LOYALTY by AVI

 

It is 1774. Noah watches as those calling themselves Sons of Liberty tar and feather his Loyalist father. The man dies several days later leaving Noah in charge of his mother and two sisters. Since Noah is viewed as loyal to the British, several men return and whip him savagely. Noah's mother fears for their safety and decides they need to seek shelter with her uncle in Boston.

When they arrive in Boston, Noah has plans to enlist in the British army, but he soon learns he is too young and too small to serve. He tries to be useful helping deliver papers for his uncle, but that won't be enough to support his mother and sisters. Uncle William helps Noah make contact with a British captain who employs him to be a spy in a nearby pub. Noah waits on customers and sweeps up all the while listening to patriots making plans against the British. He reports what he hears and feels he is honoring his father's memory by being loyal to England.

The revolution begins to heat up in and around Boston. Noah intent on protecting his family, keeps his eye on both sides as he is torn about where his loyalties should lie. With advice from his mother and a friend he works with at the pub, he tries to be independent in his thinking, but that is easier said than done.

Battles break out around Boston and Noah witnesses the true horrors of war. Decisions and sacrifices must be made to keep his family safe. Most of the time the young Noah feels caught between the rebels and the British. Will he ever know where his loyalty is best served?

Author AVI takes readers into the year leading up to the Revolutionary War. Through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy raised to trust in the British rule, this view of history is fascinating. Noah's narration will captivate and entertain readers at the same time as it reveals life in that historic time.

THE SIZE OF THE TRUTH by Andrew Smith

 

THE SIZE OF THE TRUTH by Andrew Smith has been hanging out on my bookshelf for a while now. A few days ago, I pulled it off and decided it was high time I read it. Wow! What had I been waiting for? If you haven't read it, be sure to put it on your list ASAP. If you have read, let's talk!

Sam Abernathy is well-known in his small Texas town. When he was four years old, he fell down an abandoned well and was stuck there for days. It is a memory he has mainly because his story has been told repeatedly, but he isn't sure everything about it is true.

Now everyone knows Sam as the eleven-year-old sixth grader who was promoted to eighth grade the second week of school. Sam isn't sure which is worse - being stuck in a well or living through the hell of eighth grade PE with the likes of James Jenkins. According to the stories told, James Jenkins is the reason Sam fell in the well. Sam has always blamed James and now he is sure James is still out to get him. 

When he isn't working at the family putt-putt golf course, attending meetings of the school science and math clubs, or survival camping with his father, Sam is worrying about how to live through eighth grade. His true love is cooking. It's not what his father has planned for his future, but Sam hopes to gather the courage to tell his father about his current fears and what he truly wants for the future. 

All this seems like a lot to pile into a middle grade novel, but author Andrew Smith does it stupendously. With chapters alternating between past and present, he takes readers into the life of Sam Abernathy in a way that will stay with them long after they turn the last page. From the mind of an innocent four-year-old to the chaotic thoughts of an eleven-year-old wanting to find his truth, Smith proves his mastery of what it takes to create a fascinating tale. Don't let this one get lost on your bookshelf! It's one you don't want to miss!

THINGS WE COULDN'T SAY by Jay Coles

 

High school junior Gio Zander works hard to keep up his grades, to be an asset to the basketball team, and to be a good big brother to Theo. His father is a preacher and his stepmother makes sure to be there for the two boys. Gio has two best friends, Ayesha and Olly. They are the only ones who know his secret. Gio is bi.

Not sure what his teammates and coach would think about his sexuality, Gio keeps things on the downlow, but when a new kid moves into the neighborhood, Gio is attracted to him like he never has been before. David is open about the fact that he is also bi, but he quickly understands that Gio hasn't come out yet and is reluctant to do so. A fast friendship forms between the two, but Gio has other things on his mind that keep him from giving his full attention to David.

Years ago Gio's mom left. There was never an explanation about why, and Gio has gotten used to her absence. Lately, he has wondered a bit about why she left, and that curiosity increases when he receives a surprise email from her. His father doesn't want him to reply, but his stepmother quietly encourages him to hear her out and find out for himself where she's been and why she chose to leave. Getting some answers seems like a good idea, but will there be more disappointment than satisfaction when he learns more of her story?

Author Jay Coles takes readers on a ride with Gio as he learns the power of truth, family, and friendship. It isn't always the people related by blood that form powerful family bonds. Sometimes it is the people you choose to bring into your life who become a different kind of family.

SWIM TEAM by Johnnie Christmas

 

I was never on a swim team, but swimming was a huge part of my life. My mother taught swimming, and I was a lifeguard and swimming teacher all through high school and college. SWIM TEAM felt like familiar territory.

Bree is adjusting to a big move to Florida with her father. New apartment, new friends, and a new school don't seem to be too daunting for Bree but being assigned Swim 101 as her only choice for an elective, pushes her over the edge. She had her heart set on Math Club, and now everyone is going to know she doesn't even know how to swim.

Her first solution to the problem is to skip class, but obviously that doesn't work for long. The real solution turns up when Bree falls in the apartment complex pool and almost drowns. She is saved by Etta, an elderly neighbor. When Etta, a former champion swimmer herself, discovers Bree's dilemma, she comes to the rescue in more ways than one. Etta offers to teach Bree how to swim.

It turns out Bree has great talent as a swimmer. She and Etta might be just what the school swim team needs to save the swimming program and the school pool. Readers are in for a treat in SWIM TEAM. There are breathtaking races, classroom drama, and friendships that come and go as Bree and her new teammates learn the true meaning of teamwork. Perfect for middle grade readers or anyone with a love of swimming.

