Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung

Image: Levine Querido

The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung.268 p. Levine Querido, October 6, 2020. 9781646140114. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

I'm back! I took a rare week off of blogging. My week at a lake in the Adirondack Mountains was filled with reading and mostly absent of wi-fi and cell service, which was weird. Cell service was spotty and I could occasionally get on the Internet but not reliably and not for any sustained length of time. 

My dogs loved the lake and the freedom of running around a fenced in yard and in and out of the water. We've always vacationed at the beach mostly due to the fact that we owned a beach house and the dogs were largely stuck inside since the property was small and not fenced in and dogs weren't allowed on the beach between May and October. I never thought of myself as a lake person. I was pleasantly surprised. 

Middle Grade Monday features The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung. The back row refers to the percussion section in a band and the boys refers to two best friends, Mike Park and Eric Costa. Mike is the narrator and he's super-anxious about the start of his sixth grade year. He doesn't look forward to all the changes sixth grade will bring; but he's happy to have Eric to help him through. They've been best friends since fourth grade band and also share a love of comics, especially Sandpiper. Eric has convinced Mike to switch from flute and piccolo to drums this year so that they can sit together during band. The two have to put up with their frenemy, Sean, who is also a drummer and takes a great deal of pleasure in bullying Matt and Eric, casually slinging racist and homophobic slurs their way. 

The boys do their best to ignore it and focus on the epic end-of-year band trip to an amusement park for a competition. Then they learn that the author of Sandpiper will be at a comic con nearby at the same time as the competition! They make plans to sneak away from band to attend but Sean wants in. What makes everything worse? Eric is moving across the country at the end of the school year.

This story is both amusing and endearing. It is familiar as well as utterly unique. It celebrates band kids and boy best friendship that is filled with warm affection and absent of budding toxic masculinity and constant competition. The Boys in the Back Row releases in October and is a first-purchase.

I've been a school librarian for twenty-two years now - the first ten were spent at a K - 8 school, the last twelve at a 5 - 8 middle school. I've also raised four boys. Something happens between fifth and sixth grades to both boys and girls. Grade five and below, the students are like adorable puppies, relatively inclusive and squirming bundles of energy. Some invisible switch clicks between fifth and sixth grade and suddenly lines are drawn and bewildered boys and girls find themselves excluded. Friendships fracture. Unwritten, unspoken rules are broken. Puberty happens for some and not others. Both boys and girls can turn mean. What is especially heartbreaking is how boy friendships evolve and how gentleness and affection get smothered by competition and one-upmanship. I love how Mike Jung has celebrated boy best friendship.

Picture Book Review: Ollie and Augustus by Gabriel Evans

Image: Candlewick Press.

Ollie and Augustus by Gabriel Evans. unpgd. Candlewick Press, May, 2020. 9781536209679. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Ollie and Augustus are bffs. Like most bffs, they occasionally clash, but always make up before lunch. Like most bffs, they do everything together. Ollie is small. Augustus is huge. They make it work. But. Ollie is about to begin school and he's worried that Augustus will be lonely without him all day, so he sets about finding a new friend for his pal. Did I mention that Augustus is a dog? 

This adorable friendship/ school anxiety story is both humorous and gently reassuring in the best possible ways. The pencil and watercolor vignettes charm from end-page to end-page. I just loved this one!

Waiting on Wednesday: Ground Zero by Alan Gratz

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz. 336 p. Scholastic Inc. February 2, 2021. 9781338245752.

Welcome back to school everyone! If you think you don't enjoy historical fiction, you have not read one by Alan Gratz. His many books are quite popular at TMS, so his fans will be excited to learn that he has a new book coming in February, 2021. Waiting on Wednesday features Ground Zero by Alan Grata. Next September will mark the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He often uses multiple points of view and here, he has two. Here's the synopsis from his website: Two kids. One devastating day.

September 11, 2001. New York City. Nine year old Brandon goes to work with his dad on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center. Out of nowhere an airplane slams into the tower, creating a fiery nightmare of terror and confusion that threatens everyone in the building. Can Brandon survive–and escape?

