Middle Grade Monday: Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Parachute Kids: a Graphic Novel by Betty C. Tang. 288 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc. April, 2023. 9781338832693. (Review of finished, purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! We finally had a weekend without rain here in northern NJ! Saturday was mostly cloudy, but thankfully windless and mild. I spent most of the day raking and blowing leaves. I almost finished them all, but darkness fell and I had no energy left. I took a nice hot bath, but was still so sore on Sunday, I couldn't finish the little bit I had left. Oh well. I did take a nice long walk in the woods with Boo though.

Middle Grade Monday features Parachute Kids: a Graphic Novel by Betty C. Tang. Ten-year-old Feng-Li Lin is excited about her family's trip to California. She can't wait to visit Disney Land. She and her siblings are unhappily surprised when they hear that only their father will be returning to China. Mrs. Lin will remain behind with the children, who will attend public school, learn English and have better opportunities. Then Mrs. Lin application for a Visa extention is denied. She leaves Feng-Li's sixteen-year-old sister, Jia-Xi, who speaks some English, in charge and returns home to China. You can probably imagine how hard it is to move household internationally, but can you imagine doing so without your parents? This graphic novel is based upon the author's experience as a "parachute kid" in the 1980s. An author's note defines parachute kid, a situation is when parents send their children to another country to live with either relatives or family friends.

The art is bright and energetic and keeps the reader engaged. The themes of fitting in and identity are relatable, even if this aspect of the immigrant experience might be unfamiliar. I had never heard the term before and found the entire situation very scary, as so much can go wrong even when the country and language are familiar! 

Parachute Kids: a Graphic Novel should have wide appeal and is recommended for all collections. Happy reading!

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: The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs

Image: Sourcebooks

The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs. 368 p. Sourcebooks, September 6, 2022. 9781728238449. (Review of arc courtesy of author.)

Happy Monday! Happy Labor Day and happy book birthday tomorrow to The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs. This sequel picks up immediately after the ending of The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, which was the author's debut and won a Pura Bel Pré Honor. (Spoiler alert.) Petra, her abuela, little sister and baby brother may have made it across the river and out of Mexico, but their troubles are far from over. 

The refugee camp is getting more and more crowded and smallpox breaks out. The refugees are given a choice to either return to Mexico, where the revolutionaries are gaining ground or find a job and move on. Each decision the family needs to make is daunting. Petra's abuela leans toward returning, but Petra, armed with her talisman, her baby diamond, argues in favor of following her father's directions to start anew in the U.S. The family moves on to San Antonio, where they find a place hovel to rent while Petra looks for work. With each step away from Mexico, she worries about her father-whether he's still alive after having been forced to fight for the Federales, and if so, how the family will reunite. Most of all, she wishes to learn to read, something her abuela calls barefoot dreams.

Though this story, based on the author's family takes place in 1913, issues of immigration, the plight of refugees, and racial prejudice unfortunately persist.

Petra is resourceful and resilient; so much so that readers might forget that she's only twelve-years-old. While she feels responsible for her family, her sister and abuela do their fair share as well, something Petra occasionally forgets. She and her family continue to form community wherever they go as they try to forge a new life in America. There is so much to love here.The voice is engaging and short chapters move the story along, helped by colorful secondary characters and setting. An author's note follows. Finally, I just think that cover is gorgeous!

Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15th. I try to book talk diverse books all year long, but these thirty days are a good time to celebrate and highlight stories around Hispanic people and culture. Petra's story is sure to inspire. Both books belong on any library shelf. Highly recommended! Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Bluest Sky by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Image: Penguin Random House

The Bluest Sky by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. 320 p. Random House Children's Books, September 6, 2022. 9780593372791.

Waiting on Wednesday features The Bluest Sky by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. Publisher synopsis: A boy and his family must decide whether to remain in Cuba under a repressive government or risk everything for the chance of a new beginning in this gripping story from the award-winning author of The Red Umbrella.

There are two versions of Héctor: the public and the private. It’s the only way to survive in communist Cuba—especially when your father was exiled to the U.S. and labeled an enemy of the people. Héctor must always be seen as a fierce supporter of the regime, even if that means loudly rejecting the father he still loves.

But in the summer of 1980, those two versions are hard to keep separate. No longer able to suppress a public uprising, the Cuban government says it will open the port of Mariel to all who wish to leave the country—if they can find a boat. But choosing to leave comes with a price. Those who want to flee are denounced as traitors by family and friends. There are violent acts of repudiation, and no one knows if they will truly be allowed to leave the country or not.

