endless sweet ways to say goodnight with science!

Spark curiosity and exploration with this innovative bedtime story for budding scientists that introduces eleven branches of science. From astronomy to physics to chemistry to geology, this STEM picture book will help kids get excited to explore. Includes further information about each branch of science.

Balletball by Erin Dionne. Illustrated by Gillian Flint. Unpgd. Charlesbridge, February, 2020. 9781580899390.

Publisher synopsis: 

Baseball is nothing like ballet. Or is it?

Nini hates baseball. She hates that baseball is not ballet. She especially hates that Mom signed her up to play and now she's stuck with the sport. Nini just can't bring herself to participate. Not even her teammates' disappointment will change her feelings. A pep talk from her coach and some sparkly shoelaces help – a little. When Nini makes a game-winning catch using her ballet moves, she realizes that change might not be so bad after all, and ballet and baseball have more in common than she thought.

Image: Charlesbridge

This is a Book to Read with a Worm by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen. Illustrated by Margaret McCartney. unpgd. Charlesbridge, March, 2020. 981580898973.

Publisher synopsis: If you can find a worm, you can be a scientist!

Foster a love of animals and science with this charming activity guide for finding and observing earthworms. Hands-on experiments help young biologists answer questions like "Which end is which?" and "Do worms make noise?" Insider tips encourage readers to think like a scientist and handle living things with care. Equally entertaining with or without a worm friend.

Purchased: Nothing. Though I do have a couple of books in a shopping cart.

If you leave a comment, leave the link to your stack. I will pop by and to check out your stack!

Fact Friday: All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing by Chris Barton

Image: Lerner Publishing

All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing by Chris Barton. Illustrated by Nicole Xu. 40 p. Carolrhoda Books/ Lerner Publishing Group, February, 2020. 9781541526693. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features All of a Sudden and Forever: help and healing after the Oklahoma City bombing by Chris Barton and illustrated by Nicole Xu. Last Sunday, April 19 marked the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Shortly after 9AM, a truck loaded with explosive material was detonated  killing 168 people, injuring countless more and effectively destroying the building. Improbably, an elm tree survived the blast though it was badly damaged. 

What Chris Barton does in this picture book for everyone is focus not on the bomber or why it occurred, but on what people affected by the blast did to heal and restore hope. They cared for each other and they cared for that elm tree. When the tree seeded, they gathered the seeds and cared for the seedlings. They gifted some of the seedlings and saved some. A memorial to the victims was opened in April of 2000 and many seedlings of what was dubbed, "The Survivor Tree" are growing and thriving on the site. 

Barton's spare language and effective use of repetition instructs and reassures. Nicole Xu's muted illustrations are equally spare yet beautiful. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator, survivor interviews and a bibliography. All of a Sudden and Forever is the book you need - an important addition to any library collection.

Friday Focus: Jason Reynolds

Our author for this fourth Friday Focus is a TMS favorite, Jason Reynolds! Jason Reynolds hit the YA world in 2014 with his YA debut, When I was the Greatest, for which he won the Coretta Scott King/ John Steptoe Award for New Talent. In the six years since, he has published fourteen books for middle grade and young adult audiences! And most of the books have won some sort of award! Not only is he busy writing, he is now our U.S. Ambassador for Children's Literature and before Covid19 hit, was traveling around the country connecting kids to books and reading. I've had the privilege of meeting him and listening to him speak. Not only is he is a phenomenal talent, his respect for young people is real. 

First stop is Jason's website, Jasonwritesbooks.com. Read his bio, check out his books. Then stop at the Library of Congress and check out his Write, Right, Rite videos. Twice a week, he introduces a new writing prompt. 

Or, subscribe to his "Grab the Mic" newsletter. Follow him on Twitter (@JasonReynolds83) and/ or Instagram (JasonReynolds83). 

