Middle grade fiction

Gabby Gets It Together (PAWS book 1) by Nathan Fairbairn, illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Razorbill

Summary:  The book opens with Gabby struggling to walk five dogs and losing track of four of them.  How did she get into this desperate situation? She explains how she and her friends Mindy and Priya love animals but for one reason or another can’t have pets.  They brainstorm how to get more animals into their lives and come up with PAWS, a dog-walking business.  Right away, they find five clients, but a lack of communication among the three of them leads to a series of misunderstandings that threatens the business.  Which brings us back to the opening scene, when Priya and Mindy have stood Gabby up, and she is trying to walk all five dogs.  Fortunately, all three girls have a change of heart, and Priya and Mindy show up in time to rescue the dogs and the business.  They talk about how to fix their mistakes, and PAWS is back in business and ready for book 2.  176 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  This graphic novel is going to be very, very popular in my library with all those kids who love The Baby-Sitters Club and Allergic, with believable tween protagonists, cute dogs, and colorful artwork.

Cons: Mindy and Priya seem to have the upper hand because they’re both a year older than Gabby.

Rolo’s Story (Dog’s Eye View, book 2) by Blake Morgan, illustrated by David Dean

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Published by Tiger Tales

Summary:  Rolo starts life with a cruel owner, often tied up in the backyard with a rope and without enough food.  He finally runs away but finds life as a stray to be a precarious existence.  After his friend and mentor Scrap is taken away to the pound, Rolo takes shelter in a shed where he is discovered by a girl named Freya.  Freya lives with her single mother, who is stressed by her many responsibilities and isn’t sure about adding an untrained puppy to the household.  Freya and Rolo’s obvious love for each other finally wins her over, and after a series of mishaps, Rolo finally gets some training.  His presence brings some changes to the household, and Mom finds a career that makes all of them happier.  192 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  I always enjoy a good dog-narrated story, and this one is particularly heartwarming, especially for readers who, like Rolo, may not always succeed at carrying out their good intentions.  This is book 2 in a series whose subject matter and relatively low page count is sure to appeal to a wide range of elementary readers.

Cons:  I wish there had been more illustrations besides the same picture of Rolo at the head of each chapter.  Also, Mom’s overnight career switch from accountant to dogwalker seemed a bit fiscally risky.

The Supernatural Society (book 1) by Rex Ogle

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Published by Inkyard Press

Summary:  Will’s struggling with his parents’ recent divorce, his father’s abandonment, and a move from New York City to the small town of East Emerson.  At first he thinks that the monsters he’s seeing in his new town are some overenthusiastic Halloween fans, but before long he realizes that he alone can see the horrors all around him.  Alone, that is, except for his somewhat eccentric neighbor Ivy, who’s in possession of a ring that allows her to see them as well.  Her brilliantly geeky brother Linus doesn’t have the gift and isn’t sure what to believe, but the three of them ultimately form a team to solve the mystery of disappearing pets in town and discover the evil force behind it.  Narrated by Adam Monster, with a voice that evokes A Series of Unfortunate Events, the book ends with a number of unresolved issues, paving the way for book 2 and beyond.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Fans of Lemony Snicket, The Notebook of Doom series, and other books that combine humor and horror will enjoy this series opener that delivers plenty of both.

Cons:  I was sure that Adam Monster’s identity would be revealed in a way that would somehow tie into the rest of the story, but at least in book 1 he seemed to be a somewhat random choice for a narrator.

Sofía Acosta Makes a Scene by Emma Otheguy

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Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Sofía has always taken being part of a ballet family somewhat for granted.  Her parents were both members of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba before immigrating to New York, and both her older sister and younger brother are at the tops of their classes.  By fifth grade, though, Sofía is starting to realize that her talents lie more with costume design than with dance, and she worries that she’s not living up to her family’s expectations.  She’s also starting to notice some anti-immigration sentiment as a variety of issues unfold around her: new affordable housing in the neighborhood, her teacher from Ireland who’s just become a US citizen, and a young friend who’s considering defecting from Cuba to dance with the American Ballet Theater.  As the days count down to the big Nutcracker performance, her teacher’s surprise party, and her Cuban friend’s decision, Sofía has to decide how and when to speak up for what’s important to her.  288 pages; grades 4-6.