So when Héctor’s mother announces that she wants the family to risk everything to go to the United States, he is torn. He misses his father, but Cuba is the only home he has ever known. All his dreams and plans require him to stay. Can he leave everything behind for an unknown future?

In a summer of heat and upheaval, danger and deadly consequences, Héctor’s two worlds are on a collision course. Will the impact destroy him and everything he loves?

Christina Diaz Gonzalez's great-grandmother, great-uncle, and extended family came to the U.S. through the Mariel boatlift. She vividly remembers meeting them all for the first time in the summer of 1980 and is proud to share this part of her family's history.

I just now realized that this storyline is very similar to my "Middle Grade Monday" post. Total coincidence and there's room on the library shelves for similar stories. 

Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday: Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas

Image: Macmillan

Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas. Unabridged audiobook, ~6 hours. Read by Anthony Rey Perez. Dreamscape Media, September, 2021. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Monday! Happy August 1! Wow! Where did July go? Middle Grade Monday features Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas. Twelve-year-old Cumba narrates this relatable and emotionally resonant story. He lives with his extended family in the mountains of Cuba. He loves his family, the mountains and his country, but the year is 1961. Fidel Castro ousted the dictator Batista, but, as his grandfather said, the country traded one dictator for a new one. Priests have been expelled from the country, soldiers roam the streets encouraging neighbor to spy on neighbor and Cumba is almost of age to join the Young Rebels, where he will be forced to travel to Russia for training. His parents decide to obtain forged documents and send Cumba to Miami to stay with a relative. Cumba doesn't want to leave his family, is terrified of being discovered and knows very little English. Once settled in Miami, Cumba learns to navigate the streets of the city, makes friends, and starts school, all the while missing his family terribly.

Anthony Rey Perez's softly understated performance matched the tone of this quietly touching story perfectly. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy Cumba's story, which is based in part on the author's father's experience as a young boy.

Teen Tuesday: We are Not from Here by Jennie Torres Sanchez

Image: Penguin Random House

We Are Not From Here by Jennie Torres Sanchez. 368 p. Philomel/ Penguin Young Readers Group, March 2020.

Happy Tuesday! I hope you got out and about in the delightfully breezy weather after school yesterday. Latinx Heritage Month continues and Teen Tuesday features We Are Not From Here by Jennie Torres Sanchez. This searing novel is a gut punch. It grips the reader from page one and often tightens its grip so unbearably, you will need to put the book down and remind yourself to breathe. Not gonna lie - this is a tough read for a mature teen reader. But it's relevant and important.

Three teens, Pulga, Chico and Pequeña are cousins, best friends and found family. Chico's mother died tragically, so Pulga' and Pequeña's step in to raise and protect him. They are dirt poor and live in a terrible neighborhood run by Rey and his gang. Pequeña has caught Rey's eye and has no choice in the matter. Pulga and Chico witnessed Rey murder a beloved shopkeeper and now have to join the gang or risk death.

There's no way out. Or is there? Pulga has been studying maps and the route of La Bestia, a perilous train, difficult to board and hang on, but which promises transportation nearer to the U.S. border. Worst of all is the terror of knowing if they get caught and returned home, death awaits them.

This is an unflinching read that shines a light on tough issues facing thousands of people who risk their lives in search of a new start and relative safety in the U.S.

We are Not from Here published last year and earned at least four starred reviews, made quite a number of "Best" lists, including New York Public Library's and was named a Pura Belpré Honor. Highly recommended! Pulga, Chico and Pequeña won't soon leave your heart-space. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Come on In: 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home edited by Adi Alsaid

Image: Inkyard Press

Come on In: 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home edited by Adi Alsaid. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~6 hours, 57 minutes. Read by multiple narrators. Recorded Books, November, 2020. 9781705011140. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! Teen Tuesday features Come on In: 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home edited by Adi Alsaid. Mr. Alsaid and other YA #ownvoices authors explore the hot button topic of immigration, belonging and home in this thoughtful and thought-provoking collection of short stories. In one story, two best friends out for a joy ride find themselves stopped at a random ICE checkpoint and their friendship is tested. In another, a high school student on her way to Geneva with her teacher and classmates, is pulled from the security line and interrogated by TSA. Many reflect on having to deal with the question, "Where are you really from?" even when they were born in the U.S. The authors and settings are diverse and reflect a variety of experiences and emotions. Teen readers will be enriched by reading this collection.

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan

Happy Tuesday! Spring is definitely in the air! I walked my hounds at 5:15 AM and the sky was lightening. I didn't need a hat and gloves. The sun is setting later and later. I saw a robin yesterday and a scrawny ground hog at 7AM this morning. 

