How to Survive Middle School

How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart

Now here is a book I would expect to see on the Rebecca Caudill Nominee list. It is dead on appropriate contemporary realistic fiction and tech savvy to boot! David Greenberg is an eleven-year-old aspiring talk show host. Jon Stewart is his role model. David and his Hamster, Hammy, already have several videos posted to YouTube. He doesn’t have but a few followers, but this is just practice for the big leagues. 

David used to have a partner in crime, his best friend Elliot. It helps to have someone to hold your camera and move when you move. But Elliot discovered girls the summer before the two began middle school as 6^th graders. Girls? Really? David wonders what can be more fun that producing TalkTime with David Greenberg, watching episodes of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and constructing with K’nex. According to Elliot… hanging out at the mall and scoping for girls. Being a good friend, David humors Elliot. Number of TalkTime videos made this summer? Zero! Number of visits to the mall? Twenty-four! Ugh! 

So summer was a total waste and now middle school doesn’t look to be much better. David and Elliot have parted ways due to dissimilar interests and harsh words. Of course, starting a new school with someone at your side is exponentially better than going it alone. David is horrified to discover that while he has yet to replace Elliot, Elliot has replaced David – with the class bully! You know, the kid you are warned to stay away from or at least stay on the best side of? The kid most likely to lurk in the bathroom and surprise you with a swirlie. Yes, I really was hoping it wouldn’t happen, but it certainly did! 

Life isn’t all bad though. In a school where everyone is essentially new whichever elementary school they arrived from, there is always a kid who is greener. Enter Sophie Meyers, recently homeschooled and now unleashed on middle school. And David shares math and science class with her. David isn’t the popular type, and yet Sophie takes a shine to him. Or maybe it is because they’re the only two 6^th-graders in 7^th-grade math… 

When Sophie and David get paired up on their science project on Albert Einstein, David gets the opportunity to show off his strengths. He convinces Sophie to do a video about Albert Einstein by showing her his TalkTime performances. And she thinks his creations are hilarious! Hilarious enough to share with her entire homeschool network! So, while their Albert Einstein production gets rave review from their classmates as well as their teacher, David’s YouTube videos are practically going viral! 

The home town paper wants to do an article on David. A Philadelphia paper features an article on David. And the Daily Show contacts David. You would think the world was his oyster! Well then, you forgot the aforementioned swirlie. Things aren’t going so well at school. Even with his rising online popularity, David discovers that not only is he a nobody at school, but he is less than a nobody. He is a Lameberg with no friends save Sophie. And he is miserable. 

Luckily, great friends can eventually come around to forgiveness and you can find your footing even in a new school. I think 5^th-6^th grade kids are going to love David. And any child with a fascination with video cameras and the power of the internet might find a starting point here as well as a few pointers. Like not publishing footage of your sister wearing acne cream!!

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

(audio book)

Has anyone ever told you a story and when it was finished your response was “My, what a small, small world!” I love those stories. At once they are incredibly unbelievable, and yet, they actually happened. Your proof is right in front of you. I also enjoy stories where little bitty pieces all come together into one great big whole. At the end, you stand back and think, “Wow!” how did we ever get here? It is like looking at a thousand piece puzzle once it has been put together. Individual pieces are insignificant alone, but together, you very well might have a work of art.

Okay for Now is a perfect example of literature replicating life. We meet a boy in the here and now. We follow him as he makes choices, some right and some wrong. Through the journey, we get flashes back of just what influences those decisions. And they are believable, credible, in my opinion. The out of the ordinary and even the extraordinary work because the groundwork has been laid. Even though we only read a year in the life of the protagonist, we feel like we know him and we cry and cheer with him.

However, the author, Lynne Rae Perkins seems to delight in the thrill of the “what if.” Her hypothesis travels along this train of thought… When we leave the house in the morning, drop our children off at school and drive to work for the day, we generally assume that everything will be all right. Everything will go according to plan. There will not be any surprises. Our car won’t run out of gas. We won’t be in an accident. Our children will remember all of their supplies to see them through the day – gym clothes, band instrument, essay, science fair project. And perhaps we can survive through the day hoping that all of this is true. But what if it is not?

