ARC Review: Afia and the World of Wonders by Maria Araujo

Image: Scholastic

Afia and the World of Wonders by Maria Araujo. 304 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., April 15, 2025. 9781338856736. Review of arc courtesy of publisher.

Afia and her identical twin sister have a few moments of freedom at the market the evening before their coming-of-age ceremony. Aya is looking forward to the ceremony and taking her place in the family business. Afia, not so much. When she meets a mysterious wood carver, she is intrigued by his wares, but her sister intervenes, but not before he injects some doubt in Afia.

During the ceremony, Afia decides to run away, away from the protection of her village and into the land of the unknown, guided by this mysterious wood carver. She is introduced to the queen of the realm and is entranced, but a pesky cat-faced being pesters her.

This Alice in Wonderland retelling, set in West Africa is just familiar enough and different enough to be beguiling. The art in the arc was unfinished, but intriguing. This was so much fun!

Middle Grade Monday: The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln

Image: Penguin Random House

The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln. 256 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Young Readers, July 30, 2024. 9780593617663. Review of arc courtesy of publisher.

Happy Monday! The temps continue to sizzle her in northern NJ, but not as bad as some locales in the U.S.! Middle Grade Monday features The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln. Twins Page and Turner Reed love the New York Public Library and reading better than anything in their home town of New York City. It's a good thing they are pragmatic and self-sufficient because their parents are usually traveling for business and their nanny often leaves them alone. Page decides to smuggle their dad's first edition of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula out of the apartment in order to get the book appraised by one of the librarians. Unfortunately, it goes missing! Their father will not be happy if they don't get it back. The two enlist the aid of Ms. Literati, the Night Librarian, who's tasked with managing and containing the mysterious vandalism that is happening at the library almost nightly.

This pun filled debut graphic novel has something for every reader. It's action-packed and fast-paced featuring the relatable to the fantastic; from sibling rivalry to villains who are breaking free from their books to wreak havoc.

I read an arc (advance reader copy), so most of the art was unfinished. Sample finished pages featured hues of blue and varied panel placement that engages. This should appeal to a wide range of readers. It's out on July 30 and on my book order for my school's library. I can't wait to reread the finished book. Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~11 hours, 32 minutes. Read by Isabella Star LaBlanc. Macmillan Audio, May, 2023. 9781250877277. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! We are you coping with lots of thunderstorms on and off for the past week. The skies go from partly cloudy to ominously cloudy quickly and so, I've had to be judicious with Boo's long walks.

Teen Tuesday features Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. This is a stand-alone companion to Ms. Boulley's debut, The Firekeeper's Daughter, which takes place ten years earlier. Pauline Firekeeper-Birch, the chill-twin, is looking forward to a summer of fishing on her beloved Sugar Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, while her anxiety-prone, academically oriented twin, Pauline, works as an intern at Tribal Counsel. Unfortunately, she wrecks the Jeep she shares with the family and her Aunt Daunis paid for the repairs, expecting Perry to pay her back. So Perry becomes a reluctant intern to Cooper Turtle, curator of the Tribal Museum, who is involved in negotiations with the local college to return tribal artifacts under the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The red tape and slowness of the process infurates Pauline, and so, she takes matters into her own hands and removes seeds from the college store-room. Cooper Turtle no longer trusts her and releases her from her internship, leaving Perry to scramble to find another mentor. Meanwhile, several women in the community have gone missing and there have been deaths of Black people at the hands of the police, leaving Perry worried for her Black father's safety and further fueling her fight for social justice.

Native tradition, culture and history are woven seamlessly into what becomes a suspenseful heist story. Perry's first-person narration is snarky, intelligent and hilarious at times as she lives up to her nickname, "Perry Pulls No Punches." The Sugar Island setting is vividly drawn as are supporting characters. Blunt language, references to sexual assault, blackmail and violence make this compelling story more suitable to thoughtful, mature teen readers.

Warrior Girl Unearthed was just named a Boston Globe Horn Book Award Winner in the Fiction and Poetry category. I read this one with my ears and appreciated hearing the correct pronunciation of the language. New-to-me narrator Isabella Star LaBlanc brought Perry to life and paced her performance well. Happy reading!

