MMGM: A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner

Twelve-year-old Silas Wade loves baseball. He could play it, talk about, think about it, and probably even dream about it 24/7. And his baseball hero is Glenn Burke, a black major leaguer who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning in 1976 and who, during some tense moments on the final weekend of the 1977 baseball season, invented the high five. Glenn Burke was also gay and when he came out, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 1979 and literally harassed out of baseball. Like Glenn, Silas is also gay and terrified people will discover it before he is ready for the world to know, especially his baseball teammates. 

To test the waters, during their Wednesday karaoke afternoon, Silas tells his best friend Zoey. At first, she's very supportive knowing about Silas, but after a while she begins to feel that being the only one who knows his secret is "weird." 

Silas' team, the Renegades, has a different third-base coach for the season (the other two coaches are Noles and Rockford). Coach Webb is an aggressive coach, and the Renegades are doing well under his guidance. But one of his rules is no taunting an opposing team with anything that could be perceived as racist, such as their monkey taunts and gestures.

Webb and Silas are quite simpatico when it comes to baseball, and enjoy talking about it with each other, especially their favorite baseball movie The Sandlot. Perhaps sensing he can trust Webb, one afternoon, while talking about Glenn Burke, Silas tells him he's gay.

After one of the players is called gay at a team visit to a trampoline park, Webb announces that there will be no more using the word gay as a put down. Renegades are expected to "respect everyone - LGTB, women, immigrants, Muslims, everyone," and that after the third offense, a player would be off the team. This causes a riff between Webb and Coach Noles, who quits the team, taking his son with him. The other members of the team decide it was Silas who snitched about the trampoline park incident, and to take the heat of himself, he tells them Zoey is his girlfriend. Now, she's done with Silas and his teammates think he's a liar. 

As much a Silas wants to be accepted for who he really is, maybe coming out isn't the best idea right now. 

As a story about Silas' desire to live an authentic life and his internal struggles with knowing he is gay, wanting to come out and be accepted, but living in fear that people will discover it, this is a book every middle grader should read. Silas' courage is inspiring, and he is a great character. At first, I found his obsessiveness, his lack of focus (baseball excepted), his speediness to be annoying, until I realized it was his anxiety and his fear at work and Bildner manages to convey that so well when writing about Silas. I was a little disappointed in Zoey, that she would turn on her best friend so easily instead of asking why he did what his did. 

As a baseball story, I was completely lost. I thought I understood the game, but apparently not. Did that spoil the novel for me? No one bit. So do not avoid this book if you, too, aren't baseball savvy. The baseball parts give the story depth and genuineness, and Bildner really knows this sport inside and out. I loved how he cleverly tied together Silas, Glenn Burke and the high five as a prelude to Silas's coming out. I think it's a real hook for young readers. I had certainly never thought about the invention of the high five, even though people still do it all the time (though I think it is slowly being replaced with the Obama fist punch) and enjoyed learning its history.    

This is believed to be a photo of the first high five between
Glenn Burke and Dusty Baker

A High Five for Glenn Burke is an engaging book about friendship, family, loyalty, sportsmanship, and coming out. High five to Phil Bildner for writing a book that needed to be written and read, especially in this day and age. 

This book is recommended for readers age 10+

This book was borrowed from the Brooklyn Public Library

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

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

Nishat Ahsan is a 16-year-old Bangladeshi girl living with her family - her Ammu (mom) and Abbu (dad), and younger sister Priti - in Dublin, Ireland. Nishat has known for a long time that she is a lesbian, but now she's tired of hiding it. To spare her parents the future disappointment that they will never have a big Bengali wedding for her, on the day of Sunny Apu's engagement party, Nishat decides it is time to come out to her parents. It does not go well. As Sunny Apu later tells Nishat "Muslims aren't gay."

Nishat also has an interest in henna, a family tradition, and has been practicing on herself and Priti, and she getting pretty good at it. When Sunny Apu's wedding rolls around, Nishat does the henna on herself and Priti. At the wedding, she meets and is attracted to Flavia, a biracial Brazilian Irish girl, who admires Nishat's henna designs and later turns out to be a classmate. But Flavia is also Chyna Quinn's cousin, and Chyna is Nishat's former friend, now mortal enemy and a bully.

At school, Nishat, Flavia and Chyna are in the same Business class and when it is announced that the students will be required to develop a business, and to make it interesting, it will be a competition with a prize of 1,000 Euros. Nishat decides to set up a henna business with friends Jess and Chaewon, but when Flavia and Chyna show up at school with a henna design on their hands, she is more than a little upset. Flavia is a talented artist, and has copied Nishat wedding design perfectly. The two cousins decide their class project will also be a henna business.  

To complicate matters for Nishat, Jess and Chaewon decide they feel left out of the henna business and decide to strike out on their own, her parents are barely acknowledging her, convinced that she has chosen to be a lesbian, and her crush on Flavia is in a constant state of flux. Sometimes it's on, sometimes it's off, sometimes Nishat thinks Flavia feels the same way, sometimes she thinks maybe not, but Chyna's presence always overshadows things. Luckily for Nishat, Priti always has her back - or does she?

The Henna Wars is a very engaging novel, the kind of story that hooks you from page one. I found that when I had to stop to do other things, I couldn't wait to get back to Nishat's story. Since she and her family are Bangladeshi, the author has included lots of Bengali culture and tradition, including the art of henna. This always gives a novel so much character and depth, and a real sense of authenticity. For me, it was another one of those books that was a sliding glass door into Nishat's world, to paraphrase Rudine Sims Bishop. And I was happy to be invited in. 

