This is Natalie D. Richards' first tween/middle grade book, and I loved it! It's a funny and suspenseful adventure story full of realistic characters,This is Natalie D. Richards' first tween/middle grade book, and I loved it! It's a funny and suspenseful adventure story full of realistic characters, middle schoolers who are not friends at the start--in fact they really get on each others' nerves-- but who gradually become close as they must work together to solve problems and survive in the snowy wilderness. They learn to appreciate each others' abilities, limitations, and capabilities. The growth of the main character, Baxter, is especially rewarding. They are all scared but they rise to the occasion when challenged. And it's chock full of nature survival tips and facts. Uncle Hornsby is a really fun character, rather eccentric. Even the baby sister is cute and has her moments. I really liked the scavenger hunt-style plot device, as Hornsby sends them all over the place to find his "Guide to Wilderness Survival" pages. It would be an awesome challenge to recreate some of this in real life at a summer camp or a family reunion-type of gathering. And, it's got a funny moose scene!...more
Hilarious, silly middle grade fun! Set in a fictitious suburb of Cleveland, it's about a boy who so hates doing his own laundry that he decides to weaHilarious, silly middle grade fun! Set in a fictitious suburb of Cleveland, it's about a boy who so hates doing his own laundry that he decides to wear every single piece of clothing over the course of the summer and then just do his laundry ONCE at the end of the summer. Ha! Of course it backfires and he gets grounded, not able to attend the big beach party for the whole community--until the power goes out and weird stuff starts happening. He ends up enlisting his neighborhood friends to help him get through it. Eddie has ADHD so the narration style fits right in with that, it's frenetic and full of meanderings and very funny exaggerations. First book in a series, or at least a duology. Kind of hard to read at first, because WOW does Eddie's narration meander and really amp the exaggeration, but once you get used to it it's a hoot. I imagine this one is even better in audio. Or, it would just drive you nuts....more
Good adventure/mystery set in Florida, typical Hiaasen setting. "Wrecker" is a biracial fifteen-year-old who lives with his older sister in Key West, Good adventure/mystery set in Florida, typical Hiaasen setting. "Wrecker" is a biracial fifteen-year-old who lives with his older sister in Key West, since his mom remarried. (To a nice guy, but Wrecker is very independent and prefers to live on his own.) Wrecker nicknamed himself after his ancestors who were Black divers, recovering relics from shipwrecks. He loves to pilot his skiff around the bay and is more at home on the water than on land. A very laidback Floridian kinda guy. When the driver of a grounded speedboat pays him to keep an eye out for suspicious activity around a particular grave in the cemetery (since Wrecker visits regularly to clean a tombstone for a neighbor who pays him), Wrecker starts to suspect something funny is going on. He and his new friend Willi get involved in stopping a smuggling operation and other shenanigans. A fun romp. Perfect for middle school, no profanity. Makes me want to visit Key West!...more
Beautiful heartwarming story about a boy living in rural Vermont in tough circumstances. A stray dog finds him and becomes his closest friend, as he sBeautiful heartwarming story about a boy living in rural Vermont in tough circumstances. A stray dog finds him and becomes his closest friend, as he struggles to keep food on the table and heat on in the house while dealing with his mother's mental health issues. Winner of the Printz Honor Award and a National Book Award Finalist, truly deserving of both; the writing is stellar and the characters just leap off the page to linger in your memory long after you finish the book. The slightly nonlinear writing style is a little hard to get used to at first, but by the end you see why it is told that way and it really adds to the charm of the book. (And I'm telling you here: the dog doesn't die, no worries!)...more
Another stellar book by Ohio's Queen of the Dark YA Novel. How she comes up with these ideas and executes them so flawlessly, I'll never know. A mentaAnother stellar book by Ohio's Queen of the Dark YA Novel. How she comes up with these ideas and executes them so flawlessly, I'll never know. A mentally ill and depressed girl, working a summer job as a cavern tour guide, grapples with the aftermath of her brother's suicide, her mother's death in a car accident, and the increasing difficulty of hiding the fact that she hears voices in her head--and then comes the shocking death of someone she cares about. Who would commit murder? Could Neely herself have done it, in one of her psychotic breaks? There is so much to juggle here, but it is a fascinating ride. Definitely for older teens and adults, this book will leave you with a respect for what difficulties others may be going through that you have no idea about, and hopefully lead to people getting help when they need it. And I know if I ever go into a cave system again, I'll never be able to think of it in quite the same way again! (Shudder)...more
