Middle Grade Monday: Enemies by Svetlana Chmakova

Image: Yen Press

Enemies by Svetlana Chmakova. 224 p. Berrybrook Middle School #5. JY/ Yen Press, September, 2022. 9781975312725 (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! The snow sure was pretty this morning with the waning full moon shining on it. Just enough to say that winter is here and not enough to have to shovel. Middle Grade Monday featuers Enemies by Svetlana Chmakova. This is book # 5 of the Berrybrook Middle School series that began with Awkward. The series is quite popular at my school.

Felicity is a talented artist and loves being in Art Club. She has a bff and a group of friends that she games with. She does have a habit of not finishing what she started and this sometimes lands her in hot water with her parents. Her "perfect" little sister, Letty, lords it over her constantly and the two often fight about it. Felicity convinces Tess to join the Entrepreneur Club because there's a big prize at the end. This leads to some conflict because Felicity keeps shooting down Tess' ideas and doesn't come up with her own. Plus, Tess' attention is focused on the boys in the club, which includes her gaming friend and a former friend, now enemy.

Ms. Chmakova has an eye for middle school drama and a great ear for dialogue. Her characters are diverse (the club advisor is non-binary and the book store owner is in a wheelchair as two examples), and complex. The art tends toward muted and anime-style. This book will have wide appeal. It's a must-read for fans of the series, but non-fans can drop in anywhere in the series and get hooked themselves. Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Enemies by Svetlana Chmakova

Image: Yen Press

Enemies by Svetlana Chmakova. 256 p. Berrybrook Middle School series #5. JY/ Yen Press, September 27, 2022. 9781975312725

Happy Wednesday TMS Readers! I am so excited about today's Waiting on Wednesday title! The Berrybrook Middle School series continues with Enemies this September! It releases on my birthday, no less, and I can't think of a better present. Awkward, the first book in this abecedarian series was published in 2015 and immediately became a TMS favorite thanks to its terrific art and relatable themes of friendship and middle school drama. Brave followed two years later and Crush was published in 2018. Diary is not part of TMS library collection because it's basically an illustrated diary meant for the reader to use.

Publisher synopsis of Enemies: Felicity’s sure she’s going to do something big. Exactly what is still a mystery, but she’ll figure it out. Her sister, Letty, teases Felicity that she never finishes stuff, but that’s just because Letty is so perfect. Still, life is good with plenty of friends -- drawing with the art club and playing games with her buddies keep her busy. But when she decides to join a contest to show Letty that she CAN get things done, Felicity begins to wonder if friends becoming enemies is easier that she thought. Are they really enemies, though…? What does it even mean to be enemies? And...who is it that she needs the most on her side...?

Middle Grade Monday: Crush by Svetlana Chmakova

Image: Yen Press

Crush by Svetlana Chmakova. Berrybrook Middle School series #3. 240 p. JY/ Yen Press, October, 2019. 9780316363235. (Review of purchased finished copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features Crush by Svetlana Chmakova. Fans of Chamakova's middle grade debut, Awkward and its sequel, Brave will be thrilled to return to Berrybrook Middle School. Crush focuses on Jorge. He's probably the biggest kid in school and his size can be intimidating; but he's also the sweetest person ever. He uses his size for good and is happy hanging with his two best friends. Lately though, when he crosses paths with a certain girl, he finds he's a bit off his game. Add to that, a shifting dynamic between the boys and you've got plenty of authentic middle school drama. Fans will eagerly await another installment of The Berrybrook Middle School series.

This endearing series is just getting better with each book! Jorge is a great character. The dialogue is spot on. The art is energetic and colorful. And the issues are relatable. I hope the series continues.

Crush is a first purchase! Multiple copies will be necessary to keep up with demand.

The Daily Booktalk: Middle Grade Monday: Brave by Svetlana Chmakova

Brave by Svetlana Chmakova. 248 p. Yen Press, May, 2017. 9780316363174. (Review from finished copy borrowed from public library).

Earlier this summer, I came across Awkward by this author and liked it enough to checkout its sequel of sorts, more a companion graphic novel, Brave. 

Brave is Jensen's story. He's the chubby outcast in the art club, the one who is obsessed with sun spots and teased mercilessly about it. Jensen is a hero in his own mind but he's just starting to get an inkling that the friends he thinks he has just aren't. He thought he belonged in art club, but he's teased mercilessly. He's always daydreaming so he misses important parts of lessons, especially math. He's never picked when partners need to be chosen for project, so when the dynamic duo who run the school newspaper seem to need him, he's like a puppy dog. 

This installment of stories from Berrybrook Middle School is even better than the first! Jensen is such an endearing character! The middle school dialogue and drama ring true. I just know these won't sit on the shelf at my library for long. (I've ordered them.) I hope there are more books coming from Berrybrook Middle School!