Middle Grade Monday: Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate

Image: Macmillan

Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate. 240 p. Feiwel & Friends/ Macmillan, September 9, 2025. 9781250904362. Review of finished, purchased copy.

Middle Grade Monday features Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate. This sweet, illustrated novel is narrated by Zephryna, a self-proclaimed "Robin Hood of felines." She's an alley cat who has allowed Dasha and her mother, Elizaveta to feed and care for her. They are Ukranian refugees who live in a small apartment. Dasha uses crutches as her legs were injured in the war that also killed her father. She rescues Zephryna's finds, washes them and places them in a little wagon outside their apartment for their owners to reclaim them. If they remain unclaimed after three days, the toys join other rescued toys. They all come to life when everyone is asleep and are led by Pocket, a small, "thimble-born" bear who is over one hundred years old. 

Zephyrina's latest theft was rescued from a dumpster behind an Italian restaurant. This large, cumbersome bear was covered in sauce and rather difficult for her to drag home to Dasha and Pocket. Pocket, a thoughtful, well-read bear, sees something in this new recruit. Unfortunately, so does Picky Vicky, an antique toy dealer who regularly visits scrounging for deals.

There's a lot of humor in this story, but also a lot of depth, which is gently told. There was a fair amount of laughing out loud, but also unabashed tears. I loved this timeless tale. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Strays by Gia Gordon

Image: Macmillan

Strays by Gia Gordon. 272 p. Farrar, Straus & Giroux/ Macmillan, June 2, 2026. 9780374395926.

I am such a sucker for dog books and can't wait to read this.

Publisher synopsis: A girl learns the true meaning of home after forming a life-changing relationship with a stray dog in this irresistibly endearing middle-grade novel, reminiscent of beloved and bestselling stories like Wish, Pax, and Because of Winn-Dixie.

Campbell Cole has a big heart for all living things, especially strays. It might be because her father, the director of the local animal control, is as aloof as they come, so Campbell knows what it’s like to feel alone.

When she spots an adorable dog being dumped on the street, the last thing Campbell can do is tell her dad. He might take the pup straight to the shelter, where new rescues have just three days to be adopted. The only person she can trust with the truth is her best friend, Luz.

The more time Campbell spends trying to catch the dog, the more he starts to trust her, which is both great and terrible because Campbell knows she can’t keep him. But perhaps she doesn’t have to. With the help of Luz’s father, an army vet grappling with PTSD, she just may find a solution that benefits not only the dog, but everyone else, too.

Gia Gordon’s Strays is a beautifully written, heartfelt novel about friendship, family, and finding the courage to stand up for what’s right, that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find a place to call home.

Teen Tuesday Audiobook Review: Skyhunter by Marie Lu

Image: Macmaillan

Skyhunter by Marie Lu. Unabridged audiobook, ~12 hours. Narrated by Natalie Naudus. Macmillan Audio, September 2020.  Macmillan Young Listeners, September, 2020. 9781250777485. Review of downloadable audio borrowed from the public library. 

I don't know how I stumbled upon this audiobook, but I'm so glad that I did. I've been a huge fan of Marie Lu since reading her debut, Legend. I haven't read everything, but I have read a lot of her books. My students are huge fans of the Legend series, as well as her Warcross duology. A quick glance at the publication date tells me that this is one of many books that were lost in the pandemic. For me, I was a fifth/ sixth grade LA teacher in September of 2020, so I lost touch with books that were releasing then. 

This is the first-person story of Talin, a young, elite fighter for Mara, one of the last nations defending itself against the onslaught of the Karensa Foundation. Talin and her mother are refugees in Mara, having fled their native Basea some ten years earlier. Against all odds, Talin has been chosen to become a Striker, an elite fighter and first line of defense against the ghosts, zombie fighters that the Karensa Foundation use.

This plot-driven dystopian hits the ground running and doesn't let go. Suspense runs high and the world is totally believable. Fans of Ms. Lu will love this. I'm kind of sad that I'm retired now and can't grab the students who would love this book!

Waiting on Wednesday: Malcolm Lives by Ibram X. Kendi

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Malcolm Lives: the Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers by Ibram X. Kendi. 400p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR. May 13, 2025.

I'm so excited for this biography. I'm a fan of Dr. Kendi. This news just inspired my #tbt post for tomorrow!

Publisher synopsis: In collaboration with the Malcolm X Estate, this powerful biography for young readers is a modern classic in the making, written by #1 New York Times-bestselling, National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi.

Published 100 years after his birth, Malcolm Lives! is a ground-breaking narrative biography of one of the most influential Americans of all time.

