Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti

Image: Penguin Random House

The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~13 hours. Read by Brittany Pressley. Books on Tape/ Listening Library, September, 2022. 9780593611654. (Review of e-audiobook downloaded from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti. Seventeen-year-old Harper Proulx is an anxiety-ridden perfectionist. She is the only child of a single mom who is a college professor and has high expectations of Harper academically and socially. Living through the pandamic quarantined with her mom has only worsened her anxiety. She finds validation with the likes by her many followers on Instagram, where she carefully curates her life. When a follower comments that she looks just like a friend, Harper has to agree, because they both have striking green eyes and auburn hair. The two meet and Harper learns that they share the same sperm donor and that Dario has discovered more half-siblings. Dozens more, in fact. They connect with two more half-siblings, Simone and Wyatt. They do some sleuthing and track their donor dad to Hawai'i, where he runs a surf school and Wyatt's parents own a condo. Though terrified to defy her mother, Harper does so and flies to Hawai'i to discover herself.

Journal entries from the 1800s begin each chapter and readers may wonder about the relevance, but they are beautifully tied together in what is an epic journey of self-discovery on two levels. I also appreciated how the author depicted Harper's anxious obsession with presenting a perfect hash tagged life. Her lack of being present led to her losing her boyfriend, Ezra, whom she treated as little more than a cameraman. The narrator also did a wonderful job of bringing that to life with her almost staccato delivery. Harper starts out a bit self-centered and unlikable, but her growth is believable. A recommended coming-of-age story!

(My one quibble has to do with the prevailing traits shared by most of the offspring - green eyes and auburn hair. These are recessive genes and I found it a bit of a stretch. Teens may pick up on it. I know I knew about recessive and dominant genes from about seventh grade on.)

Middle Grade Monday: Nothing is Little by Carmella VanVleet

Image: Holiday House

Nothing is Little by Carmella VanVleet. 304 p. Holiday House, July, 2022. 97810823450114. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features Nothing is Little by Carmella VanVleet. Sixth grader Felix may be short in stature, but he's long in heart and humor. He often sports tee shirts with funny messages about being short. He doesn't even mind his nickname, Shortlock. He'd love to know more about his bio-dad, but his mom avoids those questions. He appreciates his stepfather, Paul, who is trying to make Felix feel included, but with a baby sister on the way, he can't help but feel like an outsider.

He joins the forensics club at school with his best friend and discovers he and his teammates are very good at solving mysteries and have a good chance of representing their school at a regional competition. Felix thinks this might be a good way to find his bio-dad. What is he willing to do in order to get there?

Felix is an appealing character. The plot is fast-paced, switching between school and forensics club to home scenes. Readers looking for a fresh and funny read will find much to like here.

Middle Grade Monday: A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga. 308 p. Balzar + Bray/ HarperCollins Publishers, October, 2022. 9780063113929. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga. This story is told from two points of view. Resilient, aka Res, is a rover that comes to consciousness in a NASA laboratory. It is his first-person narration that comprises the bulk of the narrative. Interspersed throughout, are letters written to Res from Sophie, the daughter of one of the scientists responsible for Res' programming. Sophie misses her mom because she works very long hours preparing Res to be launched into space and eventually explore Mars.

Even though Rovers are programmed to be precise and logical, Res develops a growing awareness of feelings, particularly toward Xander and Raina, the two primary scientists, who talk to Res and play music for him. Res' voice is at turns child-like, poignant and hilarious. Short chapters in the form of journal entries keep the story moving even though it takes place over seventeen years. Hey! It takes a long time to get to Mars! Once Res lands on Mars, with Fly, his trusty drone, they deal with Guardian, an imperious and logical satillite and the rough terrain and terrible dust storms on Mars as they collect specimens and search for a missing rover.

This book is my absolute favorite book of 2022. It's tender, engaging, hilarious and I never wanted it to end.

Teen Tuesday: The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden

Image: Candlewick Press

The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden. 368 p. Candlewick Press, September, 2022. 9781536223115. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

The Daily Book Talk/ Take Two: Happy Tuesday! Argh! I was in the middle of writing my Teen Tuesday post early this morning and accidentally closed the page in my school's learning platform, which doesn't have an autosave feature!

