Middle Grade Monday: Hope Wins: a Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers edited by Rose Brock

Image: Penguin Random House

Hope Wins: a Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers edited by Rose Brock. 196 p. Philomel Books/ Penguin Young Readers Group, May 10, 2022. 9780593463932. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.) 

Happy Monday TMS Readers. I hope you had a wonderful weekend even though the weather was a drag. Middle Grade Monday features Hope Wins: a Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers, edited by Rose Brock. If ever there was a "right book at the right time," (Thank you Professor Nana.) this collection of stories around the theme of hope is it. Twenty-two children's authors were asked by editor, Rose Brock to write a personal story and the results are inspiring in different ways. Some of the stories are rooted in sadness, such as Stuart Gibbs' exploration of grief, which may surprise young readers because his books are very humorous.  Other authors stick with the genre they are mostly notable for, such as R.L. Stine thinking that he wants to see a ghost, until he does, or Matt de la Peńa's story about an opportunity to play high school basket ball at a "better" school. James Bird and Rex Ogle explore their difficult childhood.

Tom Angleberger, of Origami Yoda fame, writes about his autism being viewed a "major malfunction" during his youth and Christina Soontornvat writes about learning to handle rude patrons with grace from her immigrant parents who ran a restaurant. Some, such as Soman Chainani, J. Cervantes and Gordon Korman, write about their path to author-hood. And then there's Adam Gidwitz, who just wants to be cool.

A short story collection is like a tapas restaurant. You have lots of great choices that are served up on a series of bite-sized dishes; enough to satisfy, but not enough to get stuffed. Sure, there may be some stories that you might wish were longer, but then you always have the option of seeking out other works by that author.

Happy Book Birthday tomorrow to Hope Wins! It would be a terrific addition to any school or classroom library. Many of the stories beg to be read aloud and discussed. And who doesn't need a little hope and resilience nowadays?

Fact Friday: Breaking Through the Clouds: the Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson

Image: Abrams Books

Breaking Through the Clouds: the Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel and illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia. 48 p. Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 8, 2022. 9781419749568.

Happy Friday! Fact Friday celebrates Women's History Month and #nevertoooldforpicturebooks with Breaking Throught the Clouds: the Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel and illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia. Any TMS sixth grader can tell you that one of my mottos is that one is never too old for picture books, especially if it is an informational one and especially if it is a biography. I cannot tell you how many times I was able to solve a crossword clue thanks to something I read in a book for young readers.

Joanne Simpson's fascination with clouds began at age five, when she took a small boat out behind the family cottage in Cape Cod to watch the clouds. By age ten, she was sailing solo in the ocean to escape her mother's harsh words for her. It seems that Joanne was "too stubborn and too smart" to be loved. So Joanne took solace in sailing and cloud watching. She was flying a plane by age sixteen and was able to get closer to her beloved clouds. She also kept notebooks. During WWII, while at the University of Chicago, she was asked to teach Air Force officers about clouds, but when the war ended and she wanted to continue her studies and earn a PhD, her professors laughed. She was a woman, and no women were meteorologist and she wanted to study clouds and clouds were just "currents of air filled with tiny beads of water..."

But Joanne persisted. She sold her boat to earn enough money to continue studying. She read. She studied. She watched the clouds and made calculations. She earned her PhD, but there were still obstacles ahead of her because she was a woman working in a "man's" field. All of her calculations were done using a slide rule, pencil and graph paper while her professor had a huge computer to work with. Eventually, this professor, who laughed at Joanne years earlier, recognized the importance of her models and offered her the use of his computer.

The palette in the gouache illustrations pop with vibrant color and add energy to this story of resiliency and perseverance. The end pages are decorated with all the different types of clouds. I appreciated the details embedded in the book cover, such as the weather map in the background and her flowing scarf. The pattern made me think of birds and of her love of flying. Back matter includes an author's note, three black and white photos of Dr. Simpson at work, a selected bibliography and a timeline.

This picture book releases next week. Budding meteorologists will want to learn about this important history, but it is history everyone should be aware of. Happy book birthday (in advance) to Breaking Through Clouds! Happy Women's History Month! Happy reading!

