Nat for Nothing by Maria Scrivan. 240 p. Nat Enough series #4. Graphix/ Scholastic, February, 2023. 9781338715422.
Happy Monday! Middle Grade Monday features Nat for Nothing by Maria Scrivan. In book 4 of the Nat Enough series, the principal at Nat's school is all about rules and Nat seems to break them alot. It didn't help that she was late for the first day of school and in her rush forgot to change out of her bunny slippers, but then she was caught running in the halls by him. He also issued a rule that all students should be involved in an extra-curricular activity. Nat's friends have no trouble finding their "thing." Flo joins puppetry and Zoe makes the volleyball team...with Lily, her former BFF. Not only does Nat not have a thing, her friends do and she's seeing them less and less, and Zoe and Lily seem to be getting particularly tight. What is Nat to do?
There are quite a few fans of this series at my school and book 4 does not disappoint.
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!
The World Ends in April by Stacy McAnulty. 360 p. Random House Books for Young Readers, September 3, 2019. 9781524767617. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher.)
Middle Grade Monday features The World Ends in April by Stacy McAnulty. Eleanor Dross lives with her widowed dad and kid brothers. Her grandfather lives nearby and is a prepper, meaning he's a survivalist prepared for the end of the world. He has stockpiled supplies and trained his grandchildren to be prepared. Elle used to get a kick out of these drills, but lately, not-so-much. Until. Until she comes across a website posted by a former Harvard astronomer that posits that planet Earth is in the path of a huge asteroid.
The only person outside of her family that Elle is interested in saving is Mack, her bff since kindergarten. Mack is blind. He's the yin to her yang. He's chill and positive, she is so-not and prone to cynicism. Still, their friendship works. Mack insists that Eleanor involve other students in their preparation for TEOTWASKI — the end of the world as we know it. They form a "nature club" and Elle shares survival tips with the members, which include her nemesis, Londyn. As the countdown to April and collision date nears, Elle must come to terms with the fact that Mack may be abandoning her to attend a boarding school for the blind. THAT would be TEOTWASKI for Elle. If the asteroid hits, Elle won't need to worry about that. If it doesn't, not only will Elle will have a bit of a credibility problem, she will not have her single friend to help her through it.
Middle school dialogue and situations ring true in this fast-paced, compelling novel. Readers will feel for Elle, but will understand how her prickly cynicism keeps classmates at arm's length. They might even discuss what makes for credible sources on the internet! An extensive collection of back matter discusses this topic as well as other large impacts in recorded history; definitions; details about survival preparation and legitimate resources for further reading.
The World Will End in April is perfect for thoughtful readers who enjoyed the author's earlier, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl (which I LOVED) or stories about misfits, middle school and friendship.