Teen Tuesday features a hilarious and heartwarming debut, The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden. Fifteen-year-old Harris has moved from California to New Jersey because his father got a better job. He's hoping to use this opportunity to start living "a real teenage life," which includes finding a girlfriend. However, Harris has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which means he's wheelchair bound and totally reliant on others for eating, bathing and doing school work. It's kind of hard to get people to look past the "kid in the wheelchair" to see Harris for who he is. He also has a theory about colors. His go-to conversation starter is, "What's your favorite color?" The answer gives Harris an idea about possible compatibility. The first person to reach out to him is Zander, whose favorite color is yellow. Yellow and blue mix well. When he's paired with Nory in Physics class, she assumes that he's not smart because of the wheel chair. Additionally, she won't tell him her favorite color. He's disappointed because she's smart and pretty.

While he and his mother interview nurses to hire, she attends school with him, trying to keep the fact that she's his mom on the down-low. She's actually pretty cool and Harris appreciates the fact that she shoulders most of the burden for his care and is a fierce advocate for him with the school. He has an IEP and the school is not prepared to accommodate him. After the first nurse that was hired failed epically (and hilariously), Harris' mom reluctantly hires Miranda, a nursing student. She is a former student of the high school and has a reputation for making bad choices. Still, she works well with Harris and he's happy.

Teen readers will be immediately captivated by Harris' wry narration. The author also has SMA and explores themes of friendship and belonging authentically. Harris is a memorable character, bright, irreverent and introspective and The First Thing About You is a smashing debut. I'm looking forward to reading more from Mr. Hayden.

I always look up the availability of my daily book talks in our library cooperative for my students. This morning, I discovered that The First Thing About You is available as an e-audiobook! I'm eager to reread this with my ears! Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

Image: OrangeSky Audio

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat. ~7 hours, 21 minutes. Read by Sura Siu. OrangeSky Audio, 2022. (Review of e-audio borrowed from Hoopla.)

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. The weather was just gorgeous here in northern NJ. I spent a lot of time outdoors taking care of my leaves and walking Boo. And, Happy Halloween!

Middle Grade Monday features The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat. Twelve-year-old Sodsai, "Sai" Mudawan has been able to hide her lowly birth and secured a job with Paiyoon the mapmaker. She lives in the Fens with her conman father. She knows that once she turns thirteen, her ruse will be discovered when she fails to receive a lineal, a bracelet with links that represent noble lineage. When the queen dispatches a ship to find and explore the Sunderlands, Paiyoon is to join the expedition as Royal Mapmaker. He invites Sai to come along as his apprentice because she has a talent for copying and Paiyoon's hands are no longer as steady as they once were. Once on board, Sai meets Rian, a dashing figure and rising star in the queen's navy. She also spies a deck hand who might recognize her from the Fens and blow her cover. It seems everyone has secrets on board and some of them might be dangerous.

This Thai-inspired fantasy is getting a fair amount of well-deserved Newbery buzz. It's quick pace and suspense will keep readers turning pages. The characters are complex and the world on board the ship is vividly drawn. The Last Mapmaker hits that sweet spot where lovely writing meets rousing adventure. 

Teen Tuesday: Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban

Image: Simon & Schuster

Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban. 280 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster, September, 2022. 9781534478831. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Tuesday! Teen Tuesday features Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban. Frankincense Wood, call her Francie, is fifteen-year-old and lives in Hollydale, Indiana. She's still grieving the death of her beloved grandfather, who was the patriarch of her family's Christmas-themed store and Santa school. The business isn't doing very well and her wretched Aunt Carole has moved back home to try to change the business model. Francie's trying to stay connected to her best friend, Alice Kim, who still attends the parochial high school she used to attend. That's getting hard. Francie is also dealing with vicious teasing by the school's hockey team due to an unfortunate kissing situation from two years earlier. While she has no interest in remedying the memory of that disastrous first kiss, she can't stop noticing Hector Ramirez, who has great shoulders and other intriguing attributes.

Francie's first-person narrative sparkles with humor both self-deprecating and sly. She unabashedly loves Christmas and all things Santa. She's awkward and angsty and totally relatable. This gentle rom-com is comfy and warm like your favorite flannel pjs.