Pros:  Readers will enjoy the chance to become part of Sofía’s warm Cuban-American family that always has room (and good snacks) for any friends or family who want to visit.  Sofía is realistically portrayed, worried about her friends and her place in her family as she gradually becomes more aware of the larger world around her.  

Cons:  I was sorry that Sofía never had a talk with her aunt who wasn’t into ballet and who sometimes, like Sofía, seemed to feel overshadowed by her talented older sister.

Spy School: The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Ben Ripley has always dreamed of being a spy, but he’s still pretty shocked when he suddenly gets recruited to a school that’s secretly training young CIA operatives. The school is similar to a regular middle school in some ways: bad food, boring classes, and pompous administrators, but the attempted assassinations and hidden bombs put a new spin on things.  It appears that someone has brought Ben to the school for their own nefarious purposes but trying to figure out who that is and why proves to be both challenging and dangerous.  Fortunately, Ben is aided by Erica, the smartest (and coolest) girl in the school.  The enemy is foiled at last, but a letter at the end promises a sequel, and fans of the non-graphic Spy School series know that Ben’s adventures are just beginning. 296 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  There are already legions of Spy School fans, and the graphic novel will undoubtedly recruit many more.  I haven’t read the original, so I don’t know how this compares, but there’s plenty of action and humor which is always a winning combination for upper elementary and middle school.

Cons:  The artwork lacked much background detail and was a bit flat.


Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  When Maizy’s grandfather gets sick, she and her mother return to her mom’s childhood home in Last Chance, Minnesota.  Maizy’s not excited at the prospect of spending an entire summer with grandparents she barely knows, but Last Chance proves to be surprisingly interesting.  Her grandfather, Opa, tells her stories about Lucky, their ancestor from China who unexpectedly wound up in Last Chance and owned the Golden Palace restaurant that Maizy’s grandparents still run.  Lucky encountered hatred and racism in America, but also kindness, and Maizy has some similar experiences.  When the restaurant is targeted in a racist incident, Maizy is determined to find the culprit.  Her grandfather’s tales lead her to dig deeper into the story of the Paper Sons whose pictures hang on the walls of the Golden Palace, and she starts to connect with other Chinese American people around the country.  The whole community comes together when Maizy and her family need them the most, and she learns that there is more to many of her neighbors than meets the eye.  Includes a 10-page author’s note with lots of photos telling of her own Chinese American family’s story.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  There’s a lot packed into this fast-paced story, and Lisa Yee does an excellent job of tying up many different threads in a heartwarming final scene.  Opa’s stories about Lucky are well-integrated into the text, each one just a page or two long so that it doesn’t feel like an interruption to the main narrative. 

Cons:  The fact that I loved the short chapters (some just a page long) probably doesn’t speak well for my diminished attention span.

Just Harriet by Elana K. Arnold

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Published by Walden Pond Press

Summary:  Harriet gets an upsetting surprise on her last day of third grade: her pregnant mother has been ordered to go on bed rest until the baby arrives, and Harriet will be spending two months at her grandmother’s bed and breakfast on Marble Island.  On the ferry trip, her father, who grew up on the island, makes a few cryptic comments about treasure and a gingerbread house that arouse Harriet’s curiosity.  After she gets to Nanu’s house and her dad leaves, though, Harriet is miserable for the next few days and expresses her misery by being surly and unpleasant to those around her.  Fortunately, Nanu is understanding, and as the days go by, Harriet begins to make some discoveries that help her to get to know her dad as a boy and that lead her to unlocking the mysteries of the treasure and the gingerbread house.  By the end of the book, Harriet has discovered her own strength and feels much more confident about her abilities to get through the summer on her own.  208 pages; grades 2-4.

