Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

Image: Penguin Random House

Teen Tuesday features Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee. Ms. Lee is author of The Downstairs Girl, which I LOVED and featured in a Teen Tuesday post last year. Here, she uses the fact that there were eight Chinese passengers aboard the Titanic as inspiration for this layered, deeply moving narrative.

Seventeen-year-old Valora Luck has a first class ticket on board the maiden voyage of the Titanic, only she cannot board without her employer, as Valora works as a lady's maid. The problem? Her employer died after purchasing the ticket. Val wants to use her ticket to board, reconnect with her twin brother, Jamie and find a way to audition for Ringling Brothers' circus. 

Val and Jamie's Chinese father taught them juggling and acrobatics, skills the twins used when money was tight and their dad was drinking too much. Val has a couple of other problems as well. She doesn't have a passport and even if she had one, the racist Chinese Exclusion Act would make it all but impossible for Val and Jamie to enter in the U.S. Still, Val is determined to board. She spies an opportunity to put her acrobatic skills to good use and stows away. One eagle-eyed passenger witnesses this.

April Hart is intrigued. She's an American designer of haute couture clothing and doesn't fit society's expectations for women of the time. She has a plan and wants Val's help. Can Val trust April? How will Val find Jamie in Third Class? Will Jamie agree with Val's pie-in-the-sky plans? And, what will happen to Jamie's good friends if he does decide to join Val?

Ms. Lee's tale unfolds from Val's POV and it's engaging from the start. Val is plucky and blunt. She's a survivor and totally devoted to her brother. The setting is vivid and suspense is high as Val shuttles between the cabins in First and Third class. She dons disguises and switches accents as she searches for a way to make her plan work. Characters are richly developed and some are endearing, which makes the author's warning at the beginning of the book, eight Chinese passengers boarded, six survived, all the more ominous.

 I read this one with my ears and loved how the narrator effortlessly switched accents and languages! For me, listening to a book read by a narrator fluent in both languages heightens my appreciation. I tend to skim over foreign words and phrases, but listening draws my attention. There were times when plot conveniences threatened to take me out of the story, but Val's voice brought me right back in.

Fans of Ms. Lee's earlier books as well as fans of historical fiction will love Luck of the Titanic. Warning: there will be tears. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Image: Hachette Book Group

Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Once and Future series #1. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~10 hours, 55 minutes. Read by Lauren Fortang. LBYR/ Hachette Audio, March, 2019. 9781549178863. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Regular readers of this blog might know that I'm a fan of King Arthur retellings. The legend gets a gender-bending, sci-fi twist here and it's utterly delightful! Ari Helix is on the run from the Mercer Corporation, which literally controls the galaxy. Planet Earth has been abandoned, Ari's planet has been destroyed and her parents murdered. She has been raised by two adoptive mothers and adored Kay, her adoptive older brother. 

The two are eluding capture when they crash-land on Earth. Ari finds a sword embedded in a stone, yanks it out and discovers that she is the forty-second incarnation of King Arthur. This awakens Merlin, Arthur's mentor and wizard. He has been aging backward and is now a teen-age boy.

The pace is whiplash fast, the humor is high and surprises abound. I had no idea what to expect going into this. I hadn't read a review. I just knew it was a King Arthur retelling. This book sizzles and that cliffhanger ending left me needing the next installment ASAP! The good thing about coming to a series later is not having to wait for the sequel. Sword in the Stars is in my Libby queue. I cannot wait.

Once and Future is not quite middle school fare. Mature teens who are into King Arthur, science fiction and/ or lgbtq literature where the sexuality of characters is not the issue will go gaga over this adventure. Once and Future was my final book of 2020. What a way to end a reading year. Highly recommended!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Image: Penguin Random House

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~ 9 hours. Read by Sarah Skaer, Kate Reinders, David Garelik and Julia Whelan. Listening Library, November, 2020. 9781984842152. (Review of downloadable e-audio borrowed from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Cousins by Karen M. McManus. Milly, Aubrey and Jonah are the Story cousins and hardly know each other. Their parents are not close and they have never met their grandmother, though Milly is named for her. Twenty-five years earlier, their parents were disinherited abruptly, receiving notes saying, "You know what you did." They didn't, but they went on with their lives always wondering.

