Between Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray
Ruta Sepetys
Scholastic, 2012 341 pages
Grades 7-Up
Historical Fiction

Fifteen year-old Lina lives in 1941 Lithuania. Her father works for the local university and she and her family enjoy a comfortable life. One night a knock at the door shatters it all to bits. The Soviets demand that Lina, her mother, and her younger brother pack whatever they can carry and submit to arrest. Father is not home. Was he arrested as well? The little family gets loaded into train cattle cars with other political enemies of the Soviet Union and are taken clear across Russia to Siberia, where they are dumped at a labor camp. The operators of the camp want the Lithuanian prisoners to sign away the next twenty-five years and formally submit to arrest and admit law-breaking. Lina, her family, and some others refuse to sign, which leads to a change in locale--and not for the better. Even though the Lithuanians experience terrible atrocities at the hands of the Soviets, most, somehow, manage to survive and even make some personal connections. Lina meets a boy on the train, who becomes entangled in the small family's world. Could this be a romantic interest, even in the midst of starvation and fear?

 This is the best book that I thought I read. When it was released there was so much buzz surrounding it that I thought I read it--and then recently realized that I never actually did. This has been remedied as I finally got around to it this summer. It was worth the wait in that Sepetys' debut novel is hauntingly beautiful and covers an area of world history rarely covered in teen fiction. Set in the early days of WWII, readers experience the perilous place held by Lithuania, as a prize coveted by both the Soviets and the Nazis, resulting in the loss of freedom either way. After her arrest Lina experiences and witnesses terrible things, losing her sense of entitlement and confidence, yet learning empathy and humility. Good people sometimes do bad things in this novel to survive and bad people also can sometimes do good things, demonstrating that life is not always black and white, hence the book's title. After having been confused with the naughty adult book published with a similar title a year later, when the movie came out in 2018 this title was changed to Ashes in the Snow, with a newly titled book to accompany it. Sepetys includes an author's note at the end, offering historical information and tracing her writing process. A true gem of a book about a little known time and place in history.

Oddmire: Changeling

Oddmire: Changeling           
William Ritter
Algonquin, 2019 288 pages
Grades 3-6
Fantasy
Oddmire series #1

The Bookwanderers

The Bookwanderers  

Anna James
Philomel/Penguin, 2019 304 pages
Grades 3-6

Fantasy
Pages & Co. series

Tilly lives above Pages & Co., the bookstore that her grandparents own and operate. Her mother disappeared a long time ago and she has no knowledge of her father. One day, while wandering through the book store, she meets a friendly girl with red hair. Could it really be Anne of Green Gables? Next she meets Alice, of Wonderland fame. What is happening? It turns out that she, as well as the rest of her family, are Bookwanderers, folks that can travel between the pagers of books. Naturally, Tilly can't wait to jump into the pages of some of her favorite tales. Anne takes both Tilly and her friend Oskar into her story and the two kids begin their journey. Once back and their talent discovered, they must learn the rules, as book wandering is dangerous. A whole bookwandering underground is revealed and Tillly and Oskar are welcomed into the secret society. As they perfect their skills, they fall into dangerous situations, evil librarians, and family secrets. The truth behind Tilly's mother--and even her father—come to light as the friends ask the right questions and jump into perilous situations and unstable stories. 

 A bibliophiles dream, this new series from across the pond will have the imaginations soaring of book nerds everywhere. Who wouldn't want to travel into their favorite books? It is impossible to read this titles and not spend some time thinking about what book you would wander into. James picks classics, which, though maybe not a modern kid’s first choice, may bring readers to the originals. Tilly and Oskar are likable characters with non-traditional families, to whom many readers will relate. The setting is contemporary, yet reading it has an old fashioned, comfortable feeling, similar to sitting by a cozy fire with a mug of hot chocolate. The story contains mystery within the magic, as the friends discover the whereabouts of Tilly's mother and uncover the truth behind the evil librarian. The evil librarian's reveal scene was of Scooby-Doo proportion and will offer readers closure with no dangling threads. Luckily, though, Tilly and Oskar's adventures continue in two subsequent volumes, one released in May and the other to arrive next week. The perfect tale for book lovers everywhere, hand this one to fans of The Land of Stories and The Book Scavenger.

Before the Ever After

Before the Ever After

Jacqueline Woodson
Nancy Paulsen/Penguin, 2020 161 pages
Grades 4-6
Narrative Poetry

First verse narrative poetry traces the journey of ZJ (Zachariah junior) as his father goes from respected professional football player to confused angry guy in pajamas. Zachariah-44 is everyone's hero and kids want to know ZJ just to get near his dad. To ZJ he is just "Dad", yet also his whole world. It is Dad who drives him to school when he is home, supports his music, and hangs out and listens. Suddenly this very together person's hands start shaking uncontrollably and he is becoming forgetful. Mom takes Dad to a parade of doctor's, yet no one can seem to get to the bottom of the condition. Worst of all, it seems to be happening to other professional football players as well. Meanwhile, life continues as ZJ tried to adjust to the new normal. Luckily he has his "boys": the three best friends who call themselves the Fantastic Four and have ZJ's back no matter what. He also his family and some close friends, who support ZJ and his parents as Dad's condition worsens. There are no easy answers and Dad does not seem to be getting better, but ZJ has at least figured out a way to move forward and to accept this new person who has become his father.

