MIRROR TO MIRROR by Rajani LaRocca

 

Maya and Chaya are twins. Their lives up until now have been identical. Both are talented musicians. Both feel driven to perfection. As they begin seventh grade, Chaya, always a bit more outgoing, is noticing that Maya seems anxious. 

When Chaya tries to question Maya, she shuts down. When Maya's habit of clenching her fist causes cuts to appear on her palm that make playing the piano difficult, alarm bells sound for Chaya. She doesn't want to involve their parents, but she worries that Maya needs help.

As the school year evolves, Chaya becomes involved in different activities. She joins the theater group and spends time singing instead of playing piano and in the ensemble with Maya. Hoping that some separation will help her sister confront her problems, it simply causes further separation.

Maya's frustration comes to a head when their summer camp experience is about to begin. Upset by the split between them, Maya dares Chaya to switch places with her at camp. Whoever is the most convincing wins and gets to decide where they will attend high school.

What follows is a learning experience for both sisters. They learn that neither has life easy. There are challenges for both of them. They also learn that those who know them best have long realized the problems they are both just now recognizing.

MIRROR TO MIRROR by Rajani LaRocca is written in verse. With alternating viewpoints, the twins' story unfolds for readers to experience. Relationships are the key in this intriguing drama. The complicated emotions of sisterhood, family, and friends unfold as Maya and Chaya learn what works between them.

NOT HUNGRY by Kate Karyus Quinn

 

NOT HUNGRY is the story of a fat girl trying to move beyond her secret to become proud of who she is. June avoids eating. She desperately wants to be thin. At the same time, she wants to be like her sister Mae. Mae is not thin, but she accepts who she is and is well-liked because of it.

When June's new neighbor witnesses her purging in the backyard, she is sure he will tell everyone. Little does she know that he has a secret of his own. Caught between bullies and self-loathing, June wants nothing more than to fit in and be normal. The Homecoming dance would be the perfect place to prove she can be who she wants to be, but that takes courage she may not have.

NOT HUNGRY by Kate Karyus Quinn is written in verse. It speaks clearly and directly about eating disorders, bullying, and the emotionally they take. I picked up this copy at the Northwest Ohio Teen Book Festival and will be looking for the sequel ALWAYS JUNE.

FOCUSED by Alyson Gerber

 

Clea is a seventh grader. She is noticing that school is getting harder and harder. There's a lot more homework and concentrating is getting harder, too. When she tries to do her homework, she gets distracted by every little sound and every crazy thought that crosses her mind. She is also forgetting things. She set her alarm for PM instead of AM making her late for school and her mother furious.

Clea has always relied on her best friend Red, but lately she has been losing her temper and blurting out hurtful things so Red has been keeping his distance. One thing they still have in common is chess club. Unfortunately, the distractions and outbursts have been interfering with chess, too - the thing Clea loves the most.

After her parents have been contacted by the school numerous times, it is decided that Clea needs to be tested for ADHD. Fearful of how this could change her life, Clea is angry and scared. Dr. Gold tries to help her understand how finding out what is wrong will help her deal with school, her feelings, and maybe even her friendships. It won't be easy, but learning how to manage her bouncing thoughts and emotions will be worth it in the long run.

Author Alyson Gerber does a spectacular job of portraying ADHD. From the very beginning I felt what it must be like in Clea's brain. Her frustration and fear were real. Thinking of herself as stupid, dealing with her short-tempered parents, and listening to her critical friends give readers a realistic view of living with ADHD. FOCUSED would be perfect to stimulate discussion as a read-aloud and as a quick read for adults looking for a better understanding of this very common condition.

HOOPS by Matt Tavares

 

In HOOPS by Matt Tavares, readers get to take a trip back to 1976 to witness the beginning of competitive girls' basketball. Title IX was introduced to allow girls to compete on a level playing field with boys. Well, not quite "level," but it gave them a chance to compete against other schools and not just on an intramural level.

HOOPS tells the fictional story of a group of girls who were able to form a team that made it to and won at the state championships. Judi loved basketball. Learning and playing the game in the driveway court made her want more. The day she decided to skip cheer practice to try out for the new girls' team changed everything.

