Cruzita and the Mariacheros

Granillo, Ashley. Cruzita and the Mariacheros
April 2, 2024 by Carolrhoda Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Cruzita lives in Pacoima, California, where her great uncle has had a panaderia, Lupe's Bakery, since 1978. After his death, her grandmother, Mamá Vincenta, has inherited it, and she, along with Cruzita's mother, father, and Tia Pocha, are trying to keep it in business. None of them are as good at baking, so business is dropping. Often, her father ends up driving their food truck (aka "The Flamingo") to the homeless shelter to donate more product than they sell. Cruzita, who envisions herself a famous pop star if she is just given the chance, knows the way out of this dilemma: she and her best friend Kelli are going to enter the Rising Star Contest at the Encore Island Amusement Park and win enough money to save the bakery. When her parents tell her that a trip there is out of the question, she is devastated, especially when Kelli tells her of her own plan to go to the Encore Island in Nashville and enter. To make matters worse, Cruzita is not allowed to enjoy her summer vacation, but must work in the bakery, running the cash register. She tries a few times to drum up business by singing, but the word has spread that the baked goods are not up to their previous quality. Her cousins don't have to work because they are visiting relatives in Mexico. Cruzita doesn't do a great job, and Mamá eventually comes up with a plan. If Cruzita takes violin lessons from a mariachi studio run by Jaime, she won't have to work such long hours. This is a hard ask, because the kids at the studio speak a lot more Spanish than Cruzita does, and even though her great grandfather, whose violin Mamá gifts her, was a great player, Cruzita has never played. She does meet Araceli and Marcus at the studio, and they are very supportive. As the bakery's fortunes worsen, Cruzita becomes more and more determined to win the Encore Island prize. There is a new contest for Latin music that groups can enter by submitting a video rather than going to the park, so Cruzita and Araceli round up the students and come up with a performance for Mamá's birthday. When Kelli offers to pay the costs of Cruzita's trip to Encore Island Nashville, she jumps at the opportunity to go, since she has had a difference of opinion with her new friends. Will Cruzita be able to stay true to her family and also save the bakery?
Strengths: Cruzita's absolute belief that she can be a pop star by winning a contest perfectly embodies the magical thinking that many middle grade students embrace. Her distractibility as she "performs" for imaginary crowds is both painful and hopeful. The bakery's struggles are realistic, and the family's efforts to save it are heartbreaking. Cruzita's struggles with Spanish, a language spoken by her family, will resonate with readers who may themselves not speak the language that other members of their families do. Kelli was an interesting foil, and seeing her life through Cruzita's eyes underlined the differences between their family cultures. After reading this, I felt like I needed to do a deep dive into the music of Selena, so having a playlist included was very helpful.
Weaknesses: There are a growing number of tweens trying to save family businesses, so this isn't a new idea, although the inclusion of mariachi music sets it apart.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the family bakery setting in Meriano's A Dash of Trouble, Hirandani's How to Find What You're Not Looking For, or Wang's The Many Meanings of Meilan, or the food truck family business in Torres' Stef Soto, Taco Queen. I can't think of any other middle grade novels that include mariachi music! 

Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop

Levy, Joshua S. Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop
May 14, 2024 by Katherine Tegen Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ezra has experienced his bar mitzvah several times, and know that he is stuck in some kind of time loop, but isn't quite sure what to do about it. Every Sunday at 1:36 p.m., he gets sent back to Friday morning.A couple days in to this, he meets Finn, who is also stuck in the same weekend, and is also having a bar mitzvah celebration at the Bergenville Hotel and Convention Center. Other than those similarities, the two have little in common. Finn is an only child with parents who dote on hi; Ezra is from a large Orthodox family that seems to forget he exists.  Finn has approached this experience very scientifically, trying to take notes and research how a time loop can be interrupted. His best hypothesis is that each boy needs to live a "perfect" day to make time start to progress again. Finn spends a lot of time insinuating himself into Ezra's life to figure out what would be perfect in that situation, and has already tried to delineate that kind of day in his world. The two boys do try to ask Rabbi Neumann for help with the time loop, but it's hard to get anyone to take them seriously. There is a convention of physicists in town at the convention center, and the boys think that the time loop might have something to do with that. And, who better to help them with their problem? They identify Dr. London as someone who might have the knowledge to help them get unstuck, and they work on ways to help the scientist remember her work as each day repeats. At one point, she needs a lot of gold to build a cage so that the data stays the same in each plane of existence, and the boys take several days to architect a bank robbery! As the boys go through the same day multiple times, they do undercover secrets about their lives that they didn't quite see on the first pass through. When Dr. London's research is sabotaged, is it possible that there is a third person stuck in the loop who wants to stay there? Will Finn and Ezra be able to get to 1:37 p.m., move on with their lives, but also learn to appreciate each moment more?

Strengths: Finn and Ezra were unlikely allies who got along really well and were game to try any number of different approaches to get the time loop to stop. There's a very good balance of repeating days that are interesting, but briefly recapping days that don't add as much to the plot. The family dynamics are intriguing, and I did not see Finn's crisis coming; it's hard to surprise me, so that's always great! While this includes a bar mitzvah, there is a solid reason for it, and it's also used in a completely different way than other middle grade books I've read. The boys' realization that life is greener on the other side of the time loop is a good one. 
Weaknesses: While I love the life lesson that we should appreciate each day because we never know what fresh hell the next day could bring, I'm not entirely sure that middle grade readers will have reached the developmental milestone necessary to take this to heart. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy Levy's engaging writing, or who like goofy time paradox books like Wilson's Me vs. the Multiverse, Ormsbee's Vivian Lantz's Second Chances, Mlynowski and Soontornvat's Time After Time, or Thayer's The Double Life of Danny Day. 

I'm always very conscious of not wishing away the days; today is as good as it gets. I love the Stefan Pastis Pearls Before Swine comic with Rat counting down to the "great dirt nap of nothingness". 

MMGM- Mountain of Fire

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Barone, Rebecca E.F. Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens
May 14, 2024 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) 

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

I have to admit that I still have Volcano : The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens by Patricia Lauber from 1986 in my school library, mainly because I remember this happening. Obviously, after 40 plus years, the details are fuzzy, so it's good to see this major environmental event given a thorough nonfiction treatment.

Barone, who has a science background, does a good job at outlining the history of the volcanic activity in the area, and explains how modern scientific record keeping has changed over time. Sure, we know that there was an eruption in 1853 that killed fish, but there isn't the kind of seizmological information that can be gathered now. Even in 1980, the information wasn't necessarily computerized; the readings would come out on paper. The most astonishing thing to me was that there was a lot of data gathered, but because some of it was able to be printed over the weekend, it wasn't able to be used to warn people!

