THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
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Ada has spent her entire life in the room above the pub. Her mother tells her that her crippled foot is too much of an embarrassment; she can never be allowed outside. But in secret, while her mother is at work and her little brother is playing outside, Ada begins (painfully) to teach herself how to walk. When England goes to war with Germany, the children of London are sent away to the country. Although her mother will not allow her to go, Ada sneaks away with her brother in search of a better life. Living in the country with a childless woman who is mourning the death of her partner, Ada begins to question some of the things she always believed to be true. Maybe she is not as worthless as her mother said. Maybe she can have friends. And with the help of the pony, Butter, she may even be able to run.
This is the story of a girl who overcomes a traumatic, abused childhood and a woman who finds her way out of her grief and into a community that she never expected to accept her. Ada’s strength makes her a compelling character, and it is exciting to watch her thrive in her new environment. Her journey is paralleled with her caregiver’s struggle to overcome her self-imposed isolation. Not all readers will pick up on exactly why Miss Smith believes the community will not accept her (she tells the children it is because she chose to never marry, but her grief over the death of her best friend who lived with her implies that she is gay), but when the children bring her out of her shell, she is welcomed into the community with open arms.
I would recommend this book to middle grade readers who enjoy historical fiction.
WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart
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They called themselves the Liars–Cadence, her cousins Mirren and Johnny, and their friend Gat. They had been coming with their families to their grandfather’s private island every summer since forever. Although they didn’t see one another all year long, in the summers they were confidantes, co-conspirators, best friends. But everything changed in summer fifteen when Cadence had her accident. It left her with crippling migraines and took almost all of her memories of that summer and the accident itself. All she remembers is Gat and the beach roses and holding hands under the stars. Since her mother won’t tell her what happened, and the Liars seem to be doing their best to ignore her questions, it is up to Cady to piece together her memories of summer fifteen. What was so horrific the her brain won’t let her remember? How did her relationship with Gat change so much in so short a time? And is there really such a thing as a second chance?
I didn’t figure this book out before the big reveal. I actually ended up reading it twice to find all the clues I missed. This suspenseful novel starts off deceivingly light, but be prepared for an intense read. I’m still thinking about it. I would recommend this book to teens who like heavy realistic fiction.
If you liked We Were Liars, you might like If I Stay by Gayle Forman, The Book of Lies by Mary Horlock, and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.
THE ENDLESS STEPPE: GROWING UP IN SIBERIA by Esther Hautzig
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Esther had a beautiful childhood. She shared a large home with her parents and extended family in their Polish town of Vilna. They had beautiful garden that Esther tended with her grandfather, and she attended a wonderful school. But that all ended with the German invasion. As the Polish army fought valiantly against the Germans, the Soviets began to wage war against what they considered to be internal enemies. Labeled as capitalists, Esther, her parents, and her grandparents are shuttled into cattle cars and taken to labor camps in Siberia. From age ten to age fifteen, Esther learns to survive working in the harsh, barren landscape. But as she grows and builds friendships and a life for herself, it becomes difficult to imagine ever leaving.
Esther Hautzig tells her life story in beautiful and evocative prose. Her experiences of joys and hardships are both shocking and accessible; in many ways, childhood in Siberia is no different from childhood anywhere else. There is sadness in this story, as you can imagine, but ultimately, Esther’s story is hopeful. I highly recommend this book to middle grade readers and teens who enjoy historical novels and memoirs and who are interested in hearing a less-often-told side of the Second World War.
IF I STAY by Gayle Forman
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The day started out like an ordinary, happy snow day for Mia. She, her mom, her dad, and her brother pile into the car to visit her grandparents. But suddenly, Mia is standing on the side of the road staring at the mangled remains of the car. She sees her parents lying in the road and realizes their bodies are so damaged that they must be dead. She searches for her brother in the wreckage, and instead finds herself–her own body half buried in destroyed car parts. But Mia is not dead. As the paramedics whisk her off to the hospital, Mia follows, watching her body go through surgery, hearing the word “coma,” trying to process what has happened. As her grandparents sit by her bedside in the ICU, the nurse tells them to encourage Mia, because really it is up to her whether she wakes or not. Mia realizes she has a choice. As her extended family, her boyfriend, and her best friend struggle with their grief and fears, Mia wrestles with whether or not she should stay in world without the people she loved most.
