Middle Grade Monday: Home Away from Home by Cynthia Lord

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Home Away from Home by Cynthia Lord. 224 p. Scholastic Inc. April, 2023. (Review of a purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! I am enjoying this break in the heat and HUMIDITY! It was a brisk 60 degrees here in northern NJ at 5:30 AM this morning as compared to 80 at the same time on Saturday! Crazy.

Middle Grade Monday features by Cynthia Lord. Eleven-year-old Mia is looking forward to spending her summer in Maine with her grandmother. She needs a break from her parents, who each have new partners and she can't wait to get out in nature and bird. She finds changes at grandma's house though. First, there's a stray cat named Miss Agatha, then, there's a boy, named Cayman. He's a little too chummy with Mia's grandmother and she's jealous. When the two set out to view the eagle's nest, they spy a large white bird of prey attacking the nest that they can't identify. Mia takes a picture of it and posts it to an online birding community, and soon their quiet village is inundated with birders eager to see the rare gyrfalcon. Some of the birders are less than ethical and actually endanger the bird and Mia realizes that her actions have put the bird in jeopardy. She also alienates Cayman and needs to set things right.

This thoughtful coming-of-age story features well-developed characters who struggle realistically with changes that life sometimes brings. The descriptions of the flora and fauna of the Maine coast are also vivid. Fans of the author will not be disappointed. Some readers might be inspired to grab some binoculars and head out to do some birding!

#tbt: The Good, the Bad and the Barbie: a Doll's History and Her Impact on Us (Unauthorized) by Tanya Lee Stone

Image: Author's Website

The Good, the Bad and the Barbie: a Doll's History and Her Impact on Us (Unauthorized) by Tanya Lee Stone. 130 p. Viking? Penguin Young Readers, 2010. 9780670011872. (Own.)

Happy Thursday! How are you keeping cool in this heat? Boo and I have to take our long walks pretty early to avoid the heat. It's pretty bad. 

In honor of the release of the movie, Barbie, #tbt features The Good, the Bad and the Barbie: a Doll's History and Her Impact on Us (Unauthorized) by Tanya Lee Stone. Published in 2010, this book is part biography of Ruth Handler, creator of the doll and of Barbie, the doll itself, but it also examines the impact that the doll and its popularity had on culture. There are lots of photos and personal anecdotes from girls and women reflecting on their love or hatred of Barbie. Back matter includes a note from the author, source notes and a bibliography.

The book was named an SLJ (School Library Journal) Best Book and won the Golden Kite Award. I enjoyed knowing this backstory a bit before watching the film, however, I realized I forgot a lot and decided to reread it. Very balanced and informative! Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh by Mo Willems

Image: Union Square & Co.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh by Mo Willems. 40 p. Union Square Kids/ Union Square & Co., September 5, 2023. 9781454952770.

Happy Wednesday! Well yesterday brought quite a thunderstorm here in northern NJ! All that rain on top of me making a massive sprinkler mistake. I turned a zone on manually and didn't notice that the time was blank until an hour and a half later when I took the garbage out! Yikes! What a waste of water. I cringe every time I think about it.

Waiting on Wednesday features #nevertoooldforpicturebooks fun. I was skimming through the coming soon section on the BN site for inspiration and saw that a new PIGEON book is coming! Yes! I adore Pigeon! Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh is releasing on September 5! 

Here's the publisher synopsis: The holidays have arrived early! Everyone's favorite Pigeon is back ... and this time asking a very important question of us all. What's the reason for the season? It's driving a sleigh! Mo always delights, and for those yearning to celebrate the merriest of seasons, we can do it all year 'round. Ho-Ho-Hopefully you'll join the Pigeon and drive the sleigh!

From #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and illustrator Mo Willems comes a new holiday classic.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—for driving a sleigh! ’Tis also the season—for driving a sleigh! Oh, and joy to the—driving a sleigh! The Pigeon has made a list and checked it once. Can his holiday dream come true? Or will The Pigeon be left out in the cold?

You’ll share some HO-HO-HOs and HA-HA-HAs finding out in three-time Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems’ ninth Pigeon book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!

What is your favorite pigeon book?

Middle Grade Monday: When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lai

Image: HarperCollins

When Clouds Touch Us by Thannhà Lai. 256 p. HarperCollins Publishers, May, 2023. 9780063047006. Review of finished copy borrowed from the public library.