September 11, 2020. Afghanistan. Eleven year old Reshmina has grown up in the shadow of war, but she dreams of peace and progress. When a battle erupts in her village, Reshmina stumbles upon a wounded American soldier named Taz. Should she help him–and put herself and her family in mortal danger?

Ground Zero releases on February 2, 2021.

Fact Friday: One Person, No Vote: how not all voters are treated equally by Carol Anderson with Tonya Bolden

Image: Bloomsbury

One Person, No Vote: how not all voters are treated equally by Carol Anderson with Tonya Bolden. 276 p. September, 2019. 9781547601078. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features One Person, No Vote: how not all voters are treated equally by Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden. The one hundredth anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment was August 18. The Nineteenth Amendment gave women in the U.S. the right to vote in 1920. Fifty years earlier, Black men were given the right to vote with the Fifteenth Amendment. However, Black men were systematically disenfranchised, meaning denied the right to vote, by illegal poll tests, poll taxes and the threat of violence. You might think that is a thing of the past, but in the 2016 election, millions of mostly Black Americans were purged from the voter rolls according to this eye-opening book that was written originally for an adult audience and adapted for teens by Tonya Bolden. 

I work in a middle school. Why should seventh and eighth graders care about voting? In a scant five or six years they will be eligible to vote and should exercise their right by becoming an informed electorate. This includes understanding history and why this nationwide reversal of voting rights protections is deeply disturbing. 

In a conversational tone and accessible language, the authors walk the reader through history to the present day efforts to disenfranchise voters. Prepare to be upset through much of this. Then prepare to advocate. This book belongs in every library and social studies classroom.

Friday Memes: Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Image: Penguin Random House

Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick. 296 p. G.P. Putnam's Sons/ Penguin Random House, May, 2020 9781984815316.

Publisher synopsis: Things never seem to go as easily for thirteen-year-old Frankie as they do for her sister, Tess. Unlike Tess, Frankie is neurodivergent. In her case, that means she can't stand to be touched, loud noises bother her, she's easily distracted, she hates changes in her routine, and she has to go see a therapist while other kids get to hang out at the beach. It also means Frankie has trouble making friends. She did have one—Colette—but they're not friends anymore. It's complicated.

Then, just weeks before the end of seventh grade, Colette unexpectedly shows up at Frankie's door. The next morning, Colette vanishes. Now, after losing Colette yet again, Frankie's convinced that her former best friend left clues behind that only she can decipher, so she persuades her reluctant sister to help her unravel the mystery of Colette's disappearance before it's too late.

A powerful story of friendship, sisters, and forgiveness, Tornado Brain is an achingly honest portrait of a young girl trying to find space to be herself.

First Line: People used to believe that tornadoes only move in one direction-to the northeast-but that's not true.

Page 56: "Have a seat, Frances." Officer Rollins said when it was finally my turn in the interview room. My mom sat in the chair closes to the wall. She pulled her frumpy sweatshirt tight around her like she was freezing, but it was hot in the room.

     "I wanted to sit there," I said to her, crossing my arms over my chest.

     "Be flexible, please," she said.

     "I am," I said. "I'm trying." Flexibility is a big deal to her. And to therapists. And, I guess, to people in general. "But can I sit there?"

#tbt: Matched by Ally Condie

Image: Penguin Random House

#tbt celebrates the upcoming 10th anniversary this fall of the publication of Matched by Ally Condie. Matched was Ms. Condie's debut and is book one of a dystopian trilogy of the same name. Crossed and Reached are the sequels. Cassia Reyes is seventeen-year-old who lives in a tightly controlled community run by the Society. She is eagerly awaiting the assignment of her life partner. She's secretly hoping it will be Xander, her best friends and is overjoyed when it is. When she reviews information regarding her match later, it is not Xander's picture on the monitor, but Kai's. Kai is an outcast and not a suitable match. Cassia, whose eye for patterns has placed her on a career path to becoming a sorter, is intrigued. She's intrigued by Kai. She wonders if the Match system is flawed. She begins questioning everything about the Society.

If you enjoy dystopian literature, check out the Matched trilogy. 

Picture Book Review: Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars by Gary Golio

Image: Penguin Random House

Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars by Gary Golio. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. unpgd. Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Random House, August 25, 2020. 9781524738884. (Review of electronic review copy courtesy of publisher.)

