Ever Faithful: A Vintage National Parks Novel by Karen Barnett

4 Stars | Karen Barnett | 2019 | Christian Historical Fiction | 352 pages | 10 1/2 Hours Audio 

Ever Faithful is a story about the workers in Yellowstone National Park in the 1930's. This is a romantic mystery and the main characters are Nate and Elsie.  Nate has enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corp after getting into some trouble in New York City.  Elsie is looking forward to going to college in the fall but in order to make more money for tuition, she is recruited to conduct classes for the CCC boys.  Meanwhile, the park is dealing with suspicious fires that may be purposely set. 

This is the third book in the Vintage National Parks series.  They can each stand alone since the characters are completely different.  If you have visited any of the parks then you may be as fascinated as I was by experiencing the past through these books.  She has also written about Yosemite and Mount Rainier National Parks. 

 

Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer

2020 | 288 pages | Grades 4-7 

This is an uplifting book despite the fact it is about an orphan named Olive, a sixth-grader, who has to go and live with her step-sister after her father dies. She has deep grief to deal with and she also has to move away from her school. Her sister, Maddie, is a young adult who is a great example of someone who has been able to survive despite a difficult childhood. Because she wants to save money, Maddie moves Olive and herself into a house share. They share a large house with several adults and these people become a found family. 

Maddie also had a new graphic artist job which has a boss who loves dogs. In fact, he is involved in a program to help raise puppies to be seeing-eye dogs. He invites Olive to come to work with Maddie and she meets the puppies and learns all about puppy raisers. She also meets 8th grader, Jordon who is a puppy raiser. He has an eye disease and may find himself blind in the future. 

Olive gets the chance to be a puppy raiser and the reader gets to follow the journey of raising a puppy to the point where the dog can go to school to be a seeing-eye dog. This is a dream job for Olive because she has wanted a dog for a long time. She is determined to be very successful. Of course, it isn't always so perfect.

I loved all of the characters and who couldn't resist the puppy called Lumie. The cover of the book shows how stinkingly cute this puppy is. Animal lovers will adore this book. It is a quick read and packs a lot of story into a short book. I loved it and will be promoting this book to all animal lovers. 

Pony by R. J. Palacio

 

2021 | 304 pages | Grades 5-8

This book is such a great read! It is set in 1860 and is about a father and son...and a ghost. 12-year-old Silas has had a ghost friend called Mittenwool since his mother died shortly after Silas was born. One day, a gang comes and takes the father away. Shortly after he leaves, a pony from the gang comes back to the ranch. Silas takes it as a sign that He needs to go and look for his father. Mittenwool goes along as well. As he gets to the woods he is very afraid but meets a sheriff who helps him track the gang to a cave. A situation happens and so he goes for help and lots of action ensues. Lots of action!

This is a book that features photography technology of the time. The father is a brilliant man who has invented a clever way of creating photography which is a front runner in our current photo development. Money counterfeiting is the criminal activity that the gang is operating. 

There are some creepy parts to this story, some violence and death as well. But it is also heartwarming and uplifting. The writing is incredible and you will want to savor this book. I would class this book as upper elementary up to young adult. I think many adults will love this book as well.

The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong

1955 | 320 pages | Grades 3-6 

This book won the Newbery Award back in 1955. I thought it would be interesting to see what the best literature was at that time. This is a story set in a small fishing village in Holland. I am not sure what the time period was but people are wearing wooden clogs and traditional clothing including the "Dutch" hats. The men in the village spend most of their time away from home fishing and there are only 6 children in the school. One day one of the students writes a report about the fact that storks don't come to their village. It is considered lucky to have a pair of storks on your housetop. The teacher challenges them to figure out how to remedy this problem. They decide that having a wheel on top of their roof will help the storks to want to build a nest on top of their roof. So they go out into their village and try to find wheels. They meet different people in their village as they try and get them to give them a wheel for the school. Lots of situations happen as they spread out and look for wheels. The quirky people of the village get invested in this project. 

This book made me so sleepy. I think it moves a little slowly and is repetitive. A few times I thought I was actually rereading a paragraph but it was just so similar. There were some parts of the book that I did laugh out loud. When the fathers were home because of a big storm, they were really funny. This book has such an unusual setting and I have never read anything like it. I looked for an audio version of this book and didn't find anything. I was hoping that it would help me in my reading. I did make it through the book with some skimming. I thought it was a good story but I just had a hard time staying awake. 