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan. 248 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., April 6, 202.978133858087. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Teen Tuesday features Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan. Seventeen-year-old Zara Hossain moved to the U.S.with her family from Pakistan when she was two so that her physician father could finish his medical training. The hospital where he works in Texas has sponsored his green card, which the family anxiously await. 

Zara is the only Muslim at her conservative Catholic school, where she deals with microaggressions daily as well as overt racism from alpha male, Tyler Benson. She tries to fly under the radar and hasn't confronted Tyler due to her immigrant status, but one day, she spots him cornering a new classmate from Colombia and she can no longer stay silent. This selfless act sets in motion a series of events that cascade into near tragedy, prompting Zara to question whether the U.S. can really be her home.

Zara is a fierce, intelligent, articulate main character. Her parents are involved and supportive of her. This first-person narrative is hard to read at times, but equally hard to put down. Ms. Khan explores many timely issues from immigration policy through Islamophobia and homophobia. Thoughtful teen readers will have much to ponder.

The book is due to publish on April 6.

Fact Friday: When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamad

Image: Penguin Random House

When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. Illustrated by Victoria Jamieson and Iman Geddy. 264 p. Dial Books/ Penguin Random House, April 14, 2020. 9780525553915. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. Omar Mohamed fled his village in Somalia after his father was murdered by soldiers and his mother went missing. He and his younger brother, Hassan, who is non-verbal, walked to a refugee camp in Kenya. Omar did his best to protect his vulnerable brother but life in the camp was filled with boring days, empty stomachs and waiting for permission to immigrate. Omar and Hassan spent most of their childhood in this camp. Omar's voice is humorous and hopeful despite the dire circumstances. He is the embodiment of resilience. But, so is Hassan, as Omar slowly comes to realize that he has underestimated his brother.

Readers will be immediately drawn the the plight of the brothers. I read it in one intense sitting.  His experiences fleeing from the violence in his village/ country, then spending years in a refugee camp are unimaginable. Yet Omar brings us there; as does Victoria Jamieson's art. The art vividly depicts the boys difficult life and devotion to each other. It was mostly black and white in the arc but those that were full-color are beautiful, with a predominantly purple palette. 

When Stars are Scattered releases on April 14 and is an absolute first-purchase.

Teen Tuesday: Maybe by Morris Gleitzman

Image: Penguin Australia

Maybe by Morris Gleitzman. Felix and Zelda #6. Viking/ Penguin Australia., August, 2017. 9780670079377. 

Teen Tuesday features Maybe by Morris Gleitzman, the sixth book in the Felix and Zelda series which started with Once. The war is over and Felix continues his story as he, Anya and Gabriek attempt to rebuild their lives in Poland. They find out very quickly that they are not welcome in Gabriek's village when they try to return to his farm. Antisemitism still runs high and the trio are lucky to escape with their lives. Felix struggles to maintain hope and is determined to stay with his friends. Only, he receives an opportunity to immigrate to Australia - alone. While the author maintains that all his Felix and Zelda novels can stand alone, you should read them all in order to best appreciate the wonder and goodness of Felix and those he loves. The series will end in September with the publication of Always. 

I read this one with my ears. When I accidentally discovered that this had pubbed in Australia, I ordered both the book, which was only available in paperback, and which will not last long in my library because this series is well-loved, as well as the audio, which is narrated by the author. His soft-spoken, measured delivery was perfectly suited to Felix's first-person, ever-optimistic voice. I highly recommend each book in this series, though I must add that the latter books skew a bit more YA. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: We're Not from Here by Geoff Rodkey

Image: Random House

We're Not from Here by Geoff Rodkey. 250 p. Crown Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books, March, 2019. 9781524773052. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

One doesn't usually utter the words post-apocalypse and humorous in the same sentence. If anyone can make the end of the world funny, it's Geoff Rodkey. He has a knack for infusing even the most slapstick humor with a dry irony that serves as a one-two punch. We laugh and then, we think. I haven't laughed this hard at sci/fi since Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide series. 

Humans have managed to destroy planet Earth and are in search of a new home. They tried Mars but found it inhospitable. Planet Choom has agreed to take in what is left of humankind but in the twenty years it took for the group to arrive, the government changed its mind - the government changed leadership. Humans are not civilized and cannot be peaceful, they argue. The problem is, there's no going back - not enough fuel and nowhere to go. So, they agree to allow one family entry to assimilate and prove that humans can be peaceful. 