A favorite author and a favorite illustrator have a book releasing next Tuesday. It really should not be missed. Dark Was the Night opens with a watery double-page spread of deep space. The year is 1977 and Voyager I is headed out into the universe containing samples of human civilization, including a variety of music from different eras and cultures. One of the songs included on this "Golden Record" is a song called Dark Was the Night sung by Blind Willie Johnson. 

Quick, without consulting Google, do you know who Blind Willie Johnson is? I sure didn't. Now I do, thanks to this luminous picture book biography.

Willie Johnson was born in 1897. He loved to sing from an early age so his father made him a cigar box guitar. He lost his mother as well as his sight at an early age, but found comfort in his singing, at church as well as at home. Eventually, he made his was out into the world, traveling by train around Texas to sing in the streets where he was discovered by a man from a record company. He recorded his songs, which did well and were played on the radio thanks to his rough and raspy vocals and unique guitar playing. 

Mr. Lewis' liquid, impressionistic water color paintings quietly entrance, from the portrait of mother and child that conveys joy and possibility to the final portrait where the subject is bathed in yellow. Each spread pulls the reader in and invites lingering. I've read through this book many times and I find some new little detail to appreciate with each visit. 

We learn in the author's note that details about Mr. Johnson's life are scarce. Thanks to the work of music historians, not all was lost and Mr. Golio provides five titles for music-loving researchers to consult. How easily details of this innovative musician might have been lost had not some dedicated music historians not begun researching shortly after Mr. Johnson's death in 1945? Food for a rich class discussion.

I am a firm believer that one is never too old for picture books. I think they belong in all classrooms, and not just language arts classrooms, all the way through high school. Picture book biographies, in particular are quite useful as a means of enticing students to read longer biographies. Dark Was the Night will encourage students to think beyond the narrow confines of their world. While there is much to discuss here, there is also much to sit with and just quietly contemplate. 

In his note, Mr. Golio encourages the reader to search out a recording of the song online. I've read several of his books with my students, such as Bird and Diz and Strange Fruit. Bookmarking the link to the appropriate recording extends the experience beyond the book. While online, visit E.B. Lewis' website too. I cannot wait to share this with my students. Dark Was the Night releases on August 25. Remember how I said don't miss it up top? Don't.

Waiting on Wednesday: This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry. 400 p. Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, January 19, 2020. 9780062955708.

Publisher synopsis: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel comes to high school in acclaimed author Katie Henry’s coming-of-age YA contemporary about a girl who accidentally falls into the world of stand-up comedy. Perfect for fans of John Green and Becky Albertalli!

Sixteen-year-old Izzy is used to keeping her thoughts to herself—in school, where her boyfriend does the talking for her, and at home, where it’s impossible to compete with her older siblings and high-powered parents.

When she mistakenly walks into a stand-up comedy club and performs, the experience is surprisingly cathartic. After the show, she meets Mo, an aspiring comic who’s everything Izzy’s not: bold, confident, comfortable in her skin. Mo invites Izzy to join her group of friends and introduces her to the Chicago open mic scene.

The only problem? Her new friends are college students—and Izzy tells them she’s one, too. Now Izzy, the dutiful daughter and model student, is sneaking out to perform stand-up with her comedy friends. Her controlling boyfriend is getting suspicious, and her former best friend knows there’s something going on.

But Izzy loves comedy and this newfound freedom. As her two parallel lives collide—in the most hilarious of ways—Izzy must choose to either hide what she really wants and who she really is, or finally, truly stand up for herself.

I really enjoyed Ms. Henry's debut, Heretics Anonymous and will have to get to Let's Call it a Doomsday before January. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

Image: Macmillan

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. Translated from Spanish by Lilit Thwaites. Unabridge e-audiobook, ~ 14 hours. Narrated by Marisa Calin. Macmillan Young Listeners, 2017. 9781427287090. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. Translated from Spanish by Lilit Thwaites. This novel is based on the experience of Dita Kraus, who was the titular librarian. Auschwitz-Birkenau was perhaps the most notorious of concentration camps and headquarters of the feared and reviled Dr. Mengele. But commandants also allowed some families to stay together and the children attended a makeshift school run by a prisoner named Fredy Hirsch. Fourteen-year-old Dita was in charge of the eight books that were smuggled into the prison. Punishment would be swift and severe were these books to be discovered. 

