Almost There and Almost Not

Almost There and Almost Not
Linda Urban
Simon & Schuster, 2021
211 pages
Grades 4-7
Magical Realism

California Poppy is only eleven, but people think she's older and expect more out of her. When her distracted widowed father decides to move to Alaska to seek his fame and fortune, he dumps her off at Aunt Isabelle's. Aunt Isabelle is consumed with winning a big meatloaf contest and doesn't have time for a kid. California gets taken to elderly Aunt Monica's house to help her recuperate after a broken wrist. Aunt Monica is extra sad from the loss of her beloved husband and has made it her mission to complete the family history project that he was working on up to his death. The main subject of the project is a turn of the century authoress Eleanor Fontaine, who's specialty was proper letter writing and manners. Eleanor's ghost, as well as that of a playful pup, are lingering around Aunt Monica's house. California spends the summer learning to write proper letters, helping out her aunt, and making friends of both the worldly and unworldly sort. California begins to feel at home, but what will happen now that summer is drawing to a close?

I love the heartfelt writing of Linda Urban. Certain readers are drawn to books that are a little sad, but turn out okay, after pulling at your heartstrings. This story does just that and actually made me cry twice. Readers will immediately connect to California and be emotionally invested in her story. She shows resilience and pluck, finding friends in unexpected places and making her own fun. The book is just the right length and reads quickly, in part to the letters California practices writing, which help to move the plot along in an entertaining, yet unconventional manner. Letter writing is becoming trendy again and this story may inspire kids to try snail-mail out for themselves. The ghosts are believable and readers will sympathize with Eleanor and hope for her eventual peace. The ending is happy, yet much like real life, not perfect. The important thing is that readers will walk away knowing that California will be okay and that she has at least one responsible adult in her life on whom to count. A summer well spent.

Ground Zero

Ground Zero
Alan Gratz
Scholastic, 2021 336 pages
Grades 5-8
Historical Fiction

Two narrators in different places and times tell an interwoven tale of their experiences seeped in current events relating to the hostile situation between the United States and Afghanistan. Because of a suspension, Brandon goes with his father to work at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. At the time of the attack he was sneaking away to the underground mall. Thank goodness-because when the planes hit the upper levels, where Dad's restaurant is located, they become inescapable. Brandon makes friends with Richard, whom he had a brief encounter with earlier in the day, and the two have a harrowing experience attempting to flee the damaged building before it is too late. Meanwhile, Reshmina is a twelve-year-old girl in present day Afghanistan. Her family works a small farm on the Pakistan boarder and have only known war and suffering. Since Reshmina's sister died by an explosion several years earlier, her twin brother seeks revenge by joining the Taliban. Reshmina finds an injured American soldier who appears to have lost his sight in a skirmish. Should she try to help him even though it will put her family on the wrong side of the dangerous Taliban?

Adults still harbor very strong emotions and memories of 9/11. As we approach the twentieth anniversary of the deadly attacks, there is an entire generation of young people with no first-hand knowledge of this time. My kids always dreaded September 11th in school because the teachers kept going "on and on" about it. This book will make the events of this tragic day more personal in the minds of today's youth. Young people need to know about the events-as well as connecting it to the war we are still fighting in the middle east. Gratz presents the information in a highly readable format with short, exciting chapters leaving every chapter at a cliff-hanger before shooting back to the other character. The chapters are labeled with the feature character name to alleviate confusion. The two stories merge together in a wholly satisfying way, that although I saw coming, may take kids by surprise. Gratz leaves readers with no easy answers, but plenty of background and causes for our present dilemmas and demonstrates the pain and suffering of all sides of the middle eastern conflict. Backmatter contains an author's note with further historic background and maps of both places. An important book presented in way sure to appeal to the most reluctant of readers.

No One Returns from the Enchanted Forest

No One Returns from the Enchanted Forest
Robin Robinson
First Second, May, 2021

225 pages

Grades 3-6

Graphic Fantasy

When yet another earthquake threatens to destroy the Goblin's underground city on Teacup Island, Pella has had enough. She may be small, but she is bold, determined, and fearless. Pella stalks off to find the Earth Queen, venturing into the Enchanted Forest, rumored to be dangerous and from which no dwarf ever returns. Pella's older sister and guardian, Bix, has no choice, but try to save her headstrong sister, although she is fearful and much less confident. Luckily for Bix, early on the journey she meets Cici, a super-friendly tree troll, who agrees to join her and help on the mission, eventually becoming a friend. Dangers lurk behind every corner, leading to more mythical creatures and life-threatening encounters. Despite her bravado, Pella discovers her limitations and despite her fear, Bix taps into her inner strength and power. Will Bix and Cici find Pella? Will the adventurers discover the true cause of the earthquakes and then have the courage and wherewithal to fix the situation? One thing is for sure-Teacup Island will never be the same again!