Now Mildred Story has had an apparent change of heart. Each cousin receives a type-written note, signed by their grandmother, inviting them to spend the summer working at her resort on an island she basically owns. None of the cousins want to go, but their parents make clear that they are going.

Once they finally meet the famed Mildred Story, the cousins get the distinct impression that she has no interest in a reconciliation. So why are they there? 

My students who love the mystery/ thriller genre love Karen M. McManus' books, One of Us is Lying and Two Can Keep a Secret are rarely on the shelf. (One of Us is Next came out last spring while we were in quarantine.) The Cousins is paced differently. The menace isn't quite as immediate, but mystery and secrets abound. The cousins have their secrets, as do their parents, but their grandmother might have the biggest one yet. 

The POV switches between the cousins. There are also flashbacks to the summer before their parents were disinherited, which shows they were rather spoiled super-rich kids. We learn through their rather damaged children that none matured much. All the narrators bring the unique personalities alive making this an entertaining mystery to read with my ears. I'm eager to share this with my students and learn what they think!

Teen Tuesday: The Conference of Birds by Ransom Riggs

Image: Penguin Random House

Teen Tuesday features The Conference of Birds, the fifth novel of the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs. This book opens with Jacob on the run with Noor Pradesh, a new Peculiar but one who is sought after by the Peculiars' enemies because she is the subject of a prophecy. The tension is high from the very first page as Jacob goes against Miss Peregrine's directive and sneaks out to rescue Noor. Noor has recently become Peculiar and she's baffled, terrified and missing her foster mother, V, whom H told Jacob with his dying breath to find. Mysteries pile up and with very few clues to follow, Jacob and the Peculiars very survival is at stake. Of course, the ending is a cliffhanger! Stay tuned to Waiting on Wednesday to find out.

The books really should be read in order to fully appreciate the world and characters that Mr. Riggs created. They are just the ticket for readers who love eerie and horror. I read this one with my ears and Kirby Heyborne was back to narrate. He is one of my favorite narrators and does such a terrific job performing these books.

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~3 hours, 35 minutes. Read by Anthony Ray Perez. Quill Tree Books, April, 2020. 9780062971852.

Middle Grade Monday features Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros. Efrén, our twelve-year-old narrator lives with his undocumented parents in a tiny apartment with his five-year-old twin siblings, Mia and Max. His parents work hard to support the family and are loving and involved. Erfén enjoys school and does well. All this changes when ICE raids his Amá's workplace and she is deported. Now Efrén's Apá has to take on more work and Efrén is tasked with increased responsibility while the family explores ways of bringing Amá home, for the U.S. is really home.

This timely and touching book is the author's debut and it has been getting a fair amount of award buzz. I wouldn't be surprised if it wins something next Monday. Mr. Cisneros paints a vivid picture of a working-class, poor immigrant family rich in culture and love who are hopeful and striving for a better life. Readers will empathize with Efrén as he attempts to balance school with caring for his twin siblings, one of whom has some attention and behavior issues and relate to his grief and fear for the well-being of his family. There are moments of heart-melting mushy joy that somewhat leaven the moments of tension and sheer terror.

