Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

Image: Candlewick Press

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~4 hours. Read by Cherry Jones. Listening Library, March, 2024. (Review of e-audio borrowed from the public library.)

Happy Monday. Middle Grade Monday features Ferris by Kate DiCamillo. The summer between fourth and fifth grades is an eventful one for Ferris. Her real name is Emma Phineas Wilkey, but she's called Ferris because she was born at the bottom of a ferris wheel. She lives in a small community, in a home with her parents, her beloved grandmother, her six-year-old sister, Pinky and Boomer her dog. Uncle Ted has recently left his wife and moved into the basement to paint the history of the world. She likes things predictable, but that summer there's a lot of change. In addition to Uncle Ted, Ferris receives an unfortunate perm from Ted's hairdresser wife, and her headstrong sister decides she wants to become an outlaw complete with a "Wanted" poster. Oh, and her grandmother is being visited by a ghost.

In typical DiCamillo fashion, each character in this slim novel springs to vivid life. She has a knack for capturing mundane moments and making them shine with beauty and possibility. This is a beautiful story of family bonds, best friendship, ghosts and raccoons. At turns heartfelt and hilarious, fans of Kate DiCamillo will feel right at home. The performance by Cherry Jones is pitch perfect. 

Here's  a link to a short video of Ms. DiCamillo discussing the book.

Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Riley's Ghost by John David Anderson

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Riley's Ghost by John David Anderson. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~8 hours. Read by Lillie Ricciardi. Walden Pond Press, January, 2022. 9780063219601.

Happy Monday! My Memorial Day weekend had a wild, wet and wooly start, but yesterday was absolutely gorgeous and I got a lot of yard work done, including mowing my lawn after my no-mow May. My neighbors are probably relieved. 

Middle Grade Monday featurs Riley's Ghost by John David Anderson. I am going to be a bit opaque with my description so as not to give too much away here. Riley is a bit of an outcast with a reputation and some serious impulse control issues. She refused to dissect a frog in her science class, so she's doing a VR dissection when the class alpha male plays a cruel prank on her. He gets in trouble, which makes the resident mean girl upset, so she and her posse, which includes Riley's former best friend, lock Riley in the science closet after school. Imagine being locked into a science closet surrounded by plastic bags filled with trays of dissected frogs. Imagine one of those frogs becoming animated. Imaging getting out of that closet only to find that you can't leave the school. Every door is locked. None of the phones work and neither does the fire alarm, which Riley decides to pull. And then the voices start...

Mr. Anderson is a student favorite at TMS. I haven't read all of his books, but have enjoyed what I've read. I didn't love this one. The pace was glacial and Riley was just so unsympathetic.

And, I was bugged by one glaring error in chapter 41 (I think). I was gardening while I listened, but it stopped me dead. Then, on Monday, I pulled my library copy from the shelf to double-check and, sure enough, I heard correctly. A full moon is described in the beginning of the chapter and later on, in the same chapter on the same night, it's suddenly a crescent moon. Sorry, but stuff like that just bugs me.

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.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Image: Penguin Random House

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass. Unabridged e-audio, ~8 hours. Read by Kevin R. Free and Michael Crouch. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio, July, 2021. 9780593411513. (Review of downloadable audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Happy Tuesday! It's pretty cold out there! The moon sure was pretty to watch though. Some strange critter or critters must have been in the neighborhood because the dogs were yanking me here and there to check out the scents. 

Teen Tuesday features The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass. Jake is a closeted junior at a mostly white private high school where his brother is the popular one and where he has to deal with micro-aggressions, overt racism and classism. He can't imagine how he'd be treated if he came out. He also can't imagine what would happen if people knew his other secret. He's a medium. He can see dead people-all around him, all the time. It's kind of hard to concentrate in math class when you can see ghosts stuck in their death loops. They're mostly harmless though. He's untrained and doesn't know how to control his power. Unfortunately, there's Sawyer, the sixteen-year-old who walked into his school the previous year and killed six people before killing himself. He's an angry ghost, opposite of harmless and out for revenge.

This dual-narrative switches between Jake's POV and Sawyer's journal entries. It's creepy and suspenseful and the horror is not limited to ghostly, but the real horror what real people can sometimes do to their fellow humans. If you're a mature teen who loves the horror genre, The Taking of Jake Livingston should be on your list of books to read.

Both narrators did a lot to bring this book to life. Kevin R. Free brought an earnest likability to Jake and Michael Crouch excels at portraying evil. 

Middle Grade Monday: Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega. 256 p. Scholastic, April, 2020. 9781338280128. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.

Happy Monday! There are just four Middle Grade Monday posts left in this school year! I've already added a sheet for summer through the next school year. 

