Beckoning with all sorts of possibilities, 2015 stretches ahead of us. Many who celebrate a new year with fireworks, special foods or even by writing resolutions to make changes in their lives, while others read books so hot-off-the-presses, they almost sizzle. Some of the books aren’t even available in hardcover yet, but they have been released to reviewers in a paper version called an Advanced Reader Copy. This week’s reviews are some recent favorites. Here’s hoping the next 300 days or so will be filled with much joyous reading and plenty of new books.
Ages 4-8
Ain, Beth. (2014). Starring Jules: Third Grade Debut. Illus. by Anne Keenan Higgins. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
Although she has much potential as an actress, third-grader Jules finds the school year provides some unexpected challenges. Not only does she struggle with the harsh discipline policies of a new teacher and the usual time-consuming assignments, she also isn’t sure how to handle her role in the sitcom she is filming after school. Plus, her sometimes friend, sometimes enemy Charlotte now has glasses, and Jules wants glasses more than almost anything else. She even tries to strain her eyes so she can have a pair of her own. Young readers will learn a lot from watching how Jules juggles her different roles at school, at home, and on the set, and how her self-confidence vacillates from situation to situation. It’s impressive that the author doesn’t portray her relationship with her teacher and classmates as perfect, and she comes to realize that teachers are just as different from each other as their students are. The fourth title in this series set in New York continues to have strong reader appeal.
Bass, Jennifer Vogel. (2014). Edible Colors. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.
The mouth-watering photographs in this short informative text will surely make readers beg their caregivers for a trip to the grocery store in order to select yummy, healthy produce. The photos make the food described here look more appealing than the sweetest candy bar. Additionally, the text and the images are particularly effective in expanding readers' concepts about the colors of certain foods. For instance, the photographs and text show that while carrots are often orange, sometimes they are purple or even white. By starting with a familiar veggie or fruit and its typical color, and then showing it in a different color, followed by a couple of pages featuring foods of that color, the author forces readers to rethink what they know about what they eat. Readers may be torn about which pages they like best, but Japanese Cream Fleshed Watermelon looks particularly enticing. While many of these may not be available this time of the year, the book serves as a reference for what to plant in a spring or summer garden.
Landstrom, Lena. (2015). Where is Pim? Wellington, NZ: Gecko Press.
Many young readers have stuffed animal best friends and can relate to this latest installment of the daily adventures of best friends Pim and Pom. The two do everything together, but Pim’s wish to fly in the air attracts the attention of a dog who snatches him out of the air on his way down after Pom has tossed him upwards. Pom and another dog look everywhere for the stuffed toy, but all they find are socks, a can, and a bag. Readers will readily relate to the eager anticipation and subsequent disappointment when the object turns out not to be Pim. When Pim finally returns, both friends agree he needs to be grounded for a while. This is another excellent addition to a series exploring life's smallest moments. Complimented perfectly with expressive illustrations that show Pom’s feelings, the storyline will resonate with young readers and their parents.
Nilsson, Ulf. (2015). Detective Gordon: The First Case. Wellington, NZ: Gecko Press.
This story of criminal squirrels responsible for the theft of several missing nuts is compelling not so much for the story but for its characters. Most notably, it's the interaction between the aging Detective Gordon, a frog, and his would-be assistant, Buffy, that causes this book to sparkle. While staking out the tree from which so many nuts were stolen, the detective almost freezes to the ground. After spotting Buffy with one nut, he is ready to arrest her but is unable to move. The kind-hearted mouse takes pity on the elderly sleuth and frees him from his icy encasement. The book gently depicts their budding friendship while also hinting the detective may be past his prime when it comes to solving cases. Maybe, just maybe, he should leave the sleuthing to someone young and vigorous like Buffy and spend his days making rules, stamping papers, and eating cakes. Then again, maybe they could both enjoy those same activities. The book's message, its characters, and the simple but colorful illustrations, including maps of the area, heighten its appeal and will prompt readers to anticipate more cases for this crime-solving team.
