Middle Grade Monday: Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Parachute Kids: a Graphic Novel by Betty C. Tang. 288 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc. April, 2023. 9781338832693. (Review of finished, purchased copy.)

Happy Monday! We finally had a weekend without rain here in northern NJ! Saturday was mostly cloudy, but thankfully windless and mild. I spent most of the day raking and blowing leaves. I almost finished them all, but darkness fell and I had no energy left. I took a nice hot bath, but was still so sore on Sunday, I couldn't finish the little bit I had left. Oh well. I did take a nice long walk in the woods with Boo though.

Middle Grade Monday features Parachute Kids: a Graphic Novel by Betty C. Tang. Ten-year-old Feng-Li Lin is excited about her family's trip to California. She can't wait to visit Disney Land. She and her siblings are unhappily surprised when they hear that only their father will be returning to China. Mrs. Lin will remain behind with the children, who will attend public school, learn English and have better opportunities. Then Mrs. Lin application for a Visa extention is denied. She leaves Feng-Li's sixteen-year-old sister, Jia-Xi, who speaks some English, in charge and returns home to China. You can probably imagine how hard it is to move household internationally, but can you imagine doing so without your parents? This graphic novel is based upon the author's experience as a "parachute kid" in the 1980s. An author's note defines parachute kid, a situation is when parents send their children to another country to live with either relatives or family friends.

The art is bright and energetic and keeps the reader engaged. The themes of fitting in and identity are relatable, even if this aspect of the immigrant experience might be unfamiliar. I had never heard the term before and found the entire situation very scary, as so much can go wrong even when the country and language are familiar! 

Parachute Kids: a Graphic Novel should have wide appeal and is recommended for all collections. Happy reading!

Fact Friday: Change the Game: a Graphic Novel by Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing.

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Change the Game: a Graphic Novel by Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing. Illustrated by Orlando Caicedo. 144p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., March, 2023. 9781338789652. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy penultimate Friday of the school year! Can you tell that penultimate is one of my favorite words? Fact Friday features Change the Game: a Graphic Novel by Colin Kaepernick. Young Colin was a multi-sport student athlete at his high school. Adopted by white parents, and attending a predominantly white school, Colin experienced casual racism daily. He was being scouted by colleges to play baseball thanks to his fastball, but he has doubts about playing baseball. No colleges expressed an interest in having him play football. 

This graphic novel conveys Colin Kaepernick's gradual coming of age thoughtfully, interspersing some excellent sports sequences. I'm not sure how many middle school students are aware of Mr. Kaepernick* or his social justice activism, but fans of football and baseball as well as graphic novel memoirs will enjoy this thoughtful entry.

*The Monday after Mr. Kaepernick first took a knee, I was standing behind an eighth grader who liked to stir the waters. He took a knee during the pledge, then looked around and saw me. He stood up immediately. I called him aside and told him that if he was taking a knee on principle and in support, I had no problem, but if he was looking to get a rise out of his classmates and teachers, he should rethink it. 

Picture Book Review: Pink is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward

Image: Author's Website

Pink is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward. unpgd. Two Lions, July, 2022. 9781542026864. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Adorable little Pink is perfectly pleased with the predominance of her favorite color in her abode. She sports pink boots and a pink unicorn headband. She paints pictures of her pet, Phil, the flamingo in her room. All is well until she finds her friends the primaries decorating for a rainbow party and realizes that she's not included. The secondaries are included, but she's not part of the rainbow and the party is a rainbow extravaganza! Wait! Could this mean Pink is NOT a color? All the other colors rush to make amends, but the damage is done. Pink is in a full-on mid-color crisis. 

The very best picture books entertain while they subtly teach. This book pairs wonderfully with This Book is Gray to introduce color theory to just about any age group. There's energy in the illustrations as well as plenty of visual humor leading to many happy requests for rereading. Additionally, the lessons here are also social emotional. Young readers who are not feeling self-confident can relate and confident young readers have the opportunity to empathize. 

The end pages are decorated and contain great information. Unfortunately, part of each is covered by the flaps, which isn't a problem for home libraries. Minor niggle. I still love decorated end pages. Pink is Not a Color is a joyful addition to any library. 

Teen Tuesday: Huda F are You? by Huda Fahmy

Image: Penguin Random House

Huda F are You? by Huda Fahmy. 188 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Young Readers Group, November, 2021. 9780593324301. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Tuesday! It's still winter here in NJ, a brisk 24 degrees when I took the hounds out for their morning trot at 5AM. The title of our Teen Tuesday feature sure is attention-grabbing, so hang on to your hat! 

