I AM NOT ALONE by Francisco X. Stork

 

Alberto is living in Brooklyn with his sister and her baby. He works as a painter so he can send money back to his mother and siblings in Mexico. His worries include keeping his sister free of the drugs she used to take, keeping the peace with her boyfriend, and trying to study for his high school equivalency tests. 

Lately, he has been hearing a voice. The voice seems menacing and often threatens Alberto or demands that he do bad things. While working in a customer's apartment, the voice tells him to steal from her and kill her. Alberto calls the voice Captain America. He ignores it as much as possible, but it is getting harder every day.

While working in the apartment of a well-to-do client, Alberto meets a girl named Grace. She seems nice and offers him ice water while he is cleaning paint from the windows. Grace has problems of her own. Her parents have recently divorced. Their expectations for her future are high, but despite achieving the highest rank in her graduating class, Grace isn't sure her acceptance at Princeton is what she really wants. 

When Alberto is accused of killing the elderly woman in the apartment he was painting, he finds himself running from the police. The voice in his head has him doubting his innocence and complicating his thinking. The only person who might be able and willing to help him is Grace, but he doesn't want to put her in danger.

In I AM NOT ALONE author Francisco X. Stork combines poverty and privilege in a heart wrenching story involving mental health and stereotypes that will have readers rooting for Alberto and Grace as they try to struggle against the odds. 

THE SKULL by Jon Klassen

 

Popular picture book author/illustrator, Jon Klassen, recently released THE SKULL. Based on a retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale, the slightly scary tale features Otilla, a runaway girl looking for a place to call her own.

Klassen's signature illustrations are at times chilling as they enhance Otilla's tale. After a grueling trek through the forest, she arrives at a huge house where she is greeted by the Skull. Together, they help each other and soon become friends.

THE SKULL is perfect for reading aloud or independently, and as the author recommends, rereading frequently.

THE ORDER OF THINGS by Kaija Langley

 

April and Zee are best friends. April lives with her mom, and Zee lives with his dad across the hall. Music plays a huge role in the lives of both eleven year olds. 

Zee is just starting at a new school that will allow him to devote even more time to playing the violin. He is truly gifted. April plays the drums and hopes to follow in the footsteps of the numerous female drummers whose pictures decorate the walls of her room. Not as advanced as Zee, she hopes with the help of Zee's dad, she can improve and rise to the next level.

As school starts, April is missing Zee, but getting partnered with a girl named Asa promises to give her a new friend. Asa is absent frequently which confuses April. Is something wrong? Is there something to worry about?

There is something to worry about with Zee. He faints at school and confesses to April that his heart often races; something it did just before he passed out. He makes April promise not to tell anyone until after he plays the solo he worked so hard to earn.

THE ORDER OF THINGS is a novel in verse by author Kaija Langley. With a focus on friendship, family, and loss, this is an offering perfect for middle grade and up.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS by Maurice Broaddus

 

What's it like to have everyone always assume the worst? Thelonius can tell you all about it. When something goes wrong, the finger is usually pointed in his direction. 

When a gun is found at school, Thelonius finds himself in the principal's office. Her office is a place he is quite familiar with, but this time he is determined to prove he had nothing to do with the problem. 

As one of the students assigned to the special ed room, he knows he and his fellow classmates are often the targets accused of whatever wrongdoings that have recently happened. This time Thelonius has a plan to figure out who really brought the weapon onto the school grounds. It means pulling some fast ones, pranking some teachers, and playing a few tricks to show everyone once and for all that he has potential to be someone better.

Author Maurice Broaddus introduces readers to a wacky cast of characters who are sure to charm and entertain. Impressive character development combined with spot-on imagery make Thelonius's story leap off the page. THE USUAL SUSPECTS is perfect for middle school classrooms and libraries everywhere.

THE PROBABILITY OF EVERYTHING by Sarah Everett

 

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Anything I could write would be a spoiler. Just dive right in and see for yourself.

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON by Sharon G. Flake

 

The wonderful Sharon G. Flake does it again! In her unique verse she tells the story of twins living in the South. James Henry experienced a tragedy while visiting a local lighthouse. It was a favorite place he loved to visit with his mother, but this time Dog runs off and his mother ends up in the ocean and almost drowns. Now she is in the North recovering from the accident.

James Henry and his twin sister Hattie are staying with their Granny. James Henry hasn't left the house since the accident. Hattie is hoping the magic of the upcoming blue moon will help give her brother the courage to leave the house and perhaps even visit the lighthouse again.

