Ways to Make Sunshine

Ryan's family is going through a lot of changes.  Because of her dad's job change and lower pay they move to a much smaller house.  Her mom is also expecting a new baby.  Ryan is also dealing with friend issues and self love.  
And that's it...  there were some really cute scenes and messages.  There were things that had potential but didn't go far enough.  This wasn't bad for a beginning chapter book reader but not enough meat for my typical audience of middle schoolers.

Foreverland

Margaret is done.  She is so done that she decides to run away to one of the last places her whole family was happy - Foreverland.  She has her backpack, some money, and a bit of a plan. Things are going well until she starts seeing a boy pop up all over the place.  Then he saves her from choking and she sees him more than ever. Who is he and why is he following her? She soon discovers that Jaimie is like her - a runaway to Foreverland.  But how long can they keep it up before they get caught?

This was a fun read.  It was a bit light and highly improbable - I wish there had been a bit more back story and a more satisfying conclusion.

Beast: Face-to-Face with the Florida Bigfoot

People say it was probably a large animal in the road that caused the car crash.  But Adam knows what he saw.  Now his parents have disappeared and Adam wants answers because no one believes him.  After doing some research online Adam finds another person who claims to have seen a Bigfoot in their area.  So Adam runs away in search of him, and then after hearing his story, in search of Bigfoot.

Adam's experiences over the next two months are harrowing - alligators, losing his boat and supplies, near starving.  But...he does see them and learns way more than he thought he would.  What does he do with the knowledge now?

I liked it.  Moderately short, action, survival... a good read.

The List of Things That Will Not Change

When Bea’s mom and dad got divorced she started a list of things that wouldn’t change - primary being that they all still loved each other and would always be a family.  What has changed it that her dad started dating Jesse and was planning on getting married. While Bea was excited about having 2 dads she was nervous about meeting her new sister.  She was also carrying a secret about something she did in anger. Can Bea learn to forgive and be forgiven and learn to be part of a new family?

Not gonna lie - the ending didn't work for me. I know there was a tie in back to the beginning of the book but the thread wasn't strong enough for me...

This was a solid middle grade fiction book.

Fly Back, Agnes

Ah, middle school tropes - growing up, growing apart. I must confess the first few chapters made me sigh.Her parents are divorced, her best friend is suddenly friends with the meanest girl in school, her mom is overbearing and wants her to move to Kansas for the summer with her, her boyfriend, and his son.  It's too much.  Then the lies begin - the first, her dad is sick and needs her to stay with him for the summer.  Then the lies continue to pile on as Agnes finds a cute village across the bridge and becomes Chloe and makes friends in a life she wishes she had.  But eventually the lies all catch up with her and things come crashing down.  Who is she really, who does she want to be.

In the end the book rose above the familiar tropes and was quite good.  There were some things I wish had been developed more fully but for the intended audience it is probably enough.  

Willa and the Whale

Ever since her parent's divorce Willa has been living with her mom in Japan.  But when her mother dies Willa moves back to the US and her dad's new family.  But things are different now, her friends aren't the same, she misses her mom, and her new family is so different.  But when Willa sees and then actually starts communicating with a humpback whale things start to change.  Meg, the whale listens, understands, and gives her advice and gradually Willa learns how to navigate her new life.

I am never quite sure what to do with magical realism.  The story wasn't bad although it took awhile to get going.  I felt some things could have been fleshed out more - especially with her friend and his sister.  It was a good read all in all and I can see students enjoying it.

If We Were Giants

Kirra's people live a secluded life inside an inactive volcano.  Her father is a storyteller whose stories help to ensure their privacy and Kirra is learning from him.  But when a group called the "Takers" get too close Kirra accidentally leads them right to the volcano leading to the destruction of her village.

Fortunately Kirra is taken in by another community of tree dwellers.  Many of the people live very solitary lives but when the "Takers" start entering their woods Kirra knows she needs to rally the community together to make a stand.  They do so by creating giants out of trees and working together to make them into fighting machines.

The story was pretty good.  There was a good message about working together.  It was more violent than one would think, especially at the end.