The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm

 

The Lion of Mars | Jennifer L. Holm | Science Fiction | 2021 | Science Fiction | Grades 3-7 | 4.0 Reading Level | 272 pages | 5 hours 45 minutes listening time

The story opens with a small group of adults and children who live in a small colony on Mars sent from the United States.  You learn that the adults were selected to be the first to live on Mars. The children are orphans who have been delivered to the compound in order to have kids live on Mars. The main character is Bell who is an eleven-year-old boy who has never known life on earth. He is fascinated with earth animals and is always curious about life. One thing he wonders about is why they have been warned to never associate with the other colonies on Mars from other countries. What is wrong with meeting the people in the Chinese, Finnish, or French colonies? They always stay to themselves and it is a bit lonely. 

Eventually, the children in the United States colony need help when all of the adults get sick and they find out that they cannot get help from Earth.  They are forced to venture out and find help from the questionable colonies and they are not sure if it will be wise or even safe. 

I enjoy books on the relational side of science fiction that concentrate more on people and daily life on a planet outside of earth.  This book features the daily tasks, concerns, and living on Mars. Heartbreak and death are part of the plot. The importance of relationships is also highlighted. 

I listened to an interview with the author about this book and she said she imagined starting a new colony on Mars to be like the pioneers of the past. They often were alone and had to rely on each other to survive. They would most often never return to their place of birth. 

I read this book in one sitting and I hope there will be at least a sequel. I enjoyed it a lot!

When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller

When You Trap A Tiger | Tae Keller | 2020 | Fantasy | Grade 3-7 | 4.1 Reading Level | 304 pages | 7 1/2 hours listening time

Lilly and her mother and sister move into their grandmother's home because she is ill. Lilly meets a tiger that no one else can see. The tiger tells her that her grandmother stole the stories which are Korean folktales. The tiger wants to make a deal and is willing to heal the grandmother if Lilly can get back what was stolen.

There is no doubt that the family relationships are very loving. The writing is lovely and the Korean folktales connection was very interesting. This book will be loved by many readers.

I was underwhelmed. This book just won the Newbery award and so I was looking for the 5-star feelings but couldn't find them. I was somewhat confused by the folktale storyline about the Tiger and its meaning. I thought it was a sad story and I never really connected with the characters. I was sorry about that because it will make it hard for me to sell this book to other readers.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

 

Furthermore | Tahereh Mafi | Fantasy | 5.5 Reading Level | Grade 4-7 | 8 hours listening time

This is a very whimsical and charming fantasy about a boy and a girl who are looking for her father who has been missing for at least three years. They discover a world called Furthermore with plenty of enchantment and magical rules to make their journey dangerous and impossible. The writing is so clever and lovely. It made me stop and reread to enjoy the words.

If you love fantasy worlds with plenty of adventure then this is a good choice.  The illustrated cover was just so beautiful and captured my interest. 

A Fatal Grace | The Cruelest Month | Louise Penny

 

Book #2 | Winter (1 year after book #1 which takes place in October)

Boxing Day Murder at the Curling Tournament

Three Pines is more familiar to me this time and so I wasn't as confused by the characters and am more used to the writing style.  In this visit, it is Christmas and the village is making festive preparations. You meet a women named CC who imagines herself to be the next Martha Stewart and yet everyone who knows her or meets her is just turned off by her philsophies, decorations, and personality.  She has moved to the village with her daughter and husband. The day after Christmas, a curling tournament is held on the lake.  CC is murdered in open air by electricution and noone sees the murder.  Inspector Gamache is called in to investigate.  Meanwhile something is amiss in his professional life and there are hints that trouble is brewing for him too. 

Book #2 | Spring | 2007

Easter Seance Murder at a Haunted House

A famous pychic is visiting Three Pines and the villagers decide to do a seance at the old Hadley house which is thought to be evil and hanted.  On Easter evening, during the event, someone dies of fright or perhaps it is murder. Inspector Gamache is called in to investigate.  We learn more hints about what professional trouble is happening in his life.  

