Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino. Unabridged e-audio, ~3 hours, 38 minutes. Narrated by the author. Scholastic Audio/ Scholastic Inc., April, 2022. 

Happy Monday! Happy Fourth of July? The weather here is dry and clear. The town is quiet. Most of the stores in my tiny downtown are closed. No parades, no fireworks. Nice and quiet. Time to garden, read and contemplate. 

Middle Grade Monday features Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino. This is their fourth novel, and I've read every one since their debut, George/ Melissa. Sam and T.J. are best friends and seventh graders who live on Staten Island. (For any reader not from the northeast, Staten Island is a borough of New York City. It connects to Brooklyn via the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and to Manhattan via ferry service. It's actually closer to New Jersey!) 

Both Sam and T.J. identify as non-binary and have supportive families as well as a loving found family. Their stodgy, traditional social studies teacher assigns a research project where partners chose a figure in history that had a Staten Island connection. The partnership with the highest grade would have their project submitted to a monument contest. Sam is not enthusiastic about the project until they learn of Alice Austen, a lesbian photographer from the 1800s, who actually has a ferry boat named after her. Sam did not know about Alice Austen's identity and was stoked to learn that Alice Austen actually lived for a while in their apartment!

There's a lot packed into this short, middle-grade novel. Sam and T.J. are comfortable in their skin and articulate about body positivity and gender. The issue is not about their coming out, but of LGBTQIA+ history and how the lens of history seems focused on cis, white men  tending to leave out the contributions of women, people of color and the LGBTQIA+ community. There's still playfulness in the story via the best friendship and various inter-generational ties. 

The book was narrated by the author, who imbued her characters with spunk and confidence and sounded appropriately youthful. 

There are a fair number of fans of the author's books at my school and I know they will be happy to meet Sam and T.J.

What's New?

"Stacking the Shelves" was a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It seems the blog is gone though, so I will just continue to post a "What's New? post whenever I receive new books. 

For Review:

Image: Author's Website

The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs. 354 p. Sourcebooks Young Readers, September 6, 2022. 9781728238449.

Publisher synopsis: Having escaped the Mexican Revolution, Petra Luna’s story continues as her and her family try and make a new life in America. The Other Side of the River is an entirely different world and, like all immigrants to this new land, Petra must adapt to survive. Her strength and courage will be tested like never before as she fights for herself, her family, and her dreams.

I really became invested in Petra's story in Ms. Dobbs' debut, and Pura Bel Pré-Honor winning, The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna and am excited to read more.

Purchased: nothing!

What's new with you?

Fact Friday: Hope is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese American Poet Kahlil Gibran by Cory McCarthy

Image: Candlewick Press

Hope is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese American Poet Kahlil Gibran by Cory McCarthy. Illustrated by Ekua Holmes. unpgd. Candlewick Press, July 5, 2022. 9781536200324. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Gibran Kahlil Gibran was born in Bsharri, what is now Lebanon in 1883. He was an introvert who preferred to spend time in the woods and found comfort in his art.  Religious turmoil in his country led to his father's imprisonment and his mother's and siblings' immigration to the south end of Boston, where his name was Americanized. In America, Kahlil noticed that the clashes were between the classes as he witnessed first-hand the disdain with which his hard-working mother was treated. 

His older brother was needed to work and his sisters were not allowed to go to school, leaving only Kahlil with an education. His art caught the attention of a famous photographer, Fred Holland Day, when he was only thirteen. Day took him under his wing and helped launch his art career, but his mother, fearing that he was becoming too Americanized, sent him back to Lebanon to study and live with his father. He eventually returned to America and, at the age of forty, published The Prophet, which would eventually be published in over forty languages. Its continued popularity makes Gibran the world's third best-selling poet. 

The author relates the details of the poet's life sparely and sprinkled with quotes from his writings. Even though the intended audience will most likely be unfamiliar with the name, their parents, and certainly their grandparents, probably have a beaten copy of The Prophet in the home library. Gibran's immigrant experience, straddling two cultures will be relatable to young audiences, perhaps inspiring young readers to seek out his writing. Back matter contains photos and detailed source notes that fill out details.

The art is stunning and utterly engaging. The colors and textures invite lingering on each spread as Ms. Holmes juxtaposes the poet's dual identities. 

Picture book biographies, when they are well done, can pique a reader's interest in learning more. Hope is an Arrow introduces a new generation to a wise poet.

#tbt: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/ Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Image: Bloomsbury

Image: Scholastic Inc. 

Happy Thursday! It was twenty-five years ago this month when a debut novel featuring the boy who lived was published in England. It was called Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone. Shortly after its UK debut, Scholastic renamed the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and readers in the US fell in love with Harry, Hogwarts and the wizarding world. Six books followed yearly with increasing enthusiasm. Book stores opened at midnight and hosted parties. Fans eagerly lined up and waited. Publishers finally became convinced that children could and would read long books. Movie adaptations soon followed. Theme parks were developed, and J.K. Rowling became the richest woman in England.

