Middle Grade Monday: The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla.  336 p. Quill Tree Books/ HarperCollins Publisher, July 11, 2023. 9780063268814. (Review of arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  It's the penultimate Monday of the school year for me and I am ready for the break. Middle Grade Monday features The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGuin by Sally J. Pla. Thirteen-year-old Maudie always looks forward to summers because she spends them with her dad in his cabin in California. She's autistic and he accepts her the way she is and doesn't belittle her the way her mom and now, her new step-father do. Almost immediately, her dad senses something is not right and asks Maudie if she's okay. Maudie is not okay, but has been sworn to secrecy by her mother. Then comes the wildfire. Maudie and her dad have to evacuate the cabin. They head down the coast to her dad's hometown. Her dad's best friend runs a trailer park and puts them up in a trailer while her dad tries to find work. Maudie spends her days at the beach getting up the courage to ask local surf legend, Etta for lessons. She wants to win the beginners surf contest at the end-of-summer bash. There's prize money and it might be enough to help her dad and maybe stay with him instead of returning to Texas.

This first-person novel unfolds quietly as Maudie copes with her traumas. Short chapters with poems interspersed throughout reflect Maudie's thoughtful insights. They also ratchet up tension as she gradually reveals the secret she carries. Readers will root for Maudie as she gains confidence, learns to surf and makes friends. Other characters are equally endearing and wonderfully supportive of Maudie. 

The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn releases on July 11. I adored this book. Put it on your radar. It would be a great SEL title and perfect for any school, classroom or public library. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

Image: Penguin Random House

Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick.304 p. Penguin Young Readers Group, May, 2020. 9781984815316. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick. Our thirteen-year-old narrator, Frankie, lives in Long Beach, a Washington State seaside town, with her twin sister in an inn that her mother runs with her boyfriend. Frankie is autistic and has ADHD. In order to avoid taking medication, she's working very hard to control her emotions. But it's difficult and she's not always successful. She recently lost her only friend, Colette, to her sister, Tess. Tess is the nice one, the easy one. Frankie can be prickly.

Ever since a tornado touched down near her school when she was five, Frankie has been obsessed with them and a show about tornado chasers. She relates to them as she feels her brain often twists around like a tornado. When Colette goes missing, Frankie learns that she may've been the last person Colette saw. Frankie is determined to follow the few clues Colette left behind even if it gets her in trouble with the police and her family.

It's sometimes hard to follow Frankie's logic and her roundabout way of speaking. Readers will grow to appreciate her tenacity as she persists in seeking answers even when the adults around her insist that she's wrong. 

Tornado Brain is available to borrow through Inter-Library Loan (ILL) and is available through ebccls in an e-book format. The e-audiobook is available to place on hold. I might reread this one with my ears because it's narrated by a favorite audiobook reader of mine. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Get a Grip Vivy Cohen by Sarah Kapit

Image: Penguin Random House

Get a Grip Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, February, 2020. 9780525554189. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features a debut called Get a Grip Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit. This is an epistolery novel. That means it's told in letters. In this case, it's letters as well as emails that Vivy writes to her favorite MLB pitcher, VJ Capello. Not only do they share initials, but VJ is famous for his knuckleball pitch and Vivy has a good one. Her older brother taught her how to pitch but it's getting harder and harder to get him to toss the ball with her in the park. A Little League coach spots Vivy pitching one day and asks her to join his Little League team. Vivy is interested even though the coach's son, who is a classmate, does not look happy. Neither is Vivy's mother, who worries that Vivy won't fit in. Not only will she be the only girl, she will be the only autistic player. Vivy is prone to having meltdowns when she gets frustrated. Vivy promises she will work hard with her therapist on her social skills if she's allowed on the team.

Readers get to know this feisty knuckleballer through her letters and emails to her hero. There's some good baseball in this story, but readers do not need to love baseball to enjoy the book. Vivy is trying to live her best life in a world that is often unkind to those who are not neurotypical.

Get a Grip Vivy Cohen! is a great addition to any collection!

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Bad Best Friend by Rachel Vail

Image: Penguin Random House

Bad Best Friend by Rachel Vail. 308p. Viking/ Penguin Random House, March, 2020. 9780451479457. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Bad Best Friend by Rachel Vail. Ava and Niki have been bffs since third grade when Ava moved to Maine from Los Angeles. Niki sort of dumped Holly for Ava back in third grade and now, it seems Ava is dumping Niki to belong to the popular group headed by Britney. The reader follows Niki, through her first-person narration as she navigates life without Ava and deals with life at home, where her fourth grade brother is having issues of his own. 

Ms. Vail's strengths as an author shine here. She has created a community of interesting characters with relatable problems. She mixed in humor and affection, resulting in a fun, fast read. If you love stories about family, school and/ or friendship, you will love Bad Best Friend! So endearing!

