The Friendship War

1.  I wish this could have been titles The Button War but Avi snagged that.  2.  This is the strongest book by Clements I have read in a while  - I really liked it.

When Grace went to visit her grandfather over the summer they visited many places but their visit to the old mill he had just bought was really cool.  While there Grace found boxes of buttons.  Her grandfather agreed to ship them to her - a whole pallet.  Soon after she got them she took some to show at school and realized that they weren't all just gray plain buttons but there were all shapes, sizes, and ages.  When she decides to give some away at lunch she unknowingly starts a fad.  While cool at first after a while it threatens her friendship with Ellie and could even get her in trouble.

A great middle school read.

Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle

It's bad enough living in a family of 4 girls in a small apartment but when Ana Maria finds out her mother is pregnant again she is really upset.  Why do they need another child when she doesn't get enough attention as it is?  No one seems to care about her piano playing or her wish to get a scholarship to a private school.  The only one who seems to understand her is her aunt but when the family goes to the Dominican Republic for her aunt's wedding Ana Maria learns some things about her aunt that she doesn't like.  Can Ana Maria find her own way and learn to appreciate the family she has?

For the bulk of the book I really didn't like Ana Maria at all - maybe it was realistic but she was very selfish and jealous of everyone around her.  In the end the book was pretty good though...

The Wind Called My Name

Margarita's family is finally going to be reunited.  Her older brother and Papa moved to Wyoming to work on the railroad and the rest of them are moving up from New Mexico to join them.  Things are still tough - they need to send money back to their abuelita and they need to watch their money but they are lucky to have jobs during the tough Depression years.  But Margarita is struggling to fit in.  Not everyone likes having hispanic people around - especially when they think they aren't Americans.  She also has trouble with her new friend.  Can she and her family prove that they belong?

This had just the right amount of historical context and a good feel for what life would have been like for those of hispanic descent during that time - especially surrounding the history of New Mexico.  Good friendship themes as well in this.

Emmi in the City

With the popularity of the I Survived series this series is sure to please as well.  This book takes place during the Chicago Fire and features Emmi and a set of twins who are trying to survive after all getting separated from their parents.  This is good for the 3rd - 4th grade kiddos - not too long, action packed, and historical.

Anna Strong and the Revolutionary War...

This was a fun book about Anna Strong and the role it is believed she played in the Culper Spy Ring during the Revolutionary War.  I think this would be great for students studying the Revolutionary War.  What I also liked was the secret message hidden in the text - a fun addition.

A Dreadful Fairy Book

After the dingle dangle other sprites in her village burned down her house Shade decides to search out a new place to live - a place with books, or a library where she could work.  Along the way she meets a host of quirky companions and has loads of adventures.

I enjoyed this book - quirky, adventurous, and funny.

The Eternity Elixir

Gordy is a talented elixirist which is rare for someone so young.  But his mother is also very talented and as Gordy comes to learn, his grandfather was one of the best.  Unfortunately his grandfather became obsessed with power and tried to overthrow the society of elixirists called BREW and also developed the Eternity Elixir.  His grandfather is now banished and the elixir was hidden.  But then someone discovered where it was so Gordy's aunt sent it to Gordy's mom to keep it safe.  But Gordy's mom was gone when it arrived and Gordy opened it by mistake.  Now people are after not only the elixir but Gordy and his friends as well.  Can Gordy keep it out of the wrong hands?

I liked this fantasy - rare for me.  It did leave room for a sequel (coming soon) but ended decently.

The Once and Future Geek

The cover of this book makes it seem much younger than it actually is which is unfortunate...  I loved this book - the adventure, friendship, time travel, history...

The story begins in the present with best friends Sophie and Stu playing their Camelot Code video game with an online friend.  They are about to defeat Morgana.  But their friendship is a bit strained lately...

Meanwhile, in Camelot Arthur and his best friend Guin dream of a future where they could change the world if they weren't bound by class and rules.  But when Guin accidentally loses a scabbard down a well, Arthur goes after it not realizing that the well is a portal which takes him to the present.

