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

🎃The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie

 

What's better than a sinister middle grade ghost story to get the Halloween season off to a good start? And who better than Lindsay Currie to come up with the perfect spine tingler. Mallory Denton, 12, wasn't terribly happy when her parents decided to move from Chicago to Eastport, Massachusetts to open their dream restaurant, The Hill. It even comes with a ready made legend about a casket bursting through the wall from the graveyard next door one stormy October night. In fact, all of Eastport has haunting legends and curses and that's how it makes its tourist money.

And although Mallory and her best friend Emmie don't believe in the legends or curses, Mallory is having the same disturbing dream night after night centered around an old woman. Legend has it that Sweet Molly's brother Liam was killed in a storm one October night and Molly has been haunting the seaport ever since. Now, it is October, a time when the town capitalizes on  the anniversary of the Liam's death. So, when Mallory sees the same lady from her nightmares by the harbor one evening on her way home during an October  storm, she begins to doubt her own disbelief. Is she being haunted by Liam's sister Sweet Molly?

But when Mallory gets home to finally get some much needed sleep, she is surprised when, six hours later, her mother calls from the restaurant to see if she is OK. It seems that Mallory was seen digging in the sand near the harbor. Yet, Mallory has no recollection of going back to there. Could she have walked in her sleep? There is sand and water all over the house and even under her fingernails. Then, Mallory learns she isn't the only one haunted by the same woman. Next door neighbor Joshua, a classmate she hasn't ever really spoken to, tells her the same thing has been happening to him, including the sleepwalking. Together with Emmie and Joshua, Mallory decides it's time to get to the bottom of things. 

As the anniversary celebration draws near, complete with parade, Mallory's other friend Brianne is chosen to play the part of Molly. When Bri appears to be possessed by the spirit of Molly and goes after Mallory, she, Joshua and Emmie decide to include Bri in their investigations. So far, they have two theories - first, that Mallory and Joshua are being targeted because they are the only two kids not born in Eastport, and second, that Molly is getting more agitated as the anniversary of her brother's death comes closer.  And to make matters even worse, Joshua is chosen to play Liam for the anniversary. It's beginning to look like a recipe for disaster. But, can disaster be avoided and peace made with Molly's ghost? 

This was not the kind of ghost story I expected, which was kind of fun and kind of creepy at the same time, by which I mean that the ending was somewhat of a surprise, just not your usual ghostly fare. And that was part of what made this novel so good. Well, that plus the great descriptions of Eastport, and the haunting of Mallory and Joshua. So perfect for this time of year or anytime readers are interested in a story guaranteed to raise the short hairs on their neck. 

Currie, an experienced author in this genre, has created a town that on the surface appears almost comical in their obsession with legends and ghosts, but Mallory's haunting takes it out of the realm of droll and puts it into an almost believable paranormal realm. But the droll is needed, for example, the names Mallory's dad gives the food on his restaurant menus, like his Sunny-Side Up Skull eggs, to relieve some of the haunting tension. 

The Girl in White is a chilling story that is perfect for middle grade readers looking for some October frights. 

And if you have ever visited Salem, Massachusetts in October, than you can believe that a town can become as obsessed as Eastport is portrayed with its haunted legends. 

Thank you to Heather Moore at Sourcebooks Kids for providing me with a review copy of The Girl in White. 

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

The Night Bus Hero by Onjali Q. Raúf

 

Hector, 10-years-old and a middle child, has always been a bully and a prankster. And subsequently spending a lot of time in the principal's office. From the beginning, it's clear that Hector thinks very little of most people, and often does what he does just to annoy them. For example, as the book opens, Hector is about to drop a second rubber snake into the school's lunch soup, and even as the principal warns him not to, Hector defiantly does it anyway, knowing he will be in trouble. He always to derive satisfaction knowing he's ruin something for someone with his pranks. But, for him, it's ok, after all, his friends Will and Katie always think his antics are funny.

On their way home, Will and Katie tease Hector about being slow and getting caught. Angered by the teasing, Hector decides to show them how wrong they are. Seeing a homeless man asleep on a bench next to his trolley full of what appears to be trash, Hector decides to steal the hat the old man always wears. But when he wakes up and catches at them, they run off with the hat. 

