Free Lunch

Free Lunch
Rex Ogle
Norton, 2019
199 pages
Grades 5-8
Memoir

Rex starts 6th grades on the worst possible foot. His new middle school is way too big and his elementary school friends are all pulling away. Life at home is even worse. Both his mother and stepfather are out of work and seem to be pretty consistently in horrible moods. When situations become too tense they often lead to shouting or, worse, violence. Rex is responsible for many of the household tasks, including cooking and taking care of his toddler brother, far beyond what is considered appropriate. Mom has many embarrassing schemes for making ends meet from extreme coupon clipping to scamming fast food restaurants. The worst is when Rex is signed up for the Free Lunch program at school. He really needs the meal, but it is cumbersome and humiliating to give his name everyday to the elderly cashier. All of the other kids in his suburban Texas school seem to have money and easy lives. Rex equates financial security with self-worth and struggles with confidence and finding his place. Two shining lights in his dark life are his Abuela, who Mom's pride pushes away, and a new friend. Just when things start to look up, the bottom drops again. Will Rex's life ever improve?

This is an important book for young people that is hard to place. Is it a biography or fiction? Should it be in the children's section or young adult? Libraries in my county have it all over the board. I bought it when it first came out and put it in children's biography. That said, it has since disappeared, showing that it resonates with readers. I avoided this book feeling that it was too sad for me, but finally cracked into it after a young reader said it was his favorite book ever! It is a great book and a powerful story. Being sensitive to sad stories about kids, I struggled with parts, as I knew I would, but loved it just the same. Kids who like realistic sad stories about "real kids" will find much to savor. I became very angry at the parents and knowing that it is the author's actual experiences made my feelings that much more powerful. Definitely on the upper end of elementary, this is not a story for everyone. That said, there are many children in this country living in similar circumstances and it's a story that needs to be told and shared. An author's note at the end offers some context, factual information about poverty, and hope for those currently struggling. The book ends on a positive note, as with all middle grade books, which felt a bit jarring and unrealistic to me, yet is necessary for the target audience to walk away knowing that the family will be okay. Were they really? Ogle isn't saying, but we know he survived and got out--and that's the important thing.

The Book That No One Wanted to Read

The Book That No One Wanted to Read

Richard Ayoade

Tor Freeman, Illustrator

Walker, 2022

108 pages

Grades 3-Up

Humor

Meet the dusty old book that no one wanted to read, who is also our narrator. It lives on the top shelf of a slightly dusty library wearing an unattractive and quite boring cover. You are the reader who must pull down the book, after carefully observing that it seems hedgy about being chosen. After a witty conversation between yourself and the book the time has come to check out what is between the covers. What lies within is a surprise for the reader, who is left with a chuckle and a challenge in this liberally illustration comedic book from across the pond..

British comedian, Ayoade, turns his talents to children's books. Not much happens in this story--it serves as more of a conveyance for Ayoade's humor--yet readers will be questioning why they pick the books that they do and wondering if books really do have personalities. Comedic illustrations by Freedom are a great match and help convey the humorous intent. The design for the book is masterful, including maps, funny diagrams, colorful shading, and variations of font style and size. The humor is notably British and may not appeal to the more slapstick Dogman crowd. Instead, smart and clever readers will enjoy this meta ride and love that they get the jokes. It is a quick read and highly illustrated, yet is deceiving and needs to be put in the right hands. I personally enjoyed it and found myself laughing out loud at certain bits, yet am not sure to who I would recommend it under the age of twenty-one. Not a plot driven book, but one that will get certain readers chuckling and interacting with their reading material.

Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair

Link + Hud: Heroes by a Hair

Jarrett Pumphrey

Jerome Pumphrey, Illustrator

Norton, 2023

234 pages

Grades 2-5

Humor/Graphic-Fiction Hybrid

Lincoln and Hudson are two young brothers with BIG imaginations. Their wild imaginings beg to be acted out and their active play often results in chaos--and the firing of yet another babysitter. Podiatrist dad is trying to launch a line of hair products and invites a group of ladies from the community over to hear his sales pitch. Naturally the boy's hijinks spectacularly ruin the evening. One success is the advent of a new babysitter: Ms. Joyce. She is no-nonsense and gets the guys helping out with housework and watching her "stories". She needs to go so that they can have their freedom back, but how to get rid of her? An inspired idea involves a ceiling fan, balloons filled with water and toilet paper, and a video camera. Finally, Link and Hud win! The old lady is gone and one of the distracted teenagers is back. They got what they wanted, but why do they feel so terrible?

