ARC Review: War Games by Alan Gratz

Image: Scholastic Inc.

War Games by Alan Gratz. 368 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., October 7, 2025. 978225000257. 

Any book by Alan Gratz was an automatic purchase for me until I retired as a middle school librarian recently. I continue to read books for middle and young adult audiences and will continue to read whatever Mr. Gratz publishes. My students adore his novels and I ordered multiple copies of most of his titles. 

Twelve-year-old Evie Harris hopes to help her "Okie" family out of poverty by winning gold in the 1936 Olympics in Germany as part of the U.S. Olympics gymnastics team. She thinks this is her ticket to Hollywood stardom, like her idol, equestrian and movie star, Mary Brooks. Unfortunately for her, her teammates ostracize her and she fails the qualifying rounds. Since her Olympic dreams are dashed, she considers joining the shady Solomon Monday with his plans to rob the Reichsbank of its gold. As Monday says, this is one way for Evie to bring home the gold. Only, she has to ditch the ever-present Hitler Youth guide, Heinz.

This layered, plot-driven heist novel illustrates the behind the scenes story of the 1936 Olympics. The main characters are fictitious, as is the heist, but the political precariousness of those Olympics are factual. A detailed Author's Note separates fact from fiction for the reader. 

Fans of the author and fans of heist novels will gobble this up. Due out on October 7. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

Image: Penguin Random House

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. unabridged e-audiobook. ~9 hours. Narrated by Kathleen Gate and Natalie Soudek. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House, March, 2020. 9780593155653. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. This impressive debut is a historical fiction set in Ukraine and Russia in 1986. The narrative also flashes back to Ukraine during WWII. Contemporary students may or may not be aware of the Chernobyl nuclear accident that gripped the world in 1986. This story focuses on two girls, Valentina and Oksana, who are classmates and whose fathers both work at the power plant. Oksana is physically and emotionally abused by her virulently anti-Semitic father. She in turn bullies Valentina, who is Jewish. Both fathers were working at the plant when the cores melted, killing many and causing acute radiation poisoning to the rest as well as many residents of the town. Blankman vividly portrays the panic of the girls and their mothers as they try to find out the condition of their fathers/ husbands. 

The Russian government tried to cover up/ downplay the disaster. The girls and Valentina's mother attempt to travel by train to Leningrad, Russia but government imposed travel restrictions allow only two tickets. So the girls end up traveling by themselves to the city of Leningrad, where the grandmother Valentina never met will care for them until they can be reunited with their mothers. 

This character-driven story is intricate and layered as well as heartbreaking and infuriating. The flashbacks to WWII were interesting though a bit puzzling until the end. Descriptions of the meltdown aftereffects were incredibly vivid. Actually, many scenes were intensely vivid and evocative. My dislike for Oksana turned to pity as her story unfolded. There is just so much to love about this novel. The new-to-me narrators' performances were perfectly paced. 

I placed this in a "Teen Tuesday" post due to the sophisticated structure and intense themes, though any reader from fifth through eighth grade might appreciate the story. The Blackbird Girls is a wonderful addition to any collection. 

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. 

Audiobook Review: Ask the Passengers by A. S. King

Image: Listening Library

Ask the Passengers by A. S. King. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~8 hours, 5 minutes. Read by Devon Sorvari. Listening Library, October, 2012. 9780449015124. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Confession time: This is my first A. S. King book. Gasp! Tut-tut! I am a bad librarian.

Over the years, I have read reviews/ heard about her titles and thought I would eventually get to them. But I work in a middle school and they seemed to be solidly high school. Then, she wrote a middle grade novel, which I dutifully bought and never got around to reading. (cringes) I was scrolling through the new titles that were added to Libby (our e-library app) a week or so ago and found Ask the Passengers.

I fell in love with Astrid immediately. She lives with a dysfunctional family (Ugh! That mother!) in a tiny, intolerant Pennsylvania town. She's a whip-smart high school senior who's wrestling with the great philosophers in her humanities class and she thinks she might be gay. Oh. And she's also keeping a big secret for her two best friends who happen to be the school's "It Couple." When things get to be a bit much, she retreats to a picnic table that she and her dad built, lies down and searches the skies for passing aircraft that she can send her love to. Passenger narratives are interspersed throughout Astrid's first-person narration and add an interesting perspective. 