Angry at the world, Hector decides to run off with the homeless man's trolley after school the next day. But the trolley quickly gains momentum and when Hector loses control, the trolley lands in the lake and sinks. Unfortunately, Mei-Li, the smartest girl in Hector's class, witnesses the whole thing, as does a woman walking her dog. Even though his friends think the cruel stunt is great, Hector can't celebrate - his plan went wrong, and that had never happened before. 

Meanwhile, at home, Hector learns his father is working on a new film about homeless people. And also that someone has been stealing statues and framing the homeless by leaving special marks that only they would understand. 

Skateboarding around Piccadilly Circus with a friend on afternoon, Hector decides to stay longer by himself, when his sees the homeless man, whose trolley he'd sunk and whose name he has learned is Thomas, suddenly appear and break into a run. Naturally, when another statue goes missing, Hector is convinced it's Thomas doing it, and decides to find him and turn him over to the police. And to do that, he needs to enlist the help of Mei-Li, but will she help someone who she clearly does not like? And together can Mei-Li and Thomas help Hector overcome his need to be bad?

There's a lot going on in this novel as Raúf tackles themes of bullying, homelessness, behavior, family dynamics, and a mystery. But Raúf is such a adept writer that none of these themes overwhelms the others, and never blurr Hector's selfish, cruel behavior. In fact, they all contribute to his redemption in such a believable way that it all happens almost unconsciously, for the reader and for Hector. And all the while, events inform reader and Hector of what it is like to live rough, to live where you aren't wanted, to feel the consequences of another person's cruel prank. 

Hector is a most unlikable protagonist, but then readers see his family's dynamics and the things he does are almost understandable in his need to get some attention his way. And while you may feel some empathy, it only lasts momentarily, as he commences his bad acts again. But, Hector is a boy who is and does deserve redemption. A clever artist who needs his talents redirected. 

I find that I am becoming quite a fan of Raúf. Her writing is refreshingly breezy and pulls the reader in immediately and compels them to stay to the end, to see what will become of her protagonists. Back matter consists of information about bullying and where to find information and resources about dealing with issues of bullying, and well as information about homelessness and where to find information. She has also included The Homeless Code, which may be different in Britain that in the US, symbols used by thieves, and an Author's Note. 

On a personal note, my grandmother went to Berea College in Kentucky and studied home economics. She made really great biscuits, and during the depression, despite having to feed six kids on a minister's salary, my grandmother got up every morning and made dozens and dozens of biscuits and lots of coffee to give to the homeless men who always stopped at their house. The house, my mother said, was marked showing that "a good woman lives here." 

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

now being carried on by Greg at Always in the Middle

Wave by Diana Farid

Wave by Diana Farid,

illustrated by Kris Goto

Cameron Kids, 2022, 320 Pages

Available March 29, 2022

Wave is a novel-in-verse narrated in the first person by Ava, a thirteen-year-old Persian American living in southern California who is mildly OCD. Set in the 1980s, Ava is looking forward to graduating from eight grade and a summer of hanging out at the beach surfing with Phoenix and best friend Naz before school begins again. Ava's parents are divorced, her dad lives in Paris with his new family, and her Iranian born mom is an OB/GYN doctor at the local hospital. Her mom is hoping Ava will follow her into medicine, and signs her up to be a volunteer on Saturdays for the summer, something she isn't too happy about. 

At the hospital, Ava meets patient, Mr. Cameron, in room 509 and discovers that they share a love of poetry by the Persian poet Rumi. 

At school, Ava, who loves music, sings in the choir and her teacher announces that they have been invited to sing at the Fourth of July Freedom Festival, with Ava having a solo part. It means rehearsals even after school ends.  

At the beach, Ava is confronted by a racist volleyball player more than once who instantly dislikes her for her dark olive skin. This is a difficult experience for her since the beach is the one place Ava has always felt she like she fit in since her skin tone could pass for tan. And it's at the beach that she begins to notice small changes in Phoenix. He had been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma as a child, but has been in remission. Now his cancer has returned and his prognosis isn't very good. 

Then, Ava slips and falls at the hospital, breaking her leg. Since her summer of surfing is now curtailed, her mother signs her up for a medicine for teens class every Monday and Wednesday, a class that begins June 29th, which Ava resents since she has made it clear to her mother that she has no interest in medicine and needs to prepare for her solo at the Freedom Festival. 

