Middle Grade Monday: The Moon without Stars by Chanel Miller

Image: Penguin Random House

 

The Moon without Stars by Chanel Miller. 256 p. Philomel Books/ Penguin Young Readers, January, 2026. 9780593624555. Review of finished book borrowed from pubic library. 

Seventh grader Luna is well aware of her outsider status. She might be even comfortable with it. After all, she has her bff, Scott to walk to school and sit with at lunch. They sit under a tree, where Luna observes the interactions of the "popular crowd" with some fascination. 

After she read all the books that she was given by the family of a girl in town who had died, Luna wonders what to do with them. She decides to give them away, but carefully. She becomes a "book doctor," prescribing books for her classmates - a middle school "right book at the right time for the right reader," if you will. Soon, she finds herself in demand for these books and she wonders how she can help more people. So she creates a zine and Scott illustrates it. 

The zine takes off and eventually, Luna catches the eye of the popular crowd. At first, she splits her time between them and Scott, but eventually ditches him altogether; but being in the popular crowd has its price and as the stakes grow, Luna is unsure of her place in it.

This was such a spot-on depiction of middle school friendship dynamics. I loved Luna's voice. I loved her friendship with Scott and ached for him when she ditched him for the popular crowd. Middle school readers will find much to relate with in this engaging, heartfelt story. I picked it up after reading some Newbery buzz about it. The buzz is well-deserved. 

Teen Tuesday: If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Happy Tuesday! Teen Tuesday features If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth. Mr. Gansworth's YA debut, published in 2013, is set in 1975. The Beatles just broke up and Lewis "Shoe" Blake's world is rocked by this. The twelve-year-old just loves the Beatles and music. He also moves between cultures every day where he lives in abject poverty with his mother and uncle on the reservation and is the only Indian kid in his Gifted and Talented class. Add his wry and sardonic humor to the mix and Lewis is pretty much an outcast. Enter George Haddonfield. George grew up on military bases all around the world. He's used to moving and used to meeting people from diverse backgrounds. He also loves music and the Beatles and wants to be Lewis' friend.

Readers who like a leisurely paced story will love this story of identity and friendship and music. Readers who prefer a faster pace should stick with it, because it's just lovely. Here's a link to my review from 2013, where I pulled tons of quotes that resonated. I think I need to reread this one. 

Middle Grade Monday: Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Image: Penguin Random House

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~ 4.5 hours. Narrated by Jax Jackson. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, April, 2021. 9780593346310. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Monday! How did everyone in the northeast fare with all that rain from Henri? It was the perfect day to read yesterday and it looks like today will be more of the same. I finished a fantastic YA debut fantasy yesterday and plan on finishing a debut contemporary YA today.

Middle Grade Monday features Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff. Mr. Lukoff's middle grade debut is difficult to classify. This first-person narrative is part ghost story and part coming-of-age story. It's pace is leisurely, thoughtful and very relatable. First off, Bug lives in a haunted house and the family is fine with that-well, Uncle Roderick is, but Bug's mother? She's skeptical. Bug totally buys in. Now, Bug thinks Uncle Roderick's ghost might be lingering after he died of cancer. Why? What's he trying to say?

Middle school is looming and Bug's bff, Moira, wants to try make-up and make-overs to make a fresh start. Bug avoids mirrors like the plague and isn't interested in make-up or boys. Obviously, this causes friendship friction. Moira has a lot of other friends, but Bug, not so much. What is it about Bug that makes it so hard to fit in?

I'm being purposefully vague here in an effort to preserve the surprises in this satisfying tale. I'm eager to hear what my students think when I add it to our collection. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

Image: Simon & Schuster

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner. 272 p. Aladdin/ Simon & Schuster, September, 2019. 9781534431454. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features a debut graphic novel, The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner. Moth Hush doesn't fit in at school. Her single-mother is silent about her father or any other family. It has always been just the two of them. But when Moth suddenly comes into her magic while being bullied on Halloween, her mother reveals that she comes from a long line of witches dating back to Colonial Salem. Moth's grandmother fled into a portal to live under the protection of Hecate but Moth's mother decided to leave. She forbids Moth from practicing magic but Moss finds her diary. With the help of a talking black cat, begins training herself. What could go wrong? 