Debut graphic novelist, Robinson, has created a world filled with magical creatures and gentle dangers. Readers will immediate feel comfortable on Teacup Island, despite it's dangers, and relate to the dwarf sisters. Pella is charming, yet a bit reckless and wild, and Bix is the conservative worrywart, left cleaning up after her little tornado of a sister, reminiscent of Beezus and Ramona. I love the friendship between Cici and Bix. They compliment each other and are better together. It is nice for Bix to finally have a friend after having to grow up quickly to take care of her sister. Robinson's illustrations are beautiful, unique and colorful. Somehow her pallet has an Alice in Wonderland vibe and adds to the mysticism of the forest. Creative kids will love the unusual creatures of this fully realized world and escape into the adventure. Never too scary, the plot is absorbing and quickly moving, allowing for places to breath. An original and fresh offering by a new talent for fans of Giants Beware!

Concrete Rose

 

Concrete Rose
Angie Thomas

HarperCollins, 2021

360 pages

Grades 8-Up

Realistic/Historical Fiction

Maverick has it all figured out. He is about to start his senior year of high school, has a super-fly girlfriend, and is a member of the King Lords, a powerful gang that his daddy (now in jail) once led, now being led by his favorite cousin. Life comes crashing down when he discovers through a paternity test that his best friend's girlfriend, who he hooked up with for a minute, has given birth to his child. She dumps him with the baby and leaves him to figure it out and grow up fast. Lisa, Maverick's girlfriend, brakes up with him once she finds out him and his mother expects him to support and care for the baby, all while finishing school. This proves near impossible. Luckily, an elderly neighbor offers Maverick a job in his store. The job isn't glamorous and doesn't make much money, but it is a step in the right direction. Tragedy strikes to someone Maverick loves and depends on, setting him back even further. Should he delve deeper into the gang to seek revenge and kick over some much needed easy money? The decisions get even harder when Maverick discovers even more mess. Maverick's life could go in either direction based on the decisions he makes. Which way will he choose?

Thomas offers a prequel to the mega-popular Hate You Give, tracing the story of Starr's parents. The story is firmly set in the 90's of Thomas' childhood and is fully realized. It could almost be considered historical fiction, but I refuse to believe that a decade where I was already an adult is considered "history". I have to say-I loved this book, maybe even more than the original, which came as a surprise. Maverick, for all of his thug-life living, is a sympathetic and endearing character. I was cheering for his success and emotionally invested in his decisions. The story is riveting and will appeal to readers, but like it's companion novel, this book has a lot to say. Themes include the cycle of poverty, the importance of community, teen pregnancy, loyalty, and what it means to be a man. Maverick experiences a tremendous amount of growth within the pages of the book and although he makes some poor choices, he figures it out in the end and tries to fix things and move forward in a positive direction. Thomas manages to perfectly capture the voices of the characters and the time and I truly believed her story. What I would like to see next is the story of Maverick's father, now in prison, as a teenager in the 1970's. Here's hoping Thomas is willing to delve back even further.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden S. (as Told to His Brother)

The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden S. (as Told to His Brother)

David Levithan
Knopf, 2021
224 pages
Grades 4-8
Realistic Fiction-maybe?

Lucas recounts the reappearance of his slightly older brother Aiden after being missing for six days. Lucas discovers him in the attic, a place that was previously checked several times. How did he end up there? Aiden claims to have returned through the wardrobe (nod to CS Lewis) after spending months in a place called Aveinieu, where the skies are green and unicorns run free. Aiden and Lucas's parents are grateful to have their son back, but where has been really? They don't believe his story about Aveinieu and the police are also not convinced. When Aiden's story leaks out, kids at school harass both brothers and reporters hound them. Neighbors and friends feel betrayed that after dropping everything to help in the search, Aiden hands them a fake bill of goods. Even Aiden's best friend doesn't believe him and tries to get at the truth in order to boost his own popularity. Thanks to a supportive aunt, Lucas realizes that it doesn't really matter where Aiden really was. He needs to be a good listener and friend to his brother and acknowledge Aiden's truth.