And so, the lives of the 4 intersect.  Arthur, who learns of his fate on Google, doesn't want to go back and Stu takes his place temporarily.  But things start going wrong - can the 4 of them make things right?

Lots of fun...

The Thorn Queen

Sometimes I wonder why I even read fantasy...  there are some notable exceptions and I love the subgenres of Dystopian and Science Fiction for the most part... but straight fantasy I have a heard time with.

This was no exception unfortunately.  If the world building and conflict don't engage me quickly I slog through.  For me this was a struggle.  The reader doesn't even hear the name Thorn Queen til almost halfway through.  There are some good characters but some of the secondary characters - that the main character is supposedly really close to - are barely mentioned.  There isn't even of the conflict til the very end and then there is room for a sequel.  Didn't work for me.

What Goes Up

For some reasons things land on Robyn's roof - frisbees, laundry, a parachutist.  It's no wonder Robyn is afraid that the satellite crashing to earth is going to land on her roof too.  So now more than ever, since she may die when the satellite hits, she wants to find her dad.  Can she and her best friend figure out who her dad is in time?  Will the satellite actually hit her house?

This was a bit quirky.  Wasn't my favorite to be honest but I can picture some students to hand it to. 

Defying the Nazis

This is one of those books that I am glad I read because it was about a person I had never heard of and it sheds a hopeful light on humanity.  It tells the story, through journals and letters mainly, of Captain Wilm Hosenfeld who, although he was a German officer, managed to rescue many Polish and Jewish people during World War II.  Too many times we classify us and them and miss some of the stories of people who went against the grain.

Smart Cookie

There was a lot going on in this book - up until the last chapter really I felt like there were all these threads that didn't really seem to work together.  

Frankie lives at a B&B with her dad and Gram.  But the B&B is losing business.  Why?  So there is a mystery and also a bit of a potential ghost story.  Then there is also Frankie's quest to hook her dad up with someone new - but she later finds out he's actually dating someone she knows.  Not enough here...  not enough relationship...  Then there is some former best friend, project partner thing going on.  Oh and Gram is a hoarder.  

I think there was just too much and not enough depth on any of it.

Wonderland

This was a solid middle grade novel about the friendship of two very different girls, an old man who worked at the estates where one of the girls lived, and a dog who brought them all together.

Nothing overly flashy but a good read...

North to Benjamin

I am still trying to process how I feel about this...

Edgar and his mom move around a lot.  His mom smokes, drinks, loses jobs frequently, and goes through a lot of boyfriends.  Their latest move has taken them from Toronto to the Yukon where they will housesit and take care of a dog named Benjamin.  Almost immediately Edgar's mom is on the prowl.  She pursues a man who picked them up at the airport and is the father of Edgar's new friend.  Oh, and he also has a girlfriend.  Edgar knows disaster is coming and tries to prevent it but the stress or something causes him to start barking instead of speaking and he can understand the dog as well.  Can Edgar keep things from getting out of hand.

I know, unfortunately, that kids may be able to relate to this really unstable environment but there was a lot of talk about the mom's affair and what was happening as well as experimentation going on between Edgar and the girl he meets.  To me it was a bit much.

My Year in the Middle

Lu's school is newly integrated and it is causing problems.  The white kids side on one side and the black kids sit on the other.  Latinos like Lu sit in the middle.  But where does she really belong.  Her white friends want her to stay away from the black kids, they want her to attend a political rally for Wallace, and they want her to blend in like a good girl.  But Lu likes her new friends and she is discovering that she likes to run.

There were some typical themes and ideas here but the setting was good and the featuring of a Latino character was a nice addition.  I enjoyed this.

The Right Hook of Devin Velma

Devin is convinced that if he can hit it big - a viral video, tons of Twitter followers, something - then his father will get better and his family's troubles will be over.  But he needs Addison's help to pull it off.  How far will Addison go to help his friend?

This was a fun story and had a good message about friendship.