NUMB TO THIS: MEMOIR OF A MASS SHOOTING by Kindra Neely

 

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting. I thought anniversaries were to celebrate happy moments but obviously I'm wrong. NUMB TO THIS takes readers into the life of a person who experiences PTSD thinking about the approach of the anniversary of the mass shooting on the campus of Umpqua Community College in 2015.

Author Kindra Neely uses her talent as an artist and storyteller to share her personal experience as a survivor of a mass shooting. She was on the UCC campus the day 8 students and a professor were shot and killed. Her feelings of panic return every time her phone news alerts report another mass shooting. Even years after the UCC shooting, Kindra suffers from panic attacks.

She chronicles how her feeling of pointlessness almost ended when she attempted suicide. Driven by pain and shame, she wasn't able to truly confide in anyone, leaving her feeling helpless and fearing more bad things would happen.

While attending art school, Kindra decided to use art as a way to confront her fears in hopes that she could better control her feelings. She knows she is not alone as there are more and more mass shooting survivors suffering from the same fear as she experiences. The anger that the shootings continue also drive her to try to make a difference for others facing these senseless tragedies.

This graphic novel needs to be read by everyone, especially politicians who need to step up the efforts to change gun laws so lives can be saved.

PLAY LIKE A GIRL by Misty Wilson & David Wilson

 

Misty is starting seventh grade, and she is determined to do something different. She is competitive and loves sports, especially football. She convinces her best friend Bree to join the boys' team. 

They both survive the two week conditioning workouts and then actual practice begins. Bree doesn't last, but Misty is determined to play with the team. Her first assignment is to play offense. With the help of fellow player Charlie, she learns what to do, but her dream is to play defense so she can tackle. Her dream comes true, and she proves her worth to the team.

The team may be undefeated, but when it comes to her best friend and making new friends, Misty finds things challenging. She tries to make some personal changes to fit in, but soon finds out being herself is best.

Misty and her brother David Wilson have created this fast-paced graphic novel that is sure to please both female and male readers. There's great football action and middle school drama on every page. PLAY LIKE A GIRL is a sure winner.

THE BLUEST SKY by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

 

Hector lives in Cuba. It is the summer of 1980 when being on the right side of the revolution is important to one's survival in this communist country. Hector's father has already been imprisoned for his political beliefs, and after his release, he headed to the United States. He hardly remembers his father. It seems life has always been just Hector, his older brother Rodrigo, and their mother.

An announcement is made by the government that anyone wishing to leave Cuba may do so if they have the right documentation and a boat to transport them. Hector's mother tells them they are going to leave and join their father in Miami. She begins the necessary preparations, but it isn't easy. Hector doesn't want to leave. He is an excellent math student and has hopes of competing in the Math Olympiad, but all that will be lost if he has to leave Cuba. There is also his grandmother, active in the communist government, who believes by leaving they will be branded traitors. 

When violence breaks out on their street and is aimed at his family, Hector fears that leaving is the only way to stay safe. He and his brother and mother are packed and ready to travel as soon as they have their papers and are assigned a boat. Once they leave their home, there is no turning back.

Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez interviewed refugees from Cuba for this frightening, heart-pounding novel. Readers will see the conflicts suffered by Hector as he struggles to come to terms with the division in his own family and between lifelong friendships. Stories of what came to be known as the boat people and their dangerous 90 mile journey from Cuba to Florida are reveal as Gonzalez's story unfolds. 

SUNNY MAKES A SPLASH by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

 

SUNNY is back! She isn't in Florida with her grandfather, although he does come for a visit. Instead, it is the start of summer vacation, and Sunny is BORED!

At first, she agrees to babysit for her little brother. Her mother offers $1 a day which doesn't seem like enough to keep track of the little monster, and it's still BORING. 

When Sunny is invited to the community pool, she stumbles into an awesome job. She begins working at the snack stand. She gets to know the others who work at the pool and summer starts to look up. Sunny's mom questions that she is ready for this kind of job, but she is distracted when Sunny's grandfather shows up unannounced from Florida. 

Sunny gains her independence, and readers are entertained by the adventures that have Sunny deciding that the summer of 1978 is all bad. Sunny's story is inspired by author Jennifer L. Holm's own experiences growing up in the 70's. As a reader who also remembers the 70's, I found this Sunny adventure a real hoot!

RIVALS by Tommy Greenwald

 

What happens when basketball teams from middle schools on opposite sides of town compete for best in the league? Author Tommy Greenwald's RIVALS pits Walthorne North against Walthorne South and the result is not quite what the fans expect.

Written in the style of GAME CHANGER with numerous POVs, blog posts, chat room discussions, and more, RIVALS focuses on two players, one from each team, each hoping to be the stand-out player. Austin wants to prove he is worthy of being the player his father thinks he is, but now that many of the players have gotten taller than him and possess more natural talent, Austin worries he'll let everyone down. Carter knows his only chance at college will be a scholarship for basketball, but he has to pass middle school first. He sucks at math, and if he doesn't come through with a passing grade, he won't even be on the team.

As the two rival players battle their own personal demons, the people who root for the teams have their own opinions about how important basketball should be in Walthorne. One observant young reporter, Alfie Jenks, may just see through all the hype to see that the fun of the sport may be lost for these middle school players.

Greenwald throws in plenty of play-by- play action, personal life issues, and fan drama to make RIVALS a fast-paced, page-turner middle school and even high school readers will enjoy.