Masterpiece

Our school is starting the One School - One Book program.  We are currently vetting some books to use and this is one of them.  This is the one I will be presenting as my favorite!  What great conversations this will start!  A beetle discovers a jar of ink in the room of the human boy where he lives.  He draws an amazing picture for which the lonely boy named James gets credit.  The two become friends and get caught up in a plan to forger a masterpiece to catch an art theif.  If was an exciting mystery, but the works of art - Fortitude, Justice, Temperance and Prudence - are such wonderful conversation starters- especially given our school's code of honor.  The boy's guilt over taking credit for something he didn't do will resonate with kids as well.  And I will also love the ability to have a discussion about forgeries and plagiarism!  (FIC BRO)

Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad

This great new series is written by Valerie Tripp, one of the contributing authors of the American Girl books.  Five girlfriends tackle mysteries in their school using their brains and science.  In this installment, Izzy Newton and her friends have to figure out why their school's heat won't kick on before they freeze!!!!!!   (FIC TRI)

The Midnight Children

Dan Gemeinhart has yet to write a book that I don't adore!  His Coyote Sunrise is one of my all-time favorite reads.  His use of language is magical.  His latest, The Midnight Children, did not disappoint.  It was just glorious.  Ravani is an extremely lonely child with no friends. He witnesses a group of children being droppped off at the abandoned house next door.  "Sometimes when two souls find each other in the darkness, the darkness goes away."  The children, though, are being sought by a man who calls himself The Hunter.  Can Ravani help them and not lose his new friend?  "There is a powerful difference between feeling apart and feeling a part.  There is a world in that space."  You have to read this.  Don't say you'll read this someday. "Someday is already here."  (FIC GEM)

Wild River

 

Rodman Philbrick writes great survival stories and this one is no excpetion.  5 kids are forced to survive in the wilderness after a dam broke on their white-water-rafting trip and killed their guides.  As expected, they disagree over who should be in charge and how they should stay alive and those disagreements put them in even more danger.  (FIC PHI)

Stay Alive

Students will adore this historical fiction survival story set during the pioneer days on the Oregon trail.  Douglas Deeds, an orphan, joined an ill-fated group of travelers to head to California - the Donner Party.  They took faith in a man who knew nothing of the trail and in heeding his bad advice, took a passage that left them stranded in the mountains during winter.  They endured horrific events in order to survive.  (FIC PHI)

The In-Between

This was a great, spooky story on the Great Stone Face list for 22-23.  Cooper is dealing with his parents' divorce and his father's absence.  There is a creepy new girl next door who just stares at him all the time.  When Cooper's sister, Jess, uncovers a century-old train derailment mystery online, she pulls Cooper into solving it.  Their only clue is the fact that the boy who survived the accident had the same crest on his jacket as the creepy girl next door.  When they approach her to ask her questions about the crest, they are pulled into an impossible world of ghosts and the world in between life and death.  (FIC ANS)

Hummingbird

Wow.  Just wow.  Natalie Lloyd knocked it out of the park with this one.  Olive's town is about to experience a visit from a magic hummingbird.  Whoever finds it, must solve a riddle and they will be granted a wish.  Olive knows it will be her and she can wish for bones that will not be so breakable and she can have a normal life - one where she can perform on stage!  But doesn't everyone have important wishes too?  And isn't there magic all around you every day, if you only choose to see it?  This books gave me chills.  It was beautiful.  (FIC LLO)

Too Bright to See

In his debut novel, Kyle Lukoff introduces us to Bug.  Bug and her mom have recently lost Uncle Roderick, with whom they live in a haunted house.  Bug is convinced her Uncle's spirit is trying to communicate.  As the summer continues to edge toward the start of middle school, Bug tries to figure out the message Uncle Roderick wants to send.  Fans of ghost stories will enjoy this.  The content is a bit mature, tackling issues of gender identity, but this should be a perfect fit for upper elementary and middle school students.