A Duet For Home by Karina Yan Glaser

 

2022 | 368 pages | Grades 3-7

June and Maybelle and their mother used to live in New York City's Chinatown until they were evicted one day. It happened because her father was killed in a car accident and her mother just shut down and stopped talking and existing. June has been trying to keep everything together until she couldn't. The family is sent to a homeless center called The Huey House. She is told right away that. musical instruments are not allowed and June is a viola player who needs her music. Fortunately, someone helps her out and sneaks her instrument into the center. She finds lots of friends in her new home.

The center has all kinds of interesting characters including a grumpy director, a loving social worker, a couple of trickster boys, and lots of families trying to figure out to get back on their feet. Not all parents in the center have the means or ability to get out of the center and so some kids have been there for a while including a boy named Tyrell who has been part of Huey House for over three years. 

Tyrell has a daily appointment to listen to a neighbor play her violin each evening. He sits in a window and soaks in the beautiful music. When He discovers that June plays, he helps her find a safe place to practice. Music plays a big part in this story. The author has given you a list of music mentioned in the book at the end. Make sure you listen to some of the music. 

The city has decided that they need to get people out of the center and into other housing more quickly. However, the new housing is in dangerous neighborhoods, too far from transportation, or in terrible condition. Some leaders are ready to make this happen while others are concerned but no one is listening. Of course, in any great middle-grade book, the kids get involved in getting changes to happen. 

This is a very hopeful and perhaps even joyful "homeless" story. I know that all homeless situations are different but this story is about music, grief, found family, and hope. I think this is a great story.

Cleo Porter and the Body Electric by Jake Burt

2020 | 273 pages | Grades 4-6

Jake Burt wrote a book about a pandemic and a pandemic started. That is pretty wild. This is a science fiction story about a family who lives in an apartment building and they never can leave. This is a result of a pandemic of Influenza D which caused many people to die. Society decided to use technology to become a new society where everyone stays in their apartments all of the time. People socialize, work, and live through virtual reality. For example, when they go to the park, it is a simulation and they are really in their own home. All supplies come through a tube. No one has any need to leave. 

12-year-old Cleo is studying for a test to become a doctor but is distracted by a package that is delivered to their home. It has life-saving medicine addressed to someone else. Her parents tell her that this is impossible to have a mistake in the order and to not worry about it. It could be reordered. Cleo is convinced someone is in medical danger and plots a way to leave and find this address. 

When Cleo leaves through the tube she discovers a very different world than what she has ever known and she is not sure she can ever make her way back home. She encounters giant robots who provide for the sequestered community and some people who may have not gone along with the quarantine at all. She may not be able to save herself let alone the mysterious person at the address. 

Lots of action will make this a great read for kids. I can imagine this being a really good graphic novel or animated video. This is a very different kind of science fiction and a great introduction for middle-grade readers.  When I read the summary, I just couldn't resist reading about the aftermath of a futuristic pandemic.

Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yea

 

2022 | 288 pages  |  Grades 3-7

Maizy and her mother come back to Last Chance, Minnesota for the summer to help her grandparents until her sick grandfather feels better. Her grandparents run a Chinese restaurant in a small town and they have been doing this their entire life. Maizy and her mom live in Los Angeles and Maisy has never even visited Last Chance. Turns out, grandfather is sicker than they thought and they stay longer. As a result, Maizy gets to know the people of the town and she spends much time with her grandfather. He teaches her poker and tells her stories of her great-great-grandfather and how he ended up running the Golden Palace in small-town Minnesota. 

I just loved spending the summer with Maizy and her family and was fascinated by the story of how a young man named Lucky came from China to San Francisco and eventually made his way to Minnesota to make a life. You learn about paper sons, the intercontinental railroad, racism, strength of character, and hardship. 

This book is contemporary with a dash of history. There is a mini-mystery but mostly it is a family story with lots of love and Chinese food. :) 

Packing for Mars for Kids by Mary Roach

2022 | 144 pages  |  Grades 4-7

The author, Mary Roach, has taken her adult book called Packing for Mars and rewritten it to be appropriate for kids. This is a non-fiction book that describes her research as she learns what it is like to be an astronaut. She focuses on the basics of life...like eating, going to the bathroom, keeping clean, and getting along with others. There is a lot of talk about bodily functions and grossness. It should really appeal to kids. "Are you getting the idea that life in space is kind of nasty?"...this quote from the book really sums up the majority of content. The last chapter truly addresses Mars. The other chapters cover the history of space travel and how scientists have made progress in making space missions more comfortable. After reading this book, you realize that space travel is truly difficult. 