There's a lot happening in this novel and yet none of it feels unrealistic or overwhelming. Instead, it is a poignant coming-of-age story about identity, friendship, love, loss and grief. But it is also about how music and poetry can help us process life's more difficult challenges, as summed up in the song that Ava wrote about her life.

Farid has included lots of different aspects of Iranian culture throughout the novel and it is interesting that she set her novel in a time when anti-Iranian feelings were running high in this country. The poetry gives the reader not just a sense of waves building as they come in and crash at the shoreline, then draw back out to sea again, but they are so symbolic of the highs and lows of Ava's life that fateful year (the timeline goes from March to November).

Sprinkled throughout the novel are lovely spot illustrations relating to Ava's life. I chuckled when I saw the one with Ava's new walkman. I know exactly how she felt when she received it, I still have mine and yes, it still works. And to go with that walkman, Farid has included a playlist of Phoenix's songs for Ava, and Ava's songs for Phoenix - all very 80s.

Wave is a poignant novel and though some may see it as historical fiction, it will no doubt resonate for today's readers. 

Thank you to Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for providing me with an ARC of Wave.

Meet the Author:

Diana Farid is the author of When You Breathe, named a 2021 Notable Poetry Book by the National Council of Teachers of English; it was also awarded the California Reading Association’s 2021 EUREKA! Gold Award for nonfiction children’s book. She is a poet and a physician at Stanford University. Wave is her first middle grade novel. For more information, visit dianafarid.com.

Twitter and Instagram: @_artelixir

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

now being carried on by Greg at Always in the Middle

Partly Cloudy by Tanita S. Davis

 

Sixth grade was a pretty stormy year for Madalyn Thomas - her dog Lucy died, her best friend moved away, she found out she was lactose intolerant and, as it things couldn't be worse, her dad was laid off from his job. That meant moving and changing schools and Robinson Howard Middle School was a pretty grim place in which to learn, especially after the shooting that happened there. Now, her mom tells her that "Skies are clearing.... Your dad and I have a plan," which can only mean more changes in Madalyn's life.

Her dad will be working across the country in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and her mom, as social worker, works long hours, so the plan is for Madalyn to live with her great uncle Papa Lobo four days a week and come home on the weekend. While this may not be the ideal situation Madalyn would like, the one advantage is that Kingsbridge Junior High is a more promising school that her old school and there's a great library in town.  

It doesn't take long for Madalyn and Papa Lobo to develop a comfortable routine, and except for Jean Duval, Papa Lobo's godson who helps him around the house, things would be pretty good. But Jean, who goes to the same school but in a higher grade, seems to only tolerate Madalyn. She also meets neighbor Mrs. Baylor, a older white woman with a cat and a beautiful garden, but also an on-going-long-running feud with Papa Lobo.

When school begins, Madalyn realizes she isn't just the new kid, she's also the only Black kid in her seventh grade class. First day, first class Madalyn meet Natalie, who seems like a fun, potential friend. It's Natalie who warns her about Carlin and Sydney, the class snobs/mean girls. Sure enough, it doesn't take long for the first microagression when Carlin says to Madalyn "...You're Addy, like that American Girl doll, right?"

Natalie and Madalyn get along well in school, but when Natalie sees Madalyn with Jean, it becomes clear that something is wrong. It turns out that Natalie had an unfortunate bullying experience with a Black boy, and now says her older sister Annica, with whom she lives, demands she not have anything to do by Black boys in general. Madalyn is faced with a dilemma - to continue being friends with Natalie or not - but one thing she is sure of is that she will have to have a tough conversation with Natalie about race. Madalyn spends a lot of time agonizing over when and how to have this difficult conversation. 

When wild fires break out around their California area, Madalyn is worried about her mom, trying to drive from home to be with her but not answering her phone. Then, Natalie calls, home alone and frightened because she can't get her sister on the phone. Papa Lobo insists they pick up Natalie and bring her to his house, leaving a note for Annica with the address, even though Madalyn is still mad at her. A little later, Mrs. Baylor collapses in her garden. She has difficulty breathing and Papa Lobo insists they bring her to his house. 

Partly Cloudy is an interesting novel with a lesson for all readers. It is essentially a slice-of-life story but by putting Madalyn in a basically white school, Davis really highlights the kind of covert and overt prejudice and the regular microaggressions that a person of color experiences on a regular basis. but that a white person seems totally oblivious to. For Natalie, it means seeing people as indivisibles and not stereotypes. For Madalyn, it's the opposite - learning the importance of standing up for herself and not letting other people define who she are based on their expectations or stereotypical ideas. 