Perkins’ sixteen-year-old, main character, Ry, is traveling alone on a train to the west towards summer camp. In his carry on is an unopened letter from that camp telling him that camp has been canceled due to unforeseen events. Ry’s parents are on a sort of second honeymoon vacation in the Caribbean and have lost their cell phone to a pilfering monkey. And Ry’s grandpa is house- and dog- sitting in their new home in a new town until they return.

Upon opening the letter, Ry decides to call his grandfather to see what he should do. Not only is there no signal, but Ry notices his battery is running very low. The train stops; Ry thinking he has 45 minutes, sneaks off and climbs a lofty rock outcropping and the train leaves, stranding him in the middle of nowhere. He makes his calls, but his parents don’t answer, see above, and his grandfather doesn’t answer. And he doesn’t answer. And he doesn’t answer. I will tell you – something is wrong there too.

And so Ry jaunts along from one unlikely event to another that takes him by foot, by train, by “car”, by plane and finally by boat with complete strangers. Across country and out of country. Until everything is resolved and his circle of friends grows. And I don’t believe it. And I don’t have to. Because it is a work of fiction. And if my daughter ever considered that she could pull such stunts of stupidity and rely on the kindness of strangers, I would have to beat her senseless. Heaven forbid someone would put the idea in her mind.

I will give Perkins this. Her writing is unusual and at times beautiful. Occasionally her voice as the narrator actually comes through – omniscient author. And she travels places that seriously, you cannot – through misfiring synapses of the brain. And the chapters that reflect the two dogs’ life could actually be the most fun if it were not for their conversations being a trifle confusing. I am more likely to recommend this 2013 Rebecca Caudill Nominee to young adults who enjoy the peculiar.

Countdown

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

When you have fourteen books to read and they arrive all at once, you have to put them in some order in which to read them. In the past I have read them in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name. That generally seems to work fine. If I do not put them into a purposeful order and stick to it, bad things tend to happen. I read all of the short ones first and I’m stuck with the monstrosities towards the end. I read the ones that look most exciting to me first and I’m stuck with the boring (sports) books for last.

This year, I did something different. Yes, they all arrived in one batch, but I decided to read them in the order that the computer says they arrived. How can one get any more random? Plus, I do pay particular attention to the novels that other people are requesting. So if there is a book that is being requested, I will move it up towards the top of my list to ensure that it gets back into circulation more quickly. I’m so considerate. Well, at least I can be.

Which means that Countdown was next in my pile. And I was less than thrilled. Number one, it is one of the thicker 2013 Caudill Nominees. Number two, it is school bus yellow. Number three, it has a 45 rpm vinyl record on the cover. Not that I have anything against 45s. I had access to a collection growing up. My favorite was In the Year 2525 which seems appropriate to this book. But there was another book with an album on the cover and I think my mind connected the two and I knew I wasn’t interested in the other story.

My disappointment was short-lived. Hurray! In fact, I’m likely to share this book quite a bit in the coming days. And not necessarily because I think the kids are going to love it. I think I am going to be passing this one on to the baby boomers. My mother and I were discussing books the evening that I was to begin Countdown. I had her interested in Dead End in Norvelt and Okay for Now primarily because of the historical setting. I hadn’t finished the first chapter of Countdown and I knew that she would want to read this one – perhaps even first! I only had to read the jacket summary and I was captured. Pay no attention to a book’s cover, I tell you!

What we have here is a documentary novel, the first of a planned trilogy, set during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. This 377 page book covers twelve days and it flies by. The story is interspersed with real news stories, footage and photos that occurred during 1962. There are posters and filmstrips including Bert the Turtle who knows how to duck and cover. The reader gets the opportunity to experience the life of an eleven-year-old girl as she lives through the Thirteen Days of Terror expecting every moment to possibly be her last.

And the best part is Franny, our protagonist. Her father is an Air Force pilot who travels much of the time. Her mother is a strict disciplinarian with a definite opinion on what is acceptable and what is not and Franny dare not side otherwise. Franny has a gorgeous, college-age sister who is beginning to act more and more like her mother. Franny’s younger brother Drew she calls St. Drew for he can do nothing wrong and he will not tell a lie – especially not for his sister. And then there is Uncle Otts who lives with Franny’s family. He is a World War II hero and seems to spend most of his time still living in those days. He is a drill sergeant to the family and a joke to the neighborhood.

