FLIGHT OF THE PUFFIN by Ann Braden

 

The longer I've lived the more I believe the statement, "You don't know what someone's going through...."

I try to think of this whenever I run across someone whose behavior I don't understand or agree with. I don't know what it's like for that person - how they think, feel, or live.

FLIGHT OF THE PUFFIN is about four kids living their lives the best way they know how. Circumstances occur that connect the four in unusual ways, and their lives are enriched because of it.

Libby comes from a long line of bullies, but she wants to make a change. Unfortunately, her actions aren't also taken in the right way leaving her in trouble or with a lot to explain.

Jack loves his life in a small community, but outsiders are threatening to change the place he loves. When he tries to step up and speak up, his intentions are misunderstood. How can he make things right? Can he correct his mistake and still speak up for change?

Vincent is the target for bullies. His love for all things about puffins makes him an easy mark for the mean kids at his school. His other obsession is triangles. He hopes his beloved triangles can give him the power to stand up for who he is.

T lives on the street. They sleep in a sleeping bag outside the church with a little dog as their only companion. Misunderstood by their family, they don't feel able to return home where there's a threat to change how they live. 

Ann Braden, also the author of THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS, will hopefully have readers looking at people with more understanding and love. 

NORTHWIND by Gary Paulsen

 

Oh, Gary Paulsen, how you will be missed! Reading this last book by the king of survival stories brought back memories of former students whose reading lives were enhanced by the writing of this wonderful author. His colorful, but not complicated, style will continue to bring stories to life for countless generations of future readers. His books are always going to be on my list of recommended books for readers both young and old.

In NORTHWIND a young boy named Leif, orphaned at birth, grows up on the docks with the help of some kind souls. He begins working on sailing vessels and is sold from ship to ship. The work is hard and the reward is usually a smelly blanket for a bed, clothes made from stiff, old sailcloth, and bits and pieces of leftover rations.

Leif ends up working in a fish camp catching and processing salmon. A plague hits the camp that takes the lives of most of the adult men. Leif and a younger boy they call Little Carl are bundled into a dugout canoe with meager supplies and told to head North. Not long after leaving the camp, Little Carl becomes ill and dies. Leif also gets sick, but luck helps him survive.

What follows is adventure in true Paulsen style as Leif navigates a coastline populated by whales, seabirds, black and brown bears, and thankfully a healthy supply of salmon and blackberries. As he explains, he "learns to learn" and is able to solve problems and deal with disasters that many times threaten his very life.

Fans of HATCHET and all the Brian books will love this combination of survival on land and sea. NORTHWIND is the perfect bookend to any Gary Paulsen collection. 

BEVERLY, RIGHT HERE by Kate DiCamillo

 

Ever since reading BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE, I've been a fan of Kate DiCamillo. BEVERLY, RIGHT HERE just proves her wonderful talent as a writer.

Fourteen year old Beverly is leaving home, and as far as she knows, she's not coming back. She knows her mother couldn't care less. She'll miss her friend Raymie, but she knows Raymie will understand. The death of her beloved dog Buddy sealed the deal. Without him there's no reason to stay.

Beverly ends up in Tamaray Beach. She likes that the ocean is right there so she can hear it and visit the beach. It doesn't take long for Beverly to find a job bussing tables at a local fish restaurant. While passing the Seahorse Court RV Community, Beverly meets Iola who offers her a place to stay in exchange for driving her to bingo. Beverly settles in and finds she's happier than she's been in quite some time.

Author Kate DiCamillo's simple story about a girl looking for the kindness and compassion missing from her life fills the pages of this tender and emotional book proving there are good people in the world who welcome strangers and look out for each other.

MAIZY CHEN'S LAST CHANCE by Lisa Yee

 

Maizy Chen is not thrilled to hear that she and her mother are leaving LA for the summer to live in a place called Last Chance. The small town with a population of less than 5,000 doesn't sound like a lot of fun compared to all the things Maizy could do if they stayed at home. In addition to living in this tiny, and most likely boring town, they will be living with Maizy's grandparents who have only visited LA once and seemed to hate it.