Pros:  I love how upfront Harriet is about her shortcomings: on the first page she tells the reader that she lies, is plagued by nightmares, and sometimes wets the bed.  She covers up her homesickness with grumpiness and occasional fibs but grows in a way that’s realistic and that will resonate with many readers.  The mystery is a fun part of the story, but somewhat secondary to Harriet’s development. I’m always happy to see a “real” chapter book written for this age group.

Cons:  I liked the somewhat eccentric woman called the Captain and was hoping there would be more revealed about her character.

Omar Rising by Aisha Saeed

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Omar Rising - Kindle edition by Saeed, Aisha. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Summary:  Omar is on his way to the prestigious Ghalib Academy, an honor celebrated not only by him and his mother, but by his entire community.  He knows he’ll have to work hard, but he’s unprepared for the reality of what it means to be a scholarship student: no clubs or sports, five hours of chores each week, and a good possibility of being expelled if he doesn’t maintain an A-plus average.  Omar grows close to some of the other boys on scholarship, and they work together day and night to try to keep their grades up.  When Omar and his friend Naveed find out they’ve been “weeded” at the end of the first year, they are desperate to find a way to stay at the school.  Omar discovers that his kindness and work ethic have not gone unnoticed. He finds allies in unlikely places as he and the other students become activists to change the rules, not only for Omar and Naveed, but for the boys who will come after them. 224 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Omar, a friend of Amal’s from Amal Unbound, will inspire readers with his determination and social activism.  Learning about the class differences in Pakistan and how they affect the lives of those in every class may cause readers to take a closer look at differences in their own cultures.

Cons:  Don’t make the mistake that I did and read the last few chapters of this book in a public place with no tissues in the immediate vicinity.

The Supervillain’s Guide to Being a Fat Kid by Matt Wallace

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

The Supervillain's Guide to Being a Fat Kid: Wallace, Matt: 9780063008038: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Max hopes that middle school will give him a new start, but an hour into his first day, he’s already had a humiliating interaction with some eighth-grade bullies.  In desperation, he writes to Master Plan, a famous villain who’s in jail after defeating a beloved superhero.  The two start exchanging letters, and Master Plan, who was a fat kid like Max, offers advice on how to be cool and outsmart your enemies.  Max is thrilled with his new image, but occasionally troubled that his new personality doesn’t always correlate with being a good friend and a kind person.  When a showdown with his tormentors results in disaster, Max realizes that Master Plan has been using him and makes a decision to follow his own heart and sense of what’s right.  The story ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but also with the knowledge that Max knows himself and will be okay whatever the outcome.  272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  An inspiring story about learning to be yourself set in a fun world populated by superheroes and villains.  It’s refreshing to see a message about body positivity aimed at boys.

Cons:  I wonder if kids who feel the embarrassment and shame Max experiences at the start of the book would be hesitant to be seen reading a guide to “being a fat kid”.

The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown

~ Janet Dawson ~ 4 Comments

Published by Scholastic

The Girl in the Lake: Brown, India Hill: 9781338678888: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Celeste is apprehensive about spending two weeks at her grandparents’ lake house with her brother and cousins.  She’s just had a bad experience with swimming lessons and is still afraid to get in the water.  Her grandparents are big advocates of Black people learning to swim: her grandfather worked as a lifeguard, and her grandmother had a sister who drowned while trying to teach herself to swim.  Grandma and Grandad are understanding, though, not only of Celeste’s concerns but also of her brother’s reluctance to hike in the woods and her cousins’ fears of thunderstorms and driving.  Before long, though, the kids have bigger concerns as weird happenings make them begin to suspect that the house is haunted by the ghost of their great aunt who drowned, a girl who bore a strong resemblance to Celeste.  As the ghost seems to grow more menacing, the four cousins must put aside their differences and work together to survive their time in the house. Includes an author’s note that talks more about how segregation has kept Black people from learning to swim, including her own story.  224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A ghost story with just the right amount of scare for the intended audience, with some empowering messages about overcoming fears and being on the right side of history. 

Cons:  The girl on the cover creeped me out so much I had to turn the book face-down before I went to sleep.