Despite the history that is unfolding around her, Franny remains a real, live, flesh and blood character with strengths and flaws. She has her very own history happening in the moment. Her best friend has become her enemy and she is not sure why. There is a new boy on her block who looks like Del Shannon, Franny’s favorite singer, but he causes more tension between the once-friends. A girl in Franny’s grade is having a boy-girl Halloween party and Franny’s mother will never allow her to go. Not because it is co-ed, but because the girl’s mother is a dating divorcee. And worst of all, Franny feels that it doesn’t matter what she does, she is going to get in trouble for it. If she stops Uncle Otts from digging up her mother’s lawn, she’ll be in trouble with the Drill Sergeant. If she lets Uncle Otts dig up her mother’s lawn for a bomb shelter, her mom will kill her!

I think this would be a fabulous book to use in U.S. History class. The tweenage girls should love it because Franny is so believable and identifiable. And I think we can get the boys to embrace it because of the topic. Deborah Wiles has done a brilliant job of capturing the moments. It gave me the opportunity to experience my mother’s elementary years. She said so!

Bounce

Bounce by Natasha Friend

Presenting the 2013 Rebecca Caudill Nominees

The ones that I have already read:

Dark Life by Kat Falls (audio book)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (audio book) I read this ‘pre-blog’, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very different. It is the 2008 Newbery Award Winner.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm (audio book) 2011 Newbery Honor book.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (audio book) 2012 Newbery Honor book.

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes (audio book) 2011 Coretta Scott King Honor book for author.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (audio book) 2011 Coretta Scott King Author Winner. 

Now I can add Bounce to that list. Similar to Dark Life, Bounce was not a Newbery or Coretta Scott King book. It was one of the surprises – so much of a surprise that Decatur Public Library didn’t even own it yet. It wasn’t on our radar. Thanks Williamsville Junior High Library for the loan! Our copy is on order. And if it weren’t for the Caudill Nominating Committee, I am not sure that it would have received much attention – in my opinion.

It is a slight book – under 200 pages. It is a quick read. And I would say it is definitely written for junior high girls – the protagonist is thirteen-year-old Evyn (not E-V-A-N). Of course girls and even boys like to read about kids who are older than themselves. They like to read about what they have to look forward to in the future. So that the girls who will actually read this book will probably be 4^th-6^th graders. I might be a bit too “straight” because it wouldn’t be my choice for my 6^th grader due to certain situations and conversations.

When I first started reading this novel, I mistakenly pictured the setting to be the 1970s. Just some of the character descriptions, particularly the clothing, led me in this direction. And then a cell phone and an Xbox jarred me back into the present. I still don’t find the setting to be solid.

Evyn and her 15-year-old brother live with their widower father. Evyn’s mother died when she was one. Her only wish is to have her mother back. As her wish continues to go unanswered, she has chosen to imagine her mother as her imaginary friend. The person she goes to in her own mind for advice. No, she’s not crazy, thank you very much. Evyn knows she provides her mother’s voice, but it works for her.

At the very beginning of the novel, Evyn’s dad, Birdie, announces that he is getting remarried and they are moving to Boston to live with their new family including six new step-siblings. Yikes! Evyn is the opposite of happy about this new adventure, but her brother, the one person she would expect to be her ally, doesn’t say a word. Evyn continues to feel alone as she leaves behind the only town she’s ever known along with her best friend and their solid group of friends.

Evyn does not fit in in her new home. Her new little sister is half her age. The twins she shares a room with are in high school already. Her biological brother doesn’t speak; he only mumbles as necessary. And as her father settles in with his new household, he begins to change. He shaves his face and starts to dress differently. He even begins to cook gourmet meals. KFC had always been good enough before. Why does the new family get this special treatment?

Evyn also doesn’t fit in at her new school. She doesn’t know how to accessorize her new uniform. Her hair is cut too short and choppy. No one seems interested in getting to know her until the ‘it’ girls discover that her step-brother is Ajax Gantos, star soccer player. Then Evyn is suddenly welcome to eat lunch with the beautiful girls. She manages to ignore the fact that they don’t even care to know her name.