Dr. Kendi expertly crafts a propulsive telling of Malcolm X’s life—from birth to death. He provides context for both Malcolm’s choices—and those around him—not just painting an intimate picture of a famous figure, but of the social and political landscape of America during the civil rights movement.

Ultimately, Malcolm's true legacy is a journey toward anti-racism. Just like history, Malcolm lives.

With short, evocative chapters, exclusive archival documents, photographs from the Malcolm X Collection at the NYPL Schomburg Center, and extensive backmatter,this is a thoughtful and accessible, must-read for all Americans.

Middle Grade Monday: Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke

Image: Macmillan

Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke. 240 p. First Second/ Macmillan, August, 2023. 9781250909541. Review of finished, purchased copy.

Middle Grade Monday features Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke. Milo has just moved to a new house and is bored and lonely. There are boxes everywhere, no friends and his mother's time and attention is monopolized by his twin baby sisters. When his mom asks him to find his sister's favorite sock in the basement, the simple trip downstairs turns into an odyssey, because a rat has stolen the sock and retreated into the dark recesses of the basement. Stalwart Milo follows, and follows and follows this rat into deeper and more mysterious sections of the basement. Will he ever return? 

The art in this evocative tale is truly mind-blowing; subtle, sinister, and yet, occasionally oddly soothing. Read it through for the story, but reread it for the art! TMS students love Mr. Hatke's Mighty Jack and Zita stories. This is totally different style-wise. I hope his many fans love Things in the Basement as much as I. Highly recommend! Happy reading and happy snowy day! It's a gorgeous day here in northeastern NJ. 

Middle Grade Monday: Air by Monica Roe

Image: Macmillan

Air by Monica Roe. Unabridged downloadable audiobook, ~5 hours. Read by Sandy Rustin. Recorded Books/ Macmillan, March, 2022. Review of audiobook borrowed from public library.

Happy Monday! We've had quite the run of spectacular weather here in northeastern New Jersey. I survived my first full week of classes with students and am so-o tired! 

Middle Grade Monday features Air by Monica Roe. Twelve-year-old Emelyn, "Emmie," has the need for speed. Being in a wheelchair doesn't slow her down, it's accessibility issues that hamper her ability to get around, especially at school. When a trick goes wrong thanks to a rickety ramp at school and she gets scraped up, her hovering and cautious school principal calls her father in for a meeting to re-evaluate Emmie's IEP. Her mom used to take care of that and would fight fiercely for Emmie's independence, but her dad, who works several jobs and also goes to night school, acquiesces and Emmie finds herself with a one-on-one aide.

This first-person novel is at turns hilarious and thought-provoking as spunky Emmie goes toe-to-toe with her new principal and the aide she doesn't want/ need.

Waiting on Wednesday: Mouse and His Dog (Dogtown, Book 2) by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Mouse and His Dog (Dogtown, Book 2) by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko. Illustrated by Wallace West. 336 p. Feiwel & Friends/ Macmillan, September 17, 2024. 9781250345004.

Happy Wednesday! And the heat goes on here in northern NJ! I am limiting the amount of time my dogs are outside and trying to stay off the hot, hot, hot pavement. Waiting on Wednesday features Mouse and His Dog by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko. 

From the publisher: Mouse lives in Dogtown, a shelter for real dogs and robot dogs, where the kibble is plentiful, and the rafters hide a secret community of mice. His unlikely best friend is Buster, a big-hearted real dog who attracts trouble like a burr to fur.

Determined to help Buster find his forever home, even if means losing his best pal, Mouse embarks on a bold quest with three of Dogtown’s “unadoptables”: Buster, Stewie--a huge, lovable dog whose ex-owner said he was mean, and Smokey--a robot dog hardwired with a smoke alarm he can’t control.

But Mouse is just a mouse, and the world is big and complicated. How’s a little guy supposed to find homes for the dogs he loves?

DogTown is a TMS favorite and I just know my students will clamor for this installment. It's due out on September 17.

#tbt a Day Late: Rain, Reign by Ann M. Martin

Image: Macmillan

Rain, Reign by Ann M. Martin. 240 p. Feiwel & Friends/ Macmillan, October, 2014. 9780312643003. Own.

Happy Thursday! Sorry for the late posting. It was a very busy day. I wrote this late on Thursday night and never pushed the button to post!

#tbt features Rain, Reign by Ann M. Martin. Rose Howard is a fifth grader who has a love for rules, order and homonyms and homophones. She doesn't always get social cues and her rather clueless, single father really doesn't get her, nor does he have too much patience. Luckily, Rose has Uncle Weldon, who lives nearby and gives Rose the support she needs. When Rose's father brings home a stray dog, Rose names her Rain because she was found in the rain and reign is a homophone for reign. She adores Rain, but when she gets loose during a storm, her uncle and she set out to find her lost dog.