This graphic novel coming-of-age story is quite relatable even if you don't have magical powers. Inventive and engaging. The story is unique with compelling characters. The arc's art was in black and white but samples show lush coloring. 

Audiobook Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Abertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Abertalli. Unabridged audiobook on 6 compact discs, 6.75 hours. Read by Michael Crouch. Harperaudio, April, 2015. 9780062415097. (Review from audiobook borrowed from public library)

So this title has been languishing on my tbr list probably since it was announced as a Morris Award finalist. I am so-o behind in my YA reading! Anyway, I've grown to become quite the Michael Crouch fan and when I looked him up and saw that he had narrated this baby...click went the submit button on my ILL (Inter-Library Loan). I picked it up Monday, just before heading to the D.C. area for a Scholastic Reading Summit. I read (with my ears) most of a mg book on the way down; finished it whilst driving to the Manassas and Antietam Battlegrounds and read about 2/3s of Simon vs. ... on my drive from Gettysburg home. I was so wrapped up by this gem of a story that I popped it out of my car cd player and finished the last two discs in one sitting in my house because I did not want to wait for errands requiring use of my car. 

Chapters with Simon's first-person narration alternate with strings of email between Simon and Blue, the anonymous boy he "met" by commenting on his post on their high school's Tumblr. Neither one is out, but they have an instant online rapport and Simon begins to look forward to Blue's next email. And it's that that gets him in trouble. He couldn't wait to read Blue's email, so he logs onto a computer in the library to read it. He forgets to log out, leaving the email for the next user to read. Turns out, it's Martin Addison and Martin wants something from Simon.

There's something about Simon that makes him instantaneously likable. I believe that were I reading with my eyes, I would've swallowed this book whole. Michael Crouch's performance tripled Simon's likability. Simon is laid back, bright and funny. He asks interesting questions like why do heterosexuals not need to "come out." He finds his parents affectionately annoying, misses his older sister, Alice, who is away at college and worries a bit about his self-possessed younger sister, Nora. He's got two best friends in Lia and Nick and the three have enfolded new-girl, Abbey into their midst. It's Abbey that Martin has set his sights on and he blackmails Simon into helping him get close to her.

I've mentioned before that Crouch is my new favorite voice. When I looked up his work, I was so surprised to find that he is, in fact, not new to me! I thought that I first came to his work in Salt to the Sea, where he voiced the POV of the despicable German Navy Seaman, Alfred. Turns out, he also narrated Richard Peck's The Best Man and Loot by Jude Watson and Lily and Duncan by Donna Gephart. He also narrated The Haters by Jesse Andrews. I enjoyed each and every one of these and look forward to hearing more of his work. Crouch has great female voices as well. I find that female voices show weaknesses in most male narrators who tend to create either annoyingly breathy voices or caricatures.

There is so much to love in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in addition to Simon. The writing is fluid. The dialogue is smart. The characters are unique and memorable. While the title is a tad mature for middle school - there's some refreshingly frank talk about sex and sexuality - keep the title in mind for that savvy, mature eighth grader. I get one or two each year who would be able to handle it.

Arc Review: When We Was Fierce by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

When We Was Fierce by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo. 382 p. Candlewick Press, August 9, 2016. 9780763679378. (Review from arc courtesy of the author.)

When author and film maker, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo posted a query on FB about who might want an arc of her upcoming book a few months ago, I jumped at the chance. Only the arc languished on the tbr pile whilst I completed books and reviews I had deadlines for. But shortly after getting ready to pack for ALAAC16, I cracked the book open one night before turning in. By page 48, my heart had already broken several times; I already adored Hilda and Theo; but then came the revelation. And I had to close the book because it hurt too much for the first of many times. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

The book opens with Theo, our fifteen-year-old narrator and his friends, fresh from a pick-up b-ball game witnessing the brutal beating of Ricky-Ricky at the hands of Money Mike. Theo knows he should steer clear, but he's worried about Ricky-Ricky, who's a bit slow and stutters and wouldn't hurt a fly. Theo crosses the street to check on Ricky-Ricky.