Perhaps this would be a good book for girls dealing with the remarriage of their parents and combined families. Perhaps this would be a good book to help girls dealing with mild forms of bullying. The book’s title refers to Evyn’s mother’s advice to let the insults “bounce” off of her. What I didn’t care for was talk of spiked punch at junior high dances. And more especially, there is a college-attending, nineteen-year-old step-brother that Evyn has a crush on. He offers his place as a temporary refuge at one point like a real big brother might do, but he has his girlfriend over; there is alcohol and tobacco present and possibly some making out. Nothing graphic, mind you, but not necessarily necessary. Flawed character? yes. Perfect role-model? no. Real life? yes. Does illegal behavior need to be written in as okay? no. I don’t think so. Make him 21 at least. I don’t want my child thinking this is the norm. Is this the norm?

I think I have just discovered contemporary realistic fiction for reluctant readers who happen to be junior high girls. It is that “light”.

Crossed

Crossed by Ally Condie

Last December I read a book called Matched and wasn’t impressed. Here is its sequel. I was hoping that the author would find her purpose and her voice and the series would become stronger. Instead, the author tried to add another voice and another purpose, neither of which distinguishes itself from the original. If anything, the second book comes off as bipolar.

In Matched, we meet Cassia, a girl who decides to leave behind the life she has known because of a mistake in her Matching Assignment. She is matched with not only her best friend, but also another boy that she has grown up with. Choosing her best friend means to continue to conform to Society’s laws. Choosing the mistake, Ky, the Aberration, means becoming an Aberration herself, or worse, an Anomaly. Apparently, Ky is the love of her life and therefore, Cassia is willing to become a criminal in Society’s eye.

Crossed takes on a different format. We get to hear both Cassia and Ky’s point of view in alternating chapters. It is unfortunate, but they both sound alike. Despite the fact that each chapter is headed with the name of the voice you will be following, each chapter took a few pages to settle into who was speaking. Numerous times, I found myself turning back the pages to make sure I was listening to the right character.

Cassia is searching for Ky and looking for an opportunity to escape the Officials to join him in the Outer Provinces. Ky is in the Outer Provinces looking for an opportunity to escape the Officials and return to Society to find Cassia. It is amazing, that with such cross purposes, they actually run into each other in something as large as the Grand Canyon, if not the actual Canyon itself. Once they find each other, Cassia wants to go further and find the Rising, but Ky doesn’t. Ky has no desire to join the Rising. So after they finally find each other… they’re going to split up?

To add to the confusion, Xander, Cassia’s best friend, may not actually be who we have been led to believe he is. After all, it isn’t really a romance without a love triangle right? Xander seemed to be safe whereas Ky was the rebel. But once long-kept secrets are revealed, Cassia might realize that she had them mixed up. Does she have the wrong rebel?

It feels like the author hasn’t already mapped out her story. Perhaps she doesn’t have the answers yet. Nothing is concrete. Everything is vague. If everyone were as wishy washy as these characters, nothing would get done. And certainly no one would be galvanized to reach beyond their comfort zone to strive for greatness. Granted, the story would be done if the main characters were satisfied to have found each other. Turns out, they need more than love.

After all of their travels, both characters pretty much end up right where they started. Seems we could have skipped this middle book.

She gets one more chance.

Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom

Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo

At about the same time that everyone was reading about Harry Potter, Charlie Bone came upon the scene. This was great for librarians for multiple reasons. When children were waiting for the next Harry book or movie to come out and they wanted something similar to tide them over, Charlie was an option. Much like Harry, Charlie is endowed with a bit of magic – he can hear what is going on in pictures, paintings, photographs. Eventually, he even learns how to travel into the pictures. Because Charlie is identified as being endowed, he is sent to Bloor’s Academy where he meets other children who are different like himself. Think Hogwarts.

We quickly discovered another benefit of the Charlie Bone series. It is deceptively large. The books look every bit as thick as a Harry Potter tome; however, they are actually only about half as long due to line spacing. So here we had a series that we could recommend to younger siblings or reluctant readers who were not prepared to tackle Harry just yet.

We can also thank Ms. Nimmo because there are eight books in the series! One more than Harry has. And now, I am pleased to announce that she has begun a prequel of sorts!

I have read all eight of the Charlie Bone books. I’ve reviewed one which can be found here. Rereading the review, I find that I was disappointed. One of the reasons I mentioned for my disappointment was that I really wanted to get to know the Red King. There was always a lot of talk about the Red King. He sounded like an interesting character and yet he never appeared with any kind of solidity in the books. He is important because all of the children with endowments are descended from him. And yet, even they don’t know a whole lot about him.

