Showing posts with label middle school high. Show all posts
Showing posts with label middle school high. Show all posts

Monday, April 29, 2024

Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales by Wendy S. Swore - ADVISABLE

Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales by Wendy S. Swore, 304 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $19.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Believing in fairies made Fairy Door Trail an obvious hangout for Alaina, and her best friend—and skeptic—Liam didn’t mind tagging along. One day, they stumbled into what could have been a fairy circle and most likely, accidentally offended a fairy. Since that day, Alaina and Liam drifted apart, and Alaina has had  to deal with being cursed. But now Liam is showing signs of being cursed, too, and he needs Alaina’s help.

Swore’s writing sits in the beautiful space between reality and fantasy. Both characters and readers know that fantasy and fairy tale creatures are not real, but they still want to believe they might be. There is magic in believing and in recognizing the fantastical parts of reality. In the book, Alaina and Liam’s English teacher gives an assignment for the students to write their lives as fairy tales, and it has made me look at my life a little differently—with a little more hope and a little more recognition for my main character and heroine status.

Alaina is implied Latina and has an autoimmune disorder, Liam has a chronic neurological disorder, and Doctor Titus is Kenyan. The mature content rating is for mentions of kissing and for near-death experiences. The violence rating is for some mild fantasy violence imagery.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

I'm Trying to Love Germs by Bethany Barton - ESSENTIAL

I'm Trying to Love Germs by Bethany Barton.
PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION Viking (Penguin), 2023. $19. 9780593326725 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

With the help of a talking germ, learn all about microbes and pathogens and the ways they can harm or help us. 

 Barton's 5th book is as cute and informative as the rest of them. I would buy any of the books that correlate with the curriculum at your school. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Evil Spy School: The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs and Anjan Sarkar - ADVISABLE

Evil Spy School: The Graphic Novel
by Stuart Gibbs, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar
, 352 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Simon and Schuster, 2024. $25 

Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

13yo Ben Ripley just got expelled from spy school. Luckily (or unluckily) he gets picked up by the evil organization, SPYDER. They begin training Ben but he's not sure for what. Turns out Ben is so deep undercover in SPYDER, not even he realizes it at first. He will have to make his new evil companions trust him while finding a way to communicate to his CIA friends. 

 As the graphic novel rendition of the book, this is fabulous. It is well illustrated and the pictures help tell the story. The story is fun and keeps. you guessing. I loved Ben's new evil friends and their quirks. There's plenty of humor to go with the high adventure and kids will be wishing they had spy missions of their own. The Spy School novels just got another reason to cheer. Race is never stated, but most of the characters are white. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park - MANY

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park, 384 pgs. Delacorte Press, 2024. $21

Language: PG (23 swears, no ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (alcoholism, mention of suicide throughout, enslaved people); Violence: PG-13 (assault, on-page death: not gory)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS-ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

After the Warring Age, which resulted from extreme climate change, the world has become an icy tundra. Snowglobe is the only place left that means warmth, comfort, and a life those outside the dome only dream of. However, this dream life comes at a price. Residents of Snowglobe must consent to their lives being broadcast to the people outside the dome as 24/7 television programs. When one of the most popular actors dies, instead of letting her adoring fans know, a plot is devised to replace her with a lookalike and keep her show going. Chobahm, who lives a brutal existence in one of the outside settlements, is given this opportunity, but is this chance at the good life really a dream come true or the beginning of a nightmare?

Fast-paced and captivating, the engaging character development and action scenes makes for an enjoyable read. The book has a clever plot twist that is fully explained before a cliffhanger is served up at the end that sets up the next book nicely. Necessary trigger warning for continual mention of suicide should be in place for potential readers. 

Reviewer: AEB

The Witch in the Woods by Michaelbrent Collings - ADVISABLE

The Witch in the Woods (Grimmworld #1) by Michaelbrent Collings, 320 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $19.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

When their parents get new jobs, Willow and Jake reluctantly move to New Marburg. The technological advances in the town are exciting, but none of their pictures will stay on the walls, their new teacher hates them, and some guy with gold eyes keeps appearing out of thin air to yell at them in gibberish before disappearing again. Strange things are going on in New Marburg, and Willow and Jake’s mom won’t even listen to them!

Collings’ narration style feels like he’s constantly joking with the reader. Almost everything that can be made over-the-top is, and parentheses mark Collings’ asides that aren’t relevant to the story except for a laugh. With riddles, fairy tale retellings, and impossible things made possible, this story has a little bit of everything. I can’t wait to find out which Grimm’s story is retold in the next book.