This character-driven, first-person narrative is emotionally intense. Readers will root for Rose as she navigates a sea of uncertainty.

Ann M. Martin is the author of the beloved Babysitters Club series, as well as A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray and its companion, Everything for a Dog. She won an Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe in 2003. Rain, Reign won a Schneider Family Book Award and was named to several "Best Books of the Year" lists. Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Read at Your Own Risk by Remy Lai

Image: Macmillan

Read at Your Own Risk by Remy Lai. 160 p. Henry Holt and Co (BYR)/ Macmillan, August 13, 2024. 9781250323354.

Happy Wednesday! And happy first day of break to our school community! Whether you're headed to camp, a family trip, or just chilling at home, be sure to make a stack of books for summer reading!

Waiting on Wednesday features Read at Your Own Risk by Remy Lai. Ms Lai's illustrated novels, Pie in the Sky and Fly on the Wall, along with her graphic novel, Pawcasso, are very popular with my students. Mark your calendars for August 13, when her latest illustrated notebook with be published.

Here's the publisher synopsis: Read at Your Own Risk is the spine-chilling illustrated sketch diary of a kid who is being haunted after a game goes terribly wrong and an evil spirit starts conversing with her on the page.

"The journal format of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets the thrills and chills of R.L. Stine in this middle-grade horror." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Hannah and her friends were just having a bit of fun when they decided to play a game to communicate with spirits of the dead. Little did they know something would answer their call and crawl its way into the pages of Hannah’s journal. What started out as a game has turned into something much more evil. With dire, horrifying consequences.

Is there any way to escape the curse?

Read at Your Own Risk sounds deliciously creepy! I've ordered a copy for our library collection because I always have fifth and sixth graders asking for horror. What books are you looking forward to being published? 

Middle Grade Monday: Odder by Katherine Applegate

Image: Macmillan

Odder by Katherine Applegate. Illustrated by Charles Santoso. 288 p. Feiwel & Friends/ Macmillan, September, 2022. 9781250147431. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! My weekend was a bit of a mixed bag. Saturday was very productive and active and HOT! The temperature rose to 81 degrees! I spent about 7 hours dealing with my leaves. The leaves drifted down continuously and I couldn't tell I even raked at the end. I still prefer to deal with them each weekend instead of waiting for them to finish falling. Sunday was a washout. Cold and rainy all day. Boo and I were very lazy. 

Middle Grade Monday features Odder by Katherine Applegate.
Ms. Applegate sure seems to have a gift for conveying the inner thoughts of animals without overly anthropomorphizing them. Odder is a young sea otter named Odder due to her penchant for exploring her sea habitat and venturing places her otter mother warned her against. She and her fearful friend, Kairi venture too far and are menaced by an adolescent shark intent on having Kairi for lunch. Odder saves her, but is seriously injured and washes up on the shore of Monterey Bay, where she is rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium staff. Readers get to know Odder as she recovers through flowing image-rich blank verse and some lovely illustrations by Charles Santoso. Readers will fall in love with this irrepressible otter as she reflects on life, especially as she comes to realize that she might not return to the wild.

Fans of the author and fans of animal stories will adore Odder. Look at that cover! Who can resist? Highly recommended!

#tbt (a day late): Bomb: the Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

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Bomb: the Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin. 272 p. Macmillan, 2012. (Own)

Happy Thursday Friday! Oops! #tbt features Bomb: the Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin. This narrative nonfiction book about the discovery of nuclear fission, which lead to the invention of the atom bomb reads like an international spy novel. Meticulously researched and containing many photos and maps, readers will come to an understanding about how nuclear fission was discovered, how the U.S. tried to use to and how the Soviets tried to steal the plans.

Bomb was published in 2012 and was a National Book Award Finalist, then went on to win the Siebert Award, the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction and a Newbery Honor. Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

HC Image: Macmillan Publishers

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaidirdar. Read by Priya Ayyar. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~8 hours. Dreamscape Media, June, 2023. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features an absolutely adorable romance called The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaidirdar. Seventeen-year-old Shireen Malick was born in Ireland to Bangladeshi parents who immigrated there and opened a donut shop called You Drive Me Glazy. They work hard at the shop and Shireen does not mind helping out as she loves to bake. Business hasn't been so great since there are a lot of donut shops around, including one down the block called The Bakers Dozen. Shireen's parents feud with the Hwangs over recipe stealing, so Shireen and Christine have kept their romance a secret until their recent breakup.