But Jaigirdar has also explored a number of important themes. Her main theme is family and Nishat's relationship with her parents and her sister. Up until she came out, the family seemed to be close knit and very loving. Her parents believe Nishat chose to be gay and can't understand why she doesn't just change her mind. Nishat and Priti are sisters and best friends. They share a bond that is enviable, with few secrets that aren't shared. And while Nishat can be a little impulsive, Priti is often the voice of reason for her.  

The other relationship in Nishat's life is her friendship with Jess and Chaewon. Interestingly, they are friends in school, but never socialize away from school. And perhaps the most important relationship that is looked at is Nishat's obsession with Flavia and what it does to her relationships with Priti, Jess and Chaewon. And of course, at the center of everything is Nishat's Bangladeshi heritage, her Muslim religion, and always feeling different.

The Henna Wars is a debut novel for Adiba Jaigirdar and she has really hit it out of the ballpark with Nishat's story. It is one of the most satisfying novels I've read in a long time and had just the ending I needed it to have. Don't miss it!

This book is recommended for readers age 14+

This book was borrowed from the Brooklyn Public Library

MMGM: The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

Twelve-year-old Bea looks back over the last 4 years, recounting her parents divorce, her father's engagement to another man, and getting to know her new stepsister.

Bea is 8-years-old when parents tell her that they would be getting a divorce, not because they don't love each other, but because her father is gay. And, they reassured her, although she would now have two homes and two rooms, some things would never change. In fact, they were so sure of that that they gave her a notebook in which they has listed all the Things That Will Not Change and green pen (Bea's favorite color) for additional entries.

Bea is 10-years-old when her dad, a chef and restauranteur, announces that he is going to marry Jesse, who works with him. Bea, who adores Jesse, is especially excited when she discovers that he has a daughter, Sonia, who is the same age and lives in California.

But Sonia's first visit to New York doesn't turn out as Bea had hoped. Sonia misses her family in California and doesn't seem very interested in anything Bea proposes, including the upcoming wedding. But Bea perseveres, writing letters and emails to Sonia, even when there is silence on the other end. Meanwhile, plans for the upcoming wedding go forward, and when Bea discovers the Jesse has a brother, she is sure he would want to be invited to the wedding, despite being told that the brothers are not on speaking terms. She decides to send him an invitation anyway, telling no one, and thinking it will be a wonderful surprise.

Throughout all these changes, Bea struggles to navigate her life around big and small challenges and upheavals, like being a poor speller in school, outbreaks of eczema, learning to trust her therapist, incidences of homophobia, a guilty conscience, and the seeming rejection by Sonia, the sister she wants to have so badly. One way of coping with all this is to add to the List of Things That Will Not Change. Knowing there are people and things that are concrete and unchanging and that she can hold on proves to be the security blanket Bea carries wherever she goes.

I began this blog back in September 2012 with a review of Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead, about which I wrote "...the story started to worm its way into my thoughts and the more that happened the more I began to really appreciate the incredibly clever way the story is woven together, each part adding to the whole picture, and the wonderful subtleties of Stead's writing." And that is the beauty of Stead's plotting and character development. She gives us characters that are easily relatable and puts them in seemingly unconnected situations and then you finish the book and, voilá, there is the whole picture, clear as could be.

And Bea is certainly relatable, simple because she is a flawed character in the way middle schoolers are flawed. She's impulsive, angry, sometimes unthinking and inappropriately physical, but always well-meaning, and she has a secret that causes major guilt feelings. She reveals her story slowly and in anecdotes that at times seem completely unconnected. In fact, she begins her narrative with one about her dad and his brother listening to the corn growing, an account that seems to have nothing to do with anything, but at the end of Bea's tale, has everything to do with everything. Each part of her narrative adds to the whole picture.

Bea's slow narration also gives readers the opportunity to get to know the people who are part of her world, all of whom are supportive and loving, but also flawed, and to see how her family's dynamics work. By the end, we see that all is not without disappointments, and there are plenty of ups and downs. But throughout it all, there is family, forgiveness, personal growth, and, of course, the list of things that will not change.

The List of Things That Will Not Change is at times poignant, funny, angsty but always real. It's a book that shouldn't be missed by tween readers, and one that should probably be read by their parents. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an eARC gratefully received from NetGalley

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

Nate Expectations (Better Nate Than Ever #3) by Tim Federle

So after running away from home to audition for E.T.: The Musical in NYC and landing a part in it, the sad news that the show is closing because it didn't get even a single Tony nomination has Nate Foster, now 14, saying goodbye to Broadway, his kinda sorta boyfriend Jordan, and his NYC guardian Aunt Heidi, and heading back to Jankburg, PA and a new high school.

But at least best friend Libby is there and happy to have Nate home again. And to his surprise, Nate isn't the target for bullies that he had been in middle school. Being on Broadway has given him some notoriety and, except for one homophobic name calling, the kids are pretty open and curious about his experience. Too bad the school has cancelled all "arts" classes, tearing down the auditorium to make a lacrosse field.

