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.

Move over, Mary Poppins, and make way for Ms. Rapscott, Headmistress of the Great Rapscott School for Girls of Busy Parents. Elise Primavera, creator of the popular Auntie Claus books, offers a whimsical tale of a most unusual teacher and her school for girls whose parents are much too busy to be, well, parents. In fact, there’s no need for moms or dads to even bother bringing the girls to school, as the admissions materials include a self-addressed box for safely mailing daughters to campus.

And that’s how five lucky girls find themselves hurtling through the air to land on the observation deck of a lighthouse, home of Ms. Rapscott’s unique establishment, where the school motto echoes Amelia Earhart’s words: “Adventure is worthwhile in itself!” They embark on magical excusions, including a visit to the Mount Everbest School for Boys, as Ms. Rapscott imparts essential lessons such as, “Life is like trying to bake your own birthday cake without a recipe.”

Accompanied by Primavera’s delightful artwork, these adventures will entice young readers to take Ms. Rapscott’s advice and get “lost on purpose” in a great story.

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

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

In 1895, 11-year-old Stanley Slater and his mother must move to a logging camp for her job. Now he has to live with his grandmother—who is 99.9 percent evil—and put up with his cousin Geri.

In between braving Geri’s diagnoses (she wants to be a doctor), speculating on the speckled past of a logger named Stinky Pete and begging to accompany the lumberjacks on a dangerous river drive, Stanley composes imaginary letters from his missing father, detailing the crazy adventures that keep him from his son. Stanley’s convinced that if he can just be manly enough, he can find his father and preserve his family. But being manly turns out to be harder than it looks.

The hilarious antics that Stanley describes (one memorable incident involves Geri, an uncooked chicken and sewing supplies) make My Near-Death Adventures a laugh-out-loud book. But what truly stands out are the black-and-white images of vintage magazine ads, postcards and other documents that Stanley pastes into his scrapbook and annotates with amusing, perceptive comments.

This is a rare combination of historical fiction, collage illustration and, in the end, depth of character.

Jill Ratzan teaches research rudiments in central New Jersey.

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

BookPage Children's Top Pick, March 2015

The latest novel by award-winning author Pam Muñoz Ryan is a hefty yet riveting page-turner containing four interwoven stories.

The first is a fairy tale about a boy named Otto who becomes lost in a German forest. He is rescued by three mysterious maidens who happen to be characters in a book that he has just bought from a gypsy. This gypsy also gives Otto a unique harmonica that has special powers. “When you play it,” the maidens explain, “you breathe in and out, just as you would to keep your body alive. Have you ever considered that one person might play the mouth harp and pass along her strength and vision and knowledge?” Indeed, this instrument has amazing “pay it forward” abilities.

The fairy tale is followed by three novella-length stories of historical fiction, each connected by Otto’s magic harmonica. It first appears in Trossingen, Germany, in 1933, where a boy named Friedrich yearns to become a conductor. He’s tormented, however, by his disfiguring facial birthmark, and his safety is threatened by a Nazi law requiring sterilization of those with deformities. The harmonica’s next owner is an orphaned boy in 1935 Pennsylvania who fears being separated from his younger brother and loves playing the piano. And finally the harmonica turns up in Southern California in 1942 in the hands of Ivy Maria Lopez, a young Mexican-American girl whose family’s fortune changes after a Japanese family is sent to an internment camp. These interwoven tales unite in a majestic scene in 1951 New York, along with a short epilogue explaining how Otto passed along his magic harmonica to begin its magical journey.

These fast-paced stories are woven together to give young readers a wealth of historical information in an incredibly gripping way. In a novel filled with real-life examples of prejudice and injustice, Ryan repeatedly illustrates an important message uttered by Friedrich’s father: “Music is a universal language. A universal religion of sorts. Certainly it’s my religion. Music surpasses all distinctions between people.”

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

Centuries-old dragon Miss Drake, narrator of A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans, is mourning the death of her beloved pet, Fluffy (actually a human named Amelia) when young human Winnie shows up at her door. Winnie is precocious, observant and, at first, annoying. But Miss Drake soon realizes that Winnie is dealing with a painful loss as well—her father—and decides she must look after the girl to honor Fluffy’s memory.

When Winnie draws the marvelous creatures she encounters on trips with Miss Drake in her new sketchbook, trouble begins. The magical book brings the sketches to life and sets them free, so the two new companions must recapture them all before a magical disaster takes over the city.

In the first book in this new series, authors Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder skillfully blend fantastic creatures and powerful spells with the relationships, emotions and small pleasures that make up everyday life. With Yep and Ryder’s guidance, a view of San Francisco Bay or a picnic bought at a farmer’s market are equally as magical as flying on a dragon’s back.

Perhaps most impressively, this whimsical and often wise adventure explores themes of love and loss accessibly and honestly. A straightforward tale embellished with excellent voices, vivid details and subtle lessons in empathy, A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans will capture the attention and imagination of young fantasy readers.

Caroline Starr Rose’s new historical novel, Blue Birds, gives middle grade readers an intriguing glimpse of some of the earliest settlers who came to the New World. Vivid personalities bring the 16th-century settlement of Roanoke, Virginia, to life as one young settler from England finds a friend who will change her life.

Twelve-year-old Alis is looking forward to the adventure of leaving the dirty and smelly London of 1587, even though she will be the only girl making the journey to the New World. Shortly after her arrival, Alis encounters Kimi, who belongs to the Roanoke tribe. The two girls secretly meet in the woods and develop a firm friendship, despite the teachings of their respective cultures and initial feelings of distrust and anger. The girls cement their bond by each exchanging a mantoac, a spiritual object of protection for the owner. Alis and Kimi’s bond is tested when Alis makes a decision that will affect not only her friendship but ultimately the fate of her family.