Willow and Jake are implied white, and Froggy is described as having “brown” skin. The mature content rating is for illegal activity. The violence rating is for assault, fantasy violence, murder, and mentions of cannibalism.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Bird is Dead by Tiny Fisscher and Herma Starreveld - MANY

Bird is Dead
by Tiny Fisscher, illustrated by Herma Starreveld
. PICTURE BOOK Greystone Kids, 2024. $19. 9781778401176 

Content: PG (Did you read the title? Shows a dead bird and its burial) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL; MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY

When the other birds find Bird, who is dead, they gather to grieve and to decide what they need to do. 

I LOVE what Fisher and Starreveld have done. From the gorgeous collage birds to the succinct, matter-of-fact text, the creators have composed a work that fascinates and helps turn death from a macabre mystery to a part of life that deserves time and care. Pair with The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown  and The Funeral by Matt James both also about birds dying. Elementary librarians - if you have either of the other books on your shelf, add this one - it is a delight (in a totally respectful way). Middle school and High schools - buy this either for the content or for the beautiful collages - some of my students saw me showing the book to their teacher and they want to read it immediately. 

Cindy, MS Librarian, MLS 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer - MANY

With a Little Luck
by Marissa Meyer,
368 pages. Feiwel & Friends, 2024. $19. 

Language: R (40 swears 0 'f');  Mature Content: G (kissing); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

16yo Jude is shy and doesn’t have much self confidence. He’s had a crush on Maya since middle school but is afraid to ask her out. He’s afraid until he finds a lucky charm that gives him successes and confidence. When he finally gets to take Maya on a date everything seems fine until he loses the lucky charm. The luck changes not just for him but for his family too.

I enjoyed the humor. The story is sweet. It’s a fun read that inspires the reader to work towards their dreams. The ethnicity includes white, Asian, Mexican American, and Korean American. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Monday, March 4, 2024

Eragon by Christopher Paolini and Sidharth Chaturvedi - ESSENTIAL

Eragon
by Christopher Paolini, illustrated by Sidharth Chaturvedi
, 360 pages. Young Adult Knopf (Random House), 2023. $46 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG (loss, grief, danger);  Violence: PG-13 (battles, killings) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS, ADULT, GIFT - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

15yo Eragon discovers he is more than a poor farm boy, but a Dragon Rider, when he discovers a blue rock that hatches into a dragon. Adventure, magic, and incredible danger ensue as he finds himself thrust into a power struggle that could save or destroy the Empire. 

This is the first illustrated version, and it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the book's hardcover release. The illustrations are beautifully done and add to the mystique of the book. Fans of the Inheritance Cycle will love it. The book's size is larger (9 1/2x11) but will make a statement on any bookshelf. The main characters come from a wide variety of races and cultures found in fantasy. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Come Home Safe by Brian Buckmire - ESSENTIAL

Come Home Safe by Brian Buckmire, 190 pages. Blink, 2023. $18

Language: G (no swears); Mature Content: PG (marijuana mentioned); Violence: PG (manhandling by the police, yelling)


BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL                     

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH


14yo African American Eddie is on his way with his 12yo sister in the NYC subway when he is confronted by a police officer about jumping the turnstile and smoking pot. Being an Honors student and as polite as you can be, he doesn’t understand why he is the target. As much as he tries to remember his father’s advice about confrontations with the police, the situation swings out of control and Eddie is hurt and manhandled before his is finally released - not because of the great kid he is, but because the real perpetrators were caught. Olive wants Eddie and her father to fight back and sue the police. But when she becomes victim of a white “Karen” who insists that Olive stole her phone, Olive begins to realize some of what Eddie has been through and dangerous life can be when living Black.


I was thoroughly engaged by Eddie and Olive , especially the stream-of-consciousness narrative as Eddie tries to remember and apply what his Dad taught him. Buckmire did an excellent job of weaving Eddie’s thoughts into the narrative. I first listened to this as a free download from libro.fm, but went back and reread the print copy too. I would love to see this discussed in classrooms - a brilliant way to talk to students about life as Black or biracial.


Cindy, Library Teacher

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon - HIGH

Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon, 352 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2023. $11      


Language: G (3 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G (death in fire mentioned); Violence: PG (death in fire mentioned)


BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH


12yo Lia Park goes to a magic school ,but hasn't found her power yet. She goes on a journey to find her power and save her parents. She has a friend, Joon, along the way that helps her face the challenges. As she goes on her journey, she is tormented by an evil diviner spirit that wants to take a jewel to have ultimate power. Lia goes to the land of the immortals to get help from the dragon king to stop the evil spirit. 


