The McKegway School for Clever and Gifted Children can be tough on a new student. Just ask Toby Wilcox. Newly transferred and trying to find his way, he’s distressed to find himself under the thumb of Mrs. Ravenbach each day. She keeps the children in line with strict German efficiency and little regard for anything but “the order and the discipline.” Kids have a choice: Do it Mrs. Ravenbach’s Way, or woe betide thee.

Author William M. Akers (Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways to Make It Great) tells much of the story from Mrs. Ravenbach’s point of view; we see her spy on Toby and bully him until he wets his pants, so her comeuppance when it finally arrives is welcome. Toby’s hand-drawn journal entries and personal notes show us his side of things and are sometimes poignant and sometimes funny. Mrs. Ravenbach frightens the children with a legend about an errant fourth grader, but in Toby's notes, this student turns into a leather jacket-sporting bad boy hero.

If the tone is a bit uneven and the villain something of a caricature, Mrs. Ravenbach’s Way will still appeal to any kid who has felt bullied by a teacher and may encourage them to speak up about it. The message to think and stand up for yourself is one kids need to hear. And if the order and the discipline occasionally suffer for it? Too darn bad.

Sisters Jules and Sylvie are inseparable, until one day Sylvie disappears—a revelation that forever changes Jules.

The preteens live with their widowed father near the Slip, a river in a wooded area. Steadfast Jules loves collecting rocks and adores her one-year-older sister. The two love building snow families, including lucky snow foxes, together. Sylvie is more adventuresome, and when her free spirit decides to venture toward the Slip, Jules never sees her again and her world is shattered.

Concurrently, amid Jules’ grief and attempt to return to a life “After Sylvie,” a fox cub is born in the forest—and the term “spirit animal” soon takes on a new meaning. The cub, Senna, realizes something is very different about herself and the world around her. Something seems off, unsettled, mysterious. 

Senna learns she is a rare “Kennen”: “Some believe that the Kennen are meant to finish something that isn’t finished, to settle something that needs to be settled. Others say that a Kennen’s true purpose is to help in some way, big or small.” Elements from Jules’ and Sylvie’s lives, as well as interweaving storylines from their friends, soon intersect with that of Senna.

This book is reminiscent of the supernatural elements in Kathi Appelt’s excellent and Newbery Honor-winning The Underneath. There’s much more than meets the eye, as Jules and Senna both learn in a satisfying denouement that marries spirit animal with spirited young girl.

Ever since 12-year-old Curley Hines can remember, his grandfather has been giving him new words to learn each week. They begin with “A” in January and run through the alphabet twice during the course of a year. Papaw tells the seventh grader: “Well, Curley, words are your way out of the holler.”

Like Papaw’s words and his best friend, Jules, the holler is important to Curley. He loves his home in Wonder Gap, a coal-mining region in eastern Kentucky. But that love is tinged with pain: Coal claimed the life of Curley’s father in a mining accident, and four years later his mother and little brother were killed in a coal-related mud slide.

When the coal company changes hands, Curley and Jules are thrown together with the new owner’s son, JD, to collaborate on a science project on the eastern elk. When Curley learns that JD’s father and Tiverton Coal plan to remove the top of Red Hawk Mountain through a process called Appalachian surface coal mining, he sets out to make an Internet video to muster public opinion and garner opposition to the project. Curley uses his Papaw’s words to help guide his decisions and cope with personal challenges, and each word and its definition are featured at the end of the chapter.

Mary Knight’s heartfelt debut novel paints a vivid picture of a boy and his community, bound together by deep ties and a love of land and family. The novel is especially timely given current debates about the future of coal energy.

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is Beatrix Potter and the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig.

Twelve-year-old Carol would rather be enjoying summer vacation with her friends, not stuck on a dilapidated ranch in the parched New Mexico desert. Her family is preparing to sell the property and move her grandfather, Serge, into assisted living before his dementia advances further. But as Carol gets to know Serge, his stories open up a world that she’d never known before. 

Debut author Lindsay Eagar infuses this story with rich metaphors and real magic. Carol’s Mexican-American family tends to emphasize their American side, but life on the ranch with Serge shows Carol the value of deep roots—both figuratively and literally, as their land is in a century-long drought. Eagar’s language is poetic and lovely, and the story-within-a-story is a heartbreaker. The relationships between bees and water, and life versus living, would make for a terrific book club discussion. 

Hour of the Bees is as grand as the landscape it springs from, an ode to family and heritage but also to living fearlessly. Forget about the middle-grade designation; everyone who reads this will be touched, and quite possibly moved to re-secure their family ties. Dreamlike while also gritty and real, this is a gorgeous work of art.

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

Truman Capote (“Tru”) and Harper Lee (“Nelle”) not only penned some of the finest American literature, but as children they spent numerous summers as next-door neighbors during the Great Depression in Monroeville, Alabama. In a departure from his gritty, urban fiction, author G. Neri brings their endearing friendship to light.

