Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis - ESSENTIAL

Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell 211 pages. Lee and Low, 2019. $19.

Content: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

10yo Regina Petit is Umpqua, and has lived on her Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation her whole life. But when the Federal Government terminates her tribe in 1954, Regina's father signs up for the Indian Relocation Program and the family is moved to Los Angeles. Suddenly she is "Indian No More." The other children in her neighborhood have never met a real Indian, and are confused when she isn't like the Indians they've seen on TV. Faced with racism and misconceptions, Regina, her grandmother and her family must now adjust to living as "Americans."

I did not know about this terrible injustice, and am so pleased to see McManis' story. I loved seeing modern day Indian relocation through a child's eyes, I loved that her grandmother was part of the household - a connection to the traditions and stories.  There is an extensive appendix at the end, including a glossary with thorough definitions; an author's note from Charlene McManis complete with photographs and a short history of the Termination Act.

Lisa Librarian

Just Under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno - ADVISABLE

Just Under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno, 225 pages. Knopf (Random), 2018. $16.99.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Cora (12yo) and her family are homeless.  Her dad died a couple of years ago and since then everything has been hard.  Cora, her mom, and her sister, Adare, have stayed in several placement houses, and even a few of their friend’s houses, but nothing permanent yet.  Cora’s mom said that Adare was born special so Cora’s main job is to take care of her sister. That means Cora is trying to juggle a new school, remedial math, new friends, and taking care of Adare.  She is also trying to find ways to connect with her dad so she doesn’t forget him and all the things that he loved.  

Such an important topic and so nicely handled.  We get a glimpse of the many emotions Cora has, pressure to succeed in school,  hopelessness, frustration that her mom seems to be making things harder, her inability to fix things, loneliness for her dad, confusion about her sister and so much love.  Although not everything wraps up nicely, Cora does begin to realize there is still hope for the future. While I rooted for Cora and her family and wanted to love this book, it was a little light on plot and I struggled to stay engaged.    

Reviewer: RB

Stargazing by Jen Wang - ESSENTIAL

Stargazing by Jen Wang, 214 pages, GRAPHIC NOVEL, Scholastic, 2019, $13.

Content G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Christine and Moon are unlikely friends.  Even though both girls are in the same Chinese-American suburb, they are vastly different.  Christine has more traditional Chinese-American parents who have high expectations for her. Moon only has her mother and they are struggling to make ends meet.  Moon’s exuberance and brash personality draw Christine to her, although Moon also has a reputation for beating people up.  Moon claims she can see celestial beings in the stars.  Those visions stem from something dangerous though and Christine has to work through what it means to be a friend to Moon when her life is at risk. 

Addressing themes of friendship, diversity and resilience, this book is a fun ride.  

Ages are never specified, so students from either upper elementary or middle school would enjoy this book.  Moon and Christine and their friends are believable and once you start, you’ll just have to finish. 

Michelle in the Middle

Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai - ESSENTIAL

Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai, 380 pages. Henry Holt & Co. Publishing (Macmillan), 2019. $25.

Language: PG; Mature Content: PG Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS – ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Jingwen, 11, and his little brother Yanghao, 6, move to Australia knowing very little English and feel like they are betraying the memory of their dead father; who always dreamed of moving there. Instead of trying to learn English and fit in at the new school, home, and friends; Jingwen decides to focus on making all of his father’s recipes for cakes from the “Published (1909)

 Pie in the Sky” dream bakery book, in secret at night while their mother works. As Jingwen refuses to accept his new life, Yanghao embraces English and is happy and learning to read, speak and making friends. As the distance between the brothers grows, Jingwen feels more and more alone and is forced to deal with his grief and the real reason he is making the cakes - he feels like his father’s death is his fault.

Pie in the Sky captures the confusion, fear, and anger that immigration to a new country with a new language and way of life can unearth. The “martian” language Jingwen hears and how he believes that everyone is talking about him and calling him slow is heartbreaking. The relationship between the brothers and calling one another booger and fighting but being each other’s only friend is a great and well written friendship. Lai’s writing is clear and concise and will bring middle school readers into her story and keep them there easily.

Dina W. - ELA teacher

Chosen by Kiersten White - OPTIONAL

Chosen (Slayer #2) by Kiersten White, 368 pages.