Fact Friday and Arc Review: All Thirteen: the incredible cave rescue of the Thai boys's soccer team by Christina Soontornvat

Image: Candlewick Press

All Thirteen: the incredible cave rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team by Chritina Soontornvat. 280 p. Candlewick Press, October 13, 2020. 9781536209457. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features All Thirteen: the incredible cave rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team by Chritina Soontornvat. Two years ago this past June, the Wild Boars soccer team finished practicing. Twelve team members set on bikes out with their coach to explore the Tham Luang cave system in a nearby mountain. They left their bikes and soccer cleats at the mouth of the cave and descended into the caverns. Then it started to rain and the passage out flooded. They were trapped. Worse still, none of the parents knew where the boys and their coach were. And it was still raining. The rainy season arrived early that year. They had flashlights but remained in the pitch dark to conserve battery power. They found a chamber to huddle in and tried to keep warm while they awaited rescue. It would take seventeen days for the Thai government and rescue teams that included Navy Seals and cave divers to figure out a way of evacuating the boys and their coach. Even then, the rescuers were not sure if everyone would survive the swim out.

Ms. Soontornvort was visiting family in northern Thailand at the time and, like the rest of the world, was riveted. She holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in science education. Between those degrees and her chops as a writer, she brings the reader up close and personal, breaking the tension of the rescue narrative with important cultural and environmental context. She clearly explains the science and engineering and provides the reader with portraits of individuals involved. 

Whoa! This was one intense, compelling read! I had to read it in one day but often needed to take a break to breathe and walk around a bit - all this already knowing the outcome! The immediacy of the writing and the attention to detail made for an immensely satisfying read. (And yes, there were tears.) Profusely illustrated with photos, maps and diagrams, and containing over fifty pages of back matter, this work is a must-read. 

It's not due out until October, so put it on pre-order. It has been blurbed by Steve Sheinkin as "the real deal." I anticipate many starred reviews. There aren't enough superlatives to convey how impressed I am by this stunning work of informational literature. Highly, highly recommended! 

Fact Friday: Her Own Two Feet: a Rwandan girl's brave fight to walk by Meredith Davis and Rebecca Uwitonze

Image: Scholastic

Her Own Two Feet: a Rwandan girl's brave fight to walk by Meredith Davis and Rebecca Uwitonze. 199 p. Scholastic Focus/ Scholastic Inc., October, 2019. 9781338356373. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features Her Own Two Feet: a Rwandan girl's brave fight to walk by Meredith Davis and Rebecca Uwitonze.  Maybe you're feeling a bit sorry for yourself now that we've spent three weeks in virtual school and remaining isolated from friends. At least we're all in this together; fighting for a common cause - to flatten the curve. Reading this book sure did put things into perspective for me. 

Rebeka Uwitonze was born with club feet. Her feet were so twisted that doctors feared she would never walk and the people in her village told her parents to abandon her by the side of the road. As she grew, villagers avoided her, spat on her and called her cursed. Her parents did not abandon her and did everything they could to support Rebeka. She was loved. But she was also growing and was becoming too heavy for her mother to carry. Rebeka's condition was fixable at birth -in a developed country like the U.S. In Rwanda, her parents lived far from a hospital and were too poor to afford that kind of care. 

When Rebeka was nine, she was sponsored by an American doctor to travel to the U.S. to be evaluated for surgery to repair her feet. She lived in Austen, Texas with the Davis family, who took care of her while she endured many painful surgeries. She missed her family. She spoke almost no English; but she was resilient. Her parents' motto, "Amahirwe aza rimwe," "chance comes once," became her mantra. Her photo-filled story touches the heartstrings. Her Own Two Feet was just the right story I needed at this time. I am in awe of Rebeka and you will be too. Read it.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Wink by Rob Harrell

Image: Penguin Random House

Wink by Rob Harrell. 316 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, March 31, 2020. 9781984815149. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Wink by Rob Harrell. All Ross Maloy wants is to get through seventh grade with his best friends, Abby and Isaac. But Isaac's been MIA ever since Ross got diagnosed with a rare eye cancer. Now he's that kid at school everyone's whispering about or pitying -the cancer kid. On top of that, the side effects of his treatments cause embarrassing situations inspiring someone to create and spread cruel memes about him. 

People who know me, know that I'm awfully hard on cancer novels. This first-person novel is not like any book about cancer you've read. It's authentic, honest and hilarious, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I even broke my "no star ratings" vow on Goodreads to give it five. I forced myself not to swallow it whole in one sitting. The spot illustrations and occasional comic strips featuring Bat Pig will appeal to fans of illustrated novels and add to the humor. You know your kids who eat up sad books will be all over this. Guess what? So will your kids who hate sad books! It's that good.