Partly Cloudy explores themes of family, friendship, and race through the experience of a seventh grade Black girl living in the bay area in California. It is very much a story of today and one that many readers will relate to. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+

This book was gratefully received from Madison Ostrander formerly at Spark Point Studio

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

now being carried on by Greg at Always in the Middle

Violets Are Blue by Barbara Dee

 

One morning in February, 11-year-old Ren wakes up and discovers her dad has left the house and she doesn't hear from him until he lands in NYC, assuming Ren's mom has explained that they were getting divorced. Ren's mom Kelly, an ER nurse, doesn't really want to talk about the divorce, and escapes accepting it by sleeping a lot. Ren copes with these changes in her life watching online extreme makeup videos, especially those of Cat FX, an expert in special effects makeup. 

It turns out Ren's father has met someone who lives in Brooklyn and they are planning to get married in the summer. He invites Ren out for a visit and as much as she doesn't want to like Vanessa, she does. Vanessa is also pregnant, and somewhat into makeup because of her upcoming wedding. and the two have fun shopping for different kinds of cosmetics.

That summer, attending her father's summer wedding (and doing Vanessa's makeup for it), Ren's mom decides they need to move and start over, and since she is going to be attending a new school, Ren decides she want's to be called Wren from now on. At school, she immediately makes a friend named Poppy, who is so impressed with Wren's makeup skill, she talks her into trying out to do the makeup for the school play Wicked. Poppy was hoping for the part of Elphaba, but it goes to Avery, a not very friendly mean girl. Avery has a crush on a boy named Kai, but it seems that Kai is more attracted to Wren. 

Meanwhile, Kelly is sleeping more and more, and blaming it on her long days in the ER and the aching back and knees that come with job. Perhaps that's why she is so short tempered with Wren. Then there are all the pain pills in the medicine cabinet, and the lock Kelly has put on her bedroom door, keeping it locked at all time so Wren can't go in. Wren thinks there might be something wrong with her mom, but doesn't know what. Luckily, Kelly has made a friend in the ER named Krystal, and it starts to become clear that something is indeed wrong when Krystal begins checking up on her and Wren. It all comes to a head when Kelly doesn't show up for opening night of Wicked. All of this leads up to a crisis which Wren is way too young to handle by herself, but thankfully has Krystal and her dad's help.

This is another tough topic book by Barbara Dee who tackled sexual harassment in Maybe He Just Likes You and mental illness in My Life in the Fish Tank. Parents who divorce is also tough enough topic, as is moving to another town and school and starting over, but here Dee takes things one step further and explores the reasons for the broken trust between Wren and her mother, a trust that may never be healed completely. 

I have to confess that at first Wren's extreme makeup interest didn't appeal much to me, but when I thought why, I realized that the extreme makeup was a great metaphor for the secrets Wren and her mother hide from each other throughout the book. Makeup, after all, is used to hide flaws and make us look better than we might without it, in a sense presenting a false face to the world. Wren's having to hide her feelings about her dad and his new life forces her into being secretive about what happens on her visits to Brooklyn (and there are many) and the cosmetics Vanessa sends her, hiding them from Kelly. Meanwhile, Kelly hiding a host of her own problems behind a locked door which is just so telling. 

On a positive note, it was very nice to see a stepmom getting along so well with her husband's daughter from a previous marriage, and Wren acceptance of her and the twin babies she gives birth to is equally good to see. You don't often see that in middle grade novels. Vanessa is so open and accepting of Wren and Wren really needs that.  

Violets are Blue is an emotionally charged novel, and one that I highly recommend. You can also find a useful Reading Group Guide courtesy of the publisher Aladdin/Simon & Schuster HERE

This book is recommended for readers age 9+

This book was an ARC gratefully received from Casey Blackwell at Media Masters Publicity

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

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#MMGM: Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman

When she was pregnant with him, Kabir Khan's mother was accused of a crime she did not commit and put into a Chennai jail where he was born. He has lived there since that day, in a cell with several other women besides his mother. Small for his age, no one paid much attention to Kabir until the new warden decides that at age 9, he is old enough to be released. Before he goes, his teacher at the prison school tries her best to prepare him for the outside world, as do his cellmates. 