Mini Book Talks

Image: Simon & Schuster

When I Was the Greatest (YA) was Reynolds' YA debut. It published in 2014. The author was given the Coretta Scott King/ John Steptoe New Talent Award. It is set in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and centers around to sets of brothers who are best friends. Ali and his brother have a stable life with parents who care for them. Noodles and his brother, Needles do not. Their mother is an addict who neglects them. Ali and his parents look out for them though. But then, things go horribly wrong. 

Image: Simon & Schuster

The Boy in the Black Suit (YA) published in 2015 and was named a 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book. It is the story of Matt, a grieving seventeen-year-old who wears a black suit everywhere not because he's grieving the death of him mother (though he is), but because he works for the local funeral parlor. He needs the money to help his alcoholic father, who's having a hard time holding things together. 

Image: Simon & Schuster

All American Boys (YA) co-written with Brendan Kiely was also released in 2015. This book won a 2016 Coretta Scott Author Honor for both authors. Jason Reynolds gave two separate speeches at the Coretta Scott King Breakfast that year. It also won the Walter Dean Myers Award. This intense dual narrative switches between Rashad, a senior and basketball player, who enters a convenience store to buy a bag of chips but finds himself beaten bloody by a white police officer who assumes he had been shoplifting. The other POV is Quinn, a white classmate and teammate of Rashad's. Quinn admires the officer who has been like a father to him ever since Quinn's father died while serving in Iraq. 

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As Brave as You (MG) was published in 2016 and sports three medals: The Kirkus Prize, a Schneider Family Book Award, which is given to a book that positively portrays a character with disabilities, and the 2017 NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/ Teen. In case you are counting that's seven awards for his first four books.

As Brave as You is the story of two brothers, Genie and Ernie, who leave their Brooklyn neighborhood for the very first time to travel all the way to rural Virginia to spend the summer with their grandfather. When they arrive, it takes them a while to figure out that he is blind! He hides it so well! This gentle exploration of courage will stick with you.

Image: Simon & Schuster

Ghost (MG) is book one of The Track series. Ghost published in 2016 as well and was named a National Book Award Finalist. Ghost is Castle Crenshaw's nickname. He's a mad-fast runner. He's also one angry kid. You would be too if your dad was in prison for pulling a gun and threatening to kill you and your mom. Ghost joins an elite track team and hopes to hone his speed and let go of his anger with the help of Coach.

Image: Simon & Schuster

Patina (MG) was published in 2017 and is Reynolds' first book with a female main character. Like Ghost, Patty is a fast runner as well as running from some tough problems at home. Her father died and her mother is seriously ill with diabetes. Patty and her sister are living with their aunt and uncle. She attends a private school where she is nearly the only Black student. She's buttoned up tightly and doesn't want anyone in her business, so she's a bit dismayed when Coach assigns her to relay, where it's all about teamwork and cooperation.

Image: Disney

Miles Morales: Spiderman (MG) was also published in 2017. This entry in the Marvel franchise depicts a young Spiderman as an Afro-Puerto Rican teen living in Brooklyn. He has it pretty good, two involved parents, a best friend who's as into vintage video games as he is, a scholarship to a prestigious prep school nearby and even a crush on a brainy classmate. He also has a secret. He's Spiderman. Click here to view a trailer where Jason Reynolds talks about the book!

Image: Simon & Schuster

2017 also brought Long Way Down (YA) into the world. This provocative verse novel takes place in about a minute as a grief-stricken teen travels from his apartment to the lobby in an elevator packing his dead brother's gun and intent on revenge. You might notice four shiny stickers on this one. Long Way Down won a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor and his second Walter Dean Myers Award, which is given by the We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) organization. Click here to view him talking about Long Way Down at the Kennedy Center.

Image: Simon & Schuster

2018 also brought three new books. For Every One (YA) is a work of poetry that Reynolds performed at the Kennedy Center. 

Image: Simon & Schuster

Sunny, the third installment of the Track series. Sunny lives up to his name, always happy, always chill. But Sunny also hides a secret. He blames himself for his mother's death giving birth to him and thinks his distant father doesn't really like him very much. You might want to read this one with your ears because Guy Lockard does a phenomenal job of bringing his bouncy personality to life. 