My Own Lightning

When I discovered Lauren Wolk wrote a sequel to Wolf Hollow, I could not get my hands on this fast enough.  To say I am a fan is an understatement.  She has a way with words that leaves me breathless.  Her messages and themes are both timely and timeless.  In this chapter of Annabelle's story, it is a few months after the tragic events in the previous novel.  AnnaBelle is trying to forgive herself and move forward.  During a storm she is struck by lightning. The strike heightens her senses - particularly with animals.  Dogs have been disappearing, including her brother's, and her new sense leads her to a reclusive neighbor.  But when Andy, who played a part in last spring's tragedy, may have some information, it forces AnnaBelle to face her past and question her judgment of people.  It is a story of forgiveness, but also one of courage and growth - one in which you learn that we all need to look harder at someone to see what they really are.  (FIC WOL)

Words on Fire

Jennifer Neilsen's latest historical fiction story is set in the late 1800's in Lithuania, a country then occupied by Russia.  Audra's parents are arrested. Audra discovers that what they were smuggling to her countrymen was vital to their cultural survival - books! She embarks on a dangerous path to continue their work to ensure the survival of her country's language and culture. Today's headlines ring true in this novel - Russia's current invasion and war in Ukraine mirror the events that happened in Lithuania long ago.  (FIC NIE)

Escape

 

Kids will love this exciting, spooky story by K.R. Alexander.  All Cody wants to do is build theme parks.  So when a new one opens up and promises to be a new kind of park, he can't wait to see it.  He luckily wins a spot as one of the first.  When he arrives, it is amazing...virtual reality world that boggles his mind.  But things start to bother him.  Kids are getting hurt and disappearing.  It no longer becomes fun and it becomes a race for their lives.  (FIC ALE)

The Elephant In The Room

From the author of Counting By 7s, Holly Goldberg Sloan, comes this sweet story about a girl named Sila.  Her mother has been away for a long time dealing with immigration issues that had a questionable origin.  Sila has dealt with the longing and grief by isolating herself.  School has tried to help by pairing her with Matteo, a boy who has autism and isolates himself, too.   Sila and her dad meet a man who is also dealing with his grief of losing his wife.   His decision to buy an elephant changes all of their lives for the better.  This book is on the Great Stone Face List for 2022-23.  (FIC SLO)

Better With Butter

Marvel is a young middle-school girl who struggles with anxiety.  She misses classes a lot due to her fears about everything!  Her stage fright becomes an issue because in order to pass sixth grade, she has to perform in a play!  She believes that is impossible until she rescues Butter, a baby goat, from the school bully.  She brings him home and they bond immediately.  But mom says they can not keep it, as it certainly belongs to someone.  Butter has allowed Marvel to live in a way in which she is not always afraid.  He has become her support animal.  She can't go back to being afraid all the time if she loses him.  And how can she pass sixth grade? I enjoyed the father's role in this story.  He is a service man who has returned home for a brief time on leave and teaches Marvel that even though he is afraid too, he has to move through it.  This book is on the Great Stone Face List for 2022-23.   (FIC PIO)

Secondhand Dogs

This was a sweet, quick little read about five dogs, brought into a loving home.  Gus is the pack leader until the new dog, Decker arrives.  Decker is trouble.  He soon starts to stir things up in the house to ensure he gets what he wants.  When he convinces the littlest pup, Moon Pie, to run away, the other dogs escape to find him.  Gus has to prove he can be the pack leader and keep them together and safe, using his greatest strength - his love for his pack. He digs deep to find the courage he needs to face Decker.  Dog lovers will like this read that highlights different dog personalities.  (FIC CRI)

Alone in the Woods

In this novel by Rebecca Behrens, the reader encounters two plot conflicts.  The first is a struggling relationship between two friends.  Alex went away to camp and came back with a new friend and a new attitude.  Jocelyn expects them to pick up like they always had, but her best friend's betrayal stings.  Jocelyn hopes their summer trip away will bring Alex back to her emotionally.  However, when a rafting trip goes wrong, the girls have to put aside their squabbles and work together to survive.  I was a bit disappointed with Alex's character.  I understand the need for belonging and being cool will resonate with readers.  However, I wish the message was that you should be more like Jocelyn and not care about that.  There was way too much emphasis on acceptance and being with the cool kids - even when those cool kids are cruel.  I think it missed the mark there.  This book is on the NH Great Stone Face list for 2022-23.  (FIC BEH)

