Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  11-year-old Mary Lambert lives in Chilmark, a community on Martha’s Vineyard, where, in 1805, many of the residents are deaf.  Mary and her father are deaf; her mother is hearing, as was her brother George, who died recently in an accident that Mary feels she caused.  Their community is somewhat uneasily intertwined with the Wampanoag and black freedmen, and Mary is aware of the racism expressed by some of the people closest to her.  Everyone in Mary’s life communicates through a sign language that has evolved on the island making the community distinctive enough to draw the attention of scientists.  One of them, Andrew Noble, arrives from Boston to stay with the local minister and study the population in hopes of better understanding the cause of deafness.  When Mary accidentally discovers a letter to Andrew asking him for a live specimen, she doesn’t realize that she is soon to become that specimen, kidnapped and taken to Boston for further study.  Mary awakens to the fact that most of the deaf population outside of Martha’s Vineyard are treated as less than fully human, and she becomes desperate to find a way to communicate and get help.  The story concludes with healing for Mary and her family, and with a vision of a brighter future for the deaf community.  Includes six pages of notes about the history of Martha’s Vineyard, deaf education, sign language, and the Wampanoag.  288 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  This is honestly a masterpiece of historical fiction that tackles so many different topics and doesn’t shy away from difficult topics.  Mary’s mother and best friend both have racist beliefs that don’t change by the end of the story, yet also have qualities that Mary loves.  This would make an excellent book club selection.

Cons:  I found the beginning a little slow going as there was so much to introduce.

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Published by Dutton Books

Summary:  Ellie’s family has moved to a farm on a mountain in Maine after losing almost all their money in the Great Depression.  Ellie and her father love the self-sufficiency of the farm, while her mother and older sister Esther hate it.  When their father is hit by a falling tree and lapses into a coma, it falls on Ellie to do much of the work he did.  Feeling alone, she wanders up the mountain to the home of a legendary “hag”, who turns out to be an ordinary old woman named Cate with a life-threatening leg injury.  Ellie learns some occasionally stomach-turning healing techniques (maggots, vinegar poured into the wound) from Cate as she works to save her.  Cate’s grandson, Larkin, becomes a good friend, and Ellie is finally able to tell someone her secret: she didn’t cause her father’s accident, as her family thinks, but she’s letting them believe it to protect Esther and her younger brother Samuel.  While Ellie’s mother is suspicious of Cate, Ellie finds her friendship with the older woman and her grandson a lifeline, and is certain they can help wake up her father and restore him to health.  368 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  Lauren Wolk has crafted another beautifully written historical fiction novel featuring a strong girl protagonist with a unique perspective and set of talents.  This is sure to be considered for a second Newbery (like Wolf Hollow) or Scott O’Dell award for historical fiction (like Beyond the Blue Sea)

Cons:  Usually I am a big Lauren Wolk fan, but this one didn’t grab me as much as her previous two.  I found Cate, with her endless store of sage wisdom, a little too good to be true.  It’s gotten starred reviews in journals and lots of 5-starred ones on Amazon, though so clearly I’m in the minority.

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Published by Holiday House (Released July 21)

Summary:  12-year-old Sora lives under the oppressive Communist regime of 1950 North Korea, and the stiflingly low expectations for girls in her traditional Korean family.  When war breaks out between North and South Korea, her father wants to escape to the south, while her mother is sure they won’t survive.  When it finally becomes clear that their lives are in danger at home, the family leaves, racing the Red army through the cold winter weather.  A bombing separates Sora and her 8-year-old brother from their parents and 2-year-old brother, and the two must travel alone, hoping to reunite with the rest of the family at their uncle’s house in Busan on the southern coast.  Sickness, hunger, predatory strangers, and other harrowing obstacles make this a page-turning survival story.  Includes a lengthy author’s note with additional information and photos on whom Sora is based; a glossary of Korean words; and a timeline of the Korean War.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Anyone laboring under the delusion that historical fiction is dull will be disabused of that notion after reading this book.  There is plenty of action and suspense.  Sora is a fascinating protagonist: she’s smart and dreams of a future as a teacher or writer, yet still wants her parents’ approval and tries to be a good daughter (which means giving up school to take care of her brothers).  There’s also lots of interesting information about the “Forgotten War” woven into the plot and in the back matter.

Cons:  Just when you think you’re heading for a happy ending…well, I don’t want to give too much away.

