Kids
THE WIZARDS OF ONCE by Cressida Cowell
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Xar, the son of the wizard king, is known for being a troublemaker–disobedient, destructive, leading his ragtag entourage of sprites and snow cats into all kinds of danger. And the fact that at thirteen his magic still hasn’t come in makes him even more unruly. Wish, the warrior princess, is downright weird. Her limp, her eyepatch, and her odd interests make her hardly fit to call herself a warrior. But the mischief of these two sworn enemies reaches new heights when two forbidden errands collide in the Badwoods. Xar has come to set a trap for a witch, the darkest, most evil magic creature ever to exist, which everyone believes are extinct, but whose magic Xar hopes to steal. Wish enters the Badwoods chasing her pet, an iron spoon that must be magic and is therefore thoroughly forbidden (much to her young Assistant Bodyguard’s anxiety). She also has a magic sword she found near her mother’s dungeon that has an inscription claiming that it kills witches. And unfortunately for both Wish and Xar, that sword may be blood-curdlingly necessary.
As much as this novel is the thrilling start to a creative and engaging new fantasy series, it is a coming of age tale for two very different protagonists, each struggling to find a place in their respective society and to work through a complicated relationship with their respective intimidating parent. I suspect that the cheeky omniscient narrator would have annoyed me had I not been listening to the brilliantly performed audiobook. But otherwise, I loved everything about it. Can’t wait for the next installment!
I highly recommend the audiobook (performed by David Tennant), a well-deserved Odyssey Award Honor recording.
JUST LIKE JACKIE by Lindsey Stoddard
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Robbie’s temper is no secret. So if Alex Carter didn’t want to get punched in the face then he shouldn’t have made fun of her name. She is not named after some robin bird. She is named after Jackie Robinson, and everyone knows it. But not everyone knows that her grandfather’s memory is slipping, that he sometimes forgets where he is or where he’s going, or how to do simple things that he once did so well. And Jackie has to work hard to keep this a secret, because her grandfather is the only family she’s ever known, and she’s not about to let anyone tear them apart. But Robbie didn’t count on the Family Tree project at school that begins to bring all of the secrets in her life–and the lives of her classmates–to the surface.
This beautiful and engaging story was a fun read thanks to its vivacious narrator. The book deals with themes of race, identity, community, and what family means. Ultimately, Robbie will find a much larger family than she ever expected. I thoroughly enjoyed this new realistic fiction novel and would highly recommend it to middle grade readers.
RESTART by Gordon Korman
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When he wakes up, he is in the hospital, surrounded by strangers. A woman is crying and calling him Chase, but the name doesn’t seem right. He looks in a mirror and realizes he doesn’t know himself. After falling off the roof, Chase has lost all memory of the first thirteen years of his life. What’s even stranger than not knowing people is that people do seem to know him. And most of them don’t like him–even seem afraid of him. The more he learns about himself, the more Chase dislikes himself. But how could that be? Did the fall change who he was? Or is Chase the bully still inside him somewhere? As he grows closer to the people who once feared him, Chase must figure out who he really is or risk hurting the people he cares about most.
A wonderful coming of age story in which a boy is able to rebuild himself, piecing together those parts of him that he likes and discovering a new capacity for compassion. It gives inspiration to all of us who fall short of our ideal hopes for ourselves and strive to be better friends and citizens. I highly recommend it to middle grade fans of realistic fiction.
THE GAUNTLET by Karuna Riazi
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Farah sometimes hates having to spend all her time with her little brother, Ahmad. She knows that his ADD makes it difficult for him sometimes and that she should be nice. But on her birthday? When her two best friends from her old town have come to the new house to spend time with her? Thinking she has finally shaken him off, Farah, Essie, and Alex slip upstairs to open Farah’s present from her Aunt Zohra. But Ahmad has gotten there first, tearing off the paper and discovering what seems to be a game called the Gauntlet of Blood and Sand. Farah has a bad feeling about it. It seems to have a heartbeat. And when they open it up, the game grows before their eyes into a miniature maze-like tower, almost like a whole city. Before they can stop him, An excited Ahmad leaps into the game and vanishes. It turns out The Gauntlet was not meant to be Farah’s birthday present. The Gauntlet is the harrowing, sentient game that stole Aunt Zohra’s best friend decades ago–a game that Aunt Zohra has kept ever since to keep other children from becoming ensnared. But now it is too late, and Ahmad’s only hope is for Farah, Essie, and Alex to enter the game world as well, to win each of the Architect’s challenges, and to make it out alive.
A neat read, this book is a sort of Middle Eastern Jumanji. The game world is richly imagined, and the challenges the children face remind me of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Young readers who enjoy fantasy that is rooted in the real world and/or books with riddles and puzzles should check it out.
A BOY CALLED BAT by Elana K. Arnold
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Bat got his name because his initials are B. A. T. But it stuck because of the way Bat flaps his arms when he gets excited or overwhelmed. And because of his extra sensitive hearing, which sometimes requires him to wear earmuffs. It’s okay with him because a bat is an animal, and Bat loves animals. When he grows up, he is going to be a vet like his mom. When his mom brings home a newborn skunk kit, Bat is ecstatic. It will be a perfect pet! There are only two problems. First, Bat still has to spend Every Other Fridays at his dad’s house, which is bad both because it breaks up his normal routine and takes time away from the kit. And second, his mom says they have to turn the kit over to a skunk rescue in a month. Bat can’t change Every Other Fridays, but he embarks on a mission to change his mom’s mind about the skunk rescue. Step One: contact international skunk expert Dr. Jerry Dragoo.