Narrator Anthony Ray Perez paces his performance well and beautifully conveys Efrén's love and worry for his family. This is a book that belongs on all library shelves. Timely, relevant, important. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~13 hours, 48 minutes. Read by Avi Roque. Macmillan Audio, September, 2020. 9781250619129. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Sixteen-year-old Yadriel is a transgender boy who lives in a cemetery with his extended family of brujas and brujos. He is determined to become a brujo, even though his father does not acknowledge him as his son. He held a secret initiation ceremony with his best friend, Maritza. After his cousin is brutally murdered, the brujos set out to find his ghost in order to set him free. Yadriel hopes to find his cousin in order to prove himself to his father. Instead, he accidentally summons Julian, a bad-boy classmate who was also murdered around the same time. Julian has unfinished business and no idea who killed him. He teams up with Yadriel and Maritza to find out. 

This deeply nuanced and sparkling debut was such a surprise to me - suspenseful and laugh-out-loud funny as well as tear-inducing! I loved this book and highly recommend it to mature teen readers. The East LA Latinx community is vividly drawn. The magic is oh-so-believable. The characters are unique and memorable. I really did not want this story to end. I was happy to learn that the author might be working on a sequel of sorts. 

I must admit that I had to get used to the narrator's staccato delivery. I thought that I inadvertently upped the speed of audiobook. I soon got used to it. There's an absolutely adorable interview/ love fest between the narrator and the author at the end of the audiobook. 

The Cemetery Boys is a first-purchase for any collection serving teen readers. 

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Image: Penguin Random House

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~ 6 hours. Read by Greta Jung. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House, January, 2020. 9780593155455. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Monday! I enjoyed the wintery sunshine this weekend and took lots of walks with Boo! I hope your weekend was fantastic.

Middle Grade Monday features When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller. Lily's widowed mother has decided to move the family of three from California to Sunbeam, Washington to care for Lily's grandmother, whose health is declining. Lily loves Halmoni, especially her stories, but she wants to stay in California for seventh grade, not start all over in Washington. Lily has a superpower though. She can become invisible - the QAG - quiet Asian girl. She's so unlike Sam, who is outgoing and can make friends anywhere.

When Lily sees a tiger at the side of the road near Halmoni's house and the tiger seems to be watching Lily, she knows Halmoni will understand the meaning. Instead, Halmoni tells Lily that the tiger is after her because she stole something from her long ago and now the tiger is back to reclaim what was stolen. Lily and her new friend, Ricky set out to trap a tiger.

Fans of magical realism will adore this exquisitely written story-within-a-story. If you loved Where the Mountain Meets the Moon or The Girl Who Swallowed the Moon, you will love When You Trap a Tiger. Warning: I was a weeping mess near the end, so make sure there are tissues handy. There has been a bit of Newbery buzz around this one and deservedly so.

The narrator's performance was well-paced and she had distinct voices for the different characters as well as for the tiger folk tale that interspersed the narrative. My only question has to do with her pronunciation of Halmoni. It sounded like Harmony and when I looked up the pronunciation online, each source pronounced it the l. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord.  Unabridged digital audiobook. ~ 10 hours. Read by Dan Bittner and Emily Shaffer. Macmillan Young Listeners, 2020. 9781250262752. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from public library)

Teen Tuesday feature Tweet Cute by Emma Lord. Fans of romance will just eat up this updated twist on You've Got Mail. 
Seventeen-year-old Pepper was unwillingly transplanted to New York City from Nashville four years earlier when her mom's burger joint, Big League Burger hit the big time. Even though the franchise has someone to manage their social media, it's Pepper that they and her mom turn to. She's a genius at managing - the great grades, the swim team, almost anything but navigating the streets of New York and friendship.

Jack lives in the shadow of his identical twin brother, Ethan. Jack can't understand Ethan's gravitational pull. He's also resentful of having to constantly cover for his twin working the family business - a small East Village deli called Girl Cheesing. When Big League Burger announces a new menu item on Twitter that looks like it has been stolen from Girl Cheesing, Jack fires off a tweet. And then, it's war.

The two classmates don't realize at first that they are behind the tweets that launched the war. They also don't realize that they've gotten close corresponding on an app that Jack developed called Weazel, where classmates get to connect anonymously before the app reveals their identities.