The present tense narration of this story heightens suspense and immerses the reader in the violent and inhumane nightmare that was the Holocaust. The Librarian of Auschwitz is a heartbreaking and difficult read and might be too intense for certain readers. There is hope among the despair though and that will keep you going. But there will be tears, many tears.

Another new-to-me narrator, Ms. Calin adopted a matter-of-fact, almost journalistic tone, allowing the reader to react to the horrors personally. I appreciated her pronunciation of names and places as well. The book starts with a letter from Dita Kraus and in the audiobook, she reads her own letter. 

Mr. Iturbe is a Spanish journalist who interviewed Dita Kraus extensively while researching the book. Readers learn about what happened to many of the characters post-war and back matter informs the reader of what was fictionalized and the author's research process, including how he was able to track down Dita Kraus.

The Librarian of Auschwitz belongs in all teen collections. It was languishing on my "tbr" pile until a rising eighth grader recommended it to me near the end of the school year. I always try to read student recommendations and I'm glad I took this one. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Image: Penguin Random House

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 256 p. Dial Books/ Penguin Random House, August, 2020 9781984816582. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday wishes a belated happy book birthday (8/11) to Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.  Fans of Ms. Bradley's The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won already know they are in for an unforgettable reading experience. Ms. Bradley has a gift for rendering complex, memorable characters while also keeping the plot moving. Ada was a narrator who moved into my heart-space. Now she needs to make room for Della.

Ten-year-old Della, short for Delicious, "What was my mother thinking?" narrates this compelling, devastating and important new book. Della captivates from the very first line, "My new tattoo is covered by a Band-Aid, but halfway through recess, the Band-Aid falls off." Remember I said she's ten? She is blunt and prone to using salty language, even in the classroom and even with the principal. Suki, her sixteen-year-old sister, tries her best to protect and advise Della. Della doesn't really remember her mother, who "had the brains of a hamster" according to Suki. Della was very young when she and Suki nearly lost their lives. Their mother set their motel room on fire while cooking meth. The two ended up living with Clifton, their mom's long-haul truck driving boyfriend until something happened and now they live with Francine, their foster mother. Della eases into the bad parts slowly allowing tween readers as well as herself to process what happened. Her blunt observations are quite often laugh-out-loud funny, which helps when we get to the really tough parts. 

Della and Suki are incredibly brave and resilient. Yet even the strongest steel has a breaking point. The two are lucky to have landed with Francine, their no-nonsense but caring foster mother. The girls have been so used to fending for themselves that they are wary of Francine. But Francine knows the ropes and what to request for the girls even though Child Protective Services is slow to act. 

Children need to feel safe and loved as much as they need food and shelter. Higher levels of functioning, like learning is impossible in survival mode and both Della and Suki have learning deficits. I'd like to think that most children in the communities in which I live and work are growing up in a stable, secure home; but the reality is that even the appearance of affluence is not indicative of an environment where a child can thrive. It is a dangerous assumption. 

This story about child neglect, abuse and sexual assault will not be a comfortable read. Know that from the start. These are tough topics to broach with children. They are topics usually relegated to a YA audience. But waiting for a child to be a young adult in order to see themselves in literature and learn that such treatment is not okay, not their fault and is not a secret that should be kept, is way too late. This year has seen the release of several excellent middle grade books that deal with the topic (When You Know What I Know and Chirp). Every teacher should read them all. Indeed, every adult who works with or has a child in their life should. 

Both Della and Suki will reside in my heart for a very long time. And Francine is one fierce woman! I hope Fighting Words gets the readership it deserves. And all the awards. It has earned seven starred reviews (!) so the committees ought to be taking a look at it.

I listened to a sample of the audio book narrated by Bahni Turpin when I visited the publisher website for the cover image. I am definitely rereading this one with my ears. Ms. Turpin is an outstanding narrator and Della is a memorable character. Check out the sample by clicking on the link below the cover image above. 

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.

It was a picture book week in the mail (snail & virtual)!

