Middle grade fiction

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder

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Published by Walden Pond Press

Summary:  When the bell rings on the island inhabited by nine children, a green boat appears out of the mist, carrying a new orphan ashore.  Then the oldest child gets in the boat and leaves for places unknown.  When Deen leaves, Jinny becomes the Elder.  She is in charge of Ess, the little girl who has just arrived in the boat, and must teach her the ways of the island so that Ess will be independent by the time Jinny leaves.  A year goes by, the bell rings again, and the boat returns, this time with a little boy named Loo.  But Jinny can’t bear the thought of leaving.  She pulls the boat onto the shore and announces that she’s staying.  Slowly, things begin to change on the island; the safe routines are disrupted and the idyllic environment is threatened.  When disaster finally strikes, Jinny realizes she has one chance to try to make things right again, even if it means giving up what she wants most of all.  288 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A beautifully written tale about a kids’ fantasy world that could be a metaphor for growing up or even life and death.  I’ve seen this book on a Newbery list or two.

Cons:  The question of why the children are on the island is never answered, and some readers will undoubtedly find the ambiguous ending unsatisfying, particularly if there isn’t a sequel.  Also, be aware there is a scene where Jinny gets her first period that may be confusing to those who haven’t yet had the “puberty talk”.

Refugee by Alan Gratz

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Scholastic

Summary:  Josef is a Jewish refugee from Germany headed to Cuba in 1939.  Isabel is leaving Cuba for Miami in 1994.  Mahmoud is fleeing Syria and heading for Germany in 2015.  All three of these children face enormous obstacles as they travel with their families across sea and land to try to find new homes where they will have peace and security.  Their stories are told in alternating chapters, with a cliffhanger at the end of each one.  All three stories tie together at the end.  Maps of each of the journeys are shown at the end, and a lengthy author’s note tells about the historical facts behind each tale.  There’s also a “What You Can Do” section, encouraging kids to donate money to UNICEF or Save the Children.  352 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Fans of the I Survived series will find this book irresistible, with the exciting storylines and courageous kids finding their way in an unimaginably frightening world.

Cons:  Occasional language and a graphic concentration camp description may make this better suited for middle school than elementary.

Lights, Camera, Cook! (Next Best Junior Chef) by Charise Mericle Harper, illustrated by Aurelie Blard-Quintard

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Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Summary:  Rae, Tate, Caroline, and Oliver all want to be the Next Best Junior Chef, but only one can win the title.  They’ll have to survive three big competitions in which one chef will be eliminated.  Along the way are field trips and mini contests that allow them to choose kitchen gadgets or get private cooking lessons that may help them in their quests to be the best.  They’re surrounded by professional chefs and strict rules about TV behavior.  Friendships are formed and rivalries develop as the four kids try to do their best under the pressure of trying to be the best.  Includes tips for how to use a chef’s knife and a preview of book two.  192 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros:  A series based on a reality cooking show in which one contestant is eliminated at the end of each book…how has no one thought of this before?  Kids will love this quick and easy read, with plenty of illustrations and illustrations of each character talking to the reader in cartoon bubbles every few pages.

Cons:  Who will be next?  Readers have to wait until mid-February to find out!

The Losers Club by Andrew Clements

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Published by Random House

Summary:  Alec’s sixth grade year is off to a rocky start, and it’s all because he loves reading too much.  His habit of reading during class has his teachers threatening summer school, and even at the extended day program after school, he’s expected to do (non-reading) homework or participate in a group activity.  When he learns that kids can start new clubs, he thinks he has the perfect idea: find another reader and call themselves The Losers Club.  That way, they can read all they want, uninterrupted, and no one else will want to associate with the “losers”.  But the plan backfires when other readers want to join.  Not only that, but the first new member is Nina, a new girl who has caught the attention of Kent, Alec’s former friend turned bully.  Alec learns that life in sixth grade is far more complicated than the worlds in the books he likes, but it can also be more interesting and rewarding.  Includes a two-page list of all the books mentioned in the story.  240 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Andrew Clements fans won’t be disappointed in his latest story about a resourceful kid who finds his own way to overcome difficulties.

Cons:  In referencing Charlotte’s Web, Alec mentions Fern’s younger brother Avery and mentions that Avery reminds Alec of his own younger brother.  News flash, Andrew Clements (and your editor at Random House): Avery is Fern’s older brother.

Henry and the Chalk Dragon by Jennifer Trafton, illustrated by Benjamin Schipper

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Published by Rabbit Room Press

Summary:  When Henry draws an amazing dragon on the chalkboard in his room, he’s almost sure he sees it move.  Before he goes to bed, he tells his mom he’ll erase the dragon in the morning, and that’s enough to cause the creature to flee.  When Henry wakes up the next morning, there’s a gaping hole in his door, and the dragon is nowhere to be seen.  It eventually winds up at school with Henry and his friends, Oscar and Jade.  The dragon has the ability to morph into different forms, and eventually Henry realizes they are all different pictures he has drawn come to life.  Eventually, the dragon causes complete chaos throughout the school, and it’s up to Henry, Oscar, and Jade to use their unique creative gifts (art, science, and music, respectively) to tame it, and to get the school back to normal…or maybe a slightly improved version of normal.  240 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros:  A fantastic adventure all brought to life by the kids’ imaginations.  This would make a good read-aloud in an elementary classroom.

Cons:  The message–you have to be brave to be an artist–at times overwhelmed the action of the story.

