Middle grade fiction

Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Robinson wishes she could be more like her namesake Jackie Robinson, who could stay focused and get the job done even when people were cruel to him.  But Robbie has a short temper, and gets into trouble when she repeatedly fights with her nemesis, a boy named Alex.  To make matters worse, her beloved grandfather, her only family, is having memory problems.  He’s always refused to tell her about her parents, and she worries that he’ll forget and she’ll never learn about them.  When her class is assigned a family tree project, Robbie discovers she’s not the only one worried about loved ones.  She winds up with the guidance counselor, working with three other kids to address their family issues.  One of those kids is Alex, and Robbie begins to understand why he is such a bully.  Just as things at school begin to get better, Robbie has to face a crisis at home.  Slowly and at times reluctantly, she learns how to trust those around her to find solutions that will support both her and her grandfather moving into the future.  256 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  First-time novelist Lindsey Stoddard hits a home run with this touching story of a rough-around-the-edges but loveable protagonist.  Fans of Fish In a Tree will enjoy getting to know Robbie.

Cons:  It seemed like Robbie’s teacher could have been a bit more sensitive to the meltdowns engendered by her family tree project.

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Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renee Watson

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Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Summary:  During the three years this book covers (1945-1948), Betty Sanders moves out of her abusive mother’s home and is adopted by a prominent Detroit couple who get her involved with community activism.  As junior members of the Housewives’ League, Betty and her friend Suesetta work to convince other African Americans not to patronize white businesses that have racist hiring practices.  The two girls lose a good friend because of their convictions.  Betty is also active in her church, Detroit’s Bethel AME Church, which hosted speakers like Thurgood Marshall and Paul Robeson.  Betty’s early life prepares her for her marriage to Malcolm X and her work as an educator and activist.  Her later years are described in a lengthy back matter section.  256 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  Written by Renee Watson and Malcolm’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, this historical fiction book with its first-person narration, short chapters, and interesting cast of characters is an engaging and educational read.

Cons:  Readers not familiar with Malcolm X may not quite grasp the significance of Betty’s life.

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A Dash of Trouble (Love Sugar Magic book 1) by Anna Meriano

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Walden Pond Press

Summary:  11-year-old Leonora (Leo) is tired of being left out of  the family business.  Her four older sisters get to help out at the bakery, and when they get to miss school the day before Dia de los Muertos, Leo has had enough.  She sneaks out of school and into the bakery, where she secretly witnesses the induction ceremony of her 14-year-old twin sisters.  Turns out all the females of Leo’s family are brujas, or witches, and they practice their magic through their baking.  Leo is supposed to wait a few more years for her turn, but she is too impatient.  She learns just enough about magic to get into trouble, and when her best friend Caroline turns to her for help with a boy, Leo can’t resist.  She definitely has the powers of a bruja, but learning how to use them correctly is another matter, and Leo discovers she must depend on the wisdom of her family to help her. Includes recipes for three of the baked goods from the story.  320 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  This is sure to be a popular choice for middle grade readers, combining the realistic elements of a likeable but trouble-prone protagonist and loving family members with the fun of magical fantasy woven in.

Cons:  For some reason, each time I got back to reading this book, I expected it to be told in the first person; I can’t help thinking that would have made for a stronger narration.

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Five favorite middle grade novels (plus one)

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

They may not win awards, but I loved all of these, and have enthusiastically recommended them all year.  I couldn’t cross that last one off my list, so today you get six.

 

Posted by John David Anderson.  Published by Walden Pond Press.

The power of words to hurt and to heal is the theme of this middle school book about bullying and friendship.  Link to Amazon.

 

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting by Joe Ballarini.  Published by Katherine Tegen Books.

What  happens when the monsters under the bed are real?  You become a reluctant superhero, and readers get an extra dose of scary fun.  Link to Amazon.

 

Superstar by Mandy Davis.  Published by Dial Books.

