Good historical fiction is hard to find, but it’s probably even harder to write. Newbery Honor winner Gennifer Choldenko’s ability to research obscure yet intriguing topics is uncanny, and as she did with the popular Al Capone trilogy, she turns a tough topic into a high-interest read with Chasing Secrets.

Thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy is stuck in a snooty girls’ school in turn-of-the-century San Francisco, but she feels free and competent when she accompanies her physician father on house calls, affording her the opportunity to show her knowledge and independence. But soon everything she knows—or thinks she knows—is challenged: The bubonic plague has led to part of the city being quarantined; many are threatening to burn Chinatown to the ground; and her family’s beloved Chinese cook is missing. Even worse, no one believes her fears. Her father and her powerful uncle, a newspaperman, deny the outbreak, and her older brother, Billy, is too distracted to help. Lizzie befriends the cook’s son, Noah, and together they hatch surreptitious, daring plans to connect the dots of the medical mystery plaguing their city and their families. 

Lizzie unabashedly takes on the problems of the world, reminiscent of Sophia in Avi’s Sophia’s War. Choldenko’s research is exhaustive, weaving little-known details into the narrative, as well as into the author’s note, chronology and endnotes. Themes of friendship, race relations and deception—with diseased rats thrown in for good measure and accuracy—mesh together to create a compelling work of historical fiction.

This article was originally published in the August 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Holly Goldberg Sloan knows how to write a story for young people, with a style that’s easily accessible and entertaining for new readers. Her latest book, Appleblossom the Possum, is no exception.

Appleblossom and her numerous siblings learn to survive from their mother, Ma Possum. Appleblossom and her brothers Amlet and Antonio aren’t sure they’re ready to live on their own, but during their first night solo, they’re pretty good at finding food, and they know to stay away from dangerous things like dogs, cars and people. But Appleblossom is a little more curious than an opossum should be, especially about the little girl who lives nearby.

Part realism (how an opossum lives in the world) and part fantasy (opossum rooftop disco in the city), Appleblossom the Possum is a fun read, and the illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to the lighthearted story.

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

This article was originally published in the August 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

It’s hard to navigate the world when you’re 12 years old, especially when you’re the chubby kid at a secret spy school. Not only is Hale Jordan having trouble passing his junior agent exam, but he’s the son of the Sub Rosa Society’s most elite spy team. Not to mention Hale’s younger sister is an acrobatic dynamo who will most likely pass her test before him. Being a spy is part of Hale’s DNA, although he may never get a chance to prove himself. While Hale’s classmates are busy teasing him, he’s using his smarts to scheme his way to success. His special skill set comes in handy when Hale’s parents don't return from an important, top-secret mission. When Hale cannot trust the adults at SRS to bring his parents home, he and his very clever sister resolve to find their parents and complete the mission.

Hale’s humorous narrative voice makes The Doublecross, the first in a new series, a fast-paced and engaging read. He’s the big-boned underdog that readers will root for the entire time. Hale says, “Trying to step in for our parents was sort of like me trying to do a pull-up. It just wasn’t going to happen.” Hale’s physique may make him the target of bullies, but he manages to circumvent even the smartest spy. Heroes come in many shapes and sizes, and Hale Jordan is no exception.

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

Graphic novels are all the rage with young readers these days, but this fact can be frustrating for adults who are trying to encourage kids to read more complex material. Thank goodness veteran comic-book creators Robert Venditti and Dusty Higgins have created a hybrid sure to satisfy both camps in Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape: Attack of the Alien Horde. Sixty-five of the 304 pages are comic panels drawn by Higgins, while the rest is prose written by Venditti.

“Mild-mannered” seventh grader Miles Taylor is given a cape imbued with superpowers by its previous hero, Gilded, and Miles must now be the one to save the world from criminals and disasters. Whenever Miles dons the cape and springs into action, the book’s format shifts (often midsentence) to graphic novel drawings. Unfortunately these exciting moments are punctuated by a story that moves a bit too slowly as Venditti builds the characters. This pace allows us to fully understand Miles and his friend Henry, but some judicious editing wouldn’t hurt.

Still, it’s a fun read, especially with the all the tongue-in-cheek humor (math teacher Ms. Euclid, annoying assistant principal Mr. Harangue, etc.) and the over-the-top evil alien invaders (Lord Commander Calamity and the Unnd). Best-selling Venditti and award-winning Higgins have created a world that will appeal to kids and grown-ups alike—and as a librarian who is sort of both, I look forward to recommending this one to my students.

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

Val and Lanora were BFFs—that is, until they entered middle school and Lanora decided to reinvent herself, straightening her curly hair and hanging out with the popular girls. Being popular isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as Lanora adds stealing to her list of reinventions. However, Val misses Lanora and can’t let their friendship go without a fight.