Wink releases on March 31. You'd better order multiple copies cuz this won't sit.

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. 

Fact Friday: It's Trevor Noah: born a crime: stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Image: Delacorte Press

It's Trevor Noah: born a crime: stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (Adapted for Young Readers). 295 p. Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books, April, 2019. 9780525582168. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features It's Trevor Noah: born a crime: stories from a South African childhood by Trevor Noah. The Daily Show comedian was born in South Africa under apartheid where races were strictly segregated and consequences for crossing racial lines were brutal. Yet, Noah's black mother met and fell in love with a white man and they had Trevor, who grew up wondering where he fit in. In this memoir, he candidly discusses the ups and downs of his unique childhood and the events that would shape the entertainer he became. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo

Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo. 240 p. Candlewick Press, October 2, 2018. 9780763694630. (Review from arc courtesy of the publisher.)

Louisiana Elefante is not a happy little girl. Life with Granny has not been easy; but she is grateful that she has her considering her trapeze artist parents are not in the picture. She finally made a couple of best friends in Raymie and Beverly (from Raymie Nightingale) and now Granny has dragged her out of bed in the middle of the night muttering about a reckoning. They are leaving Florida forever, never to return and Louisiana is devastated. Soon it is evident that Granny is suffering or ill and Louisiana has to drive the car to find a dentist. They are broke; so paying for services is going to be a bit difficult. Louisiana and her Granny are resourceful though. Louisiana is determined to find her way home. Only it may not be what she expects. 

Louisiana's voice captivates from page one. There is hilarity but there is also plenty of heartbreak - more than enough for one little girl to carry so resiliently. Resilience seems to be a theme in middle grade literature this year. 

Kate DiCamillo is a fearless writer. Each of her books is different. I will be honest. Raymie Nightingale was not a favorite of mine. I enjoyed it but wondered what kind of reader among my students would tackle this quiet story set in the 1970s. Still, I was eager to read this companion. It is not necessary to have read Raymie Nightingale. Louisiana's Way Home utterly floored me. The writing is spare and lovely. Little moments are so beautifully nuanced you might stop to savor or go back and reread. I marked this as a rare reread. I will most likely reread it with my ears. I cannot wait.

Louisiana's Way Home is a must-purchase title for any library. Your DiCamillo fans will thank you as will your gentle readers who love sad books. Will it be DiCamillo's Newbery hat trick? Not sure. The competition seems fierce this year. Each MG book I read seems better than the last. It's not one you want to miss.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen

No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen. 276 p. Wendy Lamb Books/ Random House Children's Books, September 11, 2018. 9781524768348. (Review from arc courtesy of the publisher.)

We know immediately that something huge has happened to twelve-year-old Felix Knuttson because he's asking a police officer if he's going to be interrogated. He's seen the procedure on t.v. and wonders if his mother, Astrid is being interrogated in another room. He's assured they are not. He's also outraged because they didn't commit any crimes, the criminals got away and Felix and his mom are at the police station.

Once Felix realizes this sympathetic police officer knows the secret he was sworn to keep, Felix explains how their temporary housing crisis came to be. Felix and Astrid were not always between addresses. For the first part of Felix's fatherless life, the two lived with Mormor, his Swedish grandmother, in Astrid's childhood home. Readers learn, through Felix's matter-of-fact, earnest and endearing narrative about how he developed his love for a trivia game show,  Who, What, Where, When, thanks to Mormor, who also made his tomte, a gnome-like creature from Swedish folklore (p.8) that Felix carries everywhere. 

After Felix's mormor died, Astrid sold the home and purchased a condo. Astrid lost both her jobs and the building began to sink because it was built on a riverbank. Astrid could  not afford the cost of repair and so the condo was sold at a loss. And so, the family downsized again and again, each place a bit danker than the last, until they found themselves evicted and an abusive ex-boyfriend's van was the only option.

It was temporary, Astrid said. It was even fun, until the Vancouver summer turned to fall. Astrid managed to get Felix enrolled in a French immersion school. There, he reunited with an old friend and made a new one. He was happy there but their secret was getting harder and harder to keep what with the availability of showers and clean laundry limited. But Astrid's warning that he would be taken away from her and put in a foster home compelled Felix to stay silent. It was easier to lose friends than to lose Astrid. 

Though there is plenty of heartbreak here, Felix is resilient and loves his mom fiercely. He buys into her lies and supports her unconditionally. Until he can't and makes a life-changing decision. Felix is a winning narrator and the reader's heart will break for him again and again; but there's humor and hope to balance things out. 