   And I kneel down to Ricky-Ricky quick
     Couldn't make out his face
     'cause he was so wet with blood.

     I musta' gone pale 'cause I felt the color float.

     'Ricky-Ricky," I shook him. "Get up, you fool."

     And the second I looked close at Ricky-Ricky,
     to see if he lost his breath,
     the quick clunk of those black boots met my face.
     And whoosh.
     Just like that.
     The earth spun. (p. 13)

Verse novels tend to lend themselves to fast reads. Not so When We Was Fierce. Firstly, there was the problem of my constantly breaking heart, and subsequent need to close the book to breathe. Secondly, this sheltered, suburban white girl felt like she was reading a foreign language. The syntax and the rhythm though beautiful, were unfamiliar. I found myself spending so much time decoding that I was failing to understand what I was reading. I began to wonder if there would be an audiobook that I should wait to listen to so that I could understand and appreciate what I was trying so hard to read. (That's the way I got through Dickens.)

Instead, I leaned in and Listened. Once, I clicked with the cadence of the language, I kept it slow anyway. And I dog-earred many, many pages in order to go back and revisit moments - of revelation, of sadness, of humor (that Hilda is a force of nature), of tenderness, and of admiration for what e.E. Charlton-Trujillo has done here. She has provided a compassionate, yet unflinching depiction of the brutal, often short lives of the inner city poor. 

When We Was Fierce not only has a courageous, wise and winning narrator in Theo, but a host of vivid, memorable main and secondary characters. The aforementioned Hilda, Theo's widowed mom who works several jobs and has high hopes for Theo and his pregnant sister, Monica. Monica, strong, bright and honest, owning her mistake and trying to decide what is best. Even Theo's deceased father, Tony looms large as Theo tries to man up and also be the man his father was. Odds are truly stacked against him and he knows it. He is eloquent and wise beyond his years.

He fears for the well-being of his friends, Catch and Yo-Yo, step-brothers caught in a cycle of vicious abuse at the hands of Pinky. He sees the light in Catch's eyes extinguishing and mourns the loss of his friend. That they are all marked by Money Mike because Theo insisted on checking Ricky-Ricky haunts him.

Once I finished, reading the ending through tears, I wiped my eyes, reread the ending and started the book again. It has been several days since I finished, but images are seared into my very being. Most of the folks in Theo's world have taken up permanent residence in my heart (right close by Angie from Charlton-Trujillo's 2013, Fat Angie and Miguel, Rondell and Mong from Matt de la Peña's 2009, We Were Here). I look forward to rereading this literary masterpiece many times both with my eyes and with my ears. This raw, gritty, powerful, eloquent, important, timely book needs to be read by EVERYONE. 

ETA: If you ever get the opportunity to view e. E.'s documentary, At-Risk Summer, please do so. There's a trailer on Never Counted Out the not-for-profit organization founded and run by her in response to the kids she visited while on book tour for Fat Angie. If you can, drop a donation or a box of new books by. It's a great cause.

Arc Review: Silence is Goldfish by Annabel Pitcher

Silence is Goldfish by Annabel Pitcher. 343 p. Little, Brown and Company, May 15, 2016. 9780316370752. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher).

I fell in love with Tess' voice from the memorable first line, "There must be a list on the Internet of what to buy when you're running away, but my phone is typically dead, like I swear it just passes out whenever things get stressful." 

Self-aware and insecure, snarky and keenly observant, Tess plans on running away after accidentally learning that she is not her father's biological daughter. She gets as far as a convenience store where she ponders said list, purchases a goldfish-shaped flashlight, chickens out about running away and returns home with her tail between her legs. 

She has always been a pliable, eager-to-please daughter to her opinionated, over-involved father and supportive mother.  So what if she doesn't really want to play a lost boy to his Capt. Hook in a local theater production? After all, he's always had her welfare at heart. But after reading those 617 words on her father's computer, words he intended for a blog post for the Donor Conception Network, she wonders if her whole life has been a lie. 

Her life at school is not much better. She has one friend, the cello-playing, Lord of the Rings-loving, fan-fic writing, word-nerd Isabel. She has never brought her home because a friendship with Isabel would be be a disappointment. Instead, she has created an imaginary friendship with Anna, the resident Queen Bee mean girl. 