I own the UK edition of the first three books because they were released in the UK before the US, but by book four, they were published simultaneously on both sides of the pond. Book three, HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban is probably my favorite. I will admit to becoming "Pottered out" when book four arrived. It took me a year to finally pick it up.

All three of my boys were fans. There was a hierarchy of reading and strict rules about spoilers in my house. The oldest was the fastest reader, so he got them first and finished even the longest ones in five or six hours. Then the next eldest got his chance, followed by the youngest.

What are your favorite Harry Potter books? Who's your favorite character? I've linked both the UK & US covers. Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: the Graphic Novel

Image: Author's Website

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: the Graphic Novel. Based on the novel by Kwame Mbalia. Adapted by Robert Venditti. Illustrated by Olivia Stephens. 128 p. Disney Press, August 9, 2022. 9781368075008.

Happy Wednesday! It's a sparkling morning by me! I hope you plan on getting outside for some fresh air and exercise! Boo's waiting at my feet for our long morning walk right now.

Waiting on Wednesday features Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: the Graphic Novel. Robert Venditti adapted Kwame Mbalia's debut novel and trilogy starter into a brilliant full-color graphic novel that is releasing on August 9. Older students might recall that I reviewed all three novels in the Tristan Strong trilogy on Middle Grade Monday over the years. These are the fast-paced adventures of Tristan Strong, a seventh grader who is grieving the death of his best friend, Eddie. Tristan feels guilty that he was unable to save Eddie and treasures Eddie's notebook filled with stories. He is sent to stay with his grandparents for the summer and, on the first night there, a little doll sneaks into Tristan's room and steals Eddie's notebook. Enraged, Tristan chases the doll and accidentally punches a portal into another universe peopled with gods from African mythology and African American folk heroes and legends. MidPass is under siege and the gods and legends are tired. Tristan needs to help them in order to get back to his world and his grandparents farm.

If you love fast-paced adventure filled with great characters and lots of humor, you will love the Tristan Strong trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the graphic novel adaptation! Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Cinder and Glass by Melissa de la Cruz

Image: Penguin Random House

Cinder and Glass by Melissa de la Cruz. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hours. Read by Lauren Ezzo. Listening Library/ Books on Tape/ Penguin Random House, March, 2022. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! It's going to be a lovely day today! I hope you get outside, get some exercise, then sit in the shade with a good book. I took Boo for a medium-long walk, went to yoga class, and will be heading into the garden with an audiobook soon.

Teen Tuesday features Cinder and Glass by Melissa de la Cruz. This is a lush and lovely retelling of Cinderella set in the late 1600s at Versailles during the reign of King Louis XIV. Cendrillon's hopes of becoming a lady-in-waiting in King Louis' court are dashed when her beloved father suddenly remarries and dies soon after. Her stepmother assumes ownership of the chateau and Cendrillon is reduced to a life of servitude. She had hoped her godmother would eventually marry her father. Cendrillon wonders why she doesn't visit. She's isolated and lonely. So when the king decides to have a ball in order to pick 25 maidens for his son, Prince Louis to court, Cendrillon decides to attend.

Setting aside Cendrillon's infuriating naïveté, something teen readers won't notice, but this old lady did, fans of fairy tale retellings will love it. This fast-paced romance may have familiar trappings, but there is plenty to delight, with plenty of court intrigue along the way. The narration was well-paced and engaging. 

Middle Grade Monday and Audio Review: The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as told by his brother) by David Levithan

Image: Penguin Random House

The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as told by his brother) by David Levithan. Unabridged e-audiobook,~4 hours. Read by Everette Plen. Books on Tape/ Listening Library/ Penguin Random House, February, 2021. 9781984885517. (Review of downloadable e-audio borrowed from public library. Own the hc.)

Happy Monday! One week of summer break is in the books! How many books have you read so far? I've read five. I'm still a bit short of trying to get back to my book-a-day, but they were good books, and I spent lots of time in my garden, with my dogs and practicing yoga.

Middle Grade Monday features The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as told by his brother) by David Levithan. In this first-person narrative, Lucas tells the story of finding his brother, Aidan in the attic six days after Aidan's disappearance. The attic had been searched several times. The entire town was out looking for Aidan and everyone wants to know what happened. Aidan says simply that he entered a world called Aveinieu through the doors in an old dresser. No one believes him, especially Lucas, because Aidan has a reputation for fooling him over and over. But Aidan sticks to his outlandish story despite the fact that everyone thinks he ran away and despite the fact that he's being bullied about it at school.

David Levithan, an award-winning author of YA books, makes his middle grade debut in this thoughtful, leisurely-paced mystery, which, at its heart, is a story about brotherhood and listening.

New-to-me narrator, Everette Plan sounded appropriately youthful and he delivered a thoughtful, well-paced performance.