Love Like Sky

G-baby and her younger sister Peaches are trying to get used to their new life.  Mom has remarried and they now have a stepsister that G-baby especially would like to get to know better.  She would also love it if her dad and stepmother would get along with everyone else.  Of course their is typical middle school drama but when Peaches gets sick the day G-baby snuck out of the house everything crashes down.  Will Peaches get better and can things ever be normal again?

This was a solid selection and I liked the diversity in it.

Boy Bites Bug

Will never planned on becoming known as the Bug Boy but during a stinkbug infestation in the library he accidentally on purpose ate one to divert attention from a racial incident going down between one of his friends and a new student.  That incident led Will down the road of figuring out who his real friends were but even more importantly exploring entomophagy which is when bugs are eaten as food.

This wasn't bad.  I liked the boy drama instead of girl drama, the wrestling, and the exposure to bugs as food.

The Button War

I gotta say, I was not a fan of this.  I listened to it on audio and was struck by the flat dialogue - so much I said then he said then he said.  I may not have noticed it as much if I had read it.  Overall too it was just disturbing and sad.  Not my favorite book by Avi.

The Property of the Rebel Librarian

June loves to read, loves the library, loves the librarian.  But when a controversial book and author visit gets shut down by the local Parent organization it sets in motion the censorship and removal of hundreds of books and harsh consequences for reading them (A bit over the top...).  June and her classmates decide to go underground and with the help of a local Little Free Library they start a secret library in the school.

This grew on me but I did feel that the parents were very ridiculous.  I also found this book very similar to Ban This Book by Gratz.

Inkling

Since the death of Ethan's mother his dad, a graphic novelist has been stuck.  One night a ink spot escapes from his father's sketchbook.  Soon Ethan discovers that Inkling can eat or absorbs text and images and learn from it and then create amazing work.  At first Inkling helps Ethan with an assignment he has but when his dad learns about Inkling he uses him to help him out of his slump.  But should Inkling be forced to help - what are the rules for ink?  Then a rival classmate and her ambitious father discover Inkling's talents and steal him.  Can Ethan and his dad not only rescue Inkling but save their family as well.

Good action and some moral dilemmas.  There was enough action and danger to satisfy readers without going overboard.  I loved this book.

One True Way

Allie and her mom have just moved to town.  Since the death of her brother things have been rough and now her parents have split up.  But, on her first day Allie meets Sam and instantly feels a connection.  But is the connection more than friendship?

Sam knows she is gay but also knows that her family, her church, and most of the people around her will disapprove.  This is even more apparent when 2 teachers at school are pretty much forced out because of their relationship.

What are Allie and Sam supposed to do with their feelings.  This was a good look at what it was like in the late 1970s for middle schoolers exploring their sexuality.  I appreciated the fact that although Sam's church was against it the book did not dwell too much on that or become overly critical of the religious aspect.

The Capture of Black Bart

This is one of those people that you have probably heard of vaguely but didn't really know anything about.  This short nonfiction book talks about Black Bart's life, his robberies, and even more importantly the behind the scenes work of capturing him.  I liked the parallel discussions of Bart and the Wells Fargo detective who led the investigations.  I liked this one.

Takedown

I do not like the cover - it didn't appeal to me at all and I am guessing some kids may be meh.... but

The book itself was quite good.  Mickey and Lev are both wrestlers.  Mickey's family wrestles and she started mainly as a way to get her dad's attention but now she loves it.  Problem is - her brother's former coach won't take her because she's a girl so she ends up on a different team.

Lev is on the other team and is asked to pair up with Mickey.  He doesn't like it at first but they become friends along the way.

But when things get rough Lev isn't sure he has what it takes to keep wrestling.  Can they both find what they need from wrestling, from each other, and from others?

I liked this way more than I thought I would!

Too Young to Escape

This is a companion book to the author's Adrift at Sea which tells the journey of a Vietnamese family and mentions the girl they left behind with her grandmother.  This is the story of the girl and what her life was like while waiting for her family to be reunited.  This was very interesting.