This book opens with a funny scene of the villagers hiding chocolate Easter eggs and then finding them all eaten up the next morning by the wildlife. This happened several years ago and so now they just hide wooden eggs. It has become dangerous to be in the area during this time because bears have been known to be appearing each year looking for more chocolate.  Also quite whimisical, Ruth Zardo, the elderly, quirky town poet hatches and fosters duck eggs.  

Twins by Varian Johnson

 4 Stars | Varian Johnson | Graphic Novel | 2020 | Grades 3-7 | 256 pages | 2.9 reading level

This book has been on so many 2020 book lists and it is about twin sisters, so I had to read it. Francine and  Maurine are starting 6th grade and Francine is beginning to want to have her own identity. She plans on running for president of the class and also begins to dress differently. The twins aren't even in the same classes anymore. Maureen finds out later that it was a request of her twin sister. She is hurt and lashes out and even runs against her for president.  Sixth grade will be a year with a lot of changes and growth for both of them. 

I wanted to read this book because I am also a twin and wanted to see how Varian Johnson tells their story. He is also a twin and so I think he nailed the drama that happens in this book. I am very surprised that he wrote about girls since he and his brother are identical twins. I Googled and learned that he wanted to write this story for his daughters. He also wanted this to be a story where they could see Black kids as the stars of the story. 

I thought the illustrator did a great job. She added lots of details that aren't in the writing but add so much. For example, the girls were headscarves to bed to protect their hair. I am sure she had fun drawing all the outfits, hairstyles, and school and family scenes.  Shannon Wright mentioned in an article I read that she was burned out drawing books that were sad and heavy. This project was what she needed. I hope these two team up and bring us more books about Francine and Maurine!

True To You by Becky Wade

3 Stars | Becky Wade | Christian Romance | 2017 | 384 pages | 2018 Christy Book Award

Nora Bradford runs and owns a historical village in her town. She also loves to help people with genealogical research questions. She meets a former Navy SEAL named John Lawson who needs help finding his biological mother. He was abandoned at birth and has never been able to learn his mother's identity. He has a medical condition in which he needs some answers from his blood relatives. Nora agrees to help and despite the two being so different, romantic feelings start to rise. The information that is uncovered in their research is something neither of them ever imagined and it brings them to a pause to figure out the implications. 

This story is a typical romance until towards later in the book where the new information gets really interesting. It almost felt like it was from another book!  I think I was missing some depth from Nora. She seems to be happy-go-lucky and you don't really see her deepest feelings underneath her quirky and sunshiny personality.  This is a sweet and clean romance with a touch of intrigue which is what probably made it a Christy Award winner.  I would have liked a bit more depth, but overall it was a good story. Nora has two sisters who each have a story to tell in this series called The Bradford Sisters. 

 

Recursion by Blake Crouch

 

4 Stars | Black Crouch | 2019 | Science Fiction /Thriller | 336 pages

I needed to read something different and I picked this time travel thriller.  It is quite the ride and it was a page turner. It does get complicated as time travel tends to do, but I just ignored the parts that I couldn't quite figure out. I wonder if the author feels the same way when they write such imagined technical plot lines? 

This is a story of a woman who is a scientist and is trying to figure out a way to help her mother who has dementia get her memories back.  Turns out that other people are more interested in her research for villainous reasons. As a result of her experiments getting into the wrong hands, there is a epidemic of something called false memory syndrome happening to people. The results are often destructive as people are not able to cope. 

There are lots of different timelines going on in this book which you would expect from a time travel book. However, it was a great read and a good change of pace.  

Katie The Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable

4 Stars | Colleen AF Venable | 2021| Graphic Novel | Grades 3-7| 3.0 Reading Level | 224 pages 

This is a great graphic novel about friendships, villains, heroines, and cats. Lots of cats! In fact, Katie finds herself taking care of 218 of them.  She is catsitting to earn money to go to summer camp with her friends.  Living in a city, in an apartment building, she tries her hands at all kinds of odd jobs.  Most of her jobs are flops.  Then she finds this very strange job taking care of so many smart cats.  They have lots of special skills and even though they can destroy the apartment in the evening, when the owner comes home all is fixed and ready as though nothing happened.  Katie also becomes suspicious of the woman who owns all these cats.  What is she doing out late every night? Does it have anything to do with the news reports about the crime happening in the city? 

