Middle grade fiction

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

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

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

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

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.

Dara Palmer’s Major Drama by Emma Shevah

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Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky 

Summary:  Dara Palmer is shocked and dismayed when—once again—she is passed over for a part in the class play.  Although the drama teacher suggests she and her best friend Lacey join her theater class, the two girls are certain they are destined for stardom without any outside help.  Things are no easier at home.  Dara was adopted from Cambodia, and she can’t help feeling like an outsider with her parents, older brother, and super annoying younger sister, also adopted (from Russia).  As her fifth grade year progresses, Dara slowly and painfully finds her way to a greater maturity, first by admitting she could use some help bringing her acting skills up to the same level as her passion for theater, then coming to terms with her history and learning some empathy for the friends and family members in her life.  282 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Extremely annoying at the beginning of the story, Dara grows and changes without sacrificing her strong (and ultimately winning) personality.  Kids will enjoy the humor and true-to-life situations in this British import.

Cons:  Dara’s insights and maturity sometimes seemed a bit of a stretch, given how bratty and self-centered she is at the beginning of the book.

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

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Published by Clarion Books 

Summary:  Zomorod is starting sixth grade in Newport Beach, California, the latest stop on her family’s shuffle between their native Iran and her father’s petroleum engineering jobs in California.  It’s not an easy transition, but Zomorod knows one step she can take to help herself—change her name to Cindy.  Middle school has its ups and downs, but Cindy makes some good friends, is at the top of her classes, and finds herself enjoying life in America.  It’s 1978, though, and as events in Iran deteriorate, so does Cindy’s life.  The anti-Iranian sentiment peaks with the taking of American hostages, and Cindy’s father’s job gets cut.  No one is hiring Iranian engineers, and as the crisis in Iran drags on, Cindy finds herself withdrawing from her friends.  Finally, the family is out of savings, and it looks like they will have to go back to Iran—an Iran they hardly recognize anymore under the Ayatollah Khomeini.  Just as things are bottoming out, help comes from a most unexpected source, and Cindy’s friends and neighbors show her that kindness is an international virtue.  An author’s note tells about the semi-autobiographical nature of her story and introduces the Falafel Kindness project.  384 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  If Judy Blume were an Iranian immigrant and didn’t write about puberty issues, she might sound something like this.  Cindy’s story is a perfect blend of middle school girl story, historical fiction, and lessons in compassion.

Cons:  When events from your own high school days are categorized as “historical fiction”.

Bailey’s Story: A Dog’s Purpose Novel by W. Bruce Cameron

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Starscape 

Summary:  Bailey is born on a puppy mill, but his sense of adventure leads him into the world on his own.  He’s picked up by a truck driver who leaves him in a locked truck on a warm day.  Rescued once again, he ends up with Ethan, an eight-year-old boy who soon becomes his best friend and constant companion.  Through their years together, Bailey learns how to take care of Ethan, saving him from real and imagined dangers.  A neighborhood bully named Todd is part of Ethan’s life, first as a friend, but gradually becoming a dangerous enemy.  His final act of revenge against Ethan and his family sets the stage for Bailey’s greatest act of heroism.  This is the second book in a series adapted from Cameron’s adult novel, A Dog’s Purpose.  208 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Told in Bailey’s voice, the story is by turns funny, touching, and exciting.  The adorable cover will catch the eye of dog lovers, and they won’t be disappointed by the rest of the book.

Cons:  This seemed like a contemporary story except for two brief, and seemingly unnecessary, references to the Apollo 11 moon landing.