TWINS by Varian Johnson & Shannon Wright

 

Middle school isn't easy and having a twin doesn't help. Maureen and Francine had always been best friends, but the day middle starts things change.

Francine suddenly wants to be called Fran, and Maureen finds herself in different classes and even a different lunch period than her sister. What's going on?

When it is revealed that their parents made the decision that the girls would have some different experiences, Maureen doesn't understand. An anger she doesn't fully understand makes her decide to run for student council president just like Francine. They'd see who was the winner in this sudden sister war.

Varian Johnson, inspired by his own experience as a twin, has teamed up with illustrator Shannon Wright to create this graphic novel perfect for middle grade readers looking for the answers to their many questions about why things are changing and often feel out of control. The brightly colored artwork combined with Johnson's written word make this a great read.

THE GOOD WAR by Todd Strasser

 

Caleb is pretty proud of himself. With the help of his middle school teacher, he has written a grant for his school to purchase some topnotch gaming computers in the hopes of creating an after school eSports club. Ever since the school board was forced to cut football from the sports program there have been kids wanting something fun to do. Now they may have the chance.

When the new club is announced, Caleb is pleased to see a handful of students interested in joining what the teacher/adviser says is a test group to see if the club is a good fit for the school. Those who join may not be exactly Caleb's idea of the ideal members, but he is still excited to begin playing.

The group is honestly rather surprised when they are given the go ahead to play a role playing game called The Good War or TGW. There will be plenty of shooting and violence, but its setting of WWII is enough to gain it approval from their adviser. The players divide into Allies and Axis teams and play after school once a week. It doesn't take long for things to starting getting out of hand.

THE GOOD WAR by well-known middle grade and young adult author Todd Strasser is a short, powerful read about how easy it is for hate and racism to take control. Told from the points of view of a cast of characters, Strasser paints a picture of how individuals and their personal issues can take over common sense. I was fascinated how in less than 200 pages Strasser was able to deftly create characters who speak to the problems of today and teach an important lesson while doing so.

STARFISH by Akemi Dawn Bowman

 

Kiko is hurtling through her senior year. She is awaiting the answer to her biggest dream - an acceptance letter from Prism, a prestigious art school in New York. Along with her drawing and painting, it is all she thinks about. Well, that's not really true. She also thinks about her self-centered mother and ways to make her happy and willing to accept Kiko for who she is, a half-Japanese, half-American girl.

It's always been difficult for Kiko socially. She is shy and freezes whenever she is in a large group or meets new people. She relies on her best friend Emery who is confident and outgoing. Emery has been Kiko's rock through the ugly divorce of her parents and her constant struggle to gain affection from a blond, blue-eyed mother who forever criticizes her Asian looks and ignores Kiko's fabulous artistic talent.

When the letter comes from Prism, it's rejection threatens to collapse Kiko's fragile world. Dealing with that and her guilt involving a secret about her Uncle Max who recently moved in, is almost more than she can handle. The sudden appearance of her childhood best friend, the handsome Jamie, may be the only thing that can save her. Kiko knows she needs to find the courage to become her own person, but it seems easier to rely on others for the strength she's always lacked.

Author Akemi Dawn Bowman illustrates the need to face life's demons and sever unhealthy relationships despite what norms may dictate. Bowman paints Kiko's relationship with her mother (who I hated with a passion) as the main force standing in the way of Kiko's success. STARFISH has no tidy, happy ending for life and relationships, but instead shows readers the road toward the possibility of a path to a more hopeful future. 

THE CANYON'S EDGE by Dusti Bowling

 

It has been a year since Nora's last birthday. It has also been a year since the shooting that took her mother. This year no dinner out at a restaurant since that's where tragedy struck, Nora's father suggests climbing a slot canyon to honor both her birthday and her mother's passing.

Nora's parents met while climbing so she learned at an early age. The climb her father's suggests seems like a good way to remember the past. A lot has changed, but listening to her father's "dad jokes" and getting ready to make the descent into the narrow depths of the canyon bring back familiar feelings and memories. Nora is proud of her skill and pleased that she is able to keep focused on climbing instead of the demons that have tormented her throughout the year.

The day's adventure promises to be a wonderful diversion until a roaring tremor changes it all. A flash flood tears the father and daughter apart leaving Nora stranded in its muddy remains. Can she find her father? Can she manage to climb out without a rope? Can she survive the return of the intense desert heat? Will her demons and monsters win after all?

Author Dusti Bowling tells Nora's story in mostly sparse verse, but the images she captures of Nora's struggles with the past and present will have readers breathless as they witness her struggle to survive. This quick read will leave a lasting impression.