The Mufune family is chosen. Lan, our narrator, describes the efforts of their (Lan's gender is never revealed) mother, who is on the governing committee of the ship, to negotiate with the Zhuris. They are insect-like creatures who rule Choom and dislike emotion. Nothing can be funny and music is outlawed as well. Lan and their friend, Naya, host a popular internet channel where they upload content meant to amuse their shipmates. Lan's sister, Ila, was a popular vocal artist on Earth. These two talents do not endear the family to the Zhuris in charge, but individual Zhuris are intrigued. Unfortunately, the government uses media to present humans in the worst possible light (fake news) and manipulates the masses into a mob mentality that "proves" the danger.

This timely story will entertain but also nudge the reader, or a thoughtful one at any rate, into a bit of reflection about the human condition. Heady stuff for the average middle school student but we want to teach them to think critically, do we not? 

Middle Grade Monday: The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingworth

The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingsworth. 304 p. Roaring Brook Press, September, 2018. 9781250155764. (Review of purchased finished copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingsworth. This impressive debut is the first-person narration by Sami, newly arrived in Boston with his grandfather, Babi and Babi's beloved musical instrument, his rebab and very little else. The two fled tragedy in Syria and Babi busks in the streets of Boston for their livelihood. When the rebab is stolen, Sami feels guilt over the theft and, with the help of some new-found friend finds it in a pawn shop, where he must buy it back for $700. He convinces the owner  to hold it for him and embarks on a series of trades to earn the rebab back. 

The present tense narration builds suspense and Sami's story of immigration is heartbreaking. Sami's attempt to learn English and deal not only with his apparent PTSD but also life in yet another new country are vividly depicted and highlights his resilience. Readers will empathize and ache for Sami as his subterfuges begin to damage his relationship with his beloved Babi. Readers who loved Refugee or Nowhere Boy will enjoy The Eleventh Trade but really, this is a book everyone should read. 

Teen Tuesday and review: Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin. Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano. Lettering byChris Dickey. 138 p. Sourcebooks/ Jabberwock, August, 2018. 9781492662143. (Review from purchased finished copy.)

Readers meet twelve-year-old Ebo shivering and wet, huddled in an overcrowded raft in the middle of the night in the middle of the ocean. The group are hoping they are on course to land in Italy and argue whether the moon should be to their left or their right. They are running out of fuel and hope as they realize they will soon be adrift when that happens. Chapter two flashes back nineteen months to Ebo in his village as he realizes that his brother has left to immigrate to Europe. His sister left months earlier. Now Ebo will be left alone with an alcoholic uncle. 

The action switches from "now" to "then" in alternating chapters, with the palette for "now" done in blue hues and "then" done in browns and greens. Ebo is determined and resilient. He finds a way to travel to the city without stealing from his uncle. Against all odds, he reunites with his brother and the two work hard and live in a storm drain to save money to buy passage to Europe. This involves a trek across the desert without enough water as well as being cheated by their smugglers.

The harsh realities of the boys' life is offset by the love and devotion they have for each other and Ebo's eternal optimism. But this is a heartbreaking and intense read. It is also important for young people, especially those in first-world countries, to read and understand that the refugee crisis is real and that refugees are people, not statistics or faceless monsters. 

The art is often quite moving and many panels arrest the eye and cause the reader to linger or return. 

There are quite a number of fans of Alan Gratz's Refugee at my school. I am sure they will be interested in reading Illegal as soon as school starts again. Illegal is a must-read, must-purchase, must-share book.

Here I am by Patti Kim

Unpgd. Picture Window Books/ Capstone, September, 2013. 9781623700362. (Review copy courtesy of publisher.)

This lovely wordless picture book follows a young boy as he leaves his home country to travel on an airplane to a new city complete with a new language. The sights and sounds of the city begin to overwhelm him as soon as he arrives. By the time he gets to his new apartment, he is quite done, but remembers a small seed stowed in his pocket and takes comfort in the memory of home that seed brings. 

As the days pass, he tries to get acclimated. The signs are all a jumble of letters, school is just a jumble of bla, bla, bla. His mother tries to encourage him to get out and about in the neighborhood. But he doesn't want to - until he accidentally drops his seed and a young girl picks it up and skip-ropes away leaving the boy to run after her. As he treks after her, he begins to recognize people and places in what is becoming his new home.

The illustrations are colorful, evocative and flow beautifully from one to the other. They convey the myriad of emotions this young boy must be facing from confusion to anxiety to anger to hope and happiness. 

Perfect for language arts as well as ESL classes, the book can be used as a writing prompt or a comfort read, as many newly arrived students will see themselves in the pages. Great addition to your collection of wordless stories!