2023 Reading

 January (21)

1. As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson (1/1)
2. Diper Överlöde (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17) by Greg Kinney (1/4)

3. A Leopard Diary: My Journey into the Hidden World of a Mother and Her Cubs by Suzi Eszterhas (1/5)

4. Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre (1/5)

5. The Adventures of Dr. Sloth: Rebecca Cliffe and Her Quest to Protect Sloths by Suzi Eszterhas (1/5)

6. Rewilding: Bringing Wildlife Back Where It Belongs by David A. Steen and Chiara Fedele (1/9)

7. Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (1/13)*

8. Cursed by Marissa Meyer (1/15)* 

9. A Journey Under the Sea by Craig Foster (1/18)

10. Two Degrees by Alan Gratz (1/21)*

11. To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat (1/22)*

12. I Am Ruby Bridges: How one six-year-old girl's march to school changed the world by Ruby Bridges (1/22)

13. The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett (1/22)*

14. The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach rebuilt her town in stories and photographs by Chana Stifle (1/22)

15. Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni (1/22)

16. We Are Here by Tami Charles (1/22)*

17. Holding Her Own: the exceptional life of Jackie Ormes by Traci N. Todd (1/22)

18. Wait and See by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder (1/22)*

19. True You: a gender journey by Gwen Agna and Shelley Rotner (1/22)*

20. Booked by Kwame Alexander (1/22)

21. The Cool Code by Deirdre Langeland (1/26)

February (11)

22. Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World about Kindness by Donna Janell Bowman (2/1)*

23. Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen (2/3)*

24. The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander (2/7)*

25. Melvin the Mouth by Katherine Blanc (2/14)

26. Lift Your Light a Little Higher by Heather Henson (2/15)*

27. This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender (2/19)

28. Unraveller by Frances Hardinge (2/24)*

29. Flamingo by Goujing (2/24)*

30. Leon the Extraordinary by Jamar Nicholas (2/24)

31. A Storm of Horses: the Story of Artist Rosa Bonheur by Ruth Sanderson (2/24)

32. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson (2/28)*

March (13)

33. This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi (3/2)*

34. Mary Anne's Bad Luck Mystery (Babysitters Club Graphic Novel #13 (3/3)

35. Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon by Annette Bay Pimentel (3/8)*

36. The Girl Who Ran: Bobbi Gibb the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon by Frances Poletti & Kristina Yee (3/8)

37. Winter Bunderland by James Patterson (3/12)

38. A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee (3/13)

39. The Flying Horse by Sarah Maslin Nir (3/19)

40. Inheritance: a Visual Poem by Elizabeth Acevedo (3/20)*

41. Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life by Jerry Pinkney (3/22)*

42. Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro (3/23)

43. The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden (3/30)

44. Where Have All the Birds Gone? by Rebecca E. Hirsch (3/30)

45. Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd (3/31)

April (8)

46. Awe: the New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner (4/6)

47. Dog Man Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey (4/6)

48. Loveless by Alice Oseman (4/12)

49. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (4/15)*

50. Nat for Nothing by Maria Scrivan (4/16)

51. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (4/21)*

52. The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (4/30)*

53. School Trip by Jerry Craft (4/30)*

May (13)

54. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat (5/4)

55. Bloom by Kenneth Oppel (5/9)

56. The Librarian of Auschwitz: the Graphic Novel adapted by Salva Rubio (5/10)

57. Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (5/12)*

58. Captain America: the Ghost Army by Alan Gratz (5/12)

59. Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game: a Graphic Novel by Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing (5/15)

60. We are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (5/15)

61. The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn by Sally Pla (5/23)*

62. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera (5/24)*

63. Hands by Torrey Maldonado (5/26)*

64. Every Body: a First Conversation about Bodies (5/29)

65. Bomb Graphic Novel: the Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin (5/31)

66. The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt (5/31)*

June (10)