Teen Tuesday features Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy. Did you see what the author did there? The main character in this fictionalized graphic novel memoir is Huda Fahmy, Huda F. is an Egyptian-American. She is also a hijab-wearing Muslim who has recently moved from a town in Michigan, wear she was the only hijabi, to Dearborn, where she is one of so many, that there are hijabi cliques, like the athletes, gamers and fashionistas. As the second of five daughters, she knows exactly who she is in her family, the smart one, but in her new high school? Not so much, so she experiments with personas with often humorous but embarrassing results. Sadly, Huda still deals with micro-aggressions and outright hostility, especially from her English teacher, who thinly hides her racism.

The art is simple and clean with lots of white space and easy to follow panels. Readers are sure to root for Huda F. as she finds herself. I'd love to read a sequel.

Middle Grade Monday: Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Kelcie Murphy and the Academy of Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis. 336 p. Starscape/Tom Doherty Associates/ Macmillan Publishers, March 1, 2022. 9781250208262. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publicist.)

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Winter has returned! I had hoped to get some serious garden clean up done over the weekend, but it was intermittently rainy, very windy and raw. I ended up doing lots of indoor chores, which was just as productive, but not what I hoped.

Middle Grade Monday wishes a belated book birthday to Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis. Kelcie Murphy is trying to stay below the radar. She's on a bus to a field trip to a museum in Boston. She's new to this school having changed foster homes yet again. Her caseworker is losing patience with her as well. 

Eight years earlier, she was saved from drowning in Boston Harbor, presumed to be an orphan and has been bouncing around in the foster care system ever since. Now twelve, she's used to the petty cruelty of her classmates at each new school, she's even used to being accused of something she didn't do, so when she's accused of theft at the museum and a policewoman wants to question her, she's not surprised. She is though, when instead of leaving the museum, she is taken by the cop and her caseworker into a subbasement of the museum and they both turn into winged fairy creatures with a mission-to test Kelcie to see if she is the heir. Heir to what? 

She's sucked into a portal through a tree, seemingly led there by the charm on her necklace. She ends up in the Land of Summer, where the inhabitants are at war with the Land of Winter and young people are flocking to audition for entrance into the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts to train to become warriors under the leadership of the legendary Celtic warrior, Scáthach.

The action is nearly non-stop in this series beginner. Kelcie is fearless, but doubtful. She also doesn't know who to trust. She fears she is different, but wants desperately to fit in. Readers who enjoy fantasy like Harry Potter or The Iron Trials will love this. 

The back matter is comprised of a glossary of names and terms in Celtic mythology, which I found helpful. I discovered after reading with my eyes that there is an audiobook available. I might reread it with my ears to hear the correct pronunciations of the Celtic names! If you have readers in your life who can't get enough fantasy, this is the book for you. I already have a waiting list for it since posting it to my Daily Book Talk on our school's learning platform.

ABOUT ERIKA LEWIS: Erika Lewis grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, spent summers with her grandparents in Worcester, Massachusetts, and currently lives in Los Angeles, California. With a passion for storytelling set in magical places, she spends as much time as she can traveling. When she’s not writing, she can generally be found scribbling notes in a blank book while wondering through abandoned buildings, all kinds of museums, and graveyards. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, her list of credits straddles the comics and novel space, including Game of Shadows from Macmillan’s Tor Books, Firebrand and Acursian from Legendary Comics, #Guardian from Awesome Media & Entertainment, and The 49th Key from Heavy Metal Publishing. The Color of Dragons (HarperCollins), her debut novel for young adults, publishes Fall 2021.

Visit her website at https://erikalewis.com/

Twitter: @ErikaElyLewis

Facebook: @TheErikaLewis

Instagram: @erikaelylewis

TikTok: @erikalewisauthor

Goodreads: Erika Lewis | Goodreads

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Wave by Diana Farid. Illustrated by Kris Goto

Image: Cameron Kids

Wave by Diana Farid. Illustrated by Kris Goto. 315 p. Cameron Kids/ Abrams Books, March 29, 2022. 9781951836580. (Review of arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed the weekend and got outside as much as possible. Spring has sprung! The trees are budding and sleepy perennials are pushing their way up. Last week, my daffodils grew four inches overnight! I started my yard clean-up while waiting for son #1 to arrive with his wife and daughter. It was such a pleasure to visit with them, a nice distraction from anticipating Tuesday, which will be the first wedding anniversary I will "celebrate" alone. Grief sure does come in waves.

Middle Grade Monday features Wave by Diana Farid. It is 1987 in Southern California. The only plans Ava, a thirteen-year-old Persian-American has for the summer between eighth grade and high school are surfing, surfing and more surfing with her bestie, Phoenix. Her single-mother, who is a physician has signed Ava up as a volunteer in her hospital in the hopes that Ava will want to study medicine. Ava has no desire to work in health care and, it turns out, faints at the sight of blood. Still, dutiful daughter that she is, she goes and connects with a patient who asks her to read the Persian poet, Rumi to him.

