Waiting on Wednesday: The Misfits #1: a Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee

Image: Penguin Random House 

The Misfits #1: a Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee. 288 p. Random House Children's Books, January 2, 2014. 9781984830296

Happy Wednesday! Did you manage to get outside between thunderstorms yesterday? Boo and I got our steps/ miles in without getting drenched. It's so humid and buggy! Waiting on Wednesday features The Misfits #1: a Royal Conumdrum by Lisa Yee and illustrated by Dan Santat. This looks to be the beginning of a graphic novel series and is due out January 2, 2024. Here's the publisher synopsis:

Olive Cobin Zang has . . . issues. And they mostly aren’t her fault. (No, really!) Though she often slips under the radar, problems have a knack for finding her. So, imagine her doubts when she’s suddenly dropped off at the strangest boarding school ever: a former castle turned prison that's now a “reforming arts school”!

But nothing could’ve prepared Olive for RASCH (not “rash”). There, she’s lumped with a team of other kids who never quite fit in, and discovers that the academy isn’t what it seems—and neither is she. In fact, RASCH is a cover for an elite group of misfits who fight crime . . . and Olive has arrived just in time.

Turns out that RASCH is in danger of closing, unless Olive’s class can stop the heist of the century. And as Olive falls in love with this wacky school, she realizes it’s up to her new team to save the only home that’s ever welcomed them.

Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~11 hours, 32 minutes. Read by Isabella Star LaBlanc. Macmillan Audio, May, 2023. 9781250877277. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! We are you coping with lots of thunderstorms on and off for the past week. The skies go from partly cloudy to ominously cloudy quickly and so, I've had to be judicious with Boo's long walks.

Teen Tuesday features Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. This is a stand-alone companion to Ms. Boulley's debut, The Firekeeper's Daughter, which takes place ten years earlier. Pauline Firekeeper-Birch, the chill-twin, is looking forward to a summer of fishing on her beloved Sugar Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, while her anxiety-prone, academically oriented twin, Pauline, works as an intern at Tribal Counsel. Unfortunately, she wrecks the Jeep she shares with the family and her Aunt Daunis paid for the repairs, expecting Perry to pay her back. So Perry becomes a reluctant intern to Cooper Turtle, curator of the Tribal Museum, who is involved in negotiations with the local college to return tribal artifacts under the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The red tape and slowness of the process infurates Pauline, and so, she takes matters into her own hands and removes seeds from the college store-room. Cooper Turtle no longer trusts her and releases her from her internship, leaving Perry to scramble to find another mentor. Meanwhile, several women in the community have gone missing and there have been deaths of Black people at the hands of the police, leaving Perry worried for her Black father's safety and further fueling her fight for social justice.

Native tradition, culture and history are woven seamlessly into what becomes a suspenseful heist story. Perry's first-person narration is snarky, intelligent and hilarious at times as she lives up to her nickname, "Perry Pulls No Punches." The Sugar Island setting is vividly drawn as are supporting characters. Blunt language, references to sexual assault, blackmail and violence make this compelling story more suitable to thoughtful, mature teen readers.

Warrior Girl Unearthed was just named a Boston Globe Horn Book Award Winner in the Fiction and Poetry category. I read this one with my ears and appreciated hearing the correct pronunciation of the language. New-to-me narrator Isabella Star LaBlanc brought Perry to life and paced her performance well. Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson

Image: Scholastic Inc.

The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~6 hours. Read by Curtis Michael Holland. Scholastic Audio/ Scholastic Inc. May, 2023. (Review of downloadable e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Middle Grade Monday features The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson. Cherokee sixth grader, Ziggy lives in Poisonberry, New Mexico with his father, grandmother and older sister. He suffers from anxiety as well as grief over the disappearance of his mother ten years earlier. He sees a therapist who helps him cope when the anxiety becomes too much. He doesn't like the fact that Native American women disappear all the time and "no one seems to do much about it." When Alice, an oddball classmate who happens to wear a hearing aid tells him about the Nunnehi, mischievous shape-shifting spirits who are said to dwell in the caves in the desert just outside of town, Ziggy is convinced he can find answers about his mother there. Ziggy and Alice, together with Ziggy's best friend, a white boy named Corso and his sister set out after midnight to explore the caves. They encounter a series of magical beings, each with a story to tell on their quest through the desert.