On the day of his release, Kabir is picked up by a man who says he is his uncle. But it doesn't take long for him to realize that the man is not a relative and that he plans to sell Kabir. Using his wits, Kabir manages to escape and in the process he meets Rani, a Kurava (Roma) girl a few years older than him and living on the streets with her pet parrot. 

Rani take Kabir under her wing, teaching him how to survive on the streets, educating him on India's caste system that makes low caste people like them invisible to others. Together, they manage to earn money for food - Rani tells fortunes and Kabir sings. Kabir knows all about his father and how much his dad loved his mother, but his father never told his parents about his wife before he left for Dubai because she is Hindu and Kabir's father's family are Muslim. Now, Kabir is determined to go to Bengaluru to find his grandparents. 

A stroke of good luck and Kabir's strong sense of honesty enables him to get enough money to buy train tickets to Bengaluru for him and Rani. Sadly, they face caste discrimination buying the tickets and riding the train, but also kindness of strangers helping them. In Bengaluru, they find the mosque that the Khan family worships at and follow a man to his business thinking he might be a relative of Kabir's. But when fighting over water breaks out, Rani manages to help the man save his business. In return, he posts their pictures on social media and luck is once again on Kabir's side. His grandparents see the post and manage to find him and Rani. Soon, Kabir finally has new, clean clothes, enough to eat, a room of his own and he even makes another friend who teaches him how to play cricket. Rani, who hates being confined indoors, is introduced to a woman who runs a school that allows her to live in a tent of her own with her parrot,  and get an education. The woman also knows lawyers who may be able to get Kabir's mother released so that they can be reunited. 

Born Behind Bars is told in chapters that consist of short paragraphs and that are narrated entirely from Kabir's open, honest, observant perspective. Though his eyes, readers learn what jail is like for the women and children who are incarcerated there, and also what life on the streets is like for so many children in India. Kabir's story is a nice mix of good and bad things happening to both him and Rani as Venkatraman explores themes of poverty, tolerance and intolerance of religious and caste differences, justice and injustice, loss and revelation. I also think it may be surprising for young American readers to realize that children can find themselves alone in the world on the streets of India and that it isn't just a thing of the past. 

But is Kabir's luck too good to be true? I wondered that as I read the book and perhaps the story focused on the upshot of his good luck rather than the alternatives. Think what could have been if his fraudulent uncle has managed to sell this plucky, hopeful boy into what would have amounted to slavery.

I have always enjoyed reading Padma Venkatraman's novels set in India and this is no exception. The writing is beautiful, the story is poignant, and Kabir is a character you won't soon forget. He is honest, with an engaging sense of humor regarding his circumstances (I loved his private nicknames for the women with whom he shared his jail cell) and the challenges he faces on a daily basis. It is, in short, an enlightening, compelling novel.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+

This book was an eARC gratefully received from NetGalley.com

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

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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: Kyle's Little Sister story and art by BonHyung Jeong

 

Kyle's Little Sister

Story and Art by BonHyung Jeong

JY, an imprint Yen Press, 2021, 240 pages

Sixth grader Grace Bailey is very excited to finally be a middle grader. Well, except for one thing - older brother Kyle is an eight grader in the same school. Grace and Kyle may be siblings, but they couldn't be more different. Kyle is outgoing, good-looking and popular, especially among the girls, and likes to game with his two best friends, Liam and Andrew. Grace is a quiet, shy girl who prefers staying home and gaming with her two best friends, Jay, who is Black and has a big crush on Kyle, and Amy, Andrew's younger sister.

When Amy finds out that Andrew is having a game night with Kyle and Liam at her house, she convinces her mother to let her have an overnight with Jay and Grace at the same time. Everything is going relatively well until Amy starts pushing Jay to let Kyle know how she feels, something Jay does not want to do. When Jay finally tells Amy to stop pushing it, that she's taking Jay's feelings too lightly, Amy explodes. Hurtful words are said, feelings are hurt, Jay goes home, and Amy tells Grace she is only her friend because of their brothers. 

The following Monday, after not receiving any text messages all weekend from Jay or Amy, Grace finds herself alone in school, with no one to hang out with or sit with at lunch. But soon a popular, outgoing girl with blond curly hair named Cam invites her to sit at her table at lunch after finding out Grace's last name is Bailey. It's fun for a while, but when Cam and her other friends start bullying Amy, Grace begins to feel badly for her old friend. Things really come to a head when Grace discovers Cam's ulterior motive for being so friendly to her. Things are so bad that even Kyle begins to notice something's wrong. 