Happy Monday! I hope you had the glorious weather we had this past weekend. Middle Grade Monday features When Clouds Touch Us by Thannhà Lai. This sequel to Inside Out and Back Again is also in verse. Hà has finally made a friend in Alabama and has been invited to an American birthday party. Her plans are dashed when he mother announces they are moving to Texas, a name that none of the family can pronounce, for a better job. Hà rallies her older brothers to outvote their mother, but one-by-one, they change their vote until it is Hà who is outvoted. Now she has to start seventh grade in a new place and most likely be the first or only Vietnamese student in her new school. The year is filled with firsts, some hilarious and some sobering. This moving and hopeful verse novel is told in first person. Fans of Inside Out and Back Again will root for Hà as she and her family try to make the U.S. their home.

#tbt: Gone by Michael Grant

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Gone by Michael Grant. 556 p. Gone #1. HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. 

Ugh! forgot to post this on Thursday. 

#tbt features Gone by Michael Grant. The promise of yet another boring day at Perdido High School vanishes along with everyone over the age of fourteen. One minute they were there and the next, poof, gone. At first, the baffled students were gleeful. Yes, no school! They all walked out. Then, reality hit. Cars were crashed in the streets and fires were burning. Who was in charge? How would they survive? Why couldn't they leave town? And, what was up with the powers that many survivors found themselves with?

This series is especially popular among eighth graders. Gone, weighing in at 576 pages is not for the faint-of-heart, but it's plot driven and full of action and suspense. It was published in 2008 and was followed by five sequels plus a "Season Two," which was a trilogy. Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Dust by Dusti Bowling

Image: Hachette Book Group

Dust by Dusti Bowling. 352 p. Little Brown Books for Young Readers, August 15, 2023. 9780316414234.

Waiting on Wednesday features Dust by Dusti Bowling. Ms. Bowling's books, especially Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and The Canyon's Edge are quite popular at TMS. Her books have been firmly rooted in reality, but this one seems to have a touch of magic. Dust releases on August 15. Here's the publisher synopsis: A girl who struggles to breathe befriends a boy who seems shrouded in dust, in this unmissable tour de force from bestselling and award-winning author Dusti Bowling.

After Avalyn nearly died from an asthma attack, her parents moved her to the clear, dry air of Clear Canyon City, Arizona. And for the last ten years, she’s been able to breathe. That is, until Adam showed up.

Quiet and unkempt, Adam is an instant target for the bullies who have plagued Avalyn and her friends. As Avalyn gets to know him, she begins to suspect that the sudden, strange increase in dust storms around town are somehow connected to his emotions. She thinks his problems may be even worse at home, especially when massive black walls of dust start rolling in after the school day. Will she find a way to stand up for her new friend? Her life may just depend on it.

Dusti Bowling delivers a page-turning, powerful, and poignant novel of friendship, courage, and healing, perfect for readers of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and Erin Entrada Kelly.

You can check out Ms. Bowling's other books while you wait for Dust. Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

HC Image: Macmillan Publishers

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaidirdar. Read by Priya Ayyar. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~8 hours. Dreamscape Media, June, 2023. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features an absolutely adorable romance called The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaidirdar. Seventeen-year-old Shireen Malick was born in Ireland to Bangladeshi parents who immigrated there and opened a donut shop called You Drive Me Glazy. They work hard at the shop and Shireen does not mind helping out as she loves to bake. Business hasn't been so great since there are a lot of donut shops around, including one down the block called The Bakers Dozen. Shireen's parents feud with the Hwangs over recipe stealing, so Shireen and Christine have kept their romance a secret until their recent breakup.

Shireen applied to be a contestant in a brand new baking contest featuring teen bakers, called The Junior Irish Baking Show. Shireen thinks she has as good a chance at winning as anyone and planned on entering. Then Christine asked her not to, saying that she was entering. Both girls hoped the exposure would help their family's business. Of course, both girls are accepted as contestants and of course, the two are paired in the very first bake-off. Of course, there's a cute girl from Dublin named Niamh (pronounce Neev) who seems into Shireen. Or is she? Drama much?

Shireen is out and unapologetically fat. She adores her supportive parents and misses her bff, who is spending the summer in Bangladesh. She also suffers from anxiety, but has methods of coping as she clocks the casual racism, fatphobia and Islamophobia she encounters, especially as she begins to do well on the show. Shireen is an endearing, hilarious narrator who loves a good pun. And the desserts! Yum! If you love to bake or have a sweet tooth, you will enjoy this book. Fun fact: a TMS graduate won a baking show as an eighth grader some years back. The entire school was rooting for her and it was such a treat to receive a sample of her baking.