While there's a lot a angsty fun, this is not a totally breezey romance. Debut author, Ms. Lord does a deep-dive into the myriad of issues the use and mis-use of social media have spawned. The novel is also peopled with interesting characters and an energetic New York vibe. It's a story that keeps the reader guessing to its inevitable romantic end. Warning though: don't read while hungry. I've been on a grilled cheese kick since reading this.

Tweet Cute was such so refreshing and delightful. I'm eager to read more from Ms. Lord. 

The audiobook performances were well-paced. Both narrators sounded appropriately young and engaging. 

2020 Audiobooks

I thought I had read more with my ears this year than last Turns out, I did not. I read 95 last year! This year, I read some really long audiobooks though. 

January (5)
1. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia (1/4)*
2. Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi (1/13)
3. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (1/18)*
4. The Story That Cannot be Told by J. Kasper Kramer (1/19)
5. Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater (1/28)

February (8)
6. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (2/1)
7. Nikki on the Line by Barbara Carroll Roberts (2/4)
8. Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson (2/8)
9. Torpedoed by Deborah Heiligman (2/11) 

10. Dig by A.S. King (2/16)
11. Maybe by Morris Gleitzman (2/17)*
12. Birthday by Meredith Russo (2/19)*
13. All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor (2/29)

March (5)
14. If I was Your Girl by Meredith Russo (3/2)
15. Fat Girl on a Plane by Kelly Devos (3/11)
16. Strike Zone by Mike Lucia (3/16)

17. Mistakes were Made by Stephan Pastis (3/24)
18. The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (3/29)*

April (8)
19. A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Conor (4/4)*
20. One of Us is Next by Karen McManus (4/7)
21. We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson (4/8)
22. The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman (4/13)*
23. Birdie and Me by J.M.M.Nuanez (4/16)
24. The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (4/19)*
25. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (4/21)

26. Sparrow by Mary Cecelia Jackson (4/26)

May (9)
27. Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams (5/2)*
28. Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes by Roshoni Choksi (5/7)
29. When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (5/8)*
30. The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead (5/10)*
31. Red Hood by Elena K. Arnold (5/13)
32. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay (5/17)
33. Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Said (5/21)
34. The Girl in the Locked Room by Mary Downing Hahn (5/23)
35.  Rick by Alex Gino (5/24)

June (10)
36. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare (6/1)
37. The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan (6/7)
34. Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker (6/7)

38. Stamped: racism,anti-racism and you by Jason Reynolds (6/9)*
39. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (6/14)

40. We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly (6/16)*
41. Infinity Son by Adam Silvera (6/21)
42. The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzie Lee (6/22)
43. The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg (6/26)
44. Loveboat, Taipei by Abigal Hing Wen (6/30)

July (9)
45. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee (7/4)

46. The Summer of Jordi Perez (7/7)
47. My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi (7/10)
48. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (7/14)
49. The Black Flamingo by Dean Attas (7/14)*
50. The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton (7/18)
51. The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe (7/25)*
52. The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais (7/26)
53. Burn by Patrick Ness (7/30)*

August (9)
54.  You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson (8/3)*
55. Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai (8/5)

56.  A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow (8/8)

57. I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee (8/11)

58. Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz (8/15)

59.  Faith Taking Flight by Julie Murphy (8/17)

60. The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake (8/19)

61. What If It's Us by Becky Albertali and Adam Silvera (8/24)*

62. American Royals by Katharine McGee (8/31)

September (5)

63. The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu (9/6)

64. Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech (9/6)*(Audio reread)

65. Parachutes by Kelly Yang (9/12)

66.The Room Where It Happened by John Bolton (9/23)

67. Love, Creekwood by Becky Albertali (9/25)

October (4)

68. 10 Things I Hate about Pinkie by Sandhya Menon

69. Majesty by Katharine McGee (1018)

70. How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi (10/27)*

71. King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (10/31)*

November (8)