I liked that Lia had a friend along the way. I also liked how it wasn't only one of them figuring things out, but both of them were figuring things out. I didn't really not like anything, because I thought the book was pretty good all around. 

Lia is Korean and so is her friend Joon.      


STUDENT REVIEWER: B. Goring, 7th grade

 

Monday, February 26, 2024

Ben Yokoyama and the Cookies of Chaos by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr - ADVISABLE

Ben Yokoyama and the Cookies of Chaos (Cookie Chronicles #5)
by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr
, 348 pages. CHAPTER BOOK Knopf (Random House), 2023. $14 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G;  Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Ben finds a lost wallet with 50 dollars in it and no real identification besides just some random business cards. Ben would love to keep the money, but also wants to do the right thing. Janet, Ben's good friend, is convinced Ben needs a personal philosophy to guide him. Ben goes through five different fortune cookies to find his personal philosophy as chaos ensues through the form of a vengeful librarian, and a terrifying toilet. 

Ben and Janet are great characters and the idea of gaining a personal philosophy is an important talking point. The humor is spot on and the adventures are fun. Ben always learns something but it's never heavy handed and it's a joy ride of self discovery. The art work helps with the story and the tone as well. No culture or race is specified. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Friday, February 23, 2024

Four Eyes by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza - HIGH

Four Eyes
by Rex Ogle, illustrated by Dave Valeza
, 224 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Graphix (Scholastic), 2023. $13 

Language: PG (2 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Sixth grader, Rex, is having a rough time at school. He's being bullied and his best friend no longer has anything to do with him. To top it off, he needs glasses, which his family will have a difficult time paying for. 

 Rex's coming of age story has a lot of depth to it. He has a step-father who stutters, a hard working waitress for a mother, and an estranged father who doesn't want to pay for extras. Rex's story of trying to fit in and adjust to glasses while dealing with bullies, friends, and family should resonate with middle school readers. Rex's mother and grandmother are Hispanic. 

 Michelle in the Middle 

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Lei And The Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea - ESSENTIAL

Lei And The Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea, 298 pages. Penguin Workshop, 2023. $18      

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some fighting, not described in detail).


BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH


12yo Anna goes from Colorado to Hawaii to visit her Tutu every summer for three weeks. During that stay, her Tutu tries to teach, and tell her the stories about her Hawaiian heritage. But Anna doesn't believe in that stuff anymore. Then she picks Pele's (the fire goddess) special 'ohi'a lehua flower and Pele's hawk comes and takes Kaipo, her best friend in Hawaii, away. Anna has to embark on a journey that takes her to the cave of a mo'o, and up the side of a volcano with a demigod to save her Tutu's house from the lava, and her best friend. With the wind at her side, and a talking bat, she learns to believe the stories her Tutu told her.


I liked how easy it was to get into the book. And it was a new experience for me, reading about Hawaiian Lore, it was cool. And it was a good amount of adventure and action. The characters were likable as well.    Anna is half Hawaiian.         


STUDENT REVIEWER E. Anderson 9th grade

    

Thursday, February 8, 2024

The Last Fallen Realm by Graci Kim - ADVISABLE

The Last Fallen Realm (Gifted Clans #3) by Graci Kim, 300 pages. Rick Riordan Presents (Disney-Hyperion), 2021. $17.

Language: PG (6 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Witches all over the world have lost access to their gifts, so Riley (13yo), her parents, her Horangi guardians, and her friends are traveling across the country to help witches everywhere get their powers back. Unfortunately, while the group is in Las Vegas, the space between the three realms tears, beginning the war. Riley and her friends need to figure out their attack plan now before the angry goddesses destroy their world.

Readers watch Riley struggle through good character growth in this trilogy, reminding us how difficult things continue to impact our lives and that we can choose to let the impact be positive. Amongst other good life lessons and humor and contemporary references for levity. While the story takes some random twists and turns, Riley does her best to be a hero—and she wants you to be one too.

The majority of characters are Korean. The mature content rating is for kissing. The violence rating is for assault, blood, and fantasy violence.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Middle School and Other Disasters: Worst Love Spell Ever! by Wanda Coven and Anna Abramskaya - HIGH

Middle School and Other Disasters: Worst Love Spell Ever!
by Wanda Coven, illustrated by Anna Abramskaya
, 322 pages. Middle Grade, Simon and Schuster, 2023 .$15 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Heidi is at Kettledrum Academy, a boarding school that caters to witches-in-training and nonmagical kids alike. Heidi is totally enamored with Hunter "McCutie" and wonders how she can cast a love spell to get him to notice her since she thinks of herself as boring and invisible. What could go wrong? 

