#tbt: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Image: Simon & Schuster

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. 368 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, February 21, 2012. 9781442408920.

I was quite surprised and saddened to learn of the death of Benjamin Alire Sáenz on FB yesterday. I was in the room when he received his Printz Honor for this book. His speech was so warm and humble. It not only won a Printz Honor, but also the Pura Belpré Award and the Stonewall Book Award. 

I adored the book when I finally got around to reading it with my ears. It was beautifully narrated by Lin Manuel-Miranda. 

Here's a link to a lovely obituary in El Paso Matters. It was through this article that I learned the author has a new YA set to be published in September. More on that next week. 

#tbt: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Image: Simon & Schuster

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. 272 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 

#tbt features Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was originally published in 2000 with this cover:

Sometime between its 2003 and 2008, when I left my K-8 position for a middle school, I created a unit which paired fiction and non-fiction. I paired Fever 1793 with An American Plague by Jim Murphy, which pubbed in 2003. I honestly cannot remember what other fiction/ nonfiction pairings I created, but it was a good unit. The reason why this one sticks is because Fever 1793 created two of the most unlikely readers.

JJ fell in love with this book and recommended it to his bff. Both boy's mothers were so astounded by their enthusiasm that they also read the book!

This is what great historical fiction does. 

PS: I prefer the original cover. 

Happy reading.

#tbt: Sycthe by Neal Shusterman

Image: Simon and Schuster

Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Arc of the Scythe #1. 464 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, November, 2016. 9781442472426.

#tbt features Scythe by Neal Shusterman. I was a fan of the author for a while, having read his Dark Fusion series, his Skin Jacker series and the Unwind Distology. He came to visit my last school before I left for a nearby middle school. His visit was quite memorable for several reasons, not the least being that his rental car didn't show and he had to scramble to find a new one. It made him late to us, but he was calm and unruffled. He really connected with the students, and I also loved the fact that he checked out the eighth grade LA teacher's classroom library!

I was blown away by Scythe, but hesitated to put it in the YA (grades 7 & 8) section, where the Unwind books were favorites. I opted for my 8th grade only shelf, where it too, soon became a favorite. 

It takes place in a future where death and disease are basically eradicated. One cannot even commit suicide. In order to control the population, an elite order of Scythes glean candidates. Is this a good thing? How does a Scythe choose candidates? How does one become a Scythe? Are Scythes immune from corruption?

I recently heard that a prequel, Rising Thunder, the first book of a planned series called First Blade. It's not due out until December and there is no cover yet. Still, I'm excited to revisit this incredibly realistic possible world.

#tbt: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Image: Penguin Random House

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. 400 p. Philomel Books/ Penguin Young Readers, February 2, 2016. 9780399160301.

Last week, I happened to see online that this book was ten years old. This book illuminates an event in history of which I was unaware, a maritime tragedy whose losses actually dwarf the more well-known sinking of the Titanic and Lusitania. 

The story switches POV between four young narrators. They are trekking across war torn Europe in 1945 hoping to obtain passage on the Gustav Wilhelm, a pleasure cruiser, now tasked with evacuating refugees. It is a difficult read that is both poignant and heartbreaking as it depicts the horrors of war in unflinching detail. 

Salt to the Sea was named to many State Book Awards lists, was a Goodreads Best for 2016, and won the Carnegie Medal. I can't recommend this, or any other book by this author enough. 

#tbt: Belly Up: Murder at FunJungle by Stuart Gibbs

Image: Simon & Schuster

Belly Up: Murder at FunJungle by Stuart Gibbs. 304 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May, 2010. 9781416987314.

Stuart Gibbs made his debut in 2010 with his first FunJungle book, Belly Up, featuring one of the coolest covers around. He followed this up with The Last Musketeer in 2011. 2012 brought us Spy School and a sequel to The Last Musketeer called Traitor's Chase. In 2013, Spy Camp was released, and then he published 1 - 3 books per year, totaling 41 books by October of this year. There are 9 FunJungle books, with #10 releasing in March (see Waiting on Wednesday); 13 Spy School books, 3 Space Case books, 4 Once Upon a Tim books, 4 Charlie Thorne books, 4 Spy School graphic novel adaptations, 1 graphic novel adaptation of Space Case and 3 Last Musketeer books! Wowzers! Is there no end to this man's energy and creativity? (I hope not.) 