I always enjoy Ms. Ayyar's performances. She imbued Shireen with zing and sass with a dash of uncertainty. 

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~11 hrs., 43 min. Read by Leah Horowitz. Recorded Books, 2021. 

Happy Monday! We had quite the wet and wild weekend here in northern NJ! I hope you're all dry and cozy. Middle Grade Monday features Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt. Meryl Lee Kowalski reluctantly heads to Maine from Long Island with her parents for "a new start." She will be attending St. Elene's Preparatory School for Girls in Harpswell, Maine. Dr. Nora Macknockater promises Meryl Lee's parents that she will help Meryl Lee become "accomplished." All Meryl Lee wants to do is keep the "blank" at bay. Ever since the death of her best friend Holling Hoodhood, Meryl Lee is awash in grief, in the blank.

The year is 1968 and it's a turbulent time for the country. The Vietnam War is very unpopular. Young women are questioning sex roles. Teachers at St. Elene's demand academic rigor, but some balk at questions that challenge the status quo. Meryl Lee's rich roommate hates her, her English teacher has it in for her, and she's roped into joining field hockey, where she finally meets two girls with friendship possibiliy. She doesn't understand the rule that she can't befriend the girls who serve the school and upsets decorum one evening when she dares to pour her own water.

In a parallel plot, thirteen-year-old Matt Coffin is on the run from a notorious gang boss. Dr. Macknockater finds him holed up in an abandoned shed and shelters him in her home. This strand of the story adds a menacing touch.

Fans of The Wednesday Wars and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy will be delighted by the Easter Eggs, but the story stands on its own quite nicely. As with any book by Mr. Schmidt, laughter can be quickly followed by tears and vice versa.

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 this week!

Purchased: I picked up these two based on recommendations on social media. I accidentally ordered two copies of Boobies, but that's okay. It's fantastic and I'll be gifting them.

Image: House of Anansi 

Boobies by Nancy Vo. unpgd. Groundwood Press, August, 2022. 9781773066929. 

Publisher synopsis: 

A cheeky celebration of boobies!

“You have just opened a book about boobies.” Meet the Blue-footed Booby, who does not have any boobies at all, since only mammals have boobies. We learn that mammals have boobies to feed babies — even though milk can also come from plants. And did you know that boobies, or breasts, vary from person to person, that boobies change over time, and that different animals have different numbers of boobies? Witty and wide-ranging, this eye-opening picture book goes on to explore connections between boobies and mountains, boobies and ancient art and, of course, boobies and you!

Nancy Vo’s latest creation is fresh and funny, while serving up just the right amount of fact. Punchy prose is complemented by striking stencil art in a retro palette, making this the perfect gift for curious young children, older children getting to know their bodies, and anyone ready to boldly celebrate boobies!

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett. 336 p. Clarion Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, June, 2023. 9780063256552.

Publisher synopsis:

A heart-wrenching middle grade debut about Kemi, an aspiring scientist who loves statistics and facts, as she navigates grief and loss at a moment when life as she knows it changes forever.

Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves scientific facts, specifically probability. It's how she understands the world and her place in it. Kemi knows her odds of being born were 1 in 5.5 trillion, and that the odds of her having the best family ever were even lower. Yet somehow, Kemi lucked out.

But everything Kemi thought she knew changes when she sees an asteroid hover in the sky, casting a purple haze over her world. Amplus-68 has an 84.7% chance of colliding with earth in four days, and with that collision, Kemi’s life as she knows it will end.

But over the course of the four days, even facts don’t feel true to Kemi anymore. The new town she moved to that was supposed to be “better for her family” isn’t very welcoming. And Amplus-68 is taking over her life, but others are still going to school and eating at their favorite diner like nothing has changed. Is Kemi the only one who feels like the world is ending?

With the days numbered, Kemi decides to put together a time capsule that will capture her family’s truth: how creative her mother is, how inquisitive her little sister can be, and how much Kemi's whole world revolves around her father. But no time capsule can change the truth behind all of it, that Kemi must face the most inevitable and hardest part of life: saying goodbye.

What's new on your pile?

#tbt: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Chaos Walking Triology, Book One. 480 p. Candlewick Press, 2008. 9780763639310. (own.)