Teen author and editor, Levithan delves into the world of middle grade. The writing is solid and on target for the audience, but I am not entirely sure that the story will keep the reader's attention. Is the book a mystery? Is it a fantasy? Hard to say on both counts. The mystery is never entirely cleared up and we never learn much about Aveinieu. This more of a book about the aftermath of a tragedy and changes in public perception. I think that the townsfolk were painted in a harsh light, feeling betrayed by Aiden's explanation of his whereabouts. I honestly think everyone would be relieved and the fact that he has delivered such a story sounds like he may be mentally escaping from something terrible that happened. It will all get worked out in therapy-or not, but the outside world was overly cruel to the family. This story felt like the Wizard of Oz, if we only saw Dorothy's aftermath back in Kansas. The best bits seem to have been left out. That said, it was interesting as told in Lucas's perspective and the reader keeps guessing and thinking about the story long after the cover closes.

The Great Fire

The Great Fire
Jim Murphy
Scholastic, 1995
144 pages
Grades 4-Up
Non-Fiction

Murphy presents an unbiased and well researched account of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 using original resources when possible. What do most people know about the Great Fire? Well, most of us know that it started in Mrs. O'Leary's barn when a cow knocked over a lantern while being milked. This turns out to be untrue. Murphy demystifies the falsehoods of the fire, while explaining to the readers what actually happened and how it all went wrong. The chapters move along chronologically, while maps of the fire's spread end each chapter in order to add context. Period photos and illustrations offer readers a visual of the proceedings, both accurate and sensationalized. Source notes, a bibliography and an index round out the volume of this solid piece of non-fiction that earned the author a Newbery Honor in 1996.

The Great Fire is a great choice for both history buffs and kids who have to read a non-fiction book, but don't think they will like non-fiction. Because of the first person narratives and chronological order, this book almost reads like fiction and feels more of a story than an actual historic account. A fire of this magnitude is so hard to comprehend. The visual matter, especially the maps, will help readers put it all in perspective. Murphy's thoroughly researched and documented, yet still readable, account rightfully earned him a Newbery Honor. Though published twenty-five years ago, the history of this event has not changed and the text remains relevant. I was in Chicago a few years back and enjoyed a historic a walking tour. Our tour guide talked about the fire and showed us some of the temporary housing still in use that was quickly installed after the horrific event. I would have liked to read a bit more about the aftermath and rebuilding of the city, but at least readers will be reassured that the city did rebuild-and is better than ever! A solid piece of historical non-fiction that still fascinates.

Max Meow: Cat Crusader

Max Meow: Cat Crusader
John Gallagher
Random House, 2020
228 pages
Grades 2-6
Graphic Novel
Max Meow series #1

Welcome to Kittyopolis, where cats rule and science is cool! Max is a somewhat dopey cat, more concerned with building up his YouTube following than fighting crime. While visiting his good friend, Mindy the scientist, he accidentally nibbles on a giant radioactive meatball, resulting in superpowers. Max immediately develops his superhero costume and persona and jumps into fighting crime and saving the day. Unfortunately for Max, his attempts are sabotaged by an evil mouse disguised as a cat and his computer side-kick. They have been assigned by the big boss to get their hands on the radioactive meatball. Meanwhile, Max and Mindy get in an argument about Max's growing ego and hurtful words are said. Can Max see the errors of his ways in order to get back with his friend to protect the meatball and save the world from the evil mouse? The worst happens when Max loses his superpowers, but luckily Mindy can solve the problem with science. The day is predictably saved, but who exactly is this evil mouse working for? All is revealed as the comic reaches the conclusion, leading readers to the next installment set to be released next month.

Designed to target the Dogman audience, Max Meow is the perfect next step. Full color illustrations, silly situations, and a lot of action will give Dogman fans the perfect place to turn once they have plowed through the mega-popular series. The plot rolls along at a rollicking pace, sometimes not making perfect sense, but the audience will eat this right up. There is a loose STEM connection, involving the scientist character and promoting scientific experiments and inventions, yet no real science is delved into. Mindy the scientist for some reason is not a cat-or even an animal, but a woman of color, which is great representation, but I kept wondering why she wasn't feline. The full-color illustrations are frantic at times, but easy to scan and will appeal to the readership. Exciting chapter endings keep readers moving along and the book as a whole reads effortlessly and quickly. This book will be enjoyed and devoured. More dessert than a main course, it will serve in encouraging reluctant readers to crack into a book, making it worth the money and shelf space in my library.

