New Kids and Underdogs by Margaret Finnegan

 

Fifth grader Robyn has already been the new kid in school five times because of her mom's job as a biology professor, and now San Luis Obispo will be number six. But this time will be different. This time Robyn is determined not to stick out as the new kid and she's even created a list of 10 Rules for New Kids for blending in and avoiding the judgey kids. All she has to do is stick to the list. Luckily, Robyn has her two faithful and inseparable dogs, anxious Sundae and nearly blind and deaf Fudge, her supportive dad, even if he does live in Toronto, and of course, her mom.  

One thing her mom is firm about is doing extracurricular activities. So when Robyn sees a dog agility class in the park, she is sure that is what she wants to do with three-year-old Sundae and Fudge. But the woman running the class says no, they wouldn't be able to do the agility course. Then, on her first day of school, Robyn meets Lulu and Marshan who seem friendly enough to even warn her not to associate with Alejandra, who's "radioactive" and cruelty nicknamed the Grape because she wears purple every day, but she also skipped fourth grade and is a whiz at math. Later, Robyn runs into the boy who had been helping the woman in the park on the handball court, whose name is Nestor, and his cousin Jonathan. And just like that a deal is struck - Nestor, grandson of the woman in the park, Mrs. Zazueta, will provide agility training on the sly in his grandmother's backyard if Robyn brings snacks and Alejandra provides math tutoring for the three of them. What could possibly go wrong?

It turns out that Fudge and Sundae really can't to agility training, but Nestor comes up with the idea of doing ability training instead, and it really works out well for the two dogs. Before long, they are joined by William, a friend of Alejandra, and his dog. But Robyn is so set on following her Rules that she keeps telling herself that the ability training is just a business arrangement and Nestor, Jonathan, Alejandra, and now William are not really friends, enabling her to keep her distance.

On the other hand, Robyn continues to hang out with Lulu and Marshan, despite feeling uncomfortable with some of the judgey things they say. Both girls seem to get off on other people's difficulties, shortcomings and disabilities, including Sundae and Fudge, constantly remarking on their sad lives (and I kept wondering why Robyn couldn't see them for who they are). 

Nestor's ability class grows bigger, and the dogs doing it seem to be thriving until one day his grandmother catches the class in action. And she was angry. Will that be the end of ability training? 

I've never been the new kid in school, but I have a friend who was almost as often as Robyn. It can't be easy to make friends and have to leave them a year later. This new move may be permanent for Robyn and her mother, which would be nice, but Robyn is still very defensive about making friends. I thought that her difficulties were realistically portrayed, though, and she was lucky to have a babysitter who understood what was going on with her. Still, Finnegan shows all they ways Robyn's Rules didn't work. 

The problem with Robyn's Rules is that it means all her relationships with other kids is always superficial, and she never gets to see what's below their surface, what the other kids are really like or what their story is. And they never get to see the real Robyn. 

As much as I liked New Kids & Underdogs, I wish it had been a little bit shorter. I thought Robyn's dilemma went on too long and she began to get annoying. I realize she was defensive and didn't want to experience the kinds of fails she had in previous schools, but her refusal to not give in to what she wanted was just too drawn out, especially given who Lulu and Marshan are. But I would still recommend this novel. It's a fast read and does come to a satisfying conclusion, with a valuable lesson for anyone, whether they are new kids or not.   

“A thoughtful story about learning to look beneath the surface and be a better friend.” —Kirkus

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Meet the Author:

Margaret Finnegan is the author of We Could Be Heroes and Susie B. Won’t Back Down, both Junior Library Guild Selections. Her other works have appeared in FamilyFun Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Salon, and other publications. She lives in South Pasadena, California, where she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, and baking really good chocolate cakes. To learn more, and to download free discussion guides, visit MargaretFinnegan.com.

Twitter: @FinneganBegin

Instagram: @finneganbegin

Just like the kids in New Kids & Underdogs, you can ability train your dog! Check out the fun tips here!

Thank you to Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for providing a review copy of New Kids & Underdogs.

Instagram: @blue_slip_media

Facebook: Blue Slip Media

You can see all of this week's wonderful MMGM books thanks to Greg at Always in the Middle

MMGM: Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

 

Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi.

illustrated by Melissa Manwill

Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins, 2021, 256 pages

Meet Gus, a wise old terrier, Tank, a bulldog, three-legged Roo, and Moon Pie, a young pug. They are a collection of rescues that live with Miss Lottie. Each doggo has its own personality and its own designated dog bed, except Moon Pie who sleeps with Miss Lottie in her big, soft bed. Moon Pie had had a nice life eating popcorn and watching TV with Gertie, who unfortunately passed away. When she came to live with Miss Lottie a month ago, Gus, the leader of this pack of gentle dogs, thought it best to not yet to tell Moon Pie what happened to Gertie, and so Moonie thinks he will be returning to her when she comes back from vacation. Also living with Miss Lottie is Ghost, a cat who basically lives under a bed, and with whom Gus made a tenuous agreement to live and let live. To help out with her canine family, Miss Lottie hired Quinn, a young boy who had recently lost his dad and his dog, and who is now being bullied by his older brother's friends. Quinn loves nothing more than to escape to Miss Lottie's to care for the dogs he loves as much as she does. 