A sweet story about a boy’s love for his pet and struggle to find a place in his community. This novel will be best for readers who have graduated from transitional to full-fledged chapter books (typically grades 3-4).
GARVEY’S CHOICE by Nikki Grimes
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Garvey wishes his father could accept him for who he is. He just doesn’t like sports. He likes reading. His father’s comments sting, and the only thing that seems to soften the blow is eating. And eating. The more weight he gains, the more he is tormented by his father and his classmates. Can Garvey find a way to connect with his father and love himself?
Told in a series of poems, Garvey’s story tackles the struggle to overcome the judgments of others and find a sense of self worth. Despite Garvey’s difficult relationship with his father, they do love one another and ultimately will gain a deeper understanding for each other as they grow closer. Short and full of beautiful language, this new novel from Nikki Grimes will appeal to middle grade realistic fiction readers, poetry lovers, and even reluctant readers who may be encouraged by the short chapters and abundant white space.
GHOSTS by Raina Telgemeier
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Cat is not happy about having to move from beautiful, sunny Southern California to cold, rainy, miserable Bahia de la Luna. But the weather will be better for her little sister Maya’s health. Despite her illness and difficulty breathing, Maya is always cheerful and doesn’t seem to mind leaving all her friends behind. In fact, she almost immediately makes a new friend: a boy Cat’s age who just happens to lead the town ghost tours. Cat is less than thrilled. She hates ghost stories. But things get far worse when the ghosts turn out to be real. Spirits of the dead hang around in Bahia de la Luna awaiting the Day of the Dead festival, and their presence will force Cat to confront her sister’s mortality.
With an infusion of folk fantasy, this graphic novel tackles the topic of a terminally ill sibling with a realistic range of emotions–from resentment to fear to sadness. This novel will appeal more to realistic fiction fans than ghost story aficionados, though it has elements of both genres.
THE SWEETEST SOUND by Sherri Winston
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Cadence Mariah Jolly made a deal with God. If He found a way to get her the exact digital piano she’d been longing for, she would share the amazing singing ability she’s been hiding by actually singing in public. It was an easy promise to make because she never in a million years imagined that her dad could afford the piano. But when he surprises her with it, Cadence knows she has to come through on her promise–and the church gospel choir auditions seem like the perfect opportunity, especially since her two best friends want to audition with her. First she just has to overcome the crippling shyness that earned her the nickname “Mouse.” And then maybe she can post the most amazing audition video ever–one that will make her mom, wherever she is, proud enough to come home.
This sweet story about a girl finding the courage to be herself and open up to her community was a nice gentle read. Young readers will relate to Cadence’s friendship and family pressures and her fears about the consequences of being vulnerable in front of others. Of course, her bravery is ultimately rewarded as her loving community accepts her with open arms and she finds her identity independent of her estranged mother. A nice, gentle read for middle grade realistic fiction lovers.
DEEP, DARK, AND DANGEROUS by Mary Downing Hahn
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Ali is so excited to get away from her overprotective mother for the summer and stay at the old cabin on the lake with her aunt and cousin, Emma. She feels a little bad for going, knowing how frightened her mother is of the lake. But it will be fun to babysit for Emma. And more importantly, maybe Ali can solve the mystery of the torn picture of her mother, aunt, and a mysterious girl that Ali found in the attic. The summer starts going all wrong, though, when a girl named Sissy shows up and starts taunting Emma. Ali tries to keep her cousin away from the “bad influence,” but instead uncovers a tragedy that may still be haunting the old cabin–and her mother’s memories.
Not as creepy some of MDH’s other books, this ghost story is more mysterious than harrowing. It will be good for middle grade readers who are looking for a less scary ghost story or who enjoy character driven mysteries.
TOWERS FALLING by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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Deja hates that her family has to live in the homeless shelter. She hates that her father can’t seem to pull himself together, get out of bed, and get a job. She is determined not to get too close to people who might make fun of her. But when she starts at her new school, not only does she immediately meet two kids who seem determined to be her friend, but she also connects with one of their lessons. Deja has lived in Brooklyn all her life but she has never heard about the towers that fell fifteen years ago. Now, as she and her classmates gradually uncover the story of the tragedy, Deja learns how the past can have ripple effects in her own life and community.
Intense, but good. Graphic, but not gratuitous. Challenging, but important. Since much of the book takes place in the classroom, parts of it read like a lesson with both characters and readers learning from the same lectures or classmates’ Q&A. The history is intertwined with both classroom and real life lessons about what it means to be a family, community, and society. This context adds depth to the discussion of the tragedy, helps illuminate why students should care about history, and steers the book away from the territory of pure horror and violence. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers, mature younger readers, and adults searching for a way to broach this subject or other challenging similar subjects with children.
Susan the Librarian 