Middle grade fiction

In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Summary:  Andi and Zora are two of the only Black girls at the prestigious Harmony Music Camp, and they get off to a bad start as bunkmates.  Andi has recently lost her mother in a car accident and carries a guilty secret around her death.  Zora is trying to live up to her parents’ expectations but is starting to think that dance may be her passion more than music.  Andi loves playing the trumpet, but her method of playing mostly by ear doesn’t work very well for the classical style of the camp orchestra, and Zora is assigned to be her mentor.  A friendship slowly grows, and Zora starts to wonder if they might be more than friends.  A climactic scene in which both girls get lost in the woods reveals Andi’s secret about her mom and allows the girls to reveal their feelings for each other.  There are still some issues to be worked out, but both girls head for home feeling a little more confident about who they are.  Includes an author’s note about growing up queer and Black.  354 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  A lovely summer romance (with a single kiss and some hand holding) that will resonate with any kid who has ever felt like they don’t belong.  The story is told in alternating voices of the girls, so readers get to gradually see what is going on with each character, both from her own point of view and from others’ perspectives.  Each section ends with a moving poem written in the voice of the camp itself.

Cons:  Death, self-harm, coming to terms with sexuality, bullying, racism: there are a lot of heavy topics dealt with in this book.  To me, though, the author handled them with a deft enough touch to make this an enjoyable summer read.

Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo

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Published by Graphix

Summary:  Sue (or Suyapa to her family) just wants to draw, go to camp, and hang out with her friends all summer, but her family has other plans: the annual trip to visit relatives back in Honduras.  When they get there, Sue is horrified to learn that her mother has been secretly planning her quinceañera, an event Sue has made clear she does not want.  She reluctantly agrees if her mother lets her go to camp when they get back in the US.  Sue’s abuela encourages Sue by telling her how she kept her sense of style for her own quinceañera.  When Sue finds out her mother forgot to sign her up for camp, the deal is off.  But then abuela passes away, and Sue begins to realize how important her extended family is to her and decides to respect her grandmother by having the quinceañera after all.  She manages to pull off an event that honors her grandmother, keeps the family traditions, and includes her own special flair.  Includes a four-page note with photos about quinceañeras.  252 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  Here’s another great graphic novel for Raina fans that shows a loving Latine family with a girl struggling to figure out exactly where she belongs. 

Cons:  I would definitely get this for an elementary library, but a 15-year-old protagonist seems a little old for that audience.

Answers in the Pages by David Levithan

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Donovan is a fifth-grade student whose mother challenges the book his teacher assigns, The Adventurers, because she sees the two main characters as being gay.  Gideon and Roberto are two fifth-grade boys whose friendship turns into something more romantic.  Rick and Oliver are the two main characters in The Adventurers, who, along with their friend Melody, are trying to stop an evil genius from stealing the Doomsday Code.  Each story unfolds in alternating chapters until they come together at an important meeting of the school board to decide the fate of the book.  Includes a three-page author’s note acknowledging the work of other authors who write books about LGBTQIA+ characters (many of whom have characters named for them in the story) as well as the work of those defending challenged books.  176 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This book could hardly be more timely, and I appreciate David Levithan’s nuanced writing about this issue. I liked how Donovan’s mother was able to change her position after an honest conversation with her son.  I totally did not see how the stories were coming together at the end and was delighted by that twist.

Cons:  I was reading this book kind of quickly, and it took me a while to figure out the structure with the three alternating stories.