Earthquake tremors began to be felt in March of 1980, and scientists were very concerned. Weyerhauser loggers and scientists were the only ones who were supposed to stay in the area, but as time wore on and Mt. St. Helens made the news, tourists started coming in to the area to see what was going on. This caused a lot of safety hazards, especially on the narrow, winding mountain roads. A lot of people were evacuated, but there were some hold outs; one of the more memorable characters who was on the news a lot was Harry Truman, who was determined to stay in his lodge that he had run with his wife. He was 83, and felt he had prepared for the disaster, which wouldn't really effect him. He eventually perished.

While most of the Spirit Lake Residents left, and the YWCA and Boy Scout Camps got permission to remove equipment from their camps, there were a number of hikers, photographers, and scientists who flocked to the area. The book even talks about Keith and Dorothy Stoffel, geologists who decided to charter a helicopter to fly over the mountain and were practically on top of the volcano when it erupted! There was also a family who narrowly escaped. In all, 57 people died, including David Johnston, who was the one remaining scientist at one of the observation points.

There's lots of interesting scientific information about what was occurring with the volcano and also about the aftermath. I was fascinated by the fact that grass seed was scattered over the area to try to get things to grow. All that it did was to attract a large number of mice, who ate the seeds, and when they ran out, gnawed on the emerging trees! Had nothing been done, the area would have recuperated more quickly.

My only quibble with the book is that the cover made it seem like this would be a fictional book; it's somewhat similar to the Lauren Tarshis 2016 I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980 cover, right down to the anachronistic skinny jeans. I also wouldn't have minded a list of the 57 people who were killed; it would be a fitting memorial, although I'm sure the information is available online.

Like Barone's Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Surviving Antarctica and Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis' Secret Code, this is a well researched and appealing written book that will get a lot of use. It's great for pleasure reading, but has enough details to make it a good choice for research as well. It reminded me a bit of Walker's 2011 Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 in its combination of facts and personal stories.

We have eight days of school left, and I'm not entirely sure I'm going to make it. Didn't post my statistics because I was in D.C. with 110 8th graders, and have undertaken a textbook removal project that ended up being much more daunting than I suspected. 

So we'll see. So far there are 650 overdue books still. (5/13 update: 250.) Maybe next week I'll post about the textbooks. 

Spaces that have no supervisor end up being trash pits in schools. Highlights included math overhead transparencies and notebooks of handouts from a teacher who left in 2004. 

Lily Xiao Speaks Out

Chen, Nicole. Lily Xiao Speaks Out
May 7, 2024 by HarperCollins/Quill Tree
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In the early 1990s, Lily Xiao is heavily into grunge rock, and wants to be like Eddie Vedder or Pearl Jam. This is something of a struggle, since her Taiwanese family is much more concerned with her academic success. While Lily does fine in school, her cousin Vivian, who has just moved to the US, is struggling with assignments because she is still improving her English language skills. When Lily finds a "Camp Rock Out" summer camp that promises to held her learn guitar, Lily really wants to attend with Vivian, who plays drums. The families make a deal with the girls, thanks to Lily's supportive grandmother, Ah-ma; if the girls do well in school, they can attend the camp. Lily even contacts Vivian's teacher to ask for help, and when he tells her that since California's 1986 Proposition 63, there are no ESL services. Since Lily is a model student, she even takes her concerns to the principal, who not only tells her there is no money in the budget for services, but also insinuates that since Vivian's family chose to come to the US, they are the ones responsible for her language challenges. Lily works with other students, including Marcos, a "skater boy", to tutor students and to gather signatures for a petition asking for services. With the help of Keiko, who words at the local record store and performs with an all girl grunge band called Pandora's Box, Lily works on her grunge music skills but also starts to find her own voice to speak up for the oppressed. If grunge music is about "shining light into the dark corners that people don't like to see", will Lily and Vivian be able to use the power of their music to instigate change in their family and community?
Strengths: If you have students who are super into the grunge rock of the 1990s, this is definitely the book for them! Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Nirvana, and other groups are all mentioned. The role of women in rock music is discussed in a way that will hopefully make young readers take a closer look at music today, and perhaps encourage them to take a deep dive into their parents' music! There are plenty of good details of the 1990s, with fashions and other cultural touchpoints that took me right back to my first years of teaching, when my students showed me how to peg my pants! The family dynamics in Lily and Vivian's family are interesting, and I loved that Ah-ma wanted them both to do well but was more lenient than their parents. Lily's combination of music and social activism, while rooted firmly in the 1990s, will certainly resonate with today's young readers.
Weaknesses: There is a lot about grunge music, and this might slow the story down for readers who are not as interested in it.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed retro music themed books like Acampora's Confusion is Nothing New or Perez's The First Rule of Punk, or who want to take a look at the troubling racial policies of California in the 1980s and 90s, as depicted in Cho's Troublemaker, Yang's Three Keys, or Tang's Parachute Kids.

Saturday Morning Cartoons- Baseball!

Cartaya, Pablo and Rivas, Miguel Díaz (illus.). Curveball
May 7, 2024 by Disney Hyperion
E ARC Provided by Netgalley

Elena Rueda's mother Marissa is VERY invested in her daughter's baseball career, since she faced obstacles in her own. There's not time for fun, since Elena doesn't get to hang out after games with her teammates, and instead must train and attend camps to help her performance. Not only that, but if she blows a play on the field, her mother loses it publically. Elena's father and grandfather just want her to have fun, but have little say in the matter. Her brother Benji is more interested in casual Live Action Role Playing, and spends much of his time in a dinosaur costume. When Elena trips, falls, and injures her knee, she is secretly glad that she doesn't have to play baseball. Bored, she asks her brother about playing with him and his friends, who called themselves the Band Of Renegade Kinfolk, or BORKs. It takes a while for her to understand that there is no "winning" at LARPing; it is just a way to exercise her imagination and have fun, two things she has no practice at. Elena meets Toni, who is a bit mysterious, and who turns out to be the granddaughter of a wealthy local women who is living with her grandmother after the recent death of both of her parents. Eventually, Elena convinces the other LARPers to play "Borkball", and her competitive spirit comes to the fore. Her mother, a realtor, manages not only to sell the abandoned lot where the kids have been playing, but registers the group as a Little League team. This increasing pressure causes Elena to finally come clean to her mother and to try to find a way that she can enjoy sports and friends in a more childlike way.
Strengths: I'm always glad to see sports stories, and the idea of parental over involvement is certainly a reality for many children. The mother's issues with girls playing baseball rather than softball certainly would have been a huge consideration thirty years ago. I've not seen too many book addressing LARPing, so Benji and his friends enjoying themselves in a vacant field certainly is an appealing choice. I'm always glad to see Kids Doing Things, and this was certainly fun and fresh.
Weaknesses: The grandmother looks a little like Cruella deVille, and wears a black, Victorian style long dress. Considering most grandparents are now around my age, I can't imagine that a well to do business woman would dress this way. Just an odd choice. Also, killing off BOTH of Toni's parents?
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like Speed Racer style illustrations and want a story that carries the emotional weight of Morrison's Coming Up Short and Bishop's The Distance to Home but in the graphic novel format of Spangler's Fox Point's Own Gemma Hopper.