Will Kyle finally help his sister out? Will Grace, Jay, and Amy ever be able to patch things up and become besties again? And who is Audrey and is she friend or just another girl with a Kyle crush?

Kyle's Little Sister is a debut graphic novel for BonHyung Jeong and she has really hit it out of the park, capturing all the big and small happenings and nuances that can only happen in middle school. Her characters are so spot on and so very today even if the story is as old as...middle school. Jeong's has managed to take a handful of characters and give them all distinct personalities. There is nothing ambiguous in the storyline, and motives are clear and uncomplicated, and there is even a nod to the very popular K-Pop phenomena.  

Jeong's art is also uncomplicated, and I love the way she indicates things like the noisy school hallways, and the mutterings and asides of the characters by using a smaller font and not encasing them in a speech bubbles. Her illustrations are done in a soft pastel palette of colors, and her characters are given a variety of facial expressions reflecting their feelings and emotions, and red mouths when they are speaking.  

I'm a big fan of graphic novels and this one about living in the shadow of an older popular sibling is totally relatable and I know this from my own experience. I got really tired of people, especially teachers, saying to me "Aren't you Ginny's little sister? You're nothing like her." I suspect there are many of us out there who can relate to Kyle's Little Sister. 

Art and storyline make this a unique graphic novel about school relationships, sibling rivalry, forgiveness, maturing, and real friendships to share with your young readers. 

Meet the Author/Illustrator

BonHyung Jeong (Bon) studied Cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Kyle's Little Sister is her debut graphic novel, made possible with the help of numerous people. She hopes to make connections with others through relatable stories. Currently living in Korea, she's always busy playing console games - exactly like someone in the book. 

This book is recommended for readers 9+

This book was gratefully received from Casey Blackwell at Media Masters Publicity  

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

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

MMGM: Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson

 

I follow a bunch of animal rescue and rehabilitation sites, the goal of which is to eventually return the animals back into the wild, so I just knew this would be a book I wanted to share with young readers. And it did not disappoint.

Twelve-year-old Madison Lewis wants nothing more than to grow up and become the next Jane Goodall. Her beloved grandmother was a wildlife rehabilitator and now that her Nana is gone, Madi wants to carry on her work. But after she finds their parents dead, and even after she rescues their two beaver kits from their lodge Madi knows she's going to be in big trouble if she brings them home. Madi has been told no more rescues or she won't be able to go to the Jane Goodall Institute and meet her idol and find how she did her observations of animals in the wild.

So of course, Madi and her friends Jack and Aaron, along with Jack black Lab, Lid, rescue the kits and bring them to Madi's house. Hiding them in the shed turned clubhouse in the backyard, Madi realizes she has a lot to learn about the care and feeding of beaver kits. At least, she has Nana's notes to refer to, but even at that, it is a big job. Luckily, mom works a lot and dad is often away for a week at a time, but then there is older sister Marley, not much of an animal lover, to contend with.

Then Madi, Aaron, Jack, and, of course, Lid the tracking dog, discover that the dead beavers had built a dam that blocked the channel that flows from Lake Wild to Lake Little Hawk, and is now causing roads and bridges in their township of Willow Grove to flood. While Jack and Lid investigate to see if they can find the person who killed the two beavers, Madi works on caring for the kits. In the middle of all this, Madi finds another beaver kit. When Marley discovers the kits, she makes Madi an offer that she really can't refuse: if Marley keeps quiet about the kits, Madi won't say anything about the party Marley is planning when she is sure no parent will be home. 

Can Jack, Aaron and Lid solve the mystery of who shot the beavers? Can Madi figure out what to do with her beaver kits? And can a viable solution be found to prevent further flooding because of the beaver dams?

Rescue at Lake Wild is an entertaining, interesting and informative story for younger middle grade readers not quite ready for the Terry Lynn Johnson's wonderful but harrowing survival stories like Ice Dogs and Dog Driven. There's a lot of detail about beaver life, and especially about caring for them. Not everything Madi does goes well, but I like how she learns from her mistakes and also how the beaver kits, acting on their  natural instincts, are her best teachers. She certainly hones her observation skills watching and caring for them. 