But that doesn't stop Nate from deciding to be creative for his English teacher, Mr. English, and planning a musical based on Charles Dickens' Great Expectations for his big English project (LOL - I read this my freshman year, too). With Libby's help, posters are made for auditions and lots of kids actually show up. The part of Miss Havisham is promised to shy Paige, the gym coach's niece in exchange for using the gym for the only performance of the Nate's musical.

Nate really throws himself into his production, while trying to keep up a long distance relationship with Jordan, who is part of the cast of a television show. At the same time, Nate meet Ben Mendoza, Mr. English's secret star student. Ben shows up at Nate's auditions, but doesn't want a part, just hangs around, filming stuff on his phone.

To make a musical requires music, so Nate and Libby decide to use some of Mr. English's favorite songs for the cast to lip-sync, song by people like Joni Mitchell, Elvis, Simon and Garfunkel. And it looks like Nate's musical version of Great Expectations is going to happen. And when Ben films the final dress rehearsal and posts it online, it gets so many hits, even Jordan in NYC watches it. Unfortunately, so do some lawyers representing the music Nate plans to use - and sure, he can continue to use those songs by those famous musicians for a mere $25,000 per song. Why? Because a ticket to the musical version of Great Expectations in the gym costs $5.00 and as any blogger knows, if you are making money, you gotta pay for what you use if it belongs to someone else.

It looks like Nate's show won't go on - or will it?

I was actually hoping Federle would write a third Nate book because between Better Nate than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate! I just didn't feel as though Nate's story was over. So I was really happy to see Nate Expectations. Sure, he had a crush on Jordan and there was some kissing backstage, but Nate hadn't officially come out as gay by the time he returns home to Jankburg (well, except to Libby). But that part of Nate's journey is part of the focus in Nate Expectations and Federle does a great job of presenting it. And even though the tackles Nate's coming out, and even though he's a freshman in high school, this is still very much an upper middle grade fiction.

Nate again narrates his story, told in usual first person stream of consciousness that has all the energy, humor and snarkiness of a 14 year old, which can be a lot. I really liked the inclusion of Ben in this book because he's a much nicer kid and a lot more funk than self-centered Jordan. Nate and Ben both come from homes with some parental problems and hit it off almost immediately.  I almost wish there were a book about Ben, too, cause I would love to know his whole story.

I don't usually comment on book covers but I was really disappointed by the cover of this book compared to the first two:

Really?

I love theater and I've been going to see shows on and off broadway since I was in elementary school, so I really enjoyed reading this whole series, even when some of it was funny but a little far-fetched. And I could accept that - after all, Broadway is magical. So if your middle grade readers are looking for an entertaining trilogy this summer, you can't go wrong with the Nate books, especially if they are theater-struck the way Nate and Libby are.

This book is recommended for readers age 11+
This book was an EARC received from EdelweissPlus

Hurricane Season by Nicole Melleby

A novel about a father's mental illness and a daughter's desperate desire to take care of him, even as she wonders who will take care of her.

Since the day after she was born and her mother took off and left, it has always been just Fig and her dad. Fig's dad, Tim Arnold, had once been a celebrated musician/composer in New York City, but now he and Fig live on the Jersey shore. Though her dad loves Fig very much, he is subject to mood swings and erratic behavior. And attracted to the shoreline whenever there is a violent storm or hurricane, something that really scares Fig. But when he shows up at school looking for her, confused and disheveled, her teacher Miss Williams calls Child Protection and Permanency, or CP&P, and now they will be making visits to make sure Fig is safe and taken care of.

When a September hurricane rolls in, and her dad heads to the shore, Fig asks their new neighbor Mark Finzi, a construction worker, to help her find and bring him home. And it doesn't take long for Mark to become part of their lives, much to Fig's chagrin. The last thing she needs is someone knowing how things are at home.

Meanwhile, Miss Williams assigns Fig's class an art project to be displayed at the Fall Festival. Fig decides to research Vincent van Gogh, and learns that he had the same kind of erratic behavior as her dad, and soon begins to think of herself as her dad's Theo, van Gogh's brother. But it is Mark who gets him to a doctor, where he is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and Mark who keeps her dad on his medication. But when her dad shows up at a Halloween party looking for Fig, it becomes clear that adjusting the medication will take time to get it just right.

Tim and Mark have been spending more and more time together, even as Fig's dad makes good progress, but when she walks in on a more-than-just-friends moment between the two men, she has more than a difficult time accepting their new relationship - but not for the reasons you might expect. Fig feels jealous that Mark is becoming the new Theo to her dad's van Gogh, a notion that her dad clearly rejects with a resounding "I'm not van Gogh," and she feels somewhat betrayed by her dad - why would he agree to doctors and medication for Mark, but not for Fig?

Everything comes crashing down on Fig when a hurricane approaches and she decides to try to experience it the way her dad always did - but luckily, Mark is a physically strong man. This does bring things to a head, and there is a somewhat happy ending to Fig's story, but with the caveat that mental illness can't be cured but it can be controlled, and help is never far away, if one is willing to ask for it.

When I started reading, I had expected a story about surviving a hurricane and I guess on some level that is exactly what I got. And I have to admit that the thing that drew me to this novel was the cover. It did remind me of van Gogh's Starry Night because of the bold swirls in the sky and the one swirl that looks like the sun setting. While I read I noticed that all the chapter titles cleverly refer to the names of van Gogh's paintings - and yes, I knew some but not all, so I looked them up.