He must be very busy updating his colorful and instructive website as well. His FAQ page is hilarious and worth a read. It really does cover all the questions that students with author assignments might have; but I fear it's a futile attempt to stave off emails asking what he has already painstakingly covered on his website. 

The Spy School series is slightly more popular with my middle school students, but the FunJungle series holds its own and the Space Case books were loved enough to require replacement. Mr. Gibbs' books take up a lot of library shelf real estate, and those shelves are only full twice a year- at the beginning and at the end. I'm pretty sure I posted a pic either here or on my socials. It's a fantastic problem to have as a librarian. I'm retired now, but still love to read books for younger readers, especially those by authors I love. 

Keep them coming, Stuart Gibbs! 

 

#tbt: Fat Angie by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

Image: Candlewick Press

Fat Angie by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo. 272 p.  Candlewick Press, March 12, 2013. 9780763680190. 

#tbt features a favorite of mine, Fat Angie by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo. Angie is one of a handful of characters that are carved into my heart and I grew to love her more with each sequel, Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution (2019) and Fat Angie: Homecoming (2021). The voice is riveting and raw. 

Fat Angie won a 2014 Stonewall Award and was named to the Rainbow list as well as several State Book Lists. 

#tbt: X: a Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

Image: Candlewick Press

X: a Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon. 384 p. Candlewick Press, January, 2015.  

#tbt features X: a Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon. Written in the first-person present tense, readers follow young Malcolm Little as he leaves Lansing, Michigan for Boston, hoping to make a new start only to find doors closed, but the streets welcoming. While Malcolm hustles, he flashes back to key moments of his childhood, like his father's death, a teacher's harsh words and seeing the body of a lynched man.

The novel ends when Malcolm converts to Islam while in prison, but an author's note adds historical context. X: a Novel won a Coretta Scott King Honor and the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature. Ms. Shabazz also wrote two other books about her father - a picture book and a middle grade novel, as well as a middle grade novel about her mother. 

Happy reading!

#tbt: Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

Simon & Schuster

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle. 288 p. Nate #1. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, February, 2013. 9781422446892.

#tbt features Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle. This book marked Federle's MG debut and features Thirteen-year-old Nate Foster doesn't fit in well in Jankburg, PA. He's a bit overweight, not into sports and adores Broadway musicals even though he's never been to even one. Luckily for Nate, he has one bff who shares his passion. Libby is his ride or die and Nate's alibi when he decides to take a bus to Manhattan to answer an open audition for ET: the Musical. 

Often laugh-out-loud funny, Nate's voice is earnest and endearing and believable. The book was named a Stonewall Honor and the audiobook, which was narrated by the author won an Odyssey Honor. Every budding theater kid should get to know Nate. 

#tbt: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Image: Scholastic Inc.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. 544 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., March, 2007. 9780439813785.

Hugo, a twelve-year-old orphan, lives in the Paris train station and works to keep the clocks on time. He also harbors secrets and is a thief. He steals items he thinks might help him repair an automaton. One day, he is caught by a grumpy, old toymaker and is brought to the man's home, where he meets, Isabelle, the man's goddaughter. It seems the toymaker has secrets as well, and Hugo and Isabelle work together to uncover them.

Selznick, no stranger to the Caldecott, having won an Honor for illustrating Barbara Kerley's The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins in 2002, turned the children's literature world upside down when this 500+ page book received the Award. 

This is a book I loved to give reluctant readers. Their eyes would widen with disbelief that they could ever get through such a brick! Then, once shown that it was mostly illustration, they happily checked the book out. 

The book was adapted for film and I was privileged to be invited to a screening, which included a talkback with the author afterwards. The film was gorgeous and quite faithful to the book. Selznick even had a cameo in the final scene. 

#tbt: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

Image: Penguin Random House

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar. 279 p. Dutton Children's Books/ Penguin Young Readers, July, 2005. 

