Middle grade fiction

Talia’s Codebook for Mathletes by Marissa Moss

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Published by Walker Books

Summary:  Talia’s dealing with lots of ups and downs at the beginning of middle school, but the worst is that her neighbor and best friend Dash doesn’t want to be seen with a girl at school.  When Talia joins the mathletes, she learns that she’s the only girl, and the coach and some of the other boys treat her disrespectfully.  Fed up, she decides to form her own girls’ mathletes team.  Her two best friends aren’t interested in being on the team, but they’re supportive and help her get things going.  Much to her surprise, sixteen girls show up to the first meeting, and before long, the Mathlete Mermaids are ready for competition.  At the big meet, Talia messes up, but she learns from her mistake, and the rest of the team does well enough to win.  The boys are shocked but see that their sexism has lost them some valuable teammates, and the two teams decide to merge.  Talia has mixed feelings about this but is proud that she stepped up and created a way for girls to shine in math. Includes additional information about codes and an author’s note about her own experience with mathletes.  240 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Middle school graphic novel fans will enjoy this story of STEM girl power that includes a number of fun codes, and that does an excellent job of chronicling middle school friendship and family issues without neatly resolving them all.  

Cons:  I was hoping that Talia’s parents, who focused on her mistake at the competition instead of her team’s win, would learn a lesson or two, but no such luck.

Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li

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Published by Quill Tree Books

Summary:  Ruby’s had a tough year in seventh grade: one friend moved away, another drifted away, and her beloved grandfather died.  When Ruby’s caught sneaking out of school at lunchtime, she’s sent to her grandmother’s house every weekday during the summer.  Nai-Nai spends her days at the senior center, where Ruby is forced to tag along.  To her surprise, she finds a community there with the other old ladies and Liam, a classmate who also comes with his grandmother.  As the summer goes on, Ruby slowly comes to terms with her grief over her grandfather, her changing friendships, and, most heartbreakingly, her grandmother’s signs of early dementia.  As Ruby and Liam try, and fail, to save a beloved neighborhood bakery, Ruby learns that changes are inevitable, but that having a community of family and friends can help to navigate them.  304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A beautifully written story of grief, loss, and community.  Ruby struggles realistically with her emotions and with making choices that aren’t always great, but she also learns to make amends without compromising who she is.  I’d love to see this book win some awards.

Cons:  Until the very end, Ruby’s parents come across as pretty selfish and constantly exasperated with a daughter who is truly struggling.

Will on the Inside by Andrew Eliopulos

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Quill Tree Books

Summary:  Will is passionate about his soccer team and enjoys an easy camaraderie with his teammates, despite his somewhat introverted nature.  Stomach issues and fatigue lead to a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and being sidelined from soccer.  With more free time, Will starts hanging out with Griffin, a boy who’s been picked on by Will’s other friends for asking one of the boys, Will’s best friend Henry, to the school dance.  As he comes to terms with his chronic disease, the ways it impacts his life, and questions about his own sexuality, Will learns to ask for help when he needs it and to speak up when he sees injustice or bullying.  304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This is one of the best middle grade books I’ve read this year.  It’s based on the author’s own experiences with Crohn’s and questioning his sexuality, and Will’s voice is pitch perfect.  I’m happy to see so many boy protagonists in the middle-grade world this year.

Cons:  Getting Crohn’s disease in middle school seems like the worst.

Half Moon Summer by Elaine Vickers

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Peachtree

Summary:  Drew and Mia were born on the same day at the same hospital in Half Moon Bay, California.  When Drew wouldn’t stop crying, the two babies were put in the same bassinet, which calmed Drew down.  Mia and her family moved to Sacramento, but the summer after sixth grade, her family is back for a few months, and she and Drew, initially not knowing their history, become friends.  Their story is told in chapters that alternate between Drew’s prose journal entries and Mia’s verse ones as each one faces family difficulties: Drew’s father’s mysterious illness seems to be worsening, while Mia is dealing with the heartbreaking loss of a home that the family has dreamed of for years.  When they decide to train together for a half marathon, each one has individual reasons for running, but they support each other to keep going, both during their early morning runs and on the day of the race itself.  The end of the summer means Mia is moving back home, but the friendship promises to keep going through potentially difficult days ahead.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A compelling story of two kids dealing with some pretty serious family difficulties who show readers how to cope with courage and grace.  Their two distinctive voices, with the alternating prose and poetry narratives, keep the story moving along at a good pace.

Cons:  The story about the two kids meeting as babies was cute but felt like a bit of an unlikely coincidence.

Lo & Behold by Wendy Mass, illustrated by Gabi Mendez

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Published by Random House Graphic

Summary:  Addie remembers a happy childhood with two parents who loved her and encouraged her interests, but after her mom’s bike accident, she changed and no longer lives with the family.  When Addie’s dad gets a chance to work on a virtual reality project at a university, he takes Addie with him to live on campus for the summer.  There Addie discovers VR and the immersive worlds it can create, while tentatively making steps toward Mateo, her across-the-hall neighbor.  Addie’s virtual discoveries help her uncover some truths about her real life, and by the end of the summer, she’s willing to confide in Mateo and to learn about a tragedy that occurred in his family.  As Addie begins to accept the reality of what’s happened to her mom, her whole family finds a way to heal and move forward together.  224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  There’s a lot going on in this appealing graphic novel, and fans of the middle school realistic fiction graphic novel genre will be only too happy to discover Wendy Mass (and maybe try some of her excellent non-graphic novels).  The artwork is inspired, particularly the way Gabi Mendez differentiates the virtual reality sequences.

Cons:  This seems like a book that would appeal to elementary kids, but reviews seem to recommend it more for middle school, maybe due to the addiction storyline.