Annie B Made for TV

Annie B loves to invent things and create commercials for her inventions.  When auditions come up for a spokesperson in a web show she is really excited.  But then, her best friend gets the part instead and Annie is upset.  It seems like Savannah always gets the prizes, the parts, the awards and Annie gets nothing.  To make it worse, Savannah is starting to hang out with someone else.  Can Annie fix their friendship and find her own place to shine?

This was a solid middle grade novel.

Just Under the Clouds

Ever since the death of her father Cora's little family has been floundering.  Her mom is trying to find good work and Cora is picking up the slack by caring for her sister Adare who was brain damaged at birth.  Things have gotten worse to the point that they are now homeless.  Through it all Cora is holding on to her father's memory and his love of trees.  When she finds a tree that was special to her father it helps lead to some closure but also some trouble as well.

This was a pretty solid book about clinging to what's important.

50 State Fossils

This was a nice, concise collection of the state fossils.  Each page had photos, identifying scientific information, and a brief description of why the fossil was important to the state.  For young scientist this will be a nice browsing book or introduction to fossils.  It could also accompany state report resources.

Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows

Charlie Hernandez has grown up with Latin American folktales.  But when his parents disappear he finds out that the folktales and actually real and he is part of an ancient prophecy.  With the help of a new friend and the League of Shadows Charlie sets out to defeat a witch and maybe rescue his parents.

I liked the Latin American folklore and there was some good action.  It took awhile to really ramp up and it was obviously the first in a series.  I wish there had been more development of some of the secondary characters.

Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish

Marcus is a big boy and has big responsibilities.  He takes care of his brother who has Down Syndrome, protects kids who are bullied, makes dinner when mom is late.  But his size can also be intimidating.  When he hits a bully for teasing his brother, Marcus' mom thinks it's time for them to regroup by going to Puerto Rico to see family and friends.  Marcus knows that's where his dad is and pins all his hopes on finding and bonding with his dad.  But why hasn't his dad been in touch the last 10 years anyway?

The book is really about Marcus coming to terms with his family.  It was a pretty good book.

Squirm

Billy Dickens has a fascination with snakes and at times he will use the ones he has caught to persuade people to leave him alone or just make them squirm.

Billy decides to visit a father he barely remembers and then embarks on a big adventure.  He meets his father's new wife and daughter and learns about his father's real job tracking poachers.  

With his dad and new sister Billy helps to track down the poacher.  But what if the poacher is tracking them?

This was pretty good.  About halfway through I felt it wasn't really going anywhere but the last 1/4 of the book was really good.

The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley

Frances is different - she is smart, quirky, likes to spend time outdoors on her rocks, her best friend is her bus driver - but she likes it that way, she likes to be alone.  But when does alone become lonely?  If she's honest she misses her sister and she's uncomfortable being the smartest in class (until she isn't and then that's uncomfortable too).  When she loses her best friend Frances needs to take stock of her relationships.

This is a really quiet book.  There will be some who will gravitate towards its sweetness.  Frances was a really nice character who learned a lot.

My Life as a Diamond

Cassie decided just before moving to cut her hair and start going by Caz.  Can knows that he really is a boy and even though things didn’t work out well in Toronto he’s hoping for a fresh start in the Seattle area.  Things start out well - baseball, friends - but what if his secret gets out?

This was pretty decent - it will be good to have more books that students can find themselves in but I don’t think it was that well written.

The Law of Finders Keepers

Mo, Dale, and Harm embark on their last adventure - finding Blackbeard’s lost treasure and finally finding  Mo’s “Upstream Mother”.  I have always enjoyed this series and the characters.  This was a great romp and a wonderful conclusion to the series.

The Guggenheim Mystery

The characters from the London Eye Mystery are back and even though the author Siobhan Dowd died, Robin Stevens was able to take the characters and craft a really good mystery as well.  In my work on the MSBA committee I don’t often read sequels but we always need more mysteries.  As much as I enjoyed this I don’t think it can totally stand on its own - you really need to read London Eye to meet the characters.