And now, I have in my hand, a series about the Red King. YEA!! In book one of the series, we learn who the Red King is and where he came from. We learn about his parents and their secret kingdom. We even find out that he has a sister. The book explains how he became a magician and where is magic comes from.

Even better… we find out how the Flames, three cats named Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, were created.

And we discover where Harken, the bad guy, came from too!

My favorite part about this new series so far, is that it is more of a fantastical story. Charlie Bone was always grounded in the present much like Harry. They live in our world, but with a little bit of magic that goes a long way. The Red King’s land is clearly our world, but there are more fantastical creatures in it that make it seem otherworldly.

You can bet, I’ll be looking for book two!

Oh, and, before I forget, it is Charlie himself who is helping to write these Chronicles with his Uncle Paton. The Red King drew pictures in caves and Charlie can talk to him through the paintings! Clever.

Okay for Now

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt (audio book)

All right. This is it. This is the one. This is the book, if I must – children’s book, that you should read. Maybe you are one of those people who read all of the Newberys – make sure you add this one to your list, because it should have been included. As a matter of fact, in the opinion of at least one more person and myself, this book is far superior. So much so, that we’re talking about giving the author a special award in recognition of how simply perfect this novel really is.

Yes, I said it – perfect. I cannot come up with a better word to describe it. Perfect. Savor it.

In 2008, Gary D. Schmidt won a Newbery Honor for The Wednesday Wars. It lost to Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz. (You’ve got to be kidding me! [nonfiction] Only thing that makes it somewhat better is that Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis also honored that year [another must read book].) I book talked Wednesday Wars to everyone within hearing distance. I sent it home with every librarian and teacher that entered the building. It is that good. Okay for Now is better. Remember– it’s perfect.

For those of you who took my advice and read Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now is a companion novel. In the first book, we met Holling Hoodhood. (I really need to reread WW. It’s worth it – a rare distinction in my opinion.) Another character in that book was Doug Swieteck, the kid who knows how to make teachers hate him. Okay for Nowis Doug’s book, but Holling gets to make a cameo appearance.

Doug is the youngest son of a poor, blue collar worker with an abusive temper. Doug’s mother has a smile more beautiful than a Hollywood movie star, but it is rarely seen. She is just trying to get by, like her sons, with infrequent incidents. Oldest son, Lucas, got away by joining the army and is currently serving in Vietnam where he does what he does best – survive. The middle boy does his best to model his father’s behavior and takes it out on you can guess who. Doug is well aware of how easily he can slip into the same patterns of behavior. And he realizes that it is expected by his peers and adults. The apple won’t fall far from the tree.

Doug has a rare opportunity to start over when his father loses his job and the family must move to a new town. Doug does his best to rein in his smart mouth and behave in such a manner as to bring a smile to his mother’s face. Unfortunately, he cannot win over everyone despite his best behavior because his older brother seems content to be a thug. If it weren’t for a few peer and adult supporters, Doug might have been lost and turned into an abusive bully himself. There is Lil Spicer, an eighth grade girl, who helps Doug to get a job at her father’s deli despite his thug-like appearance. There is Mr. Powell, a town librarian, who provides one on one art classes on Saturday afternoons. There is Mr. Ferris, the Physical Sciences teacher, who refuses to let Doug’s brother’s behavior cloud his opinion of Doug. These are only a few of the good guys.

There are also the bad guys. Coach Reed bullies Doug. Principal Peattie allows Doug’s lapses in behavior to form a concrete opinion of the boy. There are teachers who refuse to give him a chance from the onset. There are adults who try to accept Doug for Doug, but falter when family problems become public. Doug survives and sometimes thrives.

This book has everything. It has baseball. It has art. It has theater. It has academics. It has love. This novel is full of joy and laughs, but also tears and heartache. It is real life from Doug Swieteck’s real voice. You must be alert for all of the beautiful subtleties. Some that Doug will make sure you don’t miss as well as the one’s I hope you don’t miss.

You must read this book! As Mr. Powell says, “I’m a librarian. I always know what I’m talking about.”

