Friendroid

Eric works really hard at having the best friends, wearing the right clothes, and having the right stuff.  He's popular.  But when he meets Danny, who is anything but popular, Eric realizes that the people he associates with aren't really his friends.  Maybe he can be friends with Danny and that will make him popular.

Danny can't stand Eric.  He hangs out with the wrong kids and is too concerned with stuff.  But, after a strange accident at his house, they start to hang out and find that they have a lot in common.  Sure Eric is a bit quirky but everyone is right?  Until Eric's quirkiness is revealed to be due to him being an android...

This was an interesting premise.  I almost wonder what the story would have been like if we had uncovered that Eric was an android along with Danny as opposed to knowing up front.  Either way it was a fun book.

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James

Sunny has just had a heart transplant which is pretty scary.  But now she has a new life and she wants to take advantage of it... but that's scary too.  She is finally meeting the mom who abandoned her 8 years ago, she has a new best friend after her former friend told her secrets,  and she is desperate to find someone to love, to kiss.  But she wonders... about so many things but especially about her confusing feelings for Quinn.

I didn't know this was the same author as Ivy Aberdeen when I picked it out - I read so many eBooks at this time of year that I often don't notice things like that.  It makes sense and I think this one is even better than Ivy Aberdeen - the poems, the confusion, and the heart.  I thought it was really good.

Tin

Look at the cover...  really ... with a name like Tin and a cover like that what would you expect.  Yeah, me too.  I think that is my biggest issue with the book - I was expecting a tie in to Oz and kept waiting... nothing.

The book itself wasn't bad - it is a steampunk book set between WWI and WWII.  Mechanicals are used in odd jobs, etc but can't be adult size because they make people uncomfortable and because there was once one that killed others. 

Christopher is friends with a bunch of mechanicals but when he survives a car accident he and his friends find out that he is actually also a mechanical... a special one.  And there are others interested in him... in finding out what makes him tick as it were.

Can Christopher's friends rescue him and can Christopher find his real memories?

The Size of the Truth

Sam is known as the boy who fell in the well.  When he was 4 years old he fell into a well and was there for 3 days waiting for rescue.  During that time he “interacted” with an armadillo.

Now Sam is starting 8th grade.  He was moved forward 2 years so he is with boys two years older than he is which is (excuse me) terrifying.  He is also with his nemesis - the boy who caused him to fall into the hole in the first place (according to what he remember) and who he thinks always wants to murder him.

But memories are a tricky thing and people aren’t always what they seem.  

Parts of this I liked but overall I had things that annoyed me.  The excuse me every time he was going to swear was funny at first but then got annoying.  The way the chapters started was weird and pulled me out of the narrative almost every time.

The Vegetable Museum

Chloe and her dad have recently moved all the way across the country.  Chloe’s grandfather, whom she had never met, had just had a stroke and her dad decided to go help out.  Her mom stayed at home. Chloe thinks it’s a temporary move but as time goes on she starts to realize that life will never be the same.  Meanwhile, she is developing a relationship with her grandfather and learns about his special garden of heirloom vegetables - each unique and with its own story.  But when her grandfather dies who will take over the garden and what is the secret her father has been hiding all these years.

I really enjoyed this book.  I think it would pair well with a nonfiction book about plant diversity and seed libraries.  It isn’t often that I say this but I wish it had been a tad longer. When I got near the end I was a bit taken aback by how quickly it resolved.  I almost thought I skipped a chapter or two. Otherwise, this was really good.

Because of the Rabbit

This is one of those perfect early middle grade novels.  Not major drama - no dead parents, no major bullying, no traumatic event.  Yes, there are some friend issues and yes there is some conflict but it's gentle, light, and resolved.  Some might find it too fluffy but our kids need books like this - an escape.

Emma is about to start attending public school after being home schooled her whole life.  The night before her first day her dad, a game warden, and she rescue a bunny.  They decide to keep the bunny unless someone claims it.  This is good because Emma initially has trouble fitting in - she isn't sure who to be friends with, she worries about hanging around with the quirky boy in her class, and she desperately wants a best friend.  To top it off she soon learns that a family recently lost a bunny.  Is it her bunny?

This is a first rate, feel good story.

Can You Crack the Code

I really enjoyed this book about codes - the history, the math and science of it, and the future.  It was really cool to see the advances in technology and the discussion of hackers.  Reading it as an eBook and ARC had some disadvantages.  The puzzles were hard to access and the final product will have a final puzzle to solve which was not available in the ARC.  A solid book for kids interested in the topic. 

Rising Water

This was a very well done, well-researched account of the Thai cave rescue, especially in light of the quickness in terms of publication timelines.  While I followed the events a bit in social media and headlines this gave a more thorough account and behind the scenes look at events as they unfolded.  I felt that in places there was too much of the author's bias and political views interjected and because of the availability of some of the key players there are some gaps in the account.  I also wonder how well these types of books play out in the long run.  Will my students seek this out?

