Novel in verse

Let’s visit the Goodreads 2026 Mock Newbery list!

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

As you’ll see, I’ve been a little resistant to these three books, all of which are currently at or near the top of the Goodreads 2026 Mock Newbery list. I thought I’d dive into them during the last couple weeks of summer before school started. One that I did not get to, and probably won’t, is Max in the Land of Lies by Adam Gidwitz, simply because it’s a sequel which I don’t usually review. I did love the original, Max in the House of Spies, so I feel pretty confident rooting for it to get Newbery acclaim.

Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 416 pages, grades 5-9). Elsbeth tells her story from March, 1776 through the end of November, a time when she is working for the Pike family in Boston while searching for her father who’s mysteriously gone missing. He’s the only family member she has left after her mother and siblings died of smallpox when they lived in Philadelphia. There’s a lot going on in 1776 Boston, starting with the evacuation of all British loyalists after the Patriot army takes the city (I finally learned what Evacuation Day is and why it’s still celebrated in Boston). Elsbeth witnesses the financial fall and rise of the Pike family, as well as their struggles with the decision about whether to inoculate their children against smallpox. In the end they proceed, and it falls on Elspeth to nurse them through the mild cases of the disease that they have to suffer in order to create immunity. After months of anxious searching, Elsbeth is finally reunited with her father, and a final chapter gives a report of what happens to her and other characters up until 1781. Includes a note on sources which details the immense amount of research that went into writing this book.

I didn’t know that I wanted to read a 400-page historical fiction novel about the American Revolution, and I’m afraid many middle school readers will feel the same way. Which would be a shame, because this is an extremely compelling story with all sorts of interesting characters, many of whom I’ve had to leave out of my brief review. The chapters are short and the plot keeps humming along, making it a quicker read than I thought it would be. Readers will learn a lot about American Revolution history and find parallels to contemporary life, most notably the vaccine controversy and the fact that ordinary life goes on even when you are living through revolutionary times.

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 320 pages, grades 4-7). Clare is an undead fox who has made his home in Deadwood Forest for the last six years, ushering lost animals to their afterlife in one of four realms: Pleasure, Peace, Purpose, or Pain. His life, such as it is, is quiet, and he has learned to keep himself busy reading and tending his mushroom garden to keep away disturbing thoughts about being abandoned by his mother and the car accident that led to his demise as a kit. When he gets wind of a prophecy that could shatter his peaceful life, Clare sets out to make sure that it doesn’t happen. His least favorite animal, a badger, appears at his door, and although he tries to usher her into the afterlife, she seems unable to cross over. As All Hallows’ Eve approaches, Clare begins to have some insights into his life that eventually allow him to let the prophecy unfold and his own path to change dramatically.

I can’t decide how I feel about this book. The story, characters, and world-building are all exceptionally well done, and there are interesting questions about life, death, and self-acceptance that would make this a great choice for a book club. At the same time, I felt myself having to push to get through it, as it started to feel like kind of a heavy read, so it may not be for everyone. Based on the writing alone, though, I would not be unhappy to see it get a Newbery.

The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 368 pages, grades 4-7). This novel in verse opens at the end of the 7th grade school year for 13-year-old Finn Connelly. Not only is he in danger of failing two classes, but he’s in a lot of trouble for vandalizing the headstone of Edna Grace Thomas, a local woman famous for her love of the Adirondack Mountains and her support of other climbers. Edna’s daughter makes Finn an offer: he and his family won’t have to pay for damages if Finn will hike the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondacks over the summer along with Edna’s dog Seymour. Knowing his mom can’t afford to pay, Finn reluctantly agrees to go, accompanied on each hike by one of three local climbers. As the summer progresses, Finn’s resentment gradually gives way to a love of hiking, as he uses the long climbs and the beautiful vistas to process his grief about his dad, a firefighter known for his heroism on 9/11 who struggled with addiction and died while working long hours during Covid. Finn learns more about his dad and slowly unravels his own feelings of grief and anger, while figuring out his own talents and using them to help his family move forward.

This book sounded a bit mawkish to me, but I’m happy to say I was completely wrong. I would love to see it get a Newbery, because I think it has a lot of kid appeal. The verse format makes the 350+ pages move pretty quickly, and Messner injects plenty of humor and lightheartedness despite the weighty topics. Finn goes through some pretty big changes, but they all feel in keeping with being 13 years old. And there’s a pretty lovable dog as the cherry on top.