In addition to regaining his courage, James Henry is dealing with some local bullies, the guilt he feels about his mother's accident, and regaining the trust of his uncle and Granny. Hattie helps as much as she can, but it is really up to James Henry to face his fears.

The story of the accident is revealed slowly as readers meet the twins and learn about their lives and family. Tension builds as James Henry steps out of his comfort zone to start living bravely again.

YOUR PLANTATION PROM IS NOT OKAY by Kelly McWilliams

 

Harriet Douglass was raised in a museum. It's not like most museums people envision. It is an old plantation in Louisiana dedicated to remembering enslaved people. Westwood was the dream of Harriet's mother. Preserving the true history of slavery on a southern plantation and educating visitors was the goal of Harriet's mother. 

Her mother's death from cancer left Harriet and her father to run the museum. Almost crippled by grief, the two of them are trying their best to keep the beloved dream alive. Harriet struggles with uncontrolled anger as she works as a tour guide and tries to stay focused on her senior year. Her father surrounds himself with fast food takeout and writing his memoir. Neither really knows how to carry on without her mother.

When a former soap opera star purchases the neighboring plantation, Harriet's anger threatens to overflow. The woman's daughter arrives as the new student in Harriet's private school. Surprisingly, the two girls hit it off. They join forces when the new girl's mother schedules a wedding for a celebrity couple. Harriet can't believe how inappropriate it is to disrespect the history of the old plantation. Is it possible to "cancel" these Hollywood stars and the hideous makeover of history? Is this new friend someone she can count on or will an old friend from the past be a better bet?

Author Kelly McWilliams takes a look at those who strive to preserve the past and educate people about the truth of southern life. Readers will be cheering for Harriet and hoping she can keep her mother's dream alive.

EB & FLOW by Kelly J. Baptist

 

Flow insists he doesn't hit girls, but when a girl messes with the shoes his dad gave him, it is too much to take. 

Ebony "Eb" says she can't help it when someone calls her a name; she is going to take care of it and getting in trouble won't stop her.

Eb and Flow are both suspended for 10 days. Eb's granny is fed up, and Flow's mom makes sure he has plenty of chores to do while he's home. Both of them are pretty much cut off from their friends since being suspended means no phones and no gaming. That means there is plenty of time to work on the homework teachers send home and to contemplate what they both did wrong.

Home life has challenges for both of them. Their dads are both absent. Flow worries because his dad is deployed and phone calls from him are rare. Eb's dad moved to Texas and her mom has sent the kids to live with granny. Eb wishes more than anything that her mom would come home. There are sibling tensions and money worries in both households that also work to complicate life.

Written in verse, EB & FLOW, is told in alternating voices. Readers see into the lives of both characters and learn what makes them tick. As a middle school teacher, author Kelly J. Baptist is familiar with kids fighting and all life stresses that contribute to behavior problems at school. Readers both young and old will easily relate to the lives of the two star characters as they see their stories unfold.

THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL by Gary D. Schmidt

 

A number of things make life difficult for Hercules Beal. As you can imagine, his name doesn't help. It's a challenge every time he introduces himself. His size also doesn't help. He's been waiting for a growth spurt forever. Being smaller than even some of the girls in his grade makes him the victim of constant taunts. And, then there's the big thing - his parents were killed in an accident, and he is missing them terribly.

His parents' deaths forced Hercules's older brother Achilles to move home to take care of not only Hercules, but also the family business. The Beal Brothers Farm and Nursery has been around for generations. Everyone in Truro and the entire Cape Cod area come to Beal Brothers for all their planting needs. Hercules doesn't know anything else but growing up on the farm. Achilles, on the other hand, had planned something else for his life. Leaving a job that has taken him around the world to return home raise his little brother and keep the family business going, was not in his plans. Together, they will do the best they can.

As the school year begins, Hercules is also getting used to a new school. Attending the Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Sciences means leaving behind his best friend Elly and dealing with teachers ready to pile on the workload. One teacher in particular, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Hupfer, assigns a year-long project that might just end Hercules. The topic for his project is to study, recreate, summarize, and relate with his own life experiences the mythical Twelve Labors of Hercules. Twelve? Yes, all twelve! How in the world can Hercules complete this project, keep up with his other school work, and help on the Beal Brothers Farm and Nursery? There aren't enough hours in the day!

Author Gary D. Schmidt weaves together an amazing tale in THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL. Hercules's unique voice grabbed my attention on page one. I could sense the sadness of missing his parents and his courage and determination to help his brother make them proud. A combination of humor, warmth, love, and friendship make this an adventure sure to please middle grade audiences, especially those with an interest in mythology.