Three Canadian teens work in a pizza shop, rediscovering and/or forming friendships and relationships, solving a mystery of a missing Indigenous teen Three Canadian teens work in a pizza shop, rediscovering and/or forming friendships and relationships, solving a mystery of a missing Indigenous teen girl, and attempting to save the shop from being bought by a corporation and thereby losing its small town local charm. Themes of friendship, mental health/depression, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The characters are quirky and memorable, with LGBTQ and Canadian Indigenous representation. Some deeper moments of philosophical musings are unique (main character Berlin loves surrealism and compares things to Dali paintings sometimes; like I said, quirky!). Recommend for 8th grade and up. (A fair amount of f-bombs, if that sort of thing bothers anyone anymore.) ...more
Another fantastic thriller from Natalie D. Richards! Two girls, cousins and longtime friends, have been estranged for nearly a year, ever since somethAnother fantastic thriller from Natalie D. Richards! Two girls, cousins and longtime friends, have been estranged for nearly a year, ever since something happened at a college party to change their close relationship. Now, graduated from high school, in an effort to repair things for both of them, Katie and Aster are going on a four-day 49-mile hike through the Utah desert together, something they used to regularly do while growing up. Katie has changed drastically since that party (view spoiler)[where Aster had gone home early, leaving Katie alone, not knowing that Katie would end up getting raped (hide spoiler)], she's more afraid and hesitant, no longer the self-confident friend Aster's always looked up to. But Aster is also different, harboring a deep guilt, and when right away things start to go wrong on the hike, they'll have to work hard not only to repair their friendship but just to survive at all. They're not the only people out in the wilderness--some are harmless, but some are very much not.
Excellent buildup of suspense, set in a very accurately depicted desert wilderness; a good story of strong girls finding more reservoirs of strength, recovering from trauma and benefiting from the healing power of nature to renew their friendship. ...more
Excellent story of a teen boy coping with everyday struggles in his neighborhood and family life. Fifteen-year old Fawad lives for basketball, but he'Excellent story of a teen boy coping with everyday struggles in his neighborhood and family life. Fifteen-year old Fawad lives for basketball, but he's having trouble convincing his protective Pakistani mother to let him try out for the school team. He gets bullied by Omar, a neighborhood teen who plays on his rival school's team. Fawad's mother wants to arrange his marriage to a cousin back in Pakistan, which Fawad definitely does not want to do because he is interested in a girl at school--but his mother has forbidden him from dating. And then his best friend's brother, a young man whom Fawad looked up to and valued as a mentor, dies from gun violence, and this really shakes up both of their lives. This story started out grim and I thought I wouldn't like it that much, but I quickly grew to like Fawad's character, and it turned out much more positively than I'd predicted. The basketball action is fast-paced and pretty easy to follow; there are good moments of friendship and a sweet storyline involving his blossoming first relationship. Despite living in a poor neighborhood with rough circumstances, Fawad and his friends rise above their challenges and stay positive and hopeful. The Regent park neighborhood is a character on its own, described as very diverse and varied, which Fawad values despite the drawbacks; descriptions of Muslim culture in general and Pakistani food in particular add warmth and vibrancy to the story. Strong coming-of-age story. For junior high readers and up who are fine with some spicy language. Although it is set in a Canadian city, American teens shouldn't have any problems following the story....more
This is a terrific historical fiction book combined with a contemporary framing, and as all good historical fiction books do, it sheds light on a littThis is a terrific historical fiction book combined with a contemporary framing, and as all good historical fiction books do, it sheds light on a little-discussed aspect of history: the holomodor, or Ukrainian Famine of the 1930's. There are three main characters: Matthew, Helen, and Mila. In 2020, 13 year old Matthew is stuck at home for the COVID-19 lockdown, and he's assigned to help his 100 year old great grandmother "GG" unpack her boxes of personal items since she'll be living with them for awhile (Mom wisely took her out of her nursing home when pandemic hit.). Matthew discovers old family photos and mementos, and gradually GG begins to tell him her story. GG had two cousins, Helen, who escaped Ukraine with her parents and lived by this time (1930s) in Brooklyn, and Mila, who lived in Communist-run Ukraine with her father who is a Party official. Mila has a wonderful life with a housemaid/servant and plenty of food and comforts. The POV switches between the two girls as we learn their story. Helen begins to uncover that there is a