Image: Simon & Schuster

Lu concludes the Track series. Lu is the co-captain of the defenders and born to lead. The fact that his has albinism doesn't get in the way of his goals - to lead the defenders to the championship. Only, sometimes things get in the way of your dreams and tough decisions have to be made. This book concludes an excellent series. Click here to view a video of Jason Reynolds talking about the series and Lu with PBS.

Image: Simon & Schuster

Look Both Ways is a series of interconnected short stories about ten students as they walk home from school and shake off the events of the day. It was published in 2019 and was a National Book Award Finalist and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor.

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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You was recently published. This is the only book of the author's I have yet to read. It is near the top of my "to be read" pile. It is an "remix" of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award Winning, Stamped from the Beginning. This is what the publisher promises, "Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas–and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives."

Here's a link to the two authors' interview with Trevor Noah and here's a link to an interview on CBS This Morning.

Thirteen books in less than six years! He has won twelve big awards and earned countless starred reviews and made tons of "Best" lists. He once had three books on the New York Times Bestseller List at the same time! And this gentleman is not yet forty-years-old! 

#tbt: Hatchet by Gary Paulson

Image: Simon & Schuster

#tbt features Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Hatchet tells the story of Brian Robeson, an unhappy thirteen-year-old with a secret. He is heading to oil fields in Canada to spend the summer with his father after his parents' recent divorce. The pilot has a heart attack and dies enroute and Brian crash lands the plane into a lake. He survives with nothing but the hatchet his mother gifted him as he left. This gripping read was published in 1987 and won a Newbery Honor in 1988. It was adapted for film in 1990 under the name, A Cry in the Wild. Gary Paulsen wrote five other books about Brian, including one that had an alternate ending to Hatchet.

Happy Earth Day!

Bonus Post! Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! Happy Earth Day! While citizens of the world have done some things to care for our environment since its launch, there is still a lot of work to do. Plastic is literally choking our sea life! My seventh graders are currently reading the e-book, Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman as part of a narrative nonfiction unit. You can read my review here.

Image: Lerner Publishing

Yesterday, I attended an online webinar that I discovered serendipitously through a Tweet, hosted by the University of Toronto Trash team, featuring author, Patricia Newman and Chelsea Rochman, one of the scientists featured in the book. The U of T University of Toronto trash team has a challenge for all of us. Check out the website for more details. There are still three more sessions on the next three Tuesdays and they are FREE! Register here.

What are you doing for planet Earth every day? 

Waiting on Wednesday: Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. 320 p. Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins Publishers, January 12, 2021. 9780062846716.

Waiting on Wednesday features Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. Fans of Thomas' The Hate U Give and On the Come Up will be pleased to learn that her third novel is due out in January of 2021! It is set in Garden Heights and tells the story of Maverick Carter as a seventeen-year-old. Do you remember how Starr's dad managed to get out of King's gang? Well, here's the backstory! I cannot wait!

Teen Tuesday: The King of Crows by Libba Bray

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The King of Crows by Libba Bray. Diviners Series #4. 560 p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, February, 2020. 9780316532624. (Review of book borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The King of Crows by Libba Bray. This book concludes the paranormal quartet that started ten years ago with The Diviners. This series is not for the faint of heart. The books are massively long (over 500 pages in each, with one weighing in at nearly 600). The stories contain  quite a bit of violence and are absolutely terrifying, but rich in history. The 1920s New York City setting of the first three books is quite vivid and the characters are flawed and memorable. 

Wanted by the U.S. government and still hunted by the Shadow Men, the Diviners have to leave the city in search of a girl in Nebraska who has contacted Isiah telepathically. The friends get separated and what ensues is basically a road trip across America showing some of the uglier sides of our history - the rampant racism and sexism that oppressed people of color and women. Henry, Memphis and Bill head to New Orleans on a train; Jericho and Ling hide out with a traveling all-girl jazz band; and Evie, Theta, Isiah and Sam join a traveling circus. Mature teen readers who have read the first three books will not be disappointed.
I fell in love with this book on page one. Even though it was forever since Before the Devil Takes you and longer since I gobbled up an arc of The Diviners, I picked up with Evie and her crew immediately. Bray has the ability to immerse the reader in the world she has created. Her writing is gorgeously literary yet accessible. Her characters are memorable. Some are absolutely terrifying; but you wouldn't mind grabbing a beer and hanging with others. And, her political commentary is astute in nearly all her books.