Into this happy mix comes Decker, a shepherd/doberman mix. Gus is rightfully worried about this new addition, who just doesn't feel like he will fit into the pack. The very first night, Decker manages to get Moon Pie's spot on Miss Lottie's bed, but then begins to intimate the little guy. The next day, during their yard time, Tank, who is Moonie's self-appointed protector, has a showdown with Decker. Everyone is surprised when Decker bites his own paw and needs to go to the vet's. Tank is blamed for the bite and put into his kennel. Little by little, Decker erodes Gus as the leader of the pack, but it soon becomes clear that his goal is to get rid of all the other dogs. 

When Decker learns that Gertie has passed away, he convinces Moon Pie that she is home and looking for him. Not only that, but Decker convinces Moonie to run away through a hole in the back fence. Angry that the other dogs had lied to him about Gertie and intimidated by Decker, Moonie escapes into the back alley when no one is paying attention. When Miss Lottie finally notices Moon Pie is gone, she calls Quinn to help look for him, but later Gus, Tank, and Roo decide to take matters into their own hands, escaping the same way Moonie did. None of them know where they are going, and must on Roo's excellent sense of smell to lead them. One scent they all pick up carries danger in it, but what can it be? Quinn is also worried, knowing his mother had lately spotted a coyote in the neighborhood. And Miss Lottie is beside her self with grief realizing all her beloved dogs are missing - except Decker, who is now calm and content to be an only dog. Decker has some hard lessons ahead of him about family, loyalty and love, but first, will all of Miss Lottie's doggos return home safe and sound? Or...?

Secondhand Dogs is an exciting novel for kids who like animal stories in general, and dog stories in particular and it is especially interesting because it is narrated mainly from the point of view of five dogs, one cat and two humans in alternating chapters. And along the way, there are chapters giving the back story of each character - canine and human, including Decker, whose traumatic past will definitely garner some sympathy for him. What's really nice about this dog's tale is that each canine has such a distinct personality. Gus is gentle and peace-loving, Roo is excitable and impulsive, Tank may be big and slow, but he's also a protector, and Moon Pie is just a popcorn-loving sweetie. It also wasn't lost on me that Quinn's story is an interesting parallel to Moon Pie's. 

Secondhand Dogs is a satisfying story with some tension but few surprises. This is the kind of middle grade book that is just perfect book for some good summer reading. 

Meet the Author:

Carolyn Crimi received her MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College in 2000. She has published over 15 books, including Dear Tabby, Don't Need Friends, Boris and Bella, Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, Where's My Mummy? and I Am the Boss of this Chair. Her book There Must be Lobsters won The Golden Kite Award in 2018 for Best Picture Book Text, and her middle grade debut, Weird Little Robots, was named a BEA Book Buzz pick. Carolyn has received over thirty state awards and award nominations and was give The Prairie State Award in 2012 for her body of work. 

You can visit Carolyn at carolyncrimi.com 

Facebook: Carolyn Crimi

Twitter: @crims10

Thank you to Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for providing me with an ARC to read and review. 

Be sure to check out the other Marvelous Middle Grade Monday offerings, 

now being carried on by Greg at Always in the Middle.

MMGM: We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan

It isn't easy to set a book on fire, but if you are the owner of a piece of camping equipment called a Survival 4000 Fire Striker with Compass and Whistle, you just might be able to accomplish your mission. At least, that's what Hank Hudson, a sensitive fourth grader, thought when he tried to burn the 495 page book about the Nazis hunting down a young boy that his teacher was reading to the class, a book that he found particularly sad and upsetting.

Hank, who is autistic, generally likes spending his time alone, thinking about and collecting rocks for his vast collection, from which he selects three each day to keep in his pocket and help him through the day. Returning to school after a three day suspension for trying to burn the book, Hank is approached by Maisie Huang, a girl in his class who was totally impressed by Hank's act of rebelliousness. Maisie has decided that he has 'the meatballs' to help her accomplish her own bold-as-brass mission. And she has just the thing needed to get Hank interested - both her parents are geologists and there are lots of rocks at her house.

Maisie's mission is simple - after freeing her neighbor's pit bill Booler, Hank will take him and give him a good home. Booler has epilepsy and his owner, Mr. Jorgensen, keeps him outside and tied to a tree while his two other dogs have free run of the house and yard. Maisie thinks this is cruel and, since Mr. Jorgensen won't let her have the dog, she's devised a plan to free Booler, so he can be Hank's dog, instead.

Little by little, Hank and Maisie become friends, much to the delight of Hank's parents. Maisie is, after all, his first friend and they spend lots of time together acting out The Jungle Book, Hank's favorite movie, while hanging around with Booler in his yard, and sometimes looking for rocks together in the schoolyard. But Maisie can be a strong, determined, even manipulative personality, who is relentless in her need to save Booler. Hank, on the other hand, is quiet and generally content with his rocks. But he does feel Maisie's manipulation and after their first attempt at saving Booler fails, along with Hank's first attempt at lying, he has a complete meltdown and is asked to consider whether she is really a good friend. Yes,  Hank decides, she is. But that doesn't mean the two friends have given up on Booler, not by any stretch of the imagination.