GONE TO THE WOODS by Gary Paulsen

 

Through the years readers have fallen in love with books by Gary Paulsen. They have helped cultivate reading in many of my former students. Those familiar with GUTS, CAUGHT BY THE SEA, and HOW ANGEL PETERSON GOT HIS NAME know a bit about Paulsen's less than perfect childhood and the adventures of his personal life. Now his fans can learn even more about what shaped the author when they read GONE TO THE WOODS: Surviving a Lost Childhood.

Born in 1939 Gary Paulsen barely knew his father, a soldier in WWII. Early life with his mother meant watching her get drunk and hang out with unsavory men in bars. He describes how his mother dressed him in a tiny soldier uniform and had him sing as he stood on the bar to earn his supper.

At the age of five, Paulsen was shipped off to an aunt and uncle to live with them on their farm. The time he spent there was the first he felt loved and cared for. He had a room of his own and as he explains "a place" for the first time.

Paulsen was devastated when his mother arrived one day to carry him away to the Philippines to join his father. Still involved with the war, Manila was no place for a young boy. His neglectful parents probably weren't even aware of the horrors he witnessed as he scrambled to survive his time there.

Paulsen was then taken back to the U.S. to live in a small town near the Canadian border. Odd jobs at a town bar and the bowling alley, and frequent escapes into the woods helped put food in his belly and provide a few meager possessions. He details his introduction to the library and a kind librarian who opened his eyes to the world of books and writing that gave him a view of what might be possible for him.

The book ends with tales of Paulsen's stint in the army. He forged his father's signature to enlist as he hoped it would be his ticket to something better. 

GONE TO THE WOODS will give readers a more complete picture of what created and shaped Gary Paulsen and the many stories he would share over the years. It's a great read!

THREE THINGS I KNOW ARE TRUE by Betty Culley

 

Three things I know are true about THREE THINGS I KNOW ARE TRUE by Betty Culley, 1) it is written in verse, 2) it is about love and loss, and 3) it made me cry.

Liv's older brother's survival has been deemed a miracle. Clay warned him when he picked up the gun that it could be loaded, but Jonah still pressed it against his temple and pulled the trigger. Now he is being fed through a tube and cared for day and night by visiting nurses. He makes sounds that Liv has learned to interpret in a way that helps her comfort him when no one else can. She's about to turn sixteen and he'll be turning eighteen. Life will never be the same again.

Life is now about going through the motions. Liv goes to school but doesn't accomplish much so she may be repeating her sophomore year. Her mom goes to work at Tractor Barn, but her paycheck isn't going to be enough to pay for Jonah's care and keep a roof over their heads. Their small town in Maine is filled with people willing to drop off casseroles while at the same time criticize the lawsuit Liv's mom has filed in an attempt to pay Jonah's medical bills.

One bright spot for Liv is her continued friendship with Clay. Even though it was his father's gun that created the tragedy, they still meet along the river and find ways to carry on. As a way to honor Jonah, they play the "three things I know are true" game. It helps them each express the things that are too difficult to directly communicate in life's new version.

Author Betty Culley gives Liv a clear and direct voice that speaks to the stark reality that she is experiencing in daily life. Giving comfort and finding comfort aren't easy when what's familiar is crumbling around her. Readers won't regret the time spent reading this one.

WINK by Rob Harrell

 

WINK by Rob Harrell is perfect for fans of WONDER. Ross Maloy is going to be starting 7th grade which has challenges enough, but Ross is also facing a diagnosis of cancer. A swollen eye sends Ross to the doctor where it is determined that he has a tumor in the gland that produces tears. Pretty scary especially when his mother died of cancer when he was just a toddler.

Ross must deal with surgery, radiation, goopy eye drainage, and losing his hair. At the same time he is dealing with middle school bullies and friends who aren't always sure how to handle the idea of someone with cancer. 

Frank, a radiation technologist, befriends Ross and introduces him to music. Ross uses his new knowledge as a release during some of the most grueling times. He even learns to play the guitar which opens up communication with one of the bullies tormenting his school life and a talent show performance that's over the top.

Inspired by author Rob Harrell's own cancer battle, WINK combines tragedy with humor and positive thinking that will speak to readers and have them cheering for Ross and his pals.

BRONX MASQUERADE and BETWEEN THE LINES by Nikki Grimes

 

I know this book has been around, and I'm ashamed to say I'm just getting to it, but hey, it was worth the wait. Nikki Grimes combines poetry and prose to create a powerful novel about a classroom of eighteen teens learning to communicate their inner feelings through verse. 

The individual voices are tied together by Tyrone who shares his story as he comments on the others in his class. With the help of Mr. Ward, their English teacher, the students use poetry to express themselves and in doing so, learn everyone is dealing with stuff no one knows about.

