Category: Social Issues

Facing Your Fears

4/20/2022

The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown read by Bahni Turpin

Celeste has never overcome her fear of swimming. This twelve-year-old tried lessons but failed miserably. Now her phobia takes on mammoth proportions when she and her brother spend a week at her grandparents’ house. Their home features access to a lake!

In addition to Celeste's fear of the water, she soon discovers that her grandparents’ home is haunted. There is a flickering light in an empty room, an unseen hand touching her shoulder, a relative’s face appearing in the mirror, and unexplained shattering glass.
When Celeste sees a photograph of her great aunt, she is shocked to discover she looks just like her Great Aunt Ellie. She suspects that her aunt may be the ghost. When she asks her grandparents about her aunt, they say little to alleviate Celeste’s worries. Instead, they reassure their granddaughter that Ellie never did and never would never hurt anyone.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook.

Celeste is terrified. Her fear of swimming is now compounded by paranormal phenomena . This family vacation is becoming a nightmare. What does the spirit want? Why do her grandparents seem oblivious to is this other-worldly apparition? Celeste searches for answers and tries to protect herself and her family from this ghost.

With each eerie manifestation, Brown ratchets up the tension. Readers will emphasize with Celeste when she makes a panic-stricken call to her parents stating I want to go home. Now!

Caring adults come to the rescue, identifying individual fears and teaching youngsters lessons from history.

Eventually the children learn a reason for the fear of swimming. This dates to segregation practices in the United States when Blacks were not permitted to swim in "white's only" public swimming facilities. These policies prevented youngsters from learning to swim and exacerbated fear of swimming pools.

Turpin's narration, with individual voicing for each character brings the tale to life. She skillful reveals the progression of Celeste's mindset from uncertainty and puzzlement to a full-on panic attack in this audio performance.

The Girl in the Lake, a spine-tingling tale of facing fear and learning lessons from the past.

Pandemic Life

4/19/2022

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New From Here by Kelly Yang

People look at you and see a white kid. They look at me, and they see…a virus carrier.

With the onset of COVID 19, the Wei-Evans family faces a major upheaval. Mom and her three children abruptly leave home and family in Hong Kong and return to California, hoping to avoid exposure to the virus sweeping throughout Asian. Dad will remain working in Hong Kong with the family dog to keep him company.

Life in California is not what they expected. Protective masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing are the norm. Groceries and household goods, especially toilet paper, are in short supply. After a period of in person instruction, schools initiate virtual classrooms. Mom loses her job. Money is tight.

The family’s story is told through the eyes of ten-year-old Knox, whose ADHD heightens his impulsivity, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating. Viewing the pandemic through his eyes gives the story a unique perspective. Knox has his own way of seeing the world, which at times can be a bonus but in some situations is a problem.

He knows his race, culture, and medical condition mark him as different from his classmates. What would be a small slip-up for other kids, spirals into a major disaster for Knox.

What’s gotten into that kid? I look down. The pain is almost unbearable. It’s a question I’ve been asking myself my whole life.

Knox’s narrative exudes with his frustrations along with his sense humor and an appreciation for the absurd. A dinosaur costume is an example of his unconventional and clever way of looking at a situation.

The children miss their father. It is particularly hard for Knox, as dad was the one who always had his son's back. The kids decide that the best way to reunite the family is to raise enough money to pay for dad's airfare to California. They sell unwanted items in a garage sale. Unfortunately, an item that they consider "unwanted" is a family treasure. Next they brainstorm, creating a social media account for dad and systematically searching the online job postings, posing as their father. Misunderstandings and complications naturally ensue.

Yang handles heavy subject matter with just the right touch of hard reality, disappointment, heartwarming moments, and delightful humor. Her clever descriptions sparkle throughout the narrative.

It feels like a Double-Double burger of I-screwed-up.

While the story centers on life during a pandemic, the narrative explores important topics such as family separation, racism, sibling rivalry, unemployment, adapting to a new environment, and living with ADHD. These issues transcend the current pandemic crisis, giving New From Here a timeless quality.

Life is hard enough already. But if we’re not kind to each other, it’s a double whammy of hard.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March 1, 2022 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers ISBN: 978-1534488304

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Know When to Hold. When to Fold.

3/30/2022

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Playing the Cards You're Dealt
by Varian Johnson read by Dion Graham

Johnson and Graham deliver in Spades

Anthony Joplin has been dealt a tough hand. He’s short. Hence the nickname Ant. He wants to play in the community Spades tournament, but his partner dropped out. Ant’s only option is a girl. She's a shrewd card player. But she's a girl!
However, he has a more pressing problem: his father is addicted to gambling and alcohol. Ant finds dad staying up all night, playing online poker and taking swigs of some mystery liquid in a red plastic cup. His first reaction is to ignore and rationalize his father’s behavior, then to make excuses and try to protect his dad.

He is torn. When is silence the wrong response? Is keeping his father's addictions secret the act of a loyal son? Would talking to his mother about his father be a betrayal?

Listen to an audio clip.

Ant's older brother discloses a crucial moment in Ant's childhood that demonstrates the extent of his father's illness. His mother and brother remain a constant support. While they love Ant's father, they cannot condone his behavior.

The heart of the story is a boy’s emerging realization that addiction is tearing a huge hole in the fabric of his family. Ant must come to terms with his father’s addictions. Can you love someone when trust is broken?

Johnson delivers another middle grade story brimming with a cast of characters so real they seem jump off the pages. His characteristic wry sense of humor shines as Ant faces playground taunts, overly-attentive parents, a first crush, and sibling rivalry. This ten-year-old learns that his upstanding mother who cannot cook, his high-achieving brother, and surprisingly, the girl who trounced him at Spades have his back. Always.

The audiobook edition of Playing With the Cards You’re Dealt received the 2022 Audie Award for Middle Grade. Graham delivers a masterful performance. Each character has a unique voice, revealing a distinct personality from the mother dealing with a critical blow to the stability of her family, a kind older brother, a father struggling with addiction, to venerable ten-year-old Ant.

Graham’s narrative skills are consistent throughout the narrative. Pacing is superb. Of special note is the voice of Roland, Ant’s father. While the father’s voice remains in character, there is a noticeable change in the delivery as he slides deeper into the world of alcoholism. When Roland is intoxicated, enmeshed in gambling, or caught in a lie, Graham infuses the voice with an attempt at smooth talking that devolves into hostility and belligerence.
Playing With the Cards You're Dealt covers a lot of territory: Johnson neatly weaves contemporary middle school life with heart wrenching effects of addiction. It’s winning combination.

Electronic copy accessed via Audible.

Pub date: October 5, 2021 Publisher: Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 978-1338780949

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Water Crisis

1/21/2022

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When the World Runs Dry: Earth's Water in Crisis
by Nancy F. Castaldo

Everything is connected.

Providing sufficient potable water to meet the needs of a parched world is an ongoing challenge. Like a detective, Castaldo searches for insights and solutions to this global crises.

When the World Runs Dry: Earth’s Water in Crisis opens with an examination of water pollution due to lead, coal production, fracking, pesticides, fertilizer, sewage, pharmaceuticals, and harmful bacteria. Some of these factors such as lead contamination have received extensive news coverage. Some less. Case in point: In 2003 scientists discovered more than three-quarters of Chesapeake Bay smallmouth-bass had female egg cells growing inside male reproductive organs. The fish were ingesting synthetic estrogen found in waterways.

Basic information is supported with photographs, case studies, quotations, personal accounts, background, call out boxes, political implications, a variety of examples from around the globe, and financial details.

In addition to water quality, this informational book for tweens and teens describes other stressors affecting the earth’s water crisis including decreased water supply, climate change, and societal or political conflicts.

Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

The famous Coleridge line is a reminder that the occurrence of tropical storms, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other global water-related phenomena often result in flooding and rising seas, adding to the world's water stress.

A strength of the book is the call-to-action suggestions embedded throughout the narrative. The concluding chapter, "You Can Make a Difference" offers easy-to-implement ideas such as "Take shorter showers. You can save gallons of water by taking a five-minute shower instead of an eight-minute shower." Project ideas include instructions for making a rain barrel or growing your own garden. Profiles of young "Water Warriors" and a list of water protecting organizations will inspire readers.

Extensive back matter consists of Acknowledgements, thorough Source Notes arranged by chapter, an Index, Resources including Calendar items, Videos,, Books, Activities, and a Glossary.

Companion Titles

Explore these water-focused Activity Guides intended for younger readers written by Nancy F. Castaldo

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: January 18, 2022 Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers ISBN: 978-1616209711

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To Be Human

1/11/2022

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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

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Past Present Future

11/5/2021

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We Overcome Shall Overcome by Bryan Collier

She’s dressed in yellow, proudly displaying a peace symbol on a fresh green leaf. Collier’s extraordinary picture book pays homage to the past, illuminates the present, and inspires hope for the future. Text is based on the gospel song which became a Civil Rights anthem.

We Shall Overcome opens with a young girl rising to begin a new day. Readers follow her as she leaves her home, walking through the community before boarding a bus bound for school. She travels against a backdrop of historic figures and sites shown in shades of black and gray. The nameless faces of countless individuals can be seen within each step she takes. The message is clear: people and events from the past determine where she will go, what she can do, who she will become.

One of the most touching scenes takes place on the bus. Rosa Parks sits alone on the bus. The page turn features a a closeup of several hands clasped together. People united, no longer separated or excluded.

Back matter offers rich resources including the history of the song "We Shall Overcome," background information on several seminal moments in the Civil Rights Movement: 16th Street Baptist Church, Rosa Parks on the bus in 1955, the Little Rock Central High School, and the Black Lives Matter Mural. A brief description of the artist's process eloquently expresses the message of justice, equality and peace. Compelling message. Powerful book.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: December 28, 2021 Publisher: Orchard Books ISBN: 978-1338540376

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Her Immigrant Story

10/15/2021

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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

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Japanese Classic

10/13/2021

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How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshino
translated by Bruno Navasky forward by Neil Gaiman

Genzaburō Yoshino's literary classic is now available in English. Published in 1937, this exploration of science and history, cowardice and bravery, morality and friendship has enthralled generations of readers.

Jun’ichi Honda is known to his friends as Copper. His uncle started referring to him as Copernicus when his perseptions began to shift from "the world revolves around me" mindset to a Copernican model of oneself and the universe. Eventually Copernicus was shortened to Copper.

Copper is a charming young man. Small in stature, he often seems younger than his years. After the death of his father, he spends time with his uncle, sharing his observations and questions. This uncle expands on these interactions in his journal. The narrative alternates between a narrator who speaks directly to readers and the uncle’s journal entries written as advice to his nephew.

It is easy to empathize with this slight young man who lives alone with his mother following the death of his father. He sees wonder in the world. He also puzzles over conflicting and confusing ideas.

Copper is all-too -human. His friendships brush aside class distinctions. However, at one critical point in the story he knows that he should stand up for a friend but is paralyzed with fear and does not defend his classmate. The shame he feels for his failure to act is crushing. Working through his guilt, acknowledging his mistake, and attempting to rectify his error constitute a pivotal plot point.

The political sections, particularly the passages where the uncle expounds on the leadership of Napoleon, are rather lengthy. Younger readers may be unfamiliar with this historical figure.

As Neil Gaiman states in his forward to How Do You Live? this is a strange book, and such a wise book.
It transcends conventional definitions of a specific genre or audience. This story examines the universal question of what it means to be human. A book that expands the mind and the heart.

Gather your courage, Copper, and do what you must.

Internationally acclaimed Japanese animator, director, and manga artist Hayao Miyzki has announced that his next and possibly last film will be an animated retelling of How Do You Live.

While this film will attract manga and anime fans, the universal themes and captivating storytelling of this Japanese classic will appeal to a wide audience.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: October 26, 2021 Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers ISBN: 978-1616209773

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Adventures in Science

8/31/2021

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AstroNuts Mission Three: The Perfect Planet
by Jon Scieszka art by Steven Weinberg

This is science on steroids

Premise: Earth may be doomed! Climate change is destroying the planet. A rag tag group of four super-powered animals have a plan. They determine that the cause of earth’s problems began with the advent of fire. Solution: Go back in time and prevent man from discovering and using fire.

The foursome learn that a million years ago earth was ecologically balanced. It was The Perfect Planet. They reason that if humans are responsible for the current conditions on earth, maybe another species should be in charge.

That brings them to Survival of the Fittest Olympics which pits wolves against humans. The winners will be the dominant species and the losers will be pets for the winners. Humans are confident that they will win with hydropower, wind power, solar power, and geothermal power. That's a lot of power.

This science-based series is jam-packed with wild and crazy exploits. The narrative is replete with word play, silliness, wolfish trash talk and poop jokes.

It felt like doing long division with a mirror, underwater.

Stink Bug, as always, got a bit nervous and accidentally unleashed his superpower PFFT (Posterior Foul Force) Gas Defense System.

Tiny callout boxes at the bottom of some pages reveal interesting factoids. The illustrations are a collage of images from the public domain that are enhanced with word balloons, eye-popping backgrounds, and clever doodles. Readers can make their own collages using these online sources: How the Book Was Made and Make Your Own Art.
Kudos to the creative minds behind this colossal book design.

My advice: Get multiple copies of this series. It will fly off the shelves. Kids will take this book everywhere. You'll find it stowed under bleachers, buried beneath sofa cushions, squashed in a gym bag with smelly socks. Who knew that science could be so much fun and so funny? Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg knew.

Sample pages from Mission Three: The Perfect Planet

Meet the creators of this fantastic series.

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 21, 2021 Publisher: Chronicle Books ISBN: 978-1452171210

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Aftermath

8/17/2021

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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

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<<Previous

Facing Your Fears

The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown read by Bahni Turpin

More Ghost Stories

Pandemic Life

New From Here by Kelly Yang

Know When to Hold. When to Fold.

Playing the Cards You're Dealt
by Varian Johnson read by Dion Graham

Water Crisis

When the World Runs Dry: Earth's Water in Crisis
by Nancy F. Castaldo

Companion Titles

To Be Human

The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Past Present Future

We Overcome Shall Overcome by Bryan Collier

Her Immigrant Story

Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

Japanese Classic

How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshino
translated by Bruno Navasky forward by Neil Gaiman

Adventures in Science

AstroNuts Mission Three: The Perfect Planet
by Jon Scieszka art by Steven Weinberg

Aftermath

AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown read by Bahni Turpin

More Ghost Stories

New From Here by Kelly Yang

Playing the Cards You're Dealt ​by Varian Johnson read by Dion Graham

When the World Runs Dry: Earth's Water in Crisisby Nancy F. Castaldo

Companion Titles

The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix

We Overcome Shall Overcome by Bryan Collier

Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshinotranslated by Bruno Navasky forward by Neil Gaiman

AstroNuts Mission Three: The Perfect Planet by Jon Scieszka art by Steven Weinberg

AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler

Category

Archives

Barbara Moon

Playing the Cards You're Dealt
by Varian Johnson read by Dion Graham

When the World Runs Dry: Earth's Water in Crisis
by Nancy F. Castaldo

How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshino
translated by Bruno Navasky forward by Neil Gaiman

AstroNuts Mission Three: The Perfect Planet
by Jon Scieszka art by Steven Weinberg