Language: PG-13(29 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (gore, lots of fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

After Leo helps Nina get her Slayer powers back and then sacrifices himself for her, Nina can barely pick up the pieces.  The Watchers’ castle is now a refuge for hurt demons, but there is little harmony or joy within its walls, especially since Nina’s twin sister, Artemis, has run away with her girlfriend, Honora.  When Nina hears rumors of new supernatural problems – all the growing signs point towards Artemis and Honora as the source.  How can Nina save her sister and the rest of the world at the same time.

I love Buffy so much that I persisted through the chaos and my growing anger at Artemis.  I did like the introduction of more characters from the Buffy-verse. And that the mysterious stalker is finally reveled in the end. Students who read #1 will of course want this.  I am curious to hear how much students have been actually reading it.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher

Dig. by A.S. King - OPTIONAL

Dig. by A.S. King 392 pages. Dutton Books Penguin, 2019 $18.00

Language: R (100+ swears 87 'f's); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13.

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

5 teenagers - The Shoveler, Malcolm, the Freak, Loretta and CanIHelpYou are connected to each other. Each is the subject of their own plot-line, eventually coming together, they are cousins, part of a family with a lot of secrets. Each is deeply troubled, but doing the best they can under the circumstances. One's father is dying, another sells pot while working the drive up window at Arby's, on the brink of what feels like madness, one is the ring mistress of a flea circus, the 5th lives in a world disconnected from reality. 

The story is difficult to explain; that's part of the beauty of A.S. Kings Printz medal winner. It is a very difficult read. Tragic is putting it mildly. Full of issues - racism, sexuality, grief, illness, mental health - King doesn't cut any corners and addresses them head on. I hated the damage the grandparents caused, I hated how this dysfunctional family passed their problems to the next generation and the next. My heart hurts for the kids. For that reason I think I liked it - it made me feel something, it made me think, it made me angry and worried and heartbroken. 

Lisa Librarian

What the Other Three Don’t Know by Spencer Hyde - OPTIONAL

What the Other Three Don’t Know by Spencer Hyde, 209 pages. Shadow Mountain, 2020. $18.

Language: G (8 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (animal abuse)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Indie has absolutely no desire to spend a week rafting through Hells Canyon – the same place her mother died on her job as a river guide. When she meets her companion – the jock, the queen bee, and her oddball neighbor from the trailer park – she is even less interested. It isn’t until the river turns dangerous and the kids open up that not only Indie, but all the others start revealing their secrets.  When the river becomes deadly, they will need to hold onto that fragile trust.

This reads like the author read Downriver by Will Hobbs and decided to try to one-up the master. Unfortunately there is no real emotional hook until halfway through – long enough that most readers will have already pulled out. Hyde's Waiting for Fitz was so good, I don't why this one went wrong.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

Bluebeard by Metaphrog - OPTIONAL

Bluebeard by Metaphrog, 175 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Papercutz, 2020. $20.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Life in the village requires hard work, but Eve and her family are happy. But then change comes: first with a huge storm, and then with an invitation from the wealthy and feared Bluebeard. How will Eve uncover the mysteries surrounding Bluebeard and escape his grasp?

Simple story line that it is, Eve’s story was a nice read. The beginning felt choppy and somewhat pointless, maybe because the details shared felt unrelated to each other, but the second half was more engaging. Metaphrog breaks the stereotypes of typical fairy tales, encouraging readers to overcome their hardships -- with or without a knight in shining armor.  I also enjoyed the unique illustration style; though I was not sure I liked it in the beginning, the style grew on me as I became entranced by all the strong colors.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Undercover Thief by H. T. King - HIGH

Undercover Thief by H. T. King, 278 pages. Glass Slipper Publications, 2019. $12.

Language: R (49 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

After being abandoned by her parents years ago, Pam was forced to adapt to stay under social services’ radar. Now 14 years old, Pam has a new family, and they have honed their skills to provide for themselves through heist jobs. But their routine is about to be interrupted: the parents are back.