#tbt: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Image: Penguin Random House

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1. 376 p. Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books, May, 2007. 9780385733571. (Own)

#tbt features The Alchemyst by Michael Scott. When this book released way back in the spring of 2007, students would tell me that the author of this book "plagiarized" from J.K. Rowling, not understanding that Nicholas Flamel is a real person from history. He's a main character in this series, apparently having discovered the means to achieving immortality along with a host of other notable figures from history. He owns a book shop in San Fransisco and his wife, Perenelle, owns the coffee shop across the street. The two are working under pseudonyms. Fifteen-year-old twin siblings, Josh and Sophie each work for one of the couple. A mysterious man named John Dee, backed up by some golum goons, enters Flamel's book shop seeking The Codex. It is then that Josh realizes that his boss is not who he claims he is when he witnesses him using magic to prevent Dee from stealing the Codex.  

There are two problems with Dee stealing the Codex. One, Nicholas has to recreate the elixir every few months, or risk losing immortality and two, it will enable Dee to summon the Dark Elders and destroy the world.

Nicholas and Perenelle were in San Fransisco specifically to discover whether Sophie and Josh were the twins that were prophesied to be the world's saviors. 

Each book in this action-packed series takes place over one day and takes the reader around the physical world and the world of the gods and goddesses of a multitude of mythologies. 

Teen Tuesday: Into the Bloodred Woods by Martha Brockenbrough

Image: Scholastic Inc. 

Into the Bloodred Woods by Martha Brockenbrough. 368 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc. November, 2021. 9781338673876. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Happy Tuesday! Teen Tuesday features Into the Bloodred Woods by Martha Brockenbrough. Fairy tales were not originally children's stories. What do you think communities did before the age of television to entertain themselves at night? They gathered by the fire and told stories. Over the years they became diluted and "Disneyfied," but earlier, they could be dark and gruesome. Into the Bloodred Woods follows this storytelling tradition. While wholly original, the author has woven familiar fairy tale characters and motifs into this intense and gripping tale.

There was a kingdom surrounded by woods that was ruled by a king who was still mourning the death of his wife, the queen. The couple had two children, a boy and a girl. They were twins, but the girl was born first, making her the heir to the throne and her brother burned with jealousy. The girl, Ursula, wanted to rule and spent her childhood doing her best to learn everything she needed to know about ruling a kingdom. At night, she slept in a gilded cage. Why? She was a werebeast, she shifted shape and her animal aspect was a huge bear. Werebeasts were forbidden in the kingdom. If a child was born one, he or she was taken from their parents and the parents were thrown into the dungeon, never to be seen again. The children were locked into cages to entertain the villagers. They were reviled.

The prince, Albrecht, is obsessed with machinery and is constantly inventing and ingratiating himself to his father by besting Ursula when he tests them. He's furious that his sister was born first. He's conniving and cruel and despises the werebeasts.

The story shifts third-person POV between the twins as well as another brother and sister who live deep in the forest. Hans and Greta's parents are gravely ill and the two are caring for them the best they can, but death is inevitable. Hans promises his sister that he will always be there for her. He is a were and his animal aspect is a wolf. Hans also has a friend in the forest named Capella, who lives nearby with her mother. Capella only knows Hans in his wolf form.

Ms. Brockenbrough deftly weaves these four strands of story with an occasional fifth, that of a blind storyteller into a fast-paced, compelling tale. The writing is lush. The setting is vivid and the characters are keenly drawn. This is not a tale for the squeamish. There is disease, death, violence and plenty of gore. If you are a fan of traditional fairy tales undiluted by Disney, you will adore this book. This is one for the reread pile for me. Highly recommended!

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Root Magic by Eden Royce

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Root Magic by Eden Royce. Unabridged downloadable audiobook. ~594 minutes. Read by Imani Parks. Walden Pond Press/ HarperCollins Publishers, January, 2021. 9780063064416. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.) 