For a middle grade novel, Hurricane Season has a lot going on in it. There's dad's mental illness and the difficulty of getting him into treatment and then determining what works best for him; there's his relationship with Mike, neither one of which ever had romantic feelings for men before; there's Fig's constant worry about her dad and her fear of being separated from him by CP&P; and there's Fig's own emerging sexuality. And then there are the hurricanes.

But Melleby deftly deals with everything she throws Fig's way so that the reader feels like it all unfolds organically. And she presents Tim Arnold's bipolar disorder as it is experienced by Fig in all its chaotic, scary reality - days of depression and staying in bed followed by manic days. And Fig's resentful reaction when people finally try to help - well-meaning Miss Williams, best friend Danny, the CP&P caseworker, and most of all, Mark.

But slowly, the reader sees Fig come to terms with the fact that she is just too young to deal with her father's mental illness, that the best she can do is love him and be there, that she is still a child and need to be one - to go to parties, to have crushes, to enjoy school and her friends - a gift she gets from Mark.

Hurricane Season is a difficult book to read at times but it is a book that kids will want to read if mental illness has ever touched their family, other kids will find themselves feeling empathy for Fig and all she has to deal with.

Hurricane Season is a deeply emotional story and I can't recommend it highly enough.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an ARC received from the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers

Blog Tour: To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

When Marlow Devlin and Sam Bloom fell in love, they have two problems - it's a bi-coastal relationship and they both have daughters who believe they are number one in the lives of their dads. So while the first blush of romance is still strong, they decide to send their daughters to the same sleepaway camp while they travel through China by motorcycle. Their hope is that the girls will get to know and like each other, maybe even consider themselves sisters someday. Camp was supposed to be a surprise for the girls but Bett Devlin, 12 and living on the West Coast, knows her dad's email password and discovers the plot. Naturally, she emails her counterpart Avery Bloom, also 12, to inform her of the plan.

As the girls begin to exchange emails, it becomes clear that they couldn't be more different. Bett is confident, outgoing, willing to try anything. She loves animals and surfing in the Pacific Ocean. Avery is a New York City girl, quiet, shy, and cautious, really cautious and a little hypochondriacal.  She loves to read and is deathly afraid of water.

At first, Bett and Avery clearly do not like each other, but as they exchange emails, dislike turns to curiosity. Determined not to become friends, they decide not to actually speak to each other once they arrive at camp but they do continue to exchange emails. Gradually, the ice melts and the two girls not only end up as friends, but even begin to bond and think of themselves as sisters.

And just as that happens, the relationship between their dads going downhill. Now what? Can Bett and Avery maintain the closeness they have finally found, and can they teach their dads a thing or two about friendships?

To Night Owl From Dogfish is a lively novel written almost completely in emails exchanged between Avery and Bett, with occasional emails and text messages from other characters relevant to the story. It's an interesting format and in the hands of its two talented authors, one that really works. As Bett and Avery begin their correspondence, readers get an insider's look at how they go from complete strangers determined to split their dad's relationship apart and who each feel their number 1 spot in their dads life is being threatened to close friends looking forward to becoming sisters and determined to bring the dads back together again. Along the way, they both discover that despite their differences, and there are many, they also have enough things in common - they both love their dads and value family.

Using the epistolary format really lets readers see each character's actions and reactions to the different situations they find themselves in and witness their growth as young women. Interestingly, Avery and Bett seem less inhibited about revealing themselves to one another in writing than they might be if they were speaking directly to each other. And it's a great way for readers to learn everything they need to know to appreciate each character.

This is a laugh out loud novel with a cast of great characters. I loved Bett's spirited grandmother called Gaga, and Avery's mother Kristina a famous playwright whom she really doesn't know. I also really liked the fact that although Bett is African American, Avery is Jewish and their dads are gay these things are treated as just part of who they are, rather than points of conflict.

Being a former camper, I love a good camp story and this one really hit the spot. If you like the Parent Trap movies, chances are you will love To Night Owl From Dogfish.

Meet the Authors:

Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and spent her childhood living in Holland; Istanbul, Turkey; Washington, D.C.; Berkeley, California; and Eugene, Oregon. After graduating from Wellesley College and spending some time as an advertising copywriter, she began writing family feature films, including Angels in the Outfield and Made in America. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Counting by 7s and Short, among other novels.  

Meg Wolitzer was born in Brooklyn, New York, grew up in the town of Syosset, on Long Island, and sold her first novel, Sleepwalking, while a senior in college. She is the New York Times-bestselling author of numerous novels for adults, including The Interestings, The Ten-Year Nap, The Wife, and The Female Persuasion; the young adult novel Belzhar; and the middle-grade novel The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman.

Since I live in NYC like Avery, for this blog tour, I was paired with a pen pal in California, Sam at Sam May Be Reading. I sent her some questions to get to know her better, and she sent me some questions for the same reason:

1- I never became friends with anyone I didn't think I could get along with, but at camp I did become friends with people who had very different lives than mine. One example was the daughter of a UN ambassador from a South American country who led a much more exciting and glamorous life than I did. Part of the reason we became friends was because she was facing NYCs Regents Exams and needed help preparing for them. 