Free-verse lines bring to life each girl’s experiences and thoughts as they grow to understand not only new cultures but also themselves. Enduring themes of love, friendship, sacrifice and loyalty reach across the centuries to connect with readers. An appendix contains a helpful glossary of the Native American phrases used in the novel and the history of Roanoke.

Eleven-year-old Ari Hazard is living in the shadow of her mother’s dying wishes: She must get into the prestigious Carter middle school and stick by older brother Gage no matter what. When Gage has a falling out with their guardian, he takes to the streets with Ari in tow. Staying with friends and occasionally at a juvenile shelter, they do the best they can, but the stress is overwhelming. Paper Things uncovers an often-unknown reality that is often hiding in plain sight.

Author Jennifer Richard Jacobson (Small as an Elephant) perfectly captures the reality of being rootless while still trying to present a normal facade. When Ari overhears classmates making fun of her dirty hair, it’s a double blow, reminding her that she doesn’t have easy access to a shower. Her game of “Paper Things,” a dollhouse world made of catalog cutout pictures, lets her grieve for her parents and visualize her ideal home and family at the same time. Tradition is a theme throughout the book, including an elementary school protest in defense of their student activities that gives a nod to civil disobedience.

While the story is sad, it’s also powerfully optimistic. Gage loves and protects Ari, but she’s the one who makes the mature decision to reclaim the childhood that homelessness is stripping away from her. Paper Things treats honesty, compassion and generosity as things we can never have too much of in life. Here’s hoping it inspires more of the same in its readers.

The Chosen Prince occurs in a Greek world imbued with the mysticism of the goddess Athene. Zeus has rent the Kingdom of Acroferra into two warring factions doomed to fight until the time is right for Athene to send a champion to undo Zeus’ punishment. Prince Alexos is her chosen one, and his upbringing is harsh, but his love for his little brother glows brightly.

However, after a series of heart-wrenching events, Alexos commits a shocking act, very much out of character. Despite this, readers will still root for Alexos as he learns to live with his past while forging ahead with his destiny. The true magic of this book shines with the culmination of events on a deserted island. As the tale unwinds, the characters’ actions reveal themes such as power, truth and, most of all, forgiveness.

Readers familiar with William Shakespeare’s The Tempest will discover delightful allusions in The Chosen Prince. Some references are overt: a storm bringing characters to the island; a man and his daughter set adrift at sea to die. Others are subtle: unearthly music, mystical visions or references to a brave new world. However, knowledge of The Tempest is not a requirement for enjoying this finely wrought story, complete with surprising twists right up until the end.

Three months after her friend Sarah dies, Iris Abernathy and her parents move from sunny California to an old farmhouse in rainy Oregon, where the miserable weather suits Iris’ mood. While Iris’ mother is adjusting well to her new job at a university and her father has taken to gardening and raising chickens, Iris can’t move past her grief. She believes Sarah is a ghost living in her new house.

When Iris begins sixth grade, she meets Boris, a socially awkward kid who’s into magic. Iris learns that Boris was a miracle baby and wasn’t supposed to live past his birth. Boris’ cousin, a devout Catholic, prayed for his survival and now, 12 years later, the Vatican is coming to Boris’ house to interview him. Iris wonders, if Boris’ miraculous existence is the evidence of divine intervention, then why couldn’t that same intervention turn Sarah into a ghost? And if Sarah is a ghost, maybe Iris doesn’t have to say goodbye to her best friend.

The Question of Miracles isn’t a story about the supernatural or religion, but rather about a young girl’s grief. Iris’ loss is heartbreaking, and readers will be touched by her strength as she searches for answers, struggles to accept Sarah’s death and embraces the small miracles as well as the big ones.

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

When young Ursula Brown reaches the estate of the Vaughns (who are also recognizable as the Three Bears) to be a governess for their son, Teddy, her story becomes less a simple fairy-tale retelling and more of a mash-up of classic literary tropes.

Set in the Enchanted Forest just outside of Bremen Town, this Regency romance recalls the manners and traditions of a Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë novel. And like the heroines from these popular writers, plain but passionate Ursula finds herself in an impossible love triangle.

There’s more at work than romance, however. Not all of the town’s humans think the talking bears are charming, and many start to consider their species to be superior and voice their discrimination openly. The unexpected arrival of a blonde, petty-thief girl at the Vaughns’ manor only complicates the heated debate.

Peppered with Mother Hubbard, Mrs. Van Winkle (whose husband disappeared and hasn’t been seen in years) and other nursery-rhyme and fairy-tale characters, the story turns suspenseful with the introduction of a villainous individual straight out of traditional literature. Regional dialects and humorous takes on the human-animal relationship add even more amusement. This deceptively simple story will give readers paws—or rather, pause—to appreciate the clever construct and wordplay.

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

Finding the Worm is Mark Goldblatt’s second book about Julian Twerski and his 34th Avenue gang, based on the author’s childhood experiences in Queens, New York. The sequel to Twerp continues with language that is simple and accessible but packs a punch, especially when dealing with the sensitive topic of cancer.

When the guidance counselor pulls seventh-grader Julian and his friends out of class, they share the same unspoken fear: that their friend Quentin has died. Quentin has a brain tumor, but fortunately his prognosis is good, and he will soon be returning to school.

Julian, Shlomo, Lonnie, Beverly, Howard and Eric provide a safety net for Quentin that is poignant and believable. They wrestle his wheelchair onto the bus every day, chat at his bedside and cushion him from the ignorant bullies who tease him at school.

Julian’s principal, rabbi, older sister and friends help as he struggles to accept why bad things happen to good people. Finding the Worm offers no glib answer but satisfies with a powerful portrayal of friendship at its most meaningful.

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