BookPage Children's Top Pick, September 2016

After Jennifer L. Holm’s son read her Newbery Honor-winning novel Turtle in Paradise, he asked his mom to write about Turtle’s cousin Beans. The result is a fast-paced prequel, Full of Beans, set in Key West, Florida. It’s hard to believe, but during the Great Depression, the bankrupt, stinking city was too poor to pay for garbage collection.

Enterprising, observant Beans Curry is sifting through rubbish, collecting condensed-milk cans for a seedy cafe owner, when he spots a newcomer who seems to be walking around in his underwear (actually Bermuda shorts, which Beans has never seen before). In a novel overflowing with historical details, this man is the real-life Julius Stone, sent from Roosevelt’s Federal Emergency Relief Administration to spruce up the island city and turn it into a tourist destination.

At first Beans doubts both the man’s sanity and mission. What’s more, he’s preoccupied with his own worries as his unemployed father heads to New Jersey in search of work. Beans’ ongoing moneymaking efforts end up backfiring, and his angst intensifies when Stone confesses that the federal government may find it cheaper to simply abandon Key West and relocate its residents than try to save it. 

Inspired by her ancestors (Holm’s great-grandmother moved to Key West in the late 1800s), the author seamlessly weaves Beans’ story with local color (sea turtles caught for stew meat, Cuban cooking, wooden houses threatened by fire) and Depression-era history.

Full of Beans’ extensive cast features Beans’ brothers and lively pals, who eventually find their calling as the Diaper Gang, as well as brief appearances by Ernest Hemingway and Robert Frost. Like Turtle, Beans is a spunky character with a feisty voice. A movie lover who dreams of Hollywood fame, he is a memorable tour guide who offers a fascinating glimpse into how Key West became a vibrant vacation and cultural mecca.

This article was originally published in the September 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

From the author of Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy comes the story of a girl struggling to navigate the twists and turns of a destiny she never knew she was meant for, set against the backdrop of a vividly realized Victorian England.

Annabel Grey is a proper young lady. She knows everything there is to know about high society life, from ballrooms to curtsies, and her biggest worry is whether or not she’ll receive those long-coveted emerald green ice skates for her 13th birthday. But Annabel’s carefree life is snatched away one fateful day when her mother suddenly announces that she must go abroad, leaving Annabel with two mysterious old aunts she’s never met before. Just like that, our unlikely heroine finds herself plunged into a world of magic she never knew existed, with the weight of its future resting entirely on her shoulders. But with the help of a wild girl who possesses some unknown magic of her own and a foul-smelling, twinkle-eyed troll, Annabel just might be able to defeat the dark forces threatening the existence of good magic, and even find a way to embrace the power within herself.

At the heart of this fast-paced fantasy adventure lies the story of a girl trying to figure out just who she is, where she comes from and where she should go from there. It’s a coming-of-age story with charming characters, excellent world-building rich in folklore, a relatable heroine worth rooting for, a dastardly villain and more than a touch of magic. This story will take readers on an extraordinary journey, all the while reminding them that true magic lies in everyday acts of friendship and kindness. 

A school with a robotic vice principal/operating system? A robot student in the homeroom and lunchroom? Oh—ZARK! What kid wouldn’t love that?

That’s the unusual situation when “Fuzzy,” a $6 million government-issue robot, shows up at Vanguard One Middle School. Supposedly, as seventh-grader Max and her classmates believe, Fuzzy is part of a Robot Integration Program (RIP) at their high-tech school. But as Max and Fuzzy become friends—and traverse the halls and tween-angst world of middle school—Max unveils a more nefarious plot by none other than the school’s sinister, omniscient and computerized Vice Principal Barbara.

Kidnapping attempts, code cracking and even military intrigue intertwine in this highly creative middle grade novel from Tom Angleberger, author of the Origami Yoda series, and Paul Dellinger, a writer of science fiction and fantasy.

At the heart of it all, though, is a story of young friends navigating the rough waters of tweendom and middle school, all with “Big Brother” or, in this case, Vice Principal, watching, grading and, quite possibly, thwarting their every move.

Fuzzy is a tech-infused wild ride, with some suspenseful moments and brilliant twists—an ideal book for reluctant readers, young science fans and really anyone who wishes their best friend were a robot. 

Children have a wealth of meaningful, important books from which to choose, but sometimes kids just need an insanely funny read. “Nothing too sad” is a request I have heard on many an occasion. Debut author Paul Gamble delivers on this request with The Ministry of SUITs.

Set in Northern Ireland, the story begins with Jack Pearse and his best friend, David, as their school bus is stopped by a bear in the road. Jack, always curious, gets out to see what’s going on. After fending off the bear with a wooden chair, Jack is invited by a mysterious man to join the Ministry of SUITs (Strange, Unusual, and Impossible Things). At first, Jack isn’t so sure about joining, but when a suspicious “supporter” of his school starts installing thick carpets on the floors and providing new uniforms that are exactly like their old ones, Jack figures it might be time to investigate.