We Could Be Heroes is told in the third person from Hank's point of view, which is an interesting perspective. Interesting because the story isn't about autism so much as it is about how Hank sees, experiences, and navigates the world as a person on the spectrum. I came away with a better understanding of autism, and particularly, autistic meltdowns and I think Finnegan made it very accessible for young readers to understand, as well. For example, Finnegan gave Hank the perfect geological description for the way his meltdowns might feel like to him: A'a is a Hawaiian word that describes the way the surface and bottom layers of lava cool at different rates after a volcanic eruption. With a meltdown, Hank experiences his body as out of sync. On the surface, he feels punctured and bruised by the way sounds, textures, colors, smells poke at him, while inside, he feels dense, heavy and immovable. Later, she describes how Hank's mother helps him regain a sense of evenness after a meltdown.

I have to admit I really didn't like Maisie at first for the same reason Hank is somewhat leery of her. But as Hank and Maisie's friendship begins to really solidify, I began to see her differently, so that by the time Maisie's truth finally comes out, I felt real empathy for her.

One thing I really liked in this book is that Hank's family is intact, that his parents marriage didn't end because of his autism, and that both parents are involved, understanding and, most importantly, patient.

We Could Be Heroes is at times very serious story, that deals with themes like autism, epilepsy, bullying, empathy, and friendships (both age appropriate and intergenerational), but it not one without humor and some very delicious sounding cookies. This is Margaret Finnegan's debut middle grade novel and it is a well-crafted open and honest look at what it means to be different without being less and living one's authentic truth. And definitely not to be missed.

You can find an extensive and very useful Discussion Guide for We Could Be Heroes HERE

Meet the Author:

Margaret Finnegan's work has appeared in FamilyFun, the Los Angeles Times, Salon, and other publications. She lives in South Pasadena, California, where she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, and baking really good chocolate cakes. You can connect with her at MargaretFinnegan.com and 
on Twitter @FinneganBegin and
Instagram  @finneganbegin

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was gratefully received from Barb at Blue Slip Media

Be sure to check out the other Marvelous Middle Grade Monday offerings, now being carried on by Greg at Always in the Middle. 

Honey: The Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln by Shari Swanson, illustrated by Chuck Groenink

In her debut picture book, author Shari Swanson re-imagines a little known event from Abraham Lincoln's life when he was only 7-years-old and living in Knob Creek, Kentucky in this fictionalized slice-of-life biography. While waiting for the miller, Mr. John Hodgen, to grind his sacks of grain, Abe usually wandered into the nearby woods, returning to the mill when he heard the miller's three shill blasts of his whistle. There were always so many things for a boy to see or animals to rescue in the woods.

On one visit to the mill, Abe wandered into the woods and discovered a little honey-colored puppy with a broken leg. After setting the puppy's leg with sticks and bark, he took the dog home with him, begging his mother to let him keep him, telling her: "He'll do lots of good things for me." From then on, everywhere Abe went, Honey followed.

One day, after dropping off a bag of grain at the mill, Abe and Honey took to the woods. Discovering a cave, they no sooner started exploring than Abe's foot became wedged between two rocks. As day became night and Abe hadn't returned to the mill, Mr. John and Abe's mother Nancy waited and worried. Finally, Honey showed up and led Mr. Hodgen, Nancy, and some neighbors to the cave where they rescued Abe. Indeed, Honey lived up to Abe prediction, doing lots of good things for him, including saving his life.

There's nothing more appealing to a young reader than a story about a boy and his dog and their adventures. Honey: The Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln is a particularly appealing story because it introduces them to an historical person that they may already be familiar with, but in a more accessible way and it provides a nice window for them into the kind of man the boy Abe Lincoln grew up to be.

Though this is a fictionalized account, it is based on a true story that had been recounted by Abe's best friend, Austin Gollaher. You can read more about Abe and Honey in the Author's Note in the back matter. Swanson also includes a Timeline of Abraham Lincoln and His Animal Encounters that young readers will no doubt want to explore.

Chuck Groenink's cartoon style illustrations, done in a palette of pastel earth tones and single and double page spreads, really compliment the text and show the the strong connection between Abe and Honey, as well as Abe love of all animals. Be sure to explore map of Abe's neighborhood in Knob Creek found in the end papers with your young readers to give them an idea of the kind of wilderness that surrounded the area back in 1816.

Honey: The Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln is a book your young readers will want to return to again and again. I know mine do.

