The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams

Daniel Nayeri

Levine Querido/Chronicle, 2023

205 pages

Grades 3-6

Historical Fiction/Adventure

Our hero is in trouble, big trouble. The kind that comes from a group of angry monks chasing you with rocks intending to kill. Luckily for our hero, a merchant from a caravan along the Silk Road spots the conflict and bargains for the boy's life. The merchant Samir names the boy "Monkey" and the two travel along with the band of fellow fortune seekers to reach distance Samarkand hoping to make a big profit. It doesn't take Monkey long to discover that his silver-tongued master deals more in stories than actual goods and is quick to talk his way into the best end of the bargain. For this reason, Samir has many enemies among those he has swindled. Around every turn there appears to be some sort of disaster leading to the loss of stock and safety and assassins seem to be everywhere. Monkey manages to help Samir out of many jams and is working towards his freedom by saving his master's life repeatedly. The trio (including their decrepit donkey) learn who to trust, avoid pitfalls, and manage to pivot their plans again and again. Will they ever survive the journey?

Printz winner, Nayeri, pens a very different book from his autobiographical heartbreaking tale Everything Sad is Untrue, yet still reflects his Persian culture. As explained in an author's note in the back of the volume, the story is set in the late eleventh century in the Taklamakan desert, which is the stuff of fantasy and legends. Nothing magical happens in this story, yet it reads like a fairytale and one expects Samir to jump on a magic carpet any minute. He is a believable and interesting character and the reader will understand why Monkey can't help but save him even though he is less than trustworthy. The action in the story never stops and there are surprises along the way--with a big payoff at the end, which had me holding my breath. Beautiful full-color illustrations by Daniel Miyares introduce each chapter and will help to draw-in readers. Terms and historical background is offered at the end of the volume, as well as a bibliography. This is a tightly written, lyrical tale that does not insult young readers. It feels like it is an old story, yet is highly original and of the best quality, which unusual in these Dogman days.

Rewind

Rewind
Lisa Graff
Philomel, 2023
256 pages
Grades 4-7
Fantasy

Twelve-year-old McKinley is excited for this year's Time Hop, a yearly event celebrated in her sleepy Pennsylvania town. Against her strict single dad's orders, McKinley designs an outfit for the yearly fashion show and is determined to participate. Further complications ensue when she has a fight with her best friend and must find help caring for her ailing grandmother. Once the show is underway all heck breaks lose and McKinley finds herself traveling back in time to the year of this year's Time Hop: 1993. After throwing off her disorientation, McKinley does the only thing she can think of to do. She finds her best friend's mother, now twelve years old, and throws herself on Jackie's mercy. Luckily, Jackie believes her crazy story and becomes determined to help McKinley find out what happened and get back to her own time. The new friends discover that others have time traveled during the Time Hop, some bringing unexpected results. McKinley learns about friendship and family, especially after meeting her obnoxious tween dad and healthy grandmother, and tries not to cause too much damage in the past. Will McKinley ever get back to her own time?

Lisa Graff always writes interesting books and this one is no exception. I am a sucker for time travel and, therefore, had to crack into this one. Rewind felt very Back to the Future in that McKinley meets her current adults as young people. We see the rough edges and immaturity of the folks that present McKinley relies on and realize, just as McKinley does, that our parents are actually "people". The cover felt dated to me, but that is because it is set to reflect 1993. I don't know if this will help or hurt the book, but it does make it stand out. Having lived through 1993 (as an adult!), I think that Graff did a great job nailing the time period. Each chapter heading is a song from the year, which is a fun addition and cultural references abound. Today's readers will have a hard time wrapping their heads around a world with no cellphones or internet. The setting of the present is actually 2018, which I thought was weird, but Graff pops in a surprise detail at the end that brings it all full-circle. There is a lot of humor, crazy situations, and gentle fantasy in this story. Kids will think about what their own parents were like as kids and it could lead to a great conversation starter or a great choice for a parent-child book club. Loads of wacky nostalgic fun!

The Dark Lord's Daughter

The Dark Lord's Daughter

Patricia C. Wrede

Penguin Random House, 2023

368 pages

Grades 3-7

Fantasy

Kayla is at the State Fair with her adopted mother Riki and brother Del when the small group is whisked off to another realm. They are greeted by a stranger named Waylan, who informs them that they are in the magical land of Zaradwin and that Kayla is the heir to the dark throne. She was sent to another place (present earth) by her aunts and it was her late father's wish that his trusted knight Waylan find his offspring and deliver her back to her fulfill her destiny. All of the modern technologies have been converted to other things and Kayla's tablet is now a strange animal familiar, who helps her to navigate this strange new land. The small party journeys to the castle, picking up others along the way, and eventually reach their destination, only to find it in a dilapidated shape. Kayla is introduced to other members of the family, that she didn't know existed, as well as other castle and town folks. She learns who to trust as she taps into her magic and figures out how best to proceed. Should Kayla be as evil as her father in order to hold onto power? How can she prove herself to the rest of the kingdom? Most of all, will Kayla and her family ever return home?