67. The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson (6/5)

68. An American Story by Kwame Alexander (6/6)*

69. Home Away from Home by Cynthia Lord (6/9)*

70. Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy (6/9)*

71. Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow (6/13)*

72. Fry Bread: a Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard (6/16)*

73. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Bouley (6/21)*

74. Thieve's Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (6/25)*

75. When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhá Lai (6/28)

76. Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt (6/30)*

July (11)

77. The Order of Things by Kaija Langley (7/2)*

78. The House of Marionne by J. Elle (7/7)*

79. The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar (7/8)

80. Spare by Prince Harry (7/16)

81. Boobies by Nancy Vo (7/16)*

82. Barely Floating by William Rivera (7/21)*

83. Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee (7/23)

84. The Good the Bad and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone (7/24)*

85. Peace is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone (7/26)*

86. Be the Bus: the Lost & Found Wisdom of The Pigeon by Mo Willems (7/26)

87. The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett (7/29)*

August (13)

88. Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith (8/1)

89. Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper (8/2)*

90. Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisher and Nora Raleigh Baskin (8/3)

91. We are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride (8/6)

92. Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin by Tracey Baptiste (8/7)

93. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (8/10)

94. Shakti by SJ Sindu (8/16)

95. Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow (8/25)

96. American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (8/25)

97. Buzzing by Samuel Sattin (8/27)

98. White House Club House by Sean O'Brien (8/28)

99. Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz (8/28)

100. Seen and Unseen by Elizabeth Partridge (8/30)

September (5)

101. The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama (9/6)

102. Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler (9/13)

103. Ode to My First Car by Robin Now (9/20)

104. Moonflower by Kacen Callender (9/24)

105. Fire & Fate by Serena Valentino (9/27)

October 10

106. Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu by Erika Lewis (10/1)*

107. Reign by Katherine McGee (10/11)

108. Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass: the Graphic Novel by Meg Medina (10/12)

109. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (10/15)

110. Picture Day by Sarah Sax (10/17)

111. A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner (10/18)*

112. Odder by Katherine Applegate (10/20)

113. Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang (10/21)

114. The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro (10/26)

115. Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt (10/29) (SLJ)

November (8)

116. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (11/2)

117. The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate (11/5)

118. The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown (11/7)

119. DogTown by Katherine Applegate and Jennifer Choldenko (11/9)

120. The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri (11/12)*

121. Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow (11/15)*Th

122. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dunakube (11/17)

123. Out of This World: Star-Studded Haiku by Sally M. Walker (11/22)

December (12)

124. The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill (12/1)*

125. Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett (12/4)*

126. How to Bird by Rasha Hamid (12/4)*

127. Everywhere Beauty is Harlem by Gary Golio (12/4)*

128. Santa Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins (12/7)

129. Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker (12/7)

130. Rewind by Lisa Graff (12/7)

131. The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery (12/8)*

132. Standing in the Need of a Prayer: a Modern Retelling of a the Classic Spiritual by Carole Boston Weatherford (12/11)*

133. No Brainer by Jeff Kinney (12/12)

134. Fury of the Dragon Goddess by Sarwat Chadda (12/16)*

135. The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass (12/20)

Middle Grade Monday: Picture Day by Sarah Sax

Image: Penguin Random House

Picture Day by Sarah Sax. Brinkley Yearbooks #1. 288 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers, June, 2023.  9780593306888. Review of finished purchased copy.

Another late posting, sorry. Middle Grade Monday features Picture Day by Sarah Sax. Seventh grader, Viv is dreading picture day and having to wear a mom-approved outfit and hair style. She's also an aspiring influencer, and so, she chops off her hair, dyes it blue and makes a statement with her outfit. This gains her fans who also hope to be their true selves, but Viv gets a little carried away with Internet fame and her crazy ideas. This almost costs her her friendships with her long-term bffs.

The pleasing palatte, uncomplicated panels and diverse range of characters are sure to appeal to fans of Telegemeier, Miller, and Chmakova. Picture Day is a series starter and I'm looking forward to reading more from Sarah Sax.