Middle Grade Monday: The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat

Image: Scholastic

The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat. Illustrated by Joanna Cacao. 272 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc. September, 2022. 9781338741261. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed a gorgeous weekend where you live! I had a lovely, productive weekend with long walks and the first round of leaf wrangling. Middle Grade Monday features The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat. Ms. Soontornvat who has won awards for both her fiction (A Wish in the Dark) and her non-fiction (All Thirteen) makes her graphic novel debut with her memoir of cheer tryouts. 

Starting seventh grade is hard for Christina and her bff, Megan. Christina is biracial. Her dad is Thai and her mom is white. Megan is Iranian American. The two suffer from micro-aggressions and overt racism. Christina can't seem to get fashion right either. They admire the confidence of the cheerleaders and decide to tryout for the squad.

The bright palette depicts the highs and lows of Christina's experience with energy and good humor. Graphic novel fans will not want to miss this!

Teen Tuesday: Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde

Image: Charlesbridge

Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde. 336 p. Charlesbridge, October 18, 2022. 9781623543693. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Teen Tuesday features Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde. This utterly beguiling debut comes to us via Australia and is publishing next Tuesday. I read it back in May and was dying to blog about it then, but the publisher asked me to wait until closer to the pub date. Today seems a good day to post my review, as it is National Coming Out Day.

Henry Hamlet is entering his final year at his boys high school in Brisbane and has no idea what he wants to do after graduating despite being class president and on the debate team. Not only is he not popular, he earned an unfortunate moniker after epically vomiting at a party. Luckily for him, his best friend, Lennon Cane, exudes effortless charm and Henry is content to ride his coat tails. 

When Henry reluctantly attends another party, he's knocked for a loop when Len takes a dare to make out with Henry and Henry...likes it? Wow, it never occurred to him that he might be gay, but he's unsure how Len feels and absolutely does not want to jeopardize their long friendship. It turns out Len feels the same about Henry and the two embark on a secret romance.

Henry's penchant for overthinking is at turns hilarious, heartbreaking and infuriating. His internal dialogue is instantly compelling. Henry and Len are so charming, authentic and vividly drawn, they feel real. I wish they were real. I loved that Henry's extended family were so supportive and involved. He loved them unabashedly and I loved that. The dialogue between all the characters crackled with humor and energy. Not one missed note or caricature. Ms. Wilde captures the poignancy of first love so beautifully that my cynical self felt no need for an eye-roll. It was a pleasure to reread in order to write this post and I'd even read it with my ears, if there's an audiobook just to hear it in an Aussie accent. 

Hand Henry Hamlet's Heart to teen fans of Simon v. the Homo Sapien Agenda or the Aristotle and Dante books. 

Fact Friday: Raising Don: The True Story of a Spunky Baby Tapir by Georgeanne Irvine

Image: San Diego Zoo Shop

Raising Don: The True Story of a Spunky Baby Tapir by Georgeanne Irvine. 36 p. Southwestern Publishing House, October 11, 2022. 9781943198146. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Happy Friday! What a day we are having hear in northern NJ weather-wise! The temperature plummeted from the mid-eighties to the low sixties last evening, then to the low fifties overnight! I hope you get out and enjoy some of it! 

Fact Friday wishes an early happy book birthday to Raising Don: the True Story of a Spunky Baby Tapir by Georgeanne Irvine. Don's birth was celebrated by the scientists and caregivers at the San Diego Zoo. He was the first Baird's tapir to be born in captivity in more than thirty years. Baird's tapirs, native to Central America, are endangered. The celebration quickly turned to concern because Luna, the tapir mom rejected her newborn and, instead of feeding and nurturing him, pushed him around her enclosure. Luckily, caretakers were there quickly to intervene and his injuries were mild.

But the baby, named Don in honor of a retired zoo veterinarian, needed milk, preferably his mother's milk. Readers will learn how the team solved that problem as well as other challenges they had trying to teach a baby tapir to be a tapir. 

Full-color photos chronicle Don's life at the zoo and will definitely elicit plenty of "Aw!" and "So cute!" commentary. The paper is sturdy enough to hold up to multiple readings. The end pages are bright yellow and feature Don's footprints in front and "Ten Things You and Your Family Can Do to Help Wildlife" on the back end. Back matter includes extra tapir fun facts, a map showing where tapirs live in the world and a list of threats to wild tapirs along with thumbnail photos of the four different kinds. 