The magical realism of this layered story is mind-bendy. Ziggy's anxiety and his methods of coping with it are authentically portrayed. He and his extended family are close and supportive. He is especially close to his grandmother and relies on her stories as guidance. New-to-me narrator, Curtis Michael Holland delivered a quiet, well-paced, thoughtful performance. 

What's New?

 "Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books. 

For Review: nothing!

Purchased: 

Image: Penguin Random House

Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisher and Nora Raleigh Baskin. 200 p. Alfred A. Knopf Books/ Random House Children's Books, June, 2020. 9780593119617.

I learned about this book on a social media thread about books that released during the pandemic that didn't get much in the way of publicity. I've enjoyed books by both authors, so I dropped it in my cart.

Publisher synopsis: An endearing story of love and grief as one girl follows the clues in a scavenger hunt left behind by her best friend, perfect for fans of Bridge to Terabithia and Nine, Ten.

WHEN YOU’VE LOST WHAT MATTERS MOST,
HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK HOME?

Joy Fonseca is dreading her 13th birthday, dreading being reminded again about her best friend Lukas’s senseless death on this day, one year ago — and dreading the fact he may have heard what she accidentally blurted to him the night before. Or maybe she’s more worried he didn’t hear.

Either way, she’s decided: she’s going to finally open the first clue to their annual birthday scavenger hunt Lukas left for her the morning he died, hoping the rest of the clues are still out there. If they are, they might lead Joy to whatever last words Lukas wrote, and toward understanding how to grab onto the future that is meant to be hers.

Image: Disney

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow. 314 p. Disney/ Hyperion, January, 2023. 978136808285.

I've already read this one with my ears and it's a 2023 favorite for me and probably a rare reread. (Not sure what happened with the change in font appearance and color!)

Publisher synopsis: For fans of Kate DiCamillo and Jack Gantos, a hilarious, wrenching, hopeful novel about finding your friends, healing your heart, and speaking your truth.

Simon O’Keeffe’s biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he’d do anything to forget: the story in which he’s the only kid in his class who survived a school shooting.

Two years after the infamous event, twelve-year-old Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone—the only place in America where the internet is banned. Instead of talking about Simon, the astronomers who flock to the area are busy listening for signs of life in space. And when Simon makes a friend who’s determined to give the scientists what they’re looking for, he’ll finally have the chance to spin a new story for the world to tell.

From award-winning author Erin Bow, Simon Sort of Says is a breathtaking testament to the lasting echoes of trauma, the redemptive power of humor, and the courage it takes to move forward without forgetting the past.

What is new on your pile?

Fact Friday: Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy

Image: Macmillan

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy and illustrated by Janell Washington. 64 p. Roaring Brook Press/ Macmillan Publishers, September 2022. 9781250220950.

Happy Friday! I have enjoyed the first week of summer break, taking it easy with lots of Boo time and garden time. Sorry that I'm posting Fact Friday is a bit late today. It features Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy and illustrated by Janell Washington. This picture book biography of Mamie Till Mobley opens in August of 1955. Mrs. Till has just been informed of the death of her only son Emmett in Mississippi, hundreds of miles away from her Chicago home. The double-page spread depicts the silhouettes of two men standing near a river. The page turn introduces Mamie as a young child, a "child of the great migration." Spare, lyrical prose provide readers with an understanding of this woman who was remarkable for her time and the unconditional love she showered on her equally remarkable son, Emmett.

She insisted that her son's body be returned to her in Chicago. It arrived locked and with instructions barring the casket from being opened. She defied the instructions and held an open casket wake to show the world what happened to her son, thereby sparking the civil rights movement.

The cut paper collage art is primarily black, tan and white with pops of red and blue. Little details, such as the red ribbon heart connecting mother and son as she sent him off on his fateful train ride are especially powerful. Plentiful back matter includes a note from both the author and illustrator, a soundtrack, glossary, time line and sources.