While she’s looking for a butterfly charm that Lanora left at their special spot in Central Park, Val meets a boy named Tasman. It turns out that Mau, a stray cat that has come to love the girls' attention, picked it up and took it to a mysterious bookshop where Tasman resides. Tasman quickly befriends Val and joins her on the quest to save Lanora. He introduces Val to The Book of Dares, which contains a spell he thinks will “cure” Lanora. And so begins Val, Tasman and Mau’s journey.

Author Jane Kelley creates a beautiful story around her cast of quirky, loyal and loving characters, tackling serious issues, including divorce and theft, but maintaining a sense of hope as the characters are each forced to overcome various obstacles. The author’s use of magic proves intriguing as Val and Tasman follow the spell and gather the appropriate ingredients. The story ultimately becomes a quest for finding themselves. Perfect for seventh and eighth graders, this wonderful story is even more powerful when read along with an adult.

Calpurnia fans, rejoice! Callie Vee, heroine of Jacqueline Kelly’s Newbery Honor winner, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, is back. The sequel picks up in the year 1900, just after a rare snowfall in central Texas fulfills one of the budding young scientist’s dreams. 

The only daughter in the midst of six brothers, Callie continues to find herself at odds with her parents’ notions of what is proper for a young girl. But in her 13th year, Callie finds ways to forge her own path, whether it’s learning to type to gain knowledge from the town vet (and earn money for college) or helping her younger brother Travis hide his latest wild creature from the rest of the family.

As it happens, 1900 brings disasters big and small, from the heartbreaking drowning of a litter of mixed coyote-canine pups to the mysterious disappearance of Callie’s five-dollar gold piece. More tragic, however, is the news from Galveston. Despite Granddaddy’s attempt to warn the mayor of the city that the ominous plunge in the barometer means the approach of a dangerous storm, a tragic flood strikes. And while the Tates’ relatives are safe, Callie faces a new challenge—learning to forge a relationship with her 17-year-old cousin, Aggie, who comes to stay. 

Peppered with quotations from Darwin’s The Voyage of the Beagle, The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate is historical fiction at its very best, transporting us into the world of characters we can’t help but love.

Deborah Hopkinson’s next book, Courage & Defiance, will be released this fall.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Tamara Ellis Smith’s first novel sweeps readers up in a tale imbued with magical realism, a definitive mix of gritty realism and magic that allows the possibility for life-affirming choices.

The adventure begins in the middle of Hurricane Katrina as Zavion and his father fight to stay alive amid rising floodwaters. Zavion manages to survive the harrowing ordeal, but he has difficulty dealing with the emotional trauma caused by the storm and the recent death of his mother. 

Another boy, Henry, is on a quest after his best friend’s death on a mountain in Vermont, a death for which he feels responsible. Henry believes he must find the magic marble that he and his friend shared, and the trail leads him to New Orleans immediately following Katrina. These two protagonists’ storylines weave together like a knitted scarf, ultimately becoming one unified story.  

Another Kind of Hurricane recognizes diversity in many forms, depicting two boys in pain who begin healing and, in the process, learn about themselves.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

When Burdock—a one-eyed cat named for the prickly burr seeds that inspired Velcro—discovers that Dewey Baxter is planning to burn down his barn, it becomes his mission to save the barn’s inhabitants. It isn’t long before the whole farm—workhorses Tug and Pull, Fluff the sheep, Figgy the pig, Mrs. Brown the cow, Nanny the goat and her kid, Tick—work with Burdock to concoct an escape plan.

The unsuspecting farmer takes a back seat in this story, relayed in short chapters. The gentle dialogue can be silly and a bit old fashioned, and the characters are stereotypical in both personality and name. Nevertheless, it’s a sweet tale reminiscent of the animal compassion and teamwork in Charlotte’s Web, and Rebecca Bond’s black-and-white sketches carry that theme effortlessly. 

If ever there were an E.B. White heir apparent, it would be Bond. This is a tame but endearing beginning chapter book sure to please all, especially animal lovers.

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick, July 2015

The summer before starting middle school, Ruby Danes meets a new girl in her neighborhood. Margalit doesn’t make Ruby feel foolish for being herself, but Ruby has never been able to reveal her deepest secret to a friend: Her mother has been in prison for six years and is sentenced for at least 10 more. Ruby keeps her life strictly compartmentalized: on the “outside,” in the real world with her peers and aunt, and on the “inside,” in prison, the only place where she can see her mother. As the girls spend more time together, Ruby struggles to find the courage to tell the truth about her life while preserving her new friendship.

In Ruby on the Outside, Nora Raleigh Baskin gives readers a serious, relatable look into the criminal justice system and its ripple effects. The story of Ruby, her aunt and her mother contributes to the growing body of children’s literature highlighting nontraditional family structures. While Ruby’s vocabulary—far beyond an average 11-year-old’s—may strike adult readers as unrealistic, the ample context clues and mature narrative voice make this title an ideal option for advanced young readers. 