You can find an excellent Curriculum Guide to download for Honey on the author's website HERE
And there is a fun Activity Kit for young readers that can also be downloaded HERE

Meet the Author: 
Shari Swanson is a debut author who has been a middle school language arts teacher as well as an appellate lawyer. She received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she wrote her thesis on musicality in picture books. She lives in Southern California with her husband and their dog, Honey. You can find about more about Shari and Honey: The Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln by visiting her website: https://shariswanson.com/ and you can follow her on twitter at @ByShariSwanson

Meet the Illustrator: 
Chuck Groenink hails from an overgrown village among the peat bogs in the north of the Netherlands, where he spent his formative years climbing tree, drawing, reading, and cycling. He attended the Artez Institute of Visual Arts in Kampen, graduating from the department of Illustration in 2004. He moved to Portland, Oregon in 2010, and now resides in Kinderhook, New York with his wife, dog, and two cats. You can find out more about Chuck and his art by visiting his website: https://www.chuckgroenink.com/ and you can follow him on twitter at @ChuckGroenink

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was gratefully received from Blue Slip Media

Two for Tuesday: Juana & Lucas Books 1 and 2 written and illustrated by Juana Medina

Here are two mini reviews about books that my young readers really enjoyed - over and over. Not only did we find Juana to be a chatty, funny, heartwarming character, but we also learned some things about living in Bogotá, Columbia, South American and some Spanish words while reading both books. I gave them copies of a map so the kids could see just where Bogotá is and how Juana could see the Andes Mountains from her bedroom window. The kids were also able to see how far Juana and her family had to travel to get to Spaceland in Orlando, Florida. We spent a lot of time with these books and had lots of fun doing it. 

Juana & Lucas 

written and illustrated by Juana Medina

Candlewick Press, 2016, 96 pages

Young readers will love getting to know Juana in this delightful semi-autobiographical chapter book. She's a young girl living in Bogotá, Columbia with her two favorite people: her Mami and her dog Lucas. Juana also likes lots of things: drawing, superhero Astroman, brussels sprouts,and reading books (sometimes under the covers with a flashlight). She also like living near her abuelos and playing her friends, especially Juli. Juana isn't crazy about math, dance class, or her school uniform, but she does like lunch when she can play fútbol with her friends. Juana thinks her life is just about perfect, that is until English comes along - on the first already-not-going-well day of school. Thank goodness, there's Lucas to come home to after such a horrible day.

English, Juana discovers, has lots of THs, big Ws, and long Ls and she finds them all so hard to pronounce. Besides, why does she have to learn English anyway?  Her mother tells Juana that "learning English can change [her] life...in a good way." And everyone else she asks seems to agree with that - neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon, shopkeeper brothers Fernando and Hernando Herrera, even Tía Cris. But it's when her abuelo tells her she needs to learn English for the family's trip to Spaceland where Astroman lives in the United States that Juana finally finds a good reason to study English harder.

I thought the kids in my reading group were a little too young for this book, but I read it to them anyway. I thought it was just such a great kid-friendly book, that I couldn't resist. And my kids loved it! One could relate to Juana's struggle to learn English, and Juana reminded a few of them of their older sisters, but all agreed it was a great story. I thought it was also an ideal read aloud.

Told in first person narration by Juana, you can feel the energy behind her words, and she gives a very easy to follow vision of her life, that includes detailed asides that draw the readers into her world along with the main story. These are all accompanied by lively cartoon-like ink and watercolor illustrations and sprinkled with Spanish words throughout. Each time we came to a Spanish word, we practiced it until it was memorized, which proved to be a lot of fun. We also talked about how Juana's is similar to their lives and how it is different, which was also an interesting conversation. And though we learned that her father had passed away, we also saw that Juana has a loving, supportive family and lots of friends.

With her pigtails, her dislike of her uniform, her friendliness, and her abundant enthusiasm, Juana is a wonderfully appealing character, and we were pretty excited to continue her adventures with a second Juana & Lucas story.

You can download some handy Spanish/English flash cards to use along with Juana & Lucas thanks to Candlewick Press

Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas

written and illustrated by Juana Medina

Candlewick Press, 2019, 96 pages

This sequel to Juana & Lucas, begins just as Juana is realizing that her just about perfect life has become a little less perfect lately. It starts when she notices that her mother is wearing her hair differently, using more perfume, more lipstick and even singing. And lately Juana has also been spending more time with her abuelos, or with her abuelo's sister Cecilia, nicknamed Piti, or she has been staying with her cousins Cami Pipe, which is nice since Lucas can come, too. But Juana misses spending time with her Mami, whose spending times elsewhere without her.

Change is in the air and it turns out that Mami has been dating a man named Luis. Luis asks Juana lots of questions about herself when they first meet, and she learns that he loves to take pictures (so does she), he has a house in the country, called La Finca, and Luis likes to listen to jazz (so does she). And she really likes visiting La Finca. But when Mami and Luis announce they are getting married, Juana is less than happy.

And now, Juana needs to pack all her things because she, Mami, and Luis will be moving to a new house. Not only that, but her abuelita's seamstress is called in to take measurements for wedding dresses, including one for Juana and a special bow tie for Lucas. Piti is making the wedding cake, and Juana is her official taster. And she is excited about the new house, too. Pretty soon, Juana's dress is ready, the cake is made, and the wedding day has arrived. By now, Juana has accepted that her life has changed in a big way, and she starting to enjoy it, especially the idea of more cousins, uncles and aunts. After all, "it might guarantee an adventure or two."