Never Forgotten

Never Forgotten by Patricia C. McKissack

All of the Newberys were Fiction and so I read them all. All of the Caldecotts were Fiction and so I read them all. Now, all of the Caudill Nominees are Fiction and guess what? I have them all at home waiting for me to read (minus the six that I’ve already read, whew!). Oh Happy Day! There were five books recognized by the Coretta Scott King Award Committee and of the five, only ONE, glorious ONE, was Fiction. For those of you who don’t know, I read a lot, but if it is Non-Fiction, I give myself a break. Not that I don’t read Non-Fiction, but I’m certainly more choosey about which books I read. And I might just glance through – I don’t hang on every word.

Never Forgotten is a bit of an anomaly. It looks like a picture book – it is picture book format. It looks like poetry – it is written in verse. And it reads like folklore – the author even admits she has turned African history into folklore. So why does it have a great big J on the spine?!?! Perhaps so that I have to read it? Smirk.

I’m surprised that it didn’t win the award for illustrations. The illustrations are gorgeous, GORGEOUS! The colors are vivid, yet earthy. The lines are strong and heavy, yet full of movement. All five recognized books are picture book format, but this is my favorite by far. It just is. It pleases me. Leo and Diane Dillon are award-winning illustrators and they do not disappoint here.

The story is new, created, but moving and based upon cultural history and legends. There was a blacksmith named Dinga whose wife died giving childbirth. Because blacksmiths were honored as magicians with close ties to the Mother Elements, Dinga chose to raise his son, Musafa, with the aid of Earth, Fire, Water and Wind against the better judgment of the midwives. Musafa became Dinga’s apprentice and learned the art of blacksmithing, until the day the white men came and stole Musafa away. Dinga sent each of the elements to find Musafa. It isn’t until the Wind blows up a hurricane onto the Americas that Musafa is found. Dinga celebrates the discovery that Musafa is working as a blacksmith in Charleston. Dinga celebrates that Musafa was taken but never forgotten.

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards annually recognize outstanding books for young adults and children by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience. Further, the Award encourages the artistic expression of the black experience via literature and the graphic arts in biographical, social, and historical treatments by African American authors and illustrators.

The 2013 Coretta Scott King Book Award for author winner is Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (J973.0496/N – American History). Two additional books were honored this year – The Great Migration: Journey to the North written by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (J811.54/G – Poetry); and Never Forgotten written by Patricia C. McKissack and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon (J – Chapter Book)

The 2013 Coretta Scott King Book Award for illustrator winner is Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom written and illustrated by Shane W. Evans (J973.7115/E – American History). One additional book was honored this year – none other than Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson.

Breaking Stalin's Nose

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

This is my favorite novel among the three Newbery Award winner and honor books. I am not saying that this honor book should have won the Newbery over the other two. I am saying that I enjoyed reading it the most. Dead End in Norvelt still has the best scene of the three.

The number one reason that I found this book so interesting is because of its subject matter. The setting is the Soviet Union in the 1950’s. Stalinist Russia! More importantly, it is from the point of view of a fully loyal, young Communist. It was written by someone who grew up in this time period – semi-autobiographical in nature.

As much as one can study a nation and its history, nothing can compare to the actual stories of real people living there. Stories free from censorship and propaganda. This story is more potent due to the age of the protagonist – an innocent 10-year-old boy who trusts and idolizes his father who is considered to be a Communist Hero. And Sasha, our main character, is not the only one who looks up to his father. Everyone gives way to Comrade Zaichik. He is worthy of their respect. Unfortunately, his status also attracts greed and jealousy.

In this novel, we learn than no one is safe. It doesn’t matter if you are Stalin’s right hand man. It doesn’t matter if you are in his army. It doesn’t matter if you can recite every Communist creed by heart on the spot. And it doesn’t matter if you are a distrustful nobody either. In fact, such a discreditable person can become creditable if they are willing to spy on their neighbor. If they are willing to turn in every suspicious movement, true or otherwise, to the authorities, why, the lowest of the low can acquire a better living for themselves.

Young Sasha unexpectedly finds himself the son of a criminal and he has two days to decide who he remains loyal to. Is he loyal to his father who gave him every reason to trust and respect him? Or does he follow Stalin and his regime who now say his father deserves execution? Sasha’s father taught him to honor Stalin and Communist Russia. To trust his father is to deny him.