Unrealistic in the most fun way, I hung onto every word of Pam’s story from the very beginning. Starting this book before bed was the wrong move because I couldn’t put it down -- my morning alarm came too soon after finishing. Somehow, King created an engaging character who can seemingly do everything without feeling like a Mary Sue. I felt Pam’s resentment, and I wanted her to succeed. Yes, there were cheesy parts and cliches, but I was so entertained that I didn’t care; I was simply having fun reading Pam’s adventure. I’m looking forward to the sequels. The only reason this book is labeled “optional” instead of “essential” is the swear count.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

XL by Scott Brown - OPTIONAL

XL by Scott Brown, 310 pages. Alfred A. Knopf (Random House), 2019. $16.

Language: R (282 swears, 13 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Will is 15, going on 16, and still stands under five feet tall. This vertical challenge is hard on any guy, but especially on a basketball-loving and shorter-than-his-crush guy. Then -- miracle! -- Will starts growing with no sign of slowing. Everything is changing. That’s a good thing, right?

I wasn’t a huge fan of Will’s story (no pun intended). While I appreciated the difficulty I had in predicting what would happen, I also felt a separation from the story; I didn’t relate, and I wasn’t engaged. Readers could learn a couple lessons from this book, like how the grass isn’t greener on the other side or how everyone has issues to deal with, but maybe you should just take my word for it and read something else. Overall, Brown’s story was well written but not fun to read. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, alcoholism, mentions of masturbation and rape, partial nudity, sex between animals, and sex between people. The violence rating is for blood, mentions of suicide, and death.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Street Magic by Taylor S. Seese - NO

Street Magic by Taylor S. Seese, 358 pages. Austin Macauley Publishers, 2019. $14.

Language: R (93 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Flynn, now in his late 20s, has always loved magic, which is why he is willing to live in an attic off the meager earnings he gets as an illusionist at the park. But when a mime starts winning an undeclared competition for his territory in the park, Flynn has to admit to himself that his passion has faded. Should Flynn continue following his dreams or finally settle down into something more practical?

The ideas that Seese presents are good and have lots of potential, but the way that they were executed made them difficult to enjoy. I think the biggest problem for me was how wordy the story is; Seese does a lot of telling and not enough showing. As Flynn’s monologues continued for pages, getting off topic -- to the point that other characters called him out on losing focus -- I found myself wondering how many more pages I had left (more than 200). Also, the technical aspect of writing got in the way as Seese chose to forgo the organization of chapters, or even page breaks, and used confusing dialogue notation that wasn’t consistent. By the time I made it to the end, I was mentally checked out. And, on top of everything, I was disappointed in the ending itself. I have a difficult time accepting the characters’ decisions in the last couple scenes because of the negative message it sends to readers. The mature content rating is for mentions of sex, and the violence rating is for blood and attempted suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Jane Eyre (Manga Classics) art by SunNeko Lee - ADVISABLE

Jane Eyre (Manga Classics) art by SunNeko Lee, 309 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL

Udon Entertainment, 2016. $27. 9781927925652

Language: PG (5 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Jane was thrilled to leave her unloving aunt’s house for school, and she becomes excited again with the opportunity to leave school to be a governess. Upon arrival at Thornfield, Jane meets her lively pupil but finds the master absent. With haunting noises around the house and comments about oddities of the master, Master Rochester’s return will bring the unexpected.

The original version of Jane Eyre is hard to read because of how flowery the wording is, extending the story much longer than it needs to be. With the graphic novel version being forced to focus on the most important parts of the story, I found that I prefer this version. I love being able to see the characters and understand more visually in this version than in the wordy book (the graphic novel makes the story feel more romantic), and the graphic novel keeps all the best parts (including my favorite line), so this seems to be the best of both worlds.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume - OPTIONAL

What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume, 304 pages. Peachtree Publishing, 2020. $18.

Language: R (106 swears, 16 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Discovery: Maisie, 16yo, is not thrilled about this vacation. Evidence: Ms. Singh assigned homework over the break in the form of a daily discovery journal -- a journal that Maisie’s mother is going to check on every day. Also, Maisie’s dad didn’t come on their annual Christmas trip, which Maisie is pretty sure is a sign of impending divorce. Meanwhile, Maisie’s best friend Anna did come on the trip, which should be a good thing, but Anna is totally flirting with Maisie’s crush Sebastian! Oh, and Maisie has terrible self-esteem, but that’s always been there.

