Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Rory’s starting middle school, but one thing has stayed the same: he still has to go to speech every week to get help making the /r/ sound.  As he’s gotten older, he’s become more self-conscious about his speech, and introducing himself is especially embarrassing since his name has two R’s.  Although Rory has a good group of friends, his former friend Brent is hanging out with some new kids who make fun of Rory.  When Brent suffers a serious brain injury in a car accident, Rory knows he should be sympathetic, but it’s hard for him to get past his anger.  Mr. Simms, the cool speech therapist, proves to be not only an excellent teacher, but also a mentor who helps Rory find the right way to deal with Brent.  By the end of sixth grade, Rory is well on his way to mastering both the /r/ sound and some of the trickier aspects of middle school.  Includes additional information about the /r/ sound.  240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A realistic story that empathetically shows the difficulties of being different in middle school, both with the portrayal of Rory’s speech struggles and Brent’s slow recovery from his brain injury.  I’m thrilled for Nancy Tandon, who was an early subscriber to my blog!

Cons:  I was ready to deck Rory’s father if he used one more sports metaphor.

Published by Versify

Summary:  Jillian is smart and a talented weaver, but her shyness holds her back from showing others who she really is.  Things have been even harder since her beloved grandmother died, and the promise she made to Grammy to be herself weighs heavily on Jillian.  Deciding to compete in her school’s Mind Bender competition forces her to begin to emerge from her shell, a process that is paralleled by the eggs developing in her classroom’s incubator. When Mama gets sick and Jillian misses a crucial day of competition, she is forced to make a decision to either drop out and fade into the background or to stand up for her right to be part of the tournament.  As the chicks begin to hatch out of their eggs, the real Jillian emerges and gets to enjoy the rewards that come from courageously being herself.  224 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  I’m always appreciative of middle grade books that feature an elementary school kid.  Readers in fourth and fifth grade will definitely relate to Jillian and her classmates, and the more introverted ones will be inspired by Jillian’s journey.

Cons:  Jillian tells us that her school has given up “those scary standardized tests in May” in favor of the optional (and fun) Mind Bender competition…if only this were an actual possibility for any 21st century US public school.

Published by Kokila

Summary:  Ariel’s 18-year-old sister Leah is in love with Indian-American Raj, causing a huge rift in their Jewish family.  When the couple elopes to New York City and cuts off contact with the family, Ariel feels caught in the middle.  It’s 1967, and both the family and the larger world seem consumed with prejudice, divided along lines of love and hate.  Ariel’s new teacher, Miss Field, provides some bright spots when she diagnoses Ariel with a learning disability called dysgraphia and tries to provide help beyond her parents’ admonitions to just try harder.  Ariel’s friend Jane is also supportive, using the detective skills she’s learned from Nancy Drew books to try to track down Leah.  When Ariel and Jane sneak off to New York to try to find the couple, a chain of unexpected consequences is unleashed that ultimately leads to a tenuous reconciliation with the family.  So many new experiences help Ariel to find her voice, both by speaking out and writing poetry, and she is amazed to learn the powers she has within her.  384 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Newbery honoree Hiranandani gracefully handles many different issues in an unusual second-person voice.  The themes of overcoming prejudice, finding your own voice, and kids sometimes understanding things better than the adults in their lives will all resonate with young readers.

Cons:  I’m not sure how I feel about the second-person voice.
 

Published by Wendy Lamb Books

Summary:  Alex and his dad are moving back to his grandparents’ house to modernize their Filipino market and try to expand the business.  Alex’s passion is making slime, and he is thrilled to find other kids at his new middle school who share this hobby, including a girl who becomes his main rival in a slime war.  Slime is strictly forbidden at school, so all their endeavors have to be done sneakily to avoid getting caught with the contraband substance.  Meanwhile, Alex’s dad, a former athletic star, is pressuring Alex to play soccer, a sport that he both dislikes and fears.  Something else Alex fears is speaking up for himself, but as the stakes get higher at school and at home, he learns the importance of advocating for himself and for what he believes is right.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  The short chapters, eye-catching cover, and highly relatable situations make this an appealing choice for all kinds of readers.  It would make an excellent book club selection.

Cons:  Although there were several lists of slime ingredients, no amounts were given.  A few recipes at the end would have been nice.