What a fun story and a perfect graphic novel for the younger middle grade reader.  I hope there are more to come!

The Littlest Voyageur by Margi Preus

 

4 Stars | Margi Preus | 2020 | Historical/Animal Fiction | Grade 2-5 | 4.7 Reading Level| 176 pages | 2 1/4 hours listening time

I wanted to give this book a hug when I was done because it was so sweet and fun. I adored this feisty little red squirrel who stows aboard the canoe of a group of French Canadian voyageurs who are leaving Montreal for their journey to Grand Portage. Along the way you learn about what the voyageurs go through as they make their way on their mission to transport for the fur trade. 

There are lots of extras in the back of the book that help with the French words and pronunciations, history, and information about squirrels too. Don't let the French turn you off...you can read this aloud to kids with just a little bit of practice.  Margi Preus has a YouTube channel where she has many videos with read alouds of the chapters. Don't miss this great little book. 

Here is my video book review of this book.

The Star Crossed Lovers of Tuscany

Lori Nelson Spielman | Contemporary Fiction | 2020 | 4 Stars

I loved this story. I felt like I went on vacation to Italy! Since we haven't been traveling at all, this was exactly the book I needed to read. It is funny, warm, and a great escape. Food, scenery, and interesting family dynamics are all part of the reading experience. 

An elderly aunt takes her two grand nieces with her to Italy where she plans to meet the love of her life. Now, in their family, it is said that the second-born daughter has been cursed and will never marry. All three are in this category and yet the aunt is on a mission to change this. 

There is also a second timeline to follow as we learn about the great aunt's younger self and why she is convinced that she will meet her love in Italy.  

 

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming

 

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh | Candace Fleming | 2020 | Biography

This is a fascinating account of the life of Charles Lindbergh. It is written for young adults but good for adults too!  I had the chance to stop in on a live history day at the Charles Lindbergh State Park in Little Falls one summer weekend and learned a lot about his life.  This book added to my knowledge of this famous or "infamous" Minnesotan.   He did some amazing things and yet held some very narrow-minded ideas along with being very charismatic and controversial. 

The first part of the novel tells about his early life and how he was able to become the first person to fly from New York to Paris.  Next, it turns into a true-crime drama when we learn about the famous kidnapping of his son. Finally, you learn how Lindbergh gets wrapped up as a Nazi sympathizer and a political leader.  

I have read several books by Candace Fleming. From her picture books to middle-grade to young adult non-fiction, and I found that they were all great. She won an award for best nonfiction for young adults for this book.  

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

 

The Winter  Soldier | Daniel Mason | 2018 | Historical Fiction 

This is a World War 1 story about a medical student who enlists in the war in Poland in order to get experience as a doctor. The nurse, who is a nun at the remote field hospital where he is sent, shows him how to do everything. He grows and learns about medicine, life, and love. Suddenly, he is separated from the small hospital and thrust into other parts of the war. The entire time he is trying to get back to his first love. 

This book gives you the experiences of how horrific war is. It is also a bit of a romance and a mystery. It can get a bit grim at times because it is descriptive about the battle injuries and fighting.  Overall, I really liked the book.  

I found the video series Anzac Girls on Amazon Prime and it is a good companion to this book.  It is also about WW1 and tells the story of Australian nurses who come to Europe to serve in the war.  I watched episode number one and look forward to more of them!  

 

Still Life by Louise Penny

 

Still Life | Louise Penny | Mystery Series (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Series | 2008

This is a smart cozy mystery with lots of French Canadian cultural references. It takes place in a small village called Three Pines on the weekend of the Canadian Thanksgiving which is in October.  A well-loved villager is found dead in the woods and has been shot by an arrow.  It seems it may not be an accident. Inspector Gamache is called in to investigate. 

It took me a while to get all of the characters straight. About halfway through the book I begin to settle into the writing style. I heard they get better and better! So I will keep going. They have quite the waiting list at my public library and so I think that is a good sign. 

