Middle grade fiction

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  11-year-old Kofi has a good life as part of his West African community.  He finds his English-speaking teacher pretentious but likes to learn and enjoys hanging out with friends at school, especially Ama, the girl he has a crush on.  His cousin is his rival, and Kofi is preparing for a swimming race between the two of them that may determine his future with Ama.  When his older brother Kwasi accidentally kills a prince in a wrestling match, life begins to take some dark turns.  The prince’s family kidnaps both Kwasi and Kofi; Kofi is eventually shackled and crowded onto a ship (the door of no return) with others to be taken away from their homes.  A plot twist in the end leaves the readers in suspense, preparing the way for the next book in this planned trilogy.  Includes a Twi glossary and guide to Adinkra symbols that appear in the book.  432 pages; grades 6-9.

Pros:  Kwame Alexander has produced another masterpiece novel in verse that is sure to win some awards.  The transition from Kofi’s life in Africa to his captivity is stark, violent, and may be disturbing to younger or more sensitive kids, but the whole story adds so many important dimensions to the narrative of slavery.

Cons:  The story takes place in 1860, which seemed late to me.  I thought the slave trade ended well before that.  I wish there had been more historical notes at the end to explain what was going on at that time.

Play Like a Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Misty Wilson, illustrated by David Wilson

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Balzer + Bray

Summary:  Misty’s always loved competing with the boys, so when they tell her football’s not for girls, she decides to prove them wrong. It’s the summer before seventh grade, and she convinces her best friend Bree to sign up for seventh grade football with her.  Practices in the August heat are grueling, and the girls have to learn new skills like tackling and learning how to wear football pads.  It proves to be too much for Bree, but Misty sticks with it and becomes an important part of the team.  Most of the boys eventually accept her as a teammate, but a couple never do, which results in some uncomfortable situations.  In between practices and games, Misty deals with friendship issues, a crush on a teammate, and being part of a large blended family.  In the end, she learns the importance of being herself and surrounding herself with people who believe in her.  Includes an author’s note with some additional information about her football career.  272 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This husband-and-wife team has produced an excellent graphic memoir that will inspire kids to try something outside of their comfort zones.  Sure to appeal to the many fans of the ever-growing middle school graphic novel genre.

Cons:  I was bummed that Misty quit football after seventh grade.

Freestyle by Gale Galligan

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Graphix

Summary:  Cory’s part of Eight Bitz, a dance team getting ready for the annual Bronx Kids Battle dance competition.  When progress reports come out, though, his straight C’s upset his parents, who insist that he cut back on dance and get a tutor.  That tutor winds up being Sunna, his science lab partner who Cory has dismissed as a nerd.  But when he accidentally discovers her passion for yo-yo’ing, he changes his mind completely.  Sunna proves to be a good tutor of both the yo-yo and the more academic subjects, and before long Cory has come a long way with both and earned his way back into Eight Bitz.  There are rifts within the team, including Cory’s new friendship with Sunna, and the eight kids have to work hard and compromise to keep the group together.  A yo-yo competition and the Bronx Kids Battle wrap things up, with realistic successes for everyone.  272 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  It’s graphic novels week after a bunch of them arrived for me at the library all at once. This one, from Baby-Sitters Club alum Galligan, is a high-energy middle school story with plenty of action and early teen angst.  The artwork beautifully captures the dance and yo-yo moves, and the kids do an admirable job of working out their differences pretty much without parental assistance

Cons:  There’s a good review on Amazon by a Muslim parent who mentions some of the ways Sunna is not accurately portrayed, including being alone with Cory in her bedroom and holding his hand when they dance together.

Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by First Second

Summary:  Marlene’s curly hair has been the bane of her existence for the last several years, as her mother insists on the two of them making weekly visits to the salon to have their hair straightened.  Not only is this physically painful, but it makes Marlene feel like her natural look isn’t beautiful.  After a few disastrous attempts to style her hair on her own, Marlene gets into trouble and is sent to her tía Ruby for a weekend of gardening.  Ruby has fully embraced her Dominican heritage, including her hair, and she shows Marlene how to manage her curls and make them beautiful.  Marlene is nervous to show her new look to her mom, but it serves as a catalyst to a much-needed conversation that brings them closer together.  224 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Marlene is a character many tweens will relate to, torn between wanting to fit in, wanting to please a parent, and wanting to be herself.  This graphic novel also has a great message about the Eurocentric standard of beauty and embracing beauty from all cultures.  

Cons:  I always enjoy a good subplot or two, but this story stuck pretty closely to the main hair-related plot.

The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Summary:  Malika, nicknamed Boog, lives in a San Antonio neighborhood near her best friends Jules and Cedric.  They all agree that their parents are way too overprotective, acting as though vampires were not all wiped out during the Reaping that took place before they were born.  A new neighbor named Aaron seems to fit into their group perfectly, but his mysterious disappearance turns their lives upside down.  When Boog learns that Aaron’s been bitten by a vampire, she and her friends take matters into their own hands, trying to discover the monster that is most likely living among them.  The new school guidance counselor is the obvious choice, but some surprise revelations at the end change everything about the kids’ lives and seem to set the stage for a sequel.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  I have a few books with heavier topics waiting to be read, but I opted for the vampire tale this week and am so glad I did!  I had trouble putting this book down, with its diverse cast of characters, excellent blend of middle school humor, and delicious creepiness that kept me turning the pages.  As a side note, I finally was grateful that my daughter urged me to join her watching several seasons of Buffy, which gave me some background knowledge of vampire lore.

Cons:  This made me break my vow, made many years ago, to never read another vampire story after finishing Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot. 