Sweeping up the Heart

On the surface this was a very simple, quiet book but the layers underneath were subtly complex.  

Amelia is really upset that she isn't going somewhere special over spring break especially since her dad actually has the time off too.  But her dad is a real quiet professor and lately Amelia feels disconnected.  So, Amelia decides to go to her favorite pottery place. There she meets Casey who is staying with his aunt while his parents try to fix their marriage.  Soon Casey and Amelia hit it off and invent a fun game of creating characters out of the people they see walking around.  But things get weird when Casey thinks one lady is the spirit of her mom.  Who is she?  And why does she keep seeing her?

At that point the book really opens up to Amelia and her dad reconnecting and "sweeping up the heart".  Simple but lovely.

The Next Great Paulie Fink

When Caitlyn starts school at the small village school in Mitchell, Vermont all anyone can talk about is Paulie Fink - the class prankster, the leader, the legend.  With the threat of the school closing and the desire to shake things up the other students decide to hold a reality competition to find the next great Paulie Fink.  But are our memories of people always accurate?

This was a lot of fun - good commentary about friendship and what we are remembered for.  I really enjoyed this.

Little Apocalypse

Celia knows she can take care of herself - and her parents are only going to be gone for a few days.  But then... there is an earthquake and things start to get weird.  Celia meets some kids on the roof after the earthquake but they don't want anything to do with her.  Then there are really load noises up there and one of the kids, Demetri, comes to her apartment.  Later she meets some other kids, hunters, who tell her monsters are real and that there is a prophecy involving Celia.  But who can she trust and what part does she play in all of it?

I really liked the beginning and was engaged right away - then I felt it lagged a bit before ending strong.  It was a unique story and a fun tale of friendship and making choices.

Mostly the Honest Truth

Most of the time Jane and her Pop have a great relationship.  But sometimes he struggles - sometimes he drinks - sometimes he has to go to rehab.  But Jane knows that after 12 days they will be back together - a pair of socks - taking care of each other.  But this time is different.  This time Jane's hand is burned, this time she is leaving in a community called Three Boulders and a police officer is taking care of her instead of a foster family, this time Social Services is investigating more closer.  What really happened that last night?

There was a lot of tension to this as Jane kept her secrets and suffered as a result.  There was also her discovery of a new family, new friends, and a place to belong.  Redemption and forgiveness also played a role.  And a twist that shed a light on a difficult situation...

A Monster Like Me

I am in a quandary about this book.  The main character, Sophie, has a birthmark on her face that has gotten bigger.  She tries to hide it and her mother enables her to avoid situations where she would be on display.  Sophie gets teased.  But...  Sophie thinks she was cursed by a witch as a child and maybe she can find a way to reverse the curse and no longer be a monster.  Sophie knows there are monsters all around - the man hitting on her mom, the neighbor, her new principal, her new friend.  She knows all this from a handbook of monsters that she takes everywhere.  Can Sophie find a cure for the curse she is under?

So my quandary is this...  I read for middle grade students and in some cases this reads as middle grade except for the fact that Sophie actually believes she is a monster and that there are monsters around.  That seems hard to believe for a 4th graders plus...  but if she is more like a 2nd or 3rd grader, then middle grade students aren't as likely to read it.  I also found the monster handbook very didactic.

Masters of Silence

Helen and Henry have been taken to an orphanage to hide from the Nazi soldiers.  Their mother has returned to Germany to try and find their father who was taken.  At first Henry refuses to speak but soon, with the help of a local clown Marcel Marceau, her begins to find his courage and a way of expressing himself.  But as the Nazis get closer the nuns decide that the children must flee to Switzerland with help from the famous mime.  

This was really interesting especially the inclusion of Marcel Marceau based on his real activities during the war.

Stand on the Sky

Aisulu and her brother Serik are part of a family of Kazakh nomads.  Her brother will eventually become the leader.  But he is hiding an illness because he knows it threatens his future.  Everything changes though when he breaks his leg and during the treatment cancer is discovered in the leg.  Now, in order for him to get a prosthetic and therapy, his family must either sell everything and move to the city or Aisulu must go against tradition and enter (and win) an eagle hunting competition with the the eagle she rescued.

I really enjoyed this book.  The culture is so different so it was a good glimpse into it.  Aisulu was a strong character in the midst of her struggles and the bond between her and her eagle was terrific.  

We're Not From Here

The Earth has been destroyed and although Mars offered a temporary home supplies are running out.  Some people decide to try and go back to Earth, some people venture out to another system but  one group decides to go to a planet that has welcomed refugees in the past.  The problem is, it will take 20 years in suspended animation to get there but it will be worth it.

But...  when they get there they find out that the whole government has changed and they are no longer welcome.  After some negotiations one family is allowed to go down and try to prove that humanity is not violent.  Can they convince the government or is humanity doomed?

This was pretty funny and in the end I liked it but I felt that in some ways the book just tried to hard to tick some boxes.