The Lake by Natasha Preston - ADVISABLE

The Lake by Natasha Preston, 356 pages. Delacorte Press 2021. $11

Language: P-13 (38 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13 (some blood and gore, animal killings)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

It’s been nine years since Esme (17yo) attended Camp Pine Lake with her friend, Kayla. Now they have returned as counselors-in-training. Esme is excited, but nervous because no one, except for Kayla, knows what happened that summer and Esme intends to keep it that way. Fortunately, she finds herself so busy with camp preparations, meeting the other counselors-in-training, and finally welcoming the campers that she doesn’t have much time to dwell on what happened in the past until the pranks start happening. At first, everyone thinks they are harmless, but as the pranks escalate, so do the threats. As Esme thinks about what happened all those years ago, she wonders if someone might be coming back for revenge. 

I was expecting a more intense story, but found it pretty mild. That being said, I did find myself engaged and wanted to see how it resolved; although it slowed a bit in the middle and I got impatient with the main character. At the end, however, the author upped the blood and gore and the creepy ending took me by surprise. 

 Reviewer: RB https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9780593124970

The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei by Christina Matula - ADVISABLE

 The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei by Christina Matula, 268 pages. Inkyard Press, 2022. $17.

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

12yo Holly-Mei is always blurting out things and getting herself into trouble, which is why her friends aren’t talking to her at the moment. She thinks there couldn’t be anything worse until her mom tells the family she got a promotion at work and they are relocating to Hong Kong. Holly-Mei isn’t excited about going, but when the cold shoulder from her friends doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon, she jumps into moving with both feet. What could be more exciting than an opportunity to live abroad and make new friends? Her Ah-ma (grandma) warns her that moving and making friends can be both bitter and sweet and that there will be an adjustment period, but Holly-Mei is convinced the move will be so wonderful that she barely registers what her grandma says. Next thing she knows, her family is in Hong Kong, she has started a new school and has already been invited to a party. Unfortunately, an incident at the party leaves Holly-Mei wondering if her Ah-ma might have been right. 

Matula writes a story that touches on friendship, family and trying new things, with an added glimpse of life in Hong Kong. It was engaging, the characters were relatable, and the story was realistic. Holly-Mei has a good relationship with her sister and a support system from both her parents and her grandma. A handful of terms throughout the story that may be unfamiliar to the reader, but it won’t hinder their understanding and the author includes a glossary of terms and a few recipes from the story. 

Reviewer: RB 

Monsters Among Us by Monica Rodden - NO

Monsters Among Us by Monica Rodden, 389 pages. Crown (Random House), 2020. $18

Language: R (9 swears, 29 ‘f’); Mature Content: R (rape is a theme); Violence: R (rape, murder, violent assault)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NOT RECOMMENDED

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Catherine comes home from college after getting brutally raped. As she copes with her emotions, an old friend, Henry, shows up in her life again. As the pair reform their friendship, their neighbor, 12yo Amy, is murdered. As the police start their investigation, a stranger from her college shows up with Catherine's missing coat, ID and debit cards; all of which she lost during her rape. The three pair up to solve Amy's murder.

I think it is an important story to tell. It's a survivor's story and I think a lot of people who have been in this situation will be able to relate to the up and down feelings. However, I am so over the 'I love you so much, why don't you love me, I'm going to murder someone you love to bring you closer to me' trope. I just wasn't a fan of this one.

Mallory Birch; ELA teacher 

Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Elder Moke - HIGH

Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Elder Moke, 340 pages. Hyperion (Disney), 2021. $12

Language: PG (25 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (kissing, smoking alcohol); Violence: PG (some peril) 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Sam Knox has a gift for reviving old books, she even is in charge of a quaint like bookshop. Her life is simple, and she is happy that way- in previous years she has hunted down mysterious treasures with her best friends, siblings, Bennett and Joana. But when Sam and Joana got in an explosive fight, she's decided books are her only friend, books don't judge or criticize they are comfort and an escape for Sam. Turns out that comfort and peace of mind don't last very long because... When mysterious men burn down her beloved bookshop, Sam is forced back into the world of treasure hunting, because if she doesn't find what the fire starters are looking for, they will just create more destruction.