#tbt features The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Book one of the Chaos Walking Trilogy was first published in England in May of 2008, and in the U.S. in October. Todd Hewitt is about to turn thirteen and he lives in an all-male settlement called Prentisstown on a planet that was colonized some years before. Todd has been taught that the men were infected with a germ that broadcasts all their thoughts and the women died from it. Todd's adoptive parents, Ben and Cillian want him to run away from the settlement before his manhood initiation, but Todd is resistant. Todd finds a quiet space away from all the noise of the men while out in the swamp with his dog, Manchee, and he escapes there as often as possible. He's shocked to find a girl who doesn't speak, nor can he hear her thoughts, but Manchee trusts her. Todd can tell because Manchee's, as well as other animals, thoughts are broadcast as well.

This sci-fi dystopian, features a brilliant first line, "The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say." It also has one of the most heartbreaking scenes in YA literature. The world-building is vivid and the suspense is high. The book was named a Booklist Editor's Choice and a Best Book for Young Adults. It was adapted for film and released in 2021 entitled, Chaos Walking.

I read this one with my ears. It was narrated by one of my favorite narrators and the special effect that depicted the noise was particularly evocative. Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Buzzing: a Graphic Novel written by Samuel Satten and illustrated by Rye Hickman.

Image: Hachette Book Group

Buzzing: a Graphic Novel written by Samuel Satten and illustrated by Rye Hickman. 224 p. Little Brown Ink, July 18, 2023. 

Happy Wednesday! What do you have planned for this sunshiney day? The sun has been out these past two days and though it's really hot, it's so nice to see blue sky again. 

Waiting on Wednesday features Buzzing: a Graphic Novel written by Samuel Satten and illustrated by Rye Hickman. You don't need to wait too long for this one. It releases on July 18th! Here's the publisher synopsis: A moving middle grade graphic novel about friendship, belonging, and learning to love yourself despite the voices in your head.

Isaac Itkin can’t get away from his thoughts.

As a lonely twelve-year-old kid with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), everything from studying to looking in the mirror becomes a battle between him and a swarm of unhelpful thoughts.

The strict therapy his mother insists on doesn’t seem to be working, but when a group of friends invites him to join their after-school role-playing game, the thoughts feel a little less loud, and the world feels a little brighter.

But Isaac’s therapist says that exposure to games can have negative effects on kids with OCD, and when his grades slip, his helicopter mother won’t let him play anymore. Now Isaac needs to find a way to prove to himself, to his mother, and to the world that the way to quiet the noise in his head may have been inside him all along.

What are you waiting on? Happy reading!

Arc Review: House of Marionne by J. Elle

Image: Penguin Random House

House of Marionne by J. Elle. 432 p. Razorbill/ Penguin Young Readers, August 29, 2023. 9780593527702. (Review of bound manuscript courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Tuesday! I hope you are enjoying the sunshine and relative cool this morning! Boo and I were finally able to get in a nice long walk this morning. Teen Tuesday features House of Marionne by J. Elle. This is a fantasy series starter and will release in late August.

Seventeen-year-old Quel is used to life on the run with her mom. Quel possesses a dark magic she calls Toushana and an elite band of assassins called Draguns are tasked with hunting down anyone with this forbidden magic and killing them. So far, Quel's mom has been successful in keeping her hidden by moving frequently, but Quel messed up and now she's separated from her mom and the safe spot they were to meet in turns out to be not-so-safe. She turns to the one person her mother has forbidden, her grandmother. Turns out, her grandmother is headmistress of House Marionne and is delighted to reunite with Quel and determined to have her hone her magic and debut.

Quel is relieved to be safe, eager to learn magic that she hope will tame her toushana, but not too thrilled about the wardrobe, curtseying and etiquette lessons. She's also terrified of Jordan. He's been assigned to mentor her, but he's also a Dragun. What will happen if he finds out who she really is? And why is he so hot? It's distracting and dangerous.

Sinister and gothic with a steamy, slow-burn romance and plot twists galore. This was fun. Look for it August 29. Apparently, there's a limited edition first printing available for pre-order. Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

Image: Disney Books

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow. Unabridged e-audio, ~8 hours. Read by Will Collyer.  Disney Hyperion, January, 2023. 9781368095822. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Monday! The steamy, cloudy, buggy, thunderstormy weather continues here in northern NJ. Middle Grade Monday features Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow. This was a rare book for me, in that I went into it knowing very little about the plot. I liked the riff on "Simon Says," and saw the title mentioned in a few childlit discussions as a possible Newbery contender, so I didn't read reviews or anything else about the book. I'm glad, because I didn't already know, since it's front and center on the front flap and in most reviews.

