Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko

Image: Penguin Random House

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko. Unabridged e-audiobook ~7 hours. Narrated by Javier Prusky. Books on Tape/ Listening Library, June, 2024. 9781984833716. Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.

Happy Monday! What are you doing the beat the heat? It's pretty steamy here. Too hot to garden and too hot to take the dogs for long walks. Middle Grade Monday features The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko. 

Eleven-year-old Hank adores his three-year-old sister, Boo, even though she calls him Pooperman. He also adores his mother even though she doesn't make the best decisions. She has been gone for a week now and Hank has stayed home from school to take care of Boo, but food is running out and there's no money to buy more. The electricity was turned off and the landlord is about to evict the family for non-payment of rent. When Hank finds the name of an emergency contact, he knows his mom will be angry with him, but he feels he has no choice. Together, he and Boo take buses to find their way to LouAnn Adler's house. Ms. Adler was Hank's grandmother's best friend and runs a day care center from her home. She's not happy that Hank and Boo showed up, but she takes them in out of respect for his grandmother's memory. Hank starts a new school, makes new friends and might even make the basketball team, but deep down, he knows this arrangement isn't permanent and he really misses his mom.

There is so much to love about this first-person narrative. Hank is so earnest and endearing and Boo is just a hoot! Be prepared though, Hank and Boo's situation is dire. LouAnn can't/ doesn't want to keep the siblings and social services might split them up. Hank is very resourceful, but makes some poor decisions of his own out of love. My heart just broke for Hank and Boo.

The audio performance was well done. Mr. Prusky sounded appropriately young and had a wide variety of voices to distinguish the characters. I can't wait to add this to my library's collection and share it with my students. Highly recommended. 

PS: Posting might get a little hit or miss in the coming days. On Friday, I became a foster mom and Boo became a foster brother to Helga. She's a German Shepherd who was pulled from an animal cruelty situation. The rescue thinks she's around three. An amazing trainer has been volunteering his time to work with her and help her trust again. She's eager and smart, but a bit mouthy, especially if I try and sit down. She's doing really well and Boo is getting lots of extra treats.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

Image: Penguin Random House

Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~ 13 hours. Narrated by Mirai. Books on Tape/ Listening Library, August, 2023. Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.

Happy Tuesday! It looks like it'll be another beautiful day here in northern NJ. It'll be slightly hotter and not as breezy, but I hope you enjoy the day and get outdoors in nature today. Teen Tuesday features Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim. Two sisters, Channi and Vanna, are devoted to one another, but in their village, Vanna is adored and Channi is reviled. 

When Vanna was born and their mother lay dying, their father took Channi to the Demon Witch as a sacrifice. The king of the serpents saved Channi's life, but the Demon Witch cursed her with a snake face. The only way to break the curse is for Channi to bring Vanna to the Demon Witch before her seventeenth birthday, which Channi will not do. As Vanna's birthday approaches, their father, intent on enriching himself, has a contest for possible suitors to win her hand. When the cruelest, most vile suitor wins, Channi intervenes, challenges the man's champion, and when she beats him, she finds the man's attention is now drawn to her.

This layered and rich epic fantasy unfolds slowly. The world-building is vivid and based on Chinese folklore. Her Radiant Curse is a prequel to the Legends of Lor'yan duology, and, while it does stand alone, knowledge of the duology does enhance enjoyment of the prequel.

New-to-me narrator, Mirai has a wide range of convincing voices for the many characters and her performance was utterly engaging. 

Middle Grade Monday: Picture Day by Sarah Sax

Image: Penguin Random House

Picture Day by Sarah Sax. Brinkley Yearbooks #1. 288 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers, June, 2023.  9780593306888. Review of finished purchased copy.

Another late posting, sorry. Middle Grade Monday features Picture Day by Sarah Sax. Seventh grader, Viv is dreading picture day and having to wear a mom-approved outfit and hair style. She's also an aspiring influencer, and so, she chops off her hair, dyes it blue and makes a statement with her outfit. This gains her fans who also hope to be their true selves, but Viv gets a little carried away with Internet fame and her crazy ideas. This almost costs her her friendships with her long-term bffs.