Once again, Juana's first person narration draws readers into her life as she deals with the trauma of change and a new stepfather. I liked that Medina included an aside that is very touching as Juana thinks about the father she doesn't really remember and wonders what life would have been life with him. And Mami's reassurances that not everything will change, that she will always be her Mami who loves Juana, not matter what, and who will take care of her, laugh with her, cook her favorite foods, was also a nice touch.

The ink and watercolor illustrations are every bit as playful and energetic as in the first book, capturing all of Juana's emotions that run from very happy to very sad. And once again, there are Spanish words sprinkled throughout Juana's story. Juana's asides might inspire young readers to think about what is good in their own lives.

Both Juana & Lucas books deal with the kind of ups and downs that kids anywhere might face, but I really thought this story might be way, way over the heads of my young readers. Happily, most of them really got into it, and we again had lots of discussions, especially regarding the topics in the asides that Juana includes. I really hope they revisit both of these books when they begin reading on their own.

As a sequel, Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas stands up very nicely in terms of execution and strong storyline, and with the short introduction to Juana's near perfect life in Bogotá, it can be read as a stand alone story. 

And it is the humble opinion of my kids that Juana & Lucas and Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas are just about perfect. And we are hoping for more stories about Juana's life in Bogotá, Columbia with her best furry friend Lucas in the future.

You can download some handy Spanish/English flash cards to use along with Juana & Lucas. There is also a short Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas Activity Kit that can also be downloaded. Thanks to Candlewick Press for these.

These books are recommended for readers age 5+

These books were provided to me for review by Candlewick Press

This is the map I used:

Source: http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/region/map/

Chester and Gus by Cammie McGovern

Chester, a chocolate lab, would have been a perfect service dog except for his fear of loud noises. Unable to be certified, Chester is chosen by the parents of a 10 year-old nonverbal boy with autism named Gus, hoping that Chester’s help, Gus will be able to attend public school. At first, Gus won’t even let Chester near him, but slowly allows to the dog near him. For his part, Chester knows he has found the person he was meant to be with.

Gus’s mother Sara is desperate for her son to be able to go the school with other children, and acting out of that desperation, she deceptively presents Chester as a certified service dog to the school’s principal. Placed in a classroom, Chester is a hit with the other students who basically ignore Gus. But not everyone is happy about having Chester around. A boy named Ed resents not being allowed to bring his dog to school, and the other fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Palmer, doesn’t want a dog distracting students and disrupting school routine. One bright spot for Gus is Mama, a cafeteria worker who loads the dishwasher and who simply accepts Gus for who he is.

But when it comes to light that Chester is not really a certified service dog, the principal tells Sara he can no longer accompany Gus to school until he is certified. But on Chester’s last day of school, he and Gus get separated during a fire drill, Gus is found in a closet unconscious and later diagnosed as having a seizure. Kept home from school for a few weeks, when Gus returns without Chester, he is badly beaten up by Ed, the class bully.

Sara decides to have Chester certified as a seizure response dog, and calls Penny, the person who originally trained him. But Penny has always had other ideas for Chester; convinced that he is an unusually intelligent dog, she wants to teach him to read and has not intention of returning Chester to Gus. 

 Will Chester ever return to his person, Gus?    

Chester and Gus is a story that will certainly pull at your heartstrings, particularly because the narrated point of view is done by a dog who connects with the boy for whom he was chosen. I thought this anthropomorphism was a particularly effective literary strategy for a book that is concerned with the limits of communication in order to be understood. Chester may understand much of what is going on with Gus, but he has no way of telling anyone. Gus can communicate with Chester, but not with the rest of the world. It feels like a real catch-22 and McGovern really has presented this frustrating situation successfully without resorting to being too ridiculous. 

And she has really captured Sara’s desperation for her son to be part of the world so well, but also the resistance from people who don’t understand or care about autistic children being able to gain some level of independent. When I was teaching, I didn’t run into too many Mrs. Palmers, but there were some who just couldn’t be flexible. 

Two things did bother me. While I could understand Sara’s motives, I didn’t like her deceiving the principal to get what she wanted. And I felt that Ms. Cooper, the teacher’s aide assigned to Gus, never really noticed what was going on with him at school, and she certainly should have been reprimanded for not staying with him during the fire drill. Instead. blame fell solely on Chester’s head for abandoning Gus.

Writing a book about an basically nonverbal autistic character isn’t an easy thing to do, but McGovern has succeeded at giving the reader a glimpse into what life is like for the children and their families.  

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss+

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Sent by her father to the Winn-Dixie to buy a box of mac and cheese, white rice and two tomatoes, India Opal Buloni, 10, returns home with a very dirty, skinny, smelly dog covered in bald patches. but a dog with an endearing smile.  Immediately christened Winn-Dixie, Opal sure hopes her preacher dad will let her keep him.  But, Opal and her dad have just moved into the Friendly Corners Trailer Park in Naomi, Florida, where he is the new preacher of the Open Arms Baptist Church, and he has a strict no dog policy - that is, until Winn-Dixie smiles at him.