Here is a welcome new title from fantasy geru Wrede of Dealing with Dragons fame. Much like in her other titles, Wrede offer a strong female protagonist, lots of magical elements, and gentle humor infused with the action to lighten the mood. And yes--there are dragons, though not the fly-through-the-air traditional types. Young readers will enjoy fantasizing about their own lives if they were also transported to a magical world, where they inherit the Dark Throne. Kayla puts her own spin on the title and has the presence of mind to stay true to herself even though there are expectations on all sides pressuring her about the next step. The premise alone will draw in readers and make the story instantly relatable. My complaints are that there a lot of characters to keep straight and the story felt a bit long. The journey to the castle seemed like a completely different book from Kayle's adventures once at the castle. This story could serve as a stand-alone or a series starter, in which case maybe it could have been broken up into two adventures. I like that there are mysteries to be solved, such as the identity of Kayla's birth mother. Readers will love to fantasize about their own "dark" adventures and maybe look around for their own knights to whisk them away to their own dark destinies.

Super Boba Cafe

Super Boba Cafe
Nidhi Chanani
Amulet, October, 2023
216 pages
Grades 4-7
Graphic Novel

Aria travels to San Francisco to spend time with her Grandmother, Nainai, to help out at her boba cafe. As much as they want to see the sights, much of the time is spent at the cafe. Aria has a great idea on how to expand the sleepy business after the store cat has kittens--inviting customers to play with kittens as they enjoy their boba. She also has ideas about expanding the flavor selection, but Nainai is reluctant to change. Both ladies have secrets. Eventually we find out the real reason that Aria was sent to San Francisco and that is one mystery solved. But why does Nainai escape to a backroom everyday and won't let Aria in? Eventually Aria discovers the truth behind Nainai's secret disappearances and how it all ties in with the very nature of the city. Can Aria help her in the mission to keep the city safe? And what is up with all the prairie dogs who arrive at the cafe's doorstep every evening? All secrets are revealed by book's end and Aria and Nainai learn to trust each other in order to fix past hurts and move forward into the future.

I feel like it's a boba summer! Everywhere I look a new shop or stand is opening, selling the delicious concoctions. As a huge fan of the drink, I absolutely had to read this upcoming graphic novel by one of my favorite creators of Pashmina fame. This is a story blending real-life problems (social media, friendship drama, loneliness, business troubles) with fantasy. The emergence of the boba monster, which explains away the San Francisco earthquakes, is pretty cool and unexpected. I easily made the transition into fantasy and was all in for the ride. Aria, who was beaten down by a horrible school year, finds her voice and courage as she battles the monster and increases business in Nainai's shop. Eventually, she allows herself to open herself again to others and make a friend. The illustrations are full-color, cartoon-like, and easily scanned. The target audience will appreciate the format, plot and delivery. Mystery undertones about the identity of the monster will keep readers turning pages up to the satisfying conclusion. Much like the titled drink, this new graphic novel is sure to be a hit!

Grounded

Grounded
Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow, & S.K. Ali
Amulet, 2023
253 pages
Grades 4-7
Mystery

Four authors pen the voices of four different Muslim tweens who are "grounded" at a fictional airport after a national Muslim conference. All four young people are from different backgrounds and have never met, yet share the same religious identity, though are on different places of the path of their faith. Hanna, animal lover extraordinaire, is terrified of her father remarrying and is dodging any serious conversation with him. When she becomes aware that a cat is missing at the airport where she is stranded, it becomes her mission to locate poor Snickerdoodle, eventually pulling in the other kids. Feek is a budding rapper, much like his famous and way too busy father. He wants to hone his craft, except he is always having to mind his rambunctious little sister Raqi. Sami has little self-confidence and is riddled with anxiety. He only feels confident while practicing Karate, yet thanks to this change in plans, he is going to miss an important tournament. Nora's mother is an upper level politician, who is so busy that she can't get her only daughter's birthday right. That's okay-at least Nora has her NokNok followers who love her-or do they? Follow these four unlikely friends as they try to track down a missing cat, all while causing commotion at the airport.

