Chickens and Chess

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet, just like its title.  Bob, by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead, is a cute story about almost eleven-year-old Livy.  It’s been five years since she last visited her grandmother in Australia.  She can’t remember much from her stay, until she walks into her old room.  This is where she finds her long forgotten little green friend, Bob.

At first it seems like Bob is an imaginary friend, except the story is partly told from his point of view.  The years he spent waiting for Livy involved hiding in the closet and reading the dictionary.  He still wears the chicken costume that Livy made for him back then.

Together, they work to unravel his true home, and are ultimately able to get him back to where he belongs.  But not without leaving a lasting imprint upon one another.

Miny Moe

This last read, Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge, should be a favorite; it has all the elements I normally love about a story.  There are twists, suspense, a little gore and drama, but for some reason it was tough for me to get through.  End of summer timing with back to school and work prep may have been a big factor in messing up my normal reading pace.

Anyway, the story revolves around a crazy murder case in which two people are abducted and then imprisoned without food or water.  A gun and the instruction that once one is killed the other will be set free is their only way out.  Desperation, starvation and extreme thirst take their toll until eventually a murder takes place.  The “survivors” then have their own demons to face in the aftermath of such horror.  The case is all the more odd because it is a woman who is responsible.

The detective on the case is another strong, focused woman, Grace.  She begins to notice that each pair of abductees has some connection to her own life.  Her secret past and the demons she hides come to light as the story draws to close.  Through the investigation there are side plots involving corruption within the squad too.

Ultimately, Grace is able to figure out the case, but not until the lives of many people are horribly changed or finished.

They Are Watching

Sadness is kicking in because my time to read is about to slow WAY down.  I go back to work in less than two weeks!

Meanwhile, I finished Small Spaces by Katherine Arden. Funny how sometimes books connect in weird ways.  While this book is nowhere near as disturbing as my previous read, it definitely registers on the creepy scale!

Ollie (Olivia) comes across a distraught woman who is throwing a book into the river.  Ollie grabs the book and discovers that it gives the history of a farm.  Namely that a deal was made with the “smiling man” to bring back a lost brother.  Strangely enough her sixth grade class is taking a field trip to this same farm.  The woman who she saw at the river is the woman who owns the farm.

The bus breaks down as her class is heading home.  This is when everything goes horribly wrong.  Ollie’s deceased mother is able to communicate with Ollie through her old broken watch, which helps Ollie and a couple of her classmates to escape the smiling man’s helpers.  His helpers are all disguised as scarecrows that come alive at night.  Ollie (with some help from her friends) is able to outsmart the bad guy and help release all of her classmates from the alternate dimension they have been trapped in.

This was an entertaining story.  It had some creepy elements and twists, but all manageable for younger readers.  My daughter who is going into seventh grade really enjoyed it!

Rotten Fruit

There’s nothing like some Stephen King for pure creepiness and solid story elements.  The Outsider is a lengthy book (as most of King’s tend to be) that kept my interest from start to finish.

This book follows a horrific case involving the murder of an eleven-year-old boy.  Everything about the case seems clear cut: fingerprints, numerous witnesses and plenty of other evidence.  Police arrest Terry Maitland, a well-known figure in Flint City for his work with Little League and teaching.  The problems begin when Maitland reveals his alibi. It turns out there are witnesses and even video evidence that he couldn’t have committed the crime.  Events unravel quickly as most of the town has already deemed him guilty (before knowing the extent of his alibi).  His first appearance at court goes horribly wrong, and the lives of his family and the victim’s family are changed forever.

Characters must face that there is a supernatural element at play here.  Some believe easily because of their strange dreams/encounters while others need a little more persuading.  Everything comes together at the end, as Detective Anderson and other people with an invested interest in the case come face to face with the being responsible for potentially countless unspeakable murders.

This book kept me reading until way past my bedtime, and I probably won’t be able to eat cantaloupe for a very long time!

Rocky Ride

I read Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt in one day.  This book pulled me in with its simple, straightforward narration.  The writing was simple, but told a great story with so many touches that I really appreciated (to name a couple- the farm setting, Jack’s mental tally of Joseph’s smiles).

Jack is a sixth grader whose parents make the decision to foster eighth grader Joseph.  Joseph is a very toughened individual who has been through a lot. He is still going through some tough situations adapting to the bullies at his new school.  Jack and his parents are the heroes of this story to me.  They are willing to take a chance and to stand up for this lost, angry boy.  They earn Joseph’s trust and love which is why he decides to disclose his background to them.