When Tru, in his fancy white suits, arrives at the home of his second cousins (thrice removed) after he’s abandoned by his scheming father and self-absorbed mother, he forms a seemingly unlikely yet fierce bond with Nelle, a scruffy tomboy whose “peculiar” mother is away “getting the treatment.” Often seen as outsiders, they share a love of big words and reading Sherlock Holmes stories, and they eventually find a sense of belonging.

Basing the book on true events, Neri captures Monroeville’s small-town charm and lively characters. But Tru needs big excitement, which he finds when someone breaks into the town drugstore and smashes the windows at school. As the would-be Sherlock and Watson set out to find the culprit, they also uncover more serious problems, from poverty to racism.

The harsh realities of the time are balanced with fun nods to To Kill a Mockingbird, such as trips to the courthouse and words of wisdom from Nelle’s lawyer father, and hints of the pair’s later literary successes. A delightful tale on its own, Tru and Nelle will enchant younger readers with its introduction to these distinguished writers and older readers with their influential backstory.

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

Eleven-year-old Perry Cook starts his first day of middle school with a healthy dose of trepidation, and indeed, several things go wildly wrong. But Perry’s life becomes far more difficult when he’s forced to leave the only home he’s ever known: the Blue River Co-ed Correctional Facility in Surprise, Nebraska, where his mom is serving time. Perry has been living in a room next to the office of his foster parent, the warden.

Unfortunately, the new district attorney, Thomas VanLeer, gets wind of Perry’s unusual living arrangement and puts a quick end to it, bringing Perry home to temporarily live with his wife and stepdaughter. VanLeer also gets rid of the warden and postpones Perry’s mom’s parole hearing. The only saving grace is that VanLeer’s stepdaughter happens to be Perry’s very best friend, Zoey.

While the plot of All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook may sound improbable, author Leslie Connor pulls these elements together beautifully and believably. She’s a gifted storyteller who creates a memorable bunch of multi-dimensional characters. Think of this as a G-rated “Orange Is the New Black.” There’s nothing even remotely inappropriate or hard-edged here, as Connor transforms Blue River and its inmates into a kingdom filled with wise, warm and wonderful souls—an ensemble cast at its best.

As Perry fights to spend time with his mother and to learn the important secret she’s been hiding about why she went to prison, readers gain insight into the many ways in which a prison sentence affects families in this soulful novel.

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

In Natalie Lloyd’s The Key to Extraordinary, Emma Pearl is waiting for one extraordinary thing: her Destiny Dream. Dreamt by each of her female ancestors and recorded in the Book of Days, this dream leads each woman to her lifelong destiny. Emma is desperate for her dream, so that she can begin fulfilling the promise she made to her mother before she died.

Emma’s world is filled with more than just dreams, however. Her grandmother’s café, attached to her home and situated right next to her town’s famous and historical cemetery, is under attack from a big-city developer. When Emma’s Destiny Dream, confusing as it is, points her in a direction that could save the café, she knows that she must fulfill her destiny, no matter the cost.

Filled with beautiful writing, compelling characters and just the slightest touch of the fantastic, The Key to Extraordinary draws readers in from the first page and carries them along straight through to the satisfying ending. Destiny Dream or no, Emma Pearl is anything but ordinary.

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

If you could go back in time, when and where would you go? This is the question that inventor/scientist/billionaire Miss Z poses to a group of four handpicked 12-year-olds in Flashback Four: The Lincoln Project. Prolific writer Dan Gutman’s new middle-grade series introduces the time-traveling Flashback Four, and in their first adventure, they’re headed to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1863.

The time-travel machine is an ingeniously modified white board, like those found in classrooms across the country. Once the children are convinced that Miss Z is the real deal, they receive their mission: They must take a picture of President Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address. Because his speech was so short, photographers didn’t have enough time to get a picture, so none exists of this historic event. While their task sounds easy enough after being coached in the manners and speech of the era, all does not go according to plan. A series of unforeseen events keeps the tension high, and the ending tantalizes. Gutman includes helpful asides that expand on interesting historical facts.

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

As our kids and students mature in reading ability, we often recommend they read the classics. Treasure Island and The Swiss Family Robinson are a couple that teachers and librarians would suggest, yet the language of those classics is archaic and can be difficult for emerging readers, much as they might like the stories. Author Cylin Busby has written a historical novel that can bridge the gap between readiness and understanding.

The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs is told from the perspective of a ship’s cat in the early 1800s. Cats on board were not only considered lucky, but they were useful in keeping vermin at bay and could often give warnings about foul weather. Jacob Tibbs is born at sea and, after an early tragedy that kills his mother, must learn to catch rats on his own. As things go from bad to worse with an injured captain and a despised first mate taking over, Jacob and the sailors must do what they can to survive.