It's no surprise that the Golden Palace is the only Chinese restaurant in Last Chance, Minnesota. It has been owned by Maizy's relatives for 100 years. Now it's her grandparents who run the business, but Opa's health is failing so Maizy's mother has decided to help out. Maizy doesn't even know how to use chopsticks, but she will be expected to pitch in at the restaurant as well as babysit for her ailing grandfather.

What Maizy learns during her stay in Last Chance opens her eyes about many things. She learns that prejudice is alive and thriving when it comes to the attitudes about Chinese Americans. She learns that her mother and grandmother have a relationship filled with tension that she doesn't really understand. She learns her grandfather is a good poker teacher and is full of stories about a man named Lucky who made everything in Last Chance possible for her family. And, she does learn how to use chopsticks.

Author Lisa Yee presents a story within a story inspired by her own grandparents' journey that is sure to keep readers cheering for Maizy and eagerly turning pages to learn about the Chen family history. Full of quirky characters, tasty Chinese dishes, and lots of love MAIZY CHEN'S LAST CHANCE should be in every middle grade classroom and library.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL by K.A. Holt

 

I'm a huge fan of author K.A. Holt, and I was thrilled to come across THIS IS NOT A DRILL at a local Scholastic Book Fair. Many of Holt's books are novels in verse, but this was a bit different. It is written entirely in a text message and comment format making it a quick read in a style middle grade readers will love.

Ava and several friends are arriving at school one morning and communicating as many middle school students do via texts. To add a bit of levity to their conversations, Ava sadly still has a flip phone with no emojis. Considering her out-of-date technology, she types incredibly fast and creates her own descriptive and entertaining emojis.

Not long after the start of lunch, the alarm sounds for a lockdown drill. As it is during lunch, many of the students are not in classrooms and there's some confusion about where everyone should be. Ava ends up alone in a bathroom and she realizes her phone charge is about to give out. She tries to remember the rules of lockdown and decides she should be heading to the nearest unlocked classroom.

Ava ends up in the art room with a group of students she describes as stinky Tater Tots (sixth graders). It is quickly discovered that the lockdown is not a drill. There really is a dangerous person in the building. What follows is a tense afternoon of figuring out what to do with a sixth grader having an asthma attack, a phone running out of battery power, and a man yelling and running through the halls. 

The scenario in THIS IS NOT A DRILL is an all too familiar tale of a school dealing with an emergency situation that has students, staff, and frantic parents trying to stay calm under extremely stressful conditions. Perfect for middle grade readers!

YOU'D BE HOME NOW by Kathleen Glasgow

 

Life is messy. Author Kathleen Glasgow unflinchingly describes the damage done to a family because of addiction. So often the focus is on the individual suffering from the disease, but YOU'D BE HOME NOW bravely includes the collateral damage caused.

Emory and her brother Joey are involved in a tragic car accident that results in the death of a classmate. The accident also reveals the true extent of Joey's struggle with drugs. While Emory is left recovering from a severe knee injury, Joey is packed up and sent to a wilderness rehab camp in Colorado. After months at the camp, it is hoped that he can return home, finish his high school career successfully, and make his family proud. Maybe in a perfect world that's how things would work out, but for Joey and Emory there may be too many hurdles to conquer for things to work out just right.

The Ward family lives in a fancy house on the hill. For several generations their family has ruled the town. Since the accident Emory and Joey are struggling to overcome the anger generated by the tragic death of a young girl. Joey's challenge is to follow the rules dictated by his mother as he tries to continue his recovery at home. Emory feels completely overshadowed by Joey's problem and looks for recognition and physical comfort from a boy only interested in using her.

The struggle is real for both the siblings as well as the family as a whole. Continuing to live their normal, privileged life without truly acknowledging the toll Joey's addiction has taken is not likely to guarantee a successful result. The struggle is real and readers will see the stark reality of that in YOU'D BE HOME NOW.