For Review: 

Image: Candlewick Press

Pearl Goes to Preschool by Julie Fortenberry. unpgd. Candlewick Press, July, 2020. 9781536207439.

Publisher Synopsis: Pearl loves attending dance classes at her mother's ballet school. Even though Pearl is the youngest and smallest ballerina, she knows how to count her poses and follow along. When her mom suggests that Pearl try going to preschool, Pearl has a lot of questions: What will she learn? Will there be dancing? A sweet and reassuring story about trying something new that's perfect for young children with separation anxiety - or who just love to dance!

Image: Candlewick Press

Ollie and Augustus by Gabriel Evans. unpgd. Candlewick Press, May, 2020. 9781536209679. 

Publisher synopsis: Ollie and his dog, Augustus, do almost everything together: painting, riding bikes, digging (Ollie's favorite) and collecting sticks (Augustus's favorite). So as Ollie is getting ready to start school, he's a little worried. Won't Augustus be lonely during the day? Ollie has just the idea: a sign that reads Wanted: Friend for August. But good friends, as it turns out, are hard to find. Luckily, Ollie and Augustus aren't just any kind of friends - they're best friends, and nothing will ever change that.

Image: Penguin Random House

Dark was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars by Gary Golio. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. unpgd. Nancy Paulson Books/ Penguin Random House, August 25, 2020. 9781524738884. 

Publisher synopsis: Willie Johnson was born in 1897, and from the beginning he loved to sing-and play his cigar box guitar. But his childhood was interrupted when he lost his mother and his sight. How does a blind boy make his way in the world? Fortunately for Willie, the music saved him and brought him back into the light. His powerful voice, combined with the wailing of his slide guitar, moved people. Willie made a name for himself performing on street corners all over Texas. And one day he hit it big when he got a record deal and his songs were played on the radio. Then in 1977, his song-"Dark was the Night"-was chosen to light up the darkness when it was launched into space on the Voyager I space probe's famous Golden Record. His immortal song was selected for the way it express the loneliness humans all feel, while remind us we're not alone.

I absolutely adore Gary Golio's books and use them often in my classes.

Purchased: Nothing! Though I do have a shopping cart on AZ. I keep finding unspent gift cards! Nice problem to have, eh?

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

Fact Friday: The Next President: the unexpected beginnings and unwritten future of America's presidents by Kate Messner

Image: Chronicle Books LLC

The Next President: the unexpected beginnings and unwritten future of America's presidents by Kate Messner. Illustrated by Adam Rex.  42 p. Chronicle Books LLC, March, 2020. 9781452174884. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features The Next President: the unexpected beginnings and unwritten future of America's presidents by Kate Messner. This unique picture book collective biography is illustrated by Adam Rex. It approaches the presidents by alighting on four different years and highlighting who the future presidents were and what they were doing at that time. For example, "1841. When William Henry Harrison became President 9, there were fourteen future presidents alive. Most of them were already active in politics somehow." Mr. Rex's vibrant illustrations form a timeline from George Washington through John F. Kennedy, who was president #35 and in 1961, ten presidents were waiting in the wings, the youngest being newborn, Barack Obama. The approach is engaging and requires a bit more attention. 

The dynamic illustrations are compelling. They too require some attention. Even though the majority of U.S. presidents were rich, white, Protestant men, Adam Rex still incorporated diversity in the illustrations that bookend the presidents. A swirling golden line that connects the eras and ends with an illustration of children "listening, learning and getting ready to read." Back matter includes more presidential trivia and facts along with suggestions for further reading and bibliography. 

I've read through The Next President several times now and each time, I find something that I missed earlier and each time, my appreciation for this book grows. 

#tbt: Num8ers by Rachel Ward

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Num8ers by Rachel Ward. Num8ers trilogy #1. 328 p. Chicken House/ Scholastic Inc. February 2010. 9780545142991. (Own.)

