Framed Series by James Ponti

I highly recommend the mystery series Framed by James Ponti.  The main characters are Florian Bates and his best friend Margaret. They are middle schoolers in Washington D. C. who get called by the FBI to help solve cases.  Florian has developed a T. O. A. S. T. theory which stands for theory of all small things which helps him solve life's mysteries. It reminds me of Sherlock Holmes's observation powers when he solved cases.  I love books where kids are asked to help with solving crime cases and mysteries. Florian and Margaret are great friends and fun characters to get to know. The stories are fast-paced, funny, and clever.  I don't always read an entire series, but I read all three of these stories!  I give them all 4-star ratings. 

Book 1:  Framed 
Florian and Margaret solve the mystery of stolen paintings from the National Gallery of Art.

Book 2:  Vanished
Florian and Margaret go undercover at a private school in Washington D. C. where the President of the United States daughter may or not be behind a series of middle school pranks.

Book 3:  Trapped
Florian and Margaret get involved in a spy ring and stolen books from The Library of Congress. Fascinating to get inside this library!

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by Karina Yan Glaser

I really like happy and neighborhood books. Not that there aren't difficulties and problems but that overall the kids and adults encourage, support and love each other through the tough times. Karina Yan Glaser has written three books about the Vanderbeeker family of seven who lives in Harlem, New York City.  Her fourth book in this series comes out in September.  I usually read the first book in most series and then move on but I just couldn't resist continuing to read about this family. They are perfect to read aloud to a range of ages since it is about the entire family of different ages. Also, a good read-aloud for younger grades. 

In The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, the family finds out that they are not able to continue their lease on their brownstone and have to move out around Christmas. This devastating news makes the five children start to plot how to convince their landlord, who lives in the upstairs apartment, to change his mind. 

In The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden, the kids clean up a vacant lot by their brownstone to cheer up their beloved neighbor who has had a stroke.  Of course, they run into difficulties!

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue was my favorite so far! In this saga, the Vanderbeekers keep finding stray animals at their door that they feel compelled to care for.  The only thing is, they need to get rid of their pets in order for their mother to pass the health inspection for her baking business which she runs in her home. 

I rate all of these books with 4 stars.  

Books I Read in March

I read 10 books this month:  3 adult fiction, 3 middle-grade fiction, and 4 graphic novels. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo:  4 stars
Dear Edward: 4 stars
Bear Town: 2 stars
Trapped: 4 stars
Vanished: 4 stars
The Doughnut King: 4 stars
Guts: 4 stars
Amulet: The Stonekeeper: 4 stars
Nat Enough: 4 stars
Best Friends: 4 stars

The Doughnut Fix and The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz

I picked up The Doughnut Fix one day because I was hungry for doughnuts and the cover called to me. I was delighted with this funny and charming book about a family and a small, quirky town. The story starts with Tristan's family moving from New York City to a very small town in upstate New York. It is a hard transition for Tris because the principal of the school recommends that the kids in their family wait until the beginning of the semester to start school. In the meantime, they are encouraged to come up with a project. Tristan discovers that there is a closed doughnut shop in the town. His family happens to love baking and so Tristan decides that he is going to reopen up the doughnut shop. But first, he needs the recipe and has to learn to start a business. 

Well, I didn't expect this book to be so funny!  It reminded me of the old TV show, Green Acres, where city folk moves to the country and all of the funny things that happen as they adjust to a new life. It was also just a warm and happy family story with a lot of baking going on. 

The Doughnut King is the sequel and it is also delightful. This time, Tristan cannot keep up with the demand of the doughnuts and is disappointing customers. He finds out that a 50,000.00 robot doughnut maker could be the solution. So, he gets on a kids cooking show in hopes of raising the funds. Again, you learn about business, cooking, and in this book, doing the right things. 

If you want to read a happy story with plenty of humor and throw in some baking and great friendships, then this is a good choice.  I rate both books a 4. I really liked them.

The book trailer for The Doughnut Fix:

The book trailer for The Doughnut King:

Do you want to learn how to make the winning cupcake recipe?  Watch this show!