Sax, Sarah. Tryouts (Brinkley Yearbooks #2)
May 7, 2024 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Netgalley

Al has played baseball for years, but when she is old enough to play on her middle school team, there is some reluctance because she is a girl, at least from the athletic director. The new coach doesn't seem to mind, especially since he hopes to lead the team to its first victory in many years and is glad to have Al's expertise. Al's large family is supportive, and her mother, who is a long distance trucker, checks in often from the road. Al's friends are all trying new things; Milo, who loves to sew, attends art club, and helps revamp an old school mascot. The boys are the team have a few problems with Al, especially when there is a big television news interview with her, but in general just want to win their games. Will the team, accompanied by a new mascot, be able to recapture the glory of the 1970s successes?

This book is set in the same school as Sax's Picture Day and involves the same characters, making the graphic novel series similar to Libenson's Emmie and Friends books or Chmakova's Berrybrook Middle School collection. I enjoyed the author's note about the importance of trying out a variety of activities in middle school, and how the social aspects of sports teams are helpful even if kids aren't particularly successful at the sport. This is definitely true; my daughter enjoyed being on the cross country team even if she didn't necessarily enjoy RUNNING cross country.

 

Newman, Joshua. Out of Left Field
May 2, 2023 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Netgalley

This was a very interesting, but decidedly Young Adult, look at how the author tried out and made his school baseball team even though he had no previous playing experience, and how the homophobia on the team affected him. This would be great for high school, but had a lot of f-words, on page sex, drinking, and a lot of negative language.

If you are looking for a middle grade book that combines sports with LGBTQIA+ issues, I would take a look at the novel A High Five For Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner. 

Guy Friday- The Truth About Triangles

Leali, Michael. The Truth About Triangles
May 21, 2024 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Luca Salvatore lives in a suburb of Chicago where his parents are currently running Mamma Gianna's pizza parlor, after his Nonna Zaza has moved to Florida. Even though the restaurant has been in the family for generations, it is falling on heard times, and Luca has to rush there after picking up his twin younger siblings from school so that he can help out. He loves cooking, and loves the restaurant, but is tired of the responsibility, especially since his parents have been fighting more about broken refrigerators, watching the children, and paying the bills. When Luca and his best friend June meet a new student at school, Will, Luca thinks he is cute and wants to befriend him. Will reciprocates, and Luca manages to hang out with him, even though it means not telling the truth to June and getting in trouble with his parents for not helping at the restaurant. When Luca finds out that Trevor Parker, his celebrity crush and host of Luca's favorite show, Pizza Perfect, is ending the series, he is devastated. When the opportunity to apply to be on the show arises, Luca jumps on it, putting together a video with June and asking his parents to submit it. Will is interested in guitar, and is trying to find members to join him for the local Battle of the Bands. With a school dance coming up, Luca is worried that June might be interested in Will romantically, mainly because he is as well. The fact that he is gay hasn't really mattered to anyone, but he doesn't know how to bring up the subject with Will, and is glad to be friends, if nothing else. When Mamma Gianna's is accepted to be on Pizza Perfect, the family shifts into high gear, cleaning the restaurant and fixing things that have long gone unattended. Unfortunately, the parents' fighting has continued to the point where the father has moved out and taken his own apartment. Luca feels that it is his responsibity to save not only the restaurant, but his parents' marriage. When the Pizza Perfect film crew arrive, things go fairly well, but when his father show up late, and clearly a bit drunk, Luca is worried. Channeling his anger into pounding on Pizza dough, he has a heart to heart with Trevor, and bakes one of his unusual, gourmet pizzas that his mother won't let him put on the menu because of the expense. Trevor thinks the pizza is fantastic, and gives Luca some good advice about surviving middle school. Things are rocky with June, who has gotten the lead in a musical, and when Will needs a new lead singer for his band, she agrees to step in. Luca would like to ask Will to the dance, but knowing that June has a crush on him, suggests that Will invite her. This causes some confusion, but eventually the three friends communicate and work things out. The family also takes a long, hard look at what is going on with the restaurant and the parents' marriage, especially after a disastrous babysitting event that lands Luca's brother in the emergency room, needing five stitches! In an epilogue, we find that Luca starts therapy, starts to date Will, and is no longer as responsible for the restaurant's daily operations, after some money from Trevor Parker, and the publicity from the show, puts Mamma Gianna's back on its feet. 

Strengths: There have been so many books about middle grade characters with anxiety that it is always good to see a character who faces struggles with hopefulness and resilience. I've had students whose parents have run restaurants, and it is a hard life, but a tween pitching in to help instead of sinking into worry and despair is always more interesting to read about. Luca certainly struggles, and it was good to see him benefit from therapy at the end of the novel. The younger siblings who bicker make this VERY realistic, despite the national television show filming. Luca's struggles to remain good friends with June will resonate with young readers, and the romantic triangle with Will is well done and age appropriate. Luca getting to learn how to throw pizza dough from his idol is just the perfectly caramelized goat cheese on top of a heavenly slice of literary pie.
Weaknesses: This is definitely a wish fulfillment novel, with Mamma Gianna's being on a television show. Older readers might find the romance at the end a little cheesy, but hopefully in a good way, like Luca's tortellini pizza.
What I really think: This was a very fun book; the daily life of running a restaurant was very interesting, and good for students to read about. It's not easy, but so many middle school students who love to cook have thoughts of running restaurants when they grow up! Luca is such a positive and resourceful character who works so hard for his family that it is good to see him have some happiness at the end. This will be perfect for fans of cooking tales like Stamper's Eli Over Easy, Negron's The Last Super Chef,  Richardson's Pizza My Heart: A Wish Novel, and Chari's Karthik Delivers, or gentle romances like Taylor's The Language of Seabirds or Levithan's Answers in the Pages.