Since it's summer, Opal and her new best friend Winn-Dixie have lots of time to explore and get to know all kinds of different people, including her own mother. Opal's mother left when she was three, and her dad has withdrawn like a turtle into its shell ever since.  Now, Opal wants to know more and she talks her dad into telling her ten things about her mother and hopes this opens the door to more information about her.

Now, Winn-Dixie is a great dog, loyal, loving, smiling, but he does not like being left alone and he is deathly afraid of thunderstorms.  He goes nuts during thunderstorms, running back and forth trying to get out and Opal has to figure out how to keep him calm and safe.  And when Winn-Dixie is left alone, he howls. Which is just what happens every time Opal goes into a place with a no-dogs-allowed policy, beginning with the Open Arms Baptist Church on Sunday morning, and then when Opal goes to the library.

Opal loves hearing stories, and she's now spending lots of time at the Herman W. Block Memorial Library, where she gets to know Miss Franny Block, Herman's daughter.  Before she knows it, Miss Franny Block has a dog in her no-dogs-allowed library, telling Opal and Winn-Dixie the story of the bear that once came into the library and making two new friends.

As Winn-Dixie's fur grows back in and he begins to look really cared for and healthy, Opal decides to buy him a collar and leash.  But the ones she likes are too expensive, so she strikes a deal with the store clerk, the guitar-playing Otis, to buy them on the installment plan in return for work, but only of Winn-Dixie can come into the no-dogs-allowed story, and yes, a smile and a tail-wag and he's in.

Thanks to the annoying brothers Dunlap and Stevie Dewberry, the next person Opal meets is Miss Gloria Dump, a very old, nearly blind lady who likes to eat peanut butter sandwiches and who immediately takes a shine to the ever smiling Winn-Dixie, and is not at all the witch the boys think she is.

These are the first new friends that Opal makes thanks to Winn-Dixie.  To celebrate, she and Gloria Dump decide to have a party and invite everyone, including the Dewberry brother. There are egg salad sandwiches, punch and Litmus Lozenges, a strange candy invented by Miss Franny Block's great grandfather after the Civil War that tastes oddly like root beer, strawberry and sadness.  The party is a big success until along comes a thunderstorm and Winn-Dixie runs away.

Will Opal and her father find Winn-Dixie?  And will Opal finally be able to pull her father out of his shell?

Ever since I read Old Yeller as a young girl, I've been rather skeptical about dog stories and tend to avoid them.  But we have been reading a lot of Kate DiCamillo's books this summer and Because of Winn-Dixie, was the most requested.  It is, in fact, DiCamillo's debut novel, and was a Newbury Honor Book in 2001.

Even though this is a bit on the sentimentally enchanting side, I nevertheless thought that Because of Winn-Dixie really dealt well with some important themes for young readers today: loss, grief, loneliness, and unfamiliar places that slowly turns into hope, friendship and new beginnings for everyone that Winn-Dixie smiles at and whose story Opal is interested in hearing about.  

DiCamillo is such a master wordsmith that although the novel feels almost light and breezy, it is anything but.  She develops her characters, bringing their wonderfully quirky personalities to the fore so slowly it is like she has caressed them into being.  And yet, the language is straightforward and simple enough that even my six-year-old listener was spellbound and rooting for everyone.

Older readers sharing this book with young readers may find the ending a little overly simplistic and predictable, but that's OK.  Sometimes, that's just what you need.  Besides, what is important here is the journey each character took to get them to the moment when they all came together and the journey they will share from then on enriching each others lives.  And maybe because I have a southern mother and come from a long line of southern preachers, and maybe because this is such a well-crafted story, I can honestly say that I really loved this book and so did the kids I read it to.

There is a very useful Teacher's Resource guide available from the publisher, Candlewick Press, that can be downloaded HERE

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was purchased for my personal library

Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson

When her mother refuses to drive her over to see about buying some new sled dogs, Victoria Secord, 14, an experienced and competitive dog musher, decides to take her dogs and sled and go by herself.  Jeremy Cook has a winning team, but now he's lost his job and may be getting out of competitive dog sledding.  Vicky thinks she has a good chance of winning the White Wild Classic dog sled race and honoring her dad's memory if she can get some good, strong sled dogs, Vicky figures she can get to Cook's and back before dark, so she packs the minimal amount of what she will need for the trip, hooks up the dogs and leaves.

But Vicky and the dogs now sooner set off, when she notices the sky darkening and that means snow, which happens just as she also realizes she hasn't found the right trail yet.  Then she notices a crashed snowmobile and a boy about her age lying in the snow, bleeding.  His name is Chris, he's from Toronto, and is a smart mouth who knows nothing about serious snow.

Thinking she can get Chris home quickly, Vicky take a trail that she doesn't know.  But, as the two journey on together and the snow turns into a blizzard, they get completely lost.  Vicky's dad had taught her good survival skills and now she must put them all to use.

The two teens end up spending days in the wilderness, facing incredible odds - hunger, wild animals and dangerous landscapes.  Vicky is angry at Chris for snowmobiling without knowing what or where he was going, and she is convinced he's useless, but it turns out he has an unusual skill that proves to be very useful to their plight.