The pleasing palatte, uncomplicated panels and diverse range of characters are sure to appeal to fans of Telegemeier, Miller, and Chmakova. Picture Day is a series starter and I'm looking forward to reading more from Sarah Sax.

Middle Grade Monday: Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisher and Nora Raleigh Baskin

Image:  

Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin. 198 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, June, 2020. 9780593119617. (Review of finished, purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! Today's rainy morning was perfect for hunkering down and reading! I had appointments earlier, but brought my current book with me for the waiting rooms. We had a run of beautiful weather here in northern NJ, so the rain was good. I forgot to shut the sprinkler off though.

Middle Grade Monday features Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin. I learned about this book on a Twitter discussion about books that released during the pandemic, but didn't get the marketing they deserved despite good reviews, and thus, didn't do that well. I hadn't heard about it and am a fan of both authors! 

Joy and Lukas became bffs way back in second grade when Joy discovered that they both had summer birthdays within days of each other. She asked, "What are the odds of that?" Lukas endearingly tries to figure it out. He's a math guy. From that point on, they always celebrated together with a scavenger hunt to their gifts. But Joy is dreading the approach of her thirteenth birthday because it marks the first anniversary of Lukas' death. She has been grieving deeply for the past year and never did open the envelop he left at her house as her first clue. She decides to open it and set out on a belated scavenger hunt.

The nonlinear story shifts from the previous year to the present and POV shifts from the present day, present tense narration by Joy to Lukas' story of how he planned the gift and the hunt. They both reflect on their growing closeness and the fear that it might ruin their friendship if the other doesn't reciprocate. The story is moving and emotionally intense and perfect for middle school readers who love sad, sad books like Suzanne LaFleur's Eight Keys or Wendy Mass' Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life.

There was one nit that pulled me out of the story, but no tween reader will notice, nor will many adults, since most drive cars with automatic transmission. (I suppose not many who work in publishing even drives a car.) "The tires grind over the gravel; she steps on the clutch, flips the shifter into park, and shuts the engine." (p.107) As someone who has driven manual vehicles most of my adult life and whose four sons all learned on manual transmission (very painful with lots of rage, but gratitude now), let me just say, there is no park. You shift the car into first gear and put on the emergency brake. It pulled me right out of the story and made me wonder why that little detail of a clutch was even there. The sentence works without it. Again, small nit that most won't notice.

Middle Grade Monday: Bloom by Kenneth Oppel

Image: Penguin Random House

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel. 336 p. Random House Children's Books, Mar. 2020.

Happy Monday Tuesday! I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weekend. If I don't get these posts up the first thing in the morning, I rarely get back. Middle Grade Monday features Bloom by Kenneth Oppel. Anaya lives on a small island near Vancouver with her botanist dad and Mounty mom. She, her former bff, Petra and new kid, Seth all suffer from odd allergies. After three days of drenching rain, weird black plants with sharp points start growing. They are almost impossible to remove and cause injury to anyone who tries. Soon, they grow snake-like vines that writhe and choke anything in its path, including humans. It turns out, this isn't just a problem on their little island. The entire world is dealing with these deadly plants and scientists and the military are struggling to find a pesticide.

Curiously, the three teens are immune to the effects of the plants and the reason why is a bit horrifying. The pace of this cinematic, sci-fi thriller is whiplash fast and leaves readers panting for the next installment.

Waiting on Wednesday: Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

Image: Penguin Random House

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken. 496 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books, April 4, 2023. 9780593481653.

Happy Wednesday! Waiting on Wednesday features Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken. I have enjoyed everything I've read by Ms. Bracken so far and I really love stories that touch on or retell Arthurian legend. This sounds amazing. It's due out on April 4. Isn't that cover gorgeous?