This cheerful, accessible book will have wide appeal and is a terrific addition to any library! Look for it on October 11. 

Middle Grade Monday: Shine on Luz Véliz by Rebecca Balcarcel

Image: Chronicle Books

Shine on Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcarcel. 276 p. Chronicle Books, March, 2022. 9781797209678. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Middle Grade Monday features Shine on Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcarcel. Luz is a sixth grader who is struggling now that she has been sidelined after an injury on the soccer field. She had always been a star and loved having her dad as a coach. Now that she can't play, maybe forever, she senses a coldness from him. She's also stuck in a soccer elective at school which makes missing soccer even worse. One morning, she passes a robotics class and is intrigued by the hum of activity. She learns that she can switch her morning elective, but has to take an intro class first before joining that class. The problem? It's held at the elementary school! Will Luz put her pride aside to pursue a new interest?

This fast-paced story features well-rounded characters and authentic tween dynamics. Luz is sympathetic and relatable as she navigates her post-soccer world and deals with the revelation of a family secret.

Shine On Luz Véliz is a terrific addition to any library. Happy reading and happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

Fact Friday: The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale: Restoring an Island Ecosystem by Nancy Castaldo

Image: HarperCollins

The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale: Restoring an Island Ecosystem by Nancy Castaldo. Photography by Morgan Heim. 96 p. Clarion Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, August, 2022. 9780358274230. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale: Restoring an Island Ecosystem by Nancy Castaldo. Photographs by Morgan Heim. Ecosystems are fragile. The organisms within it interact and there's balance. When an apex predator is missing, usually due to human intervention, their prey then tend to overpopulate and ruin the plant life. Isle Royale sits in Lake Superior about fifty miles from Michigan. It is one of the least visited National Parks due to its remote location and also the subject of a sixty-year scientific study. The wolf population was decimated by a disease brought by dogs, allowing the moose population to explode and thus, alter the plant life negatively. Scientists have intervened by trying to introduce wolves to the island. Author Castaldo and photographer Heim traveled to the island to interview the scientists involved in this project.

Eighth graders know how much I love the Scientist in the Field series. I teach a seventh grade cycle class about narrative nonfiction that is centered on this series, which covers a lot of curriculum connections from STEM to LA. This addition to the series does not disappoint. The fascinating story is beautifully illustrated with full-color photos of the island and the scientists at work tracking and recording. Back matter includes a glossary, sources and suggestions for further reading.

Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale is a great title for budding naturalists and fans of the U.S. National Parks. I love that cover!

Fact Friday: A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman

Image: Lerner Books

A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman. Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. 48p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September 6, 2022. 9781541598706. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman. Thousands of years ago, glaciers carved canyons and valleys in Washington State. Over time, water flowed north from the mountains to the sea. Salmon made their way up its churning waters to spawn and die. The river was given a name, the Elwha, by the Strong People, also known as the Lower Elsha Klallam Tribe. While the tribe relied on the salmon for food, they only trapped what was needed and the life cycle of the salmon were undisturbed for thousands of years.

That symbiosis was disturbed in the late 1700s when white settlers arrived with the attitude that the wilderness was a place to be tamed. They drove out the Strong People, cut down the trees and eventually built two dams, which effectively blocked the salmon population from spawning due to the destruction of its habitat and warming of the water. River banks eroded, wildlife that depended on salmon for food left the area. Once the dams outlived their usefulness, they were no longer used to generate electricity, but they still blocked the river. The Strong People who remained in the area began to campaign for the dismantling of the dams, hoping to restore the salmon. 

Ms. Newman is one of my favorite authors of informational literature. She has a knack for explaining complicated concepts lucidly while keeping things lively and engaging. The spare text is lyrical, subtly underscoring the magnitude of the destruction of this vital ecosystem and its long road to recovery. Side bars provide extra information such as how salmon feed a river or what the inside of a dam looks like. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator and from a tribal member of the Strong People; a timeline; before and after photos; sources and recommendations for further reading. The end pages feature before and after topographical maps. Finally, the cartoonish illustrations are really beautiful featuring earth-tones with heavy black outlining and pops of color. 

A River's Gifts is truly a picture book for all ages - informative and inspirational, appropriate for use from STEM classes to social studies.

