BookPage Children's Top Pick, January 2018

Punch! That’s what Robinson Hart does to Alex Carter, the biggest bully in fifth grade, when he calls her a “motherless Robin bird.” Robinson’s mother died soon after she was born, so Alex hit a nerve. In this moment, the feisty, memorable, baseball-loving heroine of Lindsey Stoddard’s Just Like Jackie momentarily forgets the words of her grandpa: “The man you’re named for was a great ballplayer. The first black player in the league. People taunted him all the time, but he didn’t pay no mind.”

School administrators in the small Vermont town try to help Robbie control her broiling anger, but a family tree project isn’t helping. She knows little about her family, except that she is one-quarter black and lives with her black grandpa, whom she adores.

Robbie is happiest when she’s helping Grandpa fix cars at his garage, along with the other mechanic, Harold, who is adopting a baby with his partner. But Robbie’s been increasingly on edge because she’s also trying to hide an important secret: Grandpa is becoming more and more forgetful. She knows she needs to find out about her family before Grandpa’s memories are gone forever.

Robbie soon learns that she’s not the only one aggravated by the family tree project. She’s forced to attend Group Guidance meetings at school, along with none other than the dreaded Alex Carter and several other students. A sensitive counselor named Ms. Gloria gently allows each group member to gradually open up and reveal their troubles in a Breakfast Club sort of way.

Just Like Jackie covers a cornucopia of social hot points: Alzheimer’s, a parent dying of cancer, divorce, mixed-race families, gay couples, anger management, bullying, adoption and more. The story never feels forced, however, nor the issues gratuitous. Stoddard’s natural storytelling talent allows Robbie’s character to emerge like an extraordinary butterfly breaking its way out of a cocoon.

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

A lavish hotel with chandeliers, a lake for ice-skating, snow-covered hills for skiing, a candy kitchen and a library complete with a librarian—who wouldn’t want to stay at Winterhouse for the Christmas season? Orphan Elizabeth Somers has no choice when her stingy aunt and uncle disappear, leaving her only a train ticket and reservations at the grand hotel. But in this charming, detailed debut novel by Ben Guterson, the 11-year-old bibliophile immediately finds Winterhouse to be magical—perhaps too magical.

More than the setting, the guests and staff—from proprietor Norbridge Falls, who entertains with evening tricks, to the old men who return year after year to work on a 35,000-piece puzzle—are what truly make Winterhouse special. Elizabeth is thrilled to find a friend in Freddy, who shares her love of anagrams, but she can’t help but become suspicious of a dubious book-collecting couple. When Elizabeth finds a rare book about codes and discovers tales of Winterhouse family secrets that can be unlocked through a magical volume, she wonders if she can solve these mysteries.

Guterson blends enchanting hotel luxuries, warm friendship and plenty of word games and book references with creepy villains and ghostly elements as Elizabeth puts her sleuthing skills to work. Elizabeth’s biggest mystery, however, may be her own family history.

The first book in a planned trilogy, Winterhouse is a cozy-socks, comfy-chair story—the kind to snuggle up with on a long, cold evening.

Activist and award-winning author Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, joins with novelist Renée Watson to give middle grade readers a glimpse into the early life of Shabazz’s mother.

“Count your blessings, young lady. Name them one by one—even the small things.” Eleven-year-old Betty Dean Sanders has no idea that when she takes this advice to heart, it will equip her for bigger life issues. These words, spoken by the woman who eventually becomes Betty’s adoptive mother, are a turning point in the preteen’s abusive childhood.

Betty is growing up during turbulent times in 1940s Detroit, but she maintains a thankful attitude toward family, friends and the opportunity to be involved with the Housewives’ League, which supports black businesses. Keeping sight of graciousness amid hostility helps Betty become “an outspoken advocate for human rights, women’s rights, racial tolerance, and the goal of self-determination and self-reliance.”

This engaging coming-of-age tale shines a light on one young girl’s hope for happiness and equality in the midst of apparent hopelessness and despair. Shabazz and Watson weave the historical horrors of racism into this lyrical story, making Betty Before X a provocative, powerful read.

“It is my hope that by reading my mother’s story,” Shabazz writes in an author’s note, “young people who may be feeling abandoned or neglected, fearful or hopeless, anxious or unsure, will find inspiration.” Shabazz’s goal is completed in this lovely book.