You know how I feel about the line, “Give this book to fans of Wonder”, but it’s impossible not to recommend that for this touching, funny story of Lester Musselbaum’s fifth grade year, learning to live with Asperger’s and navigating public school for the first time after years of homeschooling.  Link to Amazon.

 

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan.  Published by Salaam Reads/Simon and Schuster.

Amina broadened my world a little bit; I connected with her character and learned more about Islam, Pakistan, and life as a first-generation American by reading her story.  Link to Amazon.

 

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez.  Published by Viking.

Malu was one of my two favorite narrators this year.  I loved how she consistently made mistakes and misread relationships, but still ended up staying true to herself.  Link to Amazon.

 

Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan.  Published by Dial Books.

And here’s my second favorite narrator.  Like Malu, Julia doesn’t always have a lot of confidence, but she’s funny and honest, and you can’t help rooting for her.  Link to Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  When 13-year-old Lora announces that she wants to leave school for a year to become part of the volunteer army teaching literacy in Castro’s new Cuba, her parents are completely opposed.  However, her abuela speaks up in her favor, and ultimately Lora is allowed to go.  The young people who go with her are under constant threat from rebels hiding in the mountains who want to see the program fail.  Lora almost decides to quit and go home a few times, but her host family and the new friends around her keep her resolve strong, and eventually all her students are reading.  At the end of the year she returns home, but her life has been changed forever.  An epilogue tells readers what happened to Lora and the people she taught; a lengthy author’s note tells more about the history of Cuba, the brigadistas, and the success of the literacy program.  160 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Readers will be inspired to learn how one person can make a difference–and one who is close to their own age, no less.  It was interesting to read about Castro’s rise to power and his ideals for Cuba from the point of view of Cubans.

Cons:  The story starts off a bit slow, with the pace picking up when Lora is on her way with the brigadistas.

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Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen

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Published by Aladdin

Summary:  Abigail Hunter is mystified and not too happy when she receives her acceptance letter from The Smith School for Children, a boarding school she didn’t know her mom had applied to.  She makes friends quickly, though, and is settling in when she uncovers a shocking truth.  The headmistress Mrs. Smith is actually a spy, and so is Abby’s mother, Jennifer, who has gone missing.  Abby is recruited and quickly trained in spying techniques and self-defense, then sent to California to try to lure Jennifer out of hiding and get the top-secret information she has uncovered.  Nothing goes as planned, Abby is kidnapped, the mission is botched, and when she finally returns to school, she is relieved of her spying duties.  Determined to find her mother, she recruits her friends to help her, and sets off for their home in New York City.  There’s plenty of action and high-tech gadgetry, as Abby manages to free herself from one perilous situation after another and finally reunite with her mom.  304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Plenty of humor and action will make this an appealing choice for many readers, who can look forward to book 2 coming out next summer.

Cons:  You’ll definitely have to suspend some disbelief as you read about Abby’s non-stop escapades in the spy world.

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The Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

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Published by Imprint

       

Summary:  Moxie McCoy is at a crossroads in her fourth-grade life.  Her best friend has moved away, and she is shopping for another one, specifically one who can help her solve mysteries.  She is also taxed with the job of making sure her younger brother Milton is doing okay while their scientist mother is away hunting insects.  In the midst of all this, the school’s beloved owl mascot goes missing, and Moxie takes it upon herself to solve the case.  This involves multiple trips to the principal’s office to report on her findings, which are mostly confident, if mistaken, declarations of who the real culprit is.  As the day goes on, Moxie finds herself working more and more with Milton, whom the reader will notice has some traits, like patience and thoughtfulness, that Moxie occasionally lacks, even if she is three years older.  Working together, the siblings solve the case, and Moxie even gets a lead on a new best friend, paving the way for book #2.  Includes “Moxie’s Official Debrief” (some questions to help the reader think critically about the story), Moxie’s Dictionary, and an excerpt from one of Moxie’s favorite girl detective stories that she refers to throughout the book.  336 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Kids will love Moxie, Milton, and the format of this book, with the illustrations woven seamlessly into the text.  Cartoon bubbles and different fonts make the dialog come alive.  Readers will keep rooting for Moxie as she refuses to give up on the case or her friends and family.