Guillaume highlights all the reasons that I don’t love journal-style novels. Maisie introduces topics and skips over scenes in the moment to fill in the readers later, making the story more choppy and quasi-suspenseful than is preferred. While I love the message of Maisie’s story -- that we need to love ourselves regardless of how we physically compare to others and the current standard of beauty -- the execution of Maisie’s journal and a lot of Maisie’s choices on the way to that important realization is mediocre. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, innuendo, implied sex, and nudity.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The Count of Monte Cristo (Manga Classics) art by Nokman Poon - ADVISABLE

The Count of Monte Cristo (Manga Classics) art by Nokman Poon, 401 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Udon Entertainment, 2017. $27. 9781927925614

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

After receiving promotion to captain and less than two hours from marrying the love of his life, Edmond Dantes is arrested. Edmond spends the next several years in prison, learning from a fellow prisoner while nurturing his desire for vengeance on those who wronged him. When the death of his fellow prisoner allows Edmond to escape, Edmond inherits the dead man’s fortune and uses it to punish those who took everything away from him.

The Count of Monte Cristo is an enthralling tale full of amazing feats and impossible achievements. I understand that fitting all the details into a shortened graphic novel version of the story would equal one of said impossible achievements; still, it was a little disappointing that so much of the story had to be removed. Enough of the story remains to be exciting and make sense, but it doesn’t have the same captivating feel because there are fewer reasons to understand Edmond’s point of view and fewer details of his plans to be awestruck by. I admit, though, that the artwork is beautiful and allows for readers to both better understand the time jumps and better keep the characters straight. Furthermore, the need to use pages and dialogue more wisely in the abridgment forced the graphic novel to make some nuances more clear than the original does, which I actually appreciated. I hope that this manga version of the story inspires more people to pick up the original.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Go With the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann - ESSENTIAL

Go With the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann, 329 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. First Second (Macmillan), 2020. $15. 9781250143174

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (menstruation discussed, depicted); Violence: G (verbal bullying)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Not only is Sasha small in stature and new at her school, but her first period comes while she is wearing light colored pants and she doesn’t realize she has  a spreading stain. In swoop friends Abby, Brit, and Christine, taking Sasha under their wing. The girls are incensed that none of the machines have menstrual products in them, and even if they did the products would cost 50 cents. But the admin tells them there is no money for such things, even though the football team gets new uniforms every other year. When Abby goes a bit too far to bring attention to the problem, her friends have to decide whether they support her brand of activism.

I loved Willlaims and Schneeman’s book so much! It accurately shows the talk that girls have among themselves about period – late-starting periods, heavy flows, lack of products and so on. Some people will be uncomfortable because of the drawings of stains and Abby’s depictions of products.  Sasha also looks at a very vaguely drawn illustration of how to insert a tampon. But this is what the 7^th graders at my school talk about in their maturation class, so it is right on target for what they are already discussing.  I anticipate that the girls at any school will recommend this one to each other.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets appropriated (stolen), too.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj - ESSENTIAL

Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj, 171 pages. Nancy Paulsen (Penguin), 2019. $17                

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Karina, Indian, and Chris, white, are neighbors and 7th graders at the same middle school. Other than seeing each other in class and riding the same school bus and they have no desire to be friends. It isn't until Papa, Karina's grandfather, come to live with them and Papa strikes up a friendship with Chris that the 7th graders begin to bond. One day, outside the school, Papa, Karina and Chris are walking to the car when they are attacked by a man with a knife. Papa is knocked to the ground and violently kicked. Their lives change and the way they see themselves and their world changes.         

I loved the book and I could not put it down. The story is well written, heartwarming and heart wrenching. It is written with deep feelings and a touch of humor. Varsha Bajaj has written two seventh grade students so well. I liked how well she describes being an immigrant, working for the "American Dream," making your dreams come true and being the victim of hate crime. It also shows how good people come together and bond together and help each other overcome the hate. I salute Karina, Chris and Papa for standing up for what is good and right in their community and in the world. There are a lot of good surprises in this book and I highly recommend reading it. This would also be a good read-aloud book because it has so many good discussion points in it - so many things to talk about.   