famine going on in Ukraine, through letters her fellow Ukrainian immigrants are receiving from relatives, and Helen learns that she has a cousin there whom she'd never known existed. Mila is at first ignorant of anything wrong in her country, until a starving girl shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her cousin Nadiya! Mila, having been raised in the Party line that any of the (starving) country folk are clearly an "enemy of the State" and not to be trusted, doesn't believe this. But eventually she learns the truth: the farmers were all forced to give up their farms to be run by the state, but the government doesn't give them enough food in return--it is state-sanctioned starvation, just horrible--and this girl Nadiya really is her cousin, ignored by her father all these years because he has broken off from Nadiya's father, his brother. The three girls' stories intertwine and connect at the end, with an interesting twist, but I won't spoil it here. This is a great book, heartbreaking, real true history, with two girls at the center who just want to survive and to expose the truth to the world. I'd read this over the summer and so this fall I was very pleased to learn that it has been longlisted for the National Book Award! I listened to it on audio and it's a terrific listen, the writing is stellar as well as the narration....more
This was a lot of fun! I thought maybe I'd resent that I started this series at book 7, because I'm such a completist about series, even silly middle This was a lot of fun! I thought maybe I'd resent that I started this series at book 7, because I'm such a completist about series, even silly middle grade ones. But there was no problem picking up who the main characters were, and because this book takes them out of their usual habitat (the FunJungle amusement park) and puts them on vacation at Yellowstone National Park, it was kind of like a reset for the series. Teddy is a clever kid who solves mysteries, and here he gets involved in two of them: who is stealing bison from the ranch where he and his family are staying? And what happened to the expensive diamond necklace that his boss's wife had lying around right before a grizzly bear gets into the house?! Lots of suspects, and a few twists, and plenty of good factual information about bison, the West, Native American rights, Yellowstone National Park, and so on. I learned about the term "touron" from this book: a tourist who does stupid things like try to feed the wildlife or turn their back on an elk to get a selfie... This was great timing as I read this before I went to Rocky Mountain National Park, where we could observe tourons in the wild. (Haha!)
I'd definitely be interested in reading the rest of the series, they're a quick read and very entertaining....more
Good middle grade novel about a shy Korean-American girl who secretly wants to become a stand-up comedian against her immigrant parents' wishes. When Good middle grade novel about a shy Korean-American girl who secretly wants to become a stand-up comedian against her immigrant parents' wishes. When she stumbles into a comedy camp and is mistaken for another camper, one little lie snowballs into another. Will Yumi be able to follow her dream without breaking her parents' hearts? Can she still save her father's Korean barbecue restaurant? Yumi is earnest and sincere, and hates lying to everyone. But she also has a strong desire to become independent and prove that she can be a success beyond what her parents want for her. I was hoping for more jokes in the story, but there are a few and they're cute. ...more
This is a great realistic novel about Black teen girls on a fast pitch softball team, working to prove that they belong in the championship series agaThis is a great realistic novel about Black teen girls on a fast pitch softball team, working to prove that they belong in the championship series against predominantly white teams. It is also a mystery, as Shenice discovers a secret about her late grandfather--his baseball career in the Negro Leagues was cut short because he was accused of a crime he didn't commit. Shenice and her friends snoop around and investigate, trying to prove his innocence before her great-uncle, Grandpop's brother, dies. I loved the camaraderie and bonding between the girls, and the sweet crush between Shenice and the boy who's her best friend, as well as learning some history about Black baseball....more
Good sports book with levels of character development and drama and emotion. Tony, grieving the shooting death of his best friend and basketball inspiGood sports book with levels of character development and drama and emotion. Tony, grieving the shooting death of his best friend and basketball inspiration, goes out for the basketball team that his friend Dante had been on. Tony doesn't make the team, but later is recruited to be the team's statistician. This is a great "in" for sportsloving kids who may not be the best at playing the sport, to see that they can still contribute to the team. Tony gets to travel and practice with the team, and his job is very important for spotting other teams' weaknesses to exploit as well as what to improve among his team's players. There's friction between players and a crush on Coach's daughter, and also family drama and the B story of getting justice for Dante, who was killed by a police officer. Good role model story for young Black boys but for any reader too....more