Publisher synopsis: #1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken cements her status as one of the top fantasy authors writing today in this stunning series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

Tamsin Lark didn’t ask to be a Hollower. As a mortal with no magical talent, she was never meant to break into ancient crypts, or compete with sorceresses and Cunningfolk for the treasures inside. But after her thieving foster father disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was the only way to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian vanished with a powerful ring from Arthurian legend. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitors in the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers’ nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother. . .

Waiting on Wednesday: Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen

Image: Penguin Random House

Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen. 336 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books, September 26, 2023. 9780593376287.

Waiting on Wednesday features Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen. Mr. Hiaasen's environmentally themed books are popular at TMS and this is his seventh book for young readers since publishing his debut MG novel, Hoot in 2002. Wrecker is due out on September 26. 

Here's the publisher synopsis: Wrecker needs to deal with smugglers, grave robbers, and pooping iguanas—just as soon as he finishes Zoom school. Welcome to another wild adventure in Carl Hiaasen's Florida!

Valdez Jones VIII calls himself Wrecker because his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather salvaged shipwrecks for a living.

So is it destiny, irony, or just bad luck when Wrecker comes across a speedboat that has run hard aground on a sand flat? The men in the boat don't want Wrecker to call for help—in fact, they'll pay him to forget he ever saw them.

Wrecker would be happy to forget, but he keeps seeing these men all over Key West—at the marina, even in the cemetery. And now they want more than his silence—they want a lookout.

He'll have to dive deep into their shady dealings to figure out a way to escape this tangled net. . .

Middle Grade Monday and Audio Review: The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as told by his brother) by David Levithan

Image: Penguin Random House

The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as told by his brother) by David Levithan. Unabridged e-audiobook,~4 hours. Read by Everette Plen. Books on Tape/ Listening Library/ Penguin Random House, February, 2021. 9781984885517. (Review of downloadable e-audio borrowed from public library. Own the hc.)

Happy Monday! One week of summer break is in the books! How many books have you read so far? I've read five. I'm still a bit short of trying to get back to my book-a-day, but they were good books, and I spent lots of time in my garden, with my dogs and practicing yoga.

Middle Grade Monday features The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as told by his brother) by David Levithan. In this first-person narrative, Lucas tells the story of finding his brother, Aidan in the attic six days after Aidan's disappearance. The attic had been searched several times. The entire town was out looking for Aidan and everyone wants to know what happened. Aidan says simply that he entered a world called Aveinieu through the doors in an old dresser. No one believes him, especially Lucas, because Aidan has a reputation for fooling him over and over. But Aidan sticks to his outlandish story despite the fact that everyone thinks he ran away and despite the fact that he's being bullied about it at school.

David Levithan, an award-winning author of YA books, makes his middle grade debut in this thoughtful, leisurely-paced mystery, which, at its heart, is a story about brotherhood and listening.

New-to-me narrator, Everette Plan sounded appropriately youthful and he delivered a thoughtful, well-paced performance. 

#tbt: Hoot by Carl Hiassen

Image: Penguin Random House

Hoot by Carl Hiassen.294 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, September, 2002. 9780375821813. (Own)

Happy last Thursday of the school year! Congrats to the eighth grade for a lovely graduation last night. 

#tbt features Hoot by Carl Hiassen. Mr. Hiassen, a noted novelist for adults made his YA debut twenty years ago with the publication of this eco-mystery. Roy Eberhardt is new to the small town of Coconut Cove, Florida. He recently moved from Montana. He is quickly caught in the cross-hairs of the town bully and it is while his face is smashed against the window of the school bus that he spies a long-haired, barefoot boy dashing down the street away from school. Intrigued, Roy attempts to follow him. At the same time, the police are investigating a series of acts of vandalism at the construction site of a pancake house. The construction will displace tiny burrowing owls, which are protected, but the owners of the pancake house may have tampered with the environmental impact report. The novel is packed with quirky characters and the humor is sly and subversive.

Hoot was named a Newbery Honor book in 2003 as well as an ALA Notable Book and a Best Book for Young Adults. It made a number of state awards lists and was adapted for film in 2006.

