INVISIBLE ISABEL by Sally J. Pla

 

Isabel doesn't enjoy havoc and hullabaloo. It isn't easy to avoid it though with five siblings squeezed into a tiny house. Things aren't any better at school where the bell rings so loudly she has to cover her ears, and the lunchroom is chaotic with nowhere to sit. She sometimes finds quiet under the trees at the edge of the school grounds, but she's still nervous and her stomach hurts.

A new girl named Monica is making Isabel even more uncomfortable. All the girls she used to pal around with are hanging out with Monica who has made it clear that Isabel doesn't fit in their group. When Isabel tries to talk to her mother about how uncomfortable she feels, her mother is too busy with her job and parenting Isabel's siblings.

Isabel believes her stomach pains are caused by the worry-moths she feels fluttering in her tummy. There's the homework worry-moth, the don't miss the bus worry-moth, and the eating-alone worry-moth, just to name a few. It isn't until a real physical pain accompanied by a raging fever lands Isabel in the hospital that people begin to take her seriously.

Author Sally J. Pla takes readers into the life of neuro-divergent Isabel where they will begin to understand how other people think and feel. INVISIBLE ISABEL should be in every classroom and library!

THE TURTLE OF OMAN and THE TURTLE OF MICHIGAN by Naomi Shihab Nye

 

  

Two awesome books for middle grade readers! Book #1 begins in Oman which borders Saudi Arabia. Aref and his parents are preparing to leave their home in Muscat to travel to Michigan. Aref's parents are both professors who will be continuing their education at the University of Michigan. 

Readers will learn all about life in Oman. Aref spends time with his grandfather Sidi. Aref loves Sidi even more than he loves sea turtles. Together, they go fishing, spend the night in the desert, help train a falcon, and spend time with family. Aref is prepared to do anything to avoid packing for their extended trip to Michigan. He is afraid he won't make any new friends, and he knows he will miss Sidi.

Book #2 has Aref and his mother traveling to Michigan. They are met at the airport by Aref's father who has already been there settling into an apartment that will be their home for the next three years.

It doesn't take long for Aref to meet the neighbors and make new friends. He loves sightseeing around Ann Arbor and reporting back to Sidi via email. He is thrilled to learn about Michigan turtles. At the end of the summer, Aref starts at his new school. He loves his teacher and feels comfortable with his new friends.

Author Naomi Shihab Nye easily communicates what it is like to leave a familiar place and begin somewhere new. Readers will relate to Aref and the worries he has about his new adventure.

TREE. TABLE. BOOK. by Lois Lowry

 

Sophie Winslow is eleven almost twelve years old. Sophie Gershowitz is eighty-eight years old. They are neighbors and best friends. Young Sophie loves to go over and chat with her best friend. They help each other in many ways.

When Sophie overhears her parents talking about the elderly woman and the fact that her son is coming to visit, she is worried about what she hears. They say that he is going to take his mother to a doctor who is going to test her cognitive skills. He is concerned that his mother may have dementia. 

Sophie immediately begins to research what that means. She is determined to prepare her friend for this test. If she can prep her for the questions the doctor will ask, maybe the son will let her keep living next door and not take her to live near him in Akron.

Author Lois Lowry's new book tells a wonderful, tender story about two unlikely friends. Young Sophie must face the fact that her best friend may be failing and need more assistance than she can offer. While trying to prepare the elderly woman for the test, Sophie learns about her history in the old country and her life as a child during wartime. TREE. TABLE. BOOK. is a must-have for every library and classroom.

KEEP IT LIKE A SECRET by John David Anderson

 

Claire is the older sister about to graduate from high school. Morgan is the little brother starting junior high in the fall. Together they have been inseparable, that is until recently.

Claire is constantly fighting with their mother. There's yelling and doors slamming as Claire leaves and sometimes doesn't come back for days. This time it started with yelling and ended with porcelain dolls being thrown to the floor. It's been five days this time. Morgan feels left behind, and memories of the good times just aren't enough to make him feel better.