Middle Grade Monday: The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs

Image: Sourcebooks

The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs. 368 p. Sourcebooks, September 6, 2022. 9781728238449. (Review of arc courtesy of author.)

Happy Monday! Happy Labor Day and happy book birthday tomorrow to The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs. This sequel picks up immediately after the ending of The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, which was the author's debut and won a Pura Bel Pré Honor. (Spoiler alert.) Petra, her abuela, little sister and baby brother may have made it across the river and out of Mexico, but their troubles are far from over. 

The refugee camp is getting more and more crowded and smallpox breaks out. The refugees are given a choice to either return to Mexico, where the revolutionaries are gaining ground or find a job and move on. Each decision the family needs to make is daunting. Petra's abuela leans toward returning, but Petra, armed with her talisman, her baby diamond, argues in favor of following her father's directions to start anew in the U.S. The family moves on to San Antonio, where they find a place hovel to rent while Petra looks for work. With each step away from Mexico, she worries about her father-whether he's still alive after having been forced to fight for the Federales, and if so, how the family will reunite. Most of all, she wishes to learn to read, something her abuela calls barefoot dreams.

Though this story, based on the author's family takes place in 1913, issues of immigration, the plight of refugees, and racial prejudice unfortunately persist.

Petra is resourceful and resilient; so much so that readers might forget that she's only twelve-years-old. While she feels responsible for her family, her sister and abuela do their fair share as well, something Petra occasionally forgets. She and her family continue to form community wherever they go as they try to forge a new life in America. There is so much to love here.The voice is engaging and short chapters move the story along, helped by colorful secondary characters and setting. An author's note follows. Finally, I just think that cover is gorgeous!

Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15th. I try to book talk diverse books all year long, but these thirty days are a good time to celebrate and highlight stories around Hispanic people and culture. Petra's story is sure to inspire. Both books belong on any library shelf. Highly recommended! Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday: The Hope of Elephants by Amanda Rawson Hill

Image: Charlesbridge

The Hope of Elephants by Amanda Rawson Hill. 476 p. Charlesbridge, September 6. 2022. 9781623342597. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

It's the penultimate Monday of my students' summer break! I'm back with my colleagues for two days of PD on Thursday. Tick tock, tick tock. Counting down to the end of summer. 

Middle Grade Monday features The Hope of Elephants by Amanda Rawson Hill. This first-person verse novel is narrated by Cass, whose father has been battling cancer all of her life. She was only one when he received his first cancer diagnosis. Then, each odd year of her life, he was diagnosed with a different kind of cancer and now, on the last day of her eleventh year, she finds out the cancer is back. But, Cass senses that her parents, who have been very open with her, are now keeping something from her.

They are. The reason why her dad has such bad luck with cancer is that he has a genetic mutation, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, where half the sufferers develop cancer before the age of forty. Cass has a 50/ 50 chance of having the mutation and of developing breast cancer before she's thirty. Now, not only is she dealing with her dad's recurrence, she has to decide whether to have her blood tested for the mutation. Does she want to know? What is the value in knowing? So she makes lists of pros and cons. While she deals with this, she's also dealing with wanting to continue playing baseball (doing so puts her dad at risk for infection), trying to find comfort in her faith, and her homeschooling assignments, which involves visiting an elephant at a nearby zoo, with whom Cass bonds.

My how I loved this book! Not only is the cover absolutely perfect and perfectly gorgeous, but I found the voice immediately compelling. Readers will get to know Cass through powerful free-verse poems that feature strong emotions and intense imagery. Don't miss reading the informative Author Note at the end. 

Tell your readers who love verse novels and sad novels to make sure to add The Hope of Elephants to their tbr (to be read) list. The book releases on September 6. Happy book birthday! Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday: Fenris and Mott by Greg Van Eekhout

Image: HarperCollins Publishers 

Fenris and Mott by Greg Van Eekhout. 202 p. Harper/ HarperCollins Publishers, August 2, 2022. 9780062970633. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Middle Grade Monday features Fenris and Mott by Greg Van Eekhout. All twelve-year-old Mott (short for Martha) wants to do is successfully film an episode of the "Mott and Amanda Root Beer Show . That's proving difficult thanks to her BFF Amanda being on vacation in Germany and, oh, she and her mom have relocated to Culver City, California. The only quiet place she can find is an alley, but it's just not the same without Amanda. 