Curse of the Specter Queen is a very cute novel! It has it's flaws but all in all, it was a fluffy adventure story. I loved the main character Sam, is a very capable heroine with a heart of gold and she is an old soul like me. I loved Bennett and Joana's brother sister relationship and I loved the writing style of this novel. It is a bit predictable and the plot is very flat, but I think it's the perfect book to cuddle next to a fire this upcoming fall season with a mug of hot chocolate!

Kenzie Hoehne 

Out of Range by Heidi Lang - ADVISABLE

 Out of Range by Heidi Lang, 309 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Margaret K McElderry Books (Simon), 2022. $18. 9781665903349

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Abby (14), Emma(12) and Ollie(9) are sisters that have been sent to Camp Unplugged because they have been feuding for months. After moving from California to Utah, the relationship between the three sisters has become almost non existent. Their parents hope that being in the wilderness will help the girls learn to get along again. While on a hike, the girls get lost and face many perilous situations. 

Lang writes a cross between an adventure book and realistic fiction. I really enjoyed how the chapters alternate between the sister's struggles to survive in the wilderness and flashbacks of how their relationship became strained. I did not want to stop reading this book because it was so action packed! Out of Range would be very appealing to 5th and 6th graders. The girls are portrayed as white in the illustrations.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian 

To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen - OPTIONAL

To Capture His Heart (Matchmakers #2) by Nancy Campbell Allen, 288 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2022. $16.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Detective Nathan Winston solves crimes for work, but, when his mother asks him to attend her annual ten-day dinner party, he panics. Nathan tells his mother that he has interest in a lady already and is unavailable for the ladies she has invited, and his mother jumps on the opportunity to invite Nathan’s lady. Now Nathan has to ask Eva (24yo) to accept the invitation and pretend to have an interest in him. Can Detective Nathan discern reality from fiction?

The focus of the story is the romance, but the side story is about one of Nathan’s cases coming back to haunt him – and the party. Allen uses the concurrent plotlines to fill out Nathan and Eva’s story, which give all the characters more depth. While the second in a series, the first one focuses on a different couple and is not necessary to read beforehand in order to enjoy this one.

Eva, Nathan, and their families are English. One character is described as German and another as Swedish, and the other characters are implied English. The mature content rating is for alcohol use and mentions of illegal activity. The violence rating is for gun use, murder, and mention of suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen 

The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina - OPTIONAL

The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina, 320 pages. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2022. $19.

Language: PG-13 (78 swears, no ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: R (talk of war and labor camps, off-page executions, on-page beatings and gun violence)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

World War II is in its final months and 16yo Maria has left the Nazi labor camp where she has been held to return home to her family. Upon her arrival in her Polish village she finds out that her parents have been killed in a battle between the Polish Resistance and the Ukrainian Nationalists. Shockingly, she is reunited with her brother, whom she believed to be dead, only to discover that he is a leader of the Polish Resistance and a “Silent Unseen”, a special agent sent in by Allied forces to resist the oncoming Russian threat. When her brother disappears, Maria must join forces with a sworn enemy to get him back.

While it is appreciated that a book about World War II is taking on a lesser discussed aspect of the war, the author does not do justice to the task. The myriad of groups and characters introduced quickly become muddled for the reader leading to confusion and frustration. The action is constant and chaotic without ever developing into a convincing or engaging story. There is also a highly unnecessary and awkward romance that is forced into the plot that brings nothing to the story. The ending is abrupt and the reader will find that they are no closer to understanding what or who the Silent Unseen were than when they started the book.

AEB

Thorn by Intisar Khanani - ESSENTIAL

Thorn by Intisar Khanani, 512 pages. Harper Teen, 2020. $19

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (domestic violence, rape, violence against animals, human trafficking–all off page, violence against women–on and off page)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS–ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

15yo Princess Alyrra longs to escape her abusive home, but being married off to the prince of a neighboring kingdom is equally daunting. In route to her new life, Alyrra falls victim to the magic of the Lady and finds her life transformed. As she embraces her new role and is thrilled to leave the intrigues of palace life behind, she soon realizes that danger lurks and her newfound happiness may not be worth the destruction of those she was bound to.

A beautiful retelling of Goose Girl with a large cast of well-developed characters. Adventure abounds, but a deeper story guides the journey of Alyrra and those around her. Heavy topics such as violence against women and treatment of those in poverty are done in a way that younger readers will be able to understand and will aid in the development of compassion and empathy.

AEB

Poster Girl by Veronica Roth - OPTIONAL

Poster Girl by Veronica Roth, 288 pages. William Morrow (HarperCollins Publishers), 2022. $28.