#tbt features Num8ers by Rachel Ward. This YA thriller was published in 2010 and is the first of a trilogy set in London, England. Jem avoids looking people in the eye. As soon as she doe, she sees numbers. As a young girl, she never knew what the numbers stood for - until her mother died on the date that appeared every time Jem looked at her. She was six. Now sixteen, she's bounced around in foster care, has been labeled a troubled teen and skips her special education classes as often as she attends. She just can't let anyone close. But a boy in her class named Spider does get close and his death date is very close. Still, Jem decides to take a chance. The two plan on riding the London Eye until Jem notices that all the people on line have the same death date on their forehead. She realizes that something is going to happen and so she grabs Spider and they run just in time to avoid the explosion of a bomb. Unfortunately, the act of their fleeing make them the prime suspects in the terror attack. if you're a reader who lies action, this edge-of-your seat thriller will satisfy.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Highest Tribute by Kekla Magoon

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall's life, leadership and legacy by Kekla Magoon. Illustrated by Laura Freeman. Unpgd. HarperCollins Publishers, January 5, 2021. 9780062912518.

Waiting on Wednesday features The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall's life, leadership and legacy by Kekla Magoon. In never too old for picture book news, I am very excited about adding this picture book biography to the PBB cart when it releases in January! Thurgood Marshall was the first Black Justice on the Supreme Court. Former sixth graders know that reading a picture book biography can be a way to easing into reading a longer biography about an unfamiliar subject. Authors of picture book biographies will often recommend full length biographies in the back matter.

Kekla Magoon is a multiple award-winning novelist whose novels often center around social justice. She co-wrote a fictionalized biography of Malcolm X with his daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz as well as How It Went Down, a novel told in multiple perspectives (18!) about the shooting of an unarmed Black boy by a white passerby. She also wrote a trilogy called Robyn Hoodlum Adventures, which re-imagines the legend of Robin Hood.

Teen Tuesday: The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton

Image: Blackstone Publishing

Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hours. Read by Rosie Jones. Blackstone Publishing, March, 2019. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday TMS Readers! One of the advantages to coming to a series or duology late to the game is not having to wait for the sequel. Teen Tuesday features Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton. This sequel to The Belles picks right up from the conclusion of Ms. Clayton's debut and the intrigue continues. I won't give much of a summary since you really need to read The Belles and I don't want to spoil anything. Who can Camellia trust now? And, where is the princess? If you enjoyed The Belles, you know you need this book. I was riveted and read it with my ears over three days! I believe that the series was originally intended to be a duology, but the ending does leave room to return to the world, which I would not mind at all.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Stealing Mt. Rushmore by Daphne Kalmar

Image: Macmillan

Stealing Mt. Rushmore by Daphne Kalmar. 248 p. Feiwel and Friends/ Macmillan Publishing, August 18, 2020. 9781250155009. (Review of arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Middle Grade Monday wishes a happy book birthday next week to Stealing Mt. Rushmore by Daphne Kalmar. This story is set in 1974 in Somerville, Massachusetts and is narrated by thirteen-year-old Nellie Sanders, the girl who threw a monkey wrench into her father's plan to have four sons named George, Tom, Teddy and Abe, after the presidents carved into Mt. Rushmore. It's summertime, Nixon will most likely be impeached and her mother has recently abandoned the family. When her father discovers that she also stole the $500 he had been scrimping and saving to take the family to Mount Rushmore, he crawls into bed and stays there. Nellie knows what this means. It has happened before and it's scary. It leaves her to cook and clean and care for her two younger brothers. She thinks that taking that trip will help heal the family and so she and her younger brothers find ways to earn money. Her older brother has his own job and wants very little to do with his father or his siblings. 

This depiction of a dysfunctional, working class family in the 70s was so exquisitely and painfully on point there were times I needed to put the book down for relief and other times I needed to rush through reading it - like pulling off a bandaid. Sometimes tween narrators sound too grown up in middle grade fiction. Not so here. Nellie's voice was believable. Yes, she was a bit mature beyond her years but she was still so much a little girl who needed her mother no matter how despicable and negligent. This mom, oh man. I haven't felt this much enmity for a literary parent since Ada's Mam in The War That Saved My Life. 

