PIECE BY PIECE: The Story of Nisrin's Hijab by Priya Huq

 

PIECE BY PIECE is a colorful, graphic novel about a young girl looking for her identity. Nisrin's family is from Bangladesh. She lives in Oregon with her family. Near the end of her 8th grade year, she is the victim of a hate crime simply because she looks different. 

Nisrin's family do not practice Islam, but she has an interest in learning more about the religion and culture. After speaking with a friend who encourages her to do what feels right for her, Nisrin decides to begin wearing the hijab, head scarf. Her own family is not really supportive of her choice which complicates things for her. When confronted by students as she begins high school, she doubts her choice until another girl inspires her to continue doing what she feels is right for her.

Set in 2002, PIECE BY PIECE rings true today as far as people's willingness to accept the cultures of other people. In some places things may be better, but there are still teens who struggle to keep the traditions of their religions and cultures despite a lack of understanding from other people.

JUST HARRIET by Elana K. Arnold

 

If you are looking for a book with a unique main character who freely admits that she gets mad easily and lies when she shouldn't, JUST HARRIET is the perfect book. Harriet just finished 3rd grade and is hoping for a fun-filled summer with her friends and her cat Matzo Ball.

Unfortunately, her mother's pregnancy is not going as planned. The doctor has just ordered bedrest for the remaining few months. Harriet's parents tell her that she will be spending the summer on Marble Island with her grandmother. That means living in the bed and breakfast owned by her grandmother and not hanging out with her friends. At least Matzo Ball is going to come along.

This plan doesn't help Harriet's grumpy mood and frequent lying. There are a few good things about the island, ice cream, the library, and getting to search through the old shed with some of her father's old things. While searching, Harriet finds an interesting key which begins a mysterious hunt to find the lock it opens. Her father mentioned there was a treasure to be found, now Harriet just has to find it.

Elana K. Arnold is the also the author of the BAT series. Hopefully, Harriet will become a returning character for this author.

CONSIDER THE OCTOPUS by Nora Raleigh Baskin & Gae Polisner

 

What would happen if you received an email invitation by mistake and decided to accept so you could spend a week on a marine research vessel in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Sidney Miller figures it is the perfect way to avoid going to summer camp without her best friend who recently moved to Hong Kong.

It all sounds complicated, and it kind of is. Jeremy "JB" Barnes is spending the summer with his mother on the Oceania II. His mother is a scientist studying the Great Pacific Garage Patch, a huge mass of plastic pollution threatening wildlife. JB is given the job of emailing other famous scientists to invite them to be part of a global summit onboard the ship. He doesn't realize he has made a critical mistake until the day the scientists and some essay winning high school students are arriving to board the Oceania II.

Sidney Miller mistakenly received one of the emails sent by JB. Who knew there was a Dr. Sidney Miller who specialized in marine science? With the help of her Nana, Sidney plans a way to be in Seattle when the invited guests were being boarded on the ship. When JB discovers his error and also Sidney the stowaway, he must think fast to figure out a way to cover up his mistake.

Authors Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner teamed up to create this fast-paced, humor-filled ocean adventure. JB and Sidney have an adventure sure to entertain middle grade readers looking for a fun story and also a way to learn about a major pollution problem.

GIRLS LIKE US by Randi Pink

 

It's 1972 and four young girls find themselves involved in unplanned pregnancies. Izella's older sister Ola reveals she is pregnant. Even though she is the younger sister, Izella knows she will need to come up with a plan. Missippi is only 14, but that didn't stop her uncle from turning her into a soon-to-be mother. Sue likes to defy her senator father to participate in activist causes. Now after a careless encounter with a boy she fiercely dislikes, she is telling her mother that she has missed at least two periods.

Izella and Ola visit a local woman to find a solution for Ola's problem. Ola says she and Walter are in love, but Izella knows neither of them could deal with the responsibilities of a child. The magical bottle of elixir promises to eliminate the baby if the directions are followed correctly. 

Missippi's father wants to know who did this to his little girl, but she knows she can't tell him. Since his life as a truck driver means he isn't around to take care of her, he arranges to take her to Ms. Pearline in Chicago. There she will be with other girls like her and will get the care she needs.

Sue also ends up at Ms. Pearline's. She and Missippi become close friends and confidants. Being as different as night and day doesn't matter to the two girls as they support each other in the small Chicago apartment.

Readers will follow the four girls and their narratives as decisions are made and futures unfurl. Near the end of the book, the timeline changes to the present. A young girl sits in a clinic waiting to learn the fate of her unplanned pregnancy.

GIRLS LIKE US was published in 2019, but author Randi Pink eerily captures the fate of girls in 1972 and the current state of women's rights and the challenge to Roe v Wade. The novel speaks to all women and girls and their right to safely make decisions about their bodies and health.

THE ROAD TO AFTER by Rebekah Lowell

 

After years of physical and emotional abuse and being held like prisoners in their own home, a mother and her two young daughters leave for the safety of a women's and children's shelter. All Lacey has really known is the fear of her volatile father. She and her mother and little sister have learned how to negotiate his anger, but this has isolated them from any kind of normal.

On the day the police come and help them exit their home to a place of safety, Lacey is still afraid. The apartment provided at Caring Unlimited is nice and quiet, but there is still the anticipation that her father could appear and punish them for leaving. Being reunited with her grandparents is helpful, although her mother still insists on keeping the curtains closed and only reluctantly leaves the building.

As time passes, Lacey experiences the outside world. For six weeks they travel to Virginia so her mother can take art classes. The more Lacey sees of the rest of the world, the more confident she becomes. There are new friends, a garden, and visiting wonderful places. The time she thinks of as before fades until after begins to be the norm.