February Middle Grade Books

 

CHECK OUT THE BOOKS I READ THE FIRST WEEK IN FEBRUARY!

A Long Road on a Short Day by Gary E Schmidt & Elizabeth Stickney | 2020 | RL: 4.0 | Grades 1-4 | 64 pages | 30 minutes read-aloud time

Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure by Jeff Kinney | 2020 | RL: 5.7 | Grades 3-7 | 224 pages | 1 1/2 hours read-aloud time

The Deep End by Jeff Kinney | 2020 | RL: 5.4 | Grades 3-7 |  224 pages | 1 3/4 hours read-aloud time

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater | 1938 | RL: 5.6 | Grades 3-5 | 139 pages | 2 1/4 hours read-aloud time

The Popper Penguin Rescue by Eliot Schrefer | 2020 | RL: 5.1 | Grades 3-5 | 176 pages | 2 1/2 hours read-aloud time

Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

 

4 Stars | Clean Getaway | Nic Stone | 2020 | Realistic Fiction | Grade 4-6 | 5.0 Reading Level| 239 pages | 4 hours listening time

I thought this book would be a funny book about a feisty grandmother who takes her grandson on an adventure in her Winnebago. It has cute illustrations and seemed to be good for elementary kids.  And yes it was, however, it has a darker ending and I would say upper elementary is more appropriate.

This book unveils racism, historical events, and problems of the Jim Crow south as Scoob and his grandmother (G'Ma) travel to various states. The stories that G'Ma tells Scoob gives him a first-hand account of what she faced as a white woman who married a Black man.  The ending is surprising so hold on tight! 

Nic Stone is a great writer! I recommend this book. I started listening to it which was very enjoyable but when I picked up the printed copy, I  found some fun illustrations to enjoy as well.  

  

Once Upon an Eid edited by S. K. Ali and Aisha Saeed

 

4 Stars | Once Upon an Eid | Edited by Ali and Saeed | 2020 | Short Story Collection | Grades 3-7 | 5 hours listening time

This is a short story collection about families celebrating Eid which is the culmination of the observance of Ramadan. If you ever wondered what this holiday was like, then this is your window of discovery. There is a variety of stories and some are more serious and others more celebratory. Just as the subtitle says, it is a book filled with joy and hope. 

I recommend this book and can see teachers reading some of the stories with their students around the holiday to give their class a window into the culture. This is really an essential book from Muslim own voices. 

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

 

5 Stars  |  Genesis Begins Again  |  Alicia D. Williams  |  Realistic Fiction  |  2019  |  364 pages  |  Grade 4-8  |  4.5 Reading Level  |  9 hours listening length

This book wrecked me this week. I found myself thinking about Genesis and tearing up because I connected with her emotionally. 

Genesis is a thirteen year African American girl from Detroit who hates herself. Her father and grandmother have told her of their disappointment in how dark skin colored she is. They perceive that lighter color skin, smoother hair, and finer features put you in a better class of people. What a load to carry! This is also reinforced at school with bullying and derogatory name-calling. 

The father is also an alcoholic and gambler and as a result, their family’s financial status has been precarious. They have been evicted many times with their stuff dumped on the lawn. The mother keeps threatening to leave but continues to stay. The parents have plenty of baggage of their own.

Once again, Genesis starts over at a new school which happens to be in a better neighborhood outside of Detroit. She makes friends and her school life begins to look up. Her choir teacher recognizes her vocal talent and introduces her to some famous blues and jazz vocalists such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. She encourages her to try out for the school talent show.

So much of this book is about Genesis trying to be beautiful and not accepting her natural beauty. She is obsessed with bleaching her skin and straightening her hair. I was just so sad for her as she struggled to change her appearance. I also identified with her because I have done the same thing with dieting, perms, hair coloring, and all kinds of lotions and potions my entire life. I also connected with her introduction to singing. I also had a choir teacher who encouraged me in singing. My accomplishments in music got me through a hard time in high school. 

