Middle grade fiction

Finally Seen by Kelly Yang

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Lina has lived in China with her grandmother since her parents and younger sister left for the U.S. five years earlier.  Now she is finally going to join them.  When she arrives, she discovers that her family isn’t living the middle-class suburban life her parents described to her.  Her dad works night and day for a curmudgeonly organic farmer, and her mom, who lost her job during the pandemic, is scrambling to put together an Etsy business selling bath bombs to try to pay their back rent.  In school, Lina is afraid to speak after some classmates make fun of her accent.  A kind ELL teacher and librarian help her to come out of her shell, showing her the power of books to reflect her immigrant experience.  Lina feels guilty about leaving her grandmother, who’s now living in a nursing home, and decides to create a graphic novel to bring her up to date on her new life.  This project gives her a boost of confidence and helps her to find her voice.  When a parent attempts to get a book banned from her classroom, Lina discovers the power of speaking up for what she believes is right.  304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Kelly Yang has written another book about the immigrant experience with a memorable main character and a tremendous amount of heart.  I was engaged immediately and couldn’t put the book down until I found out what happened to Lina and her friends and family. Keep the Kleenexes handy for the scene where Lina speaks at the school board meeting about book banning.

Cons:  I do love a happy ending, but just like in Front Desk, I felt like things fell into place a little too quickly to wrap up the multiple story lines.

Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Graphix

Summary:  Avery Lee’s life is full of ups and downs, in large part due to her big family.  She’s the second oldest of seven siblings, which makes for a lot of chaos and not much alone time to pursue the art she loves.  Her older brother just got his own room, which Avery sees as totally unfair, and when her friend Cameron tells her his family is building a bedroom in the basement, Avery decides to do some fundraising to earn money for her own construction.  Dog-walking and a lemonade stand each have their share of pitfalls, and before long Avery gets some news that derails all her plans…her mom has taken a new job, and the family is moving from Maryland to Oregon.  Avery is heartbroken to be leaving her friends and beloved hometown, but the promise of her own room in the new house makes the move a bit sweeter.  256 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  From the team that brought you Allergic, Squished is a complete delight, giving a sweet and realistic portrayal of life in a big family with sibling, school, and friendship issues that many readers will recognize.  If you’re buying for a library, get an extra copy or two.

Cons:  I struggled to keep all the kids straight; you might want to bookmark the labeled photo on page 15 for easy reference.

Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  In the first few pages, Lawrence gets suspended for the rest of the year from his mostly-white middle school for fighting one of the class bullies. It doesn’t help that he and his mom and sister have moved from Charlotte into his grandmother’s house in a small rural town after his dad has been sent to jail. While waiting for the school to set up his online portal, he wanders over to his neighbor’s house, where Mr. Dennis invites him to go to the neighborhood rec center where he works.  There, Lawrence helps Mr. Dennis and begins to get to know some of the kids.  These kids come from the mostly Black school, and Lawrence feels more at home.  He becomes fascinated with the game of chess, in part because a girl named Twyla is one of the chess champions.  For the most part, things are going better, but one of the rec center boys, Deuce, gives Lawrence a hard time and tries to start fights.  Eventually, chess helps them to bridge their differences, and Lawrence discovers that he and Deuce have a lot in common.  When Deuce, Lawrence, and Twyla get a chance to compete in a chess tournament in Charlotte, they get a taste of a bigger world, but also a chance to build some confidence in their abilities and an appreciation for their friendship.  256 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This well-written story deftly handles topics like racism, multigenerational living, and incarcerated parents while focusing on Lawrence’s universal middle school issues with friends and romance.  With four starred reviews, this deserves to be a contender for a Newbery or Coretta Scott King award.

Cons:  An Amazon reviewer mentioned that chess tournaments are typically more diverse (and nerdier) than the one portrayed here which seemed to be mostly populated by mean preppy white kids.

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by First Second

Summary:  Dan Santat’s graphic memoir tells the story of his trip to Europe in 1989, the summer before he started high school.  Flashbacks show difficult times in middle school that have made him lose confidence in himself and want to stay invisible.  Surrounded by a supportive group of kids and an awesome teacher/chaperone, Dan flourishes in Europe, having adventures in several different countries that include sampling beer, smoking a cigarette, getting lost one night and stealing a bicycle to get home, and falling in love.  By the end of the trip, he’s experienced heartbreak but also grown and become more confident, presumably leading him to a high school experience very different from middle school.  Includes nine pages of photos and an author’s note that tells more about the trip and how he has kept in touch with the friends he made there.  320 pages; grades 5-9.

Pros:  This highly entertaining memoir will have you packing your bags for a European vacation.  Dan perfectly captures all the angst and bravado of being 13 years old, and of course his artwork is outstanding, showing many European landmarks with incredible detail.

Cons:  I was definitely planning to buy this for my elementary school library, but after reading it, I think it will be appreciated more by middle school readers.

Princess of the Wild Sea by Megan Frazer Blakemore

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Summary:  Princess Harbor has a happy, if somewhat isolated, life on a small island surrounded by her mother, her magical aunts, and a slew of island residents who are training her in skills that may come in handy when she returns to the mainland.  When she was born, one of the aunts (who has disappeared) put a curse on her that at age 13 she would prick her finger, fall into a deep sleep, and bring danger to all her people.  Another aunt tried to temper the curse by saying a hero would come from another world to save them.  The story opens on Harbor’s twelfth birthday, and within a short time period, the events start to unfold.  Harbor pricks her finger, falls asleep for a few hours, and six-year-old Peter shows up from a strange place called Kansas.  Could he really be the hero?  And is danger imminent?  As Harbor learns more about her birth and family, she becomes increasingly confused, but also more certain about what she must do to save her people…and what being a hero really means.  256 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This well-written fantasy does an admirable job of world-building and turns the story of Sleeping Beauty on its head, allowing both Harbor and Peter to get a taste of heroics and to realize that they don’t need magic to save the kingdom.  Could be a Newbery contender.