Most kids don't want to move household, let alone way out to the boondocks to a town called, I kid you not, Grin and Bear It, Nebraska. But that's okay with Simon. The town is in the middle of a national quiet zone due to the presence of a team of scientists trying to make contact with aliens through an array of huge telescopes, so all electronics are banned. There's no Internet, no cable and not even a microwave to be found. And, that's okay with Simon. That means no googling the new kid.

He hopes to fly under the radar and try to get his life back to normal. His parents are trying to do everything in their power to help Simon, and he appreciates that. He feels a little guilty about that and other things.

His first impressions of Grin and Bear It, are good. He quickly makes friends with Kevin and Agate. Agate is autistic and her large family has a farm where they raise angora goats and service dogs. Agate seems to intuit that Simon needs one and tasks him with a puppy to raise. She also has a scheme to save the scientists, who funding may be in jeopardy. Settling into this small town is not as easy for his parents, his undertaker mother is stuck with an inept assistant who either loses bodies or takes the wrong one. His deacon father ruffles the feathers of the church ladies when a squirrel gets into the communion wafers.

Hilarity and hijinks distract from the underlying secret that Simon gradually reveals. Simon is an endearing character who is easy to root for. Secondary characters are equally endearing and the sense of community is strong. Ms. Bow deals with a timely topic deftly and age appropriately.

New to me narrator, Will Collyer delivered a measured and thoughtful performance. Readers who love sad books will love Simon Sort of Says. I'm putting this on my reread pile. Highly recommend.

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: I happened to pop into school the other day to water my dracaena tree, which is too big to bring home over the summer and found this in my mailbox!

Image: Penguin Random House

Barely Floating by William Rivera. 240 p. Kokila/ Penguin Young Readers Group, August 29, 2023. 9780593323120.

Publisher synopsis: A dazzling story full of heart about how one twelve-year-old channels her rage into synchronized swimming dreams from The Education of Margot Sanchez author Lilliam Rivera.

Natalia De La Cruz Rivera y Santiago, also known as Nat, was swimming neighborhood kids out of their money at the local Inglewood pool when her life changed. The LA Mermaids performed, emerging out of the water with matching sequined swimsuits, and it was then that synchronized swimming stole her heart.

The problem? Her activist mom and professor dad think it's a sport with too much emphasis on looks—on being thin and white. Nat grew up the youngest in a house full of boys, so she knows how to fight for what she wants, often using her anger to fuel her. People often underestimate her swimming skills when they see her stomach rolls, but she knows better than to worry about what people think. Still, she feels more like a submarine than a mermaid, but she wonders if she might be both.

Barely Floating explores what it means to sparkle in your skin, build community with those who lift you up, and keep floating when waters get rough.

Purchased: nothing!

What's new on your pile? 

Waiting on Wednesday: American Royals IV: Reign by Katharine McGhee

Image: Penguin Random House

American Royals IV: Reign by Katharine McGee. 432 p. Random House Books for Young Readers, August 29, 2023. 9780593429747.

Waiting on Wednesday features American Royals IV: Reign by Katharine McGee. The premise of this series is that George Washington did not turn down becoming king of the newly formed United States. The series is a fluffy, fun exploration of What if? It's definitely geared toward mature teen readers. Reign is due out on August 29, so there's plenty of time to get caught up on the series. 

Here's the publisher synopsis: A queen's life hangs in the balance, and her siblings’ decisions—about what to do, and most of all, who to love—could change the course of history. Romance. Duty. Power...only one can triumph in this stunning conclusion to the New York Times bestselling American Royals series.

America's royal family is in shambles. Queen Beatrice is in a coma and Princess Samantha has gone missing—from the look of things, she ran away with her boyfriend, Lord Marshall Davis. Which means that Prince Jefferson is currently on the throne. For some in America, it's exactly what they wanted: a King ruling the country. And for Daphne Deighton, who has tricked Jefferson into dating her again, it's the ultimate dream come true.

Surely this is all just temporary. Won’t Beatrice wake up and reclaim her rightful place? Samantha can't really be gone…can she? And Prince Jefferson will never truly be over his childhood crush, Nina Gonzalez. Right?

For the Washington family, the stakes are higher than ever. Love might save the throne….if secrets don’t destroy everything first.

Teen Tuesday: Thieves Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

I can't believe I did it again! I posted to my school's learning platform and forget to upload. 

