Cookies & Milk

Cookies & Milk
Shawn Amos
Little Brown, 2022
296 pages

Ellis is looking forward to summer, playing his harmonica and hanging out with his best friend. His plans take a turn as his parents divorce leaves with his entrepreneur dad, who is opening a cookie shop on LA's Sunset Strip. The store doesn't look like much, but Ellis spends the summer helping Dad sprucing it up, perfecting the recipe, and connecting to the community to establish a customer base. Despite his good intentions, Ellis has a series of mishaps that sets the new team back, including a chocolate chip explosion, a falling tower of sugar, and a go-cart demolition. Meanwhile, a mysterious neighbor and local DJ seems to know Dad from the past. Who is he? And what is this "Rat Trap" that the men keep discussing. As Ellis gets to know this new DJ friend, he graduates from his love of the blues to the new world of funk. Ellis taps into his heritage as he navigates the world of 1970's Hollywood. Finally, with the help of all of their friends, Sunset Cookies opens with great fanfare and a surprise guest comes to help celebrate.

The son of "Famous Amos" tells a biographically-based tale of helping his father open his first store in 1975. The first person account is highly readable and laugh-aloud funny. I especially love the grandmother character who was given the best lines and always steals the scene. Readers will identify with Ellis, who tries to help, but often gets it wrong. What he gets right is his big heart, which allows him to meet many interesting folks from the neighborhood, who become good friends. Themes include the importance of family and community, communication and forgiveness between family members, cultural and civic pride, loyalty, and--most of all--the power of a good cookie. Young readers will be exposed to some classic blues and funk and the playlist, thoughtfully included in the backmatter, will give them songs to download. Further backmatter includes a chocolate chip cookie recipe and an inspirational author's note. There are some comic-style drawings spread among the pages to lure in the target audience, but they do not overwhelm the text and are not necessary to the plot. Cookies & Milk is a story I truly enjoyed. It has a lot of heart, has something to say, and, best of all, made me laugh.

Graveyard Girls: 1-2-3-4 I Declare a Thumb War

Graveyard Girls: 1-2-3-4 I Declare a Thumb War
Lisi Harrison & Daniel Kraus
Union Square/Sterling, 2022
243 pages
Grades 4-7
Friendship/Horror

Multiple narrators relate the tale of a group of horror-loving friends looking for real ghosts the week that the town remembers Silas Hoke, who is also one of our narrators. Silas committed a murder many years ago and the community has a yearly celebration featuring nightly activities to keep his restless spirit away. The friends have a group called the "Grim Sleepers", where they take turns hosting sleepovers and sharing scary tales. When Silas Hoke leaves them all the same mysterious text with an invitation to visit his grave at night, they are scared, but can't resist. What will they find there? Meanwhile, the girls are dealing with family, school, and friendship troubles, glad to have the solid friendships of the group. When an unexpected newcomer asks to join, they are hesitant. Are her intentions sincere? Eventually, some new understandings are made, some mysteries are solved, and some problems are ironed out. A new group is formed out of the old and the "Graveyard Girls" are born--and ready to tackle their next spooky adventure!

Two veteran authors, traditionally writing for older readers, join forces to create a new middle grade series, jumping into the trending horror genre. At its core, this is a friendship story with a group of nice, nerdy girls battling the queen-bee clique. Within this framework of a love of scary tales, the seemingly different girls bind together as friends. A focal unrelated story is told around the middle of the book, serving as the inspiration for the title, and is framed within violet pages as to not confuse readers. The same color violet is used for page numbers, chapter headings, the few graphics included, and emails and text messages. I love the formatting of the book and feel that it is an attractive package that even reluctant readers will pick up. Chapter headings are labeled with the narrator's name as to thankfully avoid confusion. The book gives just enough creep to satisfy the target audience without keeping anyone up at night. A cliffhanging ending and sneak peek chapter for the next installment (Scream for the Camera) will entice readers to keep going in the series. After spending time with the Graveyard Girls expect young people to be inspired to start monster clubs of their own. 

Jennifer Chan is not Alone

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone

Tae Keller

Penguin Random House, 2022

274 pages

Grades 5-8

Realistic Fiction/Mystery

Different timelines relate the first person account of Mallory Moss, who is reeling from the disappearance of her former friend and neighbor, Jennifer Chan. Current chapters show the disappearance of Jennifer, the community's reaction, and Mallory's involvement in the search. Through the chapters set in the past we get the backstory of the girl's initial friendship, Jennifer's preoccupation with alien life, troubles at school, and Mallory's eventual desertion of Jennifer in order to not be ostracized socially. Mallory eventually makes the choice to abandon her school friends, who she realizes are not nice people, to reunited with a former nerdy, yet smart friend, to get to the bottom of the disappearance. The two join forces with another girl and, through reading Jennifer's journals, attempt to figure out if she really did make contact with aliens. The plot reaches a crescendo as Mallory's worlds collide in order to save Jennifer, once she figures out where she is. Can Mallory get to Jennifer in time?