This book is a fast read and should be a great choice for a reluctant reader. It includes photographs and is 144 pages long. Great for grades 4-7.

This book comes out on April 5th. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced egalley.

25 Books I Love | Middle Grade March Read-a-Thon

We have lots of great middle-grade books in the library!  Come on down and make a new book friend. Introduce your students to new book titles and authors. Read a new book or more for Middle-Grade March!

I collected 25 of my favorite middle-grade books that I have read recently.  I highly recommend all of them.  Check out my list!

25 Books

Middle Grade March 2022 Read-A-Thon

Middle-Grade March 2022 Read-a-Thon

March is coming soon and so is the Middle-Grade March Read-A-Thon.  It is a challenge led by several "Booktubers" where they encourage the reading and celebration of middle-grade books.  They provide a few prompts and also have a book picked out for a book read.  Here are links to their videos:

Life Between Words

Books and Jams

The Curly Reader

My twin sister (and fellow school media specialist) and I are both excited about completing the challenge and we have our To Be Read lists all ready to go! Check out our books and the reading prompts that go with each title. 

Diane's List

Donna's List

The prompts this year are:

1. Read a book older than you.

2. Read a book with five or more words in the title.

3. Read a book with an orphan as the main character.

4. Read a book with an Asian main character or set in Asia.

5. Read a contemporary book. 

If you want to hear more about Pony by R. J. Palacio, check out this book review from Donna. She recently read the book and has posted a review that gives you a good idea of what to expect. 

City Spies: Forbidden City by James Ponti

 

2022 | 448 pages  | 8 Hours Audio |  Grades 4-7 

I loved book three even more than one and two! I think I have gotten to know the characters better which makes a difference. You don't have to work so hard to keep everyone straight.   They are your friends. 

Once again the five teens are spying for the British M16 and this time they go to Moscow and Beijing. In the midst of a billionaire and his villainous scheme involving nuclear warheads and a brilliant nuclear scientist and a chess championship, the spies have their hands full. 

I love how complicated and yet simple this series is. It could continue for a while. I love the travel aspect too and have to stop and google for images of the places they visit. I personally think it would make great television! 

I am a fan of James Ponti. I read all three of his "Framed" series. I may be going back to read his "Dead City" series.  Both are only a trilogy.  I hope that "City Spies" continues to be a much longer series. There are so many cities to discover!

Check out the book trailer.  It is sure to entice a reader!

How to Train Your Dad by Gary Paulsen

2021 | 192 pages  | 3.25 Hours Audio |  Grades 4-7

I listened to this book and the narrator was great! It is a story about a father and son. The father is very frugal and loves to procure items for free, for bargaining, or from garage sales. Carl is very embarrassed because he is now trying to impress a girl. One day he finds a flyer on puppy training and decides to train his father out of his tightwad ways. Carl just wants to be a normal kid and have a father who is the same.

This book is really funny, it is also short and so it is a great book for kids who don't like long books.  There are a few swear words in the story which is probably nothing that kids don't hear every day.  In elementary school, students are always surprised to find swear words in their novels!

Knowing that Gary Paulsen had a rough childhood, I hope writing this book gave him some of his youth back with delight and humor. Sadly, He passed while he was on tour promoting this book. We will miss him in the children's literature world. 

Alone by Megan E. Freeman

2021 | 416 pages  | 4.5 Hours Audio |  Grades 4-7 

This survival adventure story kept me very engaged. I listened to the audio and it was terrific. It is about a girl who is left alone in a town to survive after the entire population evacuated. It is not just a few days either. She is on her own for a very long time and has to deal with not only her physical needs but also the difficulty of being all alone with no human relationships.  She isn't stranded in the wilderness so this survival story is a new twist on the typical lost and alone type of plot. 

I have lots of questions about why everyone had to evacuate.  and the author doesn't give much of a back story as to the cause. You just have to let this go I guess. 

I think this book would be great for middle school kids. There is an instance of animal cruelty, a few swears and some period talk. It is written in free verse so it is a quick read despite being over 400 pages. 

Jo Jo Makoons by Dawn Quigley

 

2021 | 80 pages  | 1 Hour Audio |  Grades K-3 

This is a book for the beginning chapter book reader. The main character is a first-grade Ojibwe girl and the stories are about her school and family life. It has a humorous slant. Think Junie B. Jones to get an idea of the style of this story.  There are also a few pictures to support the book which is always nice for the younger reader. Best of all, this is the beginning of a new series. 