Learning Black history through historical fiction

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Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Dutton Books for Young Readers, 320 pages, grades 4-7). Fifth grader Cooper Dale is ashamed of the fact that she sometimes wishes she were white, but she can’t help feeling that it would make her life easier at school where she’s the only Black student. While she shares events like grieving the assassination of President Kennedy and excitement about the Beatles with some of her classmates, she’s also the target of racist bullying by other kids, especially Wade. When Cooper’s mom gets a cleaning job with Wade’s family, Cooper finds out that his mother is dying of cancer. Although it’s hard for her to be compassionate, she learns from those around her, including her parents and older siblings, members of her church, and the new Black boy who is dealing with the loss of his own mother. By the end of the book, Cooper has realized that she and Wade may never be friends, but her empathy can help him get through a difficult time and may even change how he sees her and her family.

This novel in verse does an excellent job of weaving historical events of 1963 into a story that today’s readers will relate to. Cooper’s honest voice expresses both her wish to live up to her parents expectations of being “radiant” and her very human emotions in response to some of the difficult situations she encounters.

Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 208 pages, grades 4-7). Will’s family is barely making it as sharecroppers on a cotton farm in Texas when Father hears about the chance for free land in Oklahoma–if they can win the race to get there. Despite the risks of the journey, Father decides it’s worth a try, and 12-year-old Will successfully makes the case to join him. Along the way they encounter a rattlesnake, a rushing river that must be crossed to get to Oklahoma, and a mysterious ex-Civil War soldier named Caesar with some dangerous enemies. Caesar and his horse Midnight join Father and Will, and the three work together to survive and overcome the racism that threatens to derail their plans. When Caesar gets shot, it’s up to Will to ride Midnight all night, covering the last leg of their trip and making his family’s dream of owning land a reality. Includes an author’s note giving more historical context, particularly on the removal of indigenous groups from the land being claimed in the story and the Tulsa Race Massacre that took place in Oklahoma a generation after Will and his family settled there.

Fans of the I Survived series will enjoy this action-packed adventure featuring a courageous hero committed to helping his family. The author’s note addressed some of the more troubling aspects of the land rush, as well as the fact that the story for Black people settling in Oklahoma was unfortunately not as happily-ever-after as Will’s seems to be. I’m guessing both of these books will receive consideration for Newbery and Coretta Scott King awards.

Two brave girls

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The Freedom Seeker by Ruchira Gupta (Scholastic Press, released August 5, 320 pages, grades 4-8). Simi has a happy life in Northern India, where she’s surrounded by friends and family who celebrate her accomplishments at school and on the hockey field. But when a right-wing group comes to power, her Sikh father and Muslim mother become targets. After her father is badly beaten, he’s able to illegally immigrate to the United States, where he’s granted asylum and starts working as a taxi driver in New York. By the time he’s saved enough to send for Simi and her mother, though, immigration policies have changed in the US. The two of them have to make a dangerous desert crossing in Mexico, and they wind up getting separated. Simi makes it to a detention center but has to endure weeks of crowded, prison-like conditions and the agony of not knowing what has happened to her mother. Drawing on her experience as a leader in school and in sports, Simi finds ways to help herself. She’s eventually able to connect with her father, and the two of them work together to find her mom. Simi’s courage and kindness to others helps her to survive and finally bring her family together again.

This book puts a face on the phrase “illegal immigrant,” showing how families must make the difficult decision to leave their homelands, friends, and extended families to escape violence, and the incredibly harsh conditions that they endure in their quest to find a place where they can live in safety. Simi’s voice is compelling, as are the stories of others she meets on the journey, and once I got to about page 100, I had to keep going until I knew she and her family were going to make it. While advanced fourth and fifth grade readers would enjoy this, I think middle school kids would perhaps get more from the story. Thanks to Scholastic for providing me with an advance copy.

The Burning Season by Caroline Starr Rose (Nancy Paulsen Books, 256 pages, grades 4-7). On Opal’s twelfth birthday, she starts her training with Gran, continuing the tradition of women in her family who have served as fire lookouts deep in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest. Although Opal loves her life with Gran and Mom and their small home in a lookout tower, she yearns to move to town and go to middle school like other kids. She also guards a deep secret–she’s afraid of fire, which killed her dad and almost took the rest of the family during a huge wildfire a few years back. When her mom gets stranded in town after a fierce storm and Gran gets injured in the woods, Opal comes face to face with a fire that threatens Gran and their home. Despite her own injuries, she must overcome her fears and fight the fire alone. Opal discovers that sometimes bravery means doing the very thing you’re afraid of and that protecting those you love can give you courage. Includes a seven-page author’s note with additional information about wildfires and the history of fire management.