Ages 9-11
Tougas, Shelley. (2014). The Graham Cracker Plot. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.
Twelve-year-old Daisy Bauer is sure the Chemist, as she likes to call her father, has been framed, and she and her friend Graham Hassler hatch a wild plan to free him from Club Fed. The book begins after their plans have gone wrong, and Daisy is required to write a letter explaining her culpability to Judge Henry. Quite reluctantly and filled with anger, she does so. The entire book consists of her heartfelt letters, detailing the plot, and Daisy’s evolution. The book features zany characters and subtle nuances—for instance, Graham's cousin Ashley who experiences wild mood swings as the result of a brain injury, and Daisy's failure to stand up for Graham when the school bullies tease him. Although Daisy makes mistakes and poor choices, readers realize her intentions are good, just as are the intentions of her and Graham’s mothers. Readers may be particularly touched by Daisy’s insistence she still loves her father even after she learns the truth about what he's done, and Judge Henry's observation that youngsters such as Graham and Daisy should be called "children in need of hope" instead of “at-risk children.” While those particular labels may be a matter of semantics, they also remind readers just how grim life is without hopes and dreams. This book takes an important place among that very limited list of books dealing with families coping with the absence of an incarcerated member.
Ages 12-14
Gemeinhart, Dan. (2015). The Honest Truth. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
Mark’s life has been spent battling death as the result of the cancer that keeps returning. Because it has returned after yet another remission, Mark simply cannot face the next round of treatments and hospitalizations he knows will follow. His chance at normal life seems to be fading, and he decides to achieve the one goal that matters to him—climbing Mount Rainier. Readers will be riveted by the journey of Mark and his loyal dog Beau and the many kind-hearted individuals he meets along the way. The author does a marvelous job of creating a sense of place and revealing Mark's thought processes as he heads up the mountain slope in the middle of a fierce storm. Because the book alternates from the point of view of Mark to Jessie, his best friend, readers are able to see the effect Mark’s decision has on his family and friends. While Jessie struggles over her loyalty to Mark, Mark has left clues sending searchers in the wrong directions. Readers will applaud the bond between boy and dog as Beau loyally stays by, and as they ultimately save each other's lives. This riveting debut title from a promising author poses several important questions about the quality of life and goal-setting. Be sure to begin reading this one when you have time to speed through it since you won’t want to put it down once beginning it. Just as Mount Rainier beckons Mark, this book will speak to readers on many levels. The honest truth is sometimes life really is hard.
Ryan, Pam Munoz. (2015). Echo. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
The author proves once again just how skillful she is at storytelling as she has several stories nestled within a story related to yet another. One brief story involves a witch and a curse while another focuses on a boy named Otto. But the rest of the book takes readers on a sprawling, but thoroughly engaging, trip through history by means of three very different but related stories. All of the stories feature a harmonica as an important element. In the first one, Friedrich Schmidt, his father, and uncle come to the attention of the Gestapo in 1933 and must flee for their lives. The second story, set in Pennsylvania in 1935, follows the rags to riches story of Mike Flannery, a talented pianist, who, along with his younger brother, Frankie, is taken from an orphanage and brought to live with a woman whose heart has been broken by her own losses. The third story, set in Southern California in 1942, focuses on Ivy and her family's attempts to own a home of their own. After moving to Orange County, they realize the schools there are segregated, and the family whose farm they are caretaking is in a Japanese internment camp. While each story stands alone perfectly, each one gains impact and power when blended with the other narrative strands. Readers are sure to worry about the characters in one story when the action moves to another story. The pieces of history that are carefully woven through these stories of family, friendship, and music are important ones that should be seared into our national consciousness. Ignore the size of the book—the font is large, the prose flows beautifully, and the characters’ lives unfold as delicately as a rosebud. Readers' hearts will be touched by the connections described here and how they echo in their own lives.