#tbt features a favorite book of mine, Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar. Scott Hudson is entering high school. He thinks his bffs will be in his classes and help with the transition. Unfortunately, Scott is in honors classes, and his friends are not.  He's small. He's bullied. He's also suffering because of his older brother's less than stellar reputation. Then, there's Julia, an acquaintance from kindergarten, who has morphed into a goddess, so Scott joins everything that Julia joins with hilarious results. Scott thinks things can't get much worse until his mother announces that she is pregnant and Scott decides to write a user's manual - not a diary - to help his future sibling navigate freshmen year. 

I wasn't blogging in 2005, when I read it, but I have book talked this book whenever I had the opportunity, especially to eighth graders getting ready for high school. There is a companion novel, Sophomores and Other Oxymorons, which was published in 2015. 

This is the original cover, which I prefer. Happy reading!

#tbt: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Image: Penguin Random House

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. 464 p. Ember in the Ashes series #1. Crown Books/ Penguin Random House, April, 2015. 9781595148032.

#tbt features An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. This thrilling dystopian grabs the reader from page one and doesn't let go. It is told in alternating viewpoints by Laia, a Scholar in the Marital Empire whose brother was imprisoned and who is reluctantly acting as a spy for the resistance, and Elias, an elite soldier, who is training to become an assassin in the notorious Blackcliff Academy. 

An Ember in the Ashes was Ms. Tahir's debut in 2015. It was named a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults as well as a Goodreads People's Choice and quite a few state book award lists. It has three sequels, A Torch against the Night in 2016, A Reaper at the Gates in 2018, and A Sky Beyond the Storm in 2020. 

Happy reading!

#tbt: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Image: Simon & Schuster

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. 336 p. Seeds of America #1. Atheneum/ Simon & Schuster, October, 2008. 9781416905851. Own.

#tbt features Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is the first book in the author's Seeds of America trilogy. Isabel is looking forward to being freed along with her disabled sister upon her mistress' death. Unfortunately, the woman's heir has other plans. He sells them to the Lockton family of New York City. They are Loyalists during the beginning of the American Revolution. Isabel meets Curzon, who is enslaved to a Patriot family. He wants her to spy for the Patriots. Isabel agrees, but does not agree with Curzon's belief that fighting for the Patriots will result in liberty for them.

This layered, character-driven novel has a strong sense of place and explores the multifaceted reasons behind the colonists' fight for freedom juxtaposed against the enslaved people's desire for freedom. 

Chains was a National Book Award Finalist and won the Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award. It was named an ALA Notable Book as well as a YALSA Best book and many state book awards.

The trilogy continued with Forge in 2010, and concluded with Ashes in 2016. 

#tbt: Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Image: Scholastic

Smile by Raina Telgemeier. 213 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., 2010.

#tbt features Smile by Raina Telgemeier. Smile, indeed all of Ms. Telgemeier's books are in high-demand at TMS. Smile is the memoir of Ms. Telgemeier's tween years, when an unfortunate fall caused tremendous damage to her teeth and resulted in dental work which impacted her socially and psychologically. 

Young readers respond to Ms. Telgemeier's humor, bold palette and dynamic panelling. Young Raina's situation is totally relatable. 

Smile was Ms. Telgemeier's Scholastic debut and won an Eisner Award as well as mentions in "Best Books" lists from YALSA and the Notable Books committee. It was also named a Boston Globe/ Horn Book Nonfiction Honor title. 

#tbt: The Hunger Games

Image: Scholastic Inc.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 374 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc. October, 2008. 

#tbt features The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is the book that started it all. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12 in Panem. There used to be 13 districts, but after District 13 revolted and was ultimately destroyed, the Capital instituted annual games known as the Hunger Games, where two tributes from each district fought to the death, with the sole survivor winning food for their district for a year. Katniss' sister was chosen, but Katniss volunteered in her place. District 12's other tribute was Peetah, the baker's gentle son, who once saved Katniss from starvation. 

The world building is vivid and believable. The pace is fast and the suspense remains high. The Hunger Games is a consistent favorite of TMS students since its publication.