Cons:  I found the storyline and the large cast of characters a bit hard to keep track of.

Hands by Torrey Maldonado

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  As he moves toward adulthood, Trev is faced with some difficult decisions.  His stepfather is in jail for hitting his mom, and Trev wants to learn how to fight so he can protect her when his stepdad is free again.  But Trev is surrounded by people who care about him: his mom, his sisters, his teacher, and various “uncles” who are connected to him by blood or friendship and who encourage him to use his hands for his artistic talents.  When Trev ends up using them destructively in an attempt to protect one of his sisters, he begins to learn the downsides of violence.  As he says at the end, “I don’t have it all figured out, but I feel better knowing I have help.”  144 pages; grades 5-9.

Pros:  Short chapters, a distinctive voice, and universal problems make this an excellent choice for tweens and teens, especially young Black men.  It’s a quick read, but it could serve as a vehicle for many different discussions and/or writing prompts.

Cons:  Much of the story and conflict was internal, so there’s not a lot of action.

Captain America: The Ghost Army by Alan Gratz, illustrated by Brent Schoonover

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Graphix

Summary:  Captain America and his sidekick, 15-year-old Bucky, take on an army of ghosts during World War II.  The ghosts are attacking villages, and Captain America and Bucky are tasked with figuring out how they are being created, then destroying the machinery.  The evil goes even deeper than they first suspect, and they need the help of others that they meet: British fighter “Dum Dum” Dugan; Japanese American soldier Jim Morita who’s a master at creating illusions to trick the Germans; and local resistance fighter Andrei and his granddaughter Sofia, who has a bit of a clean-cut romance with Bucky.  At the end of the day, the good guys squeak out a victory, but the villain escapes, setting up the possibility of a sequel.  176 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  A superhero graphic novel is going to be wildly popular no matter what I say about it, and Alan Gratz has already proven himself a master of suspenseful historical fiction.  Readers will appreciate the excellent artwork and the non-stop action.

Cons:  The plot seemed kind of ridiculously far-fetched to me, but I am the first to admit this is not my favorite genre.

The In-Between: A Memoir in Verse by Katie Van Heidrich

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Aladdin

Summary:  In this debut memoir in verse, Katie Van Heidrich writes about a six-week period when she lived with her mother and two younger siblings in a motel room.  It’s an “in-between” time when her mom is between jobs and unable to keep their apartment.  As Katie tries to adjust to her circumstances while pretending everything is normal to her seventh-grade classmates and teachers, she reflects on the past and her relationship with the members of her family.  Her Black mother and white father have always worked to be in her life, even after they divorced, and she recognizes how her dad has provided structure while her mom has allowed her to dream.  The kids spend weekends with their dad, who’s recently remarried and living in the suburbs, but Katie slowly learns the reasons why they can’t live there all the time.  By the time a tenuous happy ending arrives, Katie’s learned that she can’t always please her parents and that her voice is an important part of the family.  Includes seven pages of photos.  304 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Katie Van Heidrich has a masterful debut with verse that is both expressive and concise and beautiful pacing that slowly reveals each family member’s personality and how the past has brought them to the present moment.

Cons:  While there’s nothing in this book that makes it inappropriate for upper elementary, the emotions are so pitch-perfect for middle schoolers that it might be better appreciated by older readers.

The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni

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Published by Holiday House

Summary:  Garnet has always loved her mother’s stories about growing up with her large extended family at the Crossroad House, but her mom fled the house long ago, and Garnet has never seen it.  It takes an episode of vomiting frogs to get the two of them back there, where they find the house in disrepair and the family dealing with the family patriarch, Jasper, who is staying alive by sucking the life energy from anyone he can.  As Garnet learns more about her magical family and their history, she discovers powers of her own beyond the magic she has always practiced.  When a crisis threatens her and her cousins, she must use those powers to save herself and to put her family on a new and more promising path.  224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Buckle yourself in for a magical mystery tour of an ancient house and family that holds more than its share of dark secrets.  Anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a generous dose of spookiness is in for a treat. Dianne Salerni does an amazing job of creating a richly detailed magical family history in just over 200 pages.

Cons:  I struggled to keep all the members of the family straight.  I wish the family tree, which I had to refer to frequently, had been at the beginning of the book instead of on pages 10 and 11.

The Many Fortunes of Maya by Nicole D. Collier

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Published by Versify

Summary:  Maya’s chosen to play soccer over the flute, following in her beloved father’s footsteps.  Daddy is her number one fan, so it’s all the more devastating when he and Mama announce that they’re separating for the summer.  Summer is filled with soccer camp, friends, and days at the new pool, where Maya learns about her mother’s past as a championship swimmer.  A more secret part of her summer days is the time she spends in her closet quietly playing her flute, which she can’t bring herself to admit that she misses.  Watching her mother reclaim the joy she once knew in the pool makes Maya question what brings her that joy and leads her to make a decision about which path to follow in the upcoming school year. The title comes from a wheel Maya has made in her room with fortune cookie fortunes; by the end of the story, she has learned that she makes her own fortunes.  240 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  A great choice for elementary students. Kids will relate to Maya and her issues around friends, family, and figuring out who she really is.  

Cons:  The resolution of the friendship story felt a little rushed.