True confession: I almost didn't get past the first few pages. There are so many words all in caps and an overabundance of exclamation points. However, if you can channel your inner middle school angst that most of us try to smother with a pillow, it's actually pretty relatable to the target audience. The book does bring up some real issues, like why being yourself is important and that perhaps all first crushes don't work out and that's ok. So while you can practically hear girl screams about boys in your head, it would actually be a fun read for tween girls. Culture or race is never specified. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

City Spies: Mission Manhattan by James Ponti - ESSENTIAL

Mission Manhattan (City Spies #5)
by James Ponti
, 423 pages. Aladdin Paperbacks, (Simon and Schuster), 2024. $19 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Book five in the City Spies series shines some love on 13yo Rio, who is a skilled street magician on top of being one of the City Spies. The group of spies travels to Venice, Italy to protect a teen environmentalist during a demonstration and her speech to the UN conference. When Rio spots a bomb, he is hailed as a hero, but finds that there are a lot of sinister powers in play. 

Another engaging spy novel that will suck you in. There are a lot of characters to root for, and the Venice and Washington, DC settings make it even cooler. Yes, the young spies seem almost superhumanly gifted, but who wouldn't want to be them? Plus Cairo's mom, who seems to be the City Spies' enemy, is lurking in the shadows and figures to play a bigger role in the future. I shall anxiously await further missions! City Spies represent a variety of ethnicities. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Blood! Not Just a Vampire Drink by Stacy McAnulty and Shawna J.C. Tenney - ESSENTIAL

Blood! Not Just a Vampire Drink by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Shawna J.C. Tenney. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Godwin Books (Macmillan), 2022. $19. 9781250304056

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

The Vampire walks into the smoothie shop for a little blood to end his day.  However, the server behind the counter tells him all about how important blood is for humans, instead. 

McAnulty has taken something as basic as blood and turned it into fun! I would have loved this as my text for any science class on any level! She has such a talent for turning information into something intriguing.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS


Friday, January 26, 2024

Meet Me on Mercer Street by Booki Vivat - ADVISABLE

Meet Me on Mercer Street
by Booki Vivat
, 192 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Scholastic Press (Scholastic), 2024. $13 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Kacie Sitthiwat is a soon to be 6th grader and an aspiring artist. Life seems as uneventful as ever in her boring neighborhood, but then things start to change. Her best friend, Nisha, and her family disappear and the adults in town seem on edge. Kacie decides to investigate with her sketchbooks and observational skills. 

Change affects all of us and can be overwhelming when it seems out of our control. Kacie is an engaging character and I found myself cheering for her and the residents of Mercer Street,. This is a delightful read with a great message, and the residents of Mercer Street represent a nice cross section of cultures. 

Michelle in the Middle

Thursday, January 25, 2024

It takes Guts by Jennifer Gardy and Belle Wuthrich - ESSENTIAL

It takes Guts by Jennifer Gardy and Belle Wuthrich, 137 pages. NON FICTION. Greystone Kids, 2021. $20

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (Just talks about what happens inside your body. There are no real pictures); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS, ADULT - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Gardy walks you through step by step what happens in your body when you eat. First, it gave an overview of all the different organs that are in your digestive system. Then talked about how food moves through your esophagus. Then it explained how your stomach turns food into chyme. After, it explained the process of throwing up during a retroperistaltic wave. Lastly, it talked about the small and large intestine. 

I really like how clear Gardy made things and broke down the information. It also had good illustrations and diagrams. Lastly, I liked the author’s writing style.

Student Reviewer: SR, 9th Grader Reviewer



Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Alma Presses Play by Tina Cane - HIGH

Alma Presses Play by Tina Cane, 319 pages. POETRY.  Make Me A World (Random House), 2021. $18.

Language: R (21 swears, 3 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Typical school days, typical time at home, and typical hang outs with her friends are starting to get complicated. Alma (13yo) doesn’t know what to do with new feelings for a boy or what to do about her parents arguing or how to stop her friend from moving away. She makes lists, listens to music, and writes letters that will never be responded to as she tries to make everything simple again.

The entire book is written in poems, and I was struck by how much you can learn about a person with only snippets of their thoughts and of the major events going on in their lives. Alma’s struggles and disjointed thoughts are relatable as she deals with loss and confusion—loss of different kinds of relationships and confusion regarding several different topics. Beauty is in how her thoughts on the different topics start to overlap. Some endings are final, but others allow for the opportunity of a new beginning.

The characters are a wide variety of ethnicities. Josh is part of the LGBTQIA community. The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol, drug use, innuendo, partial nudity, and mentions of condoms, prostitutes, rape, and sex. The violence rating is for mild assault and mentions of guns and death.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen