Category: Friendship - READING STYLE GUIDE

The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix

1/11/2022

The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix

What's What and What's Not

Numerous books by Haddix feature children attempting to survive in anomalous societies. They include Among the Hidden (a third child forbidden by the Population Police) and Running Out of Time (a girl from the future who must save her 1800's community from a deadly disease). The author’s latest story presents an ingenious concept: coexistence of humans and androids.

Young Max leads a protected life. To craft the perfect childhood, his wealthy parents enroll him in a school where his classmates are remarkably realistic androids, programmed to act like "normal" children. Max doesn't know this school is a carefully constructed environment.

Max and Josie are classmates and best friends. One day Josie leaves Max a startling note, "No matter what anyone tells you, I'm real."

Readers learn that young Josie was recruited to pretend to be an android at Max's school. But that's only the first of many plot twists. Things get "curiouser and curiouser." Josie looks for answers to her questions: who is behind the Whatnot Corporation and why were the two friends placed in this bizarre school?

The omniscient narrator occasionally breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience, eventually disclosing the identity of several mysterious individuals. Shocking plot revelations scattered throughout the text will keep middle grade readers swiftly turning pages.
It's a story of friendship, a biting commentary of class divisions, an examination of technology's side effects, and a relentless search for truth. The School for Whatnots is entertaining reading that can invite serious discussions about what it means to be human. Don't miss this one. Haddix is at the top of her game.

Audio copy accessed via Net Galley.

Pub date: March 1, 2022 Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books ISBN: 978-0062838490

Animal Friends

11/23/2021

Amos McGee Misses the Bus by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead

Beloved picture book character Amos McGee is back with a new story. Caldecott Award-winning duo Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead revisit this gentle zookeeper as he plans a special outing for his animal friends.

McGee is so involved with these preparations that exhaustion eventually sets in. He nods off at the bus stop and misses his ride. Eventually he arrives at work but falls asleep on the job.

His animal friends note their keeper’s exhaustion and decide to assume his duties. Elephant picks up a broom, turtle retrieves a forgotten hat, owl offers visitors important conservation guidelines, and rhinoceros feeds smaller animals. While the others are hard at work, thoughtful penguin ensures that their caretaker rests without disruptions.

Philip C. Stead's text glows with understated charm. The juxtaposition of large animals performing small jobs is part of the book's appeal. Erin E. Stead's line drawings paired with woodcut prints add just the right touch of whimsy. Her illustrations are filled with hidden surprises. Readers will observe that a teddy bear, bunny slippers, tiny mouse and bird inhabit the zookeeper's home, a fitting homage to his occupation. Turtle’s progress throughout the pages ingeniously marks the passage of time.

While it is possible to analyze the book, locating themes of friendship, forgiveness, helpfulness, and cooperation, perhaps like Amos McGee, it is best to keep things simple. This is a quiet little gem, to be savored and shared. It retains its charm with subsequent readings. Readers will love the characters, the dilemma, and the resolution. Quite simply, Amos McGee Misses the Bus is a book to love. Over and over again.

The Stead's have one more sweet surprise: a giraffe! His long neck rises above the sunroof, the foliage forming a heart shape. Note the license plate, soaring balloon, and bird mouse duo closing out the scene. So many charming touches to be discovered.

Illustration Technique: Wood block printing

Erin E. Stead explains the process of wood block printing. Try making prints using Styrofoam plates. Off the Shelf offers an online printmaking tutorial.

Electronic copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: November 23, 2021 Publisher: Roaring Brook Press ISBN: 978-1250213228

A Tale of Two Worlds

11/20/2021

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

“Recuerda nuestra historia.” Remember our history.

Little Badger has done it again: creating another storytelling marvel. Seemingly unconnected narratives spanning over eight years and alternating between two distinctive worlds are magically woven together.

Cottonmouth snake Oli lives in the Reflecting World, home of spirits and monsters. He is devastated when his friend Ami, a small spotted toad, disappears. Oli recruits three spirit animals who can assume human form to help him search for Ami who is gravely ill and faces possible extinction. The companions leave the Reflecting World and "fall" to Earth, hoping to locate and save one small toad.

On Earth, sixteen-year-old Nina is puzzled by comments made by her Great-Great-Grandma Rosita and seeks answers from her Grandma. Both women are an enigma. Why do animals mysteriously recover in Grandma’s presence? What accounts for Rosita’s unusually long life?

When a major hurricane is projected to make landfall near Grandma’s South Texas property, Nina along with her father and the spirit animals join forces to save Grandma’s home from destruction.

The two worlds are well delineated. Characters are fully formed with unique personalities. The narrative sparkles with numerous charming details: a nearsighted snake who wears spectacles, a cantankerous alligator with a score to settle, a father habitually consuming all the chocolates in the candy dish, a grandmother who delights in gifting garage sale purchases.

The story's conclusion is dramatic, taking on mythic proportions. A devasting hurricane. A species facing extinction. A mysterious individual who seems inordinately interested in Grandma’s property. Impossible odds.
Extraordinary forces are at work here: the ability to shape nature and the overarching power of love. A Snake Falls to Earth, a 2021 National Book Award longlist selection, is a fascinating tale and a literary masterpiece.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: November 23, 2021 Publisher: Levine Querido ISBN: 978-1646140923

Her Immigrant Story

10/15/2021

Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

High school senior Milagros Vargas' life has not been easy. But she has learned to cope, caring for her three younger siblings while her immigrant mother works long hours as a housekeeper, cook, and nanny for the Wheelers, prominent members of the Corpus Christi social elite.

In addition to family responsibilities, Millie has maintained a stellar academic record, earning a full scholarship to Stanford.

She has learned to keep a low profile. Her anonymity evaporates when Mr. Wheeler, in a bid for a congressional seat, reveals during a campaign speech that his housekeeper's daughter fled Guatemala with her parents, sought asylum, attained U.S. citizenship and is now an immigrant success story.

Milagros becomes the subject of news reports and internet trolls. Quiet, never-make-waves Millie is thrust into the spotlight, a position she never wanted. Media coverage as well as threats directed at her and her family intensify.

Eventually, she must decide if she will remain silent or speak out.

A strength of Mickelson's storytelling can be found in the details of Millie's personal interactions with her widowed mother whom she adores and does not want to disappoint, a younger sister who has to go to the bathroom at an inconvenient time, and the handsome Charlie Wheeler who suddenly seems interested in her.

Where I Belong is a richly layered narrative that explores headline-grabbing issues and the dynamics of personal relationships.

Audio copy accessed via Hoopla.

Pub date: September 7, 2021 Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab ISBN: 978-1541597976

Bezerkered!

9/28/2021

Barb the Last Bezerker by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson

“I’m a Bezerker and protecting humans from monsters is my duty.”

Thunder, Boulder, Claymore, and Arrow are Berzerkers, super-sized heroes who fight to protect the land from monsters. Unfortunately, this foursome’s brawn often exceeds their reasoning skills. Their nemesis Witch Head is intent on destroying all who thwart his plan for total domination over monsters and humans. He tricks the Berzerkers into helping him obtain Shadow Blade, a sword of awesome power.

In all the chaos, no one notices Barb, a Berzerker who is considered an inconsequential girl. That was a mistake!

With one swift movement, Barb grabs the sword, claims it, and teams up with a 400 pound Yeti-like monster named Porkchop. She is in search of the North Zerks. He’s looking for lunch.

Along the way she meets vampire goat fiends, the Grub of Death, shadow bats, and Glom, a Snot Goblin. Not to worry, Barb the Last Berzerker is up to the challenge.

Barb longs for her mother, a woman who loves sunrises and leaves warm oatmeal for her daughter when she must go fight in the Monster Wars. She is able to connect with her warrior mom as she sleeps. There are hints that in further episodes the two will meet.

When you need a fighter who is willing to take on an impossible task, you need Barb, a diminutive Bezerker who is fearless. She will always have your back and she never backs down from bullies.

"Big mean bullies are my specialty."

This is a terrific series packed with cliff-hanger chapter endings, plently of action, and a ton of "groan-worthy" jokes. The oversized panels often span the gutter. A traditional primary color scheme often used in superhero comics is scrapped for secondary colors: orange, green, and purple. The message is that is no ordinary superhero story. Come for the weird monsters, the action and adventure. Stay for an unlikely friendship that is golden. This series is off to an explosive start. Thanks Dan and Jason.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 28, 2021Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books Young Readers ISBN: 978-1534485716

Aftermath

8/17/2021

AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler

Lucy loves math. She loves precise definitions and phenomena that can be explained. She loves solutions.

There is one aspect that does not fit into her world view of calculations and exact answers. Her younger brother Theo was born with a heart defect. His short life was filled with doctors and hospitals and treatments. Now he is gone, leaving behind grieving parents and his sister Lucy.

Mom and dad decide that the best way to cope with their loss is to move to a new town. They select a city that has suffered a profound loss. Four years ago, a deranged shooter entered the elementary school, killing and injuring many inside the building.

Lucy’s anguish as she witnessed her brother's painfilled demise stretch over five years is both similar and very different from the public tragedy that instantly affected the entire community.

Isler's characters provide a variety of perspectives on the aftereffects of grief. Lucy's father withdraws, remaining in bed or behind his newspaper. Her mother visits with a therapist and busies herself with making the family home fresh and different. Lucy learns that the bedroom in her new home was the bedroom of Bet who was a shooting victim. She develops an internal storyline for Bet. By chance, Lucy connects with Avery, a classmate who appears to be a pariah. Later, Lucy discovers that Avery's brother was the shooter.

The one place where Lucy feels most comfortable is math class, a world of formulas and equations. However, there is one concept that eludes her: infinity. Lucy searches to understand this mathematical expression throughout the book. The text is brimming with math facts, riddles and jokes which are a counterpoint to the story's heart-rending subject matter.

While this is a story of grief and loss, AfterMath is a hopeful story. Through an extracurricular mime group Lucy learns new ways to express herself, make friends, and solidify her relationship with Avery. Her family begins to heal.
A touching story that avoids becoming maudlin. The author’s narration is well suited to the voice of a tender twelve-year-old. Occasionally a title is precisely the perfect fit. AfterMath is a brilliant title choice.

Audio copy accessed via NetGalley.

Pub date: September 7, 2021 Publisher: Carolrhoda Books ISBN: 978-1541599116

Pluto-the-Person

7/12/2021

How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby

Yes, I'm broken, Pluto thought. Just let me be broken and leave me alone.

Thirteen-year-old Pluto and her mom are confronted with a challenging situation: understanding and coping with Pluto's recent diagnosis of depression and anxiety.

Her mother is terrified when her daughter completely withdraws, is unable to sustain long-established friendships and can no longer attend school.

Pluto alternates between constantly sleeping and lashing out at others, particularly her mother. Activities she enjoyed such as visiting the planetarium and spending time on the boardwalk are no longer interesting or entertaining.

She was tired of trying. She was tired of her mom's desperate, eager eyes. She was tired of all of it.

There are similarities between How to Become a Planet and Melleby's debut novel Hurricane Season. Both explore the tenuous relationship between a parent and child as they deal with mental illness. While her early book chronicles a young girl struggling with her father's illness, her current novel reverses the situation. A mother must come to grips with her daughter’s depression.

Pluto-the-Person discovers that like the former planet Pluto, her status seems to have shifted. Over the course of the book her world alters in significant ways. She connects with a girl whose family owns a Jersey Shore business and finds that their developing friendship holds the possibility of romance. She visits her father and his girlfriend in New York City and learns that his partner copes with a mental disorder. She begins tutoring sessions with a sympathetic woman and attempts another session with a therapist. Pluto also make the surprising discovery: her grandmother lived with a mental illness.

By summer's end, Pluto is able to acknowledge some realities. A list of goals does not work for her. She must find what helps her and avoid unrealistic expectations. She wants to repair her relationships with her mother and her best friend. She hopes to explore the possibility of romance. She has the support of her parents, her friends, her tutor, and her therapist. Learning to live with depression will take time. There will be setbacks. That is okay.

Melleby's explorations of mental illness and how it affects family life are stories of everyday people facing real problems. Life is a struggle, but not without hope.

You still are Pluto...You just need to learn how to care for and accept this new understanding of you.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: May 25, 2021 Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers ISBN: 978-1643750361

Look What Popped Up

6/22/2021

Popcorn Bob
by Maranke Rinck art by Martijn van der Linden translator Nancy Forest-Flier

Something as insignificant as a kernel of corn can be the genesis for a wild adventure. Rinck and van der Linden have created a fantasy series about a walking, talking, cowboy-hat-wearing oversized seed with a voracious appetite and an "explosive" personality. He goes by the name of Popcorn Bob.

Nine-year-old Ellis, the family’s popcorn aficionado, discovers this salty oddity inside the microwave when she pops up an afternoon snack for her dads, who work from home developing new rubber duckies.

Ellis’ life takes a disastrous turn when her teacher informs her parents that the school is emphasizing healthy eating. This means that there will be cauliflower in the cake and, most importantly, no more popcorn. Ellis resorts to sneaking out to the garage to secretly satisfy her popcorn cravings.

An even larger problem is Bob, who is brash and demanding. He will not remain quietly in Ellis's pocket and resorts to earsplitting outbursts when hungry. He even devours a candy bar on the principal’s desk.