When Mott hears scuttling and scratching in a nearby dumpster, she assumes it's a rat, but it's a fluffly, white ball of fur. She makes a promise to help the pup and brings him to a nearby animal shelter where she learns that he isn't a dog. He's a wolf-pup, so she couldn't keep him even if her landlord allowed dogs. No worries, the animal shelter will contact a wolf sanctuary and hold the pup until they arrive. However, he is not having that and bolts once he sees the leash he's about to be tethered to! He crashes through a plate glass window and disappears.

Mott finds him a few blocks later. Unfortunately, the pup is wriggling in the hands of a giant who claims he's Gorm the Viscious and Fenris, the pup, is prophesied to eat the moon, slay Odin and end the world. Say what?

A promise is a promise and Mott promised to keep Fenris safe. How can she do that and also save the world from ending? 

If you love a fast-paced adventure with lots of humor, this is the book for you. Though plot-driven and quite cinematic, the characters hum with life. Mott is achingly endearing and Thrudie, the Valkyrie is the perfect sidekick. Then, of course, there's Fenris, the puff ball of destruction doing what puppies do best. I swallowed this in one big giddy gulp. Happy reading!

Fact Friday: Honeybee Rescue: a Backyard Drama by Loree Griffin Burns.

 

Image: Charlesbridge

Honeybee Rescue: a Barnyard Drama by Loree Griffin Burns. Photograps by EllenHarasimowicz. 40 p. Charlesbridge, May, 2022. 9781623542399. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Happy Friday! Did you see the Sturgeon Moon last night? Wowzers! It was just gorgeous. The Persied showers are also visible, but there's too much light pollution to really see them around here. And today is just a wonderful break from the heat.

Fact Friday features Honeybee Rescue: a Backyard Drama by Loree Griffin Burns. Backyard drama indeed! Mr. Connery keeps honeybees on his property as pollinators. He is surprised to hear a loud buzzing coming from his barn/ garage, which is in disrepair. He found a colony of honeybees had set up a nice big nest in a corner. When honeybees outgrow their hives, they swarm and set up a new one. Mr. Connery missed the signs, otherwise, he would've added a new layer to his hive boxes. The concern here was not the fact that there was a hive in his mostly empty garage, but for its viability through the winter. The building was leaky and would offer little protection to the hive in the cold months. What to do? Even though Mr. Connery was a beekeeper, he wasn't skilled at removing hives. That was a job for Mr. Nelson, who actually invented a bee vacuum and knows how to move hives without damaging it or harming the bees. You never want to spray a honeybee hive with pesticides to kill them because they are valuable pollinators.

I learned so much about honeybees from Ms. Griffin Burns in this fantastic book which features plenty of full-color photographs showing every step. Back matter includes an interview with Mr. Nelson, a glossary, and author's note, sources and suggestions for further reading. This is the perfect book for young readers who are interested in honeybees, the environment or just a plain great informational read! I can't wait to add it to my school library collection. 

Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday: Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas

Image: Macmillan

Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas. Unabridged audiobook, ~6 hours. Read by Anthony Rey Perez. Dreamscape Media, September, 2021. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Monday! Happy August 1! Wow! Where did July go? Middle Grade Monday features Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas. Twelve-year-old Cumba narrates this relatable and emotionally resonant story. He lives with his extended family in the mountains of Cuba. He loves his family, the mountains and his country, but the year is 1961. Fidel Castro ousted the dictator Batista, but, as his grandfather said, the country traded one dictator for a new one. Priests have been expelled from the country, soldiers roam the streets encouraging neighbor to spy on neighbor and Cumba is almost of age to join the Young Rebels, where he will be forced to travel to Russia for training. His parents decide to obtain forged documents and send Cumba to Miami to stay with a relative. Cumba doesn't want to leave his family, is terrified of being discovered and knows very little English. Once settled in Miami, Cumba learns to navigate the streets of the city, makes friends, and starts school, all the while missing his family terribly.

Anthony Rey Perez's softly understated performance matched the tone of this quietly touching story perfectly. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy Cumba's story, which is based in part on the author's father's experience as a young boy.