Middle Grade Monday features Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega. Twelve-year-old Lucely Luna is not afraid of ghosts. Not only does her father run a ghost tour business, but she lives with them. Her extended family dwell in the willow tree in her backyard as fireflies or cocuyos. Sometimes they manifest in their human form. When the spirit of her grandmother dims, she and her best friend, Syd perform a spell to revive her. They accidentally unleash evil spirits, who threaten their town of St. Augustine, Florida.

This action-packed story is filled with humor, best friendship and suspense as our adorable tween ghostbusters try to kick some serious spirit butt. Ghost Squad is the author's debut and will appeal to middle grade readers who like horror that's just scary enough to thrill.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~13 hours, 48 minutes. Read by Avi Roque. Macmillan Audio, September, 2020. 9781250619129. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Sixteen-year-old Yadriel is a transgender boy who lives in a cemetery with his extended family of brujas and brujos. He is determined to become a brujo, even though his father does not acknowledge him as his son. He held a secret initiation ceremony with his best friend, Maritza. After his cousin is brutally murdered, the brujos set out to find his ghost in order to set him free. Yadriel hopes to find his cousin in order to prove himself to his father. Instead, he accidentally summons Julian, a bad-boy classmate who was also murdered around the same time. Julian has unfinished business and no idea who killed him. He teams up with Yadriel and Maritza to find out. 

This deeply nuanced and sparkling debut was such a surprise to me - suspenseful and laugh-out-loud funny as well as tear-inducing! I loved this book and highly recommend it to mature teen readers. The East LA Latinx community is vividly drawn. The magic is oh-so-believable. The characters are unique and memorable. I really did not want this story to end. I was happy to learn that the author might be working on a sequel of sorts. 

I must admit that I had to get used to the narrator's staccato delivery. I thought that I inadvertently upped the speed of audiobook. I soon got used to it. There's an absolutely adorable interview/ love fest between the narrator and the author at the end of the audiobook. 

The Cemetery Boys is a first-purchase for any collection serving teen readers. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

Image: Scholastic

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab. City of Ghosts series #2. 304 p. Scholastic Inc., September 3, 2019. 9781338111040.

Publisher synopsis: Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.

She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.

When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter — and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger. And if Cass fails, the force she's unleashed could haunt the city forever.

Phew! Luckily, I don't have long to wait for this release!

Middle Grade Monday: City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Image: Scholastic

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab. 290 p. Cassidy Blake series #1. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., August, 2018. 9781338111002. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab on this penultimate Monday of summer vacay. My fans of horror know that I'm am a scaredy cat when it comes to the genre. But this book is so consistently checked out and student after student have told me that I MUST read it, I put on my big-girl pants and finally got to it. Wowsers! So good!

Cassidy Blake's parents are famous writers and "ghost hunters." They are more interested in studying the history behind the stories and the people who believe than believers themselves though. They are totally unaware that their own daughter can "cross the veil" and that her best friend, Jacob is "corporeally challenged." Cass has had this ability since her near-drowning the previous year. Now, she and her parents are headed to Edinburgh to film a television show about their work and little do her parents know, there are ghost all around them in this 900 year old city.

This suspenseful page-turner teems with atmosphere and tension. Thank goodness there's a good bit of humor to relieve the suspense. Cassidy and Jacob charm as best buds. The Raven in Red terrifies. The setting is so vivid, I want to visit Edinburgh now. And, I can't wait for Cassidy's next adventure. Check in this Wednesday to find out more.

Teen Tuesday: A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3 CD. 12 hours, 4 minutes. Read by Hallie Ricardo. Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio, January 2018. 978154368924. (Own)

In 17th century England, class lines are firmly entrenched but that does not stop the aristocracy from dalliances with the help. The bastard children of these trysts are usually discarded without a second thought, but in the case of the Fellmottes, if the bastard child possesses a certain gift, a family trait not as obvious as the Fellmotte cleft chin, then that child has value.

It is a time of civil unrest in England as Parliament and the king are at odds. The Fellmottes have allied with the king. It is in their best interests for him to stay in power. Makepeace knows she is a bastard child but has no idea who her father is. She has grown up among Puritans with her strict and secretive mother. When she shows signs of having what we learn to be the Fellmotte trait, her mother takes to locking her in a graveyard at night to "toughen her up." Her birth father is a mystery to her until her mother is killed during a riot and an agent from the Fellmotte family comes to claim her when her aunt no longer wants responsibility for her.

First she is imprisoned in a third story room and subjected to inhumane "treatment" for her ills. Then, she's made to work in the kitchen where she forms bonds with the dogs and her half-brother James. James and Symmond, the eventual heir of the estate are close but Symmond harbors a secret. 