Middle Grade Monday features Root Magic by Eden Royce. Jezabel Turner lives with her twin brother, Jay, their mother and extended family in South Carolina in 1963. They are burying Jez's beloved grandmother at the opening of this leisurely, lyrical debut novel. Gran was a respected root worker, one whom many members of the community came to for help, but who also garnered suspicion and fear. Jez's uncle, Doc carried the Gullah Geechee tradition of root work and wants to teach it to the twins. Their mother is hesitant, but changes her mind after a racist deputy unlawfully searches their property and threatens violence.

The real dangers of the Jim Crow south and the potential danger of a malevolent presence in the marsh quietly ratchet up the tension as Jez and Jay learn the ways of root. Jez is a thoughtful and charming narrator. Other characters, such as Jay, Doc and her mother brim with energy and life.

Imani Parks' performance matched the measured pace of the narrative well. I enjoyed reading this with my ears. Readers who enjoy intricately crafted suspense will love Root Magic.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

Image: Penguin Random House

Teen Tuesday features Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee. Ms. Lee is author of The Downstairs Girl, which I LOVED and featured in a Teen Tuesday post last year. Here, she uses the fact that there were eight Chinese passengers aboard the Titanic as inspiration for this layered, deeply moving narrative.

Seventeen-year-old Valora Luck has a first class ticket on board the maiden voyage of the Titanic, only she cannot board without her employer, as Valora works as a lady's maid. The problem? Her employer died after purchasing the ticket. Val wants to use her ticket to board, reconnect with her twin brother, Jamie and find a way to audition for Ringling Brothers' circus. 

Val and Jamie's Chinese father taught them juggling and acrobatics, skills the twins used when money was tight and their dad was drinking too much. Val has a couple of other problems as well. She doesn't have a passport and even if she had one, the racist Chinese Exclusion Act would make it all but impossible for Val and Jamie to enter in the U.S. Still, Val is determined to board. She spies an opportunity to put her acrobatic skills to good use and stows away. One eagle-eyed passenger witnesses this.

April Hart is intrigued. She's an American designer of haute couture clothing and doesn't fit society's expectations for women of the time. She has a plan and wants Val's help. Can Val trust April? How will Val find Jamie in Third Class? Will Jamie agree with Val's pie-in-the-sky plans? And, what will happen to Jamie's good friends if he does decide to join Val?

Ms. Lee's tale unfolds from Val's POV and it's engaging from the start. Val is plucky and blunt. She's a survivor and totally devoted to her brother. The setting is vivid and suspense is high as Val shuttles between the cabins in First and Third class. She dons disguises and switches accents as she searches for a way to make her plan work. Characters are richly developed and some are endearing, which makes the author's warning at the beginning of the book, eight Chinese passengers boarded, six survived, all the more ominous.

 I read this one with my ears and loved how the narrator effortlessly switched accents and languages! For me, listening to a book read by a narrator fluent in both languages heightens my appreciation. I tend to skim over foreign words and phrases, but listening draws my attention. There were times when plot conveniences threatened to take me out of the story, but Val's voice brought me right back in.

Fans of Ms. Lee's earlier books as well as fans of historical fiction will love Luck of the Titanic. Warning: there will be tears. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Pumpkin by Julie Murphy

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~7 hours. Read by Chad Burros. HarperAudio/ Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins Publishers, May, 2021. 9780063088762. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Well, we made it! Happy last day of school! This has been quite the school year and I'm happy that it's over. Personally, I have a challenging summer ahead. I'm glad that I no longer have to juggle school along with the sudden changes that have befallen my family. I can devote all my attention and energy to it over the summer. 

Teen Tuesday features Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. This is the concluding volume to the trilogy that began with Dumplin' and continued with Puddin'. Clover City, Texas is too small to contain high school senior Waylon "Pumpkin" Brewer. He's tall, redheaded, fat and flamboyant. He has been out for a while, but that doesn't mean his life is easy. He can't wait until graduation and the time when he and his twin sister and best friend, Clementine, will move to Austen to attend community college. Then, he's convinced that he can be his true self. He has even planned his wardrobe.