And Vicky's anger goes much deeper than Chris.  She's angry at her dad for dying, especially considering the way he dies, angry at herself for not being there with him, and angry at her mom for not loving dogs, dog sledding and Alaska as much as she and her father.  Vicky needs more than anything to come to terms with all these issues and there is nothing like the challenges of raw nature to get to the bottom of things.

Ice Dogs is a real nail biter of a novel.  Even realizing that Vicky knows how to use the survival skills she has been taught, I still found myself sitting on the edge of my seat.  Vicky makes the reader well aware of the dangers she, Chris and the dogs face - dehydration and hp\ypothermia being the greatest of these, even more than predatory wolves or mean moose, and that it can all happen so quickly.

Terry Lynn Johnson's description of the Alaskan landscape that Vicky and Chris find themselves in was so realist that I could feel the cold, hear the wind, appreciate how quickly night seems to come so far up north. That's good writing! And I found myself envying the bond that Vicky has with her dogs, especially Bean, her favorite.  That's love, no doubt culled from Johnson's own feelings about dogs in general, and her own dogs in particular.

Only two things could have made this an even better books for me.  One would have been a map of the area between Vicky's home and Jermey Cook's place showing where she and Chris traveled.  The other would have been a picture showing the parts of a dog sled and how it works.  Otherwise...

this is an exciting coming of age story that should appeal to most young readers and I can't recommend it enough.  It would pair very nicely with another survival story, Ultra by David Carroll, the 2013 Cybils Middle Grace Fiction winner.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

As fifth grader Rose Howard, 11, will tell you, she has a diagnoses of high-functioning autism, or Asperger's syndrome.  She is also obsessed with homonyms, calms herself by reciting prime numbers when she gets upset and likes rules to avoid getting overwhelmed.  Rose lives with her angry, impatient, not terribly understanding mechanic dad, Wesley Howard who spends a lot of his time drinking in The Luck of the Irish.

Luckily, Rose has her Uncle Weldon, who totally gets her, and Rain, a dog her father found and brought home to her.  Everyday, Uncle Weldon drives Rose to and from school during which they talk about any new homonyms either may have come up with, so that Rose can add them to her painstaking handwritten alphabetized list.

Everyday, Rose comes home and takes care of Rain, after, she sometimes looks through the box of Rose-related stuff her mother left behind before she walked out on Rose and her dad.  Then she makes dinner for her and her dad, then she and Rain wait to see what kind of mood he will be in.

One night, Rose hears on the radio that a storm is coming, a superstorm "of epic proportions" as the forecaster describes it.  But when she tells her father, he brushes it off saying they are too far inland for a storm to reach them in upstate Hatford, NY.  But a few days late, the storm is a real threat so Rose and her dad go out and buy emergency supplies just before the it hits.

And Superstorm Susan is epic,  Trees are knocked down in their yard, their small bridge onto the road is washed away, the power goes out and the wind continuously howls outside Rose's bedroom, she and Rain lay huddled together for warmth and safety.

But in the morning, Rain isn't there, or anywhere in the house.  During the storm, her dad let Rain outside to pee and she never came back.  Rose is beside herself and as days go by and Rain still doesn't return, Rose devises a plan to start searching rescue shelters with the help of Uncle Weldon, a plan that forces to step out of her comfort zone of rules, homonyns and prime numbers to find her dog.

Weeks later, when she finally locates Rain, Rose is in for a terrible shock, and the repercussions of it will change her life dramatically.

Rain Reign is not the easiest book to read but kudos to Ann Martin for taking on the task of writing a much needed middle grade novel with first person narration in the voice of a girl with Asperger's and for getting it right.  Martin draws an empathic picture of Rose's world, showing just how much of her social interactions are learned behaviors, how she is prone to behavior problems such as inappropriately calling out in school, and how she orders her world with rules and categorizable interests (like homonyms), and her difficulties with the kids in her class, who often refer to her as "retard."

Martin's depiction of Rose is spot on, but her portrayal of a father who is completely clueless about his daughter is also, unfortunately, true to life.  While we like to think that when a child gets diagnosed with a serious condition like Asperger's their parents are understanding and supportive, that just isn't always the case.  Wesley Howard isn't exactly abusive, but on occasion, when his frustration levels get high, he does raise a fist to Rose but never acts on it.

Rain Reign is an important. powerful book about family, love and loss that should not be missed.  Rain Reign would pair very nicely with Kathryn Erskine's Mockingbird.

This book is recommened for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is a weekly event hosted by Shannon Messenger at Book Ramblings, and Plenty of Shenanigans

I'm My Own Dog by David Erza Stein Blog Tour

About this book:

Many dogs have human owners. Not this dog. He fetches his own slippers, curls up at his own feet, and gives himself a good scratch. But there is one spot, in the middle of his back, that he just can’t reach. So one day, he lets a human scratch it. And the poor little fella follows him home. What can the dog do but get a leash to lead the guy around with? Dog lovers of all ages will revel in the humorous role-reversal as this dog teaches his human all the skills he needs to be a faithful companion.

