Published by Candlewick

Summary:  What is the most important thing a father (or grandfather) can give his son?  Avi ponders this question in a collection of seven short stories about boys whose fathers (or grandfathers) are married, divorced, dead, distant, loving, know-it-all, clueless, proud, disappointed, or more than one of the above.  Ranging from the poignant (a beloved father unexpectedly dies the afternoon of a fishing trip to his son) to the appalling (Damon discovers on his once-a-month visit that his divorced dad has remarried and has a new baby on the way…all since his previous visit) to the humorous (Ryan devises a screening and application process when a man wants to marry his widowed mother), these stories explore many aspects of the parent-child relationship.  224 pages; grades 5-7.

Pros:  This would be a perfect book for a parent-child book discussion group.  With so many different stories and characters, there is much to look at and consider.

Cons:  The first story, in which an estranged grandfather heals his decades-old war wounds by talking non-stop to his newly-acquainted grandson, seems to be resolved too quickly and easily.

Published by Atheneum 

Summary:  Sylvie and Jules are sisters who have also always been best friends, even closer because their mother died suddenly when they were both quite young.  Sylvie’s greatest wish is to run fast, although she never can articulate why she wants this so much.  One day she goes running into the woods, racing to get to a dangerous part of the river the girls’ father has warned them about, and she disappears.  While Jules and her father are still reeling from grief, in another part of the woods, a fox cub is born, a rare animal that is connected to a human spirit.  The book alternates between Jules’ story and the fox’s…until one fateful evening when the two of them are brought together.  272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A beautifully crafted book, filled with sadness, hope, grief, and healing.  I expect this one to be on the short list for the Newbery.

Cons:  Every main character in the book is grieving for someone, making it a bit of a heavy read.

Published by Candlewick 

Summary:  Raymie Clarke has a plan to win the 1975 Miss Central Florida Tire contest.  In addition to the $1,975 prize money, she wants her father to see her picture in the paper.  Then maybe he will change his mind about running away with a dental hygienist and come back to his family.  Part of Raymie’s plan is to take baton lessons, and it’s here she meets Louisiana and Beverly.  Louisiana is an orphan living with her impoverished grandmother, looking for Archie, her cat that she was forced to give to a shelter.  Beverly, whose father has moved to New York and whose mother is responsible for the bruise on Beverly’s face, is already an expert twirler.  Her motivation for entering the pageant is to sabotage it.  Slowly, unpredictably, these three girls form a bond that results in a wild night together, culminating in Raymie Clarke, renamed Raymie Nightingale by Louisiana, saving her friend’s life.  272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A bittersweet story about three girls trying to find their way in a world of sad, lonely, and angry adults.  By the end of the book, a friendship has been formed, and each girl has grown up a little in her own unique way.

Cons:  Clearly I’m in the minority, but I just don’t get the appeal of Kate DiCamillo.  Her characters are so quirky they don’t even seem real to me.  The first half of this book seemed like a random string of bizarre occurrences; there is a “look-at-how-clever-I-am” quality to her writing..  However, my opinion notwithstanding, I’m sure by this time next year, the cover of Raymie Nightingale will be sporting a shiny silver or gold Newbery sticker.

Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers 

Summary:  Cedar, her mother, and younger brother are spending the summer in a newly purchased vacation home following the death of her father and middle brother in a car accident.  Their new house is in the town her mother grew up in, which is also home to the Summerlost Shakespeare Festival.  One day, Cedar sees a boy riding his bike in a costume.  Leo is a neighbor who works selling concessions at the festival, and he recruits Cedar to join him.  They quickly become friends, and Leo confides that he is starting a secret tour about the life of Lisette Chamberlain, the most famous actress ever to come out of the festival, who died mysteriously 20 years ago.  Soon Leo and Cedar are both giving the tours, and slowly learning to trust each other with their hopes, dreams, and fears.  As the summer progresses, Cedar gradually begins to come to terms with her grief and to start thinking about healing and moving on with her life.  272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A beautiful tale of friendship and healing, with a little bit of a mystery thrown in.  Despite the subject matter, the story was surprisingly upbeat.

Cons:  I almost decided against reading yet another story of a kid dealing with a tragedy; however, I was glad I persevered.

Published by Little, Brown 

Summary: When a ship carrying 500 robots sinks in a hurricane, only one of the robots survives. She is ROZZUM Unit 7134, better known as Roz, and she washes up on an island inhabited only by animals. As she explores the island to learn more about her new home, the animals fear they are being invaded by a monster. Gradually, they learn that she likes to help them, and they, in turn, help her. When she adopts an orphaned gosling and builds a nest for herself and her new son, she becomes a full-fledged member of the community. Her building and fire-making abilities save the animals during an unusually frigid winter. Roz’s happy world is shattered, though, when her robot past catches up with her. War comes to the island as the animals seek to protect her. Can this robot really be “wild”, or must she be true to her automaton nature? 288 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros: Charlotte’s Web meets The Iron Giant in this debut novel from illustrator Peter Brown. The story is touching without being sappy or emotional, and thought-provoking without being preachy. If I were on the Newbery committee, this would be going to the top of my list.

Cons: The ending is a little dark. Until the last few chapters, I thought this would be a perfect read-aloud for grades 2 and up. After finishing it, I would say grade 3 or even 4 would be the youngest. Read it first if you’re not sure.

Published by Aladdin 

Summary: St. Edith’s is an all-girls’ school. Several years ago, the administration tried an experiment to go co-ed, but it failed miserably. When the school returned to its single-sex status, the boys who were already enrolled were allowed to stay, but one by one, they have transferred to other schools. On the first day of seventh grade, Jeremy Miner gets the news that the last boy besides himself has left the school. Now he is the sole boy among 475 girls. His single mother works at the school and gets free tuition for him and his two sisters, and she dislikes the local public school, so he is stuck. His friend Claudia comes up with an idea—stage a series of pranks so he will get kicked out of school. Jeremy’s basically a good kid, and the idea of pranks makes him uncomfortable, but he’s desperate. He makes up some rules, though: nobody gets hurt or humiliated, nothing gets broken or is permanent. But try as he might, he can’t stick to those rules, and permanent damage is done, both to the school and some of its students. Jeremy starts to think there may be worse fates than being the last boy at St. Edith’s…but is he in too deep to turn back? 272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros: The characters are engaging and likeable and the premise is an interesting one. The pranks and consequences seemed quite realistic, and Jeremy’s dilemmas could make for some interesting discussion.

Cons: I don’t know what could have been done differently, but given such a fascinating premise, it seemed like the plot never really quite took off as much as I was hoping it would.