Cats of the Silver Crescent

Noel, Caela. The Cats of Silver Crescent

April 30, 2024 by Greenwillow Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Elsby MacBride has to spend the summer with her Great Aunt Verity, an archaeology professor, in Snipatuit, Rhode Island when her mother, an art curator, needs to go to Los Angeles. It's a big change from New York City, and Elsby is apprehensive about staying in a cottage and fending for herself. It doesn't help when she catches sight of a cat in Beatrix Potter style clothing, and is later approached by four cats... who talk! The owner of Verity's, Rose, passed away suddenly, and the cats are living in her house. They are running out of food, and Rose, who was a librarian at the local Atheneum, told them to seek out a child if they ever needed help. Horatio, Clarissa, Marzipan, and Tapioca were all rescued by Rose, but they are vague about how they can talk, saying only that magic was involved. Elsby agrees to help, and manages to get to the local market to buy inordinate amounts of meat without Verity finding out. She does meet Penelope Perez at the Atheneum, and the two strike up a friendship. Elsby tells Penelope about the cats, and brings her to meet them. Marzipan is a poet who quotes T.S. Eliot, Tappy is grief stricken by Rose's death, Horatio seems content to just hang about, and Clarissa is evil. Really evil. She not only demands that Elsby help the cats, and never says thank you, but is engaged in studying dark magic. Elsby is leery of Clarissa's plans, so Clarissa manages to talk Penelope into helping the cats with a renewal spell. This spell might have hastened Rose's death, but Penelope is so enthralled by the thought of doing actual magic that she is willing to help. This causes the girls to have a fight, but when Elsby uncovers information about just how bad this magic is, she tries to save her friend. Luckily, help comes from an unexpected place. Will it be enough to keep Clarissa from hurting the girls?
Strengths: This had a great sense of place, and the cottage filled with antiques and old books, along with the cats in pinafores makes you think "Oh, how cute! Let's have tea with the cats!" BEFORE THEY KILL YOU. Whew. Elsby has some anxiety about her mother being away from her, but seems to do okay with this weird occurrence. I was glad that she had Penelope to help her, although that didn't work out too well. That dynamic tracks very well with middle school friendships, though. Verity was a great character, and used quite well. Despite the overall cute feel to this, it takes a dark, dark turn, with evil magic. Like this author's Coo, this is definitely an original middle grade novel! 
Weaknesses: I would have liked to know more about Rose and the magic instead of Elsby's anxiety. There could be a whole novel about Rose and the cats in the 1970s. I'd read that. 
What I really think: I thought this would be a bit like Waugh's The Mennyms (1993), which is one of my favorite magical realism titles, but it got dark in a way I didn't expect, rather like Saunders' 2013 The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop.

For fans of Kate Saunders' work, I'm sorry to say that she passed away in April of 2023.

The Secret Library

Magoon, Kekla. The Secret Library
May 7, 2024 by Candlewick Press

ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Dally (Delilah) Peteharrigan is grieving the death of her beloved grandfather, especially since she has already lost her father, who was Black, and her mother, who is white, is very busy managing the family's company. Her mother is determined that Dally learn a lot, so she is not only enrolled in a private school, but also has lessons in subjects like economics afterwards. Her free time is limited to one hour, so even after Dally makes an impressive plea to join the school Adventure Club, she is not allowed. After this, Dally is determined to get the envelope that her grandfather left her, and breaks into his office. There's a puzzle and a map involved, and Dally pins to location to a bakery too far from her home to walk. She enlists the aid of a car service the family often uses, and when she arrives at the location, a magical library appears. She is greeted by the librarian, Jennacake, who tells her that the library houses secrets, and that Dally is allowed to see one a day. There are a wide variety of secrets, and Dally sees some about how her parents met, and small lies that people tell. Nothing too earth shaking happens at first, and her time spent in the vesions of the past is short, but she eventually ends up in a rousing adventure on the high seas, along with well-meaning pirates Pete and Eli, as well as a boy about her age, Jack. She can't really figure out what the secret is, but the more she pops into various timelines, the more she finds out about the history of her family, and the reasons why her mother is so cautious with the family finanaces. She also learns that Jack is using the library to travel into secrets as well, but he is from 1960. Her mother's controlling behavior doesn't stop, and when Dally learns that her own future might be very circumscribed, she has to think about the path she should take. The library just holds the secrets, but how those secrets effect Dally and her family can be earth shattering. (Don't want to give away too much!)

The Secret Library is right up there with Shulman's The Grimm Legacy (2021) and MacHale's The Library (The Curse of the Boggin, 2016) or Wexler's The Forbidden Library (2014) in terms of good use of magical books. I know it was important for Dally to travel into secrets, but I would have been content to spend a lot more time with Jennacake touring the facilities. 

It's good that the book ended with a family tree, so that we were able to see how all of the different ancestors that Dally met figured into the story. There's a lot of different points in time shown in Dally's travels, and the chart really helped me tie together all of the different bits of information. There is also a bit of a surprise ending, so be prepared! 

This is definitely on trend with a lot of current sociopolitical topics. There are several instances of Dally's father experiencing racism in college, and the history of racism as it effects Dally's family goes back into the mid 1800s. There is a very important instance of "passing" that has lasting ramifications and is not a topic I have seen much addressed in middle grade fiction. Pete and Eli have LBGTQIA+ ties in unusual ways that also form the family's history. 
 

Readers who liked Shawl's Speculation (2022) or Coles' Black Was the Ink (2021), and prefer their history presented with some fantastic flourishes will enjoy Dally's exploration of her family's past in The Secret Library.            

Fortune Tellers

Greenwald, Lisa. Fortune Tellers
May 7, 2024 by Katherine Tegen Books

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

In fifth grade, Nora, Bea, and Millie were inseparable friends who attended the Shire School, a hippyish sort of school on Manhattan's Upper East Side. They spend a lot of time hanging out together, making fortune tellers with their Write Your Destiny marker set. After a falling out of a birthday party to which not all of them were invited, the school shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic. In the time since then, Nora's parents divorced, and she and her sister Penelope moved with they mother. She's now friends with Jade and Esme, who care more about clothes and boys than Nora does. Bea's Aunt Clare moved in with her family because of her uncontrolled epilepsy, and Bea's mother is stressed dealing with Clare's seizures. Her twin, Danny, seems to be the reason her new best friend, Sam, hangs around her. Millie has the biggest change of all; her father was an apartment building superintendent, but took a job in the suburbs running a cottage community by the lake that is transitioning from being for summer visitors to accomodating more year round ones. When Bea is trying to organize her room for the new school year, she finds one of the fortune tellers the girls made; the other girls find them as well, in odd places and at odd times. Nora and Bea even get a box of them from one of their teachers, Ms. Steinhaur. Not only that, but the fortune tellers seem to be giving them messages! When a letter comes from the Shire School announcing that there are changes in the works, the girls reconnect and talk about the fortune tellers and vow to get together. After Bea skips school and attends a meeting, she offers to put together a fund raiser to try to save the school. She only has a week, but her old friends band together to help. Will the three be able to save the school and get to the root cause of the problems with their friendship?