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Published by Scholastic (released July 21)

Summary:  Trevor has always worshipped his great-grandfather, Jacob, who fought in World War II as a 17-year-old.  Trevor’s fascination of WWII has resulted in a room decorated with memorabilia and a passion for war-based video games.  When Jacob announces he’s going back to the French village that he helped liberate to commemorate the 75th anniversary of V-E Day, Trevor is thrilled to be invited along.  He, his reluctant father Daniel, and Jacob. make a journey that starts at Fort Benning, Georgia, and continues to Normandy, and on into the French countryside.  As they get closer to their destination, Jacob becomes more distant and irritable; Daniel monitors threats against Jacob being made on social media; and Trevor notices a girl about his age who seems to be following them.  Jacob’s war stories begin to take on a different tone, and by the time he finally reveals what happened in that French village, Trevor has learned some new truths about the horrors of war and what really makes a hero.  240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Told in third-person narratives that switch between 2020 and 1944, the action really builds, and by the time the reader gets to the French village, it’s hard to put the book down.  Gordon Korman and a World War II story make an unbeatable combination for middle-grade readers.

Cons:  Through no fault of his own, Gordon Korman has created a story that would never have taken place.  You will have to suspend your disbelief and pretend we live in a parallel universe where a 93-year-old man could have traveled to Europe during the spring of 2020.

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Hanna and her widowed father are hoping to find a home in Dakota Territory; it’s 1880, and they have been having trouble finding a town that will accept half-Chinese Hanna.  They decide on the town of LaForge, where Hanna’s father knows the local constable, Mr. Harris.  Hanna’s late mother encouraged her to go to school, but when Hanna enrolls, many of the locals keep their children at home rather than have them study side-by-side with a Chinese girl. Pretty soon, the only students left are Mr. Harris’s two daughters.  Bess Harris and Hanna end up taking their graduation exams together and become friends. Hanna invites Bess to help her with the sewing at her father’s new dry goods store, and the two work together to help Hanna realize her dream of becoming a dressmaker.  Overcoming fear and prejudice, Hanna ultimately finds a way to become part of her new community. Includes an author’s note in which Linda Sue Park explains how she wrote this book to find a place for herself in her beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder books. 272 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Allow me to introduce my first definite Newbery contender for 2021.  Linda Sue Park does an amazing job of creating a highly readable story that pays homage to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books while at the same time highlighting the racism and prejudices of the time, not only with Hanna’s Chinese-American experience, but also in a subplot about the local Indians.  This would make a great unit paired with a Little House book and The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich.

Cons:  There are a lot of complex and important issues; this feels like a book that would be best read with some adult guidance.

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Published by Amulet Books

Summary:  Inspired by real people, places, and events, this book tells the story of a group of teenagers who helped save Jews in their French village by forging documents, passing secret messages, and leading groups to safety in Switzerland.  Young police officer Perdant has been sent to keep an eye on this “village of scoundrels” for the Nazis, but as he gets to know some of the kids, he begins to question whether or not he is on the side of right. The characters, including Perdant, all come together in a finale at a ruined chalet where the teens are hiding some of their friends, hoping to help them escape before the Gestapo raids begin.  Readers will be kept guessing until the end as to what the final outcome will be. Includes a 24-page epilogue with stories and photos of the real people on whom the story is based; a timeline covering events from 1934 until 1945; and a bibliography. 320 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  One can never have too much WWII historical fiction, and middle schoolers will be inspired by the courage of these kids who risked their lives to save others.

Cons:  There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and their stories were only loosely connected.

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Published by Holiday House

Summary:  Lymon lives with his grandparents, Pops and Ma, in Mississippi. His daddy’s been in jail for as long as Lymon can remember, and he has no memory of the mother who left him to go live in Chicago.  But he loves his grandparents, and especially enjoys learning to play guitar with his grandfather. But when Pops dies, everything changes. Ma and Lymon are forced to go live in Milwaukee, where his aunt and uncle can help take care of them.  Although his father’s gotten out of jail, he’s on the road playing music much of the time, so when Ma gets sick with diabetes, Lymon is sent to Chicago to live with the mother he doesn’t know. She’s married to a man named Robert, who resents having to take care of Lymon, and beats him regularly.  Lymon starts acting out, becoming the bully we met in Finding Langston, stealing money, and running away from home.  He ends up in a home for boys, where a caring music teacher puts him back on the right track.  It’s clear Lymon’s got a rough road ahead, but the ending offers some hope for a better future for him.  Includes an author’s note with more information on the time period. 198 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  It’s been long enough since I read Finding Langston that I’ve forgotten the character of Lymon, but I enjoyed getting to know him in his own story.  His voice rings true, and he shows a lot of resilience in the face of overwhelmingly difficult circumstances.  Cline-Ransome has done an excellent job of showing how bullies are made not born, and readers will empathize with Lymon and understand why he does what he does.

Cons:  I didn’t find Lymon’s story quite as engaging and uplifting as Langston’s.

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