FAMOUS ARTISTS IN HISTORY by Kelly Milner Halls

 

Learning about art usually requires a trip to the museum, but this nonfiction book by author Kelly Milner Halls will take readers on an art adventure as each page turns. Beginning with the birth of Michelangelo in 1475 through the years to 1983 and artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby, FAMOUS ARTISTS IN HISTORY introduces well-known artists and a number of less well-known talents to young readers interested in painters, sculptors, and photographers. 

Readers will learn about artists like Van Gogh, Picasso, Kahlo, and Warhol. The four-five page bios reveal each artist's early life, development in their chosen medium, and the works that made them famous. Included are other artists like Utagawa Hiroshige and his wood block prints that made art affordable for the common man and photographers like Julia Margaret Cameron and Gordon Parks who both broke artistic barriers of their times.

Pioneers in graffiti art like Jean-Michel Basquiat and mixed media collages like Njideka Akunyili Crosby are introduced. Readers will find out that Yayoi Kusama of Japan was inspired by her own mental illness struggles brought to life on canvas. 

As usual Kelly Milner Halls writing is well-researched. Included at the end of each piece are suggestions of where to learn more and also further tidbits about each artist. A glossary at the end of the book highlights selected words from throughout the book. FAMOUS ARTISTS IN HISTORY is perfect for classrooms and libraries wherever young readers interested in art might be.

WHY WE FLY by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

 

Eleanor and Chanel are seniors planning for a great year. Both want their competitive cheerleading squad to not only entertain the fans at sporting events, but also win at the state and national level. Winning for Franklin High would prove their sport is just as important as all the others. They are also hoping to take cheerleading to the college level next fall.

Eleanor has the added challenge of getting back into the game as a flyer after having suffered two concussions. She is following doctors' orders and trying to stay in shape so she can get the required signature on the precious paper stating that she can rejoin the squad in her old place. All the hard work and prep she and Chanel have done won't mean anything if she has to cheer the other members of the squad from the bench.

Everything is going according to plan until news reports featuring a former Franklin High alum turned pro football player gets in trouble for taking a knee during the national anthem. Eleanor and Chanel are bothered by the negative response to what they feel should be a gesture of freedom of speech. It is agreed that the cheerleaders will take a knee during the pregame anthem at the next game. They know it could be met with criticism but believe they have the right to protest peacefully. 

Much to their surprise, other school groups come forward to support the cheerleaders' gesture at the next football game. Unfortunately, the school administration has a different opinion. As a result, Chanel is suspended for 9 days. This angers Eleanor and others since none of the white students were disciplined, just Chanel who is black. The negative critics begin to speak up more loudly forcing the administration to tell the cheerleaders they are not welcome to participate in pregame activities. Will further protest help their efforts to speak up or hurt their case? With college acceptance on the line and friends and family members angry about their protest, Eleanor and Chanel's friendship crumbles.

Authors Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal team up to bring peaceful, political protest to the forefront of their second YA novel. Readers may know this writing duo from their first book titled I'M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT. This reader appreciated the inclusion of the sport of competitive cheerleading which doesn't get a lot of attention in the YA book world.

WHEN THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN by K. Ibura

 

Quarantine, lockdown, and COVID have hit everyone, and coping hasn't always been easy. Whether you were in a big city, small town, or some more rural area, life definitely felt upside down.

For a group of four big city kids, dealing with the isolation and restrictions of being in quarantine threatened to completely derail their lives, but they were creative in ways that kept their friendships alive and their feelings of frustration under control. 

Ai is living with 3 family members, but she feels alone. Her father is busy at work, her sister is busy studying, and her mother is shut away in her bedroom. Ai's mom promised if her depression got out of control, she would go see her doctor and take her medicine, but she seems to have forgotten that promise. Now Ai is pretty much fending for herself.

Liam worries about everything. He tries to help his busy mother with his younger twin sisters, but his fears of the pandemic and what is happening in the outside world threaten to overwhelm him.