Strengths: At first, I thought this would revisit the three friends in Greenwald's 2010 Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes, which is my favorite Valentine's Day book! The covers seem to go together. Late elementary school can be filled with so much drama, and it is completely realistic that the three girls might have ended their friendship over a birthday party invitation. I'm still not sure why Jamie and Pam stopped being my friend in fourth grade, but those trios are hard to sustain. I did appreciate the information at the end about why the whole event occurred. Elementary school engender very strong feelings, so I can see why the girls were willing to go to such effort to try to save their school. The fortune tellers are a fun way to introduce magic to the plot; who hasn't made at least one of those at some point? There are a lot of good incidental characters, like Rodge at Nora's cottage community, who is struggling to start school when his family has to get their food from a local pantry, and he's worried about being made fun of. The use of social media to keep track of former friends is an interesting inclusion and will definitely resonate with young readers. Greenwald's books are super popular with my students, and they will be thrilled to see this new title with it's bright and happy cover! 

Weaknesses: Not only is this does this switch point of view between the three girls, but there are some flashbacks as well. Some of my emerging readers struggle with this, so I would have liked a simpler format. It would have been interesting to get more information about Aunt Clare's condition, but it didn't have that much bearing on the story. 
What I really think: This is a fun book filled with tween drama and a little bit of magic that will be great for readers of Messner's All the Answers, Vrettos' Best Friends for Never, or Harper's Dreamer, Wisher, Liar.

MMGM- With Twice the Love, Dessie Mae and Exclusion and the Chinese American Story

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Chen, Justina. With Twice the Love, Dessie Mae

May 7, 2024 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

When Dessie Mae moves with her family to Seattle, she's not thrilled, but knows that it's important for them to be near her grandmother, who has descended into dementia after the grandfather's death. Dessie was adopted from Hunan, China when she was two, and has two older brothers who have not moved with the family. Her father composes music for video games, and her mother plays the music, so the family life is fairly unstructured and members talk to each other casually. When she starts school, many people call her "Donna", which confuses her until she meets Donna, who looks exactly like her. Dessie had dismissed this, since she was one of very few students of Asian descent at her old school and thought this might have been a slur. Donna has also been adopted from China, and has the same birthday, so the two become fast friends and scheme to get a DNA test. Donna's family, including her Amah who is from Taiwan, is very strict, and since she has a younger brother who is the biological child of her parents, she is very worried about being the perfect student so they continue to love her. Both girls are huge fans of the band A2Z, and are working on a school project where they have to design a family crest, as a warmup to a competition to design a logo for their school, the name of which was recently changed from Sheridan to Marian Anderson Middle School. After Amah sees Dessie fight with her parents, she won't allow Donna to be friends with her, which does make Dessie think about the way her family communicates. When Amah is brutally attacked at the Pike Place Market in a racially motivated attack, the school, as well as Dessie's family, rallies around. Dessie finds out that her grandmother was a very vocal advocate for social equality back in the day, and the scarf that she wove for Dessie incorporates part of a sweater that she frequently wore to rallies. Dessie's parents, who are afraid that she will want to be a part of Donna's family because of their shared ethnic heritage, think that going to a rally to her Donna speak is too dangerous. When the band A2Z has a racist lyric in their new song, Dessie is appalled, and comments on their social media. The band replies and apologizes, making Dessie momentarily famous. Will Dessie be able to make peace with Donna as well as heal the problems within her own family?
Strengths: Just about all middle school students secretly want to have a twin... except those who actually do! Any book that posits the idea of a twin you didn't know about will be instantly popular! I liked that the families were very different, and it was interesting to see that Dessie's parents hadn't made any effort at all to offer Chinese cultural opportunities to her. The fact that their style of communication was too flippant and snappish was something that should be explored more in middle grade books, because I see a LOT of that kind of interactions from students, which is why I always try to model very polite conversations! Amah's attitude was understandable, but it was good to see that she was able to change her mind. Dessie's grandmother was involved in marches to support the Asian Community after the death of Vincent Chin in 1982, which was an good historical inclusion.

Weaknesses: Ten years ago or more, I did see the occasional student who had been adopted from China or Russia, but there has been a marked decrease in that population. I did appreciate that Chen wrote this in part because she has stepdaughters who were adopted from China into a white family.
What I really think: This incorporates the long lost twin scenario of Siddiqui's Bhai for Now, the social activism of Bajaj's Count Me In, the adoption from China storyline of Peacock's Red Thread Sisters, and agrandmother with dementia similar to the ones in Campbell's Rule of Threes or Messner's The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.

Blackburn, Sarah-Soonling. Exclusion and the Chinese American Story 

March 26, 2024 by Crown Books for Young Readers

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Blackburn starts this book with a note acknowledging that Chinese American history, and the experience of Chinese Americans, isn't something that is monolithic. Even the identification of being "Chinese American" can pertain to a wide range of people. Still, because of the dire lack of information about this population (which numbers over five million people), it is important to have books like the Race to the Truth series to fill in gaps that racism and prejudice have left in standard history textbooks. 

This has an array of stories on a variety of different people and events, and aims to be intersectional and to encourage readers to think critically about history. Starting with the possible (although unlikely) visit of Hui Shen to the North American in 499 CE, and the arrival of Afong May, a woman who was used to advertise imported Chinese goods in the 1800s, we see interesting snippets of history that don't get the attention they deserve. Larger events, like the influx of Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush, and during the building of the railroads, and life in the new Chinatowns in San Francisco and Los Angeles are all covered. There are many interesting historical anecdotes and discussions of what life was like during various periods of history. 

There was lots of information presented that I didn't know much about: the reasons why so many Chinese Americans had laundry and food related businesses, the various legislation controlling the number of immigrants, or the way that Chinese Americans were forced to live, and stories of people like Martha Lum and Wong Kim Ark, whose lives were deeply impacted by the mores and laws of the times in which they lived. 

This goes up to the present day and the ill treatment of Asian Americans from many different backgrounds in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It fills in needed gaps in a conversational and engaging way. Narrative nonfiction can sometimes be hard a hard sell for middle grade readers, but this definitely moved quickly and was interesting. It would have been nice to see a few more photographs, although there are a few, and a historical photograph on the cover would have been a big plus. 