Middle Grade Monday: The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown

Image: Hachette Book Group

The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown. 288 p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Sept. 2023. 9780316669412. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Sorry for this late posting. Too much going on health-wise. It'll all settle out eventually. Middle Grade Monday features The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown. Roz is busy protecting her island home and its denizens and awaiting the return of her son, Brightbill, when news reaches the island of a new menace, the poison tide. When Roz not only learns that she is waterproof, but immune to the poison tide, she sets out north on a treacherous journey to the source of the poison.

The first two books in this trilogy are TMS favorites and this installment was much anticipated. So far, I've received mixed reviews from fans, some love it and some are a bit disappointed. I personally loved it. I adore Roz and her unconditional love for all things. Either way, if you've read the first two books, do yourself a favor and finish the trilogy. Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri

Image: Levine Querido

The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~4 hours. Read by the author. Listening Library/ Books on Tape, March, 2023. Review of e-audio borrowed from the public library. Own the finished hard cover.

Teen Tuesday features one of my favorite titles of the year, The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri. I absolutely adored Mr. Nayeri's debut, Everything Sad is Untrue, which was published in 2020 and won the Printz Award.

His sophomore novel is narrated by Omar, a twelve-year-old monk in training, whom Samir and his caravan happen upon just as Omar is about to be stoned by his fellow monks. Samir talks the monk into releasing Omar to his custody in exchange for several bolts of silk. During their journey to Samarkand on the dangerous Silk Road, Omar, renamed by Samir as Monkey, comes to realize that Samir is basically a con man who has angered many people, some of whom vow to kill him.

This face-paced adventure is often laugh-out-loud funny, but also layered and gorgeously written. Mr. Nayeri is a top-notch narrator. I would listen to him read the phone book. That said, I did spend some time with the book. It is beautifully designed with terrific jacket art, and each chapter features an illustration. I've noticed that books published by LQ have heft, unlike the trend nowadays toward flimsy paper and bindings. 

Highly recommended! Happy reading! 

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review : The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Image: HarperCollins

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~3 hours. Read by Imani Parks. HarperAudio, May, 2023. (E-audio book borrowed from public library. HC purchased.)

Happy Monday TMS Readers! Middle Grade Monday features The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate. And now, it's Ruby's turn to tell her story. Fans of The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob will be thrilled to hear Ruby's story. While she is now safe in a sanctuary with room to roam, a herd of doting elephant "aunties," and Ivan in the enclosure next door, Ruby is unsettled about her upcoming tuskday, a ritual her aunties insist is necessary. After Ruby is visited by an important person from her past, memories of her life in Africa come flooding back. Ruby's narration, told in blank verse, with grey toned illustrations make for a satisfying sequel.

Middle Grade Monday: Odder by Katherine Applegate

Image: Macmillan

Odder by Katherine Applegate. Illustrated by Charles Santoso. 288 p. Feiwel & Friends/ Macmillan, September, 2022. 9781250147431. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! My weekend was a bit of a mixed bag. Saturday was very productive and active and HOT! The temperature rose to 81 degrees! I spent about 7 hours dealing with my leaves. The leaves drifted down continuously and I couldn't tell I even raked at the end. I still prefer to deal with them each weekend instead of waiting for them to finish falling. Sunday was a washout. Cold and rainy all day. Boo and I were very lazy. 

Middle Grade Monday features Odder by Katherine Applegate.
Ms. Applegate sure seems to have a gift for conveying the inner thoughts of animals without overly anthropomorphizing them. Odder is a young sea otter named Odder due to her penchant for exploring her sea habitat and venturing places her otter mother warned her against. She and her fearful friend, Kairi venture too far and are menaced by an adolescent shark intent on having Kairi for lunch. Odder saves her, but is seriously injured and washes up on the shore of Monterey Bay, where she is rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium staff. Readers get to know Odder as she recovers through flowing image-rich blank verse and some lovely illustrations by Charles Santoso. Readers will fall in love with this irrepressible otter as she reflects on life, especially as she comes to realize that she might not return to the wild.