Gamble packs in all the weird things you can think of: dinosaurs, pirates, dimensional time shifting and even Cthulhu. Oddball footnotes and excerpts from the Ministry handbook add to the overall inanity, making this the perfect laugh-out-loud read.

Jennifer Bruer Kitchel is the librarian for a Pre-K through 8th level Catholic school.

This article was originally published in the August 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

For readers unfamiliar with Louise Erdrich’s Birchbark House series, Makoons, the fifth book, is a fine place to start, standing well on its own while continuing the narrative.

Think Little House on the Prairie from a Native-American point of view. Like Laura Ingalls Wilder, Erdrich seamlessly blends fascinating details of everyday life and historical facts about an Ojibwe tribe living in the Great Plains of Dakota Territory in 1866.

While the series’ first three books center on a girl named Omakayas, books four and five follow her twin sons, Chickadee and Makoons. In book five, Makoons has largely recovered from a serious illness that developed while his brother was kidnapped, and now these two reunited halves of one soul are learning to be buffalo hunters. The book starts with Makoons’ ominous vision that he and his brother will become strong hunters, but will never be able to return to their beloved homeland back east and will be able to help save some, but not all, of their family. Despite these forebodings, Makoons is never bleak or harsh. Its twin heroes are playful young men who love a good prank, which means there’s plenty of fun in their saga.

After the big hunt, while everyone is turning 30 killed buffalo into food, hides and more, Makoons and Chickadee adopt an orphaned buffalo calf. The brothers name him Fly, and his ultimate fate adds to the novel’s many tightly woven threads.

It’s no wonder Erdrich’s writing is so authentic; her maternal great-grandfather was part of some of the last buffalo hunts along the Milk River in Montana. Erdrich also includes her own illustrations and a glossary and pronunciation guide of Ojibwe words.

This article was originally published in the August 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Ted Gerson has honed his skills at online escape-the-room games to extreme sharpness—nothing gets past him. When his great uncle dies and leaves him the contents of his apartment, Ted has high hopes; although it looks like a hoarder’s paradise, he thinks there might be some actual treasure from his great uncle’s service in World War II. His mother is more concerned that this was a practical joke intended to get the place cleaned out for free. But as Ted, his best friend, Caleb, and new-girl-in-town Isabel get to work, they find that the apartment itself is eerily similar to an escape-the-room game.

Debut author Denis Markell keeps the mystery interesting by introducing bad guys who might actually be good, and there are many nods to history and classical literature mixed in with the puzzle-solving fun. Information about Japanese internment camps is introduced gently enough that some readers will be inspired to learn more on their own. 

Click Here to Start combines history, mystery and friendship, and fans of Ellen Raskin or Blue Balliett will find it irresistible.

This article was originally published in the August 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

In her debut novel, Claire Fayers creates a swashbuckling voyage in a vividly imagined fantasy realm where the sum of the world’s knowledge is kept on an island and protected by a sisterhood of librarians.

As a child, Brine Seaborne was found in an abandoned rowboat with no memory of where she came from. Now 12 years old, Brine is fed up with being the housekeeper for a grumpy magician, with only his insufferable apprentice, Peter, for company. So when she and Peter are forced to flee the magician’s house due to a ploy gone horribly wrong, Brine sees it as a chance to finally discover where she came from. Before long, Brine and Peter find themselves aboard the legendary pirate ship known as the Onion, sailing to find Magical North, a place shrouded in myth and legend. 

This rollicking, high-seas adventure is a celebration of girl power and a testament to the magic of storytelling.

This article was originally published in the July 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Twelve-year-old Wren Baker longs to be brave, and she certainly needs all the courage she can muster. Her mother has been hospitalized for depression, and her father has left to tend to her in Ohio. This means that Wren is suddenly living with an aunt and a cousin named Silver whom she’s only just met. Wren also feels responsible for her younger brother, Russell, who has Asperger’s and who needs her now more than ever.

In Cecilia Galante’s adept hands, these relationships are admirably and deeply explored. Not only are these characters wonderfully authentic, The World from Up Here is full of multiple adventures, including a ride in a glider plane and a runaway horse—experiences that anxious Wren never dreamed she could handle. There’s also mystery, in the form of Witch Weatherly, a hermit who lives on the top of Creeper Mountain—whom Silver is determined to meet, and who ends up playing a pivotal role in Wren’s ongoing family drama.

Wren learns that she can reach unimaginable heights, heeding the glider pilot’s advice: “Take a look. . . . It’s not every day you get to see the world from up here.”