Astrid is a winning narrator. She's smart and dryly hilarious. She's truly questioning her sexuality. She doesn't deny her attraction to Dee, her cute co-worker, but she's also resistant to labels and, truthfully, terrified of the rumor mill and her family's reaction if she does. New-to-me narrator* Devon Sorvari strikes the right balance of snark and sincerity. (*Oops, turns out, she's not. She read Dorothy Must Die.) 

There's a lot to absorb and ponder here. It's mature stuff with some a lot of profanity. It's typical of high school students and not gratuitous. That said, issues of identity are rendered intelligently and respectfully. Thoughtful high school students should be able to relate to this outstanding novel regardless of where they identify. Ask the Passengers floored me. I'm sorry it took so long to get to. I can't wait to read more of King's work.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Reivew: Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe. Unabridged downloadable audiobook. ~9 hours. Read by James Fouhey. HarperAudio, January, 2019. 9780062885203. (Review of audiobook borrowed from public library. Will purchase hc for my library.)

Teen Tuesday features Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Benn Philippe. This is the first-person account of sixteen-year-old Norris Kaplan as he navigates his reluctant move from Toronto, Canada to Austin, Texas. As a Black, hockey playing teen, he is sure Texas teens have preconceived notions about him. What he doesn't realize is that he has quite a few preconceived notions about them, which he records in his notebook. He promised his professor mom that he would give Austin a try. Yet, he classifies everyone he meets in his notebook from the cheerleaders to the jocks to the loners to the manic pixie dream girl he thinks he might love. What he doesn't expect is to actually like the individuals who step forward to befriend him. Hilarious and cringeworthy, this is an amazingly satisfying read. 

I absolutely loved new-to-me narrator, James Fouhey's performance. Pitch-perfect and perfectly paced, this is an audiobook I would happily reread with my ears. 

Teen Tuesday: The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin. 544 p. Candlewick Press, September 25, 2018. 9780763698225. (Review from arc courtesy of the publisher.)

When Brangwain Spurge, elfin historian, accepts an assignment to be catapulted into enemy territory to present the goblin king with a gift, he is honored and copes with the dangers. Little does he know, the gift he is bearing may just ignite a war. Oh, and kill him in the process. 

Goblin archivist, Werfel, is delighted to host. He believes he and Brangwain are kindred spirits and will have much to discuss. He rolls out the red carpet, goblin style and is nonplussed over Spurge's aloofness. He's also suspicious. Spurge keeps disappearing.

Each believes the other culture is the cause of all the problems in the world. The goblin-elfin conflict goes back over 1000 years and historical record is impeccable, is it not? As they stumble their way to an audience with the goblin king, readers discover through Yelchin's detailed illustrations what is afoot. In a world where insults are compliments, except when they're not and appreciation for other cultures is absent, how can it end, but badly?

This fantasy world is all too familiar in this sly, satirical romp. The illustrations propel the prose narrative, aided by letters from the spymaster to the elfin king. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge is sophisticated, hilarious fun. 

I posted to Teen Tuesday because of the rather sophisticated humor and the fact that older readers might appreciate the satire. Younger fantasy fans and fans of Brian Selznik's illustrated novels will love this book as well. It's going in the "Everyone" section at school when it releases late September. I can't wait to see the finished product. Even the arc had heft and those illustrations! One could get lost in every one!

Fact Friday: Positive by Paige Rawl

Positive by Paige Rawl. 288 p. HarperCollins Publishers, August, 2014. 9780062342515. (Own)

Fact Friday features Positive: a memoir by Paige Rawl with Ali Benjamin. Paige Rawl never thought twice about the amount of medication she had to take each day. It was just a fact of her life. She had a happy childhood with her single mom. She had a best friend. She cheered and played soccer. When she was in sixth grade, her mom explained that the reason why she needed medication was that she was HIV positive and had been since she was three. Her father was a drug addict who infected her mother and eventually Paige, who contracted the virus through childbirth. Her life changed dramatically when she shared her positive status with her best friend. The bullying started within hours and by eighth grade, she opted to be homeschooled because of the hate. She writes honestly about contemplating suicide. Instead, she channeled her energy into educating people about bullying and HIV/ AIDS. Today, she is a motivational speaker and founder of a non-profit organization called Paige Power. Positive is a popular choice at TMS by eighth graders when they need to read a memoir. 