BETWEEN THE LINES follows Mr. Ward a second year as he introduces a new group of students to the power of poetry. His method is to use free write topics to inspire his students to share their thoughts on the page and then in Open Mike time regularly scheduled as part of his class.

This time Darrian takes on the role of "leader" as he comments on his own issues and those of the classmates he is getting to know through their poems. The students pass on their experiences in a Poetry Slam open to the school and public at the end of the semester.

Both books have awesome messages that are standing the test of time. English teachers could easily use them in their classrooms to inspire kids' writing and to teach the empathy so lacking in today's world. Don't wait as long as I didn't to experience these books, but if you have been passing them by, just know that better late than never is ok, too.

DIG by A.S. King

 

Once in awhile I read a book that makes me think WOW! DIG by A.S. King is one of those books. As soon as I began reading I was wondering how she thought of this intriguing tale. It is an understatement to say I marveled at the intricacy of the story and the amazingly quirky characters she developed. To be honest there were times when I was tempted to put the book aside thinking the disjointed points of view would never coordinate into anything worthwhile. WOW! was I wrong.

DIG is the story of a dysfunctional family - not unlike many of our own. There's Gottfried and Marla whose five children produced five grandchildren. Secrets abound in this family to the extent some of these people don't know the others exist. Now that's pretty dysfunctional. 

Looking for where they fit in and what life has in store for them creates a rollercoaster journey for readers. Each character begs to be heard and understood by those around them. Some are luckier than others, but most of them don't recognize the positives life has to offer. The negatives are plentiful and heartbreaking which will have readers forming emotional bonds to each and every one. The plight of the characters will entertain readers while the skilled craft of the writer will constantly creep in around the edges to stunt and amaze.

DIG was awarded the Michael L. Printz and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Awards which immediately puts it on the list of must haves for many teachers and librarians, but it's the story that should have readers flocking to libraries and bookstores to get a copy. Give this creative piece of work a few moments of your time and you will be hooked.

BE MORE CHILL: The Graphic Novel adapted from Ned Vizzini by David Levithan

 

I count Ned Vizzini as a friend. I met him just after he published his first novel. He had published his first novel and was probably working on BE MORE CHILL at the time we met. I had invited Ned to do an author visit to the small southeastern Michigan middle school where I was teaching. He was an immediate success with the students and he returned to our tiny town four more times. We fell in love with Ned and many of my former students felt touched by him and still mourn the loss of his powerful stories.

BE MORE CHILL is about Jeremy Heere, a nerd in the truest sense of the word. He is teased and taunted by almost every kid in the school. He is constantly making tally marks on spreadsheets to record the details of each and every taunting comment which only makes the bullying worse.

One day Jeremy is approached with the offer of a miracle cure for his nerdiness. He is told that for the right price he can purchase a Squip. This Squip resembles a pill, but promises the power of a supercomputer. If swallowed, it will talk to him and guide him in the ways of being cool. His life could be changed forever.

Unfortunately, in the pursuit of coolness, Jeremy may risk losing his few true friends while gaining nothing. Vizzini's original novel is intricately layered with humor and subtle hints that there is no easy way to get a perfect life. 

Author David Levithan and artist Nick Bertozzi have teamed up to honor Vizzini with this graphic version of BE MORE CHILL. Although it lacks the depth of the original, through the inspired dialogue and excellent artwork, it manages to do justice to the Vizzini's craft with a bit less of the sometimes gritty directness of Vizzini's signature style. Fans of the late Ned Vizzini will want to remember his greatness by taking the time to check out this graphic version.

DEAR JUSTYCE by Nic Stone

 

Fans of Nic Stone's DEAR MARTIN will want to get to the library or bookstore for a copy of the follow up novel DEAR JUSTYCE as soon as possible. Stone takes readers into another story as Quan battles to prove he isn't a murderer.

Quan and Justyce have been friends since meeting in the rocket ship on the neighborhood playground. Justyce, a year older, was going through his own issues and recovery from Manny's death. Quan was dealing with having his dad in prison as he helped raise his younger brother and sister. Both had way more to deal with than any teens should have.

While Justyce was pursuing his dreams of going to college to become a lawyer, Quan was making some questionable decisions that led him to trouble with the law. Hooking up with Martel's gang seemed like the best idea at the time, but now he is facing murder charges after a false confession he felt was forced upon him.

DEAR JUSTYCE is told through flashbacks, letter, and narrative that explains to readers the difficult choices black teens like Quan are sometimes forced to make. Stone highlights the hopelessness and frustration of trying to make oneself heard and at the same time protect those closest. Excellent sequel readers won't want to miss.