Sasha finds himself in hot water in no time. He breaks the nose off of a statue of Stalin (almost completely) by accident. (He should have been paying better attention – not daydreaming.) If he tells the truth, he will lose his opportunity to become a Young Pioneer. If someone else tells on him, he will lose his chance to become a Young Pioneer. But what if someone lies for him? What are people willing to do to save themselves OR place the blame on another? Sasha could still end up on top, but is it worth it? And could his father’s arrest really ruin everything? Cannot Stalin save him?

This book is going to be a hit with history buffs and especially with the boys. I think it will also attract the attention of the male reluctant readers. The author provides the illustrations that lighten up the mood of the story. And, it is a very quick read with very short chapters. I managed it in about an hour, but thoroughly enjoyed it and would have loved to keep reading. The story deserves to be continued. I want to know what happens to Sasha and his father. (I want to know what happened to his mother too!)

Inside Out & Back Again

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

This year, there were only two Newbery honor books. Last year, there were four. This year, they are all semi-autobiographical, historical fiction novels. Last year, three of them were historical fiction and the fourth was poetry. I hope this is a phase that the committee is going through. One that will end soon. I’d like to see a little more variety.

Newbery Honor book, Inside Out and Back Again, is the story of a ten-year-old girl named Há and the year she left South Vietnam, before the fall of Saigon, and ended up in Alabama with her mother and three older brothers. Her father has been missing in action almost as long as she has been alive.

The novel is written in free verse. At least one reviewer has pointed out that the free verse mimics the broken English of a new immigrant. I tend to agree. The story is told in a limited way. It is as if there was more that could be told, but she isn’t able to express it. I almost wish it was written in prose, written as though she had full control over the language. That there was more to the story. Of course, you know, I am no poetry lover, but I certainly appreciate being able to read a novel in a day.

I find that this book resonates more for me as a story about bullying rather than as a story about immigration. It reminds me of a book called Pinduli written by Jannell Cannon. A young hyena is teased by dog, lion and zebra. Later, the hyena, looking like a Great Spirit, confronts the three. It turns out that each was tormented by fox, vulture, and owl. The Great Spirit tells them to confront their own tormentors. But the tormentors were retaliating for harsh words received from serval, stork and adder. And of course, these three had originally been teased by dog, lion and zebra. A great circle of bullying completed.

In this novel, Há faces both racial and religious prejudice. In a state where blacks sit on one side of the cafeteria and whites sit on the other, Há, who considers herself brown, doesn’t know where she belongs and chooses to eat in the bathroom instead. Here is a place where I’d like more description. She didn’t try to sit with either side. She chose to eat alone. Is this prejudice as well?

One white boy in particular and his friends choose to pick on her. A black boy and a white girl choose to befriend her together. A group of three black girls alternately put barrettes into her hair one day and the following day they take them out and yank on her hair. At one point Há retaliates back with her own words. I find it most interesting that Há complains about the other children poking her, prodding her and pulling on her arm hair when she did the same thing, out of curiosity as well, to the Navy sailor who rescued her and her family when they were stranded at sea.

Back when Há was still at home and comfortable in South Vietnam, she used to torment the girl she shared her desk with in school. Há liked to make her cry even though she knew it was wrong and perhaps because she was jealous. The other girl was the teacher’s pet and Há’s mother wanted them to be friends.

Finally, Há must confess to her mother her past wrongs because she cannot hold them inside any longer. She feels that she is being punished in the present because of her past and she wants to know when it will stop. Her mother also suffers from the past, from the absence of her husband. They both must let go and move on.

Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (audio book)

And now... presenting... a CLIP from the audio book! Enjoy!

This may be a first. I was actually able to read the Newbery Award winner first rather than after the honor books. However, I’ve somehow managed to read all of them before getting to the review stage. The honor books are both quick reads.

In review, the John Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature, from the previous year, for children. The purpose of this award is to encourage original creative work in the field of books for children; emphasize that such contributions deserve recognition; and give librarians an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field.

Professionalism aside, while reading this book, at one point, I was telling people that I was simultaneously “grossed out beyond all belief” and “laughing the snot out of my nose”. It is true. That happened prior to page 81. I have proof that I am not the only one. I know my boss was laughing out loud for one. Two, I took the opportunity to read my favorite scene out loud to a co-worker while she stared at me in horror. But when I got to the punch line, she was relieved and joined me in the guffaws. My girls will probably never be interested in this title, but they were curious about it and I retold my favorite scene so that they could tolerate it – i.e. not lose their dinner. They also joined in the giggles while my husband looked at me as if I had gone mad. Possible.