This is a deceptive book. At first glance it seems like a possible alien story with a mystery, but at its core is a friendship tale. Readers will experience firsthand what bullying looks and feels like, along with the possible motivations and consequences. Both sides of the equation are explored. An author's note relates Keller's own experience from middle school, which inspired this story and will bring authenticity to the tale. There are parts that were hard for me to read, as Mallory finally takes ownership of her actions and the reader gets the full truth behind Jennifer's disappearance. What I love about the book is that although there are some permanently severed relationships, the protagonists find redemption and forgiveness of sorts. Readers will see that no matter how horrible their life is-or they are-this time is not forever and there is hope for the future. in a time of tween/teen suicide, this is an important message. Other messages include identity, the importance of community, and accepting differences. Timelines are clearly labeled and easy to follow, interspersed with excerpts from Jennifer's journal. An important and surprising contribution from a Newbery Medal winning author.

Thirst

Thirst
Varsha Bajaj
Nancy Paulsen/Penguin, 2022
179 pages
Grades 4-8
Realistic Fiction

Minni lives with her parents and brother in the slums of Mumbai. She is blessed to go to a private school; the fees being paid by her mother's employer. Life is hard. Water is scarce and women must wait hours to obtain just enough to keep their families clean-ish and hydrated. The situation seems to be getting worse as the planet gets hotter and the water begins to run from the town pumps at a trickle. One night Minni's brother witnesses illegible operations by the water mafia and is spotted. He is no longer safe and must retreat to the country to lay-low for a while. Meanwhile, Mom is tired and ill. She cannot continue to care for the family and travels to her sister's house to rest and recuperate. Could it be cancer? Now Minni is left to care for the household and her father. To make matters worse, she must cover her mother's job working as a maid for a rich family until Mom returns. Minni is lonely, makes a terrible maid, and is performing badly at school. If she doesn't pass her tests, she will be forced to drop out. When all seems lost, help comes from unexpected places and Minni learns to fight for what is important to her.

I foolishly thought that this was a science fiction book set in the future where the planet was running out of water. To my surprise, it turned out to be a realistic contemporary story set in our current world. As Bajaj points out in an author's note at the end of the book, one in ten people on the planet live without access to clean water. It was an eye-opener to me (as it will be to young readers) that this is still a problem in 2022. Readers will identify with Minni, who is a typical young girl, yet must rise to very real challenges. She finds solace in her friendships and mentors, working through her problems with the help of community. Minni also has some ethical dilemmas to figure out, which she does successfully. Readers will walk away with a greater appreciation of basic resources that we take for granted, such as safety, water, food and education. Bajaj fully realizes the Mumbai setting and the struggles of daily life. A wonderful window for American kids into another area of the world of which they may not be familiar.

A Secret Princess

A Secret Princess

Margaret Stohl & Melissa De La Cruz

Putnam, 2022

389 pages

Historical Fiction

Grades 6-Up

Sara Crewe is sent to boarding school from the Philippines to learn to be a proper English lady and to continue her education. As a young woman of means, she is given the best of everything and is the target of spite and envy. Her only friend is loner and misfit, Mary Lennox, who arrived from India and also struggles to make friends among their peers. Their trio is completed by Cedric Erroll, who is confined to a wheelchair and has struggles of his own. The three friends mange to get in and out of trouble, all while writing plays, escaping the school for adventures in the dead of night, and generally finding fun within the confines of the bleak environment. When tragedy strikes Sara--and then Mary, all seems lost. They decide to run away together, only to find troubles and financially difficulties on the road. Eventually, Cedric reveals a secret identity and offers a place of sanctuary for the group of friends. It is here that romance blossoms, as a magical garden is discovered and healing finally can begin for all of the players.