Shireen applied to be a contestant in a brand new baking contest featuring teen bakers, called The Junior Irish Baking Show. Shireen thinks she has as good a chance at winning as anyone and planned on entering. Then Christine asked her not to, saying that she was entering. Both girls hoped the exposure would help their family's business. Of course, both girls are accepted as contestants and of course, the two are paired in the very first bake-off. Of course, there's a cute girl from Dublin named Niamh (pronounce Neev) who seems into Shireen. Or is she? Drama much?

Shireen is out and unapologetically fat. She adores her supportive parents and misses her bff, who is spending the summer in Bangladesh. She also suffers from anxiety, but has methods of coping as she clocks the casual racism, fatphobia and Islamophobia she encounters, especially as she begins to do well on the show. Shireen is an endearing, hilarious narrator who loves a good pun. And the desserts! Yum! If you love to bake or have a sweet tooth, you will enjoy this book. Fun fact: a TMS graduate won a baking show as an eighth grader some years back. The entire school was rooting for her and it was such a treat to receive a sample of her baking.

I always enjoy Ms. Ayyar's performances. She imbued Shireen with zing and sass with a dash of uncertainty. 

Fact Friday: Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy

Image: Macmillan

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy and illustrated by Janell Washington. 64 p. Roaring Brook Press/ Macmillan Publishers, September 2022. 9781250220950.

Happy Friday! I have enjoyed the first week of summer break, taking it easy with lots of Boo time and garden time. Sorry that I'm posting Fact Friday is a bit late today. It features Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy and illustrated by Janell Washington. This picture book biography of Mamie Till Mobley opens in August of 1955. Mrs. Till has just been informed of the death of her only son Emmett in Mississippi, hundreds of miles away from her Chicago home. The double-page spread depicts the silhouettes of two men standing near a river. The page turn introduces Mamie as a young child, a "child of the great migration." Spare, lyrical prose provide readers with an understanding of this woman who was remarkable for her time and the unconditional love she showered on her equally remarkable son, Emmett.

She insisted that her son's body be returned to her in Chicago. It arrived locked and with instructions barring the casket from being opened. She defied the instructions and held an open casket wake to show the world what happened to her son, thereby sparking the civil rights movement.

The cut paper collage art is primarily black, tan and white with pops of red and blue. Little details, such as the red ribbon heart connecting mother and son as she sent him off on his fateful train ride are especially powerful. Plentiful back matter includes a note from both the author and illustrator, a soundtrack, glossary, time line and sources.

#tbt: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Image: Macmillan

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. 224 p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)/ Macmillan, October, 1999. 9780374311254. (Own)

Happy Thursday! There's a week of rain predicted here in northern NJ and I have a nice stack of books on hand. #TBT features Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Melinda Sordino starts her freshman year of high school as an outcast. She called the police at the big end-of-summer party and some students were arrested, but not the right one. Melinda found that she could not speak about what happened to her to cause her to call the police. She has almost entirely stopped speaking. She can't even stand to look in the mirror. Her parents think she's seeking attention.

This first-person, almost stream-of-consciousness story is often painful to read, and may not be for everyone, but it tells an important story. Speak was published in 1999. It was a National Book Award Finalist, a Printz Honor book, numerous other awards and was also a New York Times Bestseller. It was adapted for film and was released in 2004, starring Kristen Stewart as Melinda. More recently, it was adapted into a graphic novel. It appears regularly on the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom Banned Books Lists.

Waiting on Wednesday: Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart

Image: Author's Website

Waiting on Wednesday features Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart. This is a sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise which was published in 2019. It's due out February 27, 2024. Here's the synopsis and cover via the author's website:

When Coyote discovers her mom's long-hidden ashes, she has to go on another epic adventure to finally lay her mother to rest...but first she has to secretly solve the mystery of where her mother wanted to be scattered. She and her dad have to fire up the bus and get back on the road - and of course they'll need some help along the way, from some old friends as well as some new ones. Whether you're already a Coyote fan or new to the family, it's all aboard for another remarkable journey of hope, heartbreak, and homecoming!

If you like sad books featuring quirky characters, you'll enjoy reading the first Coyote book while waiting for the second.

What's New?

"Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books. 

For Review:

Image: Macmillan

Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu by Erika Lewis. The Academy of Unbreakable Arts #2. Starscape/ A Tom Doherty Associates Book/ Macmillan Publishers, July 25, 2023. 9781250208309. 

Publisher synopsis: Kelcie Murphy is back in another action-packed middle grade adventure, Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu!, the second book in Erika Lewis's magical series infused with Celtic mythology, The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts.

It’s hard having a father who’s an infamous traitor. It’s even harder having a mother who’s an omen of doom.