Ruby’s situation is unconventional, but her anxieties about growing up different and forging lasting friendships are universal. With its careful attention to the complex emotions of a mother-child relationship, Ruby on the Outside will leave an enduring impression on young readers. 

This article was originally published in the July 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

When author Jen White was 12, she and her sister and cousin were mistakenly left behind at a gas station for six hours during a family camping trip―no one had seen the girls get out of the camper. Years later, White’s first novel, Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave, begins with 12-year-old Liberty being abandoned by her father at a gas station along with her 8-year-old sister, Billie.

The sisters’ lives have been in turmoil since their mother’s recent death, and they’ve only recently been reunited with their estranged father, an uncommunicative, globetrotting wildlife photographer. Liberty is a quick-thinking, likable narrator whose first mission is to get away from the “creepy” attendant at this remote desert location. Running from one fearful situation to the next, they meet a succession of intriguing characters, including a lonely Star Wars fanatic being bullied by his older brother and a truck driver whom Liberty dubs “Tattoo Guy.” Liberty tries to navigate each dangerous situation by writing in her notebook, trying to adopt the defense tactics of various wildlife, both predators and prey. “Dad was like a shark,” she concludes, “interesting to look at from far away, but don’t get too close or you’ll be sorry.”

Survival Strategies is a page-turning adventure story about two sisters who are understandably wary to trust adults as they desperately seek safety. Although this plot occasionally has far-fetched moments, White writes in a fresh, believable voice while touching on heavy subjects such as mental illness and serious misfortune without being morose. There are many moments of humor and grace as Liberty learns vital lessons about self-reliance and trust in this compelling, sensitive tale.

Eccentric mastermind Garrison Griswold, founder of the popular Book Scavenger website, is about to launch an elaborate new game when his plans are violently interrupted. The only clue he leaves behind is a specially printed copy of an Edgar Allan Poe short story, “The Gold-Bug.”

Enter 12-year-old Emily, an avid Book Scavenger player whose family has just arrived in Griswold’s hometown of San Francisco. Between her parents’ constant moves (their goal is to live in all 50 states) and her older brother’s obsession with his favorite band, Emily’s accustomed to solving riddles and searching for hidden books on her own. So when her neighbor James turns out to be as much a puzzle fan as she is, she unexpectedly finds herself with a code-breaking partner . . . and a new friend.

A puzzle-mystery in the spirit of The Westing Game, Book Scavenger challenges readers to play along. The codes and puzzles are pitched at the perfect level for tween sleuths, and the literary references—from Poe to contemporary middle grade lit—will pique readers’ interests in doing some book scavenging of their own. Part friendship story, part travel adventure and part cryptography manual, Jennifer Chambliss Bertman’s debut is a book lover’s delight.

This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Twelve-year-old Lily is thoughtful and bright but needs an extra push to unleash her imagination and individuality. That push is Salma Santiago, a migrant worker whose family is in Maine for the blueberry harvest. 

The two girls connect when Salma helps catch Lily’s blind dog, Lucky, when he runs off through the blueberry barrens. Lily shares her plan to raise money for an operation to restore Lucky’s sight, and soon Salma is adding her artistic flair to Lily’s hand-painted bee-house business. When Salma learns that the winner of the annual Blueberry Queen pageant receives a large savings bond, which she needs to start a college fund, Lily vows to help Salma win the pageant. But a migrant worker has never before entered the competition, and Lily’s friend Hannah is also a contestant. 

Though the story acknowledges tensions that arise between friends, Lily and Salma exhibit a mutually supportive friendship that is often missing from stories about girls. Young readers will appreciate Lily’s concerns about growing up and the confidence she finds in a new friendship. 

Newbery Honor winner Cynthia Lord delivers a sweet story about letting go creatively and emotionally while holding onto friendship.

This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

After six children receive invitations from an eccentric countess, they encounter mysterious keys, things that go bump in the night and secret passages during the weekend visit of a lifetime. The children unknowingly share a connection, but rather than bringing them together, this bond nearly destroys them.

As in Jessica Lawson’s previous novel, The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher, Nooks & Crannies features a plucky young girl. Tabitha Crum’s only friend is a special mouse, but she still manages a super-positive outlook on life. Things are looking pretty grim at the mansion, so Tabitha and her trusty mouse use their sleuthing skills—picked up from reading so many mystery novels—to solve the secrets of old Hollingsworth Hall. Readers will delight in the unexpected twists and turns at every junction.

In true Sherlock Holmes style, Tabitha logically and fearlessly pursues the truth. Not only does she solve the mystery, but she makes some new friendships—the real treasure of the weekend.

This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.