White Bird by R. J. Palacio

Graphic Novels Win Awards!

The author of Wonder, R. J. Palacio, has written and illustrated a graphic novel about World War II and it is the story of Julian's grandmother as a young girl and her experiences during the war. Julian is one of the characters in Wonder who was a bully to the main character. 

First, this is a very moving and beautiful story of courage when living in a time when war made nothing normal. It is about fighting injustice, being kind, and doing the right things even when it is difficult. Next, it is just a gorgeously illustrated book. I admired many of the illustrations. 

I loved this emotional scene where Sara is enjoying time with her parents in a forest scene filled with bluebells; the illustrations were exceptional. I remember double checking on who was the illustrator and then realized that Palacio also did her own artwork. Impressive.

This book won the 2020 Syndey Taylor award which is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. It is a great introduction to upper elementary and middle school students on WW II and Nazi topics. 

I think I could easily recommend this book to most 5th graders and up and I would especially press this book into the hands of adults. It is really an inspirational story. I give it a 5 rating for Amazing!

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Graphic Novels Win Awards

They Called Us Enemy won the 2020 Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature. It is the memoir of George Takei (rhymes with OK), who is the actor from Star Trek who played Mr. Sulu.  This book has been put on many best-of lists and has received much press. 

Takei tells of the story of when he was a small child and his family was sent to an internment camp during WWII just because they were Japanese living on the West coast.  This is his first-hand account of life in a prison camp and his reactions as a small child. Sometimes it was very hard and then at times a new normal.  George Takei wrote this story so that the next generation will not forget this time of history and repeat it again. 

My book club read this book and we gave it high scores. It is a great historical memoir for teens and adults. I give it a 4 out of 4 rating. It is a must-read!

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Top Shelf Productions; First Edition edition (July 16, 2019)
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Stargazing by Jen Wang

Graphic Novels Win Awards

This year's winner for the Asian Pacific American Book Award for Children's Literature was Stargazing by Jen Wang. It is the story of a Chinese-American girl named Christine who meets Moon who is very different from her. 

Christine's family is Christian, strict and high expectations. Moon is Buddist, outgoing, confident, and has visions of celestial beings from the stars. Christine and Moon become friends but suddenly Moon is very sick. Christine has to figure out how this friendship can survive their differences. 

The author had a health situation when she was young that she draws upon for this story. It isn't a memoir but some of the storylines come from Wang's personal experiences.  She is able to show us that there are great differences in culture within the culture of the Chinese American and to notice the shades within a group of people. 

I really liked this book and rated it a 4 out of 4. It is a good choice for upper elementary students. I would call it a realistic school story. 

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 4
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: First Second (September 10, 2019)
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New Kid by Jerry Craft

Graphic Novels Win Awards

New Kid is the first graphic novel to win the gold Newbery medal.  A few have been honor books in the past but this is the year that a graphic novel took top honors. It also won the Coretta Scott King Author Award and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature. Not only that, but it was named Audible book of the year.  I noticed that it takes about 2 hours to listen to the audio version of this book.  They have a full cast of readers and music and I am really curious to see if you can only listen and get all the nuances of the plot. Otherwise, this would be a great book to listen to while looking at the graphics. 

The story is about a seventh-grader named Jordan Banks who is enrolled in a fancy private school and finds that he is one of only a few kids of color. His family isn't wealthy and he lives in an apartment in a not as affluent area of the city. Jordan is finding it difficult to fit in and uses his artist sketchbook to convey his feelings. He is talented at art and is hoping to someday go to a high school for the arts. 

This funny and yet thought-provoking story should be a hit with middle school kids. It is very current and full of pop-culture. It is a humorous school story.  I really liked it and give it a 4 out of 4 rating. 

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Quill Tree Books (February 5, 2019)

Graphic Novel Read-a-thon for Middle Grade March

Graphic novels are real books.

I am doing a graphic novel read-a-thon challenge for this month. I have been unpacking some brand new books and I saved a stack of graphic novels for myself to read. I will be sharing these books with you as I read them.