Growing Pangs by Kathryn Ormsbee, illustrated by Molly Brooks

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Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Kathryn Ormsbee’s memoir begins the summer before sixth grade when Katie and her best friend Kacey are going off to camp for a week.  Katie feels like a bit of an oddball as a homeschooled kid with red hair, crooked teeth, and a secret about the obsessive thoughts she sometimes has when she’s feeling anxious.  Camp turns out to be good, though, except that Kacey starts acting cold when Katie makes a new friend.  Katie hopes that things will get better when their homeschool co-op starts up again, but the two friends seem to be moving in different directions.  On top of that, Katie learns she has to have dental surgery and her obsessive thoughts are getting worse.  A chance to act in a local theater production and a couple of new friends help the situation, but things really start to improve when she’s forced to tell her parents about her anxiety.  The last page sees Katie about to walk into a therapist’s office where she feels hopeful that she can get some help.  Includes an author’s notes with photos from her childhood and an artist’s note showing how she developed the art.  250 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Another one for Raina fans that even deals with some similar topics (dental difficulties, anxiety).  Katie is a character many kids will relate to as she navigates the ups and downs of friendships and the beginnings of puberty.  I loved how the artist portrayed Katie’s OCD thoughts with buzzing bees, and I also loved the support that Katie’s parents showed when they finally found out what was going on with her.

Cons:  I was so curious to know how the therapist appointment went.  I hope we get a sequel.

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by HarperAlley

Summary:  Bree’s nervous about her big move with her dad from New York to Florida, but things seem to be going well until she finds out that her sixth-grade elective is Swim 101.  Surrounded by kids who have grown up around pools and the ocean, Bree is embarrassed that she doesn’t know how to swim.  All that changes one day when she accidentally falls into her apartment complex’s pool and is rescued by her neighbor, Miss Etta.  It turns out that Etta was a swimming champion, and she takes Bree under her wing and, step by step, teaches her how to swim.  To raise her Swim 101 grade, Bree agrees to try out for the swim team and to everyone’s surprise–including her own–she’s a natural.  The girls on the team have their ups and downs as they prepare for the big state championship.  When Etta sees their struggles, she decides to reunite with her old swim team, including one woman with whom she hasn’t spoken for decades.  The older women coach the girls to a nail-biting but ultimately entirely satisfying state championship win.  256 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jerry Craft will definitely want to dive into this graphic novel.  The excellent art (I especially love the swimming scenes) and compelling story will have them clamoring for a sequel.  The difficult history Black people in America have had with swimming and racism is seamlessly woven into the present-day narrative.

Cons:  Bree’s journey from non-swimmer to champion seemed a bit unrealistically short.

Those Kids from Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  The kids in the tiny town of Fawn Creek, Louisiana have known each other for most of their lives.  So it’s a big deal that Renni moved away last year, and an even bigger deal when new girl Orchid shows up in their sixth grade class.  Not only does Orchid have beautiful hair (rumor has it that she’s had it insured), but she tells enchanting stories about her life in New York City and Paris.  Everyone expects her to become part of Janie’s popular crowd, but instead she gravitates toward outcasts Grayson and Dorothy.  The story takes place in the days leading up to a much-anticipated dance in the neighboring town where Renni now lives, and many of the kids find themselves reevaluating their personalities and roles as a result of their interactions with Orchid.  This culminates the night of the dance, when Grayson finally shows his true self, and a bullying incident leads both Dorothy and Janie to see who they really are.  336 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Erin Entrada Kelly has created a memorable cast or characters who are all brought to life through a series of what seem to be small, everyday experiences.  With four starred reviews, this book is likely to be considered for another Newbery Medal or honor to put alongside the two Kelly already has.

Cons:  For the first half of the book, I struggled to keep all the characters straight and was grateful for the list of characters (grouped by clique) on the inside jacket flap.

Grow Up, Tahlia Wilkins! by Karina Evans

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Tahlia has an eventful 48 hours when she gets her period on the last day of seventh grade and has to be ready for Noah’s big pool party the next day.  Her mom’s out of town so it’s up to her best friend Lily to help Tahlia navigate the stormy waters of puberty.  Together the two plot ways to get their hands on some tampons, then try to figure out how they work.  When they end up at dinner with Noah’s family the night before the party, Lily saves Tahlia from an embarrassing stain issue by “accidentally” spilling a virgin strawberry margarita all over her.  The pool party goes surprisingly well…until Lily divulges a devastating secret of her own that makes Tahlia see how selfishly wrapped up in her own problems she’s been.  The last chapter fast forwards to the first day of eighth grade when a more mature Tahlia reaches out to a new girl on her first day of school.  293 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This felt very true-to-life in a Judy Blume-esque way.  Tahlia’s total focus on herself and the enormity of her problems was spot on for a middle school kid, and the friendship and puberty issues rang true and were very funny as well.

Cons:  After all the build-up to the party that “will make or break my entire summer”, the summer sounded pretty ho-hum.

The Lucky Ones by Linda Williams Jackson

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Ellis Earl lives in grinding poverty in 1967 Mississippi, sharing his three-room shack with his mother, eight siblings, and 3-year-old niece.  He dreams of being a lawyer or teacher one day and is fortunate to have a supportive teacher, Mr. Foster, who does what he can to keep his students fed and in school.  When Mr. Foster gives him a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ellis Earl is delighted to meet a character even worse off than he is who succeeds in turning things around for himself and his family.  Mr. Foster also introduces Ellis Earl to the larger world, first by taking him to his church on Easter and then by inviting some of the class to Jackson to greet Senator Robert Kennedy, who is coming to the Mississippi delta to see firsthand the poverty there.  That trip shows Ellis Earl and his classmates life beyond their small town, but also provides a sobering introduction to hatred and racism.  Through luck and determination Ellis Earl finds his own “golden ticket” that begins to change his and his family’s fortunes.  Includes an author’s note about how her own experiences growing up in Mississippi influenced this book.  310 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  I loved Ellis Earl and his family, who are all portrayed as flawed but loveable characters, there for each other through some pretty terrible times.  The historical information is deftly woven into the story, as are the parallels between Ellis Earl’s story and Charlie Bucket’s.

Cons:  While I do love a happy ending and was delighted with this one, it had a couple of unlikely events occurring in the same month to turn things around for the family.

Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun by Hena Khan, illustrated by Wastana Haikal

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Salaam Reads

Summary:  Zara lives on a street with several other kids, including her brother Zayd who will grow up to star in his own series.  Before her neighbor Mr. Chapman moved away, he called Zara “Queen of the Neighborhood” and said she ruled with grace and fairness.  A new family moves into Mr. Chapman’s house, and the two kids become part of the neighborhood. Naomi, who is Zara’s age, has enough good ideas for Zara to feel threatened in her role as queen.  Inspired by her uncle’s Guinness Book of World Records, Zara decides to try to set a world record in an attempt to shine the spotlight on herself once again.  As a solo effort, the plan is a failure, but when she starts including her friends, both old and new, it’s a runaway success.  Book 2 will be out in October. 133 pages; grades 2-4.

Pros:  The author cites Beverly Cleary’s Ramona stories as an inspiration, and this book does have that feel to it, with a strong-willed protagonist and a close-knit family and neighborhood.  Unlike Klickitat Street, there’s some diversity in the neighborhood, including Zara’s Pakistani American family.  The plentiful illustrations will appeal to early chapter book readers.

Cons:  As much as I love books like these, I struggle to sell them to kids, who seem to almost always opt for graphic novels instead.

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone by by Tae Keller

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Mallory considers herself lucky to have a best friend like Reagan, someone who understands her fears and helps her move up the ladder of middle school popularity. So, when Jennifer Chan moves in across the street, Mallory is wary.  Jennifer is fascinated by aliens and hopes to find life in space.  Mallory actually finds this interesting, too, but knows it is potential bully bait at school, which indeed proves to be the case once seventh grade begins.  When Jennifer goes missing, Mallory starts to believe that she’s made contact with the aliens and enlists the help of two smart but less popular girls.  The narrative moves between the past and the present, with Mallory uncomfortably recalling The Incident, which she finally reveals in a climactic moment.  As she comes to terms with the fact that she has been a bully–or at least a bystander–she starts to re-evaluate what she wants in a friend and to see that she holds the key to finding Jennifer Chan.  Includes an author’s note describing her own experience with being bullied.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This powerful novel shows that everyone has a story to tell, whether that person is a bully, a target, or a bystander.  I liked how it didn’t just have a mean girl, but really showed each girl’s motivations for doing what she did.  Tae Keller has already won one Newbery, and I’m sure this book will be considered for another.

Cons:  Tess was the exception to my statement above and wasn’t as three-dimensional as the other characters.