Fans of the author and fans of animal stories will adore Odder. Look at that cover! Who can resist? Highly recommended!

Teen Tuesday: Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass: the Graphic Novel adapted by Mel Valentine Vargas

Image: Candlewick Press

Yaqui DelGado Wants to Kick Your Ass: the Graphic Novel adapted by Mel Valentine Vargas. Adapted from the novel by Meg Medina. 288 p. Candlewick Press, September, 2023. 9781536224771. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Moving house is always tough on a kid, but moving in tenth grade and fitting in in a new high school has to be the toughest. While Piddy Sanchez is happy to be out of her old, unsafe apartment, she's not thrilled to be at a new school and is missing her bff, who recently moved to the suburbs. On the first day of school, she learns that Yaqui Delgado wants to kick her ass. Piddy has no idea who Yaqui is or why she's angry at Piddy. Piddy is a good student, but as the threats and bullying escalate, Piddy withdraws and becomes increasingly depressed. Her single mother is at wit's end trying to figure out what is happening to her daughter, but the two constantly clash and Piddy becomes angry about her missing father. 

This graphic novel adaptation perfectly depicts Piddy's anguish in a muted palette of blues and grey. It's a painful book to read because it's very realistic. Highly recommend!

Middle Grade Monday: A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner

Image: Simon & Schuster

A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner. 368 p. Aladdin/ Simon & Schuster, May, 2023. 9781665905152. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Sorry for this late posting! Middle Grade Monday features A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner. This heartbreaking first-person narrative is difficult to classify. It's notebook design implies a journal, but it's filled with disjointed free verse and sketches depicting Will's fragile mental health since fourth grade, when a cruel classmate fat-shamed him. He withdraws, and tries to make himself invisible by dressing in the baggiest of clothing and, eventually suffers from disordered eating. This honest, unflinching portrayal of what it's like to live as a fat kid in a world that values thinness will make readers reflect on how they might treat others. It's a powerful gut-punch. Highly recommended.

Middle Grade Monday a Day Late: Moonflower by Kacen Calendar

It has been a minute since posting and while I posted this to my school's learning platform yesterday, I didn't get around to the blog until today. Beginning-of-year craziness, I guess. 

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Moonflower by Kacen Callender. 272 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., September, 2022. 9781338636598. (Own)

Middle Grade Monday features Moonflower by Kacen Callender. Twelve-year-old Moon is non-binary and selectively mute. In fact, they feel like an alien, not born of this world, but of the stars, where they escape to each night. When they tell their Earth mother that they don't want to be in this world any longer, she puts Moon into therapy.

This first-person narrative is a riveting, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful depiction of adolescent depression.

Middle Grade Monday (a day late): The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett. 336 p. Clarion Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, June, 2023. 9780063256552. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Tuesday! I posted this book talk yesterday and forgot to crosspost it here! Summer break is turning my brain to mush! Middle Grade Monday features The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett. I usually pick books to read (and buy for the library) based on reviews and word-of-mouth on social media, but sometimes, I just go into a book blindly. For some reason, I chose to read this without much pre-knowledge. I just kept seeing it popping up on social media. Man, did this book blindside me! This might be my favorite middle grade book of the year for the sheer ingenuity of the plot and the utterly endearing characters, especially our narrator, Kemi, who is a science nerd obsessed with probability.

I've spent the last half hour deciding whether or not to add more to this uncharacteristically short book talk and decided to leave it short. Discover it for yourself. Hand it to your readers who love sad. I usually end my book talks on my school's learning platform with, "Happy reading!" I didn't yesterday. This is not a happy read. It's a gut-punch; but it's exquisite. 

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!

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.

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.

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

Image: Macmillan Publishers

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image: Scholastic Inc.

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

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

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

Teen Tuesday: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Image: Penguin Random House

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

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

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

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

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

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

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

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

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

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

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

Middle Grade Monday: Hands by Torrey Maldonado

Image: Penguin Random House

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

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

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

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

Image: Scholastic Inc.

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

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

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

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

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

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

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

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

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

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

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

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