This novel-in-verse kept me riveted from the first page with its unusual setting and strong characters living a happy if somewhat bare bones life in the middle of the wilderness. The action really picks up when Mom leaves for supplies and they don’t hear from her for several days, then continues when Opal accidentally breaks their only pair of binoculars and Gran gets hurt. Opal’s favorite books are Gary Paulsen’s Brian series, and this story is an homage to their combination of nail-biting survival story and wilderness setting.

Horse Power

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The Trouble With Sunshine by Yamile Saied Méndez (Scholastic Press, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Dorani has gotten in trouble (again), this time for reading a banned book at school. But when her mother suffers a fatal heart attack on the way to pick her up, Dori is wracked by guilt and grief. Forced to leave her beloved Miami friends and family to go live with her seemingly cold and uncaring aunt on a Montana ranch, Dori finds an unexpected bond with a traumatized horse named Sunshine. The two begin healing together, and in the process, Dori finds new friends, a new family, and new causes to fight for. When Dori and Sunshine have to deal with an unexpected crisis at the ranch, they are able to rise to the occasion together, cementing their bond, as well as Dori’s new connection with her aunt. Thanks to Scholastic for providing me with a free review copy.

This heartfelt story will appeal to animal lovers. Dori’s journey through her grief will resonate with many readers, who will cheer her on as she discovers family secrets that lead her to a better understanding of both her mother and her aunt. The epilogue, told in three sets of texts to Dori’s best friend in Miami, felt a little rushed, although it was nice to see most of the loose ends tied up happily.

Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 240 pages, grades 5-8). Although Beatrix uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, she’s a confident and happy sixth-grader. But that sense of security is shattered when a school shooter invades her small Christian school, killing five people including Bea’s teacher. Afterwards, Bea is supported by her adoptive mother Max and the kind couple who share their duplex, but she still is traumatized by nightmares and a fear of indoor spaces. When Max discovers a therapeutic horseback riding program that specializes in working with kids with disabilities, Bea is surprised to find herself bonding with a horse there whose connection starts a healing process. By the end of the book, she’s able to attend the reopening of the school and begin to find a new normal for herself. Includes an author’s note in which she writes about the school shooting at Covenant School near her home in Nashville in which a close friend was killed, and how this event influenced the creation of the book.

This novel in verse explores how trauma suddenly disrupts the fabric of everyday life, leaving a world in which nothing can ever be the same again. Bea is a funny and compassionate narrator, often a bit too hard on herself, who finds healing through riding and by advocating for better gun control laws. As I often find in novels in verse, her emotional journey felt a little hurried and not as deeply explored as other formats allow, but it also felt raw, realistic, and ultimately hopeful.

Novels in verse by award-winning authors

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It’s All or Nothing, Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango (Random House Readers, 272 pages, grades 4-8). Vale is trying to get back to fencing after a serious motorbike accident that damaged one of her legs, possibly permanently. Despite the pain and weakness, Vale is driven to return to the one thing she feels like she is good at. Her quest to be the best before the accident was fueled by her parents and cost her at least one friendship, but now she feels alone and uncertain about what her parents really want for her. When she finally does get back to fencing class, she discovers that she’s been unseated by a new girl named Myrka. Despite Vale’s anger at Myrka for being a better fencer, she can’t help noticing she admires and likes Myrka in a way that may be more than just as a friend. When a hard-won victory over her rival results in intense physical pain, Vale has to come to terms with the fact that she is not the same person she was before the accident. By the end of the book, she has opened up honest communication with her parents and started to lean more on the people who care about her.

I was a little put off at first by Vale, who comes across as somewhat unlikable, pushing away the people who are trying to help her and focusing only on her return to fencing and her quest to be the best. But as the story went on, I started to sympathize more with what she was going through, not only the painful recovery from a serious accident, but grieving that she is no longer the same person and wondering if she’s now disabled. Kudos to Andrea Beatriz Arango for creating such a real and memorable character for whom you will be cheering by the end as she comes to terms with the new person she is becoming.