While this story is decidedly sad, there is so much to love here starting with Nellie. She's appealing and resilient. Her relationship with both her younger brothers was so sweet. She's having the usually friendship difficulties but they work things out. The Somerville/ Boston/ Cambridge setting complete with Teddy's obsession with the Swan boats in the duck pond in the Boston Common is unique, as was Nellie's dad's obsession with Mt. Rushmore. Nellie's dad was a complicated character. He was a Vietnam Veteran, history buff and Nixon supporter who worked as a short order cook and tried his best to provide for his family.

Stealing Mt. Rushmore is the perfect book to hand to your readers who can't get enough sadness in their reading. 

Fact Friday: Breaking Through: How female athletes shattered stereotypes in the Roaring Twenties by Sue Macy

Image: National Geographic

Breaking Through: How female athletes shattered stereotypes in the Roaring Twenties by Sue Macy. 96 p. National Geographic, February, 2020. 9781426336768. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features Breaking Through: How female athletes shattered stereotypes in the Roaring Twenties by Sue Macy. While viewership of female professional sports teams does not (yet) match the viewership of male teams, having the opportunity to watch female athletes compete is not extraordinary nowadays. It was a scant one hundred years ago that the idea of women being physically fit, let alone competing, was scandalous. 

Ms. Macy's author bio on the back flap of this intriguing  and utterly engaging book states that she was obsessed with time travel books as a child. Reading this narrative feels like traveling back in time with Ms. Macy's conversational storytelling and the plentiful archival photographs placing the reader firmly into the decade of flux that became known as the "Roaring Twenties." 

Following a forward by Notre Dame Women's basketball coach, Muffet McGraw and an introduction by the author, the decade is broken up into five chapters. Each chapter not only features a pioneering female athlete, but also historical context. Text boxes feature mini-biographies and snippets of newspaper articles from the time period. An epilogue brings the reader through the latter part of the twentieth century up to the groundbreaking Title IX amendment of the Education Amendments to the 1964 Civil Rights Act which prohibited schools that received federal funding from discrimination in sports. Back matter includes a timeline of "Defining Moments in Women's Sports," an author's note, a list of resources that includes websites and videos, two pages of quote sources and notes, illustration credits and an index, making this an excellent source for young researchers.

Friday Memes: Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Image: Penguin Random House

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 256 p. Dial Book for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, August 11, 2020. 9781984815682.

Publisher synopsis: Ten-tear-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom’s boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della’s own wolf–her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della’s world turns so far upside down, it feels like it’s shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she’s been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it’s time to be loud.

In this powerful novel that explodes the stigma around child sexual abuse and leavens an intense tale with compassion and humor, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley tells a story about two sisters, linked by love and trauma, who must find their own voices before they can find their way back to each other.

First Line: My new tattoo is covered by a Band-Aid, but halfway through recess, the Band-Aid falls off.

Page 56: The trickiest part of shopping off Francine's list was figuring out exactly where everything was in the grocery store. The trickiest thing was figuring out what Francine actually meant. "Wonder Bread: sounds easy enough until you realize that there's classic white sandwich, small classic white sandwich, and giant white sandwich. Turns out plain classic white was the correct answer, which I guess right based on how many sandwiches that sized loaf would make.

#tbt: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Image: Simon & Schuster

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. 149 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster.

#tbt features Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. This year marks the 50th anniversary of a short (149 p.) little book that rocked the children's book world. Twelve-year-old Margaret Simon moves from New York City to NJ and wants nothing more than to make friends and fit in. She thinks this might happen when she's invited to Nancy, Gretchen and Janie's secret club. They are shocked to discover that Margaret has no religious affiliation since one parent is Jewish and the other Christian. She is spiritual and has a relationship with God. She finds comfort in talking out issues such as why she hasn't yet had her period and breast development is nowhere in sight.

The book soon became beloved by legions of young girls who found comfort in Margaret, but also landed on the annual list of banned books for its frank discussion of puberty and religion. The cover has undergone many iterations over the years. Check out Wikipedia for an image of the original cover. Simon & Schuster has a special anniversary issue that is pictured below. In 2018, Ms. Blume finally gave her approval to have the book adapted for film, but is apparently still in production.

As a side note, a year later, Then Again Maybe I Won't was published, which focuses on the male experience of puberty. These books have withstood the test of time. They may seem relatively tame compared to some of the issues now explored in children's and young adult literature; but the books were groundbreaking.