When Tess realizes that it is easier to become mute than to attempt to explain her confusion and rage or ask difficult questions, she brings some unwanted attention to herself at school. While the silence does have some benefits, it brings with it some unintended consequences. As Tess' life spirals out of control, the goldfish flashlight that she names Mr. Goldfish, becomes, not only a talisman, but the only one Tess can speak to as she plunges headlong into a search for her "real" father.

This coming-of-age novel is deeply moving. Not only does it have its laugh-out-loud moments, thanks to Tess' wry observations, but readers will wince for Tess during her many cringeworthy experiences. Even though her character is what drives the book, the adults around her are complex and flawed. It is gratifying to watch Tess sort these folks out. While the pace might be a tad slow for some, the interior dialogue is rich, the writing is lovely and Tess! Oh, Tess is so intriguing - endearing yet maddening. Thoughtful teen readers will find much to enjoy.

Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington

280 p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, August 20, 2013. 9780316210584. (Review from arc obtained at ALA Annual)

As a first line, "You've never met anyone like me," is intriguing, but not one to pop in the "memorable first line" file. It's the second one that grabs you. "Unless, of course, you've met someone who survived her mother trying to drown her and now lives with an alcoholic father."

Whoa. Twelve-year-old Sarah Nelson keeps two diaries, one hidden in plain sight, which is reassuringly mundane to any prying adult eyes. The other is carefully hidden and contains her true hopes and fears, one of which is a fear of insanity. After all, her mother went insane. She is constantly checking herself for the crazy gene she is sure will manifest itself at any time. She also keeps a list of "trouble" words. "Crazy" is a trouble word and so is "love." Sarah learns which words are trouble words by the reading the hurt in her dad's eyes before he retreats to the sofa and his bottle. 

Sarah may be your prototypical caregiver child, wise beyond her years and good in the kitchen, but she is lonely and so very needy as she ends her sixth grade year with little to look forward to come summer save an extended visit to her grandparents' house in Houston (not). She is definitely not looking forward to seventh grade and the mandatory Family Tree project. How is she going to explain her family? She and her dad move around a lot thanks to her mother's notoriety. She's kind of hoping they will move before she has to face this project.

She gets a little lift when her language arts teacher asks the class to write letters to a literary character. Sarah chooses Atticus Finch and derives almost as much comfort writing to him as talking to her best friend, Plant, as in house plant. To Kill a Mockingbird is her favorite book and Atticus Finch is the perfect father. 

Things also start looking up when her father decides that she can stay home and spend her days with Charlotte, their twenty-year-old neighbor who is home from college. She feels a kinship with Charlotte and confides some of her secrets only to feel dismayed when Charlotte shares them. Still, it was nice to have Charlotte to turn to when she started her period. And then there's Finn, Charlotte's word-loving nineteen-year-old brother. Seven years is not an insurmountable age difference, is it?

Just when I think I've had enough of quirky characters along comes Sarah to melt, break, and warm my heart. Sure the subject matter is dark, dark, dark. Oh my goodness, so much grief in this tiny family! She's basically an orphan as she is also fatherless, since her father copes with his own grief by drowning it in alcohol. This causes Sarah to have additional worries - about the alcoholism gene. Somehow, Karen Harrington manages not to overwhelm the reader in sadness. Sarah is a survivor. She instinctively created the family she needed. While events beyond her control have forced her to grow up too soon, she's also facing all the fears large and small that girls face as they leave girlhood behind - her changing body, best friend worries, her first crush. 

Still, the novel is solidly middle grade. There is much that will resonate with tween readers. They will love Sarah. Indeed, all of the characters, major and minor, are memorable. As I read, I thought of my cadre of rising sixth graders who just love sad books. The sadder the better. They are going to pass this one around come September.

Sure Signs of Crazy has already garnered two starred reviews: from Kirkus(!) and Booklist. I haven't seen an SLJ review, but suffice it to say, were I reviewing it for SLJ, I would've given it a star.

Not much out there in the blogs that I follow. Visit the author's website here. There's a nice interview of the author here.

Quick note about the cover: I love it. I liked the cover on the arc (see below) but the final cover pops.