Lori K. Joyce

BookPage Children's Top Pick, February 2018

Two-time Newbery Medal-winning author Christopher Paul Curtis’ latest middle grade novel, a coming-of-age tale set in 1858, will resonate with readers for its timeless themes of justice, self-awareness and questions of right and wrong.

Little Charlie Bobo’s family are white sharecroppers for the Tanner plantation. It’s a meager existence, so Charlie’s father tries a few side hustles to earn more money, including joining the Tanner’s overseer and slave catcher, an unremittingly mean and clever man, in a scheme. However, Charlie’s father dies before he can complete his part of the bargain, and the overseer makes 12-year-old Charlie take his father’s place.

At first Charlie is excited to be traveling to Detroit to break up what the overseer explains is a gang of thieves who stole thousands of dollars from the Tanners. On the trip, Charlie carefully observes the overseer and eventually comes to several troubling conclusions about their mission. Charlie is further conflicted when he realizes one of the “stolen goods” is a boy not too different from himself. Without any guidance, Charlie must make several grown-up decisions of his own.

The historical accuracy of The Journey of Little Charlie educates readers on the efforts to capture runaway slaves and the fortitude of those who journeyed north to freedom. In this tale set in the past, modern parallels abound, offering a clear gateway for discussions that are painfully important today. As Curtis writes in his author’s note, the leap taken by Charlie is “[a] step that is available to all of us.”

This article was originally published in the February 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Curses, golden alligators and a blood-red moon form the backdrop for Tumble Wilson (a girl) and Blue Montgomery (a boy), who are searching for their places in life. The second middle grade novel from Cassie Beasley (Circus Mirandus), set at the edge of the Okefenokee swamp in Georgia, imbues the everyday with mystical and magical elements to captivate readers.

Blue’s family has been cursed for over 200 years. However, their curse is unique, because each member of the family receives a different curse, which can cause conflict. Blue’s father’s curse is to always win, and Blue’s is to always lose. But the curses can be altered: When the rare blood-red moon rises, one person in the family can change his or her curse.

After being dumped by his father at his grandmother’s house for the summer, Blue—feeling resentful, sad and abandoned—expects the worst. But the special moon will soon appear, and his granny’s house becomes overrun with kooky relatives, all hoping to meet the golden alligator named Munch and to change their future.

Meanwhile, Tumble has just moved in down the dirt lane, and she’s determined to be a superhero. Misfits Tumble and Blue form a fast bond, and eventually they realize Tumble also has a curse—one that will stretch the bonds of family and friendship.

Throughout this magical book, the setting of rural Georgia wends its enigmatic presence to cast a lasting spell.

This article was originally published in the September 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

The unlikely pairing of a young girl from Minnesota obsessed with bees and an up-and-coming baseball player from the Dominican Republic produces pure magic in Kurtis Scaletta’s latest middle grade novel.

During a family vacation to Florida, Maya’s family catches a Minnesota Twins’ baseball training camp game. One young player notices Maya’s older sister and signs her outstretched baseball. At that moment, Maya decides to become a fan of that player, Rafael Rosales, even though he has the worst statistics on the team.

Multiple storyline undulate throughout to form a coherent whole. The backstory of a young Rafael growing up in the Dominican Republic reveals how he joined the Twins; Maya’s story highlights her concern for the environment (a subplot involves Maya criticizing her father’s company for dubious environmental practices and the surprising results of that criticism); and Rafael’s career in the United States, partially followed through Maya’s sister’s baseball blog, touches upon the dark side of baseball recruiting. As punishment for taking Maya to a baseball game without permission, Maya’s sister loses her blogging privileges. When Maya gives a brief update to the blog, the blog becomes an internet sensation, and the girls become minor celebrities. Through the lens of fame, Maya and her family have to examine their principles and how far they are willing to go for their beliefs.

Rooting for Rafael Rosales hits for the cycle with its multilayered storylines, and Scaletta triumphs with a grand slam.