71. When They Call You a Terrorist (Young Adult Edition): a story of Black Lives Matter and the power to change the world by Patrisse Khan-Cullors (11/3)*

72. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson (11/6)

73. Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia (11/10)*

74. Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson & Kwame Alexander (11/11)*

75. How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi (11/14)

76. The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan (11/20)

77. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (11/26)

78. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (11/29)*

December (10)

79. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (12/6)

80. When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (12/8)*

81. The Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (12/15)

82. The Best of Me by David Sedaris (12/21)*

83. The Conference of Birds by Ransom Riggs (12/25)

84. Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros (12/26)

85. The Colossus of Roads by Christina Uss (12/27)

86. Once Upon an Eid edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Said (12/28)*

87. Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy (12/31)*

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: American Royals II: Majesty by Katherine McGee

Image: Penguin Random House

American Royals II: Majesty by Katherine McGee. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~13 hours. Read by Brittany Pressley. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio, September, 2020. 9780593216866. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday TMS Readers! I hope you are enjoying the break and reading a lot! I also hope that the sky is clear enough to see the last full moon of the year. The thirteenth full moon of 2020, known as the Cold Moon will rise at 4:12 and achieve full brightness at 10:30. You can also catch it as it sets tomorrow morning at 7:52. Mother Nature has not been kind to us regarding all the amazing celestial events that have been occurring lately - the lunar eclipse, the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter and the Ursids meteor showers.

Teen Tuesday features American Royals II: Majesty by Katherine McGee. Majesty is the eagerly awaited conclusion to American Royals, which was featured on a Teen Tuesday on Election Day. Any plot synopsis will spoil the ending for American Royals, so I will just say that surprises are in store for fans of the first book. Devious plans are afoot that will test the confidence of a couple of major characters. 

All-in-all, I loved the development of all the main characters, even the unredeemable ones. For a romance, these two books were nuanced as well as breezy fun. I was surprised to learn that Majesty is considered the conclusion of this series though. There were lots of loose ends that weren't so neatly tied up, in my opinion. Oh well. I enjoyed the alternate history aspect very much as well as the fast pace and tabloid fun of this book. 

Again, the narrator did a fine job maintaining the pace and tone.

Teen fans of romance and royal-watchers will find lots to like in these two books. 

Middle Grade Monday: The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan

Image: Disney Books

The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan. Trials of Apollo #5. Read by Robbie Daymond. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~12 hours. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio, October, 2020. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library. Purchased hard cover.)

Happy Winter Solstice TMS Readers! Today marks the longest period of darkness and the beginning of winter. Starting tomorrow, we get a bit more daylight each day. Also, the forcast is for cloudy skies, so we might not get to see the show that Saturn and Jupiter are putting on tonight.

Middle Grade Monday features The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan. Yes, TMS Readers, the Trials of Apollo series has come to an end. Lester Papadopoulos and Meg have been through A LOT and now have to face their final challenge back in New York - Nero's lair. Will Meg have the strength to resist Nero, her abusive step-father? Will the campers at Camp Half-Blood rally around Apollo when the odds of them walking into a trap and not walking out are high? Can Lou be trusted? No spoilers here!

If you have not read the first four books in this rollercoaster of a series, then you absolutely must. It's hard to believe that The Tower of Nero marks the fifteenth book set in the Percy Jackson world. It's also hard to believe that it has come an end. Fear not Riordan fans, Uncle Rick has hinted at a few stand-alone novels, so let the predicting commence! Will Nico and Will get their own book? How about the Artemis crew or maybe Piper? Then there's Chiron's cryptic line at the end about a severed head and a cat that is also promising. Stay tuned!

I must admit that this series seemed never-ending. It is not my favorite, though it did grow on me as did Robbie Daymond as narrator. He does have quite a range of voices. 

