BookPage Children's Top Pick June 2015

Lisa Graff’s latest novel is a feast for all kinds of readers. She writes convincingly in the voice of a middle school student, and young readers will relate easily to the main character, Trent. Graff’s stories always foster a better understanding of young people in parents and teachers, but never more so than in Lost in the Sun.

Less than a year before the story begins, an event in Trent’s life significantly alters the way he sees himself and his potential. During a pick-up game of hockey, Trent accidentally hits the puck into a friend’s chest, causing a seemingly benign injury. When a previously unknown heart condition causes the friend to die a few days later, Trent blames himself. No one seems to realize that Trent is still carrying that burden many months later, and it is a weight that slowly begins to unravel him as he begins sixth grade.

Without the years and experiences to acquire coping skills, children cannot easily handle emotional trauma, and the stress from a major event—death, divorce, abuse, neglect—is often internalized and comes out “sideways.” Trent decides that he’s a screw-up because of the accident and assumes everyone else thinks the same. It doesn’t help that his parents are divorced and he feels unloved and misunderstood by his dad. When Trent discovers that serving detention gives him an excuse to avoid forced dinners with his father, it makes being bad that much easier.

As a teacher, I have experienced firsthand the frustrations of dealing with that one kid who seems to want to push acceptable boundaries, and Lost in the Sun is a heartwrenching reminder to be more aware of what a child might really need from the people in his or her life. The book’s title is a reference to trying catch a fly ball when it’s lost in the sun—if you don’t change your perspective, you’ll miss it. If Trent wants to be happy, he’ll have to change his position and see things differently. Graff gives every character in Lost in the Sun all the highs and lows of being human, and by doing so, she gives us the chance find a fresh perspective as well.

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

Lane Smith is a hilarious, irreverent and award-winning children's illustrator and author, with titles under his belt like The Stinky Cheese Man and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. His first middle grade novel, Return to Augie Hobble, starts out just as one might expect.

Narrator Augie Hobble is a wisecracking, pun-loving kid with some seemingly overwhelming problems. After failing Creative Arts, he’s struggling to complete his portfolio in summer school. Meanwhile, a school bully named Hogg Wills is gunning for him, and there’s plenty going on as Augie helps out at his dad’s rinky-dink amusement park, Fairy Tale Place. Augie’s one salvation is his best friend, Britt Fairweather. Smith puts his humor and illustrating skills to imaginative use throughout by including supposed Polaroid shots taken by Augie as well as notebook pages from Augie’s many failed attempts to complete his art project, elements that kids will relish.

Not surprisingly, the plot makes great use of the amusement park setting, taking many rollicking twists and turns, including Augie’s fear that he may be turning into a werewolf. Just when things seem to be turning utterly silly, they become unexpectedly, completely serious—as in dead serious, with communications from beyond the grave. At first this sudden switch is unsettling, but at this point the book really hits its stride. Augie stops depending on jokes and starts sharing what’s truly in his heart as he begins to dig himself out of a very deep hole.

On his website, Smith writes that he likes “funny, odd books that excite and challenge a child,” and he has certainly created a whirlwind of a tale told by an exuberant, exhilarating narrator. At times there seems to be too many elements swirling around in this story—Smith threw everything into the pot, and perhaps his soup needed a bit more stirring to make all the creative juices and enthusiasm blend together—but kids will undoubtedly enjoy this zany tale.

Between burping ringtones, national landmarks and problem-solving kids, Dave Barry’s rollicking Washington, D.C., adventure, The Worst Class Trip Ever, gets full House approval.

Culver Middle School’s eighth-grade class trip begins with friends Wyatt and Matt stealing an electronic device from two men whom they have pegged as terrorists. Matt and Wyatt team up with Suzana, a smart, totally hot, popular girl, and together they attempt to save each other from kidnappers, the White House from attack and the President from assassination. The story makes full use of popular culture, modern communication (complete with dying phone batteries to create believable anxiety) and laugh-out-loud scenarios on this outrageous class trip. The story is told in Wyatt’s first-person voice, which allows readers to see the events from his point of view but at the same time wonder about his judgment regarding the incidents. At times Wyatt speaks directly to the readers, creating a friendly bond that only strengthens as the tale unfolds. Humor and tension combine in this well-plotted story full of ups and downs (literally) that ends in a surprising 12th-round knockout punch.

