Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  David and Sammie have been friends for years.  David has discovered recently that he has a crush on Sammie, but is too shy to tell her.  When new kid Luke starts flirting with Sammie, David is jealous and feels like he should make his move.  In a swift, confusing series of events on the bus one day, David tries to kiss Sammie but accidentally touches her inappropriately.  She feels betrayed, and considers their friendship over. David is devastated, but doesn’t know how to make things right. Forced to go their separate ways, each of them discovers new friends and interests.  David joins the art club and finally gets up the nerve to tell his dad that he’s more passionate about drawing than baseball. Sammie finds new friends on the softball team and has to tell her father that she’d rather be on that team than playing baseball with the boys.  When Sammie experiences further sexual harassment from Luke and his friends, David must find the courage to speak up and tell the truth. 352 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Another #metoo inspired book, this one told in the alternating voices of David and Sammie.  The middle school angst with friends, crushes, and parents feels real, and the problems the kids face are realistically messy and complicated.  Tweens and young teens are sure to find a lot to relate to here.

Cons:  I was expecting some further insights into Luke’s life by the end of the story, but I never felt like I learned enough about him to understand his motivations.  Although he initially seemed like the villain, by the end it seemed like the author was trying to portray him as a troubled kid, but I didn’t feel like I had enough information to decide.

If you’d like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

 

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Summary:  Mia is excited to be moving back to Burlington, Vermont, where she hopes she can help save her grandmother’s cricket farm.  Although Gram is feisty and determined, she’s recently had a stroke, and it’s beginning to look like someone is trying to sabotage her farm.  During summer vacation, Mia gets involved with two day camps: one a place where she can create a business plan to help her grandmother, and the other a camp where kids learn to navigate Ninja Warrior-style obstacles.  Mia’s not quite up to the obstacles, having suffered a badly broken arm at gymnastics not long ago. As the summer goes on, the reader learns of the sexual harassment by one of the coaches that led to her accident and destroyed her confidence.  By summer’s end, she’s begun to regain some of that confidence by making friends, growing physically stronger, helping Gram, and finally talking to some other women in her life about her gymnastics experience. 240 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  There seem to be more middle grade novels lately that address the sexual harassment issue, and this one does it with lots of other fun plot lines, including a pretty good mystery.

Cons:  The story seemed a bit too agenda-driven; it would have been nice to see some strong, sympathetic male characters as well as the many female ones.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Scoob has had some troubles at school, so he’s only too happy when his grandmother shows up with an RV, announcing that she’s sold her house, and takes him on an impromptu road trip across the southern U.S.  Along the way, she shares stories with Scoob about his grandfather, their interracial marriage in the 1960’s, and how Grandpa ended up in jail. Scoob learns about racism past and present when he discovers a well-worn copy of the Green Book in the RV and notices some people’s discomfort at seeing a black kid with a white woman.  G’ma’s behavior gets stranger as the trip progresses, and Scoob tries to figure out her frequent license plate changes on the RV, the large pile of money he discovers, and the reason why she refuses to take his dad’s increasingly frantic phone calls. The ending isn’t entirely happy, but Scoob finds he has grown and changed during the trip and gained a greater understanding of his family and their history.  240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Scoob and G’ma are fun characters and readers will find plenty of humor in their adventures, while learning about civil rights history and race issues from the past and present.  The light tone, fairly short text, and plentiful illustrations would make this a good choice for reluctant readers.

Cons:  This book has been reviewed positively everywhere, but I was not a big fan.  The revelations about G’ma’s character were hard for me to understand and made her unlikeable to me.

If you would like to buy this on Amazon, click here.

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  When Zoe gets a letter from her father on her 12th birthday, she is stunned.  Marcus has been in prison all her life, and she has never had any contact with him.  She begins to secretly correspond with him, and learns that he has written her many letters that she’s never received.  When he tells her he didn’t commit the crime he’s imprisoned for, Zoe wonders if she can find the alibi witness from so many years ago who might be able to verify Marcus’s story.  With the help of her friend Trevor and her grandmother, Zoe sets out to discover the truth about her family and learns that even a 12-year-old can make a difference in the world. 304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Readers will be happy to get to know Zoe, an aspiring baker who hopes to win a spot on a Food Network show for kids.  The messages about racism in the justice system come through but are woven into a story full of love and friendship that would be perfect for starting some interesting discussions.

Cons:  I wished Zoe’s Froot Loops cupcake recipe had been included somewhere.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

As I move into 2020 with at least 15 book clubs under my care, I’m always on the lookout for good book club books.  I like books with both strong male and female characters, some humor, and a few issues that will lead to some discussion.  I’ve already tested a few of these out, and hope to do more in the coming months.

 

The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin

Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

I didn’t love Ali Benjamin’s The Thing About Jellyfish (although everyone else seemed to), so my expectations weren’t super high when I listened to the audiobook.  But I enjoyed all the characters, there was lots of humor, and Caitlyn learned a lot at her unique new school.  I’ve used this with three fifth grade book clubs, and most kids have given it positive reviews.

 

Eventown by Corey Haydu

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

The premise of this book, with its slightly dystopian feel, made it an easy one to book talk.  Yes, I grew weary of books about grieving children this year, but this one had an interesting take on the theme.  I’ve got my eye on it for a sixth grade book club.

 

Sweeping Up the Heart by Kevin Henkes

Published by Greenwillow Books

Master storyteller Kevin Henkes tells a funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming tale in under 200 pages.  What more can I say?

 

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

Published by Disney/Hyperion

Carlos Hernandez packed so much into this book I kind of felt like he had to break the universe to fit it all in.  Lots of humor, strong male and female characters, and some cool physics make this a book club contender for sure.

 

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry

Published by Greenwillow Books

I’ve already used this for three book clubs to great acclaim, and plan to use it for at least one more.  Animal story? Check.  Lots of great illustrations?  Check.  Based on a true story?  Check.  Check it out yourself if you haven’t already.

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