Scattergood, Augusta. (2015). The Way to Stay in Destiny. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
After his grandparents give up their farm due to his grandmother's poor health, 12-year-old Theo M. Thomas becomes the responsibility of his uncle. Although Uncle Raymond tries to do the right thing, he resents having to give up his independent life in Alaska. He takes Theo to Destiny, FL, where there's a job, but things are far from permanent. Even as Theo starts making friends and embracing the musical talent he has inherited from his deceased parents, his uncle is making plans for moving on. For reasons revealed in the story, Uncle Raymond cannot abide music and forbids Theo to play the piano. Although an uneasy truce is eventually worked out and Theo's uncle starts to soften his stance on music, readers will realize that past experiences affect the future. Setting the story in 1974 allows Theo's uncle to struggle with PTSD from his time in Vietnam, which explains some of his behavior. While Theo and his baseball-loving friend, Anabel, might seem to have separate journeys, they are linked by their need to find their own destiny rather than doing what others want. As they both come to realize, sometimes our destiny simply finds us, even in a remote town in the South called Destiny.
Ages 15+
Cooner, Donna. (2014). Can’t Look Away. New York, NY: Scholastic/Point.
Fifteen-year-old Torrey Grey has developed quite a following on the Internet through her video logs offering advice on beauty and fashion. But after the death of her younger sister Miranda, she hasn't been able to put anything online. As the Greys settle into their new home in Texas, Torrey finds herself gravitating to her previous behaviors, looking for an entree into the popular crowd, and hiding her emerging feelings for Luis Rivera whose family runs the local funeral home. But somewhere along the way, amid some serious soul-searching and learning about the customs associated with the Day of the Dead, Torrey begins to change and rearrange her priorities. While looking attractive and dressing in fashionable clothing might still matter in some respects, maybe they aren’t the only thing that should matter. As Torrey finally moves away from her own self-absorption, she reconnects with herself while remembering what she loved most about her little sibling. There are lessons here about what matters in life and observations about society's fascination with the pain and suffering of others, as well as the impact of those with an online presence that make the book well worth discussing. Despite all her possessions, Torrey still feels lost during much of the book. The old adage you can’t buy happiness proves true once again.
Frank, E. R. (2015). Dime. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster/Atheneum.
A foster child, 13-year-old Dime has watched a series of children come and go in the foster home she shares with Janelle. When life at home becomes too problematic and Janelle expects her to miss school to help out, the young girl ends up on the street. Circumstances lead to her ending up with Daddy, a would-be kingpin with a stable of girls, eventually including L.A., Brandy, Dime, and Lollipop. Daddy is a piece of work with his gleaming "D" on one tooth, and his smooth-talking ways. Having known little love or security, Dime falls for everything he says, and before she realizes it, she's turning tricks to help him pay the rent. After all, she needs a place to stay and he loves her, doesn't he? Little by little, Dime loses herself until there are only a few parts she recognizes. Still, she’s an avid reader, familiar with To Kill a Mockingbird, Number the Stars, and The Book Thief, a familiarity prompts her to use the voices of Sex and Money to tell her own story. It's hard to think of any other narrators that could relate her woeful saga more effectively. Providing just enough details for verisimilitude, the author puts readers right into Dime's shoes. It's easy to see why she follows Daddy's commands, eventually growing numb to what might sicken, horrify, or repulse readers. Set primarily in New Jersey, this is an important book, which will surely prompt much discussion. It’s clear that human trafficking occurs closer to home than readers might like to think.
Niven, Jennifer. (2015). All the Bright Places. New York, NY: Knopf.