I am doing this challenge because I have not been making reading graphic novels a priority in my professional reading. My sense was that kids are reading them already and so I don't need to promote them as much with a book talk.  However, I noticed that graphic novels were huge winners in the recent American Library Youth Awards last month and the award committees are solidly supporting graphic novels as "real books". It is worth my while to intensify my support for this format of books with some dedication to reading and reviewing them. 

In reading a graphic novel, you will find that you can easily read some in as little as a half-hour.  Most of the middle-grade books I have picked up take me about an hour or more to read. You can't speed read because there are a lot of pictures to look at and "read". Sometimes I will go over a page several times as I try to understand what is going on and what each scene means to the story line. Take your time and slow down as you look at the pictures. They are essential to the flow of the plot as you make inferences about each graphic box; especially the ones without words. This type of reading is different from all text and you may find yourself a little confused if you just rush through the book and just read the words. It may feel strange...but keep reading and you should begin to find a rhythm. 

First up is the book Sheets by Brenna Thummler.  She is both the writer and the illustrator of this graphic novel. It is about a 13-year-old girl named Marjorie who is holding her family together while her father deals with depression and her mother's death.  Marjorie is also trying to keep the laundromat business going as well as going to school and feeling at a loss herself. A villain character tries to con the business from Marjorie's family and resorts to sabotage to get it done.  Meanwhile, a young ghost who isn't happy about settling into a typical ghost routine comes to the laundromat at night and manages to leave signs of his presence. He has to keep his "sheet" clean and finds the laundromat a good place to land. It turns out that the ghost and Marjorie need each other. 

This book deals with some sad themes such as depression, grief, feelings of hopelessness, abandonment, and money problems. The ghosts are cute and friendly and look like Casper and not really creepy. There are some moments of humor and levity in the story but I would not classify this book as humor. It is a mash-up of realistic fiction and fantasy. 

I rate this book a 3 out of 4. I liked it, but it was a sad story. Slow down and look at the pages carefully as you figure out the plot of the book. 

• Age Range: 9 and up
• Grade Level: 4 - 7
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Oni Press (August 28, 2018)

I didn't read Anne until I was an adult and adored it and read the entire series.  When the new graphic novel came out which is written by Mariah Marsden and illustrated by Brenna Thummler, I heard it was terrific.  I was doubtful because I wasn't sure if the story would really translate well into graphics.  So, I read the book.  I loved it....and I laughed and cried. Another teacher read the book after my recommendation and felt the same.  The true test was giving the book to a teacher who hadn't read the book. Unfortunately, it fell flat for her.  She had a hard time figuring out the characters and didn't feel all of the emotions that I experienced.  I suspect that this graphic novel is best read by someone who has already read the novel. 

If you are a reluctant graphic novel reader. Try reading a book that has been made into a graphic novel that you are familiar with. See what kind of experience it is and how it compares with a book without graphics. 

I rate this book a 4 out of 4. I really liked it and the graphics were wonderful, especially the fall scenery. It was nice to reread "Anne" without the time commitment of the entire novel. 

• Age Range: 8 - 11 years
• Grade Level: 2 - 6
• Hardcover: 234 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (October 24, 2017)

The Line Tender by Kate Allen

This is an amazing story by another Minnesota author! Everyone is simply raving about this one and it is a must-read. I rated it a 5!  

Lucy, a twelve-year-old, goes through a summer of intense experiences with the support of her father, friends, and neighbors. Her mother, who was a marine biologist and studied sharks, died when she was seven. The research she started comes back to Lucy as she looks to find meaning in her life in this eventful summer. 

There is a reason why the book reviews for this book are vague. It is too easy to spoil the story for the reader. Just trust everyone and put this book on your reading list. 

Enjoy Colby Sharp's enthusiastic book review! He was nice and vague about the plot as well! Pick up the book to find out what it is all about. 

Age Range: 10 and up

Grade Level: 5 - 6

Reading Level:  4.6

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers (April 16, 2019)

Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill

My fellow reader for MYRA nominations was surprised that I wasn't voting for this book for our nomination voting window this year. I had to admit that this book wasn't on my radar. She thought it would be right up my alley.  She was right; I loved it.  It came out in 2017 and I somehow missed it. 