Teen Tuesday: Ten Things I Hate about Pinky by Sandhya Menon

Image: Simon & Schuster

Ten Things I Hate about Pinky by Sandhya Menon. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~11 hours, 7 minutes. Read by Vikas Adam and Soneela Nankani. Simon & Schuster Audio, July, 2020. 9781797108759. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Hardcover book purchased.)

Teen Tuesday features Ten Things I Hate about Pinky by Sandhya Menon. Ms. Menon is becoming queen of YA rom-coms with her fourth book. This dual-narrative from the points of view of Pinky Kumar, social justice warrior with a penchant for neon dye and bad boyfriends, and Samir Jha, a buttoned-up and Harvard-bound meticulous planner.

Pinky's spending the summer in her beloved Cape Cod with her extended family. While she loves her cousin to pieces, Pinky's getting tired of constantly being compared the her cousin with her perfect grades and perfect behavior. When not-so-Miss-Perfect sneaks out to be with a boy and the family barn burns to the ground thanks to an errant candle, Pinky gets blamed for the fire. Pinky, stuck between ratting out her cousin or taking the fall, invents a fake boyfriend - one her buttoned-up corporate lawyer mother would approve of. Now, the problem is, just how will Pinky make him materialize? Then she thinks of Samir.

Samir's in Washington D.C. panicked when his dream summer internship with a law firm falls through. His mom really didn't want him to go and he really doesn't want to return home to spend the summer under her over-protective gaze. He's surprised to receive a text from Pinky and even more surprised to learn of her plan for him to spend the summer in Cape Cod pretending to be her boyfriend. He's no fan of Pinky's. In fact, she and her impulsive ways drive him crazy but he doesn't want to return home. What could go wrong?

This breezy, fluffy fun was ably narrated by the two narrators. I did wonder why both narrators were chosen yet again to narrate this one. All these books take place in the Dimple and Rishi universe and they narrated the other books. They are all standalone books narrated in the first-person and neither narrator varied their voices. Both are fine narrators but I felt that the same character narrated all the books.

If you like YA romance, Ten Things I Hate about Pinky or any other book by Sandhya Menon is just what you need.

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia

Image: Disney Books

Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia. Tristan Strong #2. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~9 hours. Read by Amir Abdullah. Listening Library, October, 2020. 9780593149614. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Middle Grade Monday features Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia. This sequel to Mr. Mbalia's debut blockbuster, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is even better. That's saying something because I loved the first book. If you've read it, you will definitely want to read the sequel and if you haven't, what are you waiting for?

Tristan Strong has been back from Alke for a month, still staying on his grandparents' farm and still training with his grandfather. He's still filled with self-doubt and acknowledges that he's probably suffering from PTSD. After a "friendly" sparring match gets a bit rough, Tristan's grandmother is kidnapped and taken to Alke. Reluctant as he is to return to Alke, he has to rescue his grandmother! He hopes to get advice from John Henry, but he is a shell of the man Tristan came to admire. So, it's up to Tristan, Ayanna and the irrepressible Gum Baby to get things done. 

Mr. Mbalia seamlessly weaves African mythology and African American folklore into a seat-of-your-pants adventure. While often humorous, there is real trauma here both cultural and personal. Perceptive readers will appreciate the power of storytelling and remembering. The mind-blowing ending of this installment will leave readers panting for the next!

Amir Abdullah's performance does not disappoint! It's perfectly paced and emotionally engaging. 

Fact Friday: When They Call You a Terrorist: a story of Black Lives Matter and the power to change the world by Patrice Khan-Cullors

Image: Macmillan

When They Call You a Terrorist: a story of Black Lives Matter and the power to change the world by Patrice Khan-Cullors and asha bandele [sic]. Adapted by Benee Knauer, with a forward by Angela Davis. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~7 hours. Read by the author. Macmillan Young Listeners/ Macmillan Audio, September, 2020. 9781250772077. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features When They Call You a Terrorist: a story of Black Lives Matter and the power to change the world by Patrice Khan-Cullors. This emotionally gripping memoir is adapted from Ms. Khan-Cullors' best selling, award-winning memoir originally published for an adult audience in 2018. This book is absolutely required reading for anyone who is interested in social justice, equity and equality. 