Award winning team and real-life brothers turn their attentions from picture books to a graphic novel hybrid. The fast moving text is told in a traditional word format about half of the time. The rest of the story is conveyed in black and white cartoon-like illustrations. The imaginary adventures of the boys are in a paneled format, much like a comic book and then flash to a full page illustration once they are pulled out of the fantasy. The story is truly funny with sometimes brilliant dialog, generally coming from Ms. Joyce. Reluctant readers are the obvious audience, yet any new chapter book reader will gobble-up this kid-friendly story. The print is nice and big and the chapters are short, insuring that the story reads quickly and will not overwhelm struggling readers. The ending is sewn up nicely, yet I would not be surprised to see a few more installments in this potential series starter. This book has been labeled as "semi-autobiographical" and based on the exploits of our author and illustrator growing up. This fact adds another layer to the shenanigans--and sympathy for the Pumphrey's real-life parents!

The Moth Keeper

The Moth Keeper

K. O'Neill

Random House, 2023
257 pages
Grades 3-6
Graphic Novel

Anya lives in a special village dependent on the moon moths, who give this nocturnal place life and substance. In turn, a keeper must take care of these important moths every night until the big yearly ceremony, when they nourish the village for another year. Anya has always dreamed of being a moth keeper. It is a lonely and solitary life, but she thinks that she is a good fit. Finally, the day arrives and Yeolen, the present keeper, takes her on as an apprentice and she learns the ways of the calling. Anya works hard and is eventually trusted to take over on her own to give Yeolen a much needed break. The nights are long and lonely and Anya secretly is curious about how the day-folk live. One morning after getting her moths to bed she visits the day village and sees for herself the culture of the day-folk, as she is welcomed in and makes new friends. Unfortunately, this makes her tired for the next evening's shift and the worst happens when Anya falls asleep on the job. The moths escape only days before the yearly ceremony. What will the village do if the moths can't be found?

I was inspired to read this new graphic novel after just getting lost in the author's popular Tea Dragon trilogy. This new novel is different in form and story, yet still channels an imaginary world and is drawn in the artist's lush and colorful style. Much of the plot is told in images, using text only sparingly, conveying the isolation felt by Anya during her long dark nights. A sense of community is predominant throughout the story and it is with a sigh of relief when Anya leans into them. The poor thing has too much on her young shoulders and, with the exception of a kind friend, seems to be on her own with no visible family. By book's end, the day and night villages finally meet and become friends, which is a wonderful and peaceful message. With environmental undertones, readers will be inspired to care for the landscape and creatures around them. Backmatter includes an author's note explaining her original desert inspiration and early drawings. A magical story to lead us all on a bright path through dark times.

A First Time for Everything

 

A First Time for Everything
Dan Santat
First Second, 2023
309 pages
Grades 5-8
Graphic Novel

Caldecott winning artist, Santat, recalls his trip to Europe the summer before high school with a group of young people, some of whom are from his school. After a public speaking humiliation at a school assembly and dealing with his mother's illness, Dan has lost his confidence and feels as if he is the bottom rung on the social chain. The trip starts out predictably enough: he has no idea what he's doing and the girls from his school give him a hard time every step of the way. He makes friends with some of the guys on the trip--and then he meet Amy. What starts out as a crush and develops into a friendship, eventually matures to a first kiss and eventually a pen-pal relationship. All of the social drama takes place in front of some of the most majestic structures in the world as Dan travels from Paris to Switzerland, Germany, and England. Through it all, Dan makes mistakes, survives, and gains confidence and maturity. By book's end he is ready to start high school and learns the value of taking chances.

Joining the ranks of award winning illustrators who have turned to penning graphic memoirs, Santat has produced a great addition to the genre. The coming of age subject matter, seeped in friendship and romance, will lure in readers. Santat adds another layer, exposing readers to the richness of travel, specifically northern Europe. Kids will want to explore some of these spots and will be envious of Dan's opportunities. The independence enjoyed by the young people on this trip firmly place the story in the past, as recognized in the author's note in the back. Backmatter also includes actual photos from the trip and some original drawings by Dan from the time period. A real treasure for me was a QR code at the beginning of the volume, taking kids to the book's website. Once there, you can click a cassette tape, taking the reader to a Spotify playlist of the songs Dan listened to on the trip. I listened to the playlist as I read and it really put me in that place and time. I especially enjoyed the early French rap and German punk. Writing writing the book, Santat connected with fellow students, helping to provide a very authentic portrayal. The romance captures middle school and stays age appropriate. This book clearly exemplifies what a graphic memoire can be and is on my list (though it's early) for the best books of 2023.

The Tea Dragon Society series

The Tea Dragon Society series
Katie O'Neill
Oni Press, 2017-2000
60/131/135 pages
Grades 3-6
Graphic Novel/ Fantasy

Meet the tea dragons: a rare and finicky breed of small dragons that, although difficult to take care of, grow the most delectable tea leaves on their horns. Caregivers protect and nurture the dragons and are in turn able to harvest the leaves. Those who care for the dragons have formed a society called "The Tea Dragon Society" in order to ban together and share information. In the first adventure young Greta finds a tea dragon in the woods, which leads her to the house of it's owners, elderly Hesekiel and his partner Erik. Greta not only learns to care for the tea dragons, but makes a shy new friend and eventually is rewarded with a tea dragon of her own. The Dragon Festival is a prequel in which young Hesekiel and Erik journey to Erik's rural hometown, where tea dragons and humans co-exist, folks are all able to communicate in sign language, and a traditional dragon wakes up from a long slumber to solve the mystery and join the community. The Tea Dragon Tapestry returns to Greta's story as she struggles with connecting with her new tea dragon and her career path as an apprentice blacksmith.