2- I did have a pen pal for years starting at age 10. It was really my cousin in Wales, but I didn't know her and it was years later that we finally met. We exchanged actual letters about 3 times a month. I think having a pen pal with modern technology would be very different. My Kiddo had a pen pal in Ohio beginning at age 11 and they still keep in touch by email and text, but still haven't met. I think sure a pen pal today would be so different, just the means of communicating. Kids today have email, texting, and video chat and probably more supervised than when I was young. I certainly supervised my Kiddo. 

3- I did go to camp for year once I outgrew Vacation Bible School. It was a sleepaway camp in Harriman State Park in New York State. Each year the same core group of girls returned with a few new girls. I don't remember not getting along with the other girls, in fact, more often than not we were all partners in crime - raiding the kitchen, taking out canoes when we were supposed to, things like that. There were usually 6 girls in each cabin and out of that, I am still friendly with four of them. Ironically, I sent my Kiddo to the same camp and she hated it.  

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Dial Books

The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island by Dana Alison Levy

If you have already read the first book, The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, then you are familiar with the make-up of this wonderfully diverse family.  If not, let me introduce you.  There is white, gentile Dad, white, Jewish Papa, blond, white Sam, 13, white Eli,11,  African American Jax, 11, and Indian American Froggie, 6.

Now, it's August and that means it's time for the Family Fletcher to go on vacation.  Fitting four (adopted) boys, one dog, two cats and two dads into their small cottage on Rock Island isn't easy, but luckily there has always been the vacant lighthouse next door in which the boys can play and even have sleepovers.  Everyone is pretty excited about their month long vacation and, for all the boys, part of the beauty of Rock Island is that everything is always wonderfully, traditionally the same - that is, until this year.

First, the boys discover that the lighthouse is off limits, surrounded by a giant chain link fence, and on further exploration, a sign that reads For Sale: Contact Town Clerk.  Not only is it now off-limits, but there is the possibility that the lighthouse may have to be demolished if it is found unsafe.  And then they discover that the family who owns the house next door, the Galindo-Greens, are actually vacationing there this summer.  At first, they seem to be pretty annoying, but when their visiting friend Janie leaves, all that changes.  Val Galindo is around Sam's age and is obsessed with making videos, filming everything going on around her.  Alex Galindo is not only the same age Jax, but likes to do the same kinds of things he does, and it doesn't take long for them to become fast friends.

And then there is the artist Chase Kark, who has plans to buy the lighthouse, and who carries an easel everywhere he goes, but who has never been seen painting.  It doesn't take long for the Fletcher/Galindo kids to wonder what's up with him and why he wants to buy the lighthouse so badly, and so they do exactly what I would have done at that age - they follow him and make some surprising discoveries.

Meanwhile, Sam, is once again bitten by the acting bug and finds himself in a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Eli is told that if he can overcome his fear of kayaking, he can name the baby seal that was rescued after her mother deserted her.  And Frog is just beside himself with excitement after finding out that there is now an ice cream truck that drives up and down the streets of Rock Island - no more having riving into town for it.

As much as I anticipated it, I was afraid that the sequel would fall short, but in the case of The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island, Levy has managed to maintain her character's individual personalities throughout, giving the reader a sense a continuity even as they grow and change.

I've spent almost every summer of my life on beaches - from Jones Beach to Rockaway Beach to Coney Island and the Jersey Shore and I could practically smell the salt air, hear the sea gulls cry and taste the ice cream reading The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island.  I thought Levy really did a spot on job of creating the Rock Island setting and that glorious feeling of waking up mornings at the beach (despite all the sand that gets everywhere), feeling that I know I share with the Fletcher boys.

And even though the mystery of the lighthouse and its future takes center stage in this novel, it doesn't overwhelm the wonderful chronicle of the family Fletcher's vacation and all the endearing everyday things that happen.  The Fletchers are well-known and well-liked by almost everyone on the island and for the most part, the boys have the freedom to roam around, have fun and just be who they are.

For the most part, that is, until African American Jax and Latina Alex are profiled and accused of trying to steal the wallet of Kark's business associate.  Jax is understandably very upset by the accusation and it's implication, leading to a serious talk with Papa about race and racists, handled sensitively by Levy.  And while Levy doesn't really go into the Fletcher's diverse backgrounds as much in this novel as in her first one, I think she makes a very compelling point here about judging people by the color of their skin and the psychological damage it can cause.

And though the novel has its serious moments, there's also lots of gentle action and humor as well making this a book I highly recommend - it makes for especially wonderful summer reading.

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

Blog Tour: Read Me Like A Book by Liz Kessler

It's the beginning of Ashleigh Walker's last year of high school and she isn't looking forward to it. First of all, there's Dylan.  Maybe he's her boyfriend, maybe not.  But when Dylan talks her into having unprotected sex with him, Ash is definitely not happy about it afterward and begins to avoid him.  And then there are her parents. Things are really awkward at home until they finally tell Ash that they are divorcing and her dad moves out.  In no time, he is involved with a woman from work, Elaine, who has a son around the same age as Ash.  And then there is the falling out with her best-friend-since-they- were-eight Cat, only to finally make up when Ash thinks she may be pregnant.

It doesn't look like anything is going well for Ash until she walks into her English class for the first time and meets Miss Murray, fresh out of college, full of enthusiasm and very cool.  Suddenly Ash feels the desire to do well in English, actually reading Wuthering Heights and liking it. When she and Robyn work on a debate together, and win, Miss Murray invites Ash to join the debate club.