Real magic does exist . . . you just have to know where to look. That’s the lesson that young Carter, a runaway street magician, learns in Neil Patrick Harris’ debut middle grade novel.

American actor and singer Harris has a background in magic, which shines through in this tale of Carter and five other magically gifted kids. The trick-filled tale moves quickly, as the gang tries to outsmart a crooked carnival boss and his cronies, sideshow freaks and the ill-intentioned Pock Pickets. Aided by master illusionist and kindred soul Mr. Vernon, the kids band together in their altruistic goal of saving the citizens of the city from its villains and thieves.

Harris intersperses the book’s chapters with several clever “intermissions,” which directly address the reader to offer instructions for easy tricks to impress their friends. Harris knows his magic and has crafted an impressive group of kids that readers will happily follow on their magical journey of stopping the bad guys, as well as finding their own way. All these characters are misfits for various reasons, but when they band together, they truly belong, as each discovers friendship—possibly for the first time.

Combining the talents of seasoned children’s author Kristin Kladstrup and the renowned illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events, Brett Helquist, this new take on a classic tale makes for a perfectly nostalgic Christmas story.

It’s 1892, and St. Petersburg’s famed Mariinsky Theater is preparing to debut its latest ballet: The Nutcracker. But the cast and crew don’t know that in the spaces between the walls, the mice who call the theater home are also hard at work staging their own production. But will a mousy audience come to see a ballet that features their kind as villains? It’s up to Esmerelda, rising star of the Russian Mouse Ballet Company, and her comrades to come up with a solution. They may need help from an unlikely source: a human girl named Irina with a kind heart and a clever mind, who may prove indispensable in saving both productions, human and mouse, of the soon-to-be Christmas classic.

This sweet, nostalgic tale evokes the thrilling joy of dance and music, and shows that such a feeling is universal in all creatures, big and small. It’s steeped in all the drama and romance of old-fashioned show business, and the setting of the theater provides a perfect backdrop for the story to unfold. Tinged with the magic of the season, this novel makes for a perfect read-aloud story for all ages to enjoy.

From the duo behind the bestselling Wildwood Chronicles comes a new adventure that illuminates a thrilling, underground world of pickpockets.

As the son of a consul general, Charlie Fisher lives a sheltered, sometimes lonely life in the marvelous city of Marseille. His days often consist of nothing more exciting than lessons with his tutor and social events with his father. But all of that changes one seemingly ordinary Tuesday morning, when Charlie happens to witness something extraordinary: a gang of young pickpockets pulling off a robbery in the middle of a crowded, public square. Charlie is mesmerized, and from that fateful day he becomes entrenched in the world of masterful thieves known as the whiz mob. But when this seemingly harmless new pastime leads Charlie into danger, he must decide if this life is really worth the risks that come with it.

Colin Meloy writes in a voice sharp with wit and precision, creating a rich and vibrant world complemented by Carson Ellis’ art at every turn. Each member of the whiz mob is given a distinct voice and personality, making readers feel as if they are part of the crew themselves, learning the lingo and pickpocketing culture right alongside Charlie. This is a unique and uproarious reading experience, and one not to be missed.

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

Everyone needs a Mr. Gedrick in their lives, but especially 9-year-old Stanley Darrow and his family, who are reeling from the death of Stanley’s father. Stanley’s older brother and sister ignore him, while his architect mother flounders as she attempts to work from home. Meanwhile, the house is a mess, as no one has the energy or heart to take over the duties of the Darrows’ stay-at-home dad.

Healing begins when the Darrows’ self-appointed nanny, a strange man named Mr. Gedrick, suddenly appears on their doorstep—a Mary Poppins-like figure with a fuzzy green jacket and an odd little car he calls Fred. Initially wary, Stanley and his family can’t help but be amazed by the newcomer. Cleanup happens magically in minutes, with everyone working together with “a splish and a splash” or “a flick and a sniff.” Mr. Gedrick has secret projects in store for everyone in the family, giving them the courage to tackle huge hurdles that have become roadblocks since Mr. Darrow’s death, and helping them find the faith they need in themselves and each other in this new, dadless world.

Rare is the book that takes on weighty subjects like grief and loss with such grace, love and wonder, but Mr. Gedrick and Me by bestselling author Patrick Carman does all this and more while overflowing with marvelous fun.