Joseph’s dad is abusive.  He met a girl (Maddie) who became the love of his life, but her parents were never aware of the relationship.  Her parents are very wealthy and never around when Joseph would visit.  She became pregnant which is when her parents took notice (obviously!) and completely shut Joseph out.

SPOILERS AHEAD!  Maddie dies during childbirth and their daughter, Jupiter, will be put up for adoption.  Joseph’s driving mission is to find his daughter.  Joseph does eventually locate and maintain communication with Jupiter’s adoptive parents through letters.  Meanwhile, his dad is causing quite a bit of trouble trying to get Joseph back.  I’d like to say this book ended on a happy note after this, but it didn’t.  In fact, the ending made me so angry!

This book is controversial because of Joseph’s age as a father.  For me, it is tough to read about a kid going through life events that he should not need to worry about at this age.  This book will bring out a variety of emotions and reactions in its readers.  I know it did for me.

Flipping the Switch

OCDaniel by Wesley King is about Daniel, an eighth grader with obsessive compulsive disorder.  Daniel doesn’t realize that his actions are part of a disorder until a friend (Sara) helps him.  He is able to (mostly) hide his “zaps” among his friends and family; although, there are definitely signs to everyone that he is different.

There are many story lines, with the most important being Daniel’s behavior.  He struggles in math because of his inability to write certain numbers.  He also gets by on very little sleep because of his nighttime routine, which can sometimes take hours.  Sara is the first person to give a name to what he is going through.

Next is the sports conflict.  Daniel is the alternate kicker on the school’s football team, despite his preference to arrange Gatorade cups on the sidelines rather than play.  His best friend Max is one of the team’s star players and he does his best to include Daniel.  Daniel needs to step in as kicker during the playoffs and final championship game which creates a high amount of anxiety for him.

Third is Daniel’s relationships with two girls.  One is his longtime crush Raya, who seems to like him back.  The other is his newfound relationship with “Psycho Sara.”  She has never spoken to anyone at school, except for when she suddenly begins talking to Daniel.  Sara suspects her mother’s boyfriend of killing her dad and wants Daniel’s help to discover evidence to prove her theory.

Throughout the story, Daniel is writing his own novella, which provides some therapy for him.  The book in some ways mirrors his feelings, with the exception that his and Sara’s characters are in a world in which everyone else has disappeared.  They need to conquer the monsters to bring everyone back.

While reading, I couldn’t help but question how his parents never caught on to his behaviors?  While they asked him about his moving around at night and even flicking the light switch, their questioning never went any further.  I found myself thinking about my own parenting.  Would I be able to catch these type of actions?  The author explains that he went through similar experiences and that his parents also had no idea of what he was going through.  This makes me sad for kids like Daniel and Sara.  Kids who feel alone, afraid and uncomfortable around others.  Daniel’s character is lucky in that he has a few solid friends that keep him grounded.  In this way, his novella mimics his life; he realizes that the strength of someone who understands you can help you face whatever is scary or uncertain in the world.

 

 

 

 

Together they work to find enough evidence to support her theory. Also writing his own book through the story.

Pageantry

I am happy to support the author of my recent read, Like Vanessa, written by Tami Charles.  Charles is a teacher turned writer, and I was fortunate to see her during an author panel at the JLG Day of Dialog in NYC.  Charles’s book is loosely based on her own feelings, experiences and various people in her life that helped her as a pageant contestant.

Vanessa is the main character in this book.  She is a tall, heavy-set, African American eighth grader who lives with her grandfather, her gay cousin and her dismissive father.  Her father has closed himself away from Vanessa since her mother disappeared when Vanessa was very young.  Vanessa’s mom was involved in pageants and Vanessa is enchanted with this life.  She is fully supported in her dream to join the pageant occurring at her middle school by her grandfather, her cousin and one of her teachers.  The story becomes a bit of a make-over tale as they all work to whip her into shape (physically, emotionally, etc) for the show.  Her dad forbids her to join which creates some family conflict, especially when he finds out she’s been involved in everything behind his back.

Through the story Vanessa encounters struggles with her best friend, and also faces mean girls who stoop very low to wreck Vanessa’s chances of participating in the pageant.

This story is about growing up, but mostly, it’s about accepting oneself .  While Vanessa feels proud that Vanessa Williams just became the first African-American Miss America, she doesn’t know if America will ever accept someone as dark skinned as she is in this role.  She struggles with her appearance through much of the story, but ends the story with love for herself.  She also reconciles with her dad and finds out what actually happened to her mom.  Vanessa overcame her personal doubts, family issues and other obstacles to fulfill her dream.  This should appeal to many teen girls.