When the schools close down, Ben is left with no way to escape his parents who fight constantly. He tries to avoid them but being stuck in the apartment with them doesn't give him the separation he craves.

Before COVID Shayla was having friend issues with Ai. She is hoping being stuck in the same building might result in some sort of reconciliation. When Shayla's fashion designer father decides to start making masks to supplement his lost dressmaking jobs, Shayla hopes delivering masks to her friends might help them reconnect.

The four create the Quartet. They approach the lone apartment custodian and ask if they can help out. Soon they are disinfecting elevator doors and buttons, helping collect recycling, and eventually offering all sorts of help to residents of their building. Their eyes are opened to how much work it takes to care for people. They are made even more aware of people's action when protests about the death of George Floyd erupt on the nearby streets.

Author K. Ibura takes readers into life with a worldwide pandemic. Readers are sure to find common ground with the characters in WHEN THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. 

CALL ME ATHENA by Colby Cedar Smith

 

CALL ME ATHENA by Colby Cedar Smith is one of the Michigan Notable Books for 2022. It highlights the early 1930s in Detroit, Michigan, as well as the WW I era in Europe as detailed by the main character's grandparents. Smith combines facts from the lives of her parents and grandparents with some embellishments to create a fascinating tale.

Mary, born in Detroit to a Greek father and French mother, doesn't feel like she is fulfilling her family's expectations. Her father owns and operates a small store, but the depression hits hard forcing him to sell. Most of the city works for Henry Ford in some way or other, but many of those jobs are lost when car sales fall. Mary's mother works hard at home to raise six children. All of this is a life Mary doesn't want for herself.

Mary dreams of being a business owner. It becomes an even bigger goal after she works with her father in the store. She has suggestions for how to keep the business running, but her ideas fall on deaf ears because it isn't a girl's place to work outside the home. When an arranged marriage to a man twice her age is suggested, Mary at first agrees, but then she meets Billy. Why can't she marry someone she loves, and someone who supports her dreams? She believes this even more when she finds a box filled with love letters from long ago.

Alternating with Mary's narration are the voices of her mother and father in their home countries of Greece and France. It is WW I and both are struggling with their own family issues and how to survive the war. Just as the young Greek manages to make it to America, he finds himself sent back to Europe to fight the war on behalf of the United States. Fate brings the Greek soldier and the French girl together just when need each other.

CALL ME ATHENA hits just shy of the 550 page mark, but since it is written in verse, readers will not notice the length as the pages fly by. Advertised for a young adult audience, adult readers will enjoy it as well, especially the rich Detroit history scattered throughout.

AT THE END OF EVERYTHING by Marieke Nijkamp

 

Author Marieke Nijkamp known for THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS, a book about a school shooting, has a newly released novel with a scenario similar to the current pandemic. With some unique twists on real life, Nijkamp will have readers cringing as they compare personal experience with her vision of how a group of teens may have lived and died during these unsettling times.

In the backwoods of Arkansas, in a juvenile detention facility known as Hope Juvenile Dentention Center, a group of 30+ teens are left to fend for themselves. Cut off from outside information, the teens are not aware that a disease much like the plague is raging out of control in the world. The first they become aware is when the warden and counselors leave them behind with the guards. When the guards follow closely on their heels, the teens realize they are on their own. 

The teens are at the center for a variety of infractions. From stealing, arson, and even suspected murder, these teens are a tough bunch. Hunter, one of the toughest, decides to leave the center inviting anyone who doesn't want to die to come along. Not quite half the group decides to follow Hunter. The remaining teens stay behind and begin to take inventory of their supplies as they hope to avoid the plague and survive.

When multiple attempts to contact loved ones and even the management of the center fail to bring any outside help, the teens take on the jobs necessary to keep the place running. Eventually, supplies begin to run out requiring several teens to brave a trip to a tiny, local community to seek aid. This results in a situation that could either benefit them or end their attempts at survival.

As one of the first pandemic related YA books I've read, I found it entertaining, breath-taking, and poignant. If you are not too stressed about our current world condition, you might want to give this one a try.