Middle grade fiction

Mother-Daughter Book Camp by Heather Vogel Fredrickson

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Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  The Mother-Daughter Book Club makes one final appearance before its members go their separate ways.  It’s the summer after high school, and Emma, Jess, Megan, Becca, and Cassidy have all been hired to work as counselors at Camp Lovejoy in New Hampshire.  As in the other books in the series, the story is told in chapters narrated by each of the girls.  When camp begins, homesickness is rampant in the girls’ cabins, and they decide on a cure—start their own Counselor-Camper book club, reading the classic Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher.  As the summer progresses, both the campers and the counselors stretch themselves to learn new skills and try new challenges.  By the time parents come for pick-up, homesickness is forgotten, and the five girls are ready to head off to college.  336 pages; grades 4-7. 

Pros:  Fans of the series will enjoy learning what’s happened to the five girls from Concord, Massachusetts since sophomore year when the last book took place.  There’s lots of good clean fun, and the romance is pretty G-rated, making this a good choice for upper elementary as well as middle school. 

Cons:  There’s not a lot of diversity in life paths, as everyone in the book seems to be going to a top-notch four-year college.

The King of Kazoo by Norm Feut

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Published by GRAPHIX 

Summary:  Cornelius, king of Kazoo, is a good deal more concerned with his legacy than with actually ruling his kingdom.  When a mysterious volcanic eruption occurs, his daughter Bing convinces him that the two of them, plus inventor Torq, should go explore a tunnel she’s discovered in the volcano.  They head off in Torq’s latest invention, a car.  There are plenty of adventures along the way, but they make it at last, only to discover an evil plot hatched by the ancient alchemist Quaf.  All would be lost if it were up to Cornelius, but fortunately, Bing and Torq are able to put their heads together, combining magic with science, to save the kingdom.  208 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Another winning entry from Scholastic’s GRAPHIX graphic novel imprint.  Kids will appreciate both the adventure and the goofy humor, and will undoubtedly be hoping for another installment.

Cons:  Neither the artwork nor the storyline are as sophisticated as some other GRAPHIX offerings like Bone or Amulet

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Deja’s home is a single room that she shares with her parents and younger brother and sister in a Brooklyn homeless shelter.  Her father, for reasons that are unclear to Deja, is unable to hold a job; her mother’s salary as a waitress isn’t enough to cover basic living expenses for the family.  With the move to the shelter, Deja has to change schools.  She’s nervous at first, but quickly makes two friends, Ben and Sabeen, and discovers that she likes this school better than any other she’s attended.  There’s a new curriculum for the fifth graders this year, teaching them about 9/11 and their connection to that event.  At first, Deja’s mystified by this, as she’s never heard about the events of 9/11.  Gradually, she comes to understand not only the tragic day itself, but its impact on her friends—Ben, whose father served in the military in Iraq and Sabeen, whose Muslim family has had to deal with prejudice and discrimination—and her own family.  As Deja becomes more insistent, her father gradually tells her about what happened to him on that fateful day, and together, they begin to move toward healing and rebuilding their family.  240 pages; grades 4-6.

Pros:  A powerful story to commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11.  Readers who weren’t alive in 2001 will learn along with Deja the events of that day and how it changed the people of the United States.

Cons:  It was difficult for me to believe that a fifth-grader who had spent all her life in New York City had never heard about the World Trade Center or 9/11.

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse by Brian Farrey

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Published by Algonquin Young Readers 

Summary:  Princess Jeniah has just become Queen Ascendant, by virtue of the fact that her mother, the queen, is dying.  Jeniah’s training is rushed due to the circumstances, but she stumbles over one of her most important lessons: if any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall.  The dark, swampy Carse is uninviting, but Jeniah feels she must find a way to explore it.  In her quest to do so, she crosses paths with Aon, a peasant girl who feels broken because she’s the only person she knows who feels emotions other than happiness. She’s also one of the only people to be able to enter the Carse, so Jeniah enlists her to go deeper into it than she ever has before and report back.  As Jeniah learns more about her kingdom and Aon explores the Carse, both girls discover secrets about their land and themselves that threaten the eternal happiness that has been part of the Monarchy for many generations.  256 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  An enchanting fairy tale with plenty of adventure and some good messages about embracing the full range of emotions, not just happiness.

Cons:  Putting a 12-year-old in charge of the Monarchy seemed like a bad idea.

Sticks & Stones by Abby Cooper

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Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

 

Summary:  Elyse was born with cognadjivisibilitis, or CAV, a disorder in which words people use to describe her show up on her arms and legs.  As a baby, it was soothing words like “adorable”, but by the beginning of sixth grade, there are words like “loser” and “pathetic” that are itchy and uncomfortable.  In elementary school, the kids knew about her CAV and only used kind words, but in middle school, Elyse is determined to hide her condition from her new classmates, wearing pants and long-sleeve shirts year-round.  When she decides she wants to try for Explorer Leader, the biggest honor in sixth grade, she risks losing her anonymity and opens herself up to being the target of labels that are both emotionally and physically painful.  A series of unsigned notes both mystify and inspire Elyse, and by the end of sixth grade she has learned that some rewards are worth the risks, and that good friends can help take the sting out of unkind words.  288 pages; grades 4-6.

Pros:  A fun and interesting take on the theme of rising above what others say about you.  Readers will cheer for Elyse and she moves through sixth grade into a hard-won confidence.

Cons:  It seemed unlikely that anyone as shy and insecure as Elyse would be one of the select few chosen as a candidate for Explorer Leader.

Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin

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Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  On September 10, 2010, four kids deal with difficulties in their lives.  In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Will is still grieving the loss of his father, killed when trying to help a stranded motorist on the highway.  Aimee’s mother is off on another business trip to New York City, while Aimee stresses about starting a new school in California.  Sergio is so upset with his absentee father that he skips school and rides the NYC subway, where he meets a kind firefighter who takes Sergio under his wing.  Naheed is starting middle school and for the first time in her life, is self-conscious about the hijab she wears.  Everything changes early the next morning, when events unfold across the U.S. that will impact all four children for a long time into the future.  The final chapter, “One Year Later” brings them together for the one-year ceremony at Ground Zero.  An author’s note tells her personal story of 9/11 and how she came to write this book.  208 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Four engaging stories come together on two fateful days.  Fans of the “I Survived” series will enjoy this book—while there isn’t much of the survival element, it is gripping historical fiction about a catastrophic event.

Cons:  So many characters in a relatively short book makes it hard to get to know any one of them.

Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson

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Published by Walden Pond Press 

Summary:  Topher, Steve, and Brand have had a good year in sixth grade with Ms. Bixby, one of the Good Ones, according to their system of rating teachers.  So it’s a horrible shock to learn that their teacher has cancer and will be out for the rest of the year.  There’s a farewell party planned for her one Friday, but she ends up in the hospital a few days before.  The three boys decide to skip school and visit her, picking up items along the way to give as gifts.  Most of the story takes place that Friday, told in the alternating voices of the three boys.  There are many adventures along the way, and each boy gradually reveals why Ms. Bixby has been extra special to him during their sixth-grade year.  Have the Kleenex handy for the poignant final chapter when the boys finally connect with their teacher at the hospital, and for the bittersweet epilogue.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  The three boys are interesting and engaging main characters, each one with his own set of problems that are hinted at early on, but only slowly revealed to the reader.  Ms. Bixby proves to be an amazing teacher who has, unknown to the other two, reached out to each boy and changed his life in some significant way.

Cons:  In the scene at the hospital, the writing gets a little overwrought; Ms. Bixby occasionally seems too good to be true.

Compass South by Hope Larson, illustrated by Rebecca Mock

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Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

 Summary:  12-year-old twins Alexander and Cleopatra are on their own in 1860’s New York City after their father disappears.  They join a gang, but a robbery gone wrong leads their arrest.  When they tell the police where the gang leader is hiding, they need to leave town in a hurry.  On their way to New Orleans, they see a newspaper article offering a reward for information about a pair of red-haired twin boys from San Francisco.  The two redheads see a chance to make some money, so Cleo cuts their hair, and they change their destination.  On their way, they meet up with another pair of redheaded twins who have the same idea.  Fate intervenes once again, and each set of twins is split up, with one from each pair ending up on two different boats.  Alex and Edwin are put to work on board their ship, while Cleo (traveling under the name of Patrick) and Silas are stowaways on theirs.  The book alternates between the two, with non-stop adventures all the way.  There are vicious pirates, a hungry puma, an angry gang leader out for revenge, and even a couple of ill-fated romances.  Alex and Cleo discover they have the tools to look for hidden treasure, but the actual search will have to wait for the sequel, Knife’s Edge.  224 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  Newcomer Rebecca Mock has created a graphic masterpiece with a roller-coaster ride adventure story from Hope Larson.  Kids will find it hard to put this down, but will want to take their time to study the detailed illustrations.

Cons:  Having two pairs of identical twins in a graphic novel led to occasional confusion about whose story was being told.

A Bandit’s Tale: The Muddled Misadventures of a Pickpocket by Deborah Hopkinson

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Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  When 11-year-old Rocco is accused of stealing from his parents’ landlord in Italy, he is sold off to a padrone who brings him to New York City to work as a street musician.  In reality, he’s little more than a beggar and a slave, forced to turn over his earnings to the padrone in return for minimal food and shelter.  Hungry and desperate to return home, Rocco joins a band of pickpockets.  He turns out to be a pretty good bandit, and for a while, it looks like he may have found a way to get enough money for a return passage to Italy.  But a bungled robbery results in his arrest, and Rocco finds himself in a reform school on an island off of Manhattan.  A daring escape during the Blizzard of 1888 almost kills him, but he is a rescued by a kind Irish man and his daughter.  Living with them begins a chain of events that puts Rocco’s life back on track and allows him to help other immigrant boys caught in his circumstances.  Back matter includes more information on the historical period covered and about the picaresque novel.  304 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Rocco’s adventures cover a dizzying array of real and imagined people and places from late 19th century New York City.  He’s a scrappy, likeable narrator, and kids will learn a lot of history while enjoying a page-turning set of adventures.

Cons:  The author’s notes seemed a bit too long to hold most kids’ attention.

Tales from the Haunted Mansion: Volume 1: The Fearsome Foursome as told by mansion librarian Amicus Arcane, transcribed by John Espositio, illustrated by Kelley Jones

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Published by Disney Press 

Summary:  Willa, Steve, Tim, and Noah love horror of all kinds.  They form a club called The Fearsome Foursome to share scary stories with each other.  One stormy night, their clubhouse is mysteriously destroyed, and in its place are four frighteningly fancy invitations to a nearby mansion.  Arriving at the creepy old place, they are met by a ghostly librarian, who offers to tell them a story about each one of them…tales so creepy they will be dying to hear the end of them.  Each narrative ends with the death or dismemberment of the main character, and at the end of the book, all four kids discover they have turned into ghosts.  This is volume 1 of a series based on Disney’s Haunted Mansion; stay tuned to learn more about some of the other 999 ghosts that live in the aforementioned mansion.  240 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Fans of Goosebumps and Alvin Schwartz’s scary stories will enjoy these spine-tingling tales that add enough humor and gross details to keep the tone on the lighter side.

Cons:  I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the fact that all four kids ended up as ghosts living in the Haunted Mansion forever.