 

Home

The memoir Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka will hit home for anyone affected by a family member with an addiction.  This is Jarrett’s story of being raised by his grandparents because of his mother’s heroin addiction.  The story begins with some background into his grandparents’ lives and then his mom’s.  His mom began using when she was only thirteen.  She cleaned up while pregnant with Jarrett, but couldn’t fight her addiction once he was born and through his upbringing.  She served jail time and her relationship with him consisted of periodic visits and letters.  Jarrett didn’t meet his dad until he was graduating high school.

Jarrett’s love of art provided an outlet for him and got him through difficult times at home and school.  His grandparents had their own issues with drinking, but their love for him is apparent throughout his life.  They supported his art by sending him to classes, buying supplies for him to use at home, and helping his application process to art colleges.  I felt endeared to his grandparents (despite some not so great moments) because of his grandfather’s sense of humor and his grandmother’s crassness.   They went through a lot with their daughter as well.

This is a graphic novel with an incredible sense of detail.  Krosoczka used actual drawings that he saved from his childhood throughout the book.  He even used his grandmother’s favorite pineapple wallpaper between story sections.  This book is clearly a labor of love.  Jarrett came to terms with the mixed emotions he had for his mother and her choices and ensured that his life would be positive.  Two important points become evident in this story: the tenacity of the human spirit can push one through difficulty, and home is found where you are cared for and loved.

Batter Up

The Hero Two Doors Down by Sharon Robinson was a pleasant surprise for me. I cringe to admit that I am not a baseball fan.  I would not normally select this book; but chose it since it’s a 2019 Nutmeg nominee.  The Prologue evoked an emotional response from me and basically hooked me into the story.

Sharon writes about her dad and his young neighbor Steve.  It is a mostly true account of Steve’s love of the NY Dodgers and his hero Jackie Robinson living just a couple houses away from him.  Steve had a rough time controlling his emotions and behavior in school.  His love for his dad, baseball and Jackie Robinson’s friendship as a neighbor greatly helped him gain some control in his life.

This story is narrated for younger readers.  Important topics such as discrimination, religion and learning self control are all parts of this book.  These topics are explained in an approachable, understandable way.  Through all the events is the friendship between Steve and Jackie (along with his family).  The story ends with photographs of the family members which makes the story and Steve’s voice even more palpable.  This book will definitely be a hit to baseball fans and beyond.

Souls of War

It is difficult for anyone to fully comprehend what it feels like to be in war unless they’ve been through it themselves.  To me, Alan Gratz’s book Grenade represents the turmoil, aggression, fear, survival instincts, and desperation of war quite well.  The story takes place in WWII Okinawa, where the Japanese army is hoping to slow down the advancement of the American soldiers into Japan.  The author’s afterword is worth a read to get more context too.

The plot shares perspectives between an American soldier named Ray, and Blood and Iron Student Corps soldier Hideki.  Both are young men thrust into this brutal war.  Hideki’s tale begins when his Student Corps are given two grenades; one is to kill as many Americans as possible and the other is to kill themselves.  Hideki’s grenades become a strong symbol throughout the story.  His first grenade is used (SPOILER AHEAD) and it takes Ray’s life.  He contemplates using the second at numerous points in the story, but ultimately places it down before he surrenders.  In doing so, he hopes to spare his life and his sister’s.  His sister is his only remaining living relative, and finding her was his final promise to his dad before he died.

Through the story, first Ray and then Hideki, collect pictures of fallen soldiers with their family members.  These represent the humanity lost from both sides.  The Okinawan people were very much in the middle of this battle.  They were used as sacrifices by the Japanese Army, and they became expendable to both sides fighting around them.  Hideki took note many times of the fear that makes man a killing machine.  It is kill or be killed.  The photos are an important reminder that underneath these “killers” are someone’s brother, father, and son.

Also enmeshed in the story is Okinawan culture.  Mubui is a term that to me is described as a person’s soul.  At first, Hideki has an ancestor’s mubui attached to him which makes him cowardly and afraid.  Throughout the story, Hideki conquers this cowardice by making strong choices for the survival of himself and of others.  Ray’s mubui also attaches to Hideki, and he must make amends with Ray’s death in order to free his soul.

While stories about war are not normally top picks for me, this one was so well written.  There is attention to detail and realism in the representation of both soldiers’ and civilians’ deaths.  My recent visit to the Scholastic Book Summit gave me the early copy of Grenade.  Before even receiving this book, two other people mentioned Gratz’s other book, Refugee.  This author is getting good buzz, and I will definitely be looking to read Refugee soon.