This heartbreaking novel is sad but hopeful. Mia’s internal debate in the hospital is intermingled with memories from her past, stories of the friendships and relationships that have shaped her life. Readers can relate to Mia’s experiences of growing up, which encourages them to step into Mia’s shoes. What would you choose? Mia’s choice emphasizes both the incredible pain and beauty of life. A great novel for teen readers who enjoy heavy realistic fiction.
THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater
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Every October, the water horses return to the island. The beautiful predators are both feared and respected. Many have lost a parent to a horse’s fierce teeth. Puck Connolly lost two. When her older brother announces that he’s planning to move to the mainland, Puck announces that she plans to ride in the Scorpio Races–a deadly race of water horses along the shore line. Maybe she can win enough money to support herself and her younger brother. And maybe she can convince Gabe to stay. If she survives, that is. Sean Kendrick is riding in the races, too. He and his water horse, Cor, have won four years straight. No one can communicate with the horses like Sean can, and no horse understands Sean like Cor. But Cor belongs to Sean’s employer, Benjamin Malvern, and the more Sean wins for Malvern, the more Malvern’s son, Mutt, hates him for it. For Sean and for Puck, the first woman to ride in the races, the danger will come from more than just the teeth of the water horses.
Suspenseful, heart-wrenching, and beautifully written, The Scorpio Races is one of the most unique and compelling fantasy novels I have read in a while. Stiefvater immerses readers in the island culture and creates nuanced characters that you can’t help but love. I highly recommend the audiobook, performed by Steve West and Fiona Hardingham!
OKAY FOR NOW by Gary D. Schmidt
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Whenever everything seems to be going well, something terrible is going to happen soon. When Doug gets a baseball cap signed by Joe Pepitone (the Joe Pepitone of the Yankees!), it is inevitable that his jerk older brother steals it. And when he is finally feeling happy on Long Island with friends and a baseball team, it is inevitable that his father mouths off to his boss, loses his job, and moves the family upstate to stupid Marysville, New York. Which means that they’ll be living near Ernie Eco (the jerk). Which means that Doug’s father will be going out drinking every night with Ernie Eco (the jerk) and his brother will still act like the evil criminal mind he is and his mother will still stare into the distance like she’s wishing she had a different life–or maybe wondering when Lucas will come home from Vietnam. And it turns out that everyone in stupid Marysville looks at Doug like he’s the scum of the earth. Terrific. But when Doug discovers a book in the library with an extraordinary painting of a terrified bird plunging toward an icy sea, he is inspired to uncover a new side of himself and the people of Marysville. Of course whenever everything seems to be going well, something terrible must be about to happen. . . .
Through brilliantly written first person narration, Schmidt gradually reveals Doug’s transformation and the evolution of his relationships with friends, family, and neighbors. Not only is the coming-of-age story compelling and accessible, but tense character relationships add suspense that makes this book difficult to put down. It will appeal to middle grade readers and teens (and even adults, especially those who grew up in the sixties) who enjoy coming-of-age stories and historical fiction.
Doug’s voice makes this book exceptional, and Lincoln Hoppe’s performance of the audiobook is perfect. I highly recommend listening to this one!
THE 100-YEAR-OLD-MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED by Jonas Jonasson
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An hour before his 100th birthday party, Allan Karlsson climbs out the window of his bedroom in the Old Folks Home and heads toward the bus station. His escape might have been perfectly ordinary if he hadn’t run into the young gang member with the large and intriguing suitcase. While the young man is in the bathroom, Allan steals the suitcase and hops a bus to nowhere in particular. And so it is that the centenarian becomes one of Sweden’s most wanted, chased across the countryside by policemen and thieves, and collecting an odd assortment of friends and circus animals along the way. Not that this type of thing is anything out of the ordinary for Allan Karlsson. After all, it pales in comparison with the time he helped Mao’s third wife escape from anti-communist revolutionaries or the time he helped President Truman build the atom bomb or the time. . .
The absurd story of Allan’s present weaves in and out of the absurd stories of his past in this hilarious satire novel. The suspense of the suitcase mystery and the cast of colorful characters (past and present) make this book difficult to put down. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy political satire. This novel may appeal to fans of Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller.