A Place At The Table

Each chapter of this novel alternated between the two main characters:  Sara and Elizabeth. It was written collaboratively - one character written by one author, and the other written by another - which gave a very authentic feel to it.  Both starting middle school, they face friendship and family challenges, but find each other in a cooking class.  Can they get over their differences, rise above racist sentiment, and become real friends?  The use of food in the story to illustrate the point of mingling cultures was very effective and poignant.  (FIC FAR)

The Haunted Mustache

In the first of a new series, author Joe McGee introduces us to the threesome who are a 5th grade investigative team: Anastasia, Parker and Lucas.  Every year on October 19 in their town of Wolver Hollow, a mustache rises from the dead to look for a new lip.  The town all wears fake mustaches and stays indoors on that day for fear they will be its next victim.  Our detectives set out to catch it but when Parker loses his fake mustache, he also becomes the possible next victim!  (FIC MCG)

A Place To Hang the Moon

Get yourself a comfy place to read and hunker down with this heartwarming story set during WWII outside of London. Three siblings who had lost their parents years ago, recently also lost their guardian - their mean grandmother.  Their lawyer suggests that they use the evacuation to possibly find a new family who will agree to take them not only for the time-being but for always.  Unfortunately, the families they are placed with are less than ideal.  They find comfort and solace in their local library and its librarian, Mrs. Muller. The story immediately reminded me of The War That Saved My Life (Bradley) in that it was about London children evacuated to the countryside prior to the inevitable bombing of London by the Nazis.  However, it was unique enough to keep me interested. (FIC ALB)

Tune It Out

I enjoyed this sweet novel about Lou, a young girl who has a beautiful singing voice.  Her mother wants them to make it big with her voice, but Lou suffers from a sensory processing disorder.  Loud noises disturb her immensely and she does not like people touching her at all.  When an accident forces Lou to be taken from her mother and placed with an aunt and uncle, Lou begins to experience a normal life in school and with friends.  She also learns how she can live more fully with her disorder in school and in public.  I found the mother character unrelatable, especially after Lou was taken away.  I did enjoy the story and had not read many that highlight this disorder.   (FIC SUM)

Chunky

This graphic novel "memoir" by Yehudi Mercado was disappointing.  I hoped, given the title, it would be a statement against our fat-phobic society and a story of self-love.  It did not get there in my opinion.  Hudi is encouraged to lose weight and play sports.  His lack of interest and health issues set him up for failure.  He is a funny guy and wants to pursue theatre.  I enjoyed the post-chapter breakdowns and thought they were inventive and funny, but too much of the story went without proper explanation.  It missed the mark in letting kids know that whatever their size, they can be healthy and beautiful.  (GN MER)

Clean Getaway

When William's G'Ma rescues him from his weekend of being grounded, he is at first thrilled.  A road trip retracing the path his grandparents took down South sounds like fun.  But William soon learns that the South in the 1960's was no place for a white woman and a black man to be in love.  He learns about the struggles of blacks in the South, but also realizes his G'Ma is hiding something.  (FIC STO)

Mac B. Kid Spy

 

I have been a fan of Mac Barnett for years.  He reaches all kids with his picture books, his early readers and his larger chapter books.  I have loved all of them so I was excited about this series.  Unfortunately, I was disaapointed.  I found the premise ridiculous:  Mac gets a call from the Queen of England.  One of the Crown Jewels has been stolen.  So she buys him a plane ticket to come to England and retrieve it.  There is ZERO explanation as to why the Queen would call Mac.  It  has fun facts and excitement, but I think he missed the mark here.  I am told kids LOVE it, so I will buy it, but I am not a fan.  (FIC BAR)

Edward's Eyes

 