Middle Grade Monday: The Aquanaut by Dan Santat.

Image: Scholastic

The Aquanaut by Dan Santat. 256 p. Graphix/ Scholastic, March, 2022. 9780545497619. Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.

Happy Monday! I'm approaching the halfway point in my summer break. I've read twenty books so far, well below my usual goal of at least one book a day, but I'm reading every day and enjoying nearly everything I read. How's your goal going?

Middle Grade Monday features The Aquanaut by Dan Santat. This is a sci/fi graphic novel centered around a little girl named Sophia, whose oceanographer father was lost at sea while on a research trip some years earlier. In fact, that disaster at sea is how the book opens, so be prepared. Fast-forward to today and Sophia is a distracted student living with her equally distracted uncle who is also an oceanographer who works for the an aquarium called Aqualand. Sophia's uncle is being pressured by the CEO and the investors to do something shady. He also promised to help Sophia with her science project. In the meanwhile, an aquanaut dressed in an old-fashioned diving suit emerges from the ocean near Aqualand trying to pass as human, but is, in fact being piloted by four sea creatures who had a connection to Sophia's father.

At turns hilarious, heartwarming and suspenseful, the art is just perfect. Rich, lush colors and perfectly paced panel placement encourages the reader to swallow this tale whole. I did, then turned back to page one for another read-through. I just know my GN fans are going to gobble this one up. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Image: Penguin Random House

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hours, 26 minutes. Read by Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan and Kausar Mohammed. Listening Library, March, 2022. 9780593502228. (Review of finished e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir. Ms. Tahir made a huge splash with her debut trilogy starter, An Ember in the Ashes. Here she turns from fantasy to contemporary realistic fiction and the results are gut-wrenching and utterly compelling.

Salahudin and Noor are eighteen-year-old seniors living in a small town in the Mojave Desert in California. They are the only Muslims in town and used to be best friends. Noor is an orphan who lost her parents in an earthquake in Pakistan when she was six. Her uncle, who owns a liquor store and was her only living relative, brought her to the U.S., but has banned her from speaking Punjabi or practicing Islam. Though Noor wishes to attend college and eventually study medicine, her uncle's plans for her to work at his liquor store full-time.

Sal's parents own the financially failing Cloud Rest Motel and his mother, Misbah has ignored her health problems due to lack of insurance. His father struggles with alcoholism. Sal learns of the severity of the financial problems when Misbah dies. His father is useless and Sal vows to save the motel, but makes a poor choice in order to do so.

The POV (point-of-view) shifts between Noor and Sal in the present with snippets of the past narrated by Misbah. The result is a feeling of immediacy and utter dread as the story unfolds. Issues of class, race, Islamaphobia, abuse, found family and the criminal justice system collide in a compelling, yet painful narrative. I read this one with my ears and had to stop often due to the intensity of emotions I felt.

Mature teen fans of the author's Ember in the Ashes Trilogy will most definitely want to read All My Rage, as will fans of contemporary realistic fiction. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. 

I'm so glad I read this with my ears. The three narrators were pitch perfect. 

Fact Friday: Oceanarium by Loveday Trinick. Illustrated by Teagan White

Image: Candlewick Press

Oceanarium: Welcome to the Museum by Loveday Trinick and illustrated by Teagan White. 112 p/ Big Picture Press/ Candlewick Press, April, 2022. 9781536223811. Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.

Happy Friday! Fact Friday features Oceanarium: Welcome to the Museum by Loveday Trinick and illustrated by Teagan White. This entry in the oversized "Welcome to the Museum" series focuses on the wonder of water, specifically the ocean. The predominant feature of Earth as viewed from space is water. Though there are names for the various oceans, there really is only one ocean and it supports most life on Earth, even inland inhabitants. 

Instead of chapters, the book is divided into galleries after a Preface and the Entrance, where readers are welcomed to a carefully curated, well-organized overview of ocean life from oceanic zones, depicted on a beautiful double-page spread in the Entrance, through plankton, mollusks, fish, mammals, birds and more. 

As with other books in this fascinating series, the recto pages feature intriguing specimen illustrations. The verso pages give an overview and a key to the plate with scientific names, measurements and interesting facts. It's a great book for aspiring oceanographers or environmental stewards to browse and appreciate the oceans we all so depend upon.