In his graphic novel Tavares tells about the ups and downs of this new idea of girls competing in sports. They didn't get to use the high school gym until the boys' practice was over. They had to find their own transportation to away games, and they had to make their own uniforms. It was an uphill fight to be recognized and allowed to have the same thing as the boys' teams. 

HOOPS is a gritty story that may surprise today's girls. There is still a lot of inequality when it comes to men's and women's sports, but things have come a long way. This graphic novel should be in every library and classroom collection.

AFTERMATH by Emily Barth Isler

 

Lucy and her parents are grieving the loss of her little brother. Born with a heart defect, Theo only lived to be five years old. Hoping to make a new start, the family moved to a new town. Life stayed about the same for Lucy's parents since they continued to work at their jobs in the city, but things changed considerably for Lucy as she left her friends behind and started at a new school.

Being a seventh grader in Queensland was filled with challenges. Four years earlier there had been a school shooting. More than 20 students were killed. They were all classmates of the now seventh graders. Even though Lucy had experienced a loss, she was now faced with fellow classmates who were victims of loss and trauma beyond what she could comprehend.

Making friends is difficult, and when Lucy chooses to sit with the lonely looking Avery in the cafeteria, she soon learns that most everyone else thinks her choice is questionable. With the help of Mr. Jackson the math teacher, her love of math, and an a creative after school activity, Lucy begins to adjust. She just needs to figure out how to work on connecting with her parents who are grieving in their own ways.

AFTERMATH by Emily Barth Isler provides an intriguing view of the life after a school shooting and the results. Family, friendship, and loss are the central issues in this emotional story. Having lived and taught in a small town that suffered the trauma of the disappearance of three young brothers, I can relate to the impact of tragedy on a close-knit community. AFTERMATH should be a part of every middle grade collection.

JUNKYARD DOGS by Katherine Higgs-Coulthard

 

Since Josh's mother died, he and his father and his little brother Twig have lived at Gran's. There's a roof over their heads but not much else. Now Josh's dad is missing. He left a note that doesn't explain anything and some money. It's not enough money for next month's rent and that is going to be a problem.

Twig doesn't remember their mother. Josh tries to make things ok for the kid, but now that their father has bailed, Josh is forced to do things he knows could get him in big trouble. He wants to keep up at school and stay on the basketball team since he knows doing that will be his only ticket to a better life. 

In order to get enough money to convince Gran to keep letting Twig stay with her, he has to partner up with his dad's people. Right now that means scrapping copper for cash and anything else they can sell. When one of the guys ends up dead, Josh is worried he may be forced to do more illegal stuff to keep himself and his brother safe.

Author Katherine Higgs-Coulthard tackles tough topics as she tells a story of poverty and homelessness. Real characters and unfortunate situations will grab readers and stay with them even after they finish the last page.

CODE OF HONOR by Alan Gratz

 

Kamran Smith never dreamed life could turn around overnight, but he now knows the worst is possible. When the news flashed a picture and video of his older brother Darius claiming responsibility for a terrorist attack, Kamran and his parents are shocked. Darius attended West Point and became an Army Ranger. Now the news claimed that he was a practicing Muslim and had been recruited by al-Qaeda.

Suddenly there are TV crews and cameras surrounding their house and vandals are spray painting slurs across the front of the house. Then soldiers are transporting Kamran and his parents to who knows where. What follows is the stuff of nightmares. Kamran is locked in a cell and visited by people who interrogate him over and over. It isn't until a man named Mickey Hagan meets with him that Kamran believes someone might actually be listening.

With the help of Hagan, Kamran is able to view the video tapes made showing his brother supposedly speaking for the enemy. While watching the videos, Kamran recognizes clues relating to games he and Darius played as kids. Could these clues be hints about attacks they are planning, and is Darius trying to warn Kamran? That would mean that all the things they are claiming about Darius being a traitor are not true. 

CIA, FBI, and DHS all want Kamran to cooperate as they seek to capture Darius. All Kamran knows is that he must prove his brother's innocence.

CODE OF HONOR by author Alan Gratz is a fast-paced adventure with chases, explosions, and intrigue that are sure to entertain.