That being said this was very good.  Salim and his mom have moved to NYC and his mom works at the Guggenheim.  Kat, Jack and his mom have gone to visit them.  On their visit to the museum, during some reconstruction with the museum actually closed, smoke fills the museum and during the evacuation a painting is stolen.  Based on initial evidence Salim’s mom is accused.  It is up to the 3 children to find out what really happened.

Drum Roll Please

On the night before Melly is to leave for a music camp her parents tell her, out of nowhere, that they are getting divorced.  Melly is devastated and angry that now she has 2 weeks to try and make sense of it while things change so drastically at home.  Then camp makes everything worse - she and her best friend are separated into different groups and then Olivia gets all wrapped up in a boy and leaves Melly alone.  Fortunately Melly meets Adeline and the two become close.  But Melly isn't really sure what she is feeling and things gets worse before they get better.

I devoured this book - 300+ pages and read it in one evening.  Really well done.

The Three Rules of Everyday Magic

Kate's life is kind of a mess.  Ever since her dad left she hasn't been able to sing.  To make it worse, her best friend Sophia has started to hang out with someone else.  Then her grandmother moves in with them because she is starting to be forgetful.  In her moments of clarity her grandmother encourages her to believe in everyday magic but Kate is having a hard time believing.

I liked the idea of this more than the end product.  The three rules were interesting and I like how the book was organized but I wasn't sold on it.  I have some readers who will like it though...

Nowhere Boy

Ahmed and his father are just trying to escape Syria - escape the war, escape the terror of losing the rest of the family, get to safety.  But there are dangers both from other people and from nature and on the way Ahmed's father is presumed drowned and Ahmed has to figure out what to do on his own.

Max's family has just moved to Belgium for the year.  Max doesn't fit in at all - he doesn't know the language or the culture but when Max discovers Ahmed hiding and living in the wine cellar of the new house he finds a purpose and a mission - keep Ahmed safe.

But how long can the boys keep up the secret?

This was a really good book - powerful really and thought provoking about the current refugee situation.

Angel and Bavar

Many years ago a door was opened and creatures came through the rift and got a taste for human blood.  Ever since then Bavar's family have been in charge of creating and maintaining a barrier to protect humanity and to fight these monsters.  But Bavar's parents became too interested in the fight and forgot the barrier and as a result people died.  Bavar's parents left to fight and left Bavar alone with his aunt and uncle to try and hold the barrier and learn to fight.  But Bavar does not want to become like his parents.  Until he meets Angel.  Angel whose parents died because of his parents' neglect.  Can they two of them figure out how to close the rift?

Good fantasy, action, adventure, a bit of a Beauty and the Beast take.  I liked this one.

Class Action

Sam is done.  He doesn't mind school but the homework is ridiculous - especially the extra test prep over a long weekend.  So he refuses to write down his assignments... and gets suspended for 3 days.  His actions set in motion a lawsuit against the school district that goes all the way to the Supreme Court.

This was a lot of fun and had some good information about the process.  Yes... unrealistic as far as timing and some other things but an empowering, good read.

From You to Me

Ever since the death of her sister 3 years ago Amelia has been floundering.  Everyone, including her best friend Taylor, tries to help but she feels lost.  When her eighth grade teacher mistakenly gives her a letter her sister wrote Amelia decides to try and do all the things in the letter that her sister never could - ask a boy to a dance, play softball, throw a party.  Along the way she learns who her friends really are, more about being herself, and how to move on.

This was surprisingly good - more than just a fluff piece.

Payback on Poplar Street

Peter is a self proclaimed young businessman - ruling the cul de sac with his quick business ventures guided by his guru Tom Reddi.  

Rachel is an introvert but decides to try and change that by being Peter's intern.  But after getting walked all over by him she decides instead to get revenge and create her own business to compete.  

But both keep having to up the ante in order to outdo each other and it ends up backfiring on both of them.

