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?

Middle Grade Monday: Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia

Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed the cold, yet sparkling weekend. Everything was coated in ice on Saturday, so I didn't get my miles in. My driveway was pretty slick, so the dogs and I stayed close to home. My bird feeders were very busy all weekend with all manner of wintering birds-cardinals, bluejays, juncos, chickadees, house finches, sparrows, grackles, starlings and the occasional red-bellied woodpecker. I get a great deal of joy watching them visit. Oh, and Saturday marked six months since my husband's death. I had been anticipating it all week, but between the ice and tackling more closets, I actually forgot until son #3 called to see how I was.

Image: Penguin Random House 

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia. 320 p. Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books, August, 2021. 9780593379936. (Review of finished purchased copy.) 

Middle Grade Monday features Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia.Seventeen Black male authors, including the editor contributed to this luminous story collection. Some are well-known, such as Mr. Mbalia (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky), Jason Reynolds and Jerry Craft. Others are new-to-me. Each story was unique and entertaining. The subjects run the gamut from the first day of school to saving the universe to coming out to family to debating the best superhero.

The nice thing about reading a story collection is the variety and the fact that if a story doesn't have appeal, you can skip it. Or not. They are short enough and you never know; you might end up enjoying it. I read every one and, while I have some favorites, each one was unique. The cover illustration by the incomparable Kadir Nelson makes me smile every time I see it.

Black Boy Joy was a Washington Post Best Book of 2021, a Boston Globe Best Book, a New York Public Library Best Book, a Chicago Public Library Best Book, an Amazon Best Book and all the review journals put it on their Best Book lists. Well-deserved. This book belongs in all collections. 

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.

Waiting on Wednesday: Pity Party by Kathleen Lane

Image: LBYR

Pity Party by Kathleen Lane. 208 p. Little Brown Books for Young Readers, January 19, 2021. 9780316417358.

Waiting on Wednesday features Pity Party by Kathleen Lane. Here's the publisher synopsis: Welcome to Pity Party, where the social anxieties that plague us all are twisted into funny, deeply resonant, and ultimately reassuring psychological thrills.

There's a story about a mood ring that tells the absolute truth. One about social media followers who literally follow you around. And one about a kid whose wish for a new, improved self is answered when a mysterious box arrives in the mail. There's also a personality test, a fortune teller, a letter from the Department of Insecurity, and an interactive Choose Your Own Catastrophe.

Come to the party for a grab bag of delightfully dark stories that ultimately offers a life-affirming reminder that there is hope and humor to be found amid our misery.

Aren't we all entitled to a little pity party the way 2020 has been going?

Teen Tuesday: We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Hudson

Image: Penguin Random House

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson. 96 p. Crown Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, September, 2018.9780525580423. (Own.)

Teen Tuesday features We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson. Wade Hudson and his wife, Cheryl Willis Hudson know a thing or two about rising, resisting and raising voices. They founded Just Us books to promote and cultivate #ownvoices and diverse voices. This collection of short stories, poems and art showcases the talent of both well-known and new-to-me artists of color. This collection is inspiring, reassuring and provocative, you can read these straight through or jump around. If you'd like to awaken the activist, the ally or the anti-racist in you, read and ponder this collection.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

Image: Simon & Schuster

Look Both Ways: a tale told in ten blocks by Jason Reynolds. 208 p. Atheneum/ Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, October 8, 2019. 9781481438285. (Review of borrowed arc.)

Middle Grade Monday features Look Both Ways: a tale told in ten blocks by Jason Reynolds. My library sits above the main entrance of my school. The dismissal bell rings at 3:10 and by 3:12 students start streaming out. There's a line of three buses and usually a fairly long line of late model cars lined up for pick-up; but a majority of our nearly six hundred students seem to walk - at least across the street to the library for a while before dispersing. I've often contemplated their lives, especially if I'm worried about any in particular. 

Jason Reynolds follows a few kids home in his new book, Look Both Ways. Any new book by Reynolds is cause to celebrate. He's an automatic purchase for me even if he writes the phone book. Not surprisingly, Look Both Ways is a National Book Award Finalist.

This collection of short stories follows ten or so children home from school on the day a school bus "fell from the sky." They are loosely connected and at turns poignant and hilarious.  It is a fabulous collection of short stories featuring interesting characters, gorgeous writing, and hi and low humor. Like all well-written short stories, each feels as though they could've been expanded into a full-length novel. Perfect for reading aloud.

Jason Reynolds is a TMS favorite. Most of his books have won some type of award from the Coretta Scott King to the National Book Award, where his popular book, Ghost, was a finalist. If you think you hate to read, you need to try one of Reynolds' books. Look Both Ways is a good place to start.