While I am not quite satisfied with my synopsis of A Skinful of Shadows, it'll have to do. Hardinge creates such complex, nuanced, unpredictable, original plots that they are difficult to wrap up in a tidy little summary. I don't have too many readers sophisticated enough for her books in my library but I am so glad to have them for that special middle school reader.

The sights, sounds and smells of 17th century England come alive in Hardinge's hands. The writing is lovely; the large cast of characters are intriguing and the suspense builds slowly.

I will admit to some bemusement over a narrator using an American accent to narrate a British novel that takes place in England. New-to-me narrator Haillie Ricardo has an arsenal of voices and accents from Scottish to lower and upper class British accents to depict the many characters and make them stand out.

Teen Tuesday: Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray. The Diviners book 3. Unabridged audiobook on seventeen compact discs. 21 hours and 21 minutes. Read by January LaVoy. PenguinRandom House, October, 2017. 9780449808832. (Reviewed from finished recording borrowed from public library. Print copy purchased.)

This Teen Tuesday is not for the faint of heart or the average middle school reader. Additionally, don't read Before the Devil Breaks You without reading the first two books of The Diviners series, The Diviners and Lair of Dreams. This paranormal horror story is set in New York City during the Roaring 20s. Evil has been unleashed on the world and the ghosts are restless. They are being amassed by The King of Crows, aka The Man in the Stovepipe Hat, and it's up to The Diviners to get to the bottom of the mystery of who was responsible for releasing the king. Spectral menaces are not the only danger for the crew. The Shadow Men are also after them. As the Diviners move closer to uncovering the meaning of The Buffalo Project, their lives are at risk. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers panting for the next installment.

I adore this series. I read The Diviners as an arc with my eyes and reread it with my ears when the book released. I was positutely tickled by January LaVoy's performance. She really brought an already amazing story to yet another level of brilliance. I made a conscious decision to read Lair of Dreams with my ears. Again, the range of LaVoy's voices and her consistent excellence in keeping track of all those distinct voices is just astonishing. Before the Devil Breaks You hits the ground running. New characters are introduced. The suspense ratchets up. Surprises are unfolded. All-in-all, quite magnificent and chilling.

Audiobook Review: Yellow by Megan Jacobson

Yellow by Megan Jacobson. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3 CD. 7 hours, 6 minutes. Read by Marny Kennedy. Audible Studios on Brilliance, July, 2016. 9781522642121. (Review from purchased audiobook)

Wow! It has been forever since I reviewed an audiobook! I've been reading with my ears quite a lot lately - 25 so far for 2017. I cannot recall how this one came on my radar. Perhaps it was via a starred review of the audiobook in SLJ. It wasn't available through my library cooperative, nor as a book. Since the audio was inexpensive online, I bought it.

I really wish the book was available in the U.S. I may have to send to Australia for it because the writing was often stunning. Since I listened in my car, note taking was not an option. I often gasped at all the lovely bits of imagery and unique metaphors. Quite an impressive debut! I would love to reread this with my eyes and a highlighter! I'd also love to read her next book! (Visit the author's website for a sneak peek of the cover!)

Okay, this review is a bit topsy-turvy. Usually I start out with a synopsis. What is it about? Fourteen-year-old Kirra is in crisis mode. She lives in public housing on the poor side of an Australian beach town with an alcoholic mother and a recently departed surfer-dude dad. This departure has escalated her mother's drinking and Kirra is tired of being the parent. She's devastated but not really surprised when her dad, Lark turns down her request to live with him. He lives with a new girlfriend who clearly calls the shots and, with a new baby on the way, insists there's no room for Kirra. She's bright but tries to keep her smarts under the radar so as not to draw attention to herself. She is routinely berated by her frenemies and is on the outs with them as the novel opens. She's tiny and quiet and absolutely hates her eyes, which are huge and yellow. In fact, her father's nickname for her is, Yellow.

As books that portray bullying go, this one is very good, excellent even. But there are tons and tons of good books about bullying out there. What sets this one apart? The ghost. Kirra answers a ringing pay phone (the story takes place in the 1990s) to find herself talking to a ghost named Boogie. He's lonely and wants her help in bringing his killer to justice. He tells Kirra that he was just fourteen when he was murdered and promises to help her if she helps him. When he reveals who his killer is, Kirra is truly scared but she agrees to try to help Boogie, especially if he can help with her popularity and getting her parents back together. The paranormal aspect lent an interesting twist and suspense was high throughout.

The Australian coastal setting was vividly drawn as well as the characters who peopled Kirra's community. It was small and stifling and folks tended not to move out.

Marny Kennedy's narration was pitch perfect. Her pacing, her voice, that gorgeous Australian accent all made for a riveting read. I will confess that I was let down a bit by the ending. It felt a bit rushed and too happy - not that I wasn't rooting for Kirra. And, while the portrayal of her mother's alcoholism was incredibly spot on, Kirra's, hm-m, (how to be non-spoilery?) solution was not. Still, the book is well worth a look. Kirra is a memorable character you won't soon forget.