CLASS ACT by Jerry Craft

 

CLASS ACT takes readers back to school to continue life with Drew Ellis. In NEW KID Drew was experiencing the all-too familiar new kid at a new school trials and tribulations. Now Drew is in 8th grade and hoping things will be different. Things at Riverdale Academy Day School (RAD) may be a great school, but Drew knows he will have to work harder than the average white student to gain the same recognition.

Drew and Jordan are there for each other, but it's hard to connect with Liam. Not only is he white; he's rich. Drew can't seem to understand Liam's privileged lifestyle. How can a kid have everything and still not seem to be happy? 

Quick to anger, Drew is finding out that he will need to settle differences and communicate on another level when he doesn't see eye to eye with someone at RAD. Girls are also proving to be a challenge. What's he to do when Ashley insists on baking him more pies and cupcakes than he could ever eat in an entire lifetime? Keeping his grades up has always been the only worry, but now he may have more worries than he can handle.

Author Jerry Craft is back with another clever graphic novel that hits on current issues like race and privilege. If you enjoyed NEW KID, you will want to get your hands on CLASS ACT asap.

THE BLACK FRIEND: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph

 

Author Frederick Joseph introduces himself as a friend in this collection of shared stories and interviews from a person who refers to himself as "the token Black kid." Joseph explains that he hopes the book will serve as a guide for white people to understand the Black community.

As a white person I found much in this book to awaken in myself a more anti-racist view. As Frederick shared personal experiences filled with cringe-worthy references to white people actions and statements, I found times when he wrote of situations I that wouldn't have shown up on my radar as a white person. He brings to light things that infuriate Black people but fail to register for white people.

Each chapter focuses on a personal story of Frederick's and are followed by interviews with writers, activists, lawyers, podcast hosts, and other digital personalities that reinforce Frederick's thoughts and feelings. He also shares the many things he has learned from those he interviewed.

Scattered throughout are entertaining side notes with references and suggestions of characters, books, music, and YouTube videos that Frederick believes everyone should experience. Followed by an Encyclopedia of Racism type dictionary, playlists, and resources, THE BLACK FRIEND has countless offerings for readers to further their knowledge.

A thank you goes to Candlewick Press for providing advanced copies of the THE BLACK FRIEND in the NCTE/ALAN book boxes. The book was officially release in Dec. 2020.

SYLVIE by Sylvie Kantorovitz

 

Thank you to the publisher for this copy via my book box from NCTE/ALAN. SYLVIE is my first graphic novel of the new year. Though not due for release until Feb. 2021, it is perfect for anyone look to discover what their future may hold.

Sylvie was born in Morocco, but she now lives in France. Her father is the principal of a teacher training school and the family actually lives in the school. The story begins with Sylvie and her little brother exploring the wonders of their new home. Sylvie is proud that her father is the principal and considers him her main role model. 

She loves to draw and write, and later when her family grows by two more siblings, Sylvie enjoys helping take care of the little ones. Despite the fact that her parents argue almost constantly, life is fairly happy. 

Readers will follow Sylvie as she excels at school and learns more about art and writing. As she enters high school, she deals with friendships, possible love interests, and the ever present decision about what she wants to do with her future.

Author Sylvie Kantorovitz is the creator of numerous children's picture books as well as this, her first graphic novel/memoir. I'm hoping she will at some point continue sharing her life beyond what she shares here in SYLVIE.

ORDINARY HAZARDS by Nikki Grimes

 

ORDINARY HAZARDS is a memoir by author Nikki Grimes. Known for her numerous books for children and young adults, Grimes shares her own growing up story with readers. Written in her trademark poetry style, she gracefully captures the not-perfect childhood that helped shape her talent into what it is today.

Nikki and her sister witnessed many tumultuous moments between their struggling parents. A mother who suffered from alcoholism and mental illness and a father immersed in the music he composed and played on his violin didn't make for the most supportive adults. Most of the time Nikki's father was absent, gone to performances and traveling to promote his music. This left them with their mother whose illness meant she also was "absent" much of the time.

Grimes ended up in foster care for a period of time when neither parent could handle the responsibility of raising the girls. Together for awhile, Nikki found support from her sister, but eventually they were split up leaving Nikki with a caring family. Despite the good care of her foster family, Nikki missed Carol and vowed to search for her and reunite.

The girls did return to their mother who was then living with a man named Clark. At first things seemed to have improved, but soon it was clear that Clark couldn't keep a job and their mother fell back into old habits which ended in her constant return to the hospital for treatment that never seemed to work.

Through gritty, honest verse Grimes reveals how her hopes and dreams may have been at times delayed, but she used her experiences to bolster her strength and her spirit. Her father and her teachers introduced her to authors who spoke to her and still inspire her today. ORDINARY HAZARDS is sure to inspire readers of Grimes's work as well as those who find her in these pages for the first time.