Select by Christie Matheson

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Alex has loved soccer since she was five, improving her game with her rec league teammates and their coach Jayda, who has always supported and inspired her.  When Alex gets recruited by the elite Select team, she’s excited about the possibility of winning a national title and getting on a path to playing college soccer.  But things are different on the Select team. Not only does Alex have to figure out a way to get to games in far-away towns, not easy with a somewhat irresponsible mother who works two jobs, but the coach turns out to be a bully.  He favors the girls whose parents contribute financially to the team and unfairly punishes Alex, who’s on a scholarship.  Alex isn’t afraid to stand up for herself, though, and as she slowly befriends some of her teammates, they begin to help each other in the face of Coach’s abuses.  As the team piles up wins, their coach becomes more and more demanding, and a showdown between him and the team feels inevitable.  Includes an author’s note about abusive coaches in youth sports a list of resources. 224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This fast-paced sports story brings the issue of abusive coaches to light, with a courageous protagonist who must deal with difficult issues both at home and on the field.  Her coach Jayda provides an example of good coaching while also serving as something of a stand-in parent.  

Cons:  There wasn’t a lot of subtlety in portraying who was good and who was bad.  It would have made a more interesting story to give the coach a charming side rather than making him an abusive bully right off the bat.

Shakti by SJ Sindu, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by HarperAlley

Summary:  Shakti’s family has moved a lot, but her moms promise that the move to Amherst, MA will be the last one for a while.  Her mother Terri is pregnant and working on a PhD at the university, while her other mother Rita is a programmer with a pretty good knowledge of magic.  Shakti has shown an inclination toward magic, but after accidentally burning down the house as a baby, she’s been forbidden from using her powers until she’s older.  Shakti makes some good friends at her new school but discovers that three of the mean girls are practicing witchcraft to bind the school to them, making all the teachers love them while neglecting the rest of the student body.  Determined to break the spell, which threatens to hurt Shakti’s new baby sibling, Shakti and her friends call on the Hindu goddesses Rita has taught her about, unleashing power that they then struggle to contain.  Shakti learns that she has to let go of her anger and focus her powers to save her family, her friends, and her town.  256 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Witchcraft in western Massachusetts?  I knew I had to read this graphic novel as soon as I heard about it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, from the middle school drama to the concise but detailed introductions to Hindu mythology.  Recommend this to readers looking for something a little more fantasy-oriented than the usual middle school graphic novel.

Cons:  The b-word (represented as b–) is used a few times.

The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow by Elaine Dimopoulos, illustrated by Doug Salati

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Butternut is part of a large rabbit family that lives in a burrow in Milkweed Meadow.  The rabbits keep pretty much to themselves, learning storytelling and safety skills from their mother and grandmother.  A chance encounter with a young robin named Piper, however, expands Butternut’s horizons, and she finds herself overcoming her many anxieties to go on adventures with Piper and a young deer named Winsome that they befriend when Winsome breaks her leg in the rabbits’ burrow.  The title’s remarkable rescue involves some orphaned coyote pups, an operation that Butternut advocates for even though they will grow up to become predators, and one that ultimately involves all the animals of the meadow.  Butternut’s newfound courage and sense of connection to other species inspire her mother and grandmother to put aside some of their own fears and to open themselves up to the meadow community.  192 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  This beautifully written and illustrated animal story shows the power of storytelling, community, and courage with enough humor to keep the messages light.  It would make an excellent elementary read-aloud or book club selection.

Cons:  I wish there had been more illustrations by Caldecott medalist Doug Salati.

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Hercules Beal is trying to rebuild his life after his parents were killed in a car crash and his older brother has somewhat reluctantly come home to take care of Hercules and run the family nursery.  The last thing he needs is to start seventh grade at a new school and discover that his language arts and social studies teacher is a tough ex-marine who insists that his students call him Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer.  For their mythology unit, Hupfer assigns Hercules the task of reenacting all the labors of the original Hercules, with a 150-word reflection on each.  As Hercules goes through his year, he finds himself in a series of unique and occasionally dangerous situations that bring him closer to his neighbors, classmates, and family.  Slowly, the details of his parents’ accident emerge, and Hercules discovers that, despite his intense grief, he is surrounded by people he can depend upon to help him take on difficult tasks and move forward with his life.  352 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  As ever, Gary D. Schmidt has created a memorable cast of characters and a story with equal parts humor and pathos.  The structure of the twelve labors is fun, and it’s delightful to see how Hercules connects events in his life with the myths.  Each chapter concludes with his reflection and Lt. Col. Hupfer’s comment and grades, showing the growing bond between the two.

Cons:  Although this seems to be a contemporary story, there is no mention of a phone (except for occasional calls), video games, or social media in Hercules’ life, making me wonder how much time Gary Schmidt has spent with middle schoolers recently.

Garvey’s Choice: The Graphic Novel by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III

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Published by Wordsong

Summary:  Nikki Grimes’s 2016 novel in verse has been turned into a graphic novel that is quite faithful to the original.  Garvey’s interested in chess and astronomy, while his dad wishes he would play sports, leading to ongoing conflict between the two.  When Garvey joins the school chorus, he discovers a talent for singing that eventually leads to a reconciliation with his dad (you can read a more detailed summary in my original review).  Includes additional information about tanka, the poetic form used by Nikki Grimes to write the book.  144 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Turning this into a graphic novel is a stroke of genius, since it will bring a lot more readers to this excellent book.  The original was short enough that it is mostly preserved intact (I’m taking reviewers’ words for this, as I didn’t do a comparison myself), creating a story that many kids will relate to.

Cons:  Although Garvey lost a little bit of weight (one size), he wisely focused on developing healthier habits; however, the illustrations made him look like almost a different person in the last few pages.