A sweet tween book about two 6th grade boys, best friends who live next door to each other, and their struggles with family problems and school probleA sweet tween book about two 6th grade boys, best friends who live next door to each other, and their struggles with family problems and school problems. Both have divorced parents--Isaac's dad has a drinking problem, while Marco's father never sees him, has prioritized his new girlfriend and younger son. Isaac is an athlete, tall, great at basketball, but not so good at academics, while Marco is the opposite: book smart, clever, gets great grades, but physically is short and dumpy and very un-athletic. But they support each other and have a great friendship. Marco wants his father's attention and love and decides to try out for the school basketball team in hopes of doing just that; Isaac tries to concentrate more on his homework and improve his grades, but also wants to see Marco excel at a sport finally. The two boys both help and hinder each other's pursuit of their goals, doing each other's homework and giving each other ballplaying tips and tricks. This is a nice short story about male friendship and perseverance and overcoming all challenges, with a diverse cast and a sprinkling of Spanish phrases as both boys are Latino. 2023 Buckeye Children's Book Award nominee, grades 3-5....more
I love this book--7th grader William "Worser" Orser is a sweet character who loves books and words more than people, and struggles after a stroke incaI love this book--7th grader William "Worser" Orser is a sweet character who loves books and words more than people, and struggles after a stroke incapacitates his mother, changing their very close relationship. He really doesn't have any close friends his age. He is a real Word Nerd and when the school library is closed after school hours, the only quiet place he can find to work on his "Masterwork" (a continuing journal/lexicon of words he likes, word games, etc.), is the local bookstore. He helps Donya, the girl he has a crush on, set up her Literary Club there, and he reluctantly becomes involved with them (he really isn't a "club joining" kind of guy, but for Donya, he'll put up with all that social stuff). Worser and Donya hatch various plans to try to save the bookstore, which is under imminent threat of closure, and things get complicated. The grumpy bookstore owner is also a memorable character. 2023 Buckeye Children's Book Award nominee, grades 6-8....more
A tween book, Paulsen's last novel is his usual survival adventure story but set in a mythical combination of the Pacific Northwest and the fjords of A tween book, Paulsen's last novel is his usual survival adventure story but set in a mythical combination of the Pacific Northwest and the fjords of Scandinavia. A boy named Leif survives a deadly plague that kills all of his fisherman tribe, and he journeys ever north in his dugout canoe, trying to avoid bear attacks and many other dangers. It's a lyrical story and has some interesting information about surviving on salmon....more
Excellent entry in April Henry's ever-growing list of engaging mysteries for teens. I enjoyed the podcasting angle, very contemporary and a good hook.Excellent entry in April Henry's ever-growing list of engaging mysteries for teens. I enjoyed the podcasting angle, very contemporary and a good hook. Piper, new in town, decides to make a podcast for her senior project when she discovers the existence of an unsolved murder of a 17 year old local girl that happened 17 years ago, when Piper was born. But of course, the killer is still around and is not exactly pleased that she is dredging up old issues and snooping around in everybody's business......more
A moving, emotional story about a teen coping with the loss of both of his parents and his best friend--but he gets a second chance to make things up A moving, emotional story about a teen coping with the loss of both of his parents and his best friend--but he gets a second chance to make things up with his friend Quincy when Quincy is "reanimated" after death for a short while. The sci-fi aspect is not the focus of the book, however, but rather the relationships Jamal has with his friend, his older sister, his girlfriend, and others. A diverse cast of characters adds depth to the feels....more
Superb book for teens (older readers recommended, for strong content and lotsa swearing). Reminded me of e. lockhart's Genuine Fraud, for the con artiSuperb book for teens (older readers recommended, for strong content and lotsa swearing). Reminded me of e. lockhart's Genuine Fraud, for the con artist/fake identity angle. Begins with a gripping scene: three teens are held hostage in an armed bank robbery. The day before, Nora's ex caught her kissing her new girlfriend, who's also his friend, and things are *awkward* to say the least. But these robbers don't know who they're dealing with--because Nora was raised by a con woman, and she's got all sorts of skills from her various personas. She's going to need all of them to survive. This is going to be a Netflix movie so it'll be popular, I hope....more
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