Life becomes increasingly bizarre. The dads conduct a business meeting with one hundred rubber ducks on the office floor. Bob attempts to herd a flock of wayward sheep. Ellis eventually leaves town with the microwave strapped to the back of her bike. It’s zany fun to the max.

After more hijinks and close calls, the story resolves with the dads relenting and reinstating popcorn as a family snack.

Kids will gobble up this series. It's as addictive as a bowl of hot buttered popcorn.
Good news! More Bob adventures are planned.

Line drawings are liberally sprinkled throughout the text. They are an integral part of the story, chock full personality and inside jokes.

Popcorn Treats!

Listen to a sample

Like Ellis, I am a popcorn enthusiast. Unlike Ellis, I prefer popping the kernels with my old fashioned popcorn popper. With a bit of oil, the kernels expand and the glorious popping sound begins. The kitchen fills with the tantalizing aroma. Top it off with melted butter and salt and you have snacktime perfection.

When I want to get fancy, I rely on the Caramel Corn Recipe from my friend's mother. It's a sure-fire hit. Everyone begs for more. Thank you Lynne.

You can find her recipe here.

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 20, 2021 Publisher: Levine Querido ISBN: 978-1646140404

Bird's-eye View

5/21/2021

Homer on the Case by Henry Cole

Meet Homer, a carrier pigeon with extraordinary abilities. He always finds his way home, even when he must travel long distances. He also possesses a most unusual trait: Homer reads.

It began when he noticed the newspapers lining his cage. Homer recognized people and places in the newspaper’s photos. Eventually this smart bird connected the pictures with their printed captions. Viola! He became a reader. In addition to news reports, Homer discovered the funny pages and now follows the exploits of comic strip detective Dick Tracey.

Enter a partner: Homer meets Lulu, a parrot who perches on the shoulder of her owner Charlotte. The birds become fast friends and look forward to friendly avian conversations whenever their owners are in the park.

A series of outdoor jewelry thefts come to the attention of Homer and Lulu. They decide to investigate the robberies.

The story’s premise is ingenious. A pigeon has a bird’s-eye view to possible crimes and can fly around, gathering evidence without arousing suspicion. His accomplice has an extensive human vocabulary. These savvy spies find clues and piece together the evidence. Here's the complication: Homer and Lulu must communicate their discoveries, reveal the perpetrators, and recover the stolen jewelry. There is an element of danger, but these are brave little detectives. Homer on the Case is an engaging sleuthing adventure for young readers. Let's hope that there will be more mysteries for this detective duo.

Listen to the author read as he draws a pigeon.

Learn some surprising facts about homing pigeons.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 1, 2021 Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company ISBN: 978-1682632543

Applelicious

5/14/2021

Apple of My Pie by Mika Song

Norma and Belly are back with another delectable adventure. Last year the squirrels discovered donuts. Now they venture into the world of pies. Apple pies.

Gramps and Little Bee visit the local farmers' market and unfortunately Gramps falls asleep in a truckload of apples bound for the factory. This could be trouble! Little Bee enlists Norma and Belly to help rescue Gramps from what could be a dismal fate: A squirrel baked inside an apple pie.

The rescuers travel to the Crunchy Acres apple orchard and processing plant. Their search for Gramps lands them in a vat of apples that are about to become pie filling.
There is plenty of clever word play. The squirrels are dumped onto a conveyor with an incline. They note that “things are looking up.” Norma escapes from the apple peeling apparatus and exclaims “that was a close shave.”

This charming tale of friendship is jam-packed with special touches. Fans of Donut Feed the Squirrels will notice cameo appearances from some familiar characters. Song brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, tying together the worlds of humans and squirrels. Apple of My Pie is a delicious treat not to be missed.

More Yummy Books from Mika Song

Just For Fun

Why not create your own tree populated with squirrels? Author Mika Song provides a tree template to download and print. She suggests filling the tree with fingerprints.
Then add details to each tiny print to personalize the furry creatures.
Will Nora, Belly, Gramps, and Little Bee have a place on the branches?

Try making mini apples pies. Fill a small oven-safe jar with your favorite apple pie filling. I used an unusual recipe which features orange and apple juices cooked with apple slices. Details here.
Top with a circle of pie crust pastry. Crimp the edges and pop in a hot oven (about 425) until the pastry is lightly browned. For an easy version, fill jars with precooked filling and top with a crumbled oatmeal cookie. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. It’s a sweet little mouthful of apple goodness.

Electronic copy accessed via NetGalley.

Pub date: June 8, 2021Publisher: Random House Grapic ISBN: 978-1984895851