Waiting on Wednesday: Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel

Image: Penguin Random House

Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel. 400 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, September 6, 2022. 9780593487938.

Publisher synopsis: One teen’s summer job scaring tourists with ghost stories takes a terrifying turn when he accidentally summons the spirit of a dead girl—and she has demands. . . .

The award-winning author of Airborn delivers a roller-coaster ride of a story about the wakeful and wicked dead.

Rebecca Strand was just sixteen when she and her father fell to their deaths from the top of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse in 1839. Just how they fell—or were they pushed?—remains a mystery. And their ghosts haunt the lighthouse to this day. . . .

Gabe tells this story every day when he gives the ghost tour on Toronto Island. He tries to make it scary enough to satisfy the tourists, but he doesn’t actually believe in ghosts—until he finds himself face to face with Rebecca Strand.

The true story of her death is far more terrifying than any ghost tale Gabe has told. Rebecca reveals that her father was a member of the Order, a secret society devoted to protecting the world from “the wakeful and wicked dead”—malevolent spirits like Viker, the ghost responsible for their deaths. But the Order has disappeared, and Viker’s ghost is growing ever stronger.

Now Gabe and his friends must find a way to stop Viker before they all become lost souls. . .

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Pony by R.J. Palacio

Image: Penguin Random House

Pony by R.J. Palacio. Unabridged e-audio book, ~7 hours. Read by Ian M. Hawkins, with Author Note read by the author. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, September, 2021. 9780593505410. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Middle Grade Monday features Pony by R.J. Palacio. Ms. Palacio steps outside the world of Wonder in this genre-blender of historical fiction, mystery and ghost story. It is 1860 and Silas lives in the woods in Ohio with his inventor father. Silas narrates and admits that he's not your twelve-year-old. He's at once naive and wise beyond his years. His mother died when he was born. He was struck by lightning and survived and his best friend is a ghost named Mittenwool. When his father is kidnapped by three men on horseback, he tells Silas to stay put and that he would return within the week. 

The following day, one of the rider's white-faced pony returns to Silas and though he has never ridden a horse, he decides to ride the pony in search of his dad. The journey involves trekking through mysterious woods where many ghosts, some not as friendly as Mittenwool reside, but he soon meets up with a cranky, old U.S. Marshall who is tracking some counterfeiters and reluctantly brings Silas on since there might be a connection between them and Silas' dad's kidnappers. 

Some degree of suspension of belief is required here, but Pony is a satisfying read all-in-all with some surprisingly emotional moments. The narration was leisurely paced and introspective. It did take me a little while to become fully invested in the story. I am eager to hear what young readers think. The extensive author's note, read by Ms. Palacio was quite interesting. Since I read with my ears, I missed the old-timey photos that headed each chapter in the print edition.

Waiting on Wednesday: Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

Image: Penguin Random House

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi. 272 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Young Readers, February 15, 2022. 9780593309032.

Waiting on Wednesday features Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi. Bitter is a companion novel to the author's Pet, which was a National Book Award Finalist several year ago. 

Publisher synopsis: 

After a childhood in foster care, Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the city of Lucille.

Bitter’s instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren’t willing to settle for a world that’s so far away from what they deserve. Pulled between old friendships, her artistic passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn’t sure where she belongs—in the studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost?

This timely and riveting novel—a companion to the National Book Award finalist Pet—explores the power of youth, protest, and art.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim

Happy Wednesday TMS Readers! While searching for the cover image for Six Crimson Cranes yesterday, I came across some information about the sequel. According to author, Elizabeth LIm's website, it is called The Dragon's Promise and it's due out in August. There is no cover image yet, nor is there a synopsis to be found. Needless to say, I am excited and I have already put it in the fall book order for my library! Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Image: Penguin Random House

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~13 hours. Read by Emily Woo Zeller. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio, July, 2021. 9780593398876. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! I hope you dress for the weather today! It's COLD out there (in northern NJ)! Teen Tuesday features Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. I admit that I'm partial to fairy tale retellings and boy, have I been on a tear lately, each one better than the last. It wasn't hard to discern from the title, which fairy tale the author retold, The Wild Swans is one of my favorites. I learned from the publisher's page for the book that it also weaves in elements of Cinderella as well as two tales that are new to me-Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and the legend of Chang E.