This is a beautiful series to recommend to young dreamers. The books are oversized in full, vibrant color. The illustrations have a manga-like quality and readers will feel the magic ooze off the pages. The stories are mystical and comforting, almost like drinking a good cup of herbal tea. O'Neill offers gender fluidity and hints at non-traditional romantic relationships, but always keeps the storyline age-appropriate. I appreciate that deaf-culture is explored and in the back of the second volume the author includes where to find more sign-language resources. Other backmatter includes a glossary of various tea dragons and their properties. Both the characters and the dragons are all quite loveable and readers will feel as if they are friends by the series end. As a tea drinker I would love to try some of the tea these little guys produce, but, alas, it's not meant to be. This series will attract young readers and the lyrical story line will sweep them in and hold them through the whole trilogy, wishing that they could have tea dragons of their own. A wonderful escape to beat the dull-drums of winter!

Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs

Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs

Pam Munoz Ryan

Hyperion, 2022

190 pages

Grades 4-6

Fantasy/Adventure

Solimar, the daughter of the king, is given an unexpected task. She is to protect the migrating endangered monarch butterflies. To do this, she must wear a magical shawl, which forces her to prophesies whenever she puts it over her shoulders. This power is connected to the sunlight and must be worn everyday. If the citizens of the land find out about this power, they will surely bombard Solimar with questions, forcing her to abuse her power and causing all kind of chaos. When her father and brother leave the kingdom on official duties, a neighboring ruler attempts a coup d'état by kidnapping the remaining royal household. Solimar escapes and must now develop a plan to warn her father and save the kingdom--all while still protecting the endangered butterflies. Help comes from unexpected places and Solimar must use her wits and courage to get the job done. Does she have what it takes?

Newbery honor winner, Pam Muniz Ryan offers a new tale seeped in magic, culture and courage. With feminist and environmental undertones, the story demonstrates the importance of butterflies, while making the statement that girls can save the day. The author is clearly a butterfly lover and offers factual information about monarchs and their importance and plight at the back of the volume. Solimar is a likable character and readers will root for both her and her companion, Berto, as they stay ahead of the enemy's army and face terrible dangers. The story also shows the importance of friendship and community, as Solimar must work with friends both new and old, including a bewitched talking doll, in order to save the kingdom. The story ends satisfyingly, if a it too neatly, with the plot sewn up and Solimar getting what she desires. The subtitle suggests possibly a continuation of her adventures, but the book stands alone. One complaint is the small print of the text, which may put off young readers, but once they dive into the story they will find much to enjoy.

The Town with No Mirrors

The Town with No Mirrors

Christina Collins

Sourcebooks, 2023

278 pages

Grades 4-8

Realistic Fiction/Utopian

Zailey has lived her entire life (at least all that she remembers) with her grandmother in Gladder Hill, a town where physical appearance is not recognized in any way. Mirrors, cameras, and images of people in any form are forbidden. Even water must be covered in order to not show a reflection. Zailey has no idea of what she looks like and is very curious, even though it is not allowed. Superficial thoughts are against the rules, yet as she enters adolescence, she finds herself becoming obsessed with them. Zailey begins to sketch and collect the faces of the  townsfolks in a secret notebook that she hides under her mattress. When a neighbor is exiled for possessing a forbidden reflecting spoon, all of the houses are searched. Will them police find her hidden notebook? After a series of events Zailey finds herself in the outside world with absolutely no knowledge of how modern items, such as cellphones, work. Will she be able to survive? And should she chose to return, will Gladder Hill take her back?

This is such an interesting book with a lot of connections to current issues facing young people. In the appearance-obsessed, social media driven culture which is forcing young people into depression and hurtful behaviors, a society where physical appearances do not matter and social media does not exist is appealing. I would have possibly signed up for such an experiment when my kids were in middle school if it existed-and if I could get them to go. As with many utopian societies, Gladder Hill has it's challenges keeping the outside world out and its citizens in line. The person in charge exhibits growth by realizing the flaws in the experiment and that the ability to not be affected by societies physical obsession must come from within. I loved the concept of this book and found obvious connections to Uglies (which is more dystopian and for an older audience) and Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Much like Running Out of Time, the concept exceeds the execution, but young readers won't care. The plot goes a bit off the rails, but in an adventurous way, and kids will keep turning pages to see what happens. All is sewn up a bit too neatly, but that is the way in books for young people. I appreciate that the novel is a stand-alone and we don't have to read two more titles to get to a conclusion. Perfect for book discussion, I will recommend this title to young readers.