Give No Fixed Address to readers who enjoy humor in their sad books or to fans of How to Steal a Dog or Crenshaw or fans of Nielsen's We are All Made of Molecules and The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen. Readers will laugh, cry and perhaps examine their assumptions about the homeless. No Fixed Address is a first-purchase. I can't wait to hand this to my students come fall. 

ETA: I forgot to mention that I adore this cover! 

Waiting on Wednesday (and Review!): Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech

Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech. 165 p. Joanna Cotler Books/ HarperCollins, September 11, 2018. 9780062570703. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

A new book by Sharon Creech is an automatic purchase for me. I heard about Saving Winslow a while back and thought I'd feature it in a "Waiting on Wednesday" post. Then I was able to grab the last arc on the table at the HarperCollins booth at ALAAC18! Lucky me. I started reading it at my last breakfast in New Orleans. Beignets on the Riverwalk!

I finished it later that day, at the airport and posted this comment to FB and Twitter:

And, it IS perfect! From it's first lines, 

In the laundry basket on the kitchen floor was a lump
     "Another dead thing?" Louis asked.
     "Not yet," his father said.

which reminded me of another fantastic and memorable first line, "Where's papa going with that ax?", to the final, goosebumps-inducing lines, which I will leave for you to discover. Along the way are short chapters featuring endearing characters and small moments that are brilliantly written. 

Louie lives with his parents in town. Uncle Pete, Louie's father's friend lives on a small farm outside of town. Somehow Louie's father ends up disposing of small tragedies from the farm. This little lump of a mini-donkey isn't dead though and Louie decides he's going to make sure that this trembling, pitiful thing doesn't die. Louie does not have the best of luck saving animals; but he decides that this time will be different. He recalls how he himself was born small and needed care in an incubator while he grew strong.

Louie is a thoughtful, gentle soul. He misses his brother, Gus, greatly and looks forward to Gus' short letters home. Gus is serving overseas in the Army. He has a best friend in Mack, who is a year or two older than Louis and whose father owns the feedstore. New neighbors move nearby and the two meet sister, Nora and Claudine. Mack falls instantly in love with Claudine. It takes Louie a little longer to warm up to Nora, who is a bit of a downer.

In 165 pages, Sharon Creech has created a setting and characters so vivid, I feel I should be able to walk to town and sit on Louie's porch. Saving Winslow will have wide appeal, from fans of Sharon Creech to reluctant readers, who will be treated to accessible literary gold. If you're like me, you've pre-ordered Saving Winslow the moment you heard of it. If not, drop it into your shopping cart now. It's a first purchase.

It's perfect.

Teen Tuesday and Review: What I Leave Behind by Alison McGhee

What I Leave Behind by Alison McGhee. 200 p. Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/ Atheneum/ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May, 2018. 9781481476560. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher)

I am intrigued by books written under unusual constraints, like Chris Crowe's Death Coming Up the Hill. This slim novel is told in one hundred, hundred-word chapters. It is the story of sixteen-year-old Will who grieves his father's suicide. He tries to get through each day as best he can. He walks the neighborhood day and night; but avoids certain areas. He observes. He enjoys watching "Little Dude" who has an obsession with butterflies. He has a job in a dollar store where he buoys his boss, the socially inept owner. He tries to replicate his father's cornbread and gives his failures to Superman, the local homeless man. He also feels guilty for the sexual assault of his good friend, Playa. He left the party where it happened early. Had he only stayed, perhaps... 

Each of the "chapters" are numbered in Chinese and McGhee makes the most of her hundred words. Each chapter is a thumbnail sketch of a moment in Will's day. The writing is precise and incisive. Though the reader may yearn to know more, we are given what are given. In some ways this replicates Will's need to know why his father chose to end his life. He was given what he was given.

YA readers who love thoughtful and sad books will appreciate gentle Will's journey.

Teen Tuesday: Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick

Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick. 358 p. Little, Brown and Company, May, 2010. 9780316043526. (Own)

Teen Tuesday features Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick. Quick author of The Silver Lining Playbook made his YA debut with this book, featuring Amber Appleton, self-proclaimed rock star of hope. Sure she's homeless and living in the back of Mellow Yellow, the school bus her alcoholic mother drives; but she has her dog, her friends, her faith and her mom. When tragedy strikes, those she refused to give up on rally around her and refuse to let her give up on herself. This is a quick, emotional read for teens.