Shiori-anma is the youngest of her father's seven children. She's the only girl and his favorite. She's a pampered princess in every way, always getting her own way, until her father decided whom she will wed when she turned seventeen. Shiori wants nothing to do with this barbarian prince from a northern province. She's also hiding a secret. She has magic and her father has forbidden magic in his kingdom. So far, she has been able to keep her talent hidden, despite the close call with the paper crane she brought to life. When she loses control on the day of her betrothal ceremony and runs into the lake, she catches the eye of a water dragon, who rescues her and changes into his human form to talk to her. Her icy step-mother, whom Shiori believes possesses magic, curses her six brothers-by day, they inhabit the bodies of crimson crane and change back into their human forms only by night. Shiori is banished, cursed to wear a bowl on her head and warned that if she speaks, one of her brothers will die for each word she utters. And so, penniless, voiceless and with only her secret paper crane as company, Shiori sets out in search of her brothers and a way to break the curse.

Weighing in at more than 450 pages and 13 hours on audio, this story is epic! It's also the beginning of a series and I cannot wait for book two! The writing is wonderfully rich, but man, the pace is fast! The setting is quite vivid and the characters are all well-developed and complex. I loved the stories within the story as well. 

Emily Woo Zeller is becoming a favorite narrator. She paces her performances well and has a wide repertoire of voices. 

Book two, The Dragon's Promise doesn't have any info or cover yet. It's due out in August. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Pony by R.J. Palacio

Image: Penguin Random House

Pony by R. J. Palacio. 304 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books, September 28, 2021. 9780553508116.

Publisher synopsis: Twelve-year-old Silas is awoken in the dead of night by three horsemen, who arrive unannounced to take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool . . . who happens to be a ghost. But when a pony shows up at his door, Silas knows what he has to do. He will set out on a perilous journey across a vast American landscape to find his father—a journey that will ultimately connect him with his past and future, and the unfathomable mysteries of the world around him.

R. J. Palacio spins a harrowing yet distinctly beautiful tale about the power of love and the ties that bind us across distance and time. For readers who love the poignant depth of War Horse and the singular voice of True Grit, this is one of those rare books for readers of all ages with the makings of a modern classic.

#tbt: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Image: Penguin Random House

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. 224 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, September, 2003. 

I highlight LGBTQIA+ titles throughout the year, but June is Pride Month, so I will try to be a bit more intentional in the Daily Book Talks. #tbt features Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. This exuberant romance turns the romantic trope of "boy meets girl" on its head in the most delightful ways.

Our narrator, Paul, is an openly gay sophomore who is lucky enough to live in a gay-friendly town in New Jersey where the star quarterback on the football team, Infinite Darlene, is also homecoming queen. When Noah moves to town, Paul is instantly smitten, but Noah is cautious, having recently broken up with a cheating boyfriend.

Boy Meets Boy was published in 2003. It received the Lamda Literary Award for Children/ Young Adults and regularly appears on lists of best LGBTQIA+ books for young readers. David Levithan has written quite a few books, including Every Day, which was adapted for film.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Doodleville by Chad Sell.

Image: Penguin Random House

Doodleville by Chad Sell. 288 p. Alfred A. Knopf BFYR/ Random House Children's Books/ Penguin Random House, June, 2020. 9781984894717. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Doodleville by Chad Sell. Mr. Sell was one of the authors of the wildly popular Cardboard Kingdom from a year or so back; so fans of that book should really take a look at this one. Doodleville is Sell's first solo graphic novel. 