#tbt: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Image: Macmillan

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. 224 p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)/ Macmillan, October, 1999. 9780374311254. (Own)

Happy Thursday! There's a week of rain predicted here in northern NJ and I have a nice stack of books on hand. #TBT features Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Melinda Sordino starts her freshman year of high school as an outcast. She called the police at the big end-of-summer party and some students were arrested, but not the right one. Melinda found that she could not speak about what happened to her to cause her to call the police. She has almost entirely stopped speaking. She can't even stand to look in the mirror. Her parents think she's seeking attention.

This first-person, almost stream-of-consciousness story is often painful to read, and may not be for everyone, but it tells an important story. Speak was published in 1999. It was a National Book Award Finalist, a Printz Honor book, numerous other awards and was also a New York Times Bestseller. It was adapted for film and was released in 2004, starring Kristen Stewart as Melinda. More recently, it was adapted into a graphic novel. It appears regularly on the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom Banned Books Lists.

Waiting on Wednesday: Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart

Image: Author's Website

Waiting on Wednesday features Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart. This is a sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise which was published in 2019. It's due out February 27, 2024. Here's the synopsis and cover via the author's website:

When Coyote discovers her mom's long-hidden ashes, she has to go on another epic adventure to finally lay her mother to rest...but first she has to secretly solve the mystery of where her mother wanted to be scattered. She and her dad have to fire up the bus and get back on the road - and of course they'll need some help along the way, from some old friends as well as some new ones. Whether you're already a Coyote fan or new to the family, it's all aboard for another remarkable journey of hope, heartbreak, and homecoming!

If you like sad books featuring quirky characters, you'll enjoy reading the first Coyote book while waiting for the second.

Teen Tuesday: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Image: Penguin Random House

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. 356 p. G.P. Putnam's Sons/ Penguin Young Readers Group, November 7, 2023. 9780593619919. (Review of bound manuscript courtesy of publisher.)

Eighteen-year-old Mallory isn't going to college because she needs to pay her family's bills. When her bff begs her to play a charity chess tournament, Mal reluctantly says yes, because she's be left behind in a few weeks when Easton goes to college. She was a rising star in the chess world, but gave it up years earlier. She's slated to play against none other than chess wunderkind, Nolan Sawyer, aka Kingkiller and, she beats him! He wants to play again, but she's done with chess. Her win catches the eye of Defne, who offers her a fellowship to play chess. She declines. That is, until she loses her job as a mechanic. She lies to her mother about the fellowship, wanting to protect her, but when she begins winning and rockets up in the standings, her lies become more difficult to maintain. And then there's the possibility/ probability that she will have to play Nolan again.

This rom-com was fun-smart, snarky and slow-burn swoony. I adored Mallory's voice. I loved the chess as the center of the story and the fact that the author addresses the sexism that exists in the sport through Mallory, who doesn't suffer fools lightly. Some suspension of belief regarding her family remaining in the dark is required.

Chess is really popular among my students since the pandemic. They are always rushing through their work to get to the chess set in my library's lounge. There are a couple of girls who are really good. I was hoping I could add this book to our library's collection. While I loved it, it's a bit mature for most middle school readers, but highly recommended for high school collections and public libraries.

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt. Unabridged audiobook, ~8 hours. Read by Fred Berman. Clarion Books, May, 2023. 

Happy Juneteenth and happy first Monday of summer break. Middle Grade Monday features The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt. Hercules Beal lives on Cape Cod with his much older brother, Achilles. Achilles returned home from Washington, D.C. to run the family nursery and to care for Herc when their parents were killed in a car crash a year earlier. Herc has to start seventh grade in a new school thanks to bussing redistricting and he's not too happy about that. He's especially leery of his language arts teacher, retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer has assigned a long-term project based on world mythology and Hercules' project is to recreate the twelve labors of his namesake and write a reflection for each.

This first-person narrative grabbed me from the start. Hercules is such an endearing character. He hikes up the dune each morning to watch the sun rise and to say hello to his parents; is convinced that Achilles' girlfriend, Viola is a vampire, and is maybe, just maybe developing a crush on his best friend. This hero's journey is filled with wonderful supporting characters. It is often laugh-out-loud funny, but there will be tears as well. Herc's reflections and Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer's scathing responses are especially funny.