Pultizer Prize winning-author Barry is right on target by being slightly off target, and readers will get carried away (pun intended—read the book!) with this middle-school story.

Ruth is in the throes of middle school and floundering without her friend Charlotte. For years, the girls did everything together: Charlotte was adopted by two dads, and Ruth has two moms, so their parents formed a “support group.” Now Charlotte has moved on to the popular crowd, and Ruth has become a loner. “I’m that hawk flying above it all, the quiet observer on the sidelines. And that’s the way I like it,” she says. But life won’t leave her on the sidelines.

Ruth finds a series of obscure clues tucked inside old books. Although Charlotte is busy with new friend Melinda and no longer cares about games and puzzles, Ruth longs to share the clues and solve the mystery. Possibilities for new friends surface, but Ruth struggles to have faith in other people. As the clues become even more perplexing, an upcoming spelling bee and a fire at the library bring Ruth into the mix of a motley crew of people she never expected to befriend.

The Friendship Riddle, skillfully written by Megan Frazer Blakemore, shows a finely hewn sensitivity to the perils and pitfalls of life in middle school. Blakemore’s previous novels, The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill and The Water Castle, have won critical acclaim, as likely will The Friendship Riddle for the author’s keen insight into the lives and minds of middle schoolers, the quick-paced plotting and engaging mystery, and the warmth and generosity Ruth ultimately finds in family and friends.

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

Rapunzel could not be happier. She has a beautiful tower that obeys her command; no one bothers her when she reads stories or brushes her hair; and a loving, caring Witch protects her from the evil people who would want to steal her away. In Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel, life is innocent and perfect—until Jack arrives. Jack thinks Rapunzel was involved in the injury of a fairy yesterday, but she’d remember something like that . . . right?

Challenged and intrigued by Jack, Rapunzel (and her hair) makes the choice to leave her tower for the first time. She encounters the Red Fairies, who begin to make her doubt, just a little, the perfection of Witch. Soon Rapunzel, Jack and her new friend Prince Frog are traveling across Tyme in search of many things—answers for Rapunzel, healing for the Red Fairies and something altogether mysterious for Jack. Rapunzel quickly learns that the world is much larger, more beautiful and more dangerous than she had ever known.

Filled with mystery, adventure and myriad twists and turns, Grounded turns a traditional fairy tale into something more. Strong characters and a complex story will encourage readers to return for the next journey in the world of Tyme.

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

Almost-13-year-old Delphine, middle sister Vonetta and baby sister Fern Gaither are back in the final installment of the award-winning series by Rita Williams-Garcia. This time they’re spending the summer of 1969 in Alabama with their grandmother (Big Ma), great-grandmother (Ma Charles) and great-aunt (Miss Trotter).

Delphine is losing her grip on her sisters, and poor Big Ma can hardly keep her citified granddaughters in line. She blames their fresh behavior on their Black Panther mother and women’s libber stepmother. “One don’t eat chicken or ham. One don’t forgive. The other don’t iron. Just git, Delphine. Take your sisters and git.” But there is no place to git to. They head across the creek to visit Miss Trotter, who has plenty of family stories to tell. Half-sisters Big Ma and Miss Trotter do not speak to each other, except through the stories told to the younger generation.

It’s impossible to ignore the parallels between the Gaither sisters’ growing rift and the chasm between the elderly half-sisters. Delphine grows increasingly worried about her family, just wishing they could all get along under one roof. When danger comes to the family, she gets her wish—in a way.

The harrowing ending will have readers on the edges of their seats until the book’s satisfying resolution. Delphine might not be able to control her sisters, but she is a true sister: She’s there when needed.

Robin Smith is a second-grade teacher at the Ensworth School in Nashville, Tennessee. She also reviews for Kirkus and The Horn Book Magazine and has served on multiple award committees.