Cons:  Readers will occasionally groan at Moxie’s cluelessness.

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Better Off Undead by James Preller

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Published by Feiwel and Friends

Summary:  Adrian Lazarus often feels like an outsider in his seventh grade class.  Not only is he one of the only African American kids in a mostly white school, but he is dead.  Following a bike accident over the summer, he’s mysteriously become a zombie, and he’s not happy about it.  His nose falls off in the middle of class, and he has to drink formaldehyde smoothies to keep the decay in check.  Much to his happy surprise, he makes some new friends at the beginning of the year, including Talal a tech genius, and Gia, a girl who received mysterious powers after she was attacked by a swarm of bees.  The story takes place in the not-too-distant future, when ecological crises are raging around the world.  Many of these disasters are being caused by a couple of tycoon brothers who take a sudden interest in Adrian.  When he is kidnapped and taken to the brothers for possible experimentation, it’s up to his friends to plan his rescue and defeat the bad guys.  As Adrian overcomes one obstacle after another, he finds himself getting physically stronger as well, and a budding romance with Gia may mean a happy ending for him after all.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  I was surprised by the substance to a story I expected just to be silly.  The zombie aspect was funny, but also poignant, and led to some interesting explorations about what it means to be human.  There were also some environmental messages throughout, with an acknowledgement to Bill McKibben and his ecological activism from the author at the end.

Cons:  I was a little confused on a few details, including exactly what happened at the end.

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The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea

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Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Gavin, Natalie, Trevor, Scott, and Randi are all looking forward to sixth grade with Mr. Mitchell, and are dismayed when they learn at the end of the summer that he has left, replaced with Mrs. Woods who is coming out of retirement to teach them.  Each kid is struggling with different issues, including an abusive brother (Trevor), an overly ambitious mom pushing her in gymnastics (Randi), a know-it-all attitude that’s resulted in no friends (Natalie), learning disabilities (Gavin), and immaturity and impulsivity (Scott).  They take turns telling the story of how each gradually comes to enjoy Mrs. Woods’ teaching style, only to see the best parts of sixth grade disappear to make way for standardized test preparation.  The test becomes high-stakes for each one of them for a different reason, and the stress about not doing well results in a plan to cheat.  When their perfect scores arouse suspicion, the truth comes out, but with it comes the truth about many of the other issues in the kids’ lives.  There’s a lot to resolve with both students and teachers, but the school year ends on a high note.  368 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Fans of the author’s Mr. Terupt series will enjoy this new book told in a similar style, with five different narrators.  Many readers will find something to connect with in at least one of the main characters.

Cons:  In today’s Common Core world, a straight multiple choice standardized test seems unrealistic.

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The Friendship Code (Girls Who Code book 1) by Stacia Deutsch

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Published by Penguin Workshop

Summary:  Lucy is excited to learn how to code in a new after-school club.  Her best friend, Anjali, is part of the theater club, and Lucy doesn’t have any coding friends.  When she gets an anonymous note written in code, she enlists some of the other girls from the club to try to help her solve the mystery.  With the help of her older brother Alex, Lucy and her three new friends create a game that eventually reveals the identity of the note writer.  By the time the mystery is solved, the four have formed a friendship and are ready to move along to book #2.  144 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Two books about girls coding in the same week!  This one manages to sneak a few coding lessons into a book about friendship that coders and non-coders (and soon-to-be coders) will all enjoy.  Written by the creator of the Girls Who Code movement (www.girlswhocode.com) that is starting coding clubs for girls all over North America.

Cons:  Anjali seemed like an extraneous character.

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