#tbt: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Image: Penguin Random House 

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. 384 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Young Readers, August, 2013. 

Today was the first day back from break for TMS students. I dropped my laptop, swipe card and keys off early this morning and went to yoga! Now that I'm retired, I hope to have the time and energy to do what I love best! Talking/ blogging about books for young people! Honestly, my job evolved from librarian to LA teacher as my flexible schedule gave way to a packed schedule, leaving little time for my super-power, Reader's Advisory and little energy after grading, to keep up with my reading.

I will start today with #tbt, which features Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Twelve-year-old Willow Chase is rather matter-of-fact about the fact that she doesn't fit in, like anywhere, except in her adoptive home with her "oh so white" adoptive parents. She's a genius with rather specific interests. This is a rather sad, but uplifting story told from multiple perspectives. Willow's first-person narration shifts to third person narration from those around her whose lives she unknowingly transforms.

Counting by 7s was published in 2013 and was named to both School Library Journal and Booklist "Best Books List." in 2015 it received The Hans Christian Andersen Award for Best Novel for Children 12+. The book has been a TMS favorite consistently over the years. Happy reading!

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

Image: Scholastic

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

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

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

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

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

#tbt: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Image: Author's Website

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

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

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

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

Happy reading!

#tbt: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Oops! I just realized that I never pushed the publish button on this one from last week!

Photo of own book

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. 414 p. Hyperion Books/ Disney, May, 2005.

#tbt features The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Posting about the new Percy Jackson series yesterday last week, where Percy is a senior and applying to college, made me think about when I first met Percy back in May of 2005.

The book opens with a bang as Percy has to defend himself against his algebra teacher during a class trip to The Met. It turns out she's really a Fury and the gods of Olympus are angry with him. He also learns that his headmaster and best friend are not who he thought they were and his mother finally comes clean about who his father is.

Mr. Riordan taught grade seven and made up stories based on Greek mythology at the request of his son, who suffered from ADHD. The success of the series enabled him to quit teaching and, over the ensuing nearly twenty years, has published over thirty books for young people. He also has an imprint at Disney books, where he nurtures the talents of diverse authors.

The cover of the The Lightning Thief has had several iterations. My personal, first-edition copy is pictured above. Which is your favorite Rick Riordan series? Happy reading!

#tbtt: Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. 240 p. Square Fish/ Macmillan. (Own)

Oops! Almost forgot #tbt TMS Readers! Thanks to the storms last night for the slightly cooler temps. I got into my overgrown and weedy garden. Helga looked on.

#tbt features Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. This debut is a dark, dark look at bullies and bullying and is best suited for mature teen readers. Simon Glass is a nerd who is in the crosshairs of a popular group of alpha males. Suddenly, they decide to adopt Simon and make him "popular." As Simon becomes popular, he develops some ideas of his own, which goes against the clique. Will they put up with it or will Simon pay?

Shattering Glass was published in 2002 and was named a YALSA Best Book. Click on this link to Ms. Giles' website for a peek inside the inspiration for the novel. Happy reading!

#tbt: Notes from a Liar and Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko

Notes from a Liar and Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko. 216 p. Putnam's, 2001.

#tbt features Notes from a Liar and Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko. This was Ms. Choldenko's debut middle grade novel and was published in 2001. Twelve-year-old Antonia MacPherson (Ant) is convinced she's adopted. She's a middle child, stuck between two perfect sisters and everyone in her family is blond with light complexion. So she writes letters to her "real" parents and she lies. She cares about two beings, her elderly dog, Pistachio and her best friend, Harrison. She's prickly and holds everyone at arm's length until her art teacher, "Just Carol" tries to break through Ant's facade. Ant's first-person narration will make readers alternately laugh-out-loud and cringe, especially when her lies become dangerous.

Notes from a Liar and Her Dog was named a School Library Journal best book. Her next book, Al Capone Does My Shirts was published in 2004 and won a Newbery Honor. She's written three sequels to Al Capone Does My Shirts as well as picture books and other novels. She and Katherine Applegate are co-authors of Dogtown, which is the first book in the Dogtown series. Happy reading!