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

Bowser has led a tough life, avoiding thugs in the city before ending up in an animal rescue shelter in Louisiana’s bayou country. Life hasn’t been easy for 11-year-old Birdie Gaux, either. With a police detective father killed in the line of duty and an engineering mother working on an oil rig off the coast of Africa, Birdie is being raised by Grammy, who owns a bait store and gives swamp tours. When Birdie selects Bowser as a belated birthday present, the lovable mutt and spunky tween become a formidable sleuthing team.

Their skills are tested in Woof, the first in a middle-grade mystery series, when Grammy’s mounted championship black marlin from 1945 goes missing. The value of a stuffed fish seems questionable until Birdie learns that a treasure map from her great-great-granddaddy may have been inside. Could a rival bait-shop owner be the prime suspect? As Birdie uncovers not only the thief but also a top-secret family history, Bowser deduces the strange language of humans.

Spencer Quinn, whose best-selling Chet and Bernie mysteries have captivated adult readers, spins a ruff-and-ready tale for kids. As young readers piece together the clues, they’ll discover the fun of both owning and being a dog.

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

BookPage Children's Top Pick, May 2015

In the time Before, Peter Lee and his older brother, Nelson, loved baseball. They played it, listened to it on the radio and cheered for both Taiwan and the United States in the 1972 Little League World Series. But now Peter lives in the After. With Nelson dead from a car accident, Peter’s mother does nothing but watch TV, his younger sister is increasingly frustrated and his father, Ba, has become more distant than ever.

All this changes when Ba volunteers to coach Peter’s Little League team. While Peter wonders how baseball can have meaning without his brother, he finds himself rethinking almost everything about the game, including his father’s knowledge and his relationships with his teammates. As games are won and lost, new friendships form and old ones are redefined. Larger issues loom in the background, including women’s struggle for equality and ongoing protests against the Vietnam War.

Author Wendy Wan-Long Shang established herself as a fresh voice in diverse middle grade fiction with her debut, The Great Wall of Lucy Wu. In The Way Home Looks Now, she uses her characteristically accessible language to tell a story that combines historical fiction, detailed sports scenes and the unique perspectives of a grieving Asian-American family. The book concludes with instructions on how to play the neighborhood pick-up games that Peter and his teammates use to practice their skills.

For a preteen who isn’t quite ready for Kwame Alexander’s Newbery Medal-winning The Crossover but wants a similar read, this exciting, poignant and ultimately redemptive baseball tale is the perfect choice.

Jill Ratzan teaches research rudiments in central New Jersey.

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

It’s 1948, and 11-year-old Tate P. Ellerbee’s teacher wants each of her students to choose a pen pal, hoping that “new worlds will unfold in front of you, and you’ll see your own world through fresh eyes.” Tate decides to write to rising country singer Hank Williams. She pours her heart out to her idol in letter after letter, even though he sends her fan photos but never writes back.

At first, Tate’s life in the tiny town of Rippling Creek, Louisiana, seems fairly ordinary. She spends her days with her Aunt Patty Cake, Uncle Jolly and her annoying younger brother nicknamed Frog. But readers gradually learn Tate’s deepest secrets, such as the fact that her father really isn’t a globe-trotting photographer and her mother isn’t a movie star.

Fans of Kimberly Willis Holt’s award-winning When Zachary Beaver Came to Town will welcome another sensitive portrayal of a child trying to find her place as she longs for absent parents. The rich Louisiana culture shines through, as do the daily effects of World War II and a community filled with cultural fears of African Americans, the Japanese and Communists. (The historical aspects are nicely addressed in an afterword.)

As we learn our letter-writing heroine’s greatest secret of all, this seemingly gentle novel about a “simpler” time and place is packed with plenty of punch, all deftly handled by a writer who writes like Hank Williams sang—with heart and understanding.

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

Sometimes being the smartest kid in your class doesn’t make you any friends. Sometimes the way you see the world is so different from “normal” that you’re not sure anyone can understand you. So it is for Nicholas Funes, the 11-year-old hero of If You Find This.