Drew may not be the best artist, but she sure does love to draw. Readers see a three-year-old Drew enthusiastically making art in her booster seat at her parents' diner. As she grows, her scribbles become doodles with a penchant for jumping off the pages of her sketch book and getting her in trouble. By age nine, she's using rolls of white paper intended for the diner tables to create homes for her many doodles - Doodleville! She and the art club are headed to The Art Institute where the club will study the masterpieces and practice drawing. Drew gets into trouble when one of her doodles pops out and onto a masterpiece. The guard thinks she has drawn on the art. Then, another doodle decides to steal the hat from a baby in another painting and Drew is suspected of defacing the art! 

All of this conflict is added to feelings Drew already has about not being as good an artist as the rest of her club-mates. When her doodles decide to jump out of Drew's sketchbook and into the other's art, things get a tad tense. Then, Drew creates Levi - short for Leviathan. He's huge and toothy and is supposed to be nice. As Drew's emotions get out of hand, so does Levi. Jeweled purple predominates in the mostly earth-toned art. Panels are dynamic and light and darkness are effectively used as Drew battles demons without and within. Doodleville concludes, but with the promise to return. Hand this charmer to fans of graphic novels and/ or budding young artists. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Doodleville by Chad Sell

Image: Penguin Random House

Doodleville by Chad Sell. 288 p. Doodleville #1. Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books/ Penguin Random House, June 9, 2020. 9780593126820.

Publisher synopsis: Drew is just a regular artist. But there’s nothing ordinary about her art. Her doodles are mischievous . . . and rarely do they stay in Doodleville, the world she’s created in her sketchbook. Instead, Drew’s doodles prefer to explore the world outside. But after an inspiring class trip to the Art Institute of Chicago–where the doodles cause a bit too much trouble–Drew decides it’s time to take her artistic talents to the next level. 

 Enter the Leviathan–Levi, for short. He’s bigger and better than anything Drew has ever created before. He’s a monster, but a friendly one. That is, until Levi begins to wreak havoc on Drew’s other doodles–and on the heroes her classmates have dreamt up.
Levi won’t be easily tamed, and it seems there is a link between the monster’s bad behavior and Drew’s feelings. With the help of her loyal art club friends, will she be able to save Doodleville–and Levi–before it’s too late?

#tbt: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Image: Penguin Random House

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. 192 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, August, 2000. 9780679886372. (Own.)

#tbt features Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Thanks to Zoe for the idea. Stargirl is the story of how "normal" Leo is captivated by Stargirl from the moment of her arrival at Mica High School, where her unique attire and penchant for singing "Happy Birthday" while strumming her ukulele in the cafeteria make her the object of scorn. Gradually, her unconventional style and sincerity wins over the students, though it is short-lived and kind of heartbreaking. Stargirl was published in 2000, so it'll be celebrating its 20th anniversary later this summer! Love, Stargirl, a sequel was published in 2007. Just this month, the movie adaptation started airing on Disney+. Here's a link to the trailer and below is the movie tie-in cover.

Image: Penguin Random House

Teen Tuesday: The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

Image: Penguin Random House

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman. The Book of Dust, book 2. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~20 hours. Read by Michael Sheen. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, October, 2019. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

The last Teen Tuesday of the year/ decade features The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman, book #2 in the Book of Dust trilogy. Book one, La Belle Sauvage, told the story of Lyra as an infant. The Secret Commonwealth takes place about seven years after events depicted in The Subtle Knife. (The final book of the His Dark Materials trilogy.) 

Lyra is now a college student, and a rather arrogant one at that. She has come under the thrall of rationalists. She an her daemon, Pantalaimon aren't getting along. Pan believes she has lost her imagination. He witnesses a murder and discovers that this man and his daemon can separate when his daemon asks for Pan's help. The dying man entrusts Pan with a wallet that contains a key to a locker that contains a rucksack. Little do Lyra and Pan know that the secrets hidden in the rucksack have something to do with them as well as the location of a rare rose, one which the Magisterium is eager to locate. 

High fantasy at its very best, this sweeping saga will enthrall older fans of His Dark Materials as Lyra's story continues into adulthood.