Gary D. Schmidt is a favorite of mine, but I can rarely get students to try his books. He's definitely a reader's writer. His books beg to be taught for they have depth and his writing is lyrical and lovely. ELA teachers can have a field day teaching literary devices. He is prone to using repetition and he seems to poke fun at himself through Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer's criticism of Hercules' reflections.

New-to-me narrator Fred Berman doesn't sound particularly youthful, but his soft, thoughtful delivery reflected Hercules perfectly. I think this might have been a book I should've read with my eyes because Herc's reflections seemed to have crossouts and such that probably added visual humor. Still Mr. Berman did a nice job with those areas as well.

Middle Grade Monday: Hands by Torrey Maldonado

Image: Penguin Random House

Hands by Torrey Maldonado. 138 p. Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Random House, January, 2023. 9780583323793. (Review of a finished purchased copy.)

Happy final Monday of the school year! Middle Grade Monday features Hands by Torrey Maldonado. The last time twelve-year-old Trev saw his stepfather was two years earlier after his mom called the police to have him arrested for assault. He threatened her as he was put in cuffs and taken away. Trev has good hands and a good heart. He's a talented artist who does well at school because that's what's going to get him a good life. With the imminent release of his stepfather, Trev wonders if he should use his hands to protect himself and his family and decides to begin training to box. The problem is, the trainers at the rec center made a promise to Trev's uncle not to train him. Once Trev starts to train himself, he finds it harder to keep up in school and keep his anger in check.

This slim book tells an intense story fast. Trev is thoughtful and likable and his situation seems dire. Thankfully, there are many in the community to help. Readers will root for Trev. Recommended! 

What's new?

"Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books. 

For Review: 

Image: WW Norton.

White House Clubhouse by Sean O'Brien. 280 p. NortonYoung Readers/ W.W. Norton, October 3, 2023. 9781423052920.

Publisher synopsis: From a former White House speechwriter: a middle grade series following two First Daughters who team up with historical presidential children to save the nation.

Marissa and Clara’s mom is the newly elected president of the United States, and they haven’t experienced much freedom lately. While exploring the White House they discover a hidden tunnel that leads to an underground clubhouse full of antique curiosities, doors heading in all directions—and a mysterious invitation to join the ranks of White House kids. So they sign the pledge.

Suddenly, the lights go out, and Marissa and Clara find themselves at the White House in 1903. There they meet Quentin, Ethel, Archie, and Alice, the irrepressible children of President Theodore Roosevelt. To get back home, Marissa and Clara must team up with the Roosevelt kids “to help the president” and “to make a difference.”

White House Clubhouse is a thrilling and hilarious adventure that takes readers on an action-packed, cross-country railroad trip, back to the dawn of the twentieth century and the larger-than-life president at the country’s helm.

Purchased: Nothing! I do have a few items in my shopping cart though. 

What's new on your pile?

Fact Friday: Change the Game: a Graphic Novel by Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing.

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Change the Game: a Graphic Novel by Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing. Illustrated by Orlando Caicedo. 144p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., March, 2023. 9781338789652. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy penultimate Friday of the school year! Can you tell that penultimate is one of my favorite words? Fact Friday features Change the Game: a Graphic Novel by Colin Kaepernick. Young Colin was a multi-sport student athlete at his high school. Adopted by white parents, and attending a predominantly white school, Colin experienced casual racism daily. He was being scouted by colleges to play baseball thanks to his fastball, but he has doubts about playing baseball. No colleges expressed an interest in having him play football. 

This graphic novel conveys Colin Kaepernick's gradual coming of age thoughtfully, interspersing some excellent sports sequences. I'm not sure how many middle school students are aware of Mr. Kaepernick* or his social justice activism, but fans of football and baseball as well as graphic novel memoirs will enjoy this thoughtful entry.

*The Monday after Mr. Kaepernick first took a knee, I was standing behind an eighth grader who liked to stir the waters. He took a knee during the pledge, then looked around and saw me. He stood up immediately. I called him aside and told him that if he was taking a knee on principle and in support, I had no problem, but if he was looking to get a rise out of his classmates and teachers, he should rethink it. 

#tbt: Crispin: the Cross of Lead by Avi

Image: Little, Brown

Crispin: the Cross of Lead by Avi. 320 p. Little, Brown BYR/ Originally published by Hyperion, 2002.