Ellen-Anita, Librarian

Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper by Ian Flynn - OPTIONAL

Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle and Whisper by Ian Flynn, 144 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL

IDW Publishing, 2020. $20.

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

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Tangle is ready for some action and adventure of her own after experiencing the thrill of fighting bad guys with Sonic. When Sonic runs through town being chased by Tangle’s friend Whisper, her opportunity comes. Something isn’t right, and Tangle is going to help stop it.

I was confused at first because there are a few short comic strips with Sonic and friends before getting into the episode the title refers to. The story is fast-paced and exciting to read, giving readers more insight into these side characters, Tangle and Whisper. It’s a fun read with beloved characters, as long as you’re into Sonic.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Any Second by Kevin Emerson - NO

Any Second by Kevin Emerson, 392 pages.  Crown Books (Random House Children’s Books), 2018. $18

Language: R (137 swears, 60 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: R

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – NO

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Life was complicated before the day Maya (16yo) and Eli (15yo) were in the middle of a domestic terrorist attack, and now, nearly one year later, things have only gotten worse. No one understands what Maya and Eli had to go through, but everyone has an opinion on what happened and what they should be doing about it. With so many past and present influences telling them what to say, can Maya and Eli find their own voices?

These teens are both dealing with PTSD and trying to figure out what they want their lives to look like when everyone is telling them what they should be doing. Not every teen has to deal with the first issue, but I think we all have to figure out how to navigate the second one, especially with social media being a great influencer in today’s world. While I appreciate that message, I don’t recommend this book because reading it felt dark and hopeless and uncomfortable, and I didn’t like feeling that way. I wish there had been a greater understanding of hope; that bad things happen, but it will be okay. The mature content rating is for innuendo, sexual abuse, masturbation, partial nudity, pornography, and rape. The violence rating is for self-harm, drug abuse, underage drinking, and acts of terrorism.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker 314 pages. Henry Holt (MacMillan), 2019. $17.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (hunting, skinning animals).

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Mia and Uly are fox kits, separated from their litters before they are really big enough to survive on their own, but strong and resilient and resourceful. Mia feared walking through a scary part of the woods so she and her mother walk around, with disastrous consequences, leaving Mia on her own in the clutches of a hunter. Uly was born with a withered paw - when his father finds out he is still alive, Uly's mother hides him in the woods, hoping he can fend for himself. In this collection of 6 connected stories - told to yet another litter of fox kits - we follow these two brave foxes on an adventure, sometimes together, sometimes apart - trying to survive monsters, hunters, their family, each other and the elements, but they are really just trying to get back home to their mothers.

I'm not usually one for scary stories - and yes, some of them are quite intense, not just peril but actual danger of being eaten, or worse - yes, there's worse! The book is so well designed - black with white text pages for the storyteller, white with black text for the story, and the illustrations - OH! beautifully Illustrated by Junyi Wu (charcoal?) the shadows, the depth, the expression - wow, I loved this so much! This is not your sweet little book about foxes, it is an amazing ride through the woods, full of love, and fear, and friendship, and villains, and terror and hope. No wonder it got a nod from the 2020 Newbery committee.

Lisa Librarian

A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai - ADVISABLE

A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai 320 pages Little, Brown and Company, 2019 $18.

Language: G (0 swears);  Mature Content: PG (Teen Dating); Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

15yo Simran comes from a family of matchmakers. Her mother, grandmother and generations before were Vichole - women who help parents find the perfect marriages for their children. Simran does not want to go into the family business, but, she is good at lining people up - so with the help of an app her brother created but a "guidebook" handed down from her grandmother, she starts a matchmaking service at her high school, hoping to up her social position. But when she doesn't match the school bully with her preferred boyfriend, things start to go awry.

I loved that Simi was always ready to give someone a mehindi (a henna tattoo) - it made me want to get one myself. I loved her relationship with her best friend Noah - although he's gay and part of the story, he doesn't play the role of "gay best friend". The app was inclusive so Noah and others could get matched with whomever they preferred, and Simi was also looking for a match for herself - but not through the app. The bully is pretty mean - emotionally - and she felt stereotypical, but otherwise I loved the characters, particularly Simran's family. A comfortable, delightful, happy romantic comedy - quite funny with a good amount of Indian culture. 

Lisa Librarian