I wish there had been more of that. That is the scene that I will hold in my memory for a very long time which is probably forever. But I will forget most of the rest of the book.

All of the Newberys this year are semi-autobiographical. The other two are more believable. They say that truth can be stranger than fiction which really makes me wonder what parts of this novel are based upon fact and which ones are actually created out of the mind of the writer. Some things you simply cannot make up.

There really is a Norvelt, Pennsylvania. It really was a Federal Government funded community to help laid-off coal miners survive through the Great Depression. Norvelt was actually born out of the socialist idea of community farming. In some respects, it worked. In others, it didn’t. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, even visited the community although she didn’t have quite the hand in it that the book might lead you to believe. And Norvelt is named after her EleaNOR RooseVELT.

The best part of this novel is the characters, and the city is certainly included among the characters. The city is dying much like the original Norvelt Homesteaders are dying off. One by one. Very quickly. One right after the other. And my favorite character is not only their medical examiner, but also their obituary writer – Miss Volker who is also one of the original homesteaders. She provides most of the history lesson in this book. I’m glad she made it through to the end with her life, if not her hands.

I enjoyed the book. Probably wouldn’t have chosen to read it otherwise. And I certainly learned a lot about a part of history that I am not as familiar with. I think boys will enjoy this more than anyone. Tweenage boys will enjoy the humor. My girls continued to be curious about this book. When I was finished, I told them how it ended. Their quizzical brows matched mine. Until I had regurgitated the ending, I hadn’t realized what part of the book was about. A serial killer. Strange.

Magyk

Magyk by Angie Sage

I rarely jump on suggestions to read books. After all, I have a list a mile long. I am certainly in no need of more. When I do take suggestions, it is because I trust the recommendations of the person. I generally know that we enjoy the same types of books. It is practically unheard of that I take a suggestion from a child/kid/tween. They come often with loud accolades. I think I learned my lesson in the first year. It doesn’t matter how much my favorite patron adores Captain Underpants, it is not for me.

Here is the exception. I have been recommending books for this particular Baum 6^th grade girl for years. Her appetite is voracious and she devours the books quicker than I can supply them. I will suggest a book and her response has become, “I’ve read it. Have you read…?” To which my response has been, “Yes, I’ve read it. Then maybe you would like…” And we playfully battle it out until I mention something she hasn’t read. I place it in her hands and send her on her way.

She finally got me! with a book she has read and adored that I haven’t read! So what was I supposed to do… say no? She had me in the corner. (Here’s the secret… it was on my list, just at the very end, several years away.) So I checked it out that evening and here we are!

I will start by saying that I am a mite surprised that this series hasn’t shown up as a Caudill Nominee so far. I think I was perhaps waiting for it to make the list… Right away, I can say that it has been popular with tweenage girls. Haven’t had many boys ask for it although the main character is a boy and he’s the youngest of seven boys. I’m guessing that this can be attributed to the lack of action. It is more contemplative and time passes with very little action.

I don’t have a problem with that and I enjoyed this book tremendously. There were numerous, foreshadowed twists and turns in the plot. I find it amusing that the reader is privy to certain secrets that the characters are not. I was always eager for each new revelation. I enjoyed the responses of the characters to every unveiling.

As the title implies, there is magic between the covers of this novel. Some people are born to be witches and wizards and others are not. And there are varying degrees of magical ability. The most proficient wizards can aspire to attain the city’s highest magical position – ExtraOrdinary Wizard. Others with magical ability can choose to work under the ExtraOrdinary Wizard as Ordinary wizards. Still others don’t even work for the system/government.

Now, the seventh son of the seventh son will be born with extraordinary magical powers – a natural at all things magical. Such a boy would be an exceptional apprentice to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard. In fact, if someone wanted to be the ExtraOrdinary Wizard and gain the position through less than honorable means, having the seventh son of the seventh son on your side would practically guarantee success in your endeavors.

Septimus Heap, the seventh son of the seventh son, is kidnapped upon his birth in the first chapter of Magyk. The princess, daughter of the newly assassinated Queen, is unknowingly given in exchange. But all is not what it seems – it never is – and it takes the entire book to set things right. I cannot wait to see what the sequels have to add to the story. I truly appreciated the tongue-in-cheek humor and I think you will too!