On one fateful night, Waylon is dumped by his closeted hook-up and he discovers that Clementine not only applied to, but was accepted to the University of Georgia. Heartbroken, Waylon dons a wig, puts makeup on and videotapes himself singing as "Pumpkin (his grammy's nickname for him)," thinking he might audition for his favorite show, Fiercest of Them All. After the video is accidentally leaked, Waylon finds himself nominated for Prom Queen and Clem's girlfriend Hannah is nominated for Prom King. Instead of being humiliated, Hannah encourages Waylon to go through with it with her.

Waylon's voice in this first-person narrative is at turns hilarious and heartbreaking, but always utterly honest and charming. Characters from the earlier novels make appearances and become involved in Waylon's journey in large and small ways. Even though this novel can stand alone, reading all three will be a treat. New-to-me narrator, Chad Burros, turned in a delightful performance, imbuing Waylon with energy, determination and longing. I just loved this. 

Middle Grade Monday: Twins by Varian Johnson

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Twins by Varian Johnson. Illustrated by Shannon Wright. Twins #1. 252 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., October, 2020. 9781338236132. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

It's a rainy Monday! I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I got to rake my leaves and finish a few books. Middle Grade Monday features a graphic novel called Twins by Varian Johnson and illustrated by Shannon Wright. This is Mr. Johnson's first graphic novel. You may have read some of his other middle grade fiction like, The Great Greene Heist or The Parker Inheritance. Come to think of it, he has also written a few YA titles, which are old enough to feature on #tbt so stay tuned.

Twins, Francine and Maureen do everything together. They share a room and have shared a classroom all through elementary school. Now that they are entering middle school, Francine is pulling away. Maureen expects things to go on as usual and is hurt, first when she discovers that they don't have the same schedules, then when she learns that Francine has something to do after school each day and isn't including her. Francine has even shortened her name and wants to be called, "Fran" now!

So what happens when to two decide to run for class president? Read this delightfully relatable, gorgeously illustrated graphic novel to find out. I know this wouldn't sit on my shelf were we not in a pandemic and my library closed. 

Both girls are immediately likable, relatable and endearing. Their family is blended, consisting of an older half-brother, and happily supportive. The girls' parents are attentive and involved. The tween dialogue and middle school drama are spot-on. Some of the sisters' fights are so eerily familiar even to this old reviewer! But so is the evident bond between to the two.

The art is vibrant and engaging, with subtle bits of visual humor sprinkled about, such as a store named "Temporarily 22." This smile disappears however, once the girls are ignored in the store by a white salesperson. Luckily for them, the white customer the saleslady rebuffed the girls for called her out on her behavior before stomping out of the store, causing other customers to do the same. It was a subtle example of white allyship in action. This was followed by Mama Bear storming into the store to give the clerk a piece of her mind after Maureen's friend tearfully recounts the experience. The panels are dynamic and the bright palette is quite pleasing. The student body is diverse in many respects from race to body types. 

I hadn't realized when I bought the book that it was a series starter. This pleases me. I look forward to visiting with Francine and Maureen soon. This book belongs in all library collections! Fans of friendship graphic novels like Real Friends and Smile and Sunny as well as the kids of Berrybrook Middle School, will just gobble Twins up and ask for more.

Visit Varian Johnson's website and Shannon Wrights website for more information about each and their body of work. 

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

Image: Penguin Random House

Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick.304 p. Penguin Young Readers Group, May, 2020. 9781984815316. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick. Our thirteen-year-old narrator, Frankie, lives in Long Beach, a Washington State seaside town, with her twin sister in an inn that her mother runs with her boyfriend. Frankie is autistic and has ADHD. In order to avoid taking medication, she's working very hard to control her emotions. But it's difficult and she's not always successful. She recently lost her only friend, Colette, to her sister, Tess. Tess is the nice one, the easy one. Frankie can be prickly.