Although this book is a little longer than I like for upper elementary kids, I think it is worth it! Williams is a debut author and her theme of self-esteem shines through her first novel. I highly recommend this book!

Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander

 

5 Stars | Becoming Muhammad Ali | Patterson & Alexander | 2020 | Biography | Grade 3-7 | 5.4 Reading Level | 2 1/2 hours listening length

I picked this book up and never put it down until I was finished. There is no doubt that this is a five-star book and should be put in the hands of many kids. The writing team of James Patterson and Kwame Alexander is a dream.  Patterson writes in prose with the voice of Lucky who is a good childhood friend of Cassius Clay. Alternating chapters are written in poetry by Alexander from the point of view of Cassius. This works perfectly in the book and creates a wonderful reading experience.

The book tells us the story of Cassius Clay's childhood, neighborhood, family, friends, and of course boxing through his late teen years.  A final round or epilogue ties up his remaining life. You also get a view of the history of racism, segregation, and treatment of blacks in his life.  

Cassius Clay changed his name later in life to Muhammad Ali after he converted to Islam when he was 22. This is not mentioned until the epilogue. However, after reading about his life, you understand that he followed through with his convictions. 

This would be a fabulous audiobook for listening. Kwame Alexander is the narrator and he adds so much drama. I listened to the sample and loved it. 

The illustrator also added a lot to this novel.  His name is Dawud Anyabwile and is an African American comic book artist.  His artwork adds a lot of appeal for kids it is a wonderful support to this biography. 

Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

 

5 Stars | Efren Divided | Ernesto Cisneros l Realistic Fiction | 2020 | 272 pages | Grades 3 - 6

This book has been on many contender lists for the 2021 Newbery Award and it would not surprise me if it does win. It is a wonderful addition to middle-grade reading and would be a great title for class book clubs or a read-aloud. The teacher would have to be able to read some Spanish. Cisneros does much of the dialogue in Spanish and then uses context clues to help the reader comprehend. He also includes a good glossary at the end for words and phrases. At first, I was a bit intimidated but I was able to get into the rhythm of the book after a few chapters. Including Spanish made this book very realistic. 

So what is this book about? It is the story of a loving Latino family of mother, father, middle school son, and kindergarten twins. The children were all born in the United  States but the parents are undocumented and crossed the border to look for a better life for their children. They live in California and work hard to barely scrape by but they always can make do. One day, the mother is arrested and deported back to Mexico. Efren is left to help with the younger children. The father begins working around the clock to make money to help get his wife smuggled back home. 

There is another storyline where Efren and his best friend are getting involved in running for school president and dealing with typical middle school situations. You will fall in love with Efren. He is such a good kid who has to deal with the heart-wrenching problems of immigration and family separation. I will be rooting for this book to be a Newbery winner!

Click below for my video review of the book.

Reading Goals for 2021

Do you have reading goals for this year?  I usually have some in the back of my mind, but I decided to write them out and try and work on some sort of recording system to see how I do this year.  Maybe a bullet journal would work for this? I am not going to stress out if I don't get it all recorded. 

I don't usually set a goal number for books to read but usually, I read about 100 books each year.  This year I read 130.  Sometimes I forget to write down the audiobooks that I listen to but this is fairly close to my yearly number. Of course, I read a lot of middle grades which are usually faster books to read. Makes my book totals add up faster. Again, this is not a race. 

And here are my goals: 

Book of the Month  

Read at least one Book of the Month book each month. 

I want to stay caught up. This is my second year with this book subscription service and I enjoy choosing one new release each month to read. I just love reading hardcover books that are hot off the presses. It feels like such a luxury. I just signed up for another entire year and so each book will only be 12.50.  I think that is a great deal and actually less expensive than a trade paperback.  You can also order add-ons and they are only 10.00.  If anyone is interested, let me know and I can find you a referral code. Otherwise, borrow the books from me that I have already read. I don't mind. This goal keeps me up to date on newly published books. 

Book Club

Read a book club book each month. 

With the pandemic, my book club has been pretty small over Zoom but I still have enjoyed it.  I want to keep reading with a group each month.  I read differently than I do on my own and I like to talk about books! So I will continue to make this book a priority. Although I am allowed to not finish a book if it just is not for me. This goal expands my genres and gets me out of my comfort zone by reading what others have picked.