Johnson really knows how to craft an exciting adventure story. She gives Madi and her friends a freedom of movement most kids don't have in today's world. They travel around in an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) and a small motor boat, but considering how little her parents are around, Madi does have a cell phone to check in with them. All in all, this make a nice way for young readers to have an outdoor adventure, even if it is only vicariously.

Whenever you read a Terry Lynn Johnson book, you know you are reading the words of a real animal lover, and her stories will hopefully inspire her readers to develop a strong love and respect for them, too. Do read the Author's Note for more information about this book and what inspired Johnson to write it. Besides the Author's Note, there is an important list called "The Dos of Wildlife" detailing what to do if you think a baby animal needs rescuing. Madi had the benefit of being her Nana's apprentice before she passed away, and has some experience with wildlife rescue, but as the head of the rehab facility that takes in the beavers kits tells Madi, people keeping wildlife does more harms to animals than good. 

Rescue at Lake Wild is an appealing book that should please animal and wildlife lovers looking for adventure and mystery.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+

This book was an eARC gratefully received from Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media

I haven't done a MMGM in a long time and it's good to be back. You can see all of this week's wonderful MMGM books thanks to Greg at Always in the Middle

MMGM: My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee

 

On the first day of school, the four Manning kids line up for their Annual Kid Photo, just like always. But by November, things were no longer "just like always" when the family gets a phone call that college student Gabriel Manning is in the hospital after having a car accident. Not only that, but Gabriel has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and his siblings - Scarlett, 16, Zinia called Zinny, 12, and Aiden, 8, are asked to keep it private.

After he is transferred from the hospital to a residential care facility,  it doesn't take long for Gabriel and his diagnosis to take over the lives of all the Mannings. Mom takes a leave of absence from her teaching job and spends her time on the phone dealing with Gabriel's situation. Dad begins staying at work longer and longer, rarely even eating dinner with his family. Scarlett's moodiness increases, pushing Zinny out of her life and the often out the room they share, and Aiden becomes obsessed with the How To project his teacher has assigned his class. And Zinny, who has a real interest in marine biology, begins to hang out in the lab with her science teacher, Ms. Molina, during lunch as her relationship with friends Maisie and Kailani begins to deteriorate because she refuses to talk to them about Gabriel. 

When Zinny is invited to join the Lunch Club held by the guidance counselor, Mr. Patrick, Maisie is adamant that she not go, but Zinny decides to go just once. Then, Ms. Molina tells Maisie she can only hang out and set up the fish tanks for the class crayfish study if she also goes to Lunch Club. Once her friendship with Maisie and Kailani ends, Zinny figures why not? There, she discovers that she isn't the only one with family troubles, problems and issues. And slowly, Zinny even begins to become friends with some of the Lunch Club kids while still keeping Gabriel's bipolar diagnosis a secret. 

Meanwhile, things at home aren't much better. Zinny finally takes things into her own hands and begins to buy groceries and make dinner for her family. She also tries to help Aiden with his How To project by leaving humorous suggestions for him, but he can't decide what to do and the teacher rejects his most outlandish suggestions. 

The Mannings occasionally visit Gabriel as a family, but Scarlett refuses to go. Then Zinny discovers that Scarlett is seeing a counselor and has told friends about Grabriel's bipolar diagnosis. In the middle of all this, Ms. Molina recommends Zinny for a place in a competitive camp to do marine biology research for four weeks - all expenses paid. 

There is a lot happening here, including Zinny that worries, understandable so, that she might also be bipolar. Can the people in her life, including her new friends in Lunch Club and Mr. Patrick, help Zinny move on with her life without feeling like she is betraying Gabriel?

My Life in the Fish Tank is a family story that looks at how mental illness is not just about the person with the diagnosis, but impacts the family in all ways. I liked that it was narrated by Zinny, whom I thought old enough to observe what she sees and feels, but young and inexperienced enough to not always understand it all. 

I thought Dee really captured the way the Manning parents shut down. So often when something like mental illness happens within a family, parents seem to forget they have other children who still need them. Zinny's parents are clearly depressed and kudos to Scarlett for getting her mother to go to counseling. It is interesting how quickly the family becomes isolated from friends and neighbors, and then from each other, even though they are all concerned and worried about Gabriel. Should people be open about mental illness when it happens to a family member? Each family must decide that for themselves. Family dynamics differ and what may be ok for one may not be for another family.

