Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Jillian is excited to be getting a new baby sister, and when Emma is born, the family is thrilled.  But tests reveal that she has hearing loss, and Jillian’s parents have some difficult decisions to make about their new daughter.  Jillian turns to a friend from a tween fantasy online forum, a boy named Derek who is Deaf. He introduces her to the Deaf community, answers her questions, and straightens out some of her misconceptions.  He is also Black, as is Jillian’s aunt, and Jillian finds she has a lot to learn from both of them about racism. When one of Derek’s friends, a Deaf Black girl is shot and killed by police for not stopping when she is out for a run (she couldn’t  hear their shouts), Jillian realizes she still has a lot to learn about how the world around her works. The story concludes with three chapters: nine months later, three months after that, and three years after that, to show the reader how Jillian’s family has changed and grown as Emma has grown up.  256 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This book fills a need for stories of Deaf kids and their families; I learned quite a lot about cochlear implants, American Sign Language and the Deaf community (including the capitalization of the word Deaf, a convention from the book I am continuing in this review, as well as capitalizing Black).  There were also a lot of thought-provoking conversations and situations about race, both with Derek and members of Jillian’s family.

Cons:  The story got bogged down with so many issues.  Derek and Aunt Alicia seemed to exist mainly to educate Jillian about race and the Deaf community; they needed a few more dimensions to make them seem more like ordinary mortals.

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Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Summary:  When Theo’s photos are vandalized while on display in the middle school art gallery, five suspects are gathered to spend their vacation week in a justice circle, a sort of restorative justice program designed to uncover the truth.  The group has counterparts in the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club: the quiet, geeky kid; the jock, the weird girl; the smart, popular girl; and the jokester troublemaker boy.  Reluctantly at first, they begin to discover the stories behind the facades of each kid, and slowly the truth comes out, not only about who drew on the photos, but about who each of them really is.  Told by Theo, the story spans the vacation week from Monday to Friday; each day begins with every kid writing answers to the same questions; the responses change as the week goes on. Ms. Davis, the school principal, is the villain who opposes the program and its leader, school counselor Ms. Lewiston.  In the end, though, Ms. Lewiston’s method proves successful, and the six kids get to have the last word with their principal. 336 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  This will have wide appeal with middle schoolers, many of whom will recognize something of themselves in one or more of the characters.  The whodunit suspense builds nicely, although the final answer isn’t a huge surprise. All the characters’ voices are honest and believable, and there is plenty of humor despite the tense setting.

Cons:  This is the second book I’ve read this year where kids are left unsupervised in a public school for hours at a time.  Authors, that just doesn’t happen in schools, at least not in any I’ve worked in.

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Published by Atheneum

Summary:  Sixth-grader Isabella has a lot on her plate: her parents are divorced, and both get engaged to be remarried in the span of a few weeks.  Her mom is white and her dad is black, and Isabella has friends of different races. But when one of her friends is the victim of racist bullying, Isabella begins to feel like she has to choose sides.  Throughout the story, Isabella, a talented piantist, is preparing for a big recital.  A horrifying racially-charged incident on the way to that event derails her performance but leads to a reconciliation of sorts between the two sides of her family.  There are no easy answers, but Isabella emerges from the difficulties with a greater confidence borne of a greater sense of who she is. 320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Readers will connect with Isabella as she explores questions of how she fits into her world and deals with family difficulties that will undoubtedly be familiar to many.  The short chapters (all entitled “Mom’s Week”, “Dad’s Week”, or “Exchange Day” and Isabella’s honest voice will draw kids in right away.

Cons:  Isabella’s older stepbrother Darren was just a little too perfect to be true.

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  Sixth-grader Bryan wishes his life could be more peaceful and free of drama, but living in New York City’s projects makes that difficult.  His father is in and out of jail, and both his parents are trying to help Bryan and his older sister Ava stay on the right path. When Bryan meets Mike, he and his parents think he’s found a good friend–Mike is respectful and gets good grades.  But before long, Mike is convincing Bryan to cut school and “train surf” on the outside of subway cars. Bryan knows what he’s doing is dangerous and wrong, but it’s hard for him to risk Mike’s disapproval. When events start to catch up with the two boys, their friendship becomes strained, and Bryan has to decide where his loyalties to Mike, his family, and a new friend lie.  177 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Bryan’s experiences in the NYC projects may be unfamiliar to some kids, but his struggles with friends, family, and self-acceptance will resonate with almost all late elementary and middle school readers.

Cons:  Bryan’s father was kind of a mysterious character; I would have liked to understood more how he spent his days and a little more about his past.

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Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Summary:  Sixth-grader Ollie is off to a rough start in school following the tragic death of her mother.  Seeking an escape after school one day, she wanders through the woods until she meets up with a distraught woman trying to throw a book into the river.  Ollie rescues the book, entitled Small Spaces, and is soon caught up in the story of a woman whose husband sold his soul to “the smiling man”.  When Ollie’s class takes a field trip to a nearby farm, she soon notices many similarities between the story in her book and the history of the farm.  When the bus breaks down and is surrounded by a strange mist, Ollie decides to go get help.  Coco and Brian, two kids she’s had reasons to dislike at school, join her, and the three slowly become friends as they fight for their lives against ghosts, scarecrows, and other evil forces before finally confronting the smiling man in the heart of his cornfield maze.  Ollie is the only one who is able to defeat him, and in doing so, she is able to acknowledge her grief about her mother and begin to move forward with her new friends.  224 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Those ready to move on from Goosebumps will enjoy this truly creepy tale that offers many heart-pounding, suspenseful moments before the final showdown between Ollie and the smiling man.

Cons:  I will never look at scarecrows the same way again.

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