Morgan is thrilled when Claire picks him up in her not so gently used car and promises this day will be for just the two of them. They stop for snacks and drinks before heading off on what she promises will be an adventure. 

There are times when it feels like it used to between them, but it is all a bit to uncertain for Morgan. He gets to meet Sasha, Claire's girlfriend, although he's afraid of her giant dog. Claire shows Morgan her secret places including a small park and an awesome waterfall. There's art under a bridge reminding Morgan of the comic they once created together. All the while Morgan knows there's something Claire is trying to tell him, and he's pretty sure it isn't going to be good news.

Author John David Anderson weaves a detailed tale of brother and sister love, well-kept secrets, and inevitable change. Full of emotional ups and downs, KEEP IT LIKE A SECRET is the perfect addition for middle grade and high school collections.

MID-AIR by Alicia D. Williams

 

Isaiah, Drew, and Darius are inseparable. They hang together and they stunt together. They are always betting to see who wins. They are convinced they will beat every Guiness Book record there is.

When tragedy strikes, Isaiah and Drew are left to carry on. Isaiah needs someone to grieve with, but he and Drew are handling things differently. Isaiah can't seem to open up to anyone which frustrates his concerned parents. They decide to send him to his aunt and uncle's farm for the summer.

The change of scenery and the physical labor help Isaiah begin to cope with his loss. Meeting new friends and accepting new challenges gives him the courage to share his feelings. By the end of the summer, he understands himself better and appreciates what a summer away has given him.

Author Alicia D. Williams uses verse to take readers on a journey of ups and downs and love and loss. Written in verse, MID-AIR is fast paced, filled with crazy stunts, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.

PIZZA FACE by Rex Ogle

 

Author Rex Ogle has followed up on his graphic novel FOUR EYES. Now going into seventh grade, Rex is plagued by more problems. First, it's a huge zit in the middle of his forehead. How is he supposed to start school with that in front of him? 

Besides acne, Rex hasn't grown an inch since last year. His voice is so squeaky he sounds like a girl. Hanging onto his friends is also a challenge since he doesn't seem to be able to say the right thing.

Homelife isn't much better either. He is still taking care of his little brother, and his mother is still working all the time but never offering to buy the things Rex needs. If it wasn't for his abuela, he wouldn't have the acne medication he needs, and his underarms would still stink without the deodorant she provides. 

Puberty is kicking Rex's butt. It isn't until the year is finally over that he begins to understand it isn't just him. Everyone in the seventh grade is having issues.

PIZZA FACE is the perfect read for middle school kids having their shares of challenges. Rex Ogle really knows how to shine a light on what kids need to know.

STEPPING OFF by Jordan Sonnenblick

 

Jesse looks forward to spending the summer in Pennsylvania. He gets to hang out with his two best friends, Chloe and Ava. They all work at the recreation center. Jesse spends his time giving tennis lessons to the kids and the old ladies. When the three of them aren't working, they are hanging out and enjoying the summer.

One problem Jesse has is that he is pretty sure he is in love with both Chloe and Ava. He fantasizes about them but knows he can't act on his feelings without hurting one of them.

His feelings about the girls aren't the only things bothering Jesse this particular summer. His parents have been arguing constantly. They never seem to be in the same place at the same time, and their excuses seem like complete lies. Jesse's older sister Leah agrees that something is going on, but she's too busy with her boyfriend to be much help.

The summer ends with an encounter between Jesse and Chloe that has Jesse hoping there might be more to their best friend relationship than he once thought. As his junior year begins, connecting with Chloe becomes difficult, and his parents' marriage is steadily crumbling. As his grades slip, he tries to lose himself in his love of music. 

The arrival of a worldwide pandemic changes everything. Schools shut down, his elderly grandparents living in Florida are in danger from the virus, and he finds himself stuck living in a small apartment with his mother. One crisis follows another as Jesse tries to hold himself together.