Nicholas can feel the vibrations of the sounds around him, and he can see—and reveres—any prime number he encounters. Nicholas’ family is in trouble, but he hopes that by finding his grandfather’s missing heirlooms, he can save them from their plight. Along the way he makes some friends, learns about the grandfather he’s never met and finds out that his strange worldview can actually help others as much as it helps himself.

Matthew Baker is an established short story writer, and his first book for young readers is an ethereal, fascinating mixture of music and math. His sense of story as vignette is reflected in his writing, which works well for the way Nicholas’ mind processes things. With mystery, adventure, hidden treasure and wild boat rides, this book will appeal to any young reader.

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

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

In this humbly magnificent tale of the ultimate triumph of good over evil, 12-year-old Tam goes from wretchedness to hopefulness as he begins to understand the ancient wisdom of his people.

Tam’s family is forced to relocate from the mountainous forests of Laos to an area outside the Mekong Delta, the first of several events he must adjust to and eventually overcome. The displaced family receives a terrible history lesson when Tam’s father explodes a stray land mine while clearing his field and dies. To help support his family, Tam takes a job in the city at a cruel “farm” where bile is extracted from live, rare moon bears. The bears’ living situation is appalling, but Tam is powerless to change anything.

General Chan, the powerful man in charge of the relocation project, often visits the moon bear farm, seeking the bile to cure his daughter, Savanh. Tam and Savanh become friends, and he tells her the truth about the farm. Eventually Tam makes a bold move to forever change the life of one small bear. Savanh supports Tam’s decision, leading to a dramatic confrontation.

Cultural references lend much grace to this tale, in which the pure of heart ultimately win.

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

BookPage Children's Top Pick, April 2015

Ten years ago, Jeanne Birdsall introduced readers to the funny, smart, sweet-but-never-saccharine Penderwick sisters, whose initial summer adventures were followed by two additional books. This fourth installment opens five years after The Penderwicks at Point Mouette. With Rosalind away at college and Skye and Jane busy with teenage pursuits, the focus is on 10-year-old Batty, along with her stepbrother Ben and the newest Penderwick sibling, 2-year-old Lydia.

Batty has known since her summer at Point Mouette that she loves playing piano. She’s planning a Grand Eleventh Birthday Concert with longtime family friend Jeffrey, as well as walking dogs to earn money for singing lessons (although her grief for recently departed Hound is ever present). But when she overhears something that upends her world, only the determined, imperfect, loyal love of her family can untangle the knot of long-held assumptions and secrets that threaten to overwhelm her.

Although it’s more of a tearjerker than its predecessors, the ending of this tale is still happy, and the story is still imbued with the hilarious family and neighborhood moments, ritualistic sisterly (now sibling-ly) meetings and perfectly drawn animal characters that Penderwick fans have come to love. The highlight here is the chance to learn the fates of minor characters from earlier books, including beloved Aunt Claire, stuck-up Mrs. Tifton and, most of all, brotherly neighbor Nick Geiger. A fifth and final Penderwicks book is planned, making this penultimate volume a treasure to be savored.

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

The fact that the world’s not fair is a hard concept for children to learn, but 11-year-old Julia Delaney (based on the author’s mother-in-law, also named Julia) knows this lesson all too well. She's growing up in St. Louis’ tough Irish neighborhood of Kerry Patch in the winter of 1911, one of the coldest winters in Missouri's history. When her grandmother, and last blood relative, dies, she is sent to live at the House of Mercy, an “Industrial School and Girls’ Home” run by strict nuns, and is eventually separated from her older brother and sister.

Julia soon finds herself scheming of ways to flee the orphanage, but running away isn’t easy. There are gang wars right outside the orphanage doors, and she needs to protect her wounded brother from the infamous Egan’s Rats and even from their organized crime boss, Thomas Egan (who may also have been responsible for their father’s murder). Egan and his Rats are just some of the historical details that enliven Julia’s sometimes-harrowing story.

Used to relying on herself for survival, Julia learns to lean on others, from her mute dormmate who clearly knows more than she can say; to the maiden piano teacher who takes a liking to the girl’s defiant spirit; to the nuns whose sternness masks their fierce protection. Readers will cheer on Julia to her hopeful ending.