Thanks for the recommendation, Meagan!
SISTERS by Raina Telgemeier
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Sometimes Raina wonders why she ever wanted a little sister. She thought it would be fun to have someone to play with, but instead she wound up crowded into a bedroom with two other siblings, arguing about everything, and trying to hide her stuff so that Amara doesn’t steal it. The snake incident was just about the last straw. But when Raina, Amara, Will and their Mom crowd into the family van for a two week long camping road trip, the nightmare is complete. Is there any way they will make it through the vacation without tearing each other apart?
A companion to her previous memoir, Smile, Telgemeier’s newest book captures the frustrations, rivalries, and deep loving bond of sisterhood. While Sisters is not quite as suspenseful and compelling as Smile, Telgemeier weaves flashbacks to the past into the story of the roadtrip to build a more complete picture of the family dynamic, as well as to create an engaging story arc. The story will resonate with middle grade readers who have siblings and will also appeal to readers who enjoy realistic fiction and graphic novels.
ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell
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When the new girl with the weird clothes sits next to him on the bus, Park does his best to ignore her and hopes it is a one time thing. If she wants to draw attention to herself by dressing oddly, that’s her business, but the last thing he needs is for Steve and the other kids at the back of the bus to start picking on him, too. He’s done a good job of keeping his head down so far. When Eleanor gets on the bus for the first time, she knows the school year is going to suck. Everyone makes it clear that they don’t want her to sit with them, so she takes an open seat next to an Asian kid and does her best not to bother him. This is what she has come back to after her year of sleeping on a friend’s couch: a creepy stepfather who still hates her guts and a bus full of hateful high schoolers.
But as the year progresses, Eleanor and Park start to lower their barriers. They begin to acknowledge one another, to read comics together, to exchange music. And as their friendship grows into romance, they hesitantly allow one another to catch a glimpse into their deeper struggles, especially in their home lives.
It is hard to describe the brilliance of this book in a summary. My mother (also a librarian) recommended it to me with no summary saying, “Just read it. It’s wonderful.” And it is. It is one of those books where the words themselves are engaging. The imagery is fresh and interesting. Every word is deliberate. Every character is nuanced and realistic. The plot lines range from sappy and heartwarming to disgusting and horrifying. Realistic fiction love stories are not usually my genre (I usually require some sort of thriller/sci-fi subplot to cut through the sap), but this book is incredibly well-written–and gets some bonus points for the very subtle Romeo and Juliet parallels (starting with the title). I recommend it to teens and adults who like love stories and literary fiction.
If you liked Eleanor and Park, you might like Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler.
CINDER by Marissa Meyer
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Linh Cinder is the best mechanic in Beijing–partly because she is a cyborg, a fact which she prefers to keep a secret. When Prince Kai stops by her stall in the market to get help fixing his android, Cinder is immediately smitten by the witty monarch, even though she has heard the rumors that Prince Kai may be forced to marry the evil Luna Queen Levana to prevent a war with the moon. But as soon as Kai leaves, reality brings her giddy excitement crashing down; one of the other shop owners has caught the plague. Shortly after Cinder returns home, her beloved stepsister Peony catches the plague as well. Although Cinder is declared healthy, her furious and heartbroken stepmother blames her for bring the plague into their home and sells Cinder to a medical testing center from which no cyborg has returned alive. But Cinder’s tests come back all wrong and begin to bring to light the past that she cannot remember.
I am absolutely hooked on this series! It is the most original and intriguing Cinderella story I ever have read. I had an initial aversion to the book because about three or four chapters in, the plot point that I assumed was supposed to be the “big reveal” of the book became painfully obvious. I was a little bit disgusted, thinking, “Well now I’m just going to be annoyed for the rest of the book that the characters are blind to the obvious twist that is beating them over the heads.” But as I kept reading, I found myself becoming increasingly invested. Both the characters and the plot are so complex that the story is full of surprises–thoroughly engaging, even though the “big reveal” is dramatic only to the characters. I highly recommend this exciting, thought-provoking, well-written series! Thanks for the tip, Vivy.
If you liked Cinder, you might like The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor.
Susan the Librarian 