Soon. Ash is looking for any excuse to stay after class and talk to Miss Murray.  She is definitely feeling some attraction to her teacher, and Ash is sure that her teacher is feeling some attraction to her.  Instead of focusing on her upcoming A-Level exams and what she is going to do with the rest of her life, or at least, thinking about getting into a university, Ash is thinking about Miss Murray.  Is it just a diversion to get away from dealing with her parents divorce, her dad's new girlfriend, her mother's depression?  Or is there something about Ash that she doesn't know about herself.  Is she gay or is Miss Murray just a schoolgirl's grand pash?  Leave it to best friend Cat to make things clear for her.

I started reading Read Me Like A Book on night and couldn't put it down.  It's Liz Kessler's debut YA novel and, she says, it is not autobiographical, except for some anecdotes and one really great English teacher...oh, yes, and the coming out part.  Ash is a lively, spunky character and tells the reader her story with honesty and sincerity if not always with understanding.

Ashleigh's life has lots drama and angst and makes for a wonderful, sometimes humorous, sometimes confusing, sometimes sad but always exciting novel.  Read Me Like A Book is basically a love story about falling for the wrong person, and for that reason, anyone can relate to it.  That Ash falls for a woman makes it an LGTBQ story that needs to be told, a story about identity and sexual awakening from a gay perspective.  There simply aren't that many good books about young women coming out. and I think that Kessler has done a spot on job of presenting and exploring all of Ash's confused emotions that come with discovering you are not who you thought you were.

While this is a great story, there is also quite a bit of drinking going on.  Of course, in England the drinking age is lower than in the US, so kids 17 can buy beer and wine.  And there's a fair amount of snogging, which anyone who has read Harry Potter knows is just kissing, and only one incidence of shagging (with Dylan).  I say this because a lot of readers know Liz Kessler for her middle grade novels and this should not be mistaken for one of them - it IS a YA novel.      

I just want to thank Candlewick Press for providing me with a copy of this interesting novel. which I completely enjoyed and for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

This book is recommended for readers age 13+
 
Be sure to visit all the other stops on the Official Read Me Like A Book Blog Tour:

6/14 YA Book Central

6/15 My Mercurial Musings

6/16 Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

6/17 Mayor of Bookopolis

6/18 I Read Banned Books

6/19 Forever Literary

6/20 Word Spelunking

6/21 My Books Views

6/22 Kelly Vision

6/23 Swoony Boys Podcast

6/24 Reviews Comin At YA

6/25 Comfort Books

6/26 Satisfaction for Insatiable Reader

6/27 Just a Cat and a Book by her Side

6/28 The Reading Date

6/29 Forever YA

6/30 Musing Librarian reviews

7/1 Randomly Reading

Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash

When I was growing up, I spent most of my tween and teen summers at an all girls camp in Harriman State park in upstate New York.  I loved the whole camp experience, the traditions, the s'mores, the canoeing, the bug juice but especially singing around the campfire and sleeping out under the stars with friends, many of whom I am still friends with.  Naturally, I was pretty excited to read Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash when I first heard about it.

Honor Girl is Trash's memoir about the summer of 2000 at Camp Bellflower, a Christian camp in the Kentucky Appalachians.  Maggie had been going to Bellflower for years and was familiar with all the camp's almost centuries long traditions, including the custom of choosing an Honor Girl at the end of summer.  The Honor Girl is the senior camper who embodies all the good and upright qualities the camp tries to instill in the campers.

For Maggie, now 15, camp begins just like every other year.  She shares a tent with friends who are familiar with the leash she wears at night to prevent her from sleepwalking and getting lost or hurt.   And she decides to concentrate on shooting for the summer, even though she isn't a very good shot. There's also boy talk and crushes on the Slog boys, the guys responsible for dishes, lawn mowing and garbage.  And then, there is a lice scare.

As Erin, a 19 year old counselor, checks Maggie's hair for lice, Maggie is suddenly aware of her touch. Very aware! Realizing she is attracted to Erin, Maggie tries to deflect her feelings to the rifle range and by totaling focusing, discovers she is an amazing shooter.  But even that doesn't stop her attraction to Erin, and soon it is clear Erin just may feel the same way.

As her feelings grow stronger, Maggie finds support among her real friends, who help her keep her feelings for Erin a secret.  But even as Maggie explores her sexuality, she gets pulled aside by a head counselor and told that  "…[camp] is a place where girls can be totally innocent and free, maybe for the last time in their lives.  Don't ruin it for everyone." (pg 173)

My days at summer camp are pleasant memories now, even though I know that all kinds of quiet drama unfolded every summer of our teen years.  And from that perspective, Maggie Trash has really captured what that was like in her new graphic memoir.  The girls were all about exploring and experiencing their sexuality, though not necessarily with other girls.

To that end, Thrash has written a great book about first love and I personally found it to be a very honest memoir about a young girl discovering her lesbian sexuality.  Maggie's voice sounds very realistic, clearly and concisely expressing all the insecurities, doubts, hopes and dreams that goes into a crush.  Readers will certainly sympathize with and relate to Maggie's story regardless of their sexual preferences.  One feeling that came across so very well was how Maggie felt she had to keep her feelings so close to the vest to avoid being ostracized by the other campers.  That is a hard thing to have to do when you feeling just the opposite.

There is one thing that bothered me - it could have used a bit of editing.  Thrash seems to have written this as it really happened but sometimes it's OK to leave out some details or events.  I say this knowing full well that young gay or questioning teens will hang onto every word as they explore their own sexuality.