Author Rebekah Lowell calls on personal experience in an abusive relationship to create this inspiring story about a mother and her daughters who display courage and resilience as they start their new lives. Written in verse Lowell's talent with words and art shine through and create a brave and memorable tale.

AFRICAN TOWN by Irene Latham & Charles Waters

 

AFRICAN TOWN is a historical novel in verse that recounts the story of the last American slave ship. It is 1859 and slave trade from Africa has been banned for quite some time. An Alabama man named Timothy Meaher concocts an elaborate scheme to retrofit a ship to sail to Africa and secretly bring back a group of potential slaves.

The Clotilda was said to be transporting a load of lumber, but instead her hull was filled with enough food and water to sustain a long voyage and a return trip with human cargo. Upon arriving in Africa, slaves were purchased from slave catchers and loaded below decks. The conditions were extremely horrible. The naked Africans were divided into male and female groups. For forty days they existed in these terrible conditions while the ship crossed the Atlantic.

Things didn't improve as the ship was hidden until the slaves could be transported to yet another ship and later hidden along the river. The hot, humid weather brought mosquitos and illness as they were forced to remain hidden until they could be taken to a safe location to be auctioned off to the highest bidders.

What followed were years of labor and abuse. All the while they hoped to someday return to Africa. The Civil War was fought, and freedom was finally achieved, but being "free" came with its own cost.

Eventually, some of the original group was able to work and purchase land to create what they called African Town.

Authors Irene Latham & Charles Waters collaborated to create this impressive novel to recount the life and times of some brave and courageous humans.

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by April Henry

*Thank you to Goodreads giveaway for my copy.

I always look forward to books by April Henry. TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE did not disappoint. Filled with twists and turns, there's something for everyone.

A group of teens on their way to a drama contest are forced to stop at an out of the way motel because of a nasty snowstorm. The place is surprisingly large with space as a conference venue, but it is rundown and virtually deserted. Shortly after registering for rooms, another group of high school students arrives. They are headed to a robotics competition.

As the guests get to know one another, they learn there were once two murders in the motel. At first it seems fascinating, but with the loss of cell phone service and eventually power and heat, news of the long-ago murders increases tension among the guests.

The two groups of teens gather in a common room to play board games. Since the game selection doesn't look appealing, someone suggests playing Two Truths and a Lie. After a few rounds the clues start sounding a bit strange and even frightening. A Ouiji board attracts some attention, but the questions asked result in even more disturbing answers. The group abandons the game and decides to head to their rooms.

What follows is a series of terrifying events. One of the girls is found hung in a conference room area. She is dead and speculation begins about suicide or murder. There appears to be another victim when one of the girls' rooms is discovered filled with blood spatter but no body. The motel's owner sets off through the snow to get the police while everyone else hunkers down as they try to determine who the killer could be. 

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE is trademark April Henry with suspense and drama guaranteed to keep the pages turning.

 

LAWLESS SPACES by Corey Ann Haydu

 

Mimi is a popular presence on social media. Her petite under 5 feet frame and generous breasts have always gotten her attention. Just like her mother and grandmother before her, she has caught the attention of men. Lately, Mimi hasn't felt very comfortable with this, but seeking advice from her mother doesn't seem like an option.

Mimi's mom Tiffany is in the midst of a legal battle with a well-known movie maker. Mimi grew up watching her mother perform and seem comfortable with all the attention. Now there's a question about how willing her mother was when it came to the movie business.

As a sixteenth birthday gift, Mimi's mom gives her a notebook. She says that for generations the women in the family have used similar notebooks to record their thoughts and feelings. She tells Mimi the notebooks are "lawless spaces" to write whatever she wants. Tiffany also shares the fact that all the notebooks are stored in the attic, and she encourages Mimi to read them.

Mimi begins reading and discovers for generations the women in her family have struggled with relationships with men. Unplanned pregnancies, unwanted sexual experiences, and love mishaps have made the women of her past feel just as uncomfortable in their bodies as Mimi has been made to feel. Is there a way these notebooks and revelations can help Mimi, or will it just lead to further confusion?

Author Corey Ann Haydu explores the #MeToo movement within a family of women. Direct and to the point, LAWLESS SPACES will no doubt speak to many young adult readers. 

NOT ON FIFTH STREET by Kathy Cannon Wiechman

 

Author Kathy Cannon Wiechman takes readers back to 1937 and the record-breaking flood on the Ohio River. Using her grandfather's stories, she pieces together what it might have been like for two brothers in the town of Ironton.

Gus and his younger brother Pete aren't always on the best of terms, and the night the rain started was no exception. Gus was jealous of the time Pete spent helping their dad in his garage workshop. Pete was jealous of Gus's excellent school record and the fact that studying came so easy to Gus. When Gus brings home a girl he knows his parents probably won't like, Pete makes things even more uncomfortable just when Gus needed someone to be on his side. Gus begins an extended period of silent treatment that leaves Pete furious.

Perpetual rain falls and the river rises. Their father picks Gus to go with him to help the local men fill sandbags, and he tells Pete to take care of things at home. At first Pete isn't happy with the arrangement since he usually helps his dad, but as days pass and the rain continues, Pete begins to realize his job at the house is pretty important. Gus has a lesson to learn as well as he realizes helping with backbreaking labor isn't what he's cut out for.

The first half of the book gives Pete's story as he struggles to save what he can from the flood waters and at the same time protect his mother and younger siblings. In the second half Gus relates the thankless, hard work of filling sandbags and then his attempt to seek out his girlfriend and her family on the other side of the swollen river.

NOT ON FIFTH STREET is a real page-turner with suspenseful moments and relatable fears. It is an excellent historical fiction piece for readers middle grade and above.