Not a bad back - pretty basic middle grade fare.

Skylark and Wallcreeper

This... this my state award or national award reading friends is why you need to keep up, pay attention, be on the lookout especially for fall releases.  This was released in early October and I am so glad I heard about it because it wasn't on my radar at all.

It's 2012 and Super Storm Sandy is hitting NYC - specifically the nursing home where Lily's grandmother is living.  When the call comes to evacuate Lily's grandmother gives her a fountain pen and asks her to take care or it.  But what's so important about it?  And...how can she get it back when she loses it?

Go back to 1944 in southern France and 2 girls - Collette and Marguerite or Skylark and Wallcreeper who are part of the Resistance.

The narrative goes back and forth between the 2 time periods as Lily uncovers the secret life her grandmother has kept hidden.

Really good - you do have to take Lily's adventures as a 12 year old with a grain of salt.  I would have had the same reaction as her mom in the story does but students will not mind that.

The Not So Boring Letters of Private Nobody

Oliver loves the Civil War.  He knows all the facts, the trivia, and he is a re-enactor.  He can't wait for the big history project.  But then he is forced to work with Ella, a very strange girl who gets terrible grades, and they have to research a nobody - a private who died of a disease before ever seeing battle.  But maybe there is more to war than the battles and the victories.  Maybe there is more to people than what you see on the surface.

I really enjoyed this one - good history but also a story of friendship as well.

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle

Reema and her family have just arrived in Scotland after fleeing from Syria.  But, Jamal, Reema's older brother got separated from them and is missing and her father suffered from a chemical attack and has seizures.  Can their family ever mend?

Caylin's mom is a mess after the death of her grandfather.  Caylin is a mess too - she pretends to be tough, steals things, hides her lisp, and puts up a wall.  Can they ever get back to the way they were?

A mother fox injured with 5 babies.  Both Reema and Caylin find them and start to take care of them.  Can the foxes bring Reema and Caylin together?

A really nice story of friendship, belonging, freedom, and hope.  Very well done.

Ogre Enchanted

Evie is a healer and Wormy is her best friend and patient.  One day he gets a bit ahead of himself and decides to propose.  A fairy, Lucinda, loves such occasions and pops in to watch.  When Evie turns Wormy down (they are far too young), Lucinda turns Evie into an ogre and tells her she has 62 days to get someone else to propose to her or she will an ogre forever.  What can Evie do?  Could someone ever love her as an ogre?

This was a fun fantasy with some humor, intrigue, and a bit of romance.  I enjoyed it.

Lucky Luna

Sometimes having so many primas (girl cousins) can be so annoying.  She has so many that Luna couldn't even be in quinceanera because the older cousins got a chance first.  Now Claudia the tattletale is going to be going to her school.  Even though Luna tries to be nice it is just so hard.  But maybe Luna is annoying to Claudia?

Everything Else in the Universe

Of course Lucia is happy her dad is coming home from Vietnam.  But he is coming home without an arm which means he will need a different job.  Lucia thinks things can go back to the way they were but they can't - things aren't the same and her dad is struggling with the new way of life.  Maybe is Lucia and Milo can find the owner of the helmet, photos, a Purple Heart they found they can find peace in their own journey.

This was a decent book - good friendship and a good exploration into healing.

There's No Base Like Home

Sophia has always believed that she will follow in her older sister's footsteps - be a pitcher and play for the Waves.  When she fails to make the team she is devastated. Add to that middle school challenges - friends, boys, etc - and Sophia is pretty frustrated.  Can she find her own way with a new team?

This is pretty typical middle grade fare.  The sports angle and the Latino heritage are nice additions and I would recommend the book for collections that need more of either or both.

Made by Hand: A Crafts Sampler

What a truly unique book.  This is a "story" of 14 historic crafts and some of the history either real or partially imagined behind their creation.  As a history buff and the mother of a museum major this was really cool to me.  Not sure how many others will geek out about it but I thought it was clever.