We're starting to see more collective biographies of Asian Americans,  like Yang's Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country, and other historical books covering previously hidden history, like Goldstone's Days of Infamy: How a Century of Bigotry Led to Japanese American Internment. It's good to see a variety of these Race to the Truth books penned by authors who share the background of their topics.  Exclusion would also be a good nonfiction pairing with fiction text that discuss similar topics surrounding immigration and the Chinese American experience like Shang's The Secret Battle of Evan Pao, Yee's Maizy Chen's Last Chance and Park's Prairie Lotus.

The Color of Sound

Isler, Emily Barth. The Color of Sound

March 5, 2024 by Carolrhoda
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Rosie is taking a break from playing the violin; it's been 67 days since she started her "strike". In retaliation, her mother has taken away all of her electronics and has decided that if Rosie isn't going to the elite music camp that has accepted her for the summer, she will spend six weeks with her grandparents in Connecticut. Grandma Florence is in the end stages of Alzheimers, and Grandpa Jack has a housekeeper, Tamar, and dog, Vienna, to keep him company. Rosie is allowed to wander around the property, which includes a small cabin. One day, she enters the cabin only to find a girl her age there who says her name is Shoshanna, or Shann, which is Rosie's mother's name. Sure enough, when asked, Shanna says it is 1994! Trying to make sense of how she could be speaking to her mother, Rosie goes to the public library to do research, and becomes entranced by an improv drama camp there run by Mia. We learn a bit more about Rosie's violin career; she was a true prodigy who had practices, classes on music theory, and public performances, but the pressure her mother put on her to play the violin cost her her best friend, Julianne. Rosie also has synesthia, so not only hears music but experiences it as color, and this is a lot to process. While Rosie learns more about Shanna's life, and tries to prevent things like the death of her dog Stimpy, she learns secrets about her family's life. She learns more from Grandpa Jack, with whom she swims every morning. Her grandmother's mother was a violin player named Dahlia who perished in the Holocaust, causing Florence to be both intrigued by music and worried about it, so that Shanna was never allowed to play an instrument. Rosie plays for Florence, but only when her mother is out of the house. When her surgeon father visits for the weekend and sees her swimming, he immediately wants her to pursue the sport, and is angry that she chooses to throw away her talents. There is also drama when some of the older improv theater participants come to the house to swim. In the end, Rosie grows to understand more about her mother's life and her heritage, and tries to give the younger version of Shanna information that will change the way she raises Rosie. Will it be enough to help form a more supportive relationship with her mother? 
Strengths: I'm sure that there were many Jewish families after the war who supressed information about what happened to family members during the Holocaust; it was a different time, and people didn't want everyone to know their private business. Rosie's mother's reaction to this is realistic, and the effect it has on how she is raising Rosie makes sense. It was good to see Rosie developing a good relationship with her grandfather, and I especially liked how the dog, Vienna, played into things. The time travel happens without explanation, but who doesn't secretly want to be able to meet a parent when they were a child? 
Weaknesses: I wish there had been more information about Rosie's synesthesia, especially since her mother also seems to experience the world this way. I don't know anything about the condition, and imagine that young readers might not, either.  Since this is a fantasy book, they might think that this is not a real condition, so some explanation would have helped. 
What I really think: This is s good choice for readers who like time travel books or characters who play violin and also face life challenges, like Day's We Still Belong, Langley's The Order of Things, Chow's Miracle,  Glaser's A Duet for Home or especially Ross' Something For Lottie, with its Jewish representation. 

Anzu and the Realm of Darkness, Maker's Club

Nguyen, Mai K. Anzu and the Realm of Darkness
May 7, 2024 by Viking Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this graphic novel, Anzu is struggling with several issues. Her family has moved, her grandmother has passed away, and she feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere, since girls in her last school made fun of her lunches and told her they were now calling her "Anne" since her real name was "weird". Even her little brother Yuuta is annoying. When a new neighbor girl, Fig, says hello to her and welcomes her to the  neighborhood, Anzu is too distraught to politely reply, and runs away. In a local park, she sees a decades old sign about a missing girl, Mari Ito, and a dog attacks her, stealing the necklace that her grandmother gave her. When she goes looking for the dog, she ends up in a different world. She meet Izanami no Mikito, the queen of Yomi, who welcomes Anzu and promises to help her get home. When Izanami gives her more information, and tries to force her to eat, Anzu is uncomfortable, and ends up trusting the dog, instead. He's the gatekeeper of Omi, but not doing a great job. He neede Anzu's necklace to help with this, and doesn't have a name. Anzu calls him "Limbo". Since Anzu touched Izanami's food, her hands are turning progressively black and she's losing her memories, so it's lucky when she and Limbo meet Rakko Huci, who turns out to be an Omi version of Anzu's grandmother. With her help, can Anzu overcome Izanami, get home, and make sure the gateways from Omi into other realms are closed?

Strengths: I appreciated that the author gave notes on the origins of the mythology, which she says is a mash up between Japanese folklore and Shinto and Buddhist stories. There is a definite anime feel to the illustrations, complete with the over-the-top emotions and crying eyes that show up in books like Misako Rock's Bounce. The use of color is helpful, since the flashback scenes looking at Anzu's life can be set apart by the palette. This reads like a classic hero's quest. 

Weaknesses: The transistion into Omi seemed a  bit abrupt. I almost wish that we had seen a little more of Anzu's life in her new town, and that she had problems there with fitting in. Perhaps she could have taken Fig with her into Omi; it's always good to have a sidekick, and Limbo wasn't as a reliable as a sidekick should be.
What I really think: This is a good choice for fantasy readers who want a story similar to Doshi's Rea and the Blood of Nectar or Perry's Cameron Battle series, but in graphic novel form. The closest graphic novel readalikes would be Chanani's Super Boba Cafe or Aldridge's Estranged. It's good to see a wider variety of genres in graphic novels. 

Yee, Reimena and Pantoja, Tintin (illus.) The Makers Club: Game On! #1
August 6, 2024 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Nadia is starting at Pangolin Secondary School, and is a little wary about being able to make new friends until she is able to work with Adin and Ruby on a project. She also works with Priya, who isn't particularly friendly. Nadia is a huge fan of the Banyan High series, and connects with Aqi and Yong Qiang, who also love the books. Nadia lives in a somewhat run down part of town, but has supportive parents who run a struggling business, as well as a brother, Alfonso, who has graduated from college and is moving to Australia for a new job. When Nadia finds out that a science fair project is 40% of her grade, she agrees to work with Priya, who has very decided ideas about what the project should be. Priya plays a lot of computer games to distract herself when her parents argue, and she loves coding, so wants to make a video game for the project. This is fine with Nadia, but she doesn't have a computer. Priya assures her that she can do the artwork, and she'll scan the drawings into the program. When Priya loses her laptop and all the work, they have to think of another plan. They manage, and do well at the science fair. Aqi and Yong Qiang are spending a lot of time with Miss Tilly, the librarian, who is using a lot of donated equipment to put together a Maker Space. Aqi designs clothes and accessories, so is thrilled that there is an embroidery machine. She makes some adaptive clothing for Yong Qiang, who is in a wheelchair because of muscular dystrophy. Aqi does try to do many projects, but manages to "right size" her work after a while. 