Image: Penguin Random House

Thieves Gambit by Kayvion Lewis. 296 p. Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Random House, September 26, 2023. 9780593625361. (Review of a bound manuscript courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Tuesday and Happy Independence Day! Teen Tuesday features Thieves Gambit by Kayvion Lewis. Seventeen-year-old Ross Quest is an accomplished thief. She works in the family business. The Quest family, led by Ross' mother, are international thieves and Ross' particular talent is planning escape routes. The family motto is "trust no one." Ross planned her own escape from the family, at least for the summer, so that she could be a normal teen for once. She almost got out, but the heist went south and now her mother is being held captive and her ransom is 1 billion dollars. The only chance she has of raising that kind of money is by entering the Thieves Gambit, a heist competition where the winner gets one wish. All she has to do is win and ask for the billion. Easy, right?

If you are a teen or know a teen who enjoys heist novels, put this one on your radar. It's due out on September 26. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy. Thieves Gambit is a pulse-pounding page-turner with enough twists and turns to give you whiplash. Ross is a smart and snarky narrator whose nemises include her former best friend and a guy whose good looks and smooth demeanor are so disarming, Ross begins to doubt everything she's been taught.

Middle Grade Monday: The Order of Things by Kaija Langley

Image: Penguin Random House

The Order of Things by Kaija Langley. 278 p. Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Random House, June, 2023. 9780593530900. (Review of finished hard cover courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Monday! What a mixed bag of weather we are having! The air quality hasn't been the greatest lately. Between that and the heat, I've noticed that Boo isn't his usual bounding self on our walks, so I've modified them to frequent and less lengthy. It's so humid and damp and I'm being plagued by those little gnats or whatever. Ugh! 

Middle Grade Monday features The Order of Things by Kaija Langley. Eleven-year-old April lives in an apartment in Boston with her single-by-choice Mom. They live right across the hall from Zee and Papa Zee. April and Zee were born within months of each other and are more than best friends. The four of them have formed a family. Things are changing for sixth grade for April though, because Zee, who is a violin prodigy, was accepted into a prestigious STEAM charter school. Not only does she not have her best friend in class, but her teacher has assigned seating and she's stuck next to Asa, who is socially awkward, a bit unkempt and shunned by the only two white girls in April's class.

April and Zee try to maintain life as they knew it, but Zee is driven to be the best and this requires a lot of after school practice and lessons, so April decides to pursue drumming and Papa Zee agrees to teach her. Then, her mom brings Robin to their sacred family dinner and April takes an instant dislike to her.

When Zee has a fainting episode at school, Papa Zee wants him to slow down, but Zee sneaks away to practice in the building's laundry room. April finds him when she goes to do the family laundry and he swears her to secrecy. He also swears her to secrecy when he suffers another cardiac episode and reassures her that it is nothing.

It's not nothing though, and just before Christmas, the unthinkable happens. The family receives support from their community, but April does not know how she will cope without Zee. "I'm dreaming solo from now on." She feels guilt in addition to her grief for keeping Zee's secret. Soon, she's keeping Papa Zee's secret. Then, she discovers Asa's secret and it may be just too much for April to handle.

This novel in verse is told from April's point-of-view. It's well-crafted and immediately engaging, featuring fully formed characters and an authentic sense of community. April thrives in her found family. She's a realistic mix of thoughtful and thoughtless, and confident and uncertain. Readers who love sad books will root for April as she tries to find her footing. I read this in one sitting and just love it. I can't wait for my students to meet April. 

#tbt: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

Oops! Just realized that I posted this to our learning platform, so my students got to read my #tbt choice, but just found the draft as I got ready to post Middle Grade Monday!

Image: Penguin Random House

Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar. 288 p. Dutton Children's Books/ Penguin Random House, 2005.

Happy Thursday! The sun finally peeped through yesterday and it was partly cloudy today though marred somewhat by poor air quality due to the Canadian wildfires. #tbt features Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar. Starting freshman year can be daunting. Scott is on the small and nerdy side and definitely daunted. He has a much older brother who, shall we say, was not exactly academically gifted and his former teachers definitely remember him and have opinions about Scott. He also can't decide which extracurriculars to join and decides to join each one he crush joins. On top of everything, his parents announce that his mother is pregnant and due in June, so Scott starts a journal about coping with freshman year for his soon-to-be sibling.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie was an ALA Best Book and Mr. Lubar wrote a sequel, Sophomores and Other Oxymorons: another Novel in 2015. Readers who like to laugh should definitely check out these two books. Happy reading!