Maud Hart Lovelace Readers

Read at least one book from the book list each month.

Read all sixteen of the books nominated this spring for 2021-2022.

I have been reading with my local reading group for years. We have a huge book list to read from to select the new nominees for Minnesota middle-grade readers for the next school year. Currently, we are working on next year's list for 2021-2022. 

My goal is to read at least one new book each month from the list or a new middle-grade release. I usually manage many more than that but some months I do come up short.  So I want to even this out. 

I also want to read each book on next year's list. This list will come out in late spring. Usually, I have read many of them already, but I feel like I can't properly promote a book if I haven't read it. This is my professional reading goal and makes such a difference when I talk about these titles when I have read each one. This year I will not allow myself to abandon any of them!

Daily Devotional

Read the daily reading from New Morning Mercies.

I have a new devotional book called New Morning Mercies that is organized in a daily reading for one year.  I want to read from this book to start my day. Or maybe at the end? This will be my goal for my spiritual reading. I have never done a yearly devotional. It will be fun to see this through to the entire year. I might even consider jotting notes on each day like a mini diary.  I will see how this goes. I have never been a journal keeper before. 

 

Podcasts

Walk every day and listen to a book podcast.

I like to listen to book podcasts when I walk and so I have three favorites that I stay up to date with their shows. They are:  From the Front Porch, The Currently Reading Podcast, and What Should I Read Next with Anne Bogel. These shows keep me updated on what books I might want to read. None of the hosts are my book twins but I do get many good suggestions.  I just love listening to people talk about reading and loving books. 

I am also looking for a favorite podcast that is about children's literature but I have not landed on one yet. I will keep trying different ones. I really want to hear about new middle-grade books with a format similar to my adult podcasters.   

In the meantime, I enjoy my daily walk when I have these podcasters in my ears discussing the books they are reading.  This is my goal for exercise and reading. It makes me want to put on my sneakers and go walking. 

23books.blogspot.com  

Diane's YouTube Channel

I want to keep posting book reviews about the books that I finish.  When I started this blog, I just posted about middle grade books. Lately, I started posting my adult books too. I usually never posted a book if I gave it lower than 3 stars but I may start adding the books that were not for me. It helps me when I see why someone did not like a book. So, it may help you too.  

I have also been playing around with Youtube book reviews for middle grade and will keep adding them as well.  I even have a ring light now...so fancy!  

For both my blog and YouTube channel you can subscribe and get notifications of my new posts. I also post my new posts to Facebook too.  I think lots of people find this helpful.

Well, it seems so formal to write all these reading goals down. All of these things are what I was naturally planning on doing. What are your reading goals or do you just go with the flow?  It will be fun to look back next year and see how I did!  

Happy 2021 Reading!

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

 

 Last Christmas in Paris | Gaynor, and Webb | Historical Fiction | 2017

We chose this book for our December book club read without anyone having read it. But the reviews were good and historical fiction is usually a good gamble.  It turns out that I would highly recommend this book!  It is a novel written mostly in letters during World War I in England and France. It starts in August of 1914 when Evie's brother Will and his best friend Thomas enlist in fighting in the war. They all talk about how they will get together at Christmas in Paris in celebration. They all believe it will be a short war and everyone will be safe and at home by Christmas. Of course, four Christmases pass before World War I does end.  

The book is written mostly in letters back and forth between the characters as they describe details about what they are doing on the war front and back at home. I found this so fascinating to just hear about some of the little details that were happening. The authors did a good job of showing how hopeful everyone is at the beginning and how difficult and hard it becomes. Evie is also a writer for the newspaper and so her articles are inserted into the text too. It might take a little bit to get into the pacing of this book.  There are no chapter divisions and you have to pay attention to who is writing to who and when it is happening.  Once you get the rhythm it is easy to read. 