Language: R (31 swears, 31 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

The Aperture became Sonya’s home and prison when she was 17 years old, right after the Triumvirate overthrew the Delegation. Ten years later, the Triumvirate is graciously allowing those who were only children when they entered – defined as 16 years old or younger – out of the Aperture to reintegrate into the new society. They might be persuaded to let Sonya, the face of the Delegation, out, too, if she does something for them.

I liked how Sonya’s thoughts illustrated how much she bought into the Delegation and what they valued based on how she still sees things – retraining thoughts isn’t easy. Sonya has to dig through the life she thrived in growing up, and she learns that her happy world turned a blind eye to those who weren’t as privileged as her family, that her happiness came at a cost to others. Confronted with new information, Sonya has to decide how to live with her past and what to do with her future. Her story ensnares readers with the promise of untangling what exactly was going on behind the scenes of the Delegation.

Sonya is described as having “beige” skin and is depicted on the cover as white, and Alexander is described as “brown-skinned.” There are a couple of allusions to other non-white characters, but the majority of the characters are implied white. The mature content rating is for drug and alcohol use, innuendo, implied sexual harassment and masturbation, nudity, and mentions of sex. The violence rating is for gun and knife use as well as for murder and suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Monarch Rising by Harper Glenn - NO

Monarch Rising by Harper Glenn, 353 pages. Scholastic Press, 2022. $20

Language: R (86 swears, 61 “f’); Mature Content: R (talk of sex, no described sex, some crude sex talk); Violence: R (rape mentioned, attempted rape, suicide attempts)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NOT RECOMMENDED

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

In a futuristic America, 17yo Jo is a black girl with a chance to leave her home in the slums of the Ashes and make a life for herself in the opulent city of New Georgia. Cove is the heart-throb of the city, the trail of broken hearts testifying to the magnificent of his light, clean skin and soft blond hair. Under false flattery and designer clothes Cove hides his scars, both physical and mental, that speak to his training in the matter of love. To escape his abuser and win his freedom, he must break one last heart: Jo's. But Jo is not like the girls from the city, and Cove cannot help that this is one assignment he may not be able to carry through. 

This book wanted to be a lot of things. It wanted to be a social commentary on racism, wealth division, sexuality, physical and emotional abuse, and politics; it even tried to bring Aristotle into the mix at one point. Yet, spreading itself so thin it manages to accomplish nothing. Leaving this book, I am left with no specific morals or lessons that I feel the author was trying to accomplish and thus and, feeling as though that was the main focus of the book, not the storytelling, think it was somewhat of a failure. The world building was lackluster, inconsistent, and unbelievable and the same goes for the characters. Further, the mature themes are somewhat difficult to classify as while nothing is explicit, sexual encounters with varying numbers of participants and mixes of genders are mentioned often and crudely as well as heavy themes of depression, low-self worth, suicide, and abuse.

Sierra Finlinson 

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany Jackson - HIGH

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany Jackson. 416 pages. Katherine Tegen Books (Harper), 2022. $16

Language: R (65 swears, 35 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (alludes to sex); Violence: R (belt beating, bloody mentioned, suicide by gun, pieces of bodies metioned) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

In 2014, there was a devastating accident and a survivor covered in blood limping home – a tragedy that ruptured the town. Researchers are discussing the events before the accident to try to understand what happened. The non-linear timeline moves back and forth between events before the accident and the research discussion and 17yo Maddy is the focus of everything that happened. She’s been forced by her father to hide her African American roots because he’s white and their community is extremely racist. One day she’s running in gym class when rain starts to fall. Her perfectly and intentionally straightened hair goes into its natural Afro state. Gossip starts, bullies taunt and her dad whips her for revealing her secret. After a “bullying Maddy” video goes viral, some students want to prove that the town isn’t racist by holding one prom, all inclusive. After a horrible joke and an even worse prank, Maddy’s true powers come out, practically decimating the town. 

Kenny fell in love with Maddy too conveniently and easily. Maddy’s so powerful, but she stands by doing nothing, holding Kenny’s hand the entire time, while Officer Ross beats Kenny with his baton. Also, the comment made that lumps all American citizens into people that don’t understand or are dumb is rude, but partially true: “Comprehension is key, and that hasn’t exactly been mastered by the citizens of this country”. Overgeneralization, but that does show the high extent of racism in the book's community. An excellent "Carrie" remix. The build up of suspense was what I liked the most. 

 LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian

Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp - ADVISABLE

Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp. 320 pages. McElderry Books Simon and Schuster, 2022. $18.

Language: PG (7 swears, 0 'f');  Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12yo Gloria and her family are having a tough time. It's the 1930s and they live in Oklahoma. Their farm failed again and they are mourning the death of their baby brother. When the bank forecloses on the farm, they load everything they own into their truck and head to California. Gloria is a really good pitcher, and when the family gets work at a peach orchard, Gloria hopes to join the boys in their game. 

An engaging story - times were hard, not just because the farm failed, but the families looking for work were mistreated and cheated out of money and resources due to them. Some fun baseball action and a bit of danger in the orchard. Historical fiction can be a hard sell, but sports lovers will like this too. Will probably purchase.

Lisa Librarian

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe - OPTIONAL

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe, 512 pages. HarperTeen, 2022. $19.

Language: R (96 swears, 26 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Sayers is a junior who doesn’t have to care about anything because of his name and the money his family has. He does what he wants and goes with the flow, even when he doesn’t agree with his friends. And then Sayers ends up in a situation where he can’t leave the strange house he wakes up in, saying his own name is punished, and the man there doesn’t care about his money.

At first, I was disappointed with Sayer’s choices, especially when he changed from doing nothing to helping facilitate his friends’ bullying behavior. Then he gets taken and all of his choices are stripped away, changing both his story and his character drastically. Watching Sayers morph through the different phases of his story was both tragic and heartening – despite all his dark times, Sayers finds light.

Sayers is depicted as white on the cover, and most other characters are implied white. That mature content rating is for underage drinking, drug abuse, innuendo, partial nudity, illegal activity, mention of sex and rape, harassment, and sexual assault. The violence rating is for gun use, mention of murder, and suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Somewhere Sisters by Erika Hayasaki - ADVISABLE

Somewhere Sisters by Erika Hayasaki, 320 pages. NONFICTION. Algonquin Books, 2022. $28.

Language: PG-13 (16 swears, 1 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Isabella, Hà, and Olivia are sisters. All three are Vietnamese and were adopted when their biological parents couldn’t take care of them. Two were adopted from the same orphanage by an American family, and one was rejected by the orphanage and was instead raised by an aunt and her partner in Vietnam. These three girls struggle with identity, rejection, education, and more – and their stories aren’t over yet.

Hayasaki interviewed these girls and what she refers to as their constellation of family members. She also gives readers context by including lots of research regarding the political and social environments in both America and Vietnam that led to the adoption of these girls and regarding behavioral science, especially the theories and experiments having to do with twins. While the story and information is real, Hayasaki has written in a format that was easier to read than I was expecting – I even enjoyed reading the chapters about research! I feel like I have gained knowledge about my country, my identity, my family, and my hopes for the future – for me, for America, and for the world.

The main characters are American and Vietnamese, though they also relate their experiences with others of various races. Hayasaki also references adoption and twin experiences from and in other countries. The mature content rating is for discussions of war, poverty, abortion and miscarriages; mention of prostitutes, sex, and drugs; and alcohol use, including underage drinking. The violence rating is for brief discussion of suicide as well as for mentions of child abuse and implied murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Hero Handbook by Matt Langdon - ADVISABLE

The Hero Handbook by Matt Langdon, 146 pages. NONFICTION. Magination Press (American Psychological Association), 2021. $15.

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Who is your hero? Langdon breaks down what qualifies someone to be a hero and uses both real and fictional heroes to teach readers that we can all learn to be heroes. Heroes make goals, go on real and metaphorical  journeys, defeat enemies, and help others – with the assistance of their hero teams.

While Langdon focuses his book on a younger audience, the principles are applicable to everyone, regardless of age and stage of life. The principles are centered around this idea that each of us can change the world and save lives, a concept that sounds unrealistic in those terms – but Langdon makes me feel like it is actually possible. Like everything else, we can practice heroism until we become heroes, and Langdon gives readers steps to get there.

The language rating is for one use of the word “damn” in the context of discussing how it is a swear word in some countries but not in others. The mature content rating is for mentions of sex, drugs, alcohol, and illegal activities. The violence rating is for mentions of threats, gun use, and suicide, and for discussions of life-endangering situations.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - OPTIONAL

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, 416 pages. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2022. $45.