Teachers in Minnesota could introduce this book to their kids as a window or a mirror into the life of so many Native American kids in our state. This would be a great read-aloud in November during Native American Heritage Month. Dawn Quigley is also from Minnesota and she is Ojibwe.

I enjoyed listening to this book. I didn't have to struggle with pronouncing the words of the Native American language! There is a glossary at the back of the print book to help with this.  

Best Middle Grade Books I Read in 2021

I had a lot of favorite middle-grade reads this year.  Let me tell you briefly about them in this post. If I have a more detailed blog post, I will link it as well on the image. These books are in no particular order because I just couldn't rank them any further!  However, I will start with my favorite and number one middle-grade read for 2021!

I loved imagining this colony of adults and kids on Mars as they pioneer a new life together.  This science-fiction book

is very accessible for the middle-grade reader and is more realistic than fantasy.  I hope there is a sequel! 

This book moved me! I cried, laughed, and identified with Genesis as she struggles with her identity and her appearance.

Karina's grandfather is attacked by a racist and she uses social media to bring the community together. 

The publisher asked this author to write a follow-up book and he nailed it! The penguins are well taken care of when two kids find penguin eggs and make sure they hatch! Mom intervenes to help them find a good home for the penguins. This book is funny and heartwarming.

This book is so beautifully written and tells the difficult story of two girls who were sexually abused by their mother's boyfriend. Every adult who reads this book loves it and it is really a great book for many middle-school kids. Watch the video linked to the image to learn what the author has to say about the reason she wrote this book. 

Stamped (For Kids) is a great introduction to the history of racism for upper elementary students and everyone else too. 

This is such a fun way to learn about Minnesota and Canadian voyageur history. The main character is a red squirrel who goes along on the voyageur's journey. 

The dream team of James Patterson, Kwame Alexander have created a wonderful biography/memoir about Muhammad Ali's youth. 

Efren's mother is deported back to Mexico and it leaves him and his father to take care of the younger kids as well as figure out how to get her back to the family. 

Find out what life is like for a figure skater who is hoping to be in the Olympics someday. 

Ahmed's family moves to Minnesota for their father's medical care. He is trying to fit into a new middle school and deal with family issues too. 

April and her father are living on an arctic island called Bear Island while her father does climate research. April becomes friends with a polar bear that lives on the island. 

The Peach family is going on the road with a food truck one summer in order to heal and come back together as a family unit after the death of their mother. 

Sila makes friends with an elderly man and a classmate and together they work to save and take care of a circus elephant. 

Ellie is bullied for her weight by kids and school and even her mother and brother at home. Ellie's father connects her with a therapist to help her cope with these difficult relationships. 

Starfish by Lisa Fipps

2021 | 256 pages  | 3.5 Hours Audio |  Grades 5-7 

Ellie is in middle school and is bulled every day for her weight. It comes not just from peers at school but also from home. Ellie's mother is always on her case for what she eats and gives her strict rules for food.  Her brother is embarrassed by his sister's appearance.  

Ellie does have some great allies. Even though her best friend has moved, she meets a new girl in her neighborhood and they form a fast friendship.  Ellie's father is also loving and supportive and connects her with a therapist who can help her get through her emotional issues. 

Swimming helps Ellie feel free and weightless.  She can even spread out as much as she likes just like a starfish.  Learning how to do this in her regular life is one of the themes in this book.  She usually wants to make herself as small as possible or even invisible so that others won't make fun of her. 

This book is written in beautiful poetry and is a pretty fast book to read.  Ellie's family is Jewish and her friend, Catalina is Hispanic and those family heritages are also a part of the story. 

I think this book will touch a lot of adults who probably can identify with Ellie.  The author, Lisa Fipps, was encouraged to write this story for middle school instead of her intended young adult audience because this story needs to be told for younger readers.  I think she is a very gifted author and look forward to reading more from her. 

Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj

 

 2019 | 192 pages  | 4 Hours Audio |  Grades 5-8 

Karina Chopra is Indian-American and lives in Texas. Her grandfather comes to live with them and he is such a delight. In fact, he ends up tutoring the boy who lives next door in math. He just has a way of bringing people together and Karina and Chris become friends too.  One day a terrible racial attack happens to the three of them.  The book shows the aftermath of this incident and how Karina uses social media to help heal and bring a community together. 

I gave this book five stars because I loved the characters so much, especially the grandfather. This book gives attention to the immigrant experience as well as the hate that also exists. Kids and adults have to figure out how to react and come to terms with situations that are, unfortunately, too common.