Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

Image: Tantor Audio

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden. Unabridged e-Audiobook, ~7 hours. Read by Amy Melissa Bentley. Tantor Audio, February, 2019. 

Middle Grade Monday features The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden. Seventh grader Zoey Albro's favorite animal is the octopus. Some qualities she admires are their strength, adaptability and ability to blend in and not be seen. She tries to do this every day, but it's kind of hard when your over-worked mother hasn't done the laundry and you're wearing dirty, old clothes, or when you've forgotten your homework yet again because you were trying to keep your three younger siblings from getting Lenny mad. She admires the ease with which her classmate, Matt, moves through the world- well-dressed, well-fed, probably well-loved and definitely not afraid of making the wrong move in Lenny's pristine trailer.

This coming-of-age novel is filled with heartbreak. Zoey is a bright girl with too much responsibility. But there's hope, especially when one of her teachers looks past the missing homework to understand her.

The Benefits of Being an Octopus was Ms. Braden's debut novel. It was named and NPR Best Book of 2018 and a Bank Street Best Book. The audiobook narration was well-paced and emotionally resonant.

Fact Friday: Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

Image: Norton Young Readers

Free Lunch by Rex Ogle. 208 p. Norton Young Readers/ W.W. Norton & Company, September 10, 2019. 9781324003601. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Happy book birthday next week to Free Lunch!

Fact Friday features Free Lunch by Rex Ogle. This debut is Ogle's memoir of his sixth grade year. Eleven-year-old Rex likes school. It gets him away from his mom and her boyfriend who have explosive fights and tend to discipline Rex with their fists. He is especially looking forward to starting sixth grade. All that changes when his mother announces that Rex is now on the "free lunch" program. He can take the stares his Good Will clothing elicits, but the daily humiliation of announcing to the cafeteria cashier, who is hard of hearing, that he's getting a free lunch infuriates him. Then, his friends drift away because Rex's mom won't sign the permission slip allowing him to try out for football. They all make the team, leaving him the odd guy out. On top of all that, his language arts teacher seems to hate him. He doesn't want to act out but he's sick of being poor and he's afraid of the instability at home. 

Back matter consists of an author's note, an author Q & A, a discussion guide as well as a writing guide(!) and resources for families in crisis. 

Rex's voice is instantly relatable. His home life is horrific and yet, there are flashes of normalcy and even love. How Rex can even learn while dealing with the chaos is testament to his strength.  Moments of humor and Rex's obvious love for his baby brother ease the tension. This powerful memoir depicts a family in crisis, one resilient child and is unforgetable. Free Lunch belongs in every school, classroom and public library. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3-CD. 12 hours. Narrated by Bahni Turpin. HarperAudio, February, 2019. 9781538496831. (Review of purchased finished copy.)

Teen Tuesday features On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. Thomas' smashing debut, The Hate U Give remains on the New York Times best seller list and a TMS student favorite. Her sophomore effort, On the Come Up does not disappoint. 

This first-person narration is set in Garden Heights some months after the riots that concluded The Hate U Give but features different characters. Here, sixteen-year-old Briana (Bri) is an aspiring rapper at a performing arts charter school in Garden Heights. As one of the few brown skinned students in this school, she finds herself frequently in detention for being "aggressive," suspended or profiled by the school's security guards. Added to that are her worries about her family's financial situation. Bri's mom is behind on her bills and when she loses her secretarial job, those bills pile up and the family is facing eviction. After Bri wins a rap competition, she has the opportunity to make it big with a questionable, yet successful manager and a recording contract, but this may come at a cost. Is it one Bri is willing to take?

Thomas' strengths as a writer are in her storytelling and character development. Her characters are strong and prone to astute social observation and provocative statements. In addition to challenging her readers' assumptions, she paints an in-depth picture of the creative process of rap poets. 

Bahni Turpin continues to amaze me with her narrative ability. She voices the huge cast of characters uniquely and with seamless ease. She truly is a wonder.

Read On the Come Up with your ears or with your eyes, but read it. You NEED to read it. 

Happy Thanksgiving! #tbt: Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade by Trinka Hakes Noble

Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade: a Thanksgiving story by Trinka Hakes Noble. Illustrated by David C. Gardner. Tales of Young Americans series. unpgd. Sleeping Bear Press, September, 2017. 9781585369607. (Own.)

I was going to skip #tbt today. Take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. But then this book popped into my head and even though it's only a year old (#tbt usually features books older than 10 years), I decided to review it. 

The year is 1918 and a flu epidemic is sweeping the country, especially the tightly packed immigrant communities in New York's Lower East Side. Rettie is doing her best to care for her stricken mother and four younger siblings. She's only nine and her father is off fighting in the war. She scrambles to do odd jobs to earn money and hopes to participate in the ragamuffin parade so she can collect coins. She hopes the epidemic will not cancel the parade because she wants to feed her family on Thanksgiving. 

Poignantly told and sumptuously illustrated, this tale tugs at the heartstrings. This picture book for older readers is a wonderful Thanksgiving read aloud to encourage gratitude and reflection. An author's note at the end provides historical context. Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade is a wonderful addition to any school, public or classroom library!

Arc Review: A Different Pond by Bao Phi

A Different Pond by Bao Phi. Illustrated by Thi Bui. 32 p. Fiction Picture Book Series. Capstone Press, August 1, 2017. 9781479597468. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher.)

A young Vietnamese boy tells the story of being awakened in the early morning hours by his father. A bare bulb illuminates a spare kitchen where the wall calendar says the year is 1982. Together, they head out into the darkness to fish. As the boy contemplates the quiet, early morning streets he listens to the stories his father tells and remembers, "A kid at my school said my dad's English sounds like a thick, dirty river. But to me his English sounds like gentle rain."