Busby’s language is reminiscent of 19th-century writing but is simplified enough to be accessible to young people. The prose has the feel of a classic, and the story itself is full of adventure and peril with a highly likable hero. There were not usually shipmates young enough to be a protagonist of a children’s book about this period, so Busby’s use of a young cat’s tale is a perfect way to get a sympathetic view.

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

Henry Cole’s Brambleheart is an enchanting coming-of-age adventure with an unlikely hero: a chipmunk named Twig who just can’t seem to find his place in the world. Twig lives in the Hill—a towering heap of metal, glass and plastic bric-a-brac discarded by humans—and, like the other animals there, he’s expected to find a trade. At school, each of his fellow students seems to already have a niche: Lily the rabbit is a whiz at twisting grass into sturdy rope, and Basil the weasel is a pro at metal craft. When it’s Twig’s turn to weave or weld in front of the class, he never fails to get flustered.

One day, Twig wanders beyond the Hill into unfamiliar territory, where he comes across a mysterious round object—an egg, as it happens, that cracks open to reveal a baby dragon. Hoping to keep this astonishing discovery to himself, Twig secretly brings the creature back to the Hill. But he knows that hiding the dragon isn’t right. With a little help from Lily, Twig makes some tough decisions and begins to grow up.

Cole conjures a fully realized world in this beautifully rendered fable. His delicate yet expressive pencil drawings make the magical realm of the Hill seem concrete. Youngsters are sure to see a bit of themselves in Twig and will take heart from his example. 

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

Miss Maisie’s School for Wayward Girls is a stable home for young orphan Audacity Jones. She has good friends and good times but wishes for something to shake up the routine. When the school’s wealthy benefactor asks for a volunteer to come on a top-secret mission, problem solved—or is it? 

Newbery Honor winner Kirby Larson plops Audie into an adventure that has real roots in history: a plot to kidnap President Taft’s niece. Audie still grieves for her lost parents but lives very much in the here and now, using intelligence and intuition to solve each new problem that comes along. She gets help not just from her chums back at school but from a paperboy, his stable-hand grandfather, some circus performers and a cat with a knack for detective work.

Avid and reluctant readers alike will appreciate the Punishment Room at Miss Maisie’s. Audie’s hesitation to go there conceals the fact that it’s an enormous library with snacks and a fireplace—and not a bad punishment after all.

With an afterword that breaks down the true and fictional aspects of the story, Audacity Jones to the Rescue is rich in history and vocabulary, but it’s also great fun.

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

Sara Pennypacker, author of the light-hearted Clementine series, proves with her new novel that she’s capable of writing stories with more heft and just as much heart. 

Peter and his fox, Pax, have been close companions for five years. After his mother’s death, Peter adopted Pax as a kit, and caring for his fox has offered a kind of healing. As Peter’s father prepares to fight an unnamed war, Peter is sent to live with his grandfather, and Pax is forced to return to a wild he’s never really known. Pax has never slept outdoors nor eaten raw meat, so he must rely on new acquaintances, although the scent of human on his fur makes it hard for other foxes to trust him.

As for Peter, he almost immediately regrets leaving Pax and sets off on foot to find his friend. But when injuries waylay him and he’s taken in by an eccentric woman with her own battle scars, Peter begins to recognize that his relationships with his father and Pax might never be the same.

As much a powerful tale of the costs of war as it is a story of boy and dog (or fox), Pax offers insights into the toll that violence takes on humans and animals alike. Told in well-paced short chapters alternating between Pax and Peter’s points of view, Pennypacker’s simply told but thematically rich story, punctuated with black-and-white drawings from Caldecott winner Jon Klassen, steadily builds toward a thoughtful conclusion.

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

BookPage Children's Top Pick, February 2016

Patches the calico cat is on a mission to find a special place of her own. A golden leaf pirouettes by the window, teasing her to follow. Filled with longing, she springs at the screen and chases the leaf into the wide, wide world. She’s never been on an adventure before, but one glance at the blue-and-gold sky tells her that thousands of special places must await her.

When Patches encounters Gus—the meanest, fiercest dog in the neighborhood—she stands right up to him, admiring his water bowl and supply of kibble, before moving on. But she’s soon starving and alone, so she seeks shelter beneath a postbox and wakes to a mouse scurrying across her whiskers. Hungry as she is, she considers eating the mouseling but converses with him instead. When the mouse politely asks Patches not to eat him, she honors his request and, with some help from a small red squirrel and the moon, decides that Gus’ doghouse will be “her special place.”

In the night, a fierce stomachache has Patches crying out for help, and Gus answers the call. Patches learns why finding her special place was so important—and why making new friends is more important still.

Young readers will treasure Little Cat’s Luck, a companion book to Little Dog, Lost by renowned Newbery Honor-winning author Marion Dane Bauer. Her engaging poetic style, paired with Jennifer Bell’s whimsical illustrations, makes for a poignant tale of a cat on the run.

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

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