This felt like two separate stories, so I'm curious to see what further volumes look like. The artwork is appealing, and I liked the idea of a Maker Space. It's a little unclear where this takes place; one of the authors is from Kuala Lumpur, and since the school has "pangolin" in the name, maybe this is set in Malaysia? I would buy this if we had a Maker Space, but the library has always been busy enough that I have not been able to also supervise a lot of projects and equipment. 

Simon, Coco and Lopez, Manuela (illus.)

Emily's Cupcake Magic (Cupcake Diaries: The New Batch)

May 7, 2024 by Simon Spotlight

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Emily, who is Katie Brown's stepsister from The Cupcake Diaries, has to go to a different school when hers is closed for renovations. All of her friends go to another school, which makes her worried. The new school tries to welcome the students by having a baking contest. Emily is interested, especially when she gets a group of new friends who want to bake, but is worried that she is copying Katie. Katie's friends come and help the younger girls, and Katie reassures Emily that it's okay to have the same interests, and that she's sure Emily will put her own spin on the baking. 

I'm a huge fan of the Cupcake Diaries series, even though I drew the line at twenty books, and the new graphic novel series has been very popular with my students. I would definitely buy this for an elementary school or public library, but will  pass for middle school. I would love to know the true identity of "Coco Simon" and feel that this writer needs more attention. The books are always heart warming and enjoyable. 

Poetry/Guy Friday: And Then Boom

Fipps, Lisa. And Then Boom
May 7, 2024 by Nancy Paulsen Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

**Spoiler alert. Don't read if you want to be surprised by the plot developments.*

Joe Oak and his grandmother as doing the best they can since his mother ran off. They lost their house when the mother jumped bail, and have spent time living in their GMC Pacer and washing up in store washrooms while the grandmother cleans houses to try to make ends meet. Joe is lucky that he has a supportive 6th grade teacher at school, Mrs. Swan, who keeps snacks available to students and even has the school change the lunch system so that kids on free and reduced lunch don't have to annouce it to everyone. Joe has been friends with Nick and Hakeem for a long time, but doesn't want them to know he has been living in a car. When Nick finds out (and he had noticed that Joe was falling asleep in class and seemed rumpled), he lets Joe know about a unit available to rent in the mobile home park where he lives. Nick's mother struggled with depression, and Nick has been in foster care a couple of times, so he understands that sometimes life is hard. Joe and his grandmother are very happy with their new accomodations, and revel in taking showers and getting their clothes clean. The owner of Castle Mobile Home Park, Frank King, offers the two free furniture, and asks them to call him Uncle Frankie and to let him know if there is anything they need. Joe's grandmother even put in a garden. When Joe's grandmother suddenly dies of a stomach aneurysm, his mother comes back to live with him, but it is not long before she takes off again. For a while, he has enough food, and gets some new clothes from Ms. Swan's Magic Closet, but taking care of himself becomes increasingly difficult since he finds three abandoned dogs and is trying to feed them as well. He eventually tells Nick and Hakeem, who help him raise some money by selling items at the community rummage sale, but this doesn't last long. When summer comes, Hakeem gives him some food leftover from a cooking class, but this is all lost when the electricity is cut. Joe eats the food from the garden, and dumpster dives at a local restaurant until the dumpster is locked. Nick has asked Joe to look after his mother, and when Joe notices she hasn't left the house is a long time, he seeks help from a neighbor. Uncle Frankie notices that Joe's mother is never around, but doesn't press him for details. When a tornado comes perilously close to Joe's home, he manages to ride out the storm with the dogs by tethering himself to a tree, but eventually is thrown through the air, luckily landing on a pile of soft things. He tells the people who rescue him that his mother has left and CPS needs to be notified. He's kept in the hospital for a while to get treatment for his infected tooth, storm injuries, and malnutrition, and is placed into foster care with a farming family who is willing to take the three dogs as well. While Joe misses his grandmother, and even his mother, he is glad to be in a stable home setting where his physical and psychological needs can be met. He even puts together a mini food pantry to help other children who are struggling. 

Strengths: Fipps' Starfish has a huge following, and this will be another title that will be popular. There is something about seeing children faced with overwhelming challenges and having to care for themselves that intrigues tweens. Joe's situation is realistically portrayed, and the details of how he and his grandmother make do are harrowing and yet hopeful. His friends stick with him, and it's good to see that he has people like Uncle Frankie and Mrs. Swan to help as much as they can. 
Weaknesses: Because I've gone back to my old E Ink E Reader, I wasn't quite sure at first that this was a novel in verse. The lines weren't positioned on the page the way they will be in the final copy. The language embraced more modern poetic conversations, and I would have enjoyed more details about Joe's friendship with Hakeem and Nick or the dogs that we might have gotten in a prose format. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who Rudd's How to Stay Invisible, Ogle's Free Lunch, Walter's The King of Jam Sandwiches, Braden's The Benefits of Being an Octopus, and Supplee's Sweetness All Around. I'll probably buy a copy because the cover is appealing, but might have to hand sell it to my students, who are often reluctant to pick up verse novels for reasons I don't understand. 

The Things We Miss

Stecher, Leah. The Things We Miss
May 7, 2024 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