Superstar by Mandy Davis

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Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  Lester Musselbaum is starting fifth grade after being homeschooled by his mom all his life.  His father was an astronaut who was killed in an accident when Lester was five.  Lester loves science, especially astronomy, but is apprehensive about going to public school.  He struggles in the first few weeks with a couple of mean boys, too much noise in the cafeteria, and a teacher who sometimes makes last-minute changes to the schedule.  His inclination at such times is to run away, but he gradually learns other coping strategies.  A girl named Abby becomes a friend, and a diagnosis of Asperger’s leads to an IEP that makes school a little easier for Lester to handle.  There are still good days and bad days, but Lester begins to see his strengths and to use them to make his way in a new world.  336 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I fear that “give this book to fans of Wonder!” is becoming a tired cliché.  However, the comparison is inevitable in this engaging tale of a fifth grader with a difference that sets him apart from his peers.  First-time novelist Mandy Davis does an outstanding job of portraying Lester sympathetically yet realistically.  I read this book in less than 24 hours.

Cons:  Teachers and other school personnel seemed unnecessarily nasty at the beginning of the story, although they improved as time went on.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting by Joe Ballarini, illustrated by Vivienne To

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Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  Kelly is desperate to earn money to be able to go to the summer camp of her dreams, so she reluctantly agrees to a babysitting job.  The parents warn her that Jacob is prone to nightmares and afraid of the dark.  Sure enough, when bedtime comes, he’s convinced that monsters are lurking.  The only problem is, he’s right.  When one of them abducts Jacob, Kelly is introduced to the world of the babysitters, a group of mostly girls trained in the art and science of protecting kids from monsters.  As her night goes on, she finds herself in increasingly horrifying situations, but also discovers a strength and power she never suspected she had.  Readers brave enough to make it to the last page will be anxiously awaiting the sequel.  352 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This blend of scariness, humor, and kid (particularly girl) empowerment will be a big draw to fans of Rick Riordan and R. L. Stine.  This is sure to be a popular read in the coming school year.

Cons:  May be too scary for some.

Lights, Camera, Middle School (Babymouse: Tales from the Locker) by Jennifer L. Holm, illustrated by Matthew Holm

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Random House

Summary:  Our little girl is growing up:  Babymouse has started middle school, and she finds some of the universal difficulties: bad cafeteria food, mean girls, and difficulties managing her curly whiskers.  Things start to look up, though, when she joins the Film Club and is chosen to direct the club’s first movie.  Backed by a remarkably supportive group of friends, Babymouse dives into the process with her usual enthusiasm, extracting herself from one embarrassing situation after another.  The final screening is an unexpected hit with the middle school crowd, but when Babymouse is introduced as the director, she trips over her new dress and falls on her face as she tries to get onstage.  Typical.  Much of this new series is a regular chapter book, but there are plenty of illustrations, as well as occasional comics.  208 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  Babymouse fans will cheer at the advent of a new series, and the format will allow readers to move up a notch from the graphic novels.

Cons:  Librarians will have a tough time deciding whether to shelve this with graphic novels or regular fiction.

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

~ Janet Dawson ~ 4 Comments

Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Osh found Crow as a baby, when the dilapidated skiff she was riding in washed up on his tiny island off the coast of Massachusetts.  At age 12, Crow begins to want to know more about her past.  Rumor has it she came from Penikese, the island that used to house a leper colony, and this causes most of her neighbors to shun her.  One notable exception is Miss Maggie, a neighbor who is like a mother to Crow.  Osh, Miss Maggie, and Crow take a trip to Penikese to try to find clues about her past, and meet up with a nasty man who claims to be in charge of the bird sanctuary there.  This trip and their encounter begin a chain of events that eventually include buried treasure, a violent crime, shipwreck, a long-lost brother, and Crow’s discoveries about her families…both the one that gave her up and the one that has loved her all along.  304 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  Lauren Wolk’s follow-up to her Newbery honor Wolf Hollow does not disappoint in the least.  The story is well-paced, with fascinating details about life on the Elizabeth islands in the 1920’s, and well-developed characters.  Readers will take Crow, Osh, and Miss Maggie to heart, and enjoy the secrets that are slowly revealed as the story unfolds.

Cons:  Here it is the end of July, and this is only the second Newbery contender I’ve read this year and the first for fiction (I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Undefeated by Steven Sheinkin).  Anyone else have any thoughts about this?  Leave a comment if you’ve read something else that you think is Newbery-worthy this year.

A Dog Like Daisy by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

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Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  When we first meet Daisy, she’s in a cage at the pound, situated between the door leading to the Good Side, full of sunshine and happiness, and the door that goes to the Bad Side, smelling of fear, from which dogs never return.  Daisy knows it’s almost her time to go to the Bad Side, but she’s rescued by a military veteran named Victor and his son Micah.  Victor suffers from PTSD, and he’s enrolled in a program to train a service dog.  The VA will pay for ten weeks of training, so that’s how long Daisy has to prove herself, or get sent back to the pound.  But Daisy’s got some trauma in her own past, and sometimes that can interfere with her training.  And as much as she wants to help, figuring out humans can sometimes seem impossible.  When Daisy fails her first test as a service dog, she’s given a second chance…will she be able to make the most of it?  177 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  A heartwarming story with a very funny canine narrator.  Readers who are struggling to get that summer reading requirement taken care of might want to consider this relatively short book that is both compelling and humorous.

Cons:  The ending seemed a little implausible; however, readers will find it very satisfying.