#tbt: Rules by Cynthia Lord

Image: Scholastic

Rules by Cynthia Lord. 224 p. Scholastic Inc., February, 2007. 9780439443821. (Own.)

#tbt features Rules by Cynthia Lord. Rules was Ms. Lord's debut novel and won both a Newbery Honor and the Schneider Family Book Award in 2007. It is the story of a twelve-year-old girl named Catherine, who is regularly embarrassed by her brother, who has autism. She creates a list of rules he must follow and he does try. The question is, "What is normal, really?" Rules is loosely based on her own family. She has two children, a girl and a boy. Her son is autistic and her daughter was often embarrassed by him. Her many novels gently explore issues and almost always are rooted in themes of kindness. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: We Could be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan

Image: Simon & Schuster

We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan. 256 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster, February 25, 2020. 9781534445253. (Review of arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Middle Grade Monday features We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan. Hank Hansen isn't a fan of his teacher. She's reading a really, really sad book aloud to the class and it stirs up lots of emotion in Hank, who has some trouble processing strong feelings. When Hank gets into trouble for trying to set the book on fire in the boys' bathroom, his classmate, Maisie thinks that maybe Hank has the "meatballs" to help her on her mission - to free her neighbor's dog, Booler. Booler has seizures and spends his days tethered to a tree in the backyard of her elderly neighbor. Hank likes rules and doesn't like lying. But he also has no friends and Maisie offers the possibility of friendship. Plus, her mom and dad are geologists who keep cool rocks around their house and Hank's favorite thing is choosing three rocks from his collection to carry around in his pocket each day. 

There's a lot to like in this debut. Quirky characters? Check. Dog possibly in need of rescue? Check. Grumpy old neighbor? Check. Misunderstandings? Humor? Warm hearts? Check. Check Check. I just loved the dynamic between Hank and Maisie and found myself laughing out loud frequently. 

If your students like a great friendship story with humor and a small adventure, they will enjoy We Could be Heroes. One of the fifth grade LA teachers is always looking for read alouds that feature a hidden disability. I am passing this on to her. There is much to like here and I can imagine rich classroom discussion. 

Look for We Could be Heroes on February 25, 2020.

#tbt; Rules by Cynthia Lord

Rules by Cynthia Lord. 208 p. Scholastic Inc., February, 2007. 9780439443821. (Own)

#tbt features Rules by Cynthia Lord. Rules was Lord's debut and was published in 2007. In early 2008, it won both a Newbery Honor and a Schneider Family Book Award. Since then, it has been named to six state book awards. Rules is the first-person narration of Catherine, who is twelve and has an autistic brother, David. Catherine loves David but resents the time and energy his parents need to devote to him. She's also embarrassed by his outbursts. She takes comfort in her art and write a set of rules for David to follow if he ever becomes "normal." The novel is loosely based on Lord's own family and inspired when her daughter asked why families like theirs were never portrayed in books and on television.

Arc Review: Al Capone Throws Me a Curve by Gennifer Choldenko

Al Capone Throws Me a Curve by Gennifer Choldenko. ATale from Alcatraz #4. 240 p. Random House Children's Books, May 8, 2018. 9781101938133. (Review from arc courtesy of author.)

Moose Flanagan is pumped. There are just a few days before the end of his eighth grade year, then it'll be summer and lazy days filled with baseball. He and his mainland pal might have an in with the high school baseball team. 

As usual though, there are complications. The warden asks to meet with him and requests that he "keep an eye" on his daughter, Piper, who is back from boarding school. Fans of this remarkable series know what trouble Piper can be. Of course, Moose agrees because he's Moose - ever polite and always counted on to do the right thing. 

Later, he learns that his acceptance on the baseball team hinges on proving he knows Al Capone. Though most of the team is willing for him to join, their ringleader seems bent on extortion - promising a place on the team for ever increasing costs, impossible to achieve souvenirs, like a photo with Capone. 

Natalie's seventeenth birthday is coming up and his mother seems super depressed about it. Moose doesn't understand why his mom insists on dressing Nat like a ten-year-old but he also can't wrap his head around the makeover Mrs. Trixie gives Natalie. Nat's been doing really well at school learning to do things like make eye contact and read emotions; but she still has that stubborn streak and meltdowns are always a threat.

Setting, plot and characters are a few elements that need to be well-honed for a story to be great. Author Choldenko nails all three in each of her tales from Alcatraz. The prison island springs to vivid life in her hands, even without the helpful photos and historical notes at the end of each book. 

Now let's talk characters. Since December of 2008, when I started keeping track, I have read roughly 3120 books. I've worked in school libraries since 1998, so a conservative total for the last twenty years would be a little over 6000 books. Of those, there are few books I would ever take the time to reread. Tales from Alcatraz are four of them.