Language: PG (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

With their father serving as a chaplain during the Civil War, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy try to be good for their mother – but it’s not always easy. They get into scrapes with each other and their neighbor Laurie, but their loved ones are always there to help them along the way.

This new edition of a beloved classic is the same in text and now includes illustrations by Marjolein Bastin in the margins and in the white space at the end of chapters. Each chapter of Little Women teaches a lesson to at least one of the sisters and to readers – anything from hard work to hope, forgiveness to pursuing dreams, heartbreak to healing.

The March family and John are white, Laurie is Italian, and Friedrich is German. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, including underage drinking. 

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone - ADVISABLE

The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone. 354 pages. G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin), 2022. $18. 9781984816467

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Eighth-grader Mary Kate Murphy gets to be a part of a small pilot program at school focused on climate change. What starts as a simple science class quickly becomes a club and truly a group of friends focused on solutions rather than the depressing problems of climate change. Along the way Mary Kate learns about activism in its many varieties and the other social problems that are intrinsically connected with climate change.

This was a fun crash course on activism for kids. I appreciated the way the kids take the lead in the story and have supportive adults to help them with their ideas--this is the main idea of the story. There is a lot to like in this book but I did tire of having the book's "message" hit me over the head blatantly time and time again for 354 pages. All in all its a decent way to package the topic of climate change so younger people can understand and get involved. 

Reviewer: TC

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra - ADVISABLE

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra, 352 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2022. $19.

Language: PG-13 (17 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG-13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Adopted by the royal family when she was young, Katyani (18yo) has grown up alongside the princes. She is both sister and bodyguard, preparing to be Prince Ayan’s advisor someday. When the princes are sent to gurukul to increase their spiritual power, the queen insists that Katyani accompany them. When Katyani returns home, nothing will be the same.

Every time I thought I knew where the story was going during the first half of the book, Mehrotra pivoted the story – the surprise kept me wanting to know where we would go next. The teachers in the book focus on spiritual power and ethics, and then Mehrotra throws Katyani into a series of trials. Readers must navigate the gray spaces between right and wrong with Katyani, wanting to win the right way for the right reasons.

Katyani is described as having “tawny brown” skin, and Ayan and Bhairav are described as having “bronze” skin. They and everyone else are implied Indian. The mature content rating is for innuendo and nudity. The violence rating is for sword use, persistent murder and war, and blood and gore.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang - OPTIONAL

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang, 352 pages. Inkyard Press, 2022. $19.

Language: R (110 swears, 21 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Alice, a year twelve student, needs to be the best at school, and she’s been mostly successful so far – she didn’t even push her rival, Henry, off the stage when they tied for Top Achiever award again. But everything changes for Alice when her parents admit they can’t afford tuition after the semester and  Alice suddenly turns invisible. Desperate, Alice turns to the only person she can think of for help: Henry.

The questionable morality of Alice’s and Henry’s actions stressed me out. On the one hand, they are the protagonists and I want them to succeed, but I also don’t believe that the ends justify the means. Liang has written a compelling story that elicits sympathy for her characters, sparks thoughts about ethics, and invites readers to think about what they really want.

Everyone is implied Asian. The text specifically says that there are Chinese, Malaysian, Singaporean, and Australian-born Chinese students, and it is implied that there are also some white international students. The mature content rating is for innuendo and illegal activity as well as for mentions of child molesters, pornography, sexting, condoms, sex, drugs, and alcohol. The violence rating is for fist fighting, knife use, and some blood.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Twin Cities by Jose Pimienta - ESSENTIAL

 Twin Cities by Jose Pimienta. 250 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. RH Graphic (Penquin Random House). 2022. $21.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content PG (character pressured to sell marijuana); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Hispanic twins, Fernando and Teresa, get to decide which middle school they want to go to. Fernando decides to stay local in Mexicali, Mexico, and Teresa decides to cross the border into Calexico, California. This decision has a bigger impact on the twins than they thought and both middle schools present a different range of challenges for the twins, who find themselves becoming more separated than they thought. 

Loved the juxtaposition of the two cultures separated by a border. This book also explores what it means to be part of a family and what part heritage and culture play in one’s life. It also raises questions about where loyalties lie when there’s more than one culture vying for attention. Based on the author’s experience growing up, this is a fascinating look at a border city and the people who live on both sides. 

Michelle in the Middle