Grounded presents a fun and diverting summer read, all while providing much needed Muslim representation in children's literature. The four voices are all unique and capture their characters effortlessly, all within the framework of a coherent story. The different authors/narrators manage to keep the plot moving without repetition, while providing ever-changing points of view to the action. At times suspenseful, while at other times sincere and heartbreaking, the authors also manage to inject humor to lighten some of the important messages of family dynamics, friends troubles, identity, and growing up. All of the characters are facing family problems, which they manage to work out with their grown-ups by book's end. Not everything is neatly sewn up, yet the reader is left with a sense of hope and the road to healing in every character's situation. And the cat? This umbrella plot is resolved in the best possible way with unexpected allies helping out and a very sweet reward as a payoff. Grounded is the perfect book to read while traveling and reads best in an airport. Toss a copy in the carry-on of your favorite tween.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Chris Grabenstein
Douglas Holgate, Illustrator
Random House, November, 2023
258 pages
Grades 3-6
Graphic Novel

Kyle Keeley loves games, especially those of eccentric hometown hero, Luigi Lemoncello. Kyle plays hard. He is even not afraid to break windows, if that means beating his brothers at games. When Mr. Lemoncello offers an essay contest to pick a group of kids to compete in an actual scavenger hunt within the walls of his new library, Kyle knows he has to win. Despite a remarkably lame essay, Kyle is chosen and is challenged to find the clues to escape the new library, which is housed in an old bank, where robbers escaped many years ago. Can Kyle solve the clues and puzzles to figure out the robber's escape route? Not alone he can't! Kyle teams up with some of the other contestants to create a team, proving that teamwork is dreamwork. Meanwhile, the class rich-kid/bully is also a competitor and will stop at nothing to win. Do Kyle and his team have a chance against Charles' dirty-dealings? State of the art technology, mind-busting puzzles, and even holograph librarians await in this now-classic library adventure.

Ten years after the publication of it's classic predecessor, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library gets the graphic novel treatment. The plot primarily stay the same, though a bit watered down, and the action never stops. Holgate's full-color illustrations match the lively nature of the text and will draw-in a new audience of reluctant readers. The characters are more or less how I saw them in my head and I enjoyed the graphic rendition. I love that Grabenstein gets reader's brains turning with puzzles to solve and clever puns hidden within the text in plain sight. I also like the messages of teamwork and fair play. The nice kids are rewarded and the sneaky ones punished. Kids appreciate that kind of justice. Readers will identify with underachieving Kyle, who serves as the perfect "every-man" in the competition. Ten years later the series continues to delight and this new rendition will connect with a whole new audience, who will (hopefully) continue on in the series of standard fiction.

A Work in Progress

A Work in Progress
Jarrett Lerner
Aladdin, 2023
368 pages
Grades 5-8
Narrative Poetry

Will's life changes in fourth grade when a school bully calls him "fat" in front of a hall full of kids. Suddenly, Will realizes that the accusation must be true and that he must be a disgusting human being. Will goes home and destroys all of his clothes so that his mother will take him shopping and he can get everything to be baggy on his frame. Will slowly distances himself from his friends and starts a spiral of depression, distorted body image, and disordered eating. Now in middle school, Will is lonely and paranoid, knowing that the world must think that he is a monster. One day, while eating lunch alone behind the school, a boy comes by to ride his skateboard. Markus keeps coming and eventually starts talking to Will and shares his story. Will listens, still reluctant to trust Markus with his own tale, and tries to keep him at arm's length. One day the constant starving himself catches up with Will and he passes out in the hall at school. Will Markus still want to be his friend? Will the other kids hate him even worse? Can Will keep living his secretly miserable life indefinitely?

This is a very sad fictionalized memoir based on the author's actual experiences that will appeal to readers who like this sort of thing. The poems are beautiful and sincere. Reader's hearts will break as they spend time in Will's shoes and will certainly empathize with his situation. Kids with similar troubles will find this book to be a game-changer and others will become more sympathetic to peers after reading. The plot is somewhat linear and clear-cut, making this book an easy, if difficult in content, read. The format is fun. The story appears to be Will's notebook with lined paper pages and sketches throughout drawn by Will. Because of the formating, the book reads very quickly, though packing a large emotional punch. I had to put the book down a few times because I was getting too upset by it, but finally had to finish the story to make sure that Will was okay. I found the parents frustrating for most of the story, but they ended up to be allies in Will's healing once they discovered the extent of his troubles. The ending is ultimately hopeful, though not perfect, and readers will leave with a sense that the troubled protagonist is on the road to recovery. This story will fill a much needed hole in school and library middle grade collections.