This new book is a mashup of the three most famous books of Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy by the authors of the popular Jo & Laurie. I was very excited to crack into this title, being a fan of the originals author since childhood. The story takes many liberties and sets the novel when the young people are teenagers together in a horrible boarding school (presumably based on the school of A Little Princess). The characters felt younger to me than teenagers, so once they run away and the romance starts, it felt a little confusing. The Cedric character was also a little confusing. He was meant to be Little Lord Fauntleroy, yet fell into the role of Collin from The Secret Garden. Dicken also shows up and offers a romance of his own. I like that the authors put a bit of diversity into the very white stories and their love of the characters and their worlds clearly shows through. The voice is clearly set in the 1800's of the original books and the story is firmly set in the past, yet with the sensibilities of the present. This is the stuff of imaginings and dreaming about what could come next for some of our favorite characters and may inspire young readers to try their hands at some fan-fiction.

Yonder

Yonder

Ali Standish

HarperCollins, 2022

348 pages

Grades 5-8

Historical Fiction/Mystery

Danny has reached a crossroads in his Appalachian childhood. His beloved father is off fighting in WWII, his mother is working at Dad's job at the paper while preparing to have an unexpected baby, he's fighting with his best friend, and dodging the town bullies. The brightest spot in his life is his friendship with older boy, Jack. Though a town hero for rescuing drowning twins, Jack lives with an abusive father, who is living with PSD from WWI. Jack often talk about "Yonder", a mythical place that his late mother would tell stories about when life with Dad became too hard. After Jack goes missing and no one in town seems too concerned, Danny takes it upon himself to find his lost friend. Alternating chapters relate the present search for Jack and the past, leading up to the current events. Eventually the truth behind Jack's disappearance is revealed, as Danny learns other secrets concerning respected residents of his community and the true horrors of war. Life becomes less black and white as he must take on more responsibilities at home and find the courage to do the right thing.

Veteran author, Standish, offers a great piece of historical fiction that is really much more. The alternating time periods slowly reveal the past and create suspense as the author leaves chapters at critical places and makes the readers wait to see what happens next. The search and truth behind Jack, as well as the bullies, brings the book into the territory of mystery and I was surprised at the outcome. Standish also raises awareness about the horrors of war, the truth about the Holocaust (and how many folks ion the Homefront didn't know it was happening), the importance of loyalty and standing up for what is right, and that bullying begins at home. The chapters set in the past are in a different font and printed on shaded pages, letting readers in on the switch in timeline. We grow up right alongside Danny, as he slowly realizes certain realities about his world, that he was too immature to previously see, and takes responsibility for his decisions and family. Extensive backmatter includes an author's note, historical information, and a discussion guide.

Cinder & Glass

Cinder & Glass

Melissa De La Cruz

Putnam, 2022

316 pages

Grades 7-12

Fairy Tale Retelling

Cendrillon moves from the French countryside with her father to the court of Louis XIV to learn to be a royal lady. The pageantry and rules of court life are confusing and exacting, made more tedious by unfriendly girls and the rude young prince/future king. Her only friends are servants, a boy of the court named Auguste, and her Godmother-who she hopes will become her stepmother. Those hopes are dashed as Father marries a strange woman he has just met, leaving her with a cold stepmother and mean-girl stepsisters. Cendrillon's father dies, practically out of the blue, leaving her to the stepmother's mercy, virtually turned into a servant. When a ball is announced, honoring the young future king and launching his search for a bride, Cendrillon is anxious to attend. The problem is, she has nothing suitable to wear and a host of uncompleted chores. Miraculously, her Godmother appears after a year-long hiatus to save the night where she catches the eye of the young prince. Suddenly, Cendrillon finds herself in a contest to become the bride of the future king of France. Will her stepmother stand in her way? Can she tap down the growing feelings that she is developing for Auguste? Most of all, if Cendrillon were to win the contest, does she really want to be the queen and does she have a choice?

Best selling author, De La Cruz, offers a retelling of perhaps the most famous fairy tale in the world, setting it in it's most traditional and well-known time and place. Though entrenched firmly in this world of French aristocracy, it is a realistic retelling with contemporary sensibilities. There is no magic--all of the elements of the traditional tale are explained by actual events. The stepmother is even more devious than in the child's tale, based on a figure from actual events, as explained in the author's note. Young readers will enjoy the obvious connections to "The Bachelor" (reminding me of The Selection) and the plot will quickly become comforting and of high interest. The cover is alluring and I found the book to read quickly, despite it's somewhat long length. Although romantic in nature, the plot remains "PG", making this choice appropriate for younger teens. Cendrillon has a dilemma deciding whether to follow her heart or go for security and readers will hold their breath waiting for her decision. Everything is satisfactory wrapped up by books end-with no sequels to wade through. This is the stuff of perfect beach reads for teens who need a bit of an innocent escape.