In a world that needs more diverse books, Honor Girl is a welcomed LGTBQA addition.

This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

We're celebrating Graphic books every Thursday thanks to Franki Sibberson and Mary Lee Hahn of A Year of Reading, Alyson Beecher of KidLit Frenzy and Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan of Assessment in Perspective

A Roundup of Kid's Book for Gay Pride

I was starting to think about a Saturday Roundup but after Friday's landmark decision about legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states, I decided to do a roundup of LGTBQ books I have read and used.  June is Gay Pride month and this year there certainly is much to celebrate and since today is the big Pride parade in cities around the country, so it seemed only appropriate to begin my Pride roundup with

This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten

Magination Press, 2014, 32 pages, age 5+ 

In short rhymes, the diversity and excitement of the Pride parade is perfectly captured, as is the joyous mood of all the participants. The energetic, colorful illustrations are whimsical visual representations of the rhymes. The back matter contains a reading guide and notes to parents and teachers.  FYI: Magination Press is an imprint of the American Psychological Association.

Daddy, Papa, and Me by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson 

Tricycle Press, 2009, age 0-3

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson

Tricycle Press, 2008, ages 0-3

Each of these board books details in rhyme the activities done with each their same-sex parents, from painting and baking to making music and playing pretend.  These are great books for kids who do have same-sex parents and for kids who have friends who may have two dads or two moms and wonder what is it like in their family.

Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Laura Cornell

Candlewick Press, 1989, 2015, 32 pages, age 3+

Heather's favorite number is two and the reader is shown all the things that she likes two of, including her two moms.  But when one of the kids in school asks what her daddy does, Heather doesn't have an answer.  The teacher suggests the kids draw pictures of their family and it turns out that Heather is in a class full of kids from diverse families.  This book caused such a hoopla in the NYC schools when it came out and now it seems like just another good kid's book.

Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer, illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown

Chronicle Books, 2015, 36 pages, age 5+

Stella has two daddies, so when the teacher announces there is going to be a Mother's Day celebration and all mothers are invited to come, she doesn't know who to bring.  When Jonathan asks Stella who kisses her when she get hurt, she decides to bring everyone in her family who does that.  

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino, 

illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant

Groundwood Books, 2015, 32 pages, age 4+

Morris loves to play and imagine all kinds of fun things.  He also loves school, particularly the dress-up corner and the tangerine dress there, which he puts on every day.  But when the other boys won't let him play spaceship if he's wearing the dress.  Feeling hurt and lonely, Morris decides to stay home from school.  At home, he uses his imagination to paint a picture of a spaceship, a blue elephant and tangerine tiger after he dreams about them.  When he goes back to school and starts to build the spaceship of his dream, the other boys get curious and invite him to play with them - tangerine dress and all(which would be nail polish his mother put on him).  A nice story about being different, and the comfort of having support but also about the hurt and loneliness of being left out.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell,

illustrated by Henry Cole

Simon & Schuster, 2005, 2015, 32 pages, age 4+

There's a wonderful penguin house in the Central Park Zoo and that's where this family story takes place.  Roy and Silo, two male penguins, appear to really be in love, and really want a little penguin of their own.  After a few false starts trying to hatch a rock, they find an abandoned egg.  They care for the egg, as male penguins do, and when the egg hatches, it is a little female named Tango by the zookeepers.  The soft watercolor illustrations capture all the emotions of any parents trying to have a baby and the joy they feel when it finally happens.

  

King & King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland

Random House, 2003, 32 pages, age 5+

When it is time for the Prince Bertie to marry, he tells his mother that he never really cared much for princesses, but his parents keep bringing eligible royal girls for him to meet anyway.  One princess arrives at the castle with her brother, Prince Lee, and Prince Bertie realizes he has finally met the love of his life,  The feeling is mutual and the two princes' marry.  I don't care for the illustrations, but the idea behind the story is nice.

King & King & Family by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland

Random House, 2004, 32 pages, age 5+

King & King take a honeymoon trip to the jungle and have a wonderful time.  Still, all through their tropical trip they have the sensation they are being followed.  When they arrive home, they discover the stowaway orphan girl in their bags.  They realize they want to have a family, set about adopting the little girl and call her Princess Daisy.  The same kind of illustrations as the first book, but again a nice story about a diverse family.

Red, A Crayon's Story written and illustrated by Michael Hall

HarperCollins, 2015, 40 pages, age 4+

I loved Red, A Crayon's Story when I read it and wish I had it while I was still a classroom teacher.  I included it simply because it speaks to anyone who has ever felt different, anyone who has ever felt like they were born in the wrong wrapper (skin).    

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

Simon & Schuster, 2013, 275 pages, age 9+

Nate loves musicals and he dream is to be in one on Broadway.  When he hears about a casting call for ET, the Musical, Nate takes a bus by himself from PA to NYC to audition.  There's lots of humor and nice behind the scenes bits of a Broadway show audition, but it isn't all fun for Nate.  While Nate is a really likable character, he has often experienced the meaness of others for being who he is.  Nate is also becoming aware of his own sexuality, but really isn't ready to commit to anything just yet.

Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle

Simon & Schuster, 2014, 304 pages, age 9+

Well, Nate got a small part in ET, the Musical and now he's staying in NYC with his aunt, a former actress.  He is still the wonderful musical theater geek he always was, but now he gives the reader lots of detail about Broadway show rehearsals, and the different people you meet there.  He is beginning to realize more that he is perhaps not attracted to girls as much as he is to boys, but has still decided to defer a final decision.  I loved both of these books and only wish Nate with revisit Tim Federle for a third installment.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy

Random House, 2014, 272 pages, age 9+

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher takes place over one school year and introduces the reader to a family similar to their own, but more diverse.  There are two dads and four adopted boys ages 6, 10, 10 and 12.  The story is written like a series of vignettes that show how each character grows and develops during the year.  I wrote that here is no big drama to the story of the Fletcher family, just everyday life, and yet, it will keep you riveted. 

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

DisneyHyperion, 2014, 256 pages, age 9+

Sixth grader Grayson has known since he was a young that he was really a girl in a boy's body, but could never express it publicly.  Not until an understanding teacher cast him in the female lead role in the school play.  Grayson is looking forward to at least being himself on stage, but is unprepared for the repercussions of the teacher's decision not only among the school bullies but also among parents and other teachers.

Coming Soon

George by Alex Gino

Scholastic, 2015, 240 pages, age 9+

OK, I cheated on this one, only because I haven't read it yet, but I do have an ARC from BEA, where there was lots of buzz about this debut novel.  It is the story of George, a girl in a boy's body.  That's all I really know about George, except that I can't wait to read it.

Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis

Pajama Press, 2014, 224 pages, 13+

This historical fiction novel takes place in 1988 Tehran.  The conservative government has outlawed same-sex relationships and it doesn't matter how old or young you are, if caught in one, it means death. So when wealthy Farrin, 15, falls for Sadira, a poorer student at her girls' school, and the feeling is mutual, both girls know the price could pay.  This is a hard, gritty novel, but shouldn't be missed if you haven't already read it.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

HarperCollins, 2013, 470 pages, 14+

In this debut coming of age novel, Cameron realizes she is gay and falls for new-to-town Coley Taylor.  The two have in intense relationship, but eventually Cameron is outed to her family and finds herself in a religious conversion camp called God's Promise.  I found Cameron a bit too passive a main character for my taste, which I think made the book hard to read.  But I thought the part about the conversion camp an important part of this novel.  This is a hard-hitting novel but one I actually do think teens should read.

From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson

Penguin, 1995, 2010, 144 pages, age 12+

Melanin Sun, 13, records all his thoughts in his notebooks, including his thoughts about his mom.  The two are  pretty close but lately she's been a bit distant and secretive.  When she announces that she's gay, Melanin is totally thrown for a loop, but there's more shock to come -  his mother's new girlfriend is white.  Now, Melanin has to deal with things at home as well as taunts from other kids, and the judgements of neighbors.  Melanin is forced to critically look at himself before he can accept things.

The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson

Penguin, 1997, 2010, 144 pages, age 12+

Stagerlee, 14, is the daughter of a biracial couple.  She's always been a bit of a loner, feeling different from her sister and from her classmates, who want nothing to do with her anyway.  Now, Stagerlee is questioning her sexuality but has no one to talk to about it until her cousin Trout comes to visit.  The two become fast friends and Trout helps Stagerlee begin to explore who she really is - gay or straight, black or white or just who she is.

  

Ash by Malinda Lo

Little, Brown, 2009, 272 pages, 14+

This is a retelling of the Cinderella story, with a difference.  After Ash's father dies, she is left to the mercy of a wicked stepmother.  Her only relief is reading fairy tales and the occasional nighttime trips into a wood filled with fairies.  There, Ash meets a huntress named Kaisa, who she finds herself attracted to and wishes to spend more time with her.  This is such a beautifully written story and the relationship between Ash and Kaisa is so lyrically, almost magically narrated, presenting their relationship as the most natural thing in the world.

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Little, Brown, 2011, 384 pages, 14+

In this coming of age story, schoolgirls Kaede and Taisin must journey together into a dark, threatening wood to see the Fairy Queen for help when nature goes out of balance.  Taisin is attracted to Kaede, but had a vision of losing her, so her is reluctant in getting involved.  When that doesn't feel right, Kaede realizes she must find harmony in her own life and do what is right for her - which is loving Taisin.  I thought this was such a beautifully written novel, lyrically and magically written in the same vein as Ash.

Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights by Ann Bausum

Penguin, 2015, 128 pages, age 12+

Here is a brief, but concise history of the Stonewall riots in 1969 that started the gay right movement.  Bausam gives a detailed account of what being gay was like in the 1950s and 1960s, when it was a criminal offense, before moving on to describe the night of June 27, 1969, when the grungy gay bar called the Stonewall Inn was raided and the violent demonstrations that followed that night.  Bausam uses lots of photographs and documents, as well as first person accounts.   A great book for anyone who doesn't know the history and the how or why Pride happens every year.  

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Candlewick Press, 2014, 192 pages, age 14+

Six transgender or gender-neutral teens were interviewed and their personal journeys toward becoming their authentic selves are documented with respect and dignity.  Kuklin doesn't sugarcoat the isolation, the challenges, lack of support and supportive services for teens who are transitioning.  On the other hand, the book in not without humor and poignancy.  There is a Question and Answer section at the end of the book, as well a Glossary, Author Note's and list of resources.  Kuklin is a gifted photographer and includes many photographs in the book.