Happy penultimate Thursday of the school year! The air quality here has been really bad and it make me wonder how people in Canada are doing. #tbt features Crispin: the Cross of Lead by Avi. in 14th century England, a thirteen-year-old boy, known only as Asta's Son, is a peasant who lives in a small village that is part of Lord Furnival's territory. When his mother dies, he is left all alone in the world save for a small, lead cross that she gifted him before she died. There's writing on the cross, but Asta's Son doesn't read, so he turns to the village priest for help. He agrees to meet with Crispin, but is murdered. Furnival's steward, John Aycliff declares Asta's Son a "wolf head," meaning anyone may murder him, so he flees for his life.

This Medieval adventure is fast-paced and suspenseful. It was the winner of the 2003 Newbery Medal and was followed by two sequels.

Waiting on Wednesday: Beasts of War by Ayana Gray

Image: Penguin Random House

Beasts of War by Ayana Gray. 384 p. Penguin Young Readers Group, January 16, 2023. 9780593405741.

Waiting on Wednesday features Beasts of War by Ayana Gray. I had the honor of reading an arc of Beasts of Prey, which was Ms. Gray's debut. I read Beasts of Ruin with my ears. I am totally psyched for the conclusion of this lush trilogy.

Publisher synopsis: In this epic conclusion to her New York Times bestselling series, Ayana Gray delivers a heart-pounding fantasy adventure filled with mythos, monsters, and mortal heroes who are astoundingly human.

Once a prisoner to Fedu, the vengeful god of death, Koffi has regained her freedom, but she is far from safe. Fedu will stop at nothing to hunt her down and use her power to decimate the mortal world. Koffi knows when Fedu will strike: during the next Bonding, a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event. To survive, Koffi will have to find powerful new allies quickly, and convince them to help her in the terrible battle to come.

Once a warrior-turned-runaway, Ekon has carved out a new life for himself outside Lkossa, but the shadows of his past still haunt him. Now, alongside unexpected friends, Ekon tries to focus on getting Koffi to the Kusonga Plains before the next Bonding. If he fails, Koffi will be consumed, either by her own dangerous power, or the terrible fate Ekon is doing everything he can to prevent. Ekon devotes himself to protecting Koffi, but the lingering threats from his own past are more urgent than he knows.

As Koffi and Ekon race to the Kusonga Plains—and try to garner the help of Eshōza’s ancient gods along the way—they must face a slew of dangerous beasts old and new. In the end, destiny may unite Koffi and Ekon for the last time—or tear them apart for good.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hrs., 28 min. Read by Jason Geneo, Anthony Keyvan and Kyla Garcia. Quill Tree Books/ HarperAudio/ HarperCollins Publishers, October, 2022. 9780063240834. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy penultimate Tuesday of my school year! Teen Tuesday features The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I love Mr. Silvera's books, but rarely book talk them generally at my middle school because they are better suited for a high school audience. I particularly enjoyed his 2017, They Both Die at the End. Over the years, a fair number of eighth grade readers discovered it, which made me happy. The First to Die at the End is a prequel to They Both Die at the End and it's brilliant.

Death-Cast is about to launch and the world is divided over the "service" it will provide. The founder has discovered a way to predict the day someone will die and subscribers receive a call around midnight so that "deckers," as they have been named, can live their best life for their remaining hours. Two boys meet at a launch party in Times Square. Orion has a heart ailment and is waiting for a transplant. Valentino has just moved to New York to pursue a modelling career. He recently came out to his parents and they are not accepting. His twin sister, Scarlet is due to arrive the following day. Sparks fly between Orion and Valentino in the moments leading up to midnight when the first calls will be placed. Wouldn't you know it, one of them receives the very first call, which was placed by the founder himself.

This heartbreaking novel, while mainly centered on the first-person narration of the boys, occasionally shifts to third-person points-of-view of supporting characters and takes place in twenty-four hours. While it is not necessary to read first, fans of They Both Die at the End will be tickled to discover Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the prequel. The plot is fast-paced and absolutely riveting and the budding romance is just so sweet. Just when I thought I had figured out how the plot would play out, there was a twist that called into questions all of my assumptions.