Author Jordan Sonnenblick, known for DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE, has written another hit. STEPPING OFF takes readers on a rollercoaster of ups and downs that will have them rooting for Jesse and his family and friends. 

LO & BEHOLD by Wendy Mass

 

Addie's father thinks it would be a good idea to take a temporary summer job so he and Addie can get away from all the problems they've been having recently. Addie isn't so sure about this change of scenery. She does know it provides a special opportunity for her father, so she packs up her things and they head off.

VR (virtual reality) is her father's specialty. Addie never really thought much about it, but when she visits her father's summer lab and meets the students he will be working with, she finds out VR may be just the escape she needs. 

Addie meets a new friend named Mateo. Together they explore the VR world. With the help of Addie's dad and his students, they discover a way to help kids in the hospital where Mateo volunteers. It turns out to be a great summer for Addie. She learns that empathy can also help her reconnect with her mother and better understand sometimes things happen despite how hard they try to prevent them.

LO & BEHOLD is the first graphic novel by Wendy Mass. With the help of Gabi Mendez's illustrations, Mass shares a story that is sure to inspire middle grade readers to find ways to help others.

PIGHEARTED by Alex Perry

 

Inspired by research she read about experimental procedures to create transplantable human hearts, author Alex Perry has created a courageous story about a boy named Jeremiah and a pig (chimera) name J6.

Jeremiah was born with a heart condition. The walls of his heart were too thick which made its ability to pump blood inefficient. When the story begins, Jeremiah has already had a procedure that implanted a type of pacemaker/defibrillator in his chest. It usually worked quite well, but one day on the soccer field, Jeremiah ignore the warning signs telling him to slow down and take it easy. He ended up in the hospital.

As his condition deteriorated, he had another procedure called an LVAD. There were lots of rules for Jeremiah to follow, but he's just a kid, and rules aren't always easy. His doctor then sent Jeremiah home with a sort of pet. A pig named J6 became like a rescue animal for Jeremiah. The adults knew that this pig was actually special, and that when he had grown a bit more, his heart would become a replacement for Jeremiah's. 

At first this pig was annoying, but Jeremiah soon came to realize J6 was more human than he would expect from a pig. Their bound became stronger; eventually becoming so strong that Jeremiah would do anything to protect J6 even after he discovered the pig's true purpose.

PIGHEARTED will grab readers on the first page and hold them tight until the very end. It is the story of how far someone will go to do what they believe is best for someone else. Told in the alternating voices of Jeremiah and J6, readers are in for a treat as they get to know both important characters.

THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF BIRDS by Lynne Kelly

 

When Nina's parents suggest she spend the summer at her Aunt Audrey's summer camp, she is pretty sure she won't want to stay long. Her mother promises they will come and get her whenever she wants to come home. Being away from the twins and her two annoying brothers may sound like a good idea, but Nina is convinced that she won't fit in out in the country. 

Aunt Audrey loves the outdoors which is what led her to change careers from the business world to running this camp for girls. While she's there, Nina is determined to make the best of things. Maybe updating her birding book with some new sightings will be enough to keep her busy.

When the campers arrive, Nina meets three girls who call themselves the Oddballs. She feels comfortable with them and as the days pass, she realizes she doesn't want to go home early. Staying at the camp becomes even more important when Nina and the Oddballs discover a pair of whooping cranes while out exploring a supposedly haunted spot in a restricted area of the camp.

The girls record the cranes and spend their free time researching the endangered birds. They connect with a wildlife group studying whooping cranes. They are thrilled with the information Nina and her friends provide. Keeping the discovery a secret from her aunt and the rest of the camp is risky, but Nina is sure she can take care of things herself.

Lynne Kelly, author of SONG FOR A WHALE, has created another wildlife nature adventure for middle grade readers. Filled with new friendships, mystery and intrigue, plus lots of whooping crane facts, THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF BIRDS is sure to touch the hearts and minds of readers.