Ms. Khan-Cullors' was a social justice advocate who, with several like-minded friends posted a hashtag that became a movement that, incredibly, branded her a terrorist. Through journal entry excerpts and photos, readers learn about circumstances and events that shaped Ms. Khan-Cullors' life. The reading isn't always easy, her life was hard, her family was economically insecure, her brother was troubled; but her resilience is impressive and her attitude is hopeful.

By choosing to read this one with my ears, ably narrated by the author, I missed out on the viewing the photos, but will remedy that when I purchase the book for my school library. This book is a first-purchase for any library seeking to provide anti-racist, social justice informational literature for patrons.

Teen Tuesday: What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~9 hours, 48 minutes. Read by Noah Galvin and Froy Guitierez. HarperTeen, October, 2018. 9780062855091. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. This dual narrative is told from the POV of Arthur, an Atlantan with Ivy-league aspirations who is in NYC for an internship in a high-powered law firm and Ben, a native New Yorker who lives with his working-class parents in Alphabet City and is stuck in summer school with his ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend. The two meet cute at the post office where Ben is trying to mail a box of his ex's belongings back to him. Unfortunately, they go their separate ways without exchanging contact info. But neither of them can stop thinking about the other. With the help of some internet savvy friends, the two finally reconnect. Their first date is a disaster, but they decide on a do-over - twice before wondering if the universe is toying with them. 

This rom-com is laugh-out-loud funny and sweet, but also explores issues that can get in the way of romance. Arthur and Ben are surrounded by smart and supportive friends (OMG, Dylan!) and family and the NYC setting is vibrant and hip. 

The performances were perfectly paced and added to the appeal of the book. I was definitely late to the party with this, but sure am glad I finally got here. Fun, breezy, angsty, and endearing. 

Teen Tuesday: American Royals by Katharine McGee

Image: Penguin Random House

American Royals by Katharine McGee. 464 p. Random House Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, September, 2019. 

It seems apropos on this Election Day to feature an alternate history. What if George Washington were made king of the newly formed United States of America instead of elected president? Teen Tuesday features American Royals by Katharine McGee. This is pure escapist fun. King George the Third and his family rule America. George's father abolished the ascendancy rule of first male as heir to the throne, so his eldest, Beatrice, will become America's first queen someday. She trains for that role with purpose and dedication. Her parents give her a file filled with eligible royal men to consider as husband material. There's a slight problem though. Beatrice has fallen for a commoner.

Meanwhile, Beatrice's fraternal twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson, are taking a gap year between high school and college. Jefferson enjoys his role as America's most eligible bachelor and Samantha is considered the family rebel.

The fast-paced narrative switches POV and keeps the action lively. The reader is treated to court intrigue and shenanigans. This is the first in a series which is sure to charm. I read this one with my ears and really enjoyed it. The narrator's breezy style matched the breezy tone of the book. The nice thing about coming to a series later is that the wait time for book two is shorter. I placed a hold on the sequel right away! Review coming soon.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

Image: Penguin Random House

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~632 m. Read by Lauren Ezzo. Listening Library, March, 2020. 9780593155103. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. TMS's many fans of Ms. Lu's science fiction/ dystopian may do a double-take when they learn that this fantasy has its roots in history and veers more toward fairy tale and magic than science. It is the story of Nannerl Mozart, music prodigy and older sister to Wolferl. Their father hopes to gain the patronage of wealthy families and so, travels with his two children all over Europe. When Wolferl's talents begin to surpass his older sister's, Nannerl sees her father's attention wane and soon realizes that she will be expected to abandon music to marry and have children. She is, in fact, the more talented having turned to composing.