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Orïsha Legacy Series #1. 600 p. Henry Holt and Company, March 6, 2018. 9781250170972. (Review from arc courtesy of publisher.)

Happy book birthday Tomi Adeyemi and Children of Blood and Bone!

This arc landed in my mailbox back in December but another very busy month would pass by before I could crack it. I fell in love with the cover immediately and the premise definitely intrigued. When I finally started it, I made it my "bedside stand book," meaning it was the book I read the last thing each night, one that I sip instead of devour. I needed to keep it on the bedside stand to savor the incredible world-building and lovely language but I definitely wanted to dive in and devour. And, I definitely want to reread this one with my ears to hear the proper pronunciation of the names and places.* 

I was unaware of the hype surrounding this debut. I'm glad I was since I usually have a knee-jerk reaction to hype. Believe it. Folks, this debut is impressive. The characters are brilliant and memorable. This world is immersive. I simply cannot wait to return to it.

Zélie Adebola remembers the night the magic disappeared from Orïsha, a fictional kingdom in Nigeria. That night all the adult maji were rounded up by the king's forces and massacred. Her own mother was beaten and hung from a tree, leaving behind a bereft husband, Zélie and her brother, Tzain. Marked with the white hair of a diviner, but having no magic, Zélie trains with Mama Agba to learn the art of combat. She's brash and headstrong and prone to getting in trouble with the guards whose usurious ways keep Zélie's family and village on the brink of survival.

She rashly decides to shelter a runaway noble and is stunned to discover that this trembling rich girl is none other that the king's daughter. Amani has fled the palace with a magic scroll and now she is hunted by her own father's army led by her brother, the prince and heir to the kingdom or Orïsha. Could this scroll be the key to awakening the magic? Zélie and her brother agree to protect Amani and the three set out to find an ancient temple to learn more about awakening the magic. They are doggedly pursues by Inan, who is hiding a terrible secret of his own.

It is no surprise that the book has already been optioned for a movie. This superb debut is sweeping and cinematic, featuring brilliantly flawed and complicated characters, brutal violence, betrayal and nail-biting suspense. This is a first-purchase for all teen collections. Give it to your patrons with stamina and maturity who love high fantasy and brilliant writing.

*I was thrilled to learn that the audiobook will release at the same time as the book and was narrated by the incredible Bahni Turpin. Can. Not. Wait. To. Reread. This. With. My. Ears!

Audiobook Review: Making Friends with Billy Wong by Augusta Scattergood

Making Friends with Billy Wong by Augusta Scattergood. Unabridged audiobook on 4 compact discs. 4 hours, 17 minutes. Performed by Kate Simses and Todd Haberkorn. Scholastic Audiobooks, November, 2016. 9781338051063. (Review from audiobook courtesy of the author.)

Eleven-year-old Azalea is not happy. No sir, not happy at all. In fact, she refuses to speak to her mother the whole miserable car ride from Texas to Arkansas. Her summer is going to be miserable. She may even miss the sixth grade picnic. Her Grandma Clark saw to that. Why did she have to go and hurt her foot? Why does she need Azalea? It's not like they even know each other. And what about the family visit to the Grand Canyon?

To add insult to injury, Azalea is on the shy side and definitely not good at making friends, or even meeting new people. In Paris Junction, it seems that's all she does. Everyone in the small town her parents could not wait to flee seems to be in each other's business. When she spies a boy in the distance and her grandmother tells her about Billy Wong, Azalea is not sure about being friends with a boy, let alone one who is Chinese. Billy has recently moved in with his great-uncle and aunt in order to attend school as he is barred from his local school thanks to segregation. He and his family still deal with racism though. Billy is especially worried about Willis DeLoach, a troubled young man who was caught stealing from Billy's uncle's store and has to do some sort of community service helping Grandma Clark in her huge garden. The majority of this story is told in the first-person by Azalea with occasional lists or notes written by Billy.

I can always count on August Scattergood for gentle, thought-provoking reads. Each of her books (Glory Be and The Way to Stay in Destiny) have surprised and delighted me for their interesting and complex characters in unique historical settings. Readers may be surprised to learn of the segregation of Chinese-Americans in the south. 