Ever since a tornado touched down near her school when she was five, Frankie has been obsessed with them and a show about tornado chasers. She relates to them as she feels her brain often twists around like a tornado. When Colette goes missing, Frankie learns that she may've been the last person Colette saw. Frankie is determined to follow the few clues Colette left behind even if it gets her in trouble with the police and her family.

It's sometimes hard to follow Frankie's logic and her roundabout way of speaking. Readers will grow to appreciate her tenacity as she persists in seeking answers even when the adults around her insist that she's wrong. 

Tornado Brain is available to borrow through Inter-Library Loan (ILL) and is available through ebccls in an e-book format. The e-audiobook is available to place on hold. I might reread this one with my ears because it's narrated by a favorite audiobook reader of mine. 

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~ 6 hours. Narrated by Ramon De Ocampo. HarperAudio, May, 2020.

Happy first Middle Grade Monday of summer 2020! I read two books over the weekend and am on track for my book-a-day goal so far! Middle Grade Monday features We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly. This story is set in the weeks leading up to the launch of the Challenger Space Shuttle in January of 1986 and centers on a family in crisis. Bird and her twin brother Fitch used to be close; but Fitch is struggling with anger that is becoming uncontrollable and Bird, who is smart and interested in science, especially space science, feels invisible. Their older brother, Cash, was left back and can no longer play basketball because of his grades. He's in seventh grade with them, struggling and worried he may have to repeat seventh grade yet again. Their parents' marriage is not happy and the two fight all the time leaving the children feeling unmoored and unsafe. Their science teacher, who envies Christa McCauliffe's luck in being chosen to be the first teacher to go to outer space, has her students learning all about the Challenger Mission. Bird's personal hero is Judith Resnik, the only other woman on the crew and one of few female astronauts. This book is quite sad, but beautifully written. Really, the portrayal of dysfunction was exquisitely painful. Readers will root for these three siblings as they try to find their way.

Middle Grade Monday: Dugout: the zombie steals home by Scott Morse

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Dugout: the zombie steals home by Scott Morse. 254 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., June, 2019. 9781338188097. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Dugout: the zombie steals home by Scott Morse. Twins Gina and and Stacy share a love of baseball and their grandmother, who is raising them, but little else. Not only do they constantly fight at home, but they are both pitchers on rival baseball teams. Gina's an ace and Stacy's team can't catch a break. The two come from a long line of witches but aren't yet trained. That doesn't stop Gina from putting a spell on Stacy's mitt. Stacy and her team are practicing in a clearing in the woods, when a zombie bursts from the mound Stacy's pitching from. He's utterly terrifying; but changes when one of the kids bean him with their baseball. It seems there's a connection between the zombie and baseball. 

This delightfully inventive story is fast-paced, humorous and fun! The art was great too. I just loved the jewel-toned palette, panel layout and dialogue. My fifth grade graphic novel fans are going to go gaga over this.

Middle Grade Monday: The Crossover: Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Crossover: Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander. Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. 224 p. September, 2019. 9781328960013. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

I've been of fan of Alexander's ever since the publication of The Crossover and was thrilled when it garnered the Newbery Medal. His books are usually checked out and on hold lists for most of the school year with good reason. They are great! They also appeal to a variety of readers. I'm so glad that The Crossover was adapted into the graphic novel format. 

My opinion in two words: Outstanding adaptation. 

I always thought the poetry popped in the verse novel; but the art makes the poetry poppier! The energetic art also pops with a black and white and basketball orange palette. The dynamic between the two appealing and athletic twin brothers is conveyed as well as the mounting tension between the two. I also just loved how the utter coolness of the boys' parents was translated into the art.

You will need multiple copies on your shelf to keep up with demand. An absolute first-purchase.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Image: Listening Library

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~10 hours. Read by Sophie Amoss and Kirby Heyborne. Listening Library, January, 2019. 9781984829092. Review of audiobook borrowed from public library. Hard cover courtesy of publisher.)

Twins, Ellery and Ezra, move in with their grandmother while their mother is in rehab. They hardly know her or the town in which her mother grew up. Maybe it's because their mom is an actress and they live in L.A. or maybe it's because twenty years earlier, Ellery's mother was a homecoming queen and her twin went missing. Five years ago, a homecoming queen was murdered at a horror-themed amusement park. No one was ever charged. 