Dragon Hoops

Dragon Hoops
Gene Luen Yang
First Second, 2020
446 pages
Grades 7-Up
Graphic Novel

A story within a story, Yang relates his season following the Bishop O'Dowd Dragons high school basketball team, as well as his own person journey. Yang is a computer science teacher at Bishop O'Dowd, a private catholic high school in California's bay area. He is also a now famous graphic novelist and husband/father struggling to balance all of the areas of his life. When he hears students talking about the school's victorious basketball team, Yang longs to find out more. After talking to-and eventually befriending-Coach Lou he decides to focus his next graphic novel on what is projected to be the team's first winning state championship season. What follows is not only a blow-by-blow description of the season and its games, but the background of the starting players, coaches both present and past, as well as the history of basketball itself. We also experience Yang's struggle with his life goals, conflicting priorities and his next step in life. Will the Dragons take it all the way? Will Mr. Yang continue to teach the kids for whom he has come despite all of the other commitments in his life? Spend a season with the Dragons to find out!

I grew up in Syracuse and am no stranger to basketball mania. Although certainly not a sports fan, basketball is one sport in which I am well versed and the one I understand the most. Dragon Hoops brought me back to my youth spent in smelly gyms, as well as the Carrier Dome, swept up in the action-packed game of basketball. Gene Luen Yang certainly creates proper graphic novels and not merely comic books as can be seen in his body of work, including this new extensive Printz-winning tome. Although it is mad-long and took me a bit of time to get through, I was never bored. The real story seems to be the Dragon's winning season, yet throughout it all Yang steps out of the story as we see his struggle to complete the project and determine his next life-step. And then, as seen in some of his other books, another layer is added as we go back in time and explain several backstories, including that of the sport itself. All of the loose ends come together in the end, making a succinct whole and a satisfying read. Themes include overcoming racism, teamwork, loyalty, and living with integrity. Everyone should have a Coach Lou in their lives. The full color art is, as always, impeccable and the panels scan effortlessly. The color pallet changes as the story retreats back into the past, helping readers connect to the proper timeline. Mostly biographical, Yang clears up artist choices and further information in extensive notes at the end of the volume. The only thing I was missing is an actual photo of Yang and Coach Lou with the team, but maybe that will be offered in the credits, if they ever turn this exciting story into a feature film. That said, I googled the actual characters in this story and was satisfied with actual photos. Sure to appeal to both sports fans and non-fans, there is a little something for everyone in this heartwarming story.

Treasury of Greek Mythology

Treasury of Greek Mythology

Donna Jo Napoli

National Geographic, 2011 191 pages

Grades 3-7

Nonfiction/Mythology

Love Percy Jackson? Maybe its time to hit up some of the original Greek myths! Acclaimed storyteller, Napoli begins at, well, the beginning, tracing Mother Earth, Gaia and creation. We see the birth of the major Gods and their lives, loves, and losses are explored. Humans enter the mix and life gets even more complicated. The volume ends with Helen of Troy's story, where the God's corruption comes to a bitter climax. Each God is allowed a short chapter with full color illustrations. The volume ends with a map of modern Greece, a timeline of the ancient period, a guide to the cast of characters (with helpful thumbprint portraits), a bibliography, research notes, sources for further discovery, and an extensive index. All the major Gods are included, sure to appeal to both fans and newcomers to Greek mythology, and the stories proceed in a logical and chronological fashion.

When Percy Jackson was released in 2005, it caused ripples in the children's book industry, second only to that of Harry Potter. Suddenly, ancient Greek mythology became new again and young readers clambered for more modern reboots, as well as the original stories. Veteran children's author, Napoli, answered the call for National Geographic and presents this volume of the classic stories with modern vocabulary. I am still a great fan of D'Aulaires' version of my childhood, but acknowledge that perhaps it isn't flashy enough for today's readers. National Geographic knows how to bring the razzle-dazzle and present what is thought of as dry material in an interesting way. Certainly, Napoli tells the myths in a manner sure to catch the reader's attention. Sometimes they boarder on inappropriateness for the intended audience, but I have found that readers do not process what they are not ready for when it comes to reading. Bawdy behavior is implied, not graphic, and is a part of these stories and, therefore, needs to remain in at accessible way for young people. Certainly kids will gobble this book up and the stunning and sparkly illustrations will not only lure them in, but keep them turning pages. An update to classic stories, true to the original, that will get kids reading!