I particularly likes Dee's treatment of time. It does seem that when bad things happen, time does funny things. As Zinny says: "...one thing you notice, when those bad things happen, is that calendars and clocks stop making any sense...It was like, after it happened, we were in a different time zone from everybody else." And Zinny's narration does jump back and forth in time, as she recalls different times she observed Gabriel's bipolar behavior - times when he was feeling on top of the world and taking dangerous risks, other times when he was depressed and sleeping too much. 

Barbara Dee really knows how to handle some very difficult topics, like sexual abuse (Maybe He Just Likes You) and mental illness, but in the end, she always offers hope to the reader that when life turns you upside down, with help, you can turn right side up again.  

You can find an excellent reading guide for My Life in the Fish Tank HERE 

This book is recommended for readers age 9+

This book was an eARC gratefully received from the author.

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

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

MMGM: Not Your All-American Girl by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang

 

Welcome to 1984. Lauren Horowitz and Tara Buchanan have always been best friends and lucky enough to be in the same class. But now they are in middle school and the only period they share is lunch. So Tara gets the idea that they should both audition for the school musical Shake It Up, set in 1958 and involving lots of hula-hooping. And although they both want to play the part of lead, Brenda Sue Parker, it goes to Tara. Why? Because Tara is the picture of an all-American girl - reddish brown hair, blue eye, milky skin and a dusting of freckles across her nose. And despite giving a better audition than Tara, Lauren, who is Jewish and Chinese, has dark eyes, dark straight hair and no freckles, ends up in the ensemble. Or as Mrs. Tyndall, the play's director, explains it: "When people see [Tara], they won't have a hard time imagining she's an all american girl from Pleasant Valley." (pg 24)

After breaking the news to her family - dad, mom, brother David, and her two grandmothers - Lauren discovers what she thinks is a kindred soul on the radio, and decides to call the DJ, Nashville Nick, to find out who the singer is. When he tells her it's Patsy Cline, Lauren immediately thinks Klein, believing her to be a Jewish country western singer whose music about loneliness and longing she instantly connects to. 

As rehearsals get underway, Lauren and Tara begin to drift away from each other. And as Lauren spends more time sitting with the other kids in the ensemble and getting to know them, she finds herself liking their company. Lauren is even doing things separate and apart from Tara. Like the singing gig her grandmother got for her at the mall and starting a button business with her button-making machine. 

But when her mother announces that she has decided to go to law school, Lauren learns one of the reasons motivating her is the murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, who was beaten to death by auto workers mistakenly believing he was Japanese and blaming him for the loss of auto jobs in Detroit. Vincent Chin becomes "like a ghost in my head, darting in and out." (pg.106) Thinking about Vincent together with the realization that she is not Mrs. Tyndall's idea of an all-American girl, causes Lauren to question just the idea of what, exactly, is an all-American. And she promptly discovers that she can no sing because it no longer makes her happy. 

Will Lauren ever be able to find her voice again and speak out about the insults and the macro- and microaggressions she experiences, even from her so-called best friend Tara?

Let me begin by saying that this is a sequel to This Is Not A Test a story that focuses on Lauren's brother David and which I did not read (but which is now on my TBR list), so I can say unequivocally that Not Your All-American Girl is a great stand alone novel. 

I was in college when this story takes place so I really enjoyed all the cultural references and details about daily life at the time (including the allusion to the very popular Jane Fonda workout video and leg warmers), and I am also a big Patsy Cline fan. Interestingly, I haven't watched Pretty in Pink since the 1980s and had completely forgotten about the racist references to Long Duk Dong. I can't blame Lauren for her reaction to the kid making fun of her after the movie. 

I liked that Lauren had the support of her family no matter what, especially her trivia-loving brother. Both grandmothers, one Jewish, one Chinese, were very competitive where Lauren was concerned, and they both offered lots of good humor throughout the story, which it sometimes needed. I am glad the story didn't focus on what was happening on the stage as much as behind the scenes where the real and more important action was taking place. Interestingly, for all this is a story about being seen for who you are, Mrs. Tyndall never really came together in my mind, but her preconceived notions of what an all-American looks like certainly did.  

Not Your All-American Girl is an serious exploration of one girl's awakening regarding friendship, race, and identity with some fun subplots readers will definitely find amusing. 

This book is recommended for readers age 9+

This book was an ARC received from the publisher, Scholastic

If you would like to know more about Vincent Chin, history.com offers a succinct article about it HERE

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

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