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 208 pages, grades 5-8). Sage is dealing with the intense grief of losing her best friend in a hit-and-run accident on her birthday. She’s back at school, trying to cope with the help of a support group, but each day presents new challenges as she navigates feelings of sadness, guilt, and anger. Sometimes she lashes out at those who are trying to help her, and she has to figure out ways to make amends during calmer moments. One element of grief that surprises her is that there is still room for joy and laughter, and Sage finds herself making new friends and slowly moving toward her first romance. For most of the story, she refers to the deceased as “my best friend,” but by the end of the story, she is able to say her name, Angel Rodriguez, and she creates a poster with that name to put at a makeshift memorial that’s been created in the place where Angel died. An author’s note tells of her own experiences with grief, losing fifteen loved ones from 2020 to 2022, and how those experiences and the Covid pandemic led to her writing this book.

As I read the list of Renée Watson’s books on the back flap, I realized what a truly gifted writer she is who has given us an amazing collection of works in all different genres for both children and young adults. This book is no exception, tracing Sage’s experiences with grief in a very realistic yet beautifully written way that will help other kids who are dealing with the emotions of loss.

And two final 2024 novels in verse

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Black Star by Kwame Alexander (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 384 pages, grades 5-8). In this sequel to The Door of No Return, Kofi is now Nana Kofi, grandfather to Charlene, a.k.a. Charley, who dreams of being the first Black female baseball player. She and her best friend Willie Green get tricked into a bet with a local bully, forcing them to quickly organize a baseball team and play a game at the church picnic. When the picnic grounds are being used for other activities, the team sneaks over the bridge to the whites-only field, where an encounter with a group of white kids ends with Willie accidentally hitting one of the boys with a baseball. Back home, Charley can’t figure out what’s going on, but the adults start talking in hushed tones and seem to be preparing for a journey. In the final pages, the family flees in Uncle Albert’s car, except for Daddy who stays behind to defend their home, while Willie Green and his brother Johnnie run from their burning home to join them after the Klan has done something unspeakable to their father. Those in the car are heading north, with Charley wracked by guilt over her actions that have led to this moment. Readers will have to wait for the third book of the trilogy to find out what happens next in the family saga.

This incredibly rich novel has so many elements woven together: Nana Kofi’s stories that fill in some of the details between books 1 and 2, appearances by real-life people like Marcus Garvey and Mary McLeod Bethune, and everyday descriptions of the life of a Black family living on the 1920’s South. I do think most readers will need some guidance with this book, particularly with the historical context, and they will understand and appreciate it much more if they have read book 1.

Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis (Greenwillow Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7). It’s 1985, and 12-year-old Cayenne is excited at the prospect of finally settling down. She and her free-spirited parents have always l lived in a van, but with the addition of twins to the family, they’re feeling the need for a home and some money. Cayenne loves seventh grade, making a few new friends and developing a crush on the new boy Beau, but when there are layoffs at the local sawmill, her dad loses his job, and she learns that Beau’s father was responsible. As food gets leaner and her parents start fighting more, Cayenne fears that her days in a real home may be numbered. By the end of the story, her hunch proves correct, and the family takes to the road again, although Cayenne feels a bit wiser about appreciating herself and her family and about questioning the importance of “fitting in.” An ongoing school project about the Titanic offers additional insights about class, and the author includes additional information at the end, as well as the connections to her own family, and Cayenne’s dad’s PTSD from Vietnam which he self-medicates by smoking weed.

While not exactly an upbeat story, Cayenne is an endearing protagonist who learns some important life lessons, and the focus on class and poverty is one that’s often not explored much in children’s books. I was kind of surprised when Dad was smoking a joint on page 1, but the author’s note gave his marijuana use some good context.

National Book Award longlist

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

I’m nerdy enough to eagerly await the announcement of the National Book Award longlist, which this year happened on September 10 for young people’s literature. I read three of the books on the list and offer you my assessment of them here.

Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books, 336 pages, grades 5-8). When this novel in verse opens, Kareem’s biggest concern is with making the middle school football team. He’s willing to cheat on homework and shun a new boy who’s a refugee from Syria in order to befriend the football coach’s son Austin. But when Kareem’s mother returns to Syria to help her ailing father, Kareem begins to question his actions. The 2017 Muslim ban throws Kareem’s life into chaos, and his issues with Austin start to feel petty. Kareem has to look deep within himself to do the right thing and start to make amends with some of the people he’s hurt. Like many immigrant kids, he has a foot in two different worlds, and by the end of the story, Kareem has learned to embrace his dual heritage.

I well remember Trump’s Muslim ban, but this book really made me understand the horrific effects it had on those who were directly impacted by it. The characters were well developed, and I liked that Kareem made some pretty bad–and quintessentially middle school–decisions, but that he was able to acknowledge them, working to make things right and growing over the course of the story. The book was so compelling that once I got about halfway through, I had to keep reading to find out how Kareem’s story turned out.