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our Q&A with Cecilia Galante for The World from Up Here.

This article was originally published in the July 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick, July 2016

Nora Raleigh Baskin’s latest novel focuses on how four young teens turn tragedy into hope after the events of September 11, 2001.

Two days prior to the events of 9/11, four random middle schoolers lead very different lives: Will is white and lives in Pennsylvania; Sergio is black and lives in New York; Aimee is Jewish and recently moved to California; and Naheed is Muslim and lives in Ohio. Will, Sergio, Aimee and Naheed are all dealing with personal and familial issues, and they are unaware that the next 48 hours will totally alter their perspectives on life and provide an opportunity for them to stand up for what is right.

It’s not difficult for adults to recall what life was like before and after 9/11, as well as where they were or what they were doing when Flight 11 flew directly into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. But as Baskin states, “For young students today there is no ‘before 9/11.’ ” With Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story, Baskin offers middle grade readers a small glimpse of how the world suddenly changed on that fateful day. Parallel narratives with journal entry chapter headings and the use of shifting, profound scenes during the events of 9/11 keep Baskin’s plot constantly moving. The result is an absolutely stunning read.

This article was originally published in the July 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Classic elements of gothic literature combine in Michelle Chalfoun’s delightful first book for middle grade readers, as a girl moves to a new part of the country and encounters a mostly empty mansion, a dying old man and a secret treasure map.

Maria Mamoun spends most of her days alone, reading or watching TV when she’s not in school. She doesn’t complain about missing her overworked, single mom. She doesn’t complain when bullied by a girl gang in her Bronx neighborhood, either. However, when things get really nasty, her mother makes the decision to uproot them both, and Maria finds herself like a fish out of water living on an island in New England.

With her usual good spirits, she befriends the elderly gentleman her mother cares for, and he gives her tantalizing hints about an old sea captain and his buried treasure. When Maria finds a treasure map in the rafters of the cottage where she and her mother live, Maria dreams of finding the treasure so she and her mother will never have to leave the shore Maria has come to love.

Soon Maria transforms her dreams into action. She befriends a troubled boy, and together they figure out the mystery of the map and plot to sneak out at night when a clue will be visible in the sky. Maria’s overwhelming desire to find the treasure clouds her judgement, and she makes poor moral choices because of it. The Treasure of Maria Mamoun eventually reveals exactly what is most treasured.

Nell Dare is a young city girl with big plans for her summer vacation in New York City. She and her best friend are interning as junior zookeepers in Central Park, but when Nell's father mysteriously goes away, Nell must accompany her botanist mother to Roanoke, North Carolina, to study an ancient grapevine. At first Nell is upset by the change of plans, until she and her mother settle into a seaside cottage and Nell meets Ambrose, a local boy who dresses in period costume. Ambrose teaches Nell about Roanoke’s unusual history, including the story of the lost colonists, a group of English settlers who went missing in the late 16th century. While hunting for ancient artifacts, Nell and Ambrose evade Lila, a Roanoke native with a know-it-all attitude, who is on her own quest to uncover evidence of the lost colony. Then Nell and Ambrose embark on a dangerous course for answers that may cost Nell her life.

Summer of Lost and Found is about a young girl trying to navigate around her parents’ problems. When Nell’s father abruptly leaves, and Nell’s mother refuses to disclose why, Nell conjures up her own solution to her family’s unusual separation. Her friendship with Ambrose is built on mutual sadness as Ambrose’s father had also left the family, albeit under much different circumstances. Ambrose is the more compelling character in this story, and savvy readers will figure out his secret early on, although that won’t dilute the fun of this enjoyable mystery.

Kimberly Giarratano is the author of Grunge Gods and Graveyards, a young adult paranormal mystery.

Charlie’s got a case of second-fiddle-itis. With her parents busy in their careers and her older sister away at college, she’s barely on anyone’s radar. One day she’s ice fishing with some neighbors and pulls in a small fry, which promises her one wish in exchange for being released. The Seventh Wish starts out with the trappings of a fairy tale, but things get real very quickly.

Author Kate Messner (All the Answers) packs this book with points of interest, from Charlie’s passion for Irish dance to the world of ice fishing in upstate New York to, surprisingly, drug addiction and recovery. It never bogs down in heavy issues—there’s a very funny running gag about a student who keeps misplacing her flour “baby” from home ec class—but manages to communicate a lot about family dynamics, trust and the point at which wishing loses its power. Despite feeling like she barely casts a shadow, Charlie has a network of friends who support her once she’s able to be open with them.

The Seventh Wish would be a great pick for young book club readers, with its frank discussion of how we perceive drug use and addiction versus the reality that many experience. It’s also a new take on a classic fairy tale that reminds us to be careful what we wish for . . . and prepare to deal with whatever life gives us in return.