After a summer away, Kelcie Murphy is excited to be back at the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. But she and her friends have barely settled in when they receive a visit from her mother—the war goddess, Nemain—with a warning of coming calamity.

The Heart of Danu, the legendary source of all light and warmth in the Lands of Summer, is going to be stolen. And only Kelcie and her mates can stop it. As they travel with the rest of the students to Summer City to take part in the glorious Ascension Ceremony, Kelcie has no time for the military parade, the lavish ball, or even to visit her father: she’s determined to protect the Heart and her new home.

But the Lands of Summer are still not a welcoming place for Kelcie. When disaster strikes, the Queen, the High Guard, and even some of her schoolmates suspect Kelcie is to blame.

As the world is plunged into darkness, Kelcie will have to decide: does she keep fighting for a place that may always see her as a traitor’s daughter, or for a future greater than the war to come.

I really enjoyed book one, Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. I look forward to immersing myself in Kelcie's world again. 

Purchased: Nothing!

What's new on your pile?

#tbt: My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt

Image: Macmillan

My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt. 224 p. Square Fish/ Macmillan, 1998. (Own)

Happy Thursday! While this week has been a slog, mostly due to terrible sleep and burgeoning allergies, I am shocked that April begins in two days! I'm displaced because the PTO's Book Fair is in the library for two days. Even though I told my classes where we will be holding classes, sent messages, through our learning platform and put it on the announcements, a good portion of each class arrived late. <Insert eye roll.>

 #tbt features the 25th anniversary of My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt. This is set in the mid-1950s. Twelve-year-old Tiger Ann lives in a small town with her mentally challenged parents and stern grandmother. She loves her parents, but is ashamed of them and hates it when her classmates make fun of them. Her grandmother holds the family together and when she dies, Tiger Ann is offered the opportunity to live with her aunt in the big city of Baton Rouge. This coming-of-age story was Ms. Holt's debut novel. My Louisiana Sky was named a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor, an ALA Notable Book and a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults. It was adapted for film in 2001.

I must say, I find the above cover much more appealing than the original iterations. 

#tbt: Zeus: King of the Gods by George O'Connor

Image: Macmillan

Zeus: King of Gods by George O'Connor. Olympians #1. 80 p. First: Second/ Macmillan, January, 2010. 9781596434318. (Own.)

Happy Thursday! #tbt features Zeus: King of Gods by George O'Connor. In book one of an ambitious twelve-book series featuring the twelve gods of ancient Greece, Mr. O'Connor begins by depicting the ancients' view of the beginning of the cosmos. The Titan Kronos ate each of his children to prevent a prophecy from coming true. Unfortunately for Kronos, Zeus did not stay eaten.

The artwork is gorgeous. There's extra information in the back matter as well as a family tree of the ancient Greeks. This series is quite popular at my school and my students were psyched to learn about the author/ illustrator's upcoming new series beginning with Odin.

Waiting on Wednesday: Odin by George O'Connor

Image: Macmillan

Odin by George O'Connor. Asgardians #1. 96 p. First Second/ Macmillan, November 14, 2023. 9781250760760.

Happy Wednesday! Waiting on Wednesday features some good news for my student fans of George O'Connor's graphic novel series, "The Olympians." It seems he has turned his talents to retelling Norse mythology. Odin is set to release on November 14, 2023!

Here's the publisher synopsis: Welcome to the Nine Worlds, home of Gods, Valkyries, Dwarves, Jotnar, and more! Travel the burning rainbow bridge to Asgard where Odin, king of the Aesir, surveys his realm. His thirst for knowledge drives him ever onward, but nothing is learned without sacrifice...

In Asgardians, George O’Connor’s highly kinetic illustrations bring these gritty and astonishing tales of war, betrayal, and the quest for enlightenment at any cost to vivid and startling life and provide the perfect companion to his Olympians series.

#tbt: Joey Pizza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

Image of ppb/ Macmillan

Joey Pizza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos. 176 p. Farrar Straus Giroux/ Macmillan, October, 1998. (Own)

#tbt features Joey Pizza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos. This first-person narration by fifth grader, Joey Pigza has heart. He really wants to be good, but his severe ADHD gets in the way of his good intentions. His alcoholic father has abandoned the family. His mother has had it and leaves Joey in the care of his grandmother, who is not the kindest caretaker. His teachers all try, but Joey's meds wear off by noon and he's heading toward placement in a special education class. This story veers from hilarious to heartbreaking and back again.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key was a National Book Award Finalist. It was also named an ALA Notable Book and an SLJ Best Book. It is book one of a five-book series about Joey's trials and tribulations.