A pretend game the two play about an imaginary kingdom called Back comes to life and beckons both children. Here everything mirrors their own life and yet it different, slightly more sinister. A boy named Hyacinth sees into Nannerl's soul and promises her she will never be forgotten if... She must perform three tasks for him. Doing so may put Wolferl at peril. 

After a bit of a slow start, the world of 18th century Europe and the life of musical artists is brought to vivid life and infused with magic when melded with the mirror world. The complicated sibling relationship was well drawn. At times, I felt a bit of tell and not show poking through, but that might have been the narrator's fault. Otherwise, the narrator's quietly musical delivery was pleasing to hear and there was real tension and suspense. 

I'm very interested to see if the author's die-hard fans give this a go. I can't wait to share the title with my serious music students as well as fans of historical fantasy. Intriguing.

Middle Grade Monday: Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone

Image: Penguin Random House

Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone. 320 p. G. P. Putnam's Sons/ Penguin Random House, July, 2020.

Happy Monday TMS Readers! I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful autumn weekend we just had!

Middle Grade Monday features Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone. School Dress Codes, while well-intentioned can be tricky - open to interpretation, inconsistently enforced or worse, certain students can become targets. When eighth grader Molly and her friend were wearing the exact same outfit and the vice-principal cited only her friend, Molly knew the dress code was unfair. When another friend, Olivia was cited for wearing a tank top, the vice-prinicipal did not want to hear that she removed her sweatshirt to cover a period stain. She cancelled the eighth grade trip, as she had threatened to do. Now the entire eighth grade hates Olivia. Molly knows she has to do something. But what? She starts a podcast and interviews girls who have been unfairly singled out. At first, girls were reluctant to speak, but then some former students even returned from high school to talk about how sexist and unfair the dress code was. But what next? Molly's desire for social justice is awakened and she's going to find a way to change the Dress Code.

Firestone portrays middle school dynamics perfectly in this sharp, slyly hilarious first-person narrative. Molly is so-o relatable and persistent. She just might inspire some readers to act toward social justice in ways large and small.

Teen Tuesday: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Image: Macmillan

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow. Tor Teen/ Macmillan, June, 2020. 

Teen Tuesday features A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow. BFFs and sisters by choice, Tavia and Effie are juniors in their Portland, Oregon high school. Not only are they dealing with the social perils that high school brings, but both are hiding secrets. Tavia is a siren in a world that is hostile to them. In fact, a siren was recently murdered and her killer will probably elude prosecution. Effie isn't sure which mythical creature she is, but plays a mermaid in a local Ren Faire and is crushing on her cosplay prince. Contemporary social justice issues are expertly woven into a compelling story about Black girl friendship and magic for mature teen readers. This dual narrative rachets up the tension right up to its startling conclusion. Innovative and intriguing!

Teen Tuesday: Burn by Patrick Ness

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Burn by Patrick Ness. Unabridged audiobook. ~10 hours. Read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt.Quill Tree Books, June 2020. (Review of downloadable e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Burn by Patrick Ness. Mr. Ness, ever the experimenter, blends dragons from fantasy with parallel universes from sci-fi with Cold War history and a dash of noir in a 1957 rural Washinton State setting. Sarah Dewhurst has enough to deal with being bi-racial in a small town and keeping her budding romance with the only Japanese American boy in town a secret. Her father's farm is failing, especially since her mother's death. He has hired a dragon, a Russian dragon, named Kazimir to help. Dragons and humans exist under an uneasy truce, but a Russian dragon! Kazimir may be working for gold, but he's also there due to a prophecy. In a parallel story, Malcolm, a teen acolyte in a cult called the Believers, sets out to make his way across the country to a small farm in Washington State. He's being pursued by two shadowy FBI agents. Malcolm does not want to, but he will kill anyone who interferes with him reaching his target - Sarah Dewhurst.

The complex plot takes a bit of time to come together. Stick with it. Because when it does, your mind will be blown!