The story begins with a 12-year-old twins Thomas and Rose who help their elderly neighbor who has fallen down the stairs in his basement and is seriously injured. What Mr. Pickering is most worried about is the one pumpkin plant that he has just planted. He entrusts this plant to the twins with directions for its caretaking. Turns out that is a seed for a special giant pumpkin that was willed to Mr. Pickering and he plans on growing a record-breaking pumpkin. Because of his accident, Thomas and Rose and the entire neighborhood get involved over the summer to make sure that this pumpkin plant is well taken care of. Meanwhile, Rose who is practicing for a big cello audition finds herself derailed over the summer and takes an unexpected break from playing her cello. The summer becomes a growing season for her as well as the pumpkin. 

I adored the community and family focus of this book. They truly support and help each other out across generations. It is set in Minneapolis and ends up later at the great Minnesota get-together State Fair. I also spent one evening asking "Alexa" to play lots of the cello music mentioned in the book. I highly recommend doing this when you read this book. Even though this book is longer than average...I didn't want to leave this neighborhood. I give this a 4 out of 4 rating.  I really liked it!

Age Range: 9 - 12 years
Grade Level: 4 - 7
Reading Level: 5.0
Hardcover: 448 pages

Publisher: Candlewick (September 12, 2017)

A Village of Scoundrels by Margi Preus

This is such a memorable title and when I realized it was written by Margi Preus, I requested an advanced reader copy. It will be released in a few weeks on February 25th and I have my order in for this title.  Even though there are a plethora of World War II books right now and I almost feel saturated, I needed to read this one since I really love how this author can surprise me.  This is the time to be writing these stories since many of the persons from this era are now quite elderly and it is our last chance to get their first-person accounts. Preus includes lots of photos and additional information about the characters at the end of the book along with pronunciations of the French names and places. 

The story is about a French town that was united in taking in Jewish refugees and helping them escape or hide in plain sight. This book focuses on teenagers who smuggled, forged documents, delivered messages to the resistance, and escorted Jews to safety. The town was a neutral zone at the beginning of the war but eventually, the German soldiers begin to arrive with names seeking out the illegals and their safety is no longer firm. What remains firm is the conviction that what was happening to the Jews was wrong and that they would break laws and risk lives to give them protection.

Despite the heavy sounding description of the plot, Preus tells this story with levity, love, and youthful hopefulness. I think messages of doing what is right when it is difficult,  not sanctioned, or even illegal are important reminders for all of us.  

I give this book a 4 star out of 4 star rating. I really liked it. 

• Age Range: 10 - 14 years
• Grade Level: 5 - 9
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Amulet Books (February 25, 2020)

Little Brother by Khalid White #READYOURWORLD

Meet little brother Khari and his family as they work together to teach him how to be responsible. The parents in this story teach the older kids, Kenya and Jelani, how they can guide their little brother with responsible behaviors. They call it "take care of your business."  In the activities for the day, the two older siblings teach Khari how to be part of a loving, responsible family team.

This book is written with a repetitive "Little Brother, Little Brother" chant that begs for repeated readings with lots of chances for interaction with kids as they chime in. The concept of teaching responsibility is lightened by this approach and doesn't seem too heavy-handed. The illustrations are colorful with an animated look that will appeal to kids. I look forward to seeing more books like this as a series. I think they would be popular with kids and teachers. 

I received a copy of this book from the author Khalid White as part of the Multicultural Children's Book Day Celebration for January 31, 2020. 
Follow the link below to view all of the book reviews in The Big Giant Linky 2020 (my post is #108) Check all of February as the Linky grows!

https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.  
Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020  is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

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Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books,  TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books,  Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales

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Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove,  Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson  & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series  Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.
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This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

The setting is southern Minnesota during the depression in the early '30s. Two brothers, Odie and Albert, are orphans who find themselves in a Native American boarding school run by an evil director. If you think Jane Eyre's awful school or Oliver Twist's orphan experiences you get the idea of the terrible situation these boys are in.  Well, they do run away and bring along a few more kids who are desperate for freedom.  They plan to canoe down the Minnesota River to the Mississippi and down to St. Louis, Missouri.  Now you can think suggestions of Huckleberry Finn.  Along the way, they meet criminals, supportive characters, a traveling healing ministry, a shantytown, and people struggling just like them. 