Patricia MacLachlan gets me every time.  This quick read introduces us to a wonderful and large family.  Jake is the main character who, when baby Edward is brought home, bonds with him immediately.  Edward is special - intelligent, unique, and one who sees signs in life others do not.  And he loves baseball.  After a tragedy, Jake must find the stength and courage to learn from Edward and see the world more through Edward's eyes.  (FIC MAC)

The Christmas Pig

 

J.K. Rowling's magical story about a boy who enters the World of Lost Things to find his favorite stuffed toy is wonderful and refreshingly unique.  The magic of Christmas Eve allows his Replacement Pig to take him there, wher he must not only locate DP, but avoid the Loser, a monstrous evil machine who eats lost things.  In the end, it is a story of loss and love, and the knowledge that even though we may lose things and people in our lives, they are never really gone from our hearts.  (FIC ROW)

Dinosaurs Before Dark Graphic Novel

 

Jenny Laird has adapted Mary Pope Osborne's early chapter books to a graphic novel format.  These should be exterememly popular with the younger students who may not be able to read the originals.  These have a few words on each page yet tell the same story.  (GN LAI)

Willodeen

In this new novel by Katherine Applegate (The One and Only Ivan, Crenshaw), Willodeen is a lonely girl who lives with two older women after her family is killed in a fire.  She remembers her father's love and guidance in navigating the natural world and its wonders.  She especially loves the creatures that the townspeople are trying to eliminate, a stinky loud warthog-like animal called a screecher.  When a touch of magic sends her her own screecher, it leads to a discovery that will save the town's future, but only if the town is willing to let nature take care of itself.  It is a story of courage and conservation.  (FIC APP)

Gymnastics Jitters

The Jake Maddox series of sports books for early readers had eluded me until now.  This is one of many early readers, each concentrating on a different sport.  In this story, a team of four friends must compete against the top team in a final meet.  They are nervous, but how far will they go to win?  (BC MAD)

Sweeping Up The Heart

This Kevin Henkes novel left me wanting more.  It was a story of a twelve-year old girl named Amelia who has a strained relationship with her dad, the only parent she knows.  She meets a boy in the pottery studio she frequents whose parents are getting a divorce.  Somehow, he gets her to start believing that a woman on the street is her long-deceased mother for whom she has never really grieved.  The story takes too long to kick in for me, and I was disappointed with the character development of the father in particular.  Its credibility was questionable for me as well in that the author attributed thoughts that would be way beyond most normal twelve-year-olds.  (FIC HEN)

The Strangers (Greystone Secrets #1)

 

I love Margaret Petersen Haddix, author of the Shadow Children series and the Missing series.  This latest series is full of action and suspense and codes and students will LOVE it.  Chess, Emma and Finn hear about a kidnapping of three OTHER children across the country who share their names and birthdays.  That seems odd and interesting, until their mother starts acting very odd upon hearing that news and leaves them with an acquaintance.  When they discover that her plan is to not return to keep them safe, they know she is in trouble and vow to find her.  She leaves them clues to a secret room in the house that leads to another dimension.  Can they get their mom back and save the other children at the same time? (FIC HAD)

Out Of My Heart

Sharon Draper has written this sequel to Out of My Mind, her moving book about Melody, a girl with Cerebral Palsy,  Readers will enjoy reacquainting themselves with Melody, the summer after the events of the first book.  That book was beautiful and tragic whereas this one is more positive and happy.  Melody has found a camp for kids like her and spends a week there, making true friends and testing her strength and courage.  (FIC DRA)

The Last Quentista

I had not heard of this book until it won the Newbery Medal for 2021.  It was an interesting story, akin to The Giver, in which one person becomes responsible for all the stories of the past.  In this futuristic novel by Donna Barba Higuera, Petra and her family are chosen to travel to a new planet to save the human race when it is determined that a meteor will destroy the Earth.  Petra leaves her beloved grandmother behind, the source of all the beautiful stories of the past.  When they arrive on the new planet, they are put into a sort of hibernation for many years.  However, a group of people known as the Collective has plans for the new planet, and it does not include any traces of a past that they deemed defective.  With some help, Petra must secretly resist and maintain her memories, free the others, and find her family.  (FIC HIG)