Please make time for Making Friends with Billy Wong and allow Azalea to find a place in your heart. The audiobook, narrated by Kate Simses and Todd Haberkorn was just wonderful. Simses' melodic voice and thoughtful, leisurely pace brings Azalea, who can be as prickly as her grandmother, to wonderful life. Haberkorn's clipped earnest voice portrays Billy through his notes and lists. The author reads her Author Note at the end.

Both the book and the audio are wonderful additions to the middle grade collection.

Audiobook Review: Historical Fiction Double-header

Sigh. There was a time when I reviewed everything I read. Then, I reviewed only what I really liked. Lately, I realized that I am not even doing that! I never reviewed two audiobooks that totally blew me away this summer. So here's a double review of two historical fictions not to be missed.

Both of these feature totally fictional characters set during a notable historical event, neither of which, I am embarrassed to admit, I had ever heard. But then, I always learn the most interesting things by reading literature for young people.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez. Unabridged audiobook on 10 compact discs, 12 hrs., 50 mins. Read by Benita Robledo and Lincoln Hoppe. Listening Library, 2016. 9780735289475. (Purchased)

Set in New London, Texas in 1937, where a deadly explosion  at a school killed scores of children, Out of Darkness tells the story of Naomi and Wash. Fifteen-year-old Naomi is Mexican and her five-year-old half-siblings are bi-racial. They've recently been summoned by Naomi's white stepfather to live as a family in New London. Her half-siblings mix easily but Naomi is immediately confronted with racial hatred aimed at Mexicans. All the boys in her high school make assumptions and all the girls hate her because of those assumptions compounded by her beauty and apparent disinterest. She does, reluctantly at first, become interested in Wash, an ambitious African American boy with college prospects. She and Henry, her step-father, share a terrible secret. Henry has supposedly repented and become a Christian, but with each passing day, his resolve waivers and Naomi finds herself the object of his advances. 

This just shredded my heart to bits. Nothing like listening to a book and knowing from disc one that lots of terrible things are going to happen. Evocative and layered, this elicited so many emotions-like falling in love with the characters and wanting to keep them safe; like the fury of unrelenting wrongs and injustice. This was one tough but powerful read. The audio performance was first-rate. The narration by new-to-me narrator, Benita Robledo was commanding. I will definitely be interested in listening to more of her performances. Lincoln Hoppe served as the voice of the "Greek Chorus." Highly recommended!

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. Unabridged audiobook on 7 compact discs (8 hrs., 48 min.) Read by Jorjeana Marie, Cassandra Morris, Will Damron and Michael Crouch. Listening Library, 2016. 9780147525451. (Purchased)

Salt to the Sea is told from the points of view of four young people as the losing German army retreats from Russian forces across East Prussia. Joana is a Lithuanian nurse shepherding a group of refugees to Gotenhofan to attempt to gain passage on the ship, Wilhelm Gustloff. She encounters Emelia, a young Polish girl and Florian, a deserting German soldier. There's also the POV of Alfred, a delusional German Navy seaman who finds multiple ways of shirking his responsibility. Each hides secrets both tragic and dangerous. The chapters are short as the point of view shifts quickly from person to person. Be patient with the set-up for as the pieces of this puzzle begin to fit together, the suspense will prevent you from putting the book down (or, in my case, stop listening). So will the love you may be surprised to have for some of the characters. Even the secondary characters are so vividly drawn that I wept over some. 

I was unaware that the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustlaff was the worst maritime disaster in history. As she did in Between Shades of Gray, Ms. Sepetys brings a little known segment of World War II to vivid life. While all the characters are completely fictional, what happened to them in the book, really happened to refugees. 

The four performers did a wonderful job. Three of the four were new-to-me narrators. Cassandra Morris' performance as Emelia was particularly affecting. I'm not sure who voiced Alfred, but his portrayal was creepily smarmy as fitting Alfred. Great job. 

Both books will require a sophisticated reader for both structure and content with Out of Darkness being more appropriate to a high school reader. Out of Darkness won a Printz Honor in January and Salt to the Sea is getting some award buzz for the 2017 season.