Free Period by Ali Terese (Scholastic Press, 272 pages, grades 5-8). Helen and Gracie alternate telling the story of how a prank gone wrong lands them in the principal’s office, where they’re sentenced to join the Community Action Club. At the first meeting, they learn about a project to get maxi pads in all the school bathrooms, something that club president and mean girl Madison wants to do as the final touch to her glittering middle school resume. After Helen has a period catastrophe, she becomes a huge advocate, leading the club in all kinds of pranks and civil disobedience to get the school board to fund the project. Helen’s a bit of an evil genius, while Gracie’s more of a quirky, artsy type, and while the two of them have been best friends and partners in crime for years, the period project shows them that they are developing their own identities and outside friendships. Combining their talents, they become an unstoppable force that brings the whole club–even Madison–together to get the job done.

It is a bit confounding to me why this book garnered NBA recognition. To me, it read like a run-of-the-mill Scholastic tween/teen story, albeit one that focuses and educates about an important topic that’s often not discussed. Helen and Gracie seemed so similar at the beginning of the story that it actually took me a couple of chapters to notice that they were alternating the narration. Their nonstop witty banter, confidence, and disregard of any kind of authority felt a bit unrealistic for middle school.

Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 320 pages, grades 5-8). Alicia Williams’ sophomore novel focuses on Isaiah, a Black eighth-grade boy whose two best friends are Drew and Darius. Together, they try to set world records and egg each other on to attempt daredevil stunts. When one of those stunts goes wrong and Darius is killed by a car, Isaiah blames himself. Both he and Drew withdraw into their separate grief at a time when they need each other the most. Isaiah’s attempt to find some healing by revisiting the scene of Darius’s death results in racial violence toward Isaiah that leaves him barely able to function. His worried parents send him to relatives in North Carolina where he basks in the easygoing warmth of his aunt and uncle’s home and develops his first crush on a girl who accepts all the things Isaiah has always tried to hide: his love of rock music, his fondness for painting his nails, and his fear of many of the stunts Drew and Darius pushed him to do. By the time summer’s over, Isaiah is starting to heal and is ready to start high school, and he and Drew finally find a way to begin to communicate.

Another novel in verse that could easily be a contender for a Newbery or Printz award. Like she did in Genesis Begins Again, Alicia Williams creates a memorable character who’s often afraid to let his true nature shine, slowly learning to be himself as the narrative unfolds. Both of the novels in verse would make excellent middle school book club books.

Since I started working on this post, the National Book Awards finalists have been named, and only one of these books made it. Which one? I will leave it to you to read all about it here (hint: it was my personal favorite). The winners will be named November 20, and yes, I have it on my calendar.

Lost boys

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps (Nancy Paulsen Books, 256 pages, grades 4-7) and The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 320 pages, grades 4-7). I read these two books back-to-back, and they are remarkably similar: both are written by Newbery Honor winners, and both feature sixth-grade boys with unreliable mothers, strong grandmothers who die, and a choice between trying to fend for themselves and going into the foster care system. Joe Oak, from the novel in verse And Then, Boom! experiences homelessness after his grandmother loses her home bailing out Joe’s mother when she gets arrested. After living in their car for a while, Joe’s best friend Nick finds a place in his mobile home park for them to live. Things are looking up until Grandmum suddenly passes away, and Joe is on his own, fearing that if he’s discovered, he’ll be at the mercy of Child Protection Services. The title comes from Joe’s love of comic books, where surprising turns of events are announced with a BOOM, and a final near-catastrophe results in Joe finally getting help from the caring people who have been around him all along.

Hank Hooperman lives with his mother and three-year-old sister Boo. When the story opens, their mom has been missing for a week, and Hank is desperately trying to figure out what to do. He reaches out to Lou Anne, the woman his mother listed as an emergency contact on a permission slip and finds temporary housing there. Lou Anne was one of his late grandmother’s closest friends, and while she provides housing for the kids, Hank reminds her of her own estranged teenage son, and she’s not particularly welcoming to him. Fortunately, a neighbor named Ray proves to be a caring friend and mentor, and Hank is getting along okay until his mother unexpectedly reappears, throwing everything into chaos. A few weeks in the foster care system reveals the bleakness of that path, but as with Joe, Hank learns that there are people around him who genuinely care and can help him get back on his feet again.