The two main characters in this book meet when one keeps the other one from falling—or jumping—from the school bell tower. This is no sweet, happily-ever-after romance. Readers realize from the book’s opening pages both Theodore Finch and Violet Markey are in trouble. Finch spends his days drawn to death and considering possible ways to die while also searching for reasons to live. Guilt-ridden after her older sister’s death, Violet can't wait to leave Indiana far behind. After Finch helps Violet come away from the tower, they end up being paired for a school project and head off on road trips to examine the state's wonders. Impossibly but inexorably, they become friends and then fall in love. Violet slowly starts enjoying life once again while Finch falls into deeper and lengthier depressions. The scenes between the ill-fated couple make readers feel as though they are eavesdropping on two very real teens looking for reasons to stay. Readers will certainly argue about the responsibilities families and teachers have for mentally ill youngsters since they can’t help wondering how Finch might have been saved. By the time the book concludes, readers will be emotionally wrung out, missing Finch and his bright life force he was, and angry for many reasons, mostly because it seems as though nothing could help him after a certain point. If nothing else, the book makes it clear that the world is filled with remarkable places, moments, and possibilities, and it's hard to figure out why that wasn't enough to offset the bleak parts of life for Finch. This one will trouble readers even as they embrace their own bright places.
Reynolds, Jason. (2015). The Boy in the Black Suit. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster/Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Like so many other boys his age, 17-year-old Matt Miller is dealing with death. In his case, the unexpected death of his mother. As the story unfolds, it's clear she was the glue that held the family together as Matt's father begins drinking to cope with his loss, and Matt is floundering. Basically a good kid, Matt keeps up with his homework, avoids the gangs in his Brooklyn neighborhood, and even takes a job at the local funeral home. While struggling with the emptiness left by his mother's death and missing her terribly, he finds solace in attending the funerals for which he sets up repasts. Only when he sees others breaking down emotionally does he feel as though he is around others who can understand his own experience. But it’s only when he meets Lovey, a girl who has lost both her mother and her grandmother and yet still finds the bright spots in life, that he finally starts to heal. Like Matt, Lovey has a soft, caring inside belying the tough exterior she often shows. While some of the connections and coincidences in the story may seem unlikely, the book’s characters are well drawn and complex, and Matt’s voice is distinct and authentic. Readers will easily relate to Matt's pain and sorrow as they move past the disappointments in their lives and do the best with their lots in life. It's hard not to contrast Matt’s boss, the elderly Mr. Ray and Candy Man, a former basketball star—those roads not traveled. Considering the ripple effects of an action might make a reader think twice before acting. Teen readers will be drawn to this book and eagerly anticipate more from this bright new writing talent who tells appealing stories almost effortlessly.
Wagner, Laura Rose. (2015). Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go. New York, NY: Abrams/Amulet Books.
As the fifth anniversary of the earthquake that destroyed parts of Haiti approaches, this book by a debut author describes how quickly someone's life can be changed. Not only does 15-year-old Magdalie lose her aunt and home during the earthquake, but her country changes in many ways. Nadine, the cousin who is like a sister to her, is able to obtain a visa and leave the country, while Magdalie desperately concocts plans to make money, even selling clean water to tourists worried about unclean water. Plunging her readers into the moments right before and after the disaster, the author painstakingly describes life in the camps as families come together to help one another after the devastation. While Magdalie makes bad decisions and is rather naïve, she also never gives up, making it clear that she is a survivor, and that possibly, her homeland could have a bright future if it relies on others like her. The author makes it quite clear how important individual acts of kindness can be in the aftermath of a disaster such as this one. While it is possible to prepare for some disasters, how society and individuals react during those challenges speaks volumes. The authorial voice here is distinct, filled with hope, determination, and the steadfast belief in holding on to one’s dreams, and many readers will be pleased to find this historical event covered in a novel for teens, especially since there is little focus on aid from outside Haiti. Much of the story covers how the Haitians are managing to help themselves.
Barbara A. Ward teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy at Washington State University, Pullman. She spent 25 years teaching in the public schools of New Orleans where she worked with students at every grade level, from kindergarten through high school as well as several ability levels. She is certified in elementary education, English education, and gifted education. She holds a bachelor’s in communications and a master’s in English Education from the Univeristy of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of New Orleans.
These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG)and are published weekly on Reading Today Online.