As homecoming approaches, threatening grafitti, spray-painted in blood red is popping up all over town accompanied by grotesque hanging dolls. Then, one of the homecoming queen nominees goes missing. Adding to the tension, is also the unsolved mystery surrounding the hit and run death of a popular science teacher. 

Echo Ridge keeps its secrets but everyone has opinions. Circumstantial evidence points to Malcolm, the kid brother of the prime suspect from five years ago. Ellery, whose addiction to true crime reality television shows makes her rather fluent in detective-speak, has her own list of suspects.

The present tense dual narration ratchets up the tension in this suspenseful thriller. Know that I don't like the thriller/ mystery genre but force myself to read them for my students who do. I enjoyed this one as well as the author's debut, One of Us is Lying. Well placed red herrings, likable narrators and an atmospheric setting add to the enjoyment. 

The present tense worked. Mostly. There were a few moments when I was taken out of the story. Color me mostly riveted though a tad disappointed by a late reveal. 

Narrators Moss and Heyborne paced their performances perfectly. The audio was a real pleasure. I listened over two days of prolonged, mindless choring. 

One of Us is Lying is a favorite at my school. I'm sure Two Can Keep a Secret will keep fans happy. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook. ~7 hours. Read by Arielle DeLisle. Balzer + Bray/ HarperAudio, April, 2017. 9780062417886.

Angsty seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso has had twenty-seven crushes and exactly zero kisses. It didn't bother her that much until her gorgeous, fraternal twin sister, Cassie finds an equally gorgeous girlfriend named Mina. Now, Molly is worried that they will grow apart. It also doesn't help that Molly's crush number twenty-eight happens to be on Reid, her unapologetically dorky co-worker. Her sister dismisses Reid and instead insists that Molly try for Mina's best friend, Will. Drama much? 

The Upside of Unrequited is Albertalli's sophomore effort. It stands alone, but is set in the same neighborhood as her debut, Simon vs. the Homo sapiens agenda. I did a double-take when Simon makes a brief appearance. There's a lot to like here. The characters are fun. Molly's a tad angsty leading to an awful lot of repetitive obsessing that my teen self would've eaten up but my old self is so over. 

Newish-to-me narrator, DeLisle sounded appropriately youthful and paced her performance nicely. Mature teens will find the book highly relatable.

Teen Tuesday and Review: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Unabridged audiobook on 3 compact discs. 3.5 hours. Read by the author. HarperAudio, March, 2018. 9781538500231. (Review from audiobook borrowed from public library.)

(This went on our broadcast this morning)Teen Tuesday features The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Sixteen-year-old Xiomara Batista tries to follow her mother’s strict rules; but at six-feet tall, it’s hard to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. She has learned to fight with her fists and pours her heart out in a leather notebook her twin brother gave her for their birthday. Sophomore year brings X a language arts teacher who sees the poet in her and Aman, her biology lab partner with whom she shares her love of music and whom her mother must never know about. This debut is gritty and raw. Readers will root for X as she struggles to find her voice.

Review: The Poet X is one impressive debut! I loved X's voice from the first line. I also loved the author's performance. My heart ached for Xiomara, who is up against a lot - the catcalls and leers her curves elicit in her Harlem neighborhood and at school and her religious mother's assumption that she will succumb to those catcalls, all the while yearning for an education that will get her out of Harlem. She loves her twin fiercely but is upset that he doesn't stand up for himself against the bullying his gentle, nerdy self attracts. She's also a tad jealous that he's smart enough for a fancy magnet school that puts him that much closer to escape. X is fierce but caves to the discipline of her mother. She's a nuanced and complicated teen whom readers will relate to as she comes of age.

Not to be missed for teen collections.

Arc Review: One by Sarah Crossan

One by Sarah Crossan. 391 p. Greenwillow Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, September, 2015. 780062118752.