J.P.'s father died when she was in fifth grade, and it was a difficult thing for both her and her mother to go through. Her grandfather, Pop Pop, moves in with them, and battles lung cancer for a while, but is eventually cleared after chemotherapy. As seventh grade starts, J.P. is very apprehensive. Her best friend, Kevin Takagi, is more hopeful, and ready to be his authentic self after having done an internship with his aunt, a costume designer, in Japan. J.P., however, feels that none of her clothes fit, her hair is too frizzy, and also that her mother, who does PR for an advertising firm, is always disappointed in her. The first day is disastrous, with a two small gym uniform and mean girls like Miranda who make "helpful" comments about losing weight and how the school should investigate more size inclusive uniforms. Another student, Jessi Moaziz, is nice, but is also a bigger girl, and J.P. is afraid to be friendly with her lest Miranda and her cronies make snide remarks about their "chub club". When the gym teacher, Mr. Waters, tells them that even though the Presidential Fitness Test has been discontinued, they will still be doing his own version of it, J.P. dreads school even more. Going in to the neighbor's tree house, which the college aged girls' mother painted with lifelike scenes, to take refuge, J.P. finds that when she puts her hand on the doorknob, a door opens! When she steps through it, she feels a great sense of calm, and when she reemerges, it is three days later! She tells Kevin about it, and he confirms that she was around for three days, but she has no memory of anything that happened. The two set off to investigate this, taking notes on how long she is gone, whether Kevin can travel, etc., but Kevin soon loses interest. When Pop Pop's cancers returns, and J.P.'s mother wants her to go to an Autumn Ball, J.P. reacts to these stresses by going to the treehouse and losing three days of her life. Kevin notices, and becomes distant; things are going on in his life that J.P. misses, and the two eventually fall out. Even though she knows she shouldn't, the treehouse beckons, and J.P. spends more and more time fast forwarding her life. She is looking forward to the movie premier of her and her father's favorite comic character, Admiral K, and she and Kevin (as well as Jessi) have tickets, but she is "skipping" and misses the movie. Pop Pop's cancer returns, and he goes downhill quickly. So do J.P.'s grades, and her mother is called in to school to talk about them. J.P. and her mother have a terrible fight. Will J.P. be able to learn to handle the stresses in her life without resorting to time travel?

Strengths: As Ms. Simmons (J.P.'s helpful math teacher) opines, middle school isn't really easy for anyone, but there is a lot to be learned by showing up and dealing with reality. J.P.'s discomfort with everything about herself is not unusual, and having to deal with Miranda pretending to be "helpful" is maddening; it was good to see Jessi call the girls on it, and to see that the principal took her concerns seriously and punished the girls. Kevin is a good friend, but when J.P. is not there for him during a difficult time in his life, his reaction is realistic. This serves as a good reminder to tweens that no matter how difficult our own lives are, we have to make sure we check on our friends and be aware of their needs! PopPop is a great character, and his fight with cancer is heart wrenching. The time travel is used to good effect, in a completely different way than any other middle grade book I've seen.
Weaknesses: There was a lot of discussion about Admiral K that could have been briefer. Also, I sort of hoped at the end of this that J.P. would magically go back to a time when her grandfather was well and would have learned to appreciate the moment. It would have made the book a bit more hopeful. Also, our school hasn't had gym uniforms in a good fifteen years; I'm surprised any schools do. Our students just wear whatever workout clothes they find comfortable; of course, it is often what they wear all day! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want the mental health aspects of Baron's The Gray or Lerner's A Work in Progress, mixed with the fantasy elements of Reynold's Izzy at the End of the World or Allen's The Nightmare House. I love the idea of time travel, but never really think about going forward in time, only backwards, since I know that today is the best that life will ever get, and tomorrow will probably bring only sadness. 

Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm

McDermott, Siobhan. Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm 
March 5, 2024 by Delacorte Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

A baby is dropped off with Aapau in Fei Chui, a village of Glassmiths. Aapau names her Zhi Ging, and raises her until she is sent away for her Final Year on a roaming pagoda. Sadly, this happens on the same day that Zhi Ging is supposed to take her test for being chosen as a Silhouette. She would be able to train in Hok Woh, learning the skills to become an immortal Cyo B'Ahon. Instead, the lead Glassmith's daughter, Iridill, is chosen. Zhi Ging begs Reishi to take her instead, hoping that by finding his missing stone, he will agree. If she doesn't go to the school, she could end up scrubbing the post pipes that carry messages back and forth, a job which has a high mortality rate. When strange things happen to Zhi Ging, who previously didn't have magic, Reishi has to change his mind, especially when she seems to manifest air rails that he has been researching for a long time. The people of Fei Chui think that Zhi Ging has summoned the evil spirit, the Fui Gwai, and the Thralls who work for the spirit, and issue a warrant for her arrest. Luckily, she is safe at the school, where she learns about the twelve challenges that students have to pass in order to remain enrolled. She makes some good friends who help her ward off Iridill, and she has some good success in the challenges, but when the Fui Gwai kidnaps that Silhouettes, Zhi Ging is the only one left to find her classmates and release them. In doing so, she finds hidden powers and learns secrets about her past. This puts her in danger, and the ending of the book leaves room for a sequel.

Strengths: There's a lot of good world building, with underwater message systems, trained jelly fish, and a school for Chosen Ones filled with magical classes, good food, and dark secrets. Zhi Ging has a lot of motivation to get into the school and stay there, and a lot of family drama in her background that slowly comes to light. Iridill is a nasty nemesis who makes Zhi Ging's life miserable and gives her even more motivation to succeed. Reishi is a good mentor, and helps her out a lot. There are plenty of good magical details and objects to keep the reader amused. 
Weaknesses: The names did not seem to always go together, and I wasn't quite sure what cultural background Zhi Ging is supposed to have. The author was raised in Hong Kong, and there's a definite Pan Asian feel, but then there is a Jack and a Gertie, which was confusing. I also didn't care for the scrying tool named DandelEyeOn. Reminded me of the computer software to see what students were doing on their computers called SychronEyes.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who need more magical academy books like Clare and Black's The Iron Trial, Thomas' Nic Blake and the Remarkables, or Sanders's Keynan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew .

Note to self: Don't try to read two fantasy books on the same day, and then fail to write reviews immediately. 

LaRocca, Rajani. Sona and the Golden Beasts
March 5, 2024 by Quill Tree Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This is a good choice for readers who like their fantasy books to have some ties to modern sociopolitical concerns, like Lalo Lesperance Never Forgot or Reese's Every Bird a Prince, or who enjoy allegorical tales like Malinenko's This Appearing House, Reynold's Izzy at the End of the World, or Barnhill's The Ogress and the Orphans. Fans of LaRocca's fantasy books Midsummer's Mayhem and Much Ado About Baseball will also want to pick this up. 

From the Publisher:

Sona hears music everywhere, even though it has been outlawed in the land of Devia. Sona is a descendant of the Malechs—foreigners who took over the governing of Devia hundreds of years ago. Malechs put Devans to work mining gems and forbade music so Devans couldn’t cast their magic.

But Sona’s world shifts after discovering an orphaned wolf pup. She believes the pup, with its golden ears, might be related to one of the five sacred beasts of Devia which a Malechian Hunter has been killing, one by one. And when someone Sona loves falls ill, she is drawn into a quest with a Devan boy to retrieve the nectar of life.

On the perilous journey, Sona must try to avoid the deadly Hunter while keeping her companions safe. As she uncovers secrets about the Malechian empire and her own identity, Sona realizes that the fate of the sacred beasts and the future of Devia, just might come down to her.