This book is such a wonderful read. It is a 5 out of 4!  The plot moves along and you get to meet lots of interesting characters. There are exciting scenes...some knuckle-biting and some filled with sweetness and hope.  A little bit of mysticism and faith as well as characters of good and evil. I told my friends in my book club that they can't read this book because I'm picking it for my reader's choice next year.  I highly recommend this book!  This would also be a good choice for male readers too. 

Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg

I love a good pioneer story and this one fits the bill. It is based on President Roosevelt's project in the 1930s where he offered to send families who were on assistance during the depression to start a New Deal colony in Alaska.

  

Terpsichore and her family leave their Wisconsin home to become pioneers in Palmer, Alaska.  When they arrive all the promises are slow to deliver but Terpsichore and her family have a pioneering spirit and make the best of their situation while they wait for their dreams to be fulfilled. Their mother is not really sure this is her dream and gets to decide after a predetermined time if their family will pack up and go back to Alaska. Terpsichore has to figure out how to make sure her mother wants to stay. 

Terpsichore is the type of character I really love. She is self-sufficient, determined, funny, and spirited.  She loves to read and spearheads a library committee, figures out how to grow a prize-winning pumpkin, cooks for her family, and helps her mother find a way to get Washington to send medical health to the new Alaskan community.  

Her name is weird and you eventually learn why she has the name...she drops hints along the way as to how to pronounce her name but at first you are a little confused. Her name is pronounced....Terp seh core ee. 

If you loved Little House books, Hattie Big Sky, or When Calls the Heart on Hallmark, this book is perfect for you! I give this a 4 out of 4 rating. 

• Age Range: 10 and up
• Grade Level: 5 - 6
• Reading Level: 5.7
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (February 2, 2016)

The Day The World Came to Town by Jim Defede

I recommend this book if you would like to read something that commemorates the 9/11 tragedy but is also heartwarming and inspirational and tells about light shining through a dark time. It also satisfies my curiosity as to some of the details of what people had to deal with when the United States air space was closed immediately after the attacks. 

Planes that were not able to turn around and go back were sent to various Canadian airports. 38 planes were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland. The population is only 10,000 and over 6,000 people were stranded in their town. The town people immediately worked together to find places for all of the stranded passengers in their town and surrounding places. They brought food, clothes, bedding and did whatever they could to show hospitality and kindness during a stressful situation. The travelers were with the Canadians for four days and formed bonds and friendship that would last long after. 

This book is written like a magazine or newspaper article and Sometimes it is hard to keep track of all the people that the author writes about. However, I was very moved by this story and read it quickly. It is only about 260 pages with a few black and white photos at the beginning of each chapter. (These pictures make 2001 look like ancient history!)

Others have been equally moved by this event and a musical called Come From Aways was created in 2012. It is currently playing on Broadway and other theaters around the world. 

I have been talking about this book ever since I read it. So, I am going to have to rate it pretty high - 4 out of 4. 

The following videos about the event from the news and song from the musical Come From Away. 

The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander

The Library of Ever is a celebration of libraries in a Lemony Snicket kind of way! It stars Lenora who stops at the local library with her nanny and manages to find a fantastic library which gives her a job as an assistant. She goes on some amazing and fast-paced adventures during her visit and uses knowledge to overcome darker forces.  

The author, Zeno Alexander is following in the Lemony Snicket path and not revealing his true photo or any life information. I did see a photo of him at a school visit and so I know he is a male author. I am always curious as to the reason for the secrecy!

I enjoyed this book and am expecting a sequel since the end alluded to more adventures. I rate this book a 4 out of 4. 

• Age Range: 8 - 11 years
• Grade Level: 4 - 7
• Series: The Library of Ever (Book 1)
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Imprint (April 30, 2019)