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

BookPage Children’s Top Pick, November 2017

The year is 1919. In Great Britain, World War I has ended, but the scars of that terrible conflict remain, both for veterans and bereaved families. Twelve-year-old Henry (short for Henrietta) and her family have come from London to spend the summer in the countryside. They’re seeking to heal from a different tragedy: Henry’s older brother has died in a fire, devastating them all, especially Henry’s mother.

“Coming to live here at Hope House was supposed to make Mama better,” Henry says, “but she wasn’t getting better, she was getting worse. It was as if she was becoming a ghost.”

Ghosts are an underlying theme in Lucy Strange’s poignant debut, published earlier in the U.K. to critical acclaim. At times, Henry imagines conversations with her brother. But one ghost in Nightingale Wood turns out to be real: a ghostly pale, witch-like woman named Moth.

When Henry’s father departs for several months of work abroad, he leaves the nanny in charge and his wife in the care of the disreputable Dr. Hardy. Increasingly, Henry feels like she’s losing control of her family. The situation escalates when the doctor insists Henry’s baby sister would be better cared for by his wife, and he commits Henry’s mother to a mental institution. Can Henry find adult allies to help her?

As with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s The War I Finally Won, set during World War II, this evocative novel explores a time period little known to American children. And while a note on the historical period would be a welcome addition, young readers will nevertheless identify with Henry’s desire to find a way to hold her family together—and find hope again.

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is Independence Cake.

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

Orphan Davy David barely manages to scrape by. He keeps to the fringes of town, spending his days in the aging Brownvale library and steering clear of Mr. Kite, who grabs vagrants, throws them in his filthy truck and sells them off.

Davy sleeps near the pauper’s graveyard where his mother is buried, taking refuge in a nest of tangled tree roots. Every day, he paints elaborate archangels in the dirt—but never signs his name.

Circumstances lead Davy to a ramshackle, shuttered museum. Miss Elizabeth Flint, the elderly curator, lives there among dinosaur bones, rocks and relics. With a sour face and a sharp tongue, she’s on a mission. She hires Davy to chauffeur her to her childhood home, where she plans to end her life.

The trip proves monumental. Davy has never driven before, and when the car breaks down, he and Miss Flint steal a truck. With the police on their trail, something strange begins to happen. Nearly 80 years old when they leave Brownvale, Miss Flint gradually grows younger, becoming more vigorous before Davey’s eyes. Confused but undaunted, they persist on the perilous journey. When the two reach Miss Flint’s home, her painful family story is revealed, changing her life and Davy’s forever.

The Road to Ever After is filled with luminous, insightful characters. Moira Young’s writing delights, inspires and challenges us in this more than epic tale of life, love, hope and loss. The beauty and magic of The Road to Ever After will linger long after the book’s covers are reluctantly closed.

Billie B. Little is the Founding Director of Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, a hands-on museum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Like its townsfolk, Lenburh is a quiet, meager place where very little ever happens. But when two of its most unlikely heroes stumble upon an enchanted, talking blade in Have Sword, Will Travel, they embark upon an adventure that will alter the courses of their lives forever—exposing them to unseen lands, unparalleled knights and unimaginable beasts, any of which could enhance or end them.

Odo, the miller’s hefty son, and Eleanor, the healer’s quick-witted daughter, have been best friends since childhood. One ordinary day, they find an ancient sword at the bottom of their nearly dried-up river. To their surprise, the sword is a magical one, and it wakes up, boldly introduces itself as Biter and knights Odo on the spot—even though Eleanor is clearly better suited for the title. Biter demands that the new Sir Odo and squire Eleanor earn their designations by taking on the task of a knight, so they suggest solving the only obvious problem they can think of: the drying-up river. Unknowingly, this leads Odo and Eleanor on a grand quest wherein they’ll need to work together with Biter to fight against and outsmart a collection of unexpected enemies who have long since lost their sense of chivalry and honor.

New York Times bestselling authors Garth Nix and Sean Williams have crafted a fun adventure tale with underlying complexity, in which our simple protagonists soon learn that their world is far more mischievous, malevolent and magical than they’d ever imagined. While simultaneously playing into many tropes of the high fantasy genre, Nix and Williams also comment on them in their own ways, making their readers reconsider everything they’d ever learned about mythical beasts and enchanted weapons.

Justin Barisich is a freelancer, satirist, poet and performer living in Atlanta. More of his writing can be found at littlewritingman.com.