I loved both of these books, reading each in under 48 hours, and my fingers are crossed that they will both get Newbery consideration. There aren’t enough middle-grade books with boy protagonists, and both Joe and Hank are endearing narrators, both forced to grow up too fast, but still children, with a love of basketball and a need to be taken care of. There also aren’t enough stories of kids living in poverty, the unfortunate reality for way too many young readers. My one complaint about both books is that it really demonized the mothers, and the completely absent fathers pretty much got off scot-free.

One of these things is not like the other, take 2

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Warrior on the Mound by Sandra W. Headen (Holiday House, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Cato loves baseball more than just about anything and aspires to join the Negro Leagues like his father, Daddy Mo, and his older brother Isaac. Daddy Mo died suddenly four years ago, and Cato is being raised by his grandparents, who have never told him the circumstances around his dad’s death. When white store owner Luke Blackburn builds a new baseball field for his son’s team, Cato and his friends sneak over to try it out themselves. When they’re caught, it’s the beginning of a chain of events that results in not only a baseball game between Cato’s team and the white team, but the revelation of Daddy Mo’s death, his friendship with Luke, and the guilt Luke carries about his role in the murder.

In the middle of all this, Isaac is brought home bloodied and unconscious, having been beaten as he tried to travel home during a break in the baseball season. As Isaac slowly recovers, he coaches Cato, not only in the finer points of baseball, but in surviving as a young Black man in the Jim Crow south of the 1930’s. There’s plenty of back matter to add historical context to this story, and readers will enjoy both the sports action and the history lessons. I did question if a friendship like Daddy Mo’s and Luke’s would have really survived to adulthood in that environment, but I’d like to think that it was possible.

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Holiday House, 304 pages, grades 4-7). Just as I was finishing reading Warrior on the Mound, this book arrived for me at the library. It’s a novel in verse told by three female narrators: 11-year-old Lettie; her mother, Sylvia; and 18-year-old Philomena, an orphan with plans to be a teacher. They’re all traveling west, along with Lettie’s dad, who hopes to find a better life in Nebraska than the one they have in Mississippi. I know I would enjoy this book, but the font was tiny, and then I got distracted by another action-packed book.

And what was that book? I was looking through the most recent Scholastic flyer, and this book caught my eye: The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber (Scholastic, 304 pages, grades 4-7). Much of what is in Scholastic these days is pretty much trash, even in my low brow opinion, but this looked good, and I’ve enjoyed other books by Alyson Gerber. This one is a series opener featuring Weatherby and Jack, who take turns narrating the story. They meet at a sailing regatta, which Weatherby wins, gaining her a surprise scholarship to the prestigious Boston School, a private academy where her dad went and was part of the sailing team.

Weatherby has never met her dad, and as she gets involved with Boston and starts to learn more about her classmates, she begins to suspect that her mom has not been completely honest with her about her father. There’s a web of deception surrounding the school, and Weatherby is no exception. When she and her friends get recruited to join a powerful secret society, some of the lies begin to come to light. The twist at the end reveals an unexpected connection between Jack and Weatherby and leaves plenty of loose ends to investigate in book 2.

This book is a lot less likely to receive starred reviews or awards than One Big Open Sky, but it was a lot of fun! I did think Weatherby’s guilty secret was pretty lame, but she seemed tortured enough about it, and it got her admission into the Liars Society. It’s a promising opening for a series, with plenty of kid appeal for upper elementary and middle school readers.

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

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Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Laura’s just arrived at her aunt’s house as this novel in verse opens.  Her parents are in rehab following Laura’s 911 call, and she’s trying to deal with the fallout, including guilt for having made that call.  Titi Silvia provides her with structure and a comfortable home but is emotionally distant.  When Laura finds an abandoned pit bull puppy, she resolves to train him as a therapy dog, believing this will be her ticket to getting to visit her parents.  A new friend, Benson, is struggling with sickle cell disease, but offers to help her with training as his health allows.  After Laura’s parents check themselves out of rehab, and her mom makes a disastrous unannounced visit to her school, Laura realizes that her path back home may be longer and more complicated than she first believed.  Some therapy and heart-to-heart talks with Titi Silvia help her find a greater acceptance of her new life and the new people who are trying to help her.  256 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This follow-up to Andrea Beatriz Arango’s Newbery Honor book Iveliz Explains It All is a moving story narrated by a believable protagonist who has to navigate some pretty tough situations feeling like she is more or less on her own.  

Cons:  There was so much packed into this relatively short story–foster care, addiction, chronic illness, dysfunctional families, Laura’s Puerto Rican heritage, therapy dogs–that it felt like some of the topics didn’t get explored as fully as they could have.