This book is very romantic and hope-filled despite the sadness and discouragement it tells.  I was wondering if it would make a good movie and I think it would. I watched the movie, Tolkien on Netflix this week. It is the biographical story of J. R. R. Tolkien. In this movie, he enlists in WWI and the movie shows the horrors and difficulty of the war. It was a great movie to watch when I finished reading Last Christmas in Paris. I could imagine the book scenes even better.

This book is on my favorite books of the year list!  

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue | V. E. Schwab | Fantasy | 2020

When I picked this book for my Book of the Month choice, it sounded like it was a sure winner. I usually do some checking on Good Reads to see what people rated books and they were gushing about this one. Unfortunately, this was not a book for me.  

This is the story of a girl from the late 1600s who lives in a small village in France. She longs to see the world and have an adventure but instead is having to marry a widower and settle down as wife and mother to his small children. She feels this is the end of life for her.  She gets advice from an old woman in town that she could pray to the old gods to help her. She is warned to not ask a god after dark. So, on the day of the wedding, Addie runs away and begs the gods for mercy. The evening comes and a mysterious person comes and grants her wish with a provision.  He tells her she will be free but no one will ever remember her. Soon you realize that she has made a pact with the Devil. 

Addie finds that it is almost impossible to lead much of a life if no one remembers you.  She spins in circles and leads a pretty pitiful life but refuses to give in.  Eventually the timeline switches to 2014 in New York. Addie has learned how to survive and has picked up a lot of experiences, knowledge, and survival tactics.  One day she steals a book from a bookshop and when she returns it, the bookshop owner remembers her. This is new and Addie has to figure this  situation out and what it means.

About halfway through this book, I wanted to quit. But if I buy I book, I usually try and finish it. The writing is very lovely and some interesting scenes do happen. However, it was repetitive and a little boring to me. There was not a lot of hope and happiness to be had in this book. I kept hoping that she would figure out how to overcome and do better things. Maybe even change the world.  Yes, I like to hope in my reading.  The ending did not make up for anything either. So even though the writing is good, this story was not for me.  Lots of people are loving this book and so give it a try!

My 2020 Favorite Middle Grade Books!

5 Stars | When Stars are Scattered | Jamieson & Mohamed | 

Memoir & Graphic Novel | 2020 | Grades 3-7

When Stars are Scattered is my my favorite middle grade for 2020. When I finished reading it I purchased it for several people as gifts.  I plan on purchasing extra copies for my school library too.  It is a memoir and graphic novel about two orphaned Somali boys who are living in a refugee camp and looking at a future that doesn't sound hopeful. Omar is the oldest boy who takes care of his brother who is nonverbal and needs extra care. He realizes that his education may be the only way he can even hope for a better life.  This book depicts the everyday life of a refugee camp and the community that they live amongst.  Amazingly, Omar  and his brother have various people looking out for them and against much odds, they are able live a hopeful life. 

I hope kids embrace this book and love it. In my school we have so many kids with Somali connections as well as experiences as refugees.  Learning more about places and experiences outside of our city and country is so valuable. Since this book is a graphic novel it will be in a format that they are eager to read and so accessible.   

The following books are also my 2020 favorites and they are in no particular order.  I have links to my book reviews and videos.

The Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill

Realistic Fiction | Set in Minneapolis | Growing Giant Pumpkins | Cello Playing | MN Author

The Miscalculations of Lighning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

Realistic Fiction | Math Genius | Dog Adoptions | Middle School Story

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Ghost Story | Historical Connections with Emmitt Till | Police Shooting

Village of Scoundrels by Margi Preus

Historical Fiction | France | WWII | Resistant Efforts | MN Author

Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell

Historical Fiction | Native Americans 

The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by Karina Yan Glaser

Realstic Fiction | Family Story

White Bird by R. J. Palacio

Historical Fiction | Graphic Novel | WWII | Jewish

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Fantasy | Chimney Sweeps | Victorian England | Jewish

When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamison and Omar Mohamed

Memoir | Graphic Novel | Refugee Camp

The Line Tender by Kate Allen

Realistic Fiction | Grief  | Sharks | MN Author

Winterfrost by Michelle Houts

Fantasy | Danish Nisse | Christmas