After a stop at a bait shop, the boy and his father arrive at their fishing spot. They have to climb over a divider and pass a posted, "No Trespassing" sign to get to the river. They are occasionally joined by others, but this morning, they are alone. The boy is proud to be given the responsibility of making a small fire - especially when it lights with one match. He declines baiting the hook with a minnow and knows that's okay with his dad. While they wait for the fish to bite, they eat the sandwiches that his father prepared before awakening him. His father tells him of a different pond, one in Vietnam that he used to fish at with his brother, his brother who never came home from the war that the boy's father fought in.

When they catch enough fish to eat that night, the two wash up and return home. They drive through the breaking dawn and present their catch to mother, who is nearly ready for work. With both of his parents off to work, the boy is left home with his older siblings. He bristles at being called baby brother because he helped catch dinner. 

There is so much to love here. While it is a picture book, the illustrations do have a graphic novel art feel. The palette of dark blues and greens creates a lush night-time atmosphere and contrast nicely with the warm hues of the boy's home. The family is working class and their neighborhood is an urban one. There is a view of the city from their fishing spot. There might be homeless people seen through the early morning light. The mom rides a bike to work. There are many little details to notice in the gorgeous illustrations. This book will provide both a window and a mirror. 

The book began as a poem and reads aloud beautifully. The imagery is lovely and the book's themes are universal from the boy's coming-of-age through the father-son experience to the story of immigrant struggle. I loved the ritual associated with these fishing trips, the camaraderie the boy felt when he and his dad were joined by the "regulars" and how he loved it when they were alone too. The recognition of his and his dad's "otherness" reflected in the comment about his dad's accent was so poignant. The warmth, love and support shown by all the members of this large family is palpable. Finally, the affirmation of the importance of story within a family is important.

Both the author and the illustrator were born in Vietnam. In the Author's Note, Bao shares a picture of himself as a baby with his father, who was the inspiration for the book. He speaks beautifully about wanting to honor his parents' struggle. 

I was all set to make this a Non-Fiction Monday feature until I looked up the publisher particulars and saw the it is part of a series called Fiction Picture Books. I still think it could be used in a memoir unit as a prompt. It not only belongs in every ESL/ ELL classroom, but in any classroom, as it is a remarkable read aloud with enormous discussion potential. It is truly a first purchase for any school or public library and an outstanding example of why we need diverse books everywhere. 

Non-Fiction Monday: Ada's Violin: the story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood

Ada's Violin: the story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. unpgd. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May, 2016. 9781481430951. (Review from finished copy won in a blog giveaway.)

Rambling Review Alert!

A couple of reviews ago, I lamented my inability to keep up with the output of children's literature. So many gems gone unread. Today, I am mourning the loss of my news hound self. Once upon a time, I read a couple of newspapers practically cover-to-cover. Once upon a time, I listened to NPR so constantly, I often listened to segments two and three times as it recycled through the day. Once upon a time, I regularly watched not only nightly news, but sought out weekly news shows like 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday. Now, I skim my newspapers and audiobooks fill my driving time. And I hardly ever watch television so it's no surprise that I missed this.

And it's not a surprise that I did not know about Ada's Violin and might not have had I not won it along with every other book Christian Trimmer edited. Talk about overflowing with riches! Thanks again Christian!

Judy Freeman once, okay, many times, has said, "I learn so many interesting things from picture books!" "So true, Judy," says this "never too old for picture books" gal. I adore informational picture books. Well done ones present little nuggets of information to nibble on, ponder, wonder and inspire further reading. I adore this book. Each time I return to it, I love it more. 

Ada lives with her sister in a slum that was built around a garbage dump. Garbage from the city of Asuncion, Paraguay. The residents of Caleura make their living by picking through the tons of garbage to collect anything that can be recycled. Ada and her sister attend school but she and her parents and grandmother worry about her future, especially as she reaches her teenage years. She sees hopeless teens joining gangs. When Favio Chavez posts a notice about free music lessons, Ada's grandmother signs them up without asking.

Ten children show up for the first class but Chavez has only six instruments. Unfortunately, that is not the only problem. He realizes that since the instruments cost as much as a house, they are not safe from theft so he devises a way to make the instruments out of recycled material with Nicolas Gomez  and Tito Romero. "They transformed oil drums into cellos, water pipes into flutes and packing crates into guitars!" Talk about ingenuity!

The students really had to commit. They had three hour lessons and since they had no classroom, they played outside, often in 100+ degree heat. The children were expected to practice at home. Ada would practice for two hours. Talk about grit! 

The lessons went beyond music. Señor Chavez expect them to respect him, themselves and each other. Some dropped out but in time the Recycled Orchestra was born. The rest of the population benefited. "Gancheros trudging home from the landfill might lift their heads to hear the sounds of Ada's violin...or the strains of Bebi's cello... or the strum of Noélia's guitar. A symphony of sound helped to lift them beyond the heat, the stench and their aching backs."

The mixed media collages are absolutely perfect, vibrant hues, and bits of labels, newspaper and such to add texture, depth and interest. Sally Wern Comport managed to convey the deplorable living conditions along but also imbues her subjects with light and hope. 

Back-matter includes an author's note, a color photograph of the orchestra and their instruments and websites and videos, which should definitely be shared with your students. These children play magnificently. The final page includes source notes, a quote from Margaret Mead, a photograph of some instruments up close and a note stating that Simon & Schuster is making a donation the to orchestra and an invitation for readers to do the same.

Ada's Violin is surely, a must-purchase title for all ages. Add the title to your #WNDB list and share widely.