Waiting on Wednesday: Descent by Roland Smith

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Descent by Roland Smith. Peak Marcello Adventure Series #4. 240 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 13, 2020. 9780544859760.

Publisher synopsis: In this thrilling new novel from best-selling author of Peak, Roland Smith, Peak Marcello, mountain-climbing extraordinaire and prodigy, faces his toughest challenge yet as he descends into Tibet and goes head-to-head with an old enemy.

Peak and his team need to descend into Tibet after surviving an avalanche on the remote and isolated mountain of Hkakabo Razi. The only catch is that Peak's famous mountaineering father, Josh, and climbing guide, Zopa, are both wanted by the Chinese government. As a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse ensues, making it off the mountain won't be the end of this team's struggles, only the beginning...

Heart-pounding action and political drama converge in this epic conclusion to the Peak Marcello's adventures by bestselling author Roland Smith.

This series is enormously popular at my school!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Image: Disney

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. The Belles #1. Unabridged downloadable audiobook read by Rosie Jones. ~11 hours. Blackstone Publishing, 2018. 9781538540626. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! It's a lovely, rainy day to curl up with a great book! Teen Tuesday features The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. This fantastic fantasy was Ms. Clayton's debut. A former eighth grader found it in the YA section and read it. When she returned the book, she asked if I had read it. Contrary to popular belief, I have not read every book in TMS library and had not read The Belles. She told me to try it. Since I try to read any book a student recommends, I put it on my list and read it with my ears. Wowzers!

If you enjoy fantasy, you will love The Belles. Everyone on the island nation of Orleáns is born with gray skin, red eyes and awful hair. Legend has it that the goddess of beauty blessed certain humans, the "Belles" with the power to grant beauty by using their gifts, arcana, to reshape any human form in any way as many times as the human desires, as long as they can pay for it and stand the pain. Orleáns is ruled by a queen, whose eldest daughter has been in a coma for several years and whose younger daughter is prone to cruelty and bizarre experiments. Camillia Beauregard is the queen's new favorite Belle, a position she has wanted all her life. Once inside the court, Camillia begins to unravel the history of the Belles and the truth behind their powers. 

Terrific world-building, ever-increasing suspense after a slow-ish start lead to a cliffhanger ending that will leave readers panting for the next installment. The performance by a new-to-me narrator was also well-done. Unique voices and well-paced. I do wonder though about the penchant for audiobook producers to hire British narrators for fantasy. Orleáns felt vaguely NOLA or French to me. Still, it was an intriguing listen.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Doodleville by Chad Sell.

Image: Penguin Random House

Doodleville by Chad Sell. 288 p. Alfred A. Knopf BFYR/ Random House Children's Books/ Penguin Random House, June, 2020. 9781984894717. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Doodleville by Chad Sell. Mr. Sell was one of the authors of the wildly popular Cardboard Kingdom from a year or so back; so fans of that book should really take a look at this one. Doodleville is Sell's first solo graphic novel. 

Drew may not be the best artist, but she sure does love to draw. Readers see a three-year-old Drew enthusiastically making art in her booster seat at her parents' diner. As she grows, her scribbles become doodles with a penchant for jumping off the pages of her sketch book and getting her in trouble. By age nine, she's using rolls of white paper intended for the diner tables to create homes for her many doodles - Doodleville! She and the art club are headed to The Art Institute where the club will study the masterpieces and practice drawing. Drew gets into trouble when one of her doodles pops out and onto a masterpiece. The guard thinks she has drawn on the art. Then, another doodle decides to steal the hat from a baby in another painting and Drew is suspected of defacing the art! 

All of this conflict is added to feelings Drew already has about not being as good an artist as the rest of her club-mates. When her doodles decide to jump out of Drew's sketchbook and into the other's art, things get a tad tense. Then, Drew creates Levi - short for Leviathan. He's huge and toothy and is supposed to be nice. As Drew's emotions get out of hand, so does Levi. Jeweled purple predominates in the mostly earth-toned art. Panels are dynamic and light and darkness are effectively used as Drew battles demons without and within. Doodleville concludes, but with the promise to return. Hand this charmer to fans of graphic novels and/ or budding young artists.