Blog Tour: Ghostlight by Sonia Gensler

Horror and suspense stories and me do not mix. They are just not the type of books I gravitate toward. In fact, I force myself to read them. They make me antsy. If they are not done well, I become impatient. When they are, I have to either read the book in one sitting (like yanking off a bandaid) or put the book away and pace the willies off. I have students who love them and are frequently in asking for suggestions; so I read them. 

Review spoiler alert: Ghostlight is now my go-to book for middle school students seeking a scary read.

Ghostlight by Sonia Gensler. 247 p. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers/ Random House, August, 2015. 9780553522143. (Review from arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media)

Avery and her brother spend summers with their maternal grandmother in rural Georgia. There are several houses on the property, one of which is rented to a country singer and his son, Julian, a budding film maker. The other is Hilliard House, a decrepit old mansion that Avery is forbidden to enter. When she was seven or eight, she disappeared one day and her grandmother found her asleep in the house. The shock of the beating she received has kept her away.

But, with a boring summer looming thanks to her brother's rejection of their game that involves an imaginary kingdom and the promise of friendship making a film with Julian, Avery reluctantly agrees to helping Julian get into the house to film a ghost story.

While atmospheric and properly creepy, this is so much more than a ghost story. Themes of changing relationships, friendship and family history are woven into a truly suspenseful ghost story. Quite a few folks in the neighborhood seem to be hiding secrets from Julian to Avery's grandmother to an elderly acquaintance and Avery aims to find out all she can about the house and its tragic inhabitants.

I recently booktalked this and there's a waiting list. I hadn't known about the great trailer when I did or I would've shown it. Click here to view it and click here to visit the author's web site. A first purchase for middle school and public library collections. I will have to check out Ms. Gensler's YA paranormal historical fiction soon.

The blog tour continues tomorrow at Word Spelunking. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour.

Mon, Sept 14	Cracking the Cover	http://www.crackingthecover.com/
Tues, Sept 15	Ms. Yingling Reads	http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/
Wed, Sept 16	Charlotte's Library	http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/
Thurs, Sept 17	The Book Smugglers	http://thebooksmugglers.com/
Fri, Sept 18	Unleashing Readers	http://www.unleashingreaders.com/
Mon, Sept 21	The Hiding Spot	http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com/
Tues, Sept 22	Proseandkahn	http://proseandkahn.blogspot.com/
Wed, Sept 23	Word Spelunking	http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/
Thurs, Sept 24	The Book Monsters	http://thebookmonsters.com/
Fri, Sept 25	GreenBeanTeenQueen	http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/
Mon, Sept 28	The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia	http://hauntedorchid.blogspot.com/
Tues, Sept 29	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Wed, Oct 1	Mother Daughter Book Club	http://motherdaughterbookclub.com/

Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

374 p. Disney/ Hyperion, September 17, 2013. 9781423164913. (Arc provided by publisher at ALA Annual.)

England has a Problem. For the past fifty years it has been inundated with ghosts. But not just ordinary ghosts, these are malevolent beings intent on doing harm. Since only certain psychic children below the age of 18 are even able to see these wraiths, the job of ghostbusting falls to them. Of course, they must be supervised by adults. Most of these supervisors were, at one time hunters. Some are losing their touch, such as Lucy's previous employer and the reason why she's in London seeking employment. The only outfit even remotely interested in Lucy's qualifications is Lockwood & Co., and that is because it is a two person operation run by one Anthony Lockwood and ably assisted by George Cubbins, the brains of the duo. There are no adults involved. This gives Lockwood certain freedom, but also draws the ire of the many companies in London as well as Scotland Yard.

I'm not going to say much more about the plot. It's best left to discover on one's own. The story is narrated by Lucy Carlyle, gifted but untrained, and prone to doubt. Anthony Lockwood, owner/ proprietor of Lockwood & Co. is charismatic and energetic and George Cubbins is never happier than when he is buried in research or tinkering with equipment. The worldbuilding is incredibly vivid. The humor dry. The horrors spine-tingling. My humble advice is to fasten your seat-belts and let Jonathan Stroud's rip-roaring yarn work its magic.

I loved the opening line so much that I featured it last week in a Friday Meme. I ripped right through the durn thing and was so entertained that I considered turning back to page one and starting all over again. But I think I will wait for the release of the audiobook and reread it with my ears.

This is a great book to give to those readers who want scary. Fans of the author's Bartimaeus books will not be disappointed. Really, a must purchase.



Author web site. 

Other blog reviews:
Fuse #8
Bookends