Sixteen-year-old conjoined twins, Tippi and Grace have been home-schooled until now. Finances have always been strained due to their medical condition; but thanks to the recent unemployment of their alcoholic father, their mother has to work. So they will be attending school for the first time - as juniors. It's hard enough being the new girls. I couldn't imagine what it must be like for anyone like Tippi and Grace - until I read this powerful verse novel.

It has been awhile since I've been gut-punched by a book. Spare and lyrical, this is an intense story of sisterhood, family and friendship. The sisterhood and twin-ship of Tippi and Grace are deepened as well as complicated by the fact that they are conjoined. The story is told through Grace's point-of-view. Grace is quieter, more bookish and introspective. Tippi is fiery and edgy. Grace often relies on Tippi to set the tone, but also balances Tippi's fire when it threatens to overwhelm her. 

The anger they want to feel for their father's alcoholism is overpowered by the guilt they feel over the financial strain their care has placed on their family. They also feel guilty that their sister, Dragon has to work to pay for her ballet lessons. She is a gifted dancer and there's just no money for any extras, especially a trip to Russia to dance at the Bolshoi. Grace also suspects Dragon may be anorexic.

At school, two best friends and defiant outcasts, Jon and Yasmeen take the twins under their wings and shepherd them through the day. Grace realizes that these two are their first friends. Soon Grace and Tippi are doing what "normal" teens do - cutting class, lying to their folks, getting drunk and, for Grace, at least, having a crush. But normal can't last for long.

Do not read this book in any sort of public place such as the subway or the faculty room (as I did) or folks will witness your ugly cry. Sometimes, I become so inundated with arcs that gems become lost in a sea of gems. I hauled a bag of arcs into my library last week and when a voracious eighth grade reader came in to find a new book, I let her have at my bag. She found One and took it home for the long weekend. When she returned it, her face was filled with such emotion as she tried to explain how wonderful but how terribly sad the book is. I set the book aside to read for myself.

We have bonded over this book. I am so happy she found it and shared this under-the-radar gem with me. I cannot wait to share it with my students who love sad, gut-punching books. I hope this book gets the time to develop the readership it deserves.

Full Steam Ahead by Paul A. Reynolds

Sydney & Simon: Full Steam Ahead by Paul A. Reynolds. Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. 48 p. Charlesbridge, September, 2014. 9781580896757. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

Sydney and Simon are spirited and colorful twin mice endowed with a healthy dose of inquisitiveness and a bent for problem solving. Both siblings keep a wonder journal, only Sydney's is a traditional notebook, while Simon's is a tablet. This enables him to take pictures and shoot videos while the two use STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) to learn about the water cycle to try to save the wilting plants in their window box. 

The narrative moves along jauntily as the twins turn to the helpful adults in their lives who support and step back. The whimsical, energetic illustrations add appeal. A glossary of terms and note to the reader asking, "Are You a STEAM thinker?" conclude the volume, the first in a series. This is a pleasing addition to the STEAM (STEM) collection.

Into the Grey by Celine Kiernan

Into the Grey by Celine Kiernan. 290 p. Candlewick Press, August, 2014. 9780763670610. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

This atmospheric ghost story is set in Ireland in the 1970s and is narrated by fifteen-year-old Patrick Finnerty. He and his twin brother, Dominick and baby sister Dee live with their parents and their Nan, who has some sort of dementia. After Nan burns their house to the ground, the family moves to a rental on the sea shore. It is cold and blustery and the house is musty. Patrick is awakened the first night by a voice he thinks might be Dom's. It's not Dom, it's a "goblin boy" with eyes as black as coal. The two basically terrify each other but Patrick is convinced that goblin boy has it in for Dom. And he does.

The writing is not Americanized but easily figured out. It is also just lovely conveying not only a strong sense of setting but fleshed out characters. Patrick is terrified for Dom but also wants to protect his over-stressed parents. It doesn't help that both his baby sister and his Nan sense that Dom isn't Dom. The suspense ratchets up unbearably as the plot takes a few twists and turns. The pieces all fall into place in a satisfactory conclusion. 

This is a 2014 favorite.