There are even fewer characters who reside in my heart. Moose Flanagan was one of the first to take up residence and each Tale from Alcatraz cements his place more. Moose is the James Stewart of children's literature. His earnest first-person narrative brims with heart and humor. He wants to see the best in everyone and wants to do the right thing by those he loves. His father is his hero and his love for his sister is fierce and complicated. Through Moose's voice, all the characters on Alcatraz are fully developed, flawed and complicated. 

One might think that plot would suffer for all this character development. Not so. All the books in the series are tightly plotted but this one was a white-knuckle read for easily the last half of the book thanks to a prison strike, threatened riot and Nat's propensity to go missing. 

And there were tears, many tears.

The planned trilogy turned into a quartet and Al Capone Throws Me a Curve would make for a fine conclusion for the Flanagan family. But I can't help but hope that Moose isn't done with Gennifer yet.

ETA: I read Al Capone Shines Does My Shirts before I started blogging. Click here for my review of Al Capone Shines My Shoes and here for Al Capone Does My Homework. Click here for Chasing Secrets. The first book of Gennifer's that I read was Notes from a Liar and her Dog. I also read her mind-bender No Passengers Beyond This Point. While not all reviewed, all highly recommended.

Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko

214 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Young Readers Group, August 20, 2013. 9780803734722. (Arc provided by the author.) 

It's January, 1935 on Alcatraz Island. Moose Flanagan's dad has just been promoted to Assistant Warden and Moose thinks things might be looking up for the Flanagans until he discovers that the inmates have a game where they earn points for insulting employees, or worse, and the higher up the employee, the higher the points. As if that weren't enough to worry Moose the worrier, Darby Trixle was counting on getting that promotion and now he and his wife seem to be gunning for Natalie, especially after a suspicious fire guts the Flanagan's apartment.

Did Natalie set the blaze? Moose can't admit to his parents that he fell asleep when he was supposed to be watching Natalie. If she didn't set it, then who did? What does the message Moose found in a drainpipe mean? Where is Piper getting the money to buy presents for Moose and his friends? And, why is Al Capone, aka #85, writing cryptic messages in his notebook?

The author has created a unique, vivid, slightly surreal and claustrophobic world filled with memorable characters. Morally ambiguous folks reside on either side of the prison wall and Moose tries to parse it all while trying to protect those he loves. I just loved every second of this final book in the Tales from Alcatraz trilogy and was so tempted to swallow the thing whole. Personally, I wouldn't mind if this trilogy morphed into a quartet should the author find more to tell...


Moose Flanagan is one of my favoritest of favorite characters in children's literature. He's earnest and thoughtful, athletic and intelligent. He's also way, way wise and responsible beyond his years thanks to having an older sister who's autistic, although autism was not well understood back then. His parents, as nice as they are, rely on Moose to handle Natalie far too much. And Moose takes on far too much. He understands Natalie in ways adults do not, but that doesn't mean that he's also not baffled by her. Feelings between siblings can be fierce and complicated but none so fierce and complicated when anger and guilt are factored into the equation.

Though I read and fell in love with Al Capone Does My Shirts back in 2004, way before I started blogging, I may have mentioned once or twice how I was rooting for it to win the 2005 Newbery. I was lucky enough to receive an arc of its sequel, Al Capone Shines My Shoes, which I adored just as much, if not more. I am not the most objective reviewer when it comes to Moose.

So here I am, gifted with an arc of Al Capone Does My Homework. I need to disclose that one of my students and I are credited with giving Ms. Choldenko the idea for the title. I can honestly state though, that I would've adored this book anyway. 

A bit of history: In 2006, I read a piece in Horn Book Magazine by Ron Koertge entitled, Unlikely Titles. His list tickled me, so I shared the article with my students and challenged them to come up with some unlikely titles of their own. Al Capone Does My Homework was one of the better submissions. I don't recall how I let Ms. Choldenko know about it, but she remembered (!) and wrote (back in 2008 or so) to ask if I could credit the student so she could send him or her an arc of Al Capone Shines My Shoes. Unfortunately, the student I thought wrote it said he hadn't. He couldn't recall who did and I didn't keep the papers. Lost, lost, lost. This student would now be completing his sophomore year in college. Perhaps he or she will see the book in a book store this August and think, "Huh! What a coincidence. I remember when Mrs. Kahn had us make up some unlikely titles and look at that!" Maybe this student will send me an email. Then, I could heap accolades upon this student and get him or her in touch with the author and we would all live happily ever after.

The connections we all make are kind of cool. The trilogy is fine storytelling. Just today, a fifth grader noticed the arc on my desk and said, "Wait, is that a NEW Al Capone book?" Multiple copies are on my order for the next school year and should be on yours as well.