The Prisoner of Shiverstone by Linette Moore

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Helga Sharp, an 11-year-old inventor, accidentally makes contact with Erasmus Lope, who’s been trapped on an island where “mad scientists” are exiled away from the mainland.  When Helga is found unconscious on the island, she’s housed with a brother and sister who work as island guards, but who have a few secrets of their own.  With the help of the sister’s robot butler, Helga gets to work trying to free Erasmus.  The secrets of both Helga and the island characters are gradually revealed, as Helga carries out her mission and ultimately finds a new home on the island.  160 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A fast-paced graphic novel with lots of fun characters and plenty of adventure.  The end is somewhat open-ended, and readers will no doubt hope for a sequel to learn about what’s next for the plucky Helga.

Cons:  There was a lot of world-building and plot to cram into 160 pages.

Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Levine Querido

Summary:  Aviva is an introverted 11-year-old whose mother, Ema, struggles with depression, but her life hasn’t always been that way.  Before her father’s accidental death, both she and Ema were a lively part of their Orthodox Jewish community.  Now the two of them live in a tiny apartment above the mikvah, a women’s ritual bathing house that her mother takes care of.  The mikvah is also home to a dybbuk, a mischievous spirit that only Aviva can see.  While Aviva and Ema have been immersed in grief for the last five years, things begin to change when Aviva starts sixth grade, as a renewed friendship with Kayla and her mother opens up new possibilities.  A final, frightening showdown with the dybbuk helps Aviva to come to terms with her grief, allowing her and her mother to begin to move forward.  171 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This debut novel is beautifully written, exploring the emotions of grief and trauma, as well as the antisemitism directed at the Orthodox Jewish community.  This strong community, especially the women, makes for an inspiring cast of characters with language, rituals, and traditions expertly woven into the story.  I’ve seen this book on a few Newbery prediction lists.

Cons:  This book reminded me of last year’s Newbery honor book Too Bright to See: in both cases, the first few chapters felt so depressing that I almost gave up.  I was ultimately glad I stuck with both books, but kids might need some extra encouragement to keep reading.

Scout Is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Random House Graphic

Summary:  Scout’s greatest dream is to go to AlmonteFest and meet her favorite author.  When she finds out her school band is going, she decides to join, pretending that she can play trombone.  The only other trombone player is Merrin, a dedicated player who is trying to get into an exclusive arts high school.  Merrin has been wanting to have first and second trombone parts and is annoyed that Scout is faking her way through all the music.  A disastrous concert forces a reluctant Scout to take lessons from Merrin, and much to the surprise of both girls, they discover they actually have quite a bit in common.  By the time of the festival, they’ve become pretty good friends.  A falling out on the trip reveals to both how much they need each other, and that having dreams come true isn’t always as important as having a best friend to count on.  Includes several pages from the artist showing how they developed the characters and story.  272 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  As I revealed a couple of years ago, I too was a band kid, so I always enjoy reading about the fun if slightly cringey world of teen musicians.  This particular ensemble has a pretty stellar cast of unique characters, and I found it satisfying to watch Scout gradually realize that her true friends are in the band.  Raina Telgemeier fans will enjoy this when they’re ready to move onto something a little bit edgier.

Cons:  Occasionally some of the characters looked like they were sketched in instead of fully drawn.  I think there was probably a reason for this, but I couldn’t figure it out.

You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Middle school is off to a rough start for David. On one particularly bad day he messes up a presentation on his family heritage (he’s adopted), gets food poisoning before a big cross-country race, and causes an accident that injures his best friend, Antoine, ruining Antoine’s dreams of making the varsity cross-country team.  When he wishes for a do-over, he gets a visit from a wisecracking time-traveling dog.  Fea, as David nicknames her, is on a mission to help him straighten out his life. Reliving the most recent day doesn’t take care of it, so David has to travel deeper into his past. Fea also helps him acknowledge the romantic feelings he has for Antoine by sharing her regrets from her own life. It turns out she was once a human who loved a girl in high school but never had the courage to tell her.  The forays into the past start to reveal interesting clues about David’s birth and adoption, and everything comes together with a few surprising plot twists.  384 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Although this story addresses the serious topics of being yourself and living life without regrets, it is also a ton of fun with a narrator who has a great self-deprecating sense of humor and a plot that adeptly handles the intricacies of time travel.  Betsy Bird has this on the fall edition of her Newbery predictions list.  We shall see in just a few short months.

Cons:  The plot twists at the end required some suspension of disbelief.

The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Joanna Cacao

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Graphix

Summary:  Seventh grade is tough, and to Christina, the cheerleading squad looks like they have it all figured out.  She and her best friend Megan decide to try out, a two-step process that involves a first round with a panel of judges and a second round in which the whole school votes.  Christina, who is Thai-American, and Megan, who is Iranian-American, have often felt like outsiders in their small Texas town.  Megan decides to partner with someone else for the tryouts, feeling that they’ll stand out less if paired with white girls.  Christina is hurt but finds a new partner and throws herself into preparing for the big day.  Things don’t turn out the way the girls are hoping, but just getting through the terrifying experience of auditioning in front of their classmates gives both girls new confidence to pursue other goals.  Includes an author’s note and five pages of photos that give more information about Christina’s real-life middle school experiences.  272 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Add this to the list of high-quality books produced by the incredibly prolific Christina Soontornvat. Readers will be entertained and inspired by her middle grade graphic memoir that looks at racism, bullying, and learning to be yourself.  

Cons:  This seems like a truly terrible way to choose a middle school cheerleading squad.