Meet the author:
David Ezra Stein is the creator of many award-winning picture books, including Interrupting Chicken, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor, Because Amelia Smiled, and Dinosaur Kisses. He lives with his family in Kew Gardens, New York.
You can visit David and learn more about him at his website Funny with Love

Up close and personal Q&A with David:

ME:  Hi, David, and welcome to Randomly Reading.  I've read I'm My Own Dog and laughed pretty hard while I did.  You really seem to have hit on a truth about owning a dog.  Are you a dog owner?  Or is your dog a human owner?

DES:  Hi Alex! I don’t own a dog, though I can see why you’d assume so. But I do live in a doggy metropolis, so I guess they are part of my life anyway. I see it all, from people pushing dogs in baby carriages, to dogs riding shotgun in cars, to people and dogs gazing lovingly at each other on hilltops.

ME:  I can certainly attest to the fact that you live in a doggy metropolis, since I live one borough away from you.  So, if you aren't a dog owner, where did you get your inspiration for I’m My Own Dog?

DES:  I made an illustration one day of a dog walking himself with a leash. The caption read, “The true master is master of himself.” I had that hanging up for a long while on my studio wall. One day, while on the road, I started hearing the voice of that dog. It was telling me all about itself. It was a tough and independent character. I jotted down as much as I could, along with sketches.

ME:   Which usually comes first?  The story or the illustrations?

DES:  The character. Usually I get this funny character, and draw it, and jot down some ideas for it. Hopefully I can plug this character into lots of funny situations. If I have enough sense of the character, the situations usually begin to form a story.

ME:  Which part of the book is your favorite?  

DES:  I love “LOOK, LOOK, LOOK, that is a squirrel,” because it sounds like a dog barking. That’s the part where the dog takes the man to the park and show him things. I have seen lots of dogs do this behavior. They want to let you know about every squirrel as if it’s breaking news you need to know about. Or maybe they just want to give chase.

ME:  Lots of time in the classroom, kids would be drawing during Arts and Crafts.  I've often wondered if any of them would grow up to become an illustrator.  Do you have any advice for future author/illustrators?

DES:  Be your own dog!

Ask yourself, what makes me different? What makes me, me? Then do that thing on paper. And as you do so, as Robert Louis Stevenson said, “indulge the pleasure of your heart”. It makes for an enjoyable life, in any case.E Be your own dog!

Ask yourself, what makes me different? What makes me, me? Then do that thing on paper. And as you do so, as Robert Louis Stevenson said, “indulge the pleasure of your heart”. It makes for an enjoyable life, in any case.

Thanks for your visit here, David.  And for answering all my questions.

Be sure to visit the stops on the blog tour for I'm My Own Dog:

11/3/2014 Smart Books for Smart Kids

11/4/2014 Read Now, Sleep Later

11/5/2014 Cracking the Cover

11/6/2014 Elizabeth Dulemba's blog

11/7/2014 The Fourth Musketeer

11/8/2014 Picture Book Palooza

11/9/2014 Randomly Reading

11/10/2014 Children's Corner

11/11/2014 Flowering Minds

11/12/2014 Teach Mentor Texts

11/13/2014 KidLit Frenzy

11/14/2014 Literacy Toolbox

I would like to thank Candlewick Press for providing me with a copy of I'm My Own Dog and for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour.  

Dog Days of School by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Brian Biggs

Well, by now the first blush of the new school year is over and I suspect there are lots of kids out there who are beginning to wish they didn't have to go to school everyday.  But as Kelly DiPucchio's new picture books warns: be careful what you wish for.

Charlie is pretty tired of school - tired of writing his letters all the time, tired of drawing pictures, just tired of everything about school.  Lucky Norman, he thinks, he doesn't have to go to school cause he's a dog and gets to laze around every day.  So one Sunday night, Charlie wishes on a star that he were a dog.

Next morning, Charlie wakes up in Norman's bed and Norman wakes up in Charlie's bed.  Yes, it's the old switch-a-roo.   Norman goes to school and has fun, while Charlie gets to stay home and does dog things.

It's fun at first, but by Friday, the fun is wearing off for both Charlie and Norman.  And when the weekend is a total disaster for each of them, come Sunday night, Charlie makes another wish - he wishes to be a boy again.

The idea that a kid can make a wish and wake up to find it has come true can be a pretty scary idea for young readers, but writer DiPucchio's dead pan, straightforward text is combined with artist Brian Biggs humorous illustrations to turn this into a lighthearted story kids and their parents will laugh at.  Everything Norman does in school is dog related - for example, making a clay fire hydrant and drawing a food pyramid that consists only of bones, while Charlie gets to do dog things - drinking out of the toilet and digging in the garden.

Why do I suspect that DiPucchio and Biggs both chuckled their way through creating this book?  Perhaps because I and the young reader with whom I read Dog Days of School did exactly that.

So if school is beginning to feel like it isn't so much fun at the moment for your kids, you might want to share this charming story with them.  It worked on my young reader.