Woodson revisits the style that earned her a national book award and Newbery medal for Brown Girl Dreaming. Though alike in style, this new title is not a memoir, although it feels as if it is. Woodson's writing is beautiful and lyrical and every word is chosen carefully. The book is separated into two parts, the before and after, tracing before Dad gets sick and who he becomes afterwards. The bewilderment and confusion is all part of the story and, much like ZJ, readers will not know the truth behind Dad's condition until the author's note at the end. Set in 1999, Woodson sheds light on CTE, a brain condition suffered by athletes who experience too many hits to the head and the doctor who discovered what was happening. ZJ feels like a real person and readers will consider him a friend by book's end. I love that he is into music, not football, and that his father, who clearly loves football, supports this. I also appreciated ZJ walking away from the sport all while watching an acquaintance continue the cycle because of his love of the game. Boys will be especially drawn to the is book and it will be an easy sell to reluctant readers-all while offering an amazing piece of literature. Teachers will find this title useful for classrooms and it will be sure to win awards. My only complaint is that I would be interested in the author's personal connection to this topic and her journey to spending the time to explore it in her latest endeavor. Certainly an unrepresented topic in children’s literature, this book is worth exploring for many reasons.

Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones
Lucy Knisley
Random House, 2020 213 pages
Grades 3-6
Graphic Novel

When Jen's parents divorce, she leaves the city with her mother to live on a farm with Mom's boyfriend, Warren. Warren is opinionated, bossy, and-worst of all-calls her Jenny. They build a chicken coup, have chicks sent through the mail to move in, plant a garden, and begin their new lives, which includes weekly trips to sell their wares at the local Farmer's Market. Warren's kids start to spend weekends with the family. New sister, Andy, is brilliant and exacting, while little sister, Reese, is both annoying and cute. Everyone pitches in at the market, where Andy's math skills seem to be more highly valued than Jen's artistic contributions. Finally, an encounter with a snake binds Jen and Andy and the girls start to tentatively become family. The story ends with the chicks finally becoming chickens and producing the first batch of delicious eggs and an afternoon at the swimming hole where Jen and Andy share fun and sister secrets.  

This is a sweet new graphic novel sure to appeal to the fans of Raina Telgemeirer, Shannon Hale and the graphic Babysitter's Club. The best thing about this book is that it is appropriate for younger readers. I have second graders looking to read Telgemeier's books, which sometimes contain themes more leaning towards tweens. Stepping Stones will certainly find an audience with kid's going through divorce-and anyone looking for a gentle realistic story. Kids will relate to Jen's story as she struggles with changes and owning her identity. The theme of moving to the country for a simpler life is also very timely as people leave the cities in droves and long for fresh country living. The story is told partially in simple text and contains full panels with no text, allowing the illustrations to push the plot forward. The comics are in full color, are easily scanned and are printed on nice thick paper. An author's note shows actual photos from Knisley's life and tells the truth behind the tale. Relatable, heartwarming, and timely, I greatly enjoyed this escape to the country and am confident that young readers will as well.

American as Paneer Pie

American as Paneer Pie
Supriya Kelkar
Simon & Schuster, 2020 303 pages
Grades 4-6
Realistic Fiction

Lekha feels as if she is two different people. There is home Lekha, who lives with her immigrant Indian parents and loves Indian food, clothes, and culture. Then there is school Lekha, who is fully American and yearns to be on the swim team. School Lekha downplays her Indian heritage and tries to cover her birthmark that looks like a bindi. She shrinks as the other kids make fun of her and hesitates to stand up for herself. A new girl moves into the neighbor and school. Avantika is a FOB (fresh off the boat) and does not shy away from her heritage. The families become friends and Lekha hesitates to be lumped in with Avantika. Her swim team friends are pressuring her to shave her legs and to join them in ridiculing Avantika. As much as she wants to fit in, these choices are making Lekha's stomach hurt. A local candidate is running on an anti-immigration platform and it is getting her suburban Detroit neighborhood heated up, making it uncomfortable to be bicultural. Should Lekha turn her back on her Indian side and give into the social pressure to fit in or should take a stand for equality?

 Kelkar offers a new middle grade novel on a hot-button topic that many kids in the town I serve will relate to. Especially in this current political climate, many children of immigrants are made to feel less-than America and attempt to downplay their culture. Eventually Lekha learns to speak up for herself and stands up to the girls on the swim team who keep pressuring her to shave her legs. Lekha feels like she is "Paneer Pie", a dish her dad makes. It has an American pizza base with Indian paneer on top. A recipe is included in the back of the book for readers to try to whip up for themselves. Besides being a story about race and prejudice, this is also a basic friendship story. Lekha learns how to be a friend and how to fix a situation where you make a mistake concerning a friend. All kids need to develop the confidence to embrace who they are and love themselves. Hopefully Lekha's story will help in this process. Kelkar brings a lot of Indian culture into the plot, exposing readers to a world that they may not know otherwise. Overall, the book was a bit intention driven, yet, unfortunately, is an important story that must be told. Until we get this right, kids must hear stories similar to Lekha's in order to become better informed and kinder citizens.