It's a good thing I read this one with my ears. Reading through tears would've been difficult. The narrators were all new to me and each did a terrific job with pacing and voices. 

This book belongs in all libraries serving teens. Highly recommended. Happy reading. Happy Pride month.

Middle Grade Monday: The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla.  336 p. Quill Tree Books/ HarperCollins Publisher, July 11, 2023. 9780063268814. (Review of arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  It's the penultimate Monday of the school year for me and I am ready for the break. Middle Grade Monday features The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGuin by Sally J. Pla. Thirteen-year-old Maudie always looks forward to summers because she spends them with her dad in his cabin in California. She's autistic and he accepts her the way she is and doesn't belittle her the way her mom and now, her new step-father do. Almost immediately, her dad senses something is not right and asks Maudie if she's okay. Maudie is not okay, but has been sworn to secrecy by her mother. Then comes the wildfire. Maudie and her dad have to evacuate the cabin. They head down the coast to her dad's hometown. Her dad's best friend runs a trailer park and puts them up in a trailer while her dad tries to find work. Maudie spends her days at the beach getting up the courage to ask local surf legend, Etta for lessons. She wants to win the beginners surf contest at the end-of-summer bash. There's prize money and it might be enough to help her dad and maybe stay with him instead of returning to Texas.

This first-person novel unfolds quietly as Maudie copes with her traumas. Short chapters with poems interspersed throughout reflect Maudie's thoughtful insights. They also ratchet up tension as she gradually reveals the secret she carries. Readers will root for Maudie as she gains confidence, learns to surf and makes friends. Other characters are equally endearing and wonderfully supportive of Maudie. 

The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn releases on July 11. I adored this book. Put it on your radar. It would be a great SEL title and perfect for any school, classroom or public library. 

Fact Friday: Sunshine: How One Camp Taught Me about Life, Death, and Hope by Jarrett J. Krosockzka

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Sunshine: How One Camp Taught Me about Life, Death and Hope by Jarrett J. Krosockzka. 240 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc. April, 2023. 9781338356311. (Review of finished purchased copy)

Happy Friday! Fact Friday features Sunshine: How One Camp Taught Me about Life, Death and Hope by Jarrett K. Krosockzka. Fans of the author/ illustrator's Hey, Kiddo will be happy to learn of this new memoir. In 1994, sixteen-year-old Jarrett decided to leave his comfort zone and volunteer at Camp Sunshine for a week. This was a camp in Maine where children who had cancer and their families could spend a week sailing and doing regular camp things. Jarrett's grandma worries it will be too depressing, but Jarrett has an open mind. He's assigned to Diego, who has brain cancer and is wheelchair-bound. He's also not interested in being at camp and is unwilling to participate in camp activities. Jarrett gives him his space, but is quietly encouraging. He also befriends Eric and his family. Eric is obsessed with Power Rangers and also has leukemia.

The limited pallet of browns, greys and yellows effectively convey mood as Jarrett moves through his week trying to make each family feel at home and have fun. Photos, drawings and clippings from his time at camp begin each chapter, and readers gain insight into some challenges others face in this touching memoir.

 

#tbt: Feed by M.T. Anderson

Image: Candlewick Press

Feed by M.T. Anderson. 320 p. Candlewick Press, 2002.  9780763662622. (Own.)

Happy Thursday! Happy June 1 and happy Pride Month as well! #tbt spotlights Feed by M.T. Anderson. Featuring one of of the most memorable first lines ever, this satirical dystopian is narrated by Titus, a disaffected teen in a near future that is completely dominated by corporatios and consumerism. Most people have a feed implanted, which, well, feeds them with constant information, but it's not info that is empowering. Everything is trademarked. The environment is deteriorating and so is language.

While Titus and his thrill-seeking friends are out at a club, they meet a girl named Violet, who while she has a feed, it is modified. She also has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to have opinions. This is new to Titus, and he's intrigued, but a man with connections to an anti-feed organization hacks the feeds of all the teens at the club and they end up in the hospital.

Feed was published in 2002 and was a National Book Award Finalist. It was also a Horn Book-Boston Globe Honor Book, appeared on numerous year-end "Best Books" lists and won the LA Times Book Prize. This is a book for thoughtful teens due to the mature themes.