I will admit that the story did lag a bit in the middle and the man in the stovepipe hat wasn't nearly as frightening as in the earlier books. Still, I did have to read the climax through freely flowing tears. I can't wait to see what Libba Bray has planned for us next. 

Middle Grade Monday and arc review: Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Image: LBYR

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes. 234 p. Little, Brown and Company, March, 2020. 9780316493802. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher, ALAMW)

Middle Grade Monday features Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Donte acknowledges his privilege. He lives with two loving parents in a nice house, in a nice town. He actually likes his parents. They can afford to send him to a private school to get the best possible education. Still, he would prefer to be back in his old neighborhood in New York City because, as one of few black students at Middlefield Prep, he experiences outright racism and micro-aggressions daily. According to his teachers, he is just not fitting in. Not like his brother, Trey. Trey fits in. While both boys are biracial, Trey's skin color favors their's dad and Donte's favors their mom. 

When Donte gets arrested and suspended from school, he's in a bad head space despite the support and love of his family. He wants to get back at his main tormenter. But how? He has to do it in a way that won't get him in trouble. Donte decides on the fencing mat. Alan is captain of the fencing team. Does Donte have the stuff?

Jewell Parker Rhodes delivers another solid, engaging middle grade story that deftly presents a myriad of issues without feeling issue-laden. And she does so in just over 200 pages! I was fully invested and taken by Donte's voice from page one and read it in one sitting. I would love to reread this with my ears if there are plans for an audiobook. I am also eager to see the finished copy and its art. Terrific read! I can't wait to share this with my students who are fans of hers. 

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For Review:

Purchased: 

Image: HarperCollins

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3-CD. 14.5 hours. Read by Bahni Turpin and Jordan Cobb. HarperAudio/ HarperCollins Publishers, February, 2020. 9781084113609. 

Publisher synopsis: The sequel to the New York Times bestselling epic Dread Nation is an unforgettable journey of revenge and salvation across a divided America.

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you’re a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America.

What’s more, this safe haven is not what it appears—as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won’t be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by—and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane’s back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it’s up to Katherine to keep hope alive—even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

Image: Simon & Schuster

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs. A Funjungle Novel. 328 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, March, 2020. 9781534443754. 

Publisher synopsis:In the latest novel in New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series, Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth to solve his most improbable mystery yet—with a victim that’s 65 million years old.

Teddy was all set for a campout at his friend Sage’s family ranch—but then Sage gets terrible news: The skull of a rare dinosaur that was being excavated on his property has mysteriously vanished overnight in the middle of a rainstorm, even though it weighed 500 pounds. Not a single footprint has been left behind. Since the dinosaur was top secret, the police don’t believe anyone outside the dig could have stolen it.

A T-rex skull can sell for millions of dollars, and everyone is a suspect—including J.J. McCracken, the owner of FunJungle.

Meanwhile, Teddy’s old foes, the Barksdale twins, have gotten into trouble with an illegally purchased anaconda, and Teddy’s girlfriend Summer wants to find out who’s behind the local trade in black market reptiles. The two cases will drag Teddy into more danger and chaos than ever before, in this mystery that’s stranger than fiction.

Image: Disney

Mulan: Before the Sword by Grace Lin. 380 p. Disney Press, February, 2020. 9781368020336.

Publisher synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Grace Lin pens this novel filled with adventure and wonder set before the upcoming Walt Disney Studios Mulan film.

Image: Scholastic

Agallas (Guts) by Raina Telgemeier. 224 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., March, 20209781338601183.

Guts en español! I have a few new students who speak little to no English this year and they appreciated the Spanish version of Ghosts that I had on the shelf.

If you leave a comment, leave the link to your stack. I will pop by and to check out your stack!