LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HAND by M. T. Anderson

 

Earth has been colonized by an alien race known as the vuvv. They aren't at all like the aliens most humans imagine. Their arrival on Earth and a number of other planets has meant huge life changes. They control everything and their technology has basically shut down businesses and left many humans out of work. 

If an effort to provide money for his family, Adam and his "girlfriend" are performing as lovers from the 1950s. The vuvv first came in contact with humans during that decade so they crave the ways of that time and are willing to pay for entertainment connected to the past. Adam earns enough to help out since his dad abandoned them and his mom can't find work. At least he can help keep food on the table.

What Adam enjoys most is art, especially painting landscapes to remember what things were like before the vuvv arrived. When he learns that his art could help him win a contest worth lots of money, he puts together a portfolio he hopes will earn him first place. Actually, winning becomes an issue when Adam suffers from an untreated medical condition. 

Author M. T. Anderson, known for his novel FEED, visits the sci-fi realm again in LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HAND. This book will leave readers questioning how life could change if aliens did indeed land on Earth.

BIG RIG by Louise Hawes

 

I was truly excited about this book when I heard about it. It did not disappoint!

Hazel is better known by her "handle" Hazmat. She has been riding with her trucker father since she was four years old. Now at age eleven she is indispensable. She helps keep the record books and acts as navigator as they travel back and forth across the country.

There is a third passenger Hazel and her father often consult. She rides in a green marble box on the dash. The box contains the remains of Hazel's mother who died just after Hazel was born. Hazel lived with the Shields until she was four when she joined her father on the road. She has been homeschooled by her dad and together they frequently discuss decisions with that green marble box making it feel like her mother is still with them.

The adventures as the big rig Leonardo carries driver, passengers, and cargo are many. Runaways, an abandoned baby, dangers of a flash flood are just a few. Each adventure brings Hazel and her father closer as it solidifies that life on the road is better than any other.

Author Louise Hawes combines trucking, unique characters, and loving relationships to capture readers on page one. BIG RIG is on my top ten list for middle grade books of 2022,

HUMMINGBIRD by Natalie Lloyd

 

Olive Miracle Martin appreciates her life. She has her mama, Jupiter her dad, Grandpa Goad, her uncle, and her step-dad and step-brother. They ban together to make life the best it can be for Olive. 

Olive was born with Osteogenesis imperfecta otherwise known as brittle bone disease. She has broken multiple bones multiple times. Most of the time she uses a wheelchair, but on good days she is able to use a walker and sometimes even walk on her own. Everyone treats her as fragile, but Olive doesn't think of herself that way.

Living way out in the woods, it has been easier to homeschool Olive, but she has her heart set on starting middle school at Macklemore Middle School. Her main goal is to find a BFF who can help her do all the cool things she is sure going to school entails. 

Olive is also excited about a town legend involving the appearance of a magical hummingbird that if sighted can grant a wish. Olive, her new friends, and even her quiet step-brother are determined to find this hummingbird. Each has a secret wish they hope will come true. Of course, Olive's wish involves her bone condition and the fact that if it can be cured everything else Olive hopes for can be possible, too.

Author Natalie Lloyd also has brittle bone disease making Olive a truly believable, realistic heroine. Olive's story is filled with hope and the power of friendship. HUMMINGBIRD is sure to be a hit that carries well beyond its pages.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF FRUIT by Kyle Lukoff

 

Annabelle is starting sixth grade and looking forward to making it a great year before leaving her school, the Lab, and heading to middle school. Annabelle is used to her small class and all the kids she has grown up with at the Lab. What she isn't expecting is that things may not be what she is used to.

The first surprise is a new teacher. The teacher she is expecting was taken ill over the summer, so now her class will be taught by Amy. She seems nice and reveals her interest in finding out what her students want to learn, not just what she wants to teach.

The next surprise is Bailey. Annabelle makes an immediate connection with Bailey and is fascinated to learn that Bailey identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronouns they/them. Excited about this new friend, Annabelle tells her parents all about them. Her excitement is short-lived when her father makes a few strange comments and quickly shuts down talk about her having this new friend.

Annabelle likes Bailey so much she isn't going to let her father's unfriendly attitude stop her from hanging out with them. She insists he tell her what he finds so objectionable about Bailey. What he reveals comes as a complete shock to Annabelle. Both her parents have been keeping secrets that have a profound effect on Annabelle. Unsure about her own identity, she looks for support and finds it where she least expects it.

Kyle Lukoff's middle grade novel is the perfect way to learn about the LGBTQ+ community. The heartfelt honesty with which Lukoff tells Annabelle's story will be appreciated by anyone part of the LGBTQ+ community, and at the same time the story can educate readers and answer questions many may have. 

FAMILY OF LIARS by E. Lockhart

 

Thanks to a gift from a fellow book lover, I got to read FAMILY OF LIARS by E. Lockhart. It's been a while since I read and enjoyed WE WERE LIARS, but it didn't take long to connect with the characters and their amazing family island off the coast of Massachusetts. This prequel takes readers back to 1987.

Carrie is seventeen. It is the start of their traditional stay on Beechwood Island. Carrie has hopes for the summer. Hoping to experience her first kiss and feel like she can compete with her sisters and her beautiful cousin Yardley. Thanks to her cousin inviting three guys as guests to the island, the promise of adventure opens up for Carrie.

Lor Pfefferman "Pfeff" seems to have packed in a hurry, so Carrie is asked to take him shopping for necessities. Spending the afternoon together fills Carrie with hope that they will form the perfect connection for her summer goals. Pfeff is daring and gallant and the fated first kiss happens. Unfortunately, as the days pass, he also reveals his less attractive side which pits Carrie against her younger sister Penny. 

The summer is filled with traditional activities like the Lemon Hunt, Who Am I party, and more. Tipper Sinclair is determined to entertain her family and guests perhaps as a way to avoid thinking about the loss of their youngest daughter Rosemary. No one seems willing to talk about the drowning accident that claimed her, but Carrie can't avoid memories of Rosemary since the young girl's ghost takes to visiting her regularly. There must be a reason Rosemary can't rest, but Carrie can't figure it out.

Author E. Lockhart digs into the family secrets of the Sinclairs. She takes readers into their summer island adventures as they attempt to put the past behind them and forge a new future.

DON'T CALL ME A HURRICANE by Ellen Hagan

 

Living on a coastal island has many advantages. Eliza loves the carefree days filled with swimming and surfing. As she bikes around the island with her friends, she sees one of the threats to their peaceful lifestyle. Rich folks from the mainland are building mansions that threaten not only the peace but also the marshlands around the island.

Eliza also knows the natural threat to her island all too well. Having survived a hurricane that almost killed her younger brother and destroyed her home and her mother's business, reveals the dangers of climate change in addition to the growing development. She and her friends are in the midst of planning a protest involving a new construction demolition project due to start soon.

In the middle of enjoying the summer and planning the project, Eliza meets Milo. His family is spending the summer in one of the fancy hotels while their new mansion on the island is being completed. There is an immediate connection between the two; enough that her friends notice the budding friendship. Unfortunately, both Eliza and Milo have secrets that could destroy their relationship.

Author Ellen Hagan's novel in verse takes on young love, threats of overdevelopment, and climate change. Can one girl's activism make a difference? Can her friendships survive her desire to protect her home?