Meanwhile, Phoenix's lymphoma has returned adding more turmoil to the anxiety roiling in Ava, who is also coping with OCD as well as missing the father she never really new and balancing two cultures, never truly fitting in either one.

This accessible verse novel is written in both blank and concrete poetry. Lovely black and white spot illustrations add to the mood. The verse rises and falls rhythmically, like waves as Ava's story unfolds. Persian words are woven into the poems with explanation and one even describes the labor of love that was creating a mix-tape, something contemporary teens in this age of streaming music and Spotify playlists may have trouble picturing.

The poems roll in like waves, some large, some small, some gently, some forceful enough to make the reader gasp. Wave is a quick, intense read that satisfies. If you love verse novels, surfing, or sad stories, Wave is the book for you. It releases on March 29 and would be an awesome addition to any library serving tweens and teens. 

Middle Grade Monday: A-Okay by Jarad Greene

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

A-Okay by Jarad Greene. 240 p. HarperAlley/ HarperCollins Publishers, November, 2021. 9780063032842. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Monday. We had some weather last night! Phew! I hope you are all warm, safe and dry! I have skylights in my bedroom and watching that fierce wind whip around a hundred-year-old American Beech tree in my yard was nerve-wracking.

Middle Grade Monday features A-Okay by Jarad Greene. When thirteen-year-old Jay starts eighth grade with a few pimples, he's not too concerned. He's more concerned over the fact that he has zero classes with any of his friends, including his bestie, Brace. His nemesis, Aaron still has it in for him as well. Then, the pimples multiply. Jay's parents take him to a dermatologist, but none of the medications he prescribes works, so Jay starts Accutane, a drug that has some serious side effects, but works on bad acne. So now Jay has to watch his diet, check for side effects while worrying about why Brace and his other friends are ghosting him. He does make two new friends, Mark and Amy, both of whom seem to show some romantic interest in Jay, but Jay just likes both of them as friends. Is there anything more he can worry about?

This graphic novel is based on the author/ illustrator's own experience with acne as an eighth grader. The art is bright, uncluttered and easy to follow. Flashbacks are purple-hued. Jay is likable and relatable, including his concern over not having crushes on any of his classmates.

Graphic novels are so popular in my library, especially GNs about friendship and crushes. A-Okay is a welcome addition to any graphic novel collection. This won't sit.

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Fat Angie Homecoming by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

Image: Candlewick Press

Fat Angie Homecoming by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo. 416 p. Candlewick Press, November 2, 2021. 9781536211771. (Review of arc courtesy of Candlewick Press.)

Happy Tuesday! Teen Tuesday features Fat Angie Homecoming by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo. Regular readers of The Daily Booktalk might recall that I featured this trilogy concluder in a "Waiting on Wednesday" post. Over my twenty-plus years as a school librarian and many more as reader, there is just a handful of characters that continue to reside in my heart long after I finish their story. Angie is one of them.

Angie has the misfortune of living with an awful emotionally abusive mother who never fails to fat-shame Angie or to remind her of her inadequacies. Her older sister always protected and supported her, but she is gone now-first by enlisting in the military, next by being deployed overseas and then by dying a war hero. In Fat Angie Homecoming, Angie is back at high school after the road trip she took in Fat Angie Rebel Girl Revolution. She's anxious about heading back to school and also planning to ask Jamboree to Homecoming. She has written out what she wants to say on index cards. All this is derailed by two things-the return of KC Romance and the revelation that a video of her singing in Columbus has gone viral.

Yes, you do need to read the books in order to appreciate Angie's growth and courage. Honestly, the book can stand alone, but why would you want to miss the first two? e.E. Charlton-Trujillo has assembled a memorable cast of characters around Angie, one where I felt like I was comfortably-not comfortably at a reunion. Angie faces some serious issues of grief, identity and bullying and many of the scenes are difficult to read, so the audience for the stories is best for readers grade eight and up. Mature teen readers looking for an intense, emotional read should meet Angie. This concluding volume was the perfect-not perfect ending to Angie's story. 

It was such an honor to visit with Angie again. I loved, loved, loved this conclusion to Angie's story and didn't want it to end, so I read the story slowly, savoring Angie's sweet awkwardness, her hopeful optimism and her journey to acceptance that she is an awesome person worthy of love. Highly recommended!

Middle Grade Monday: Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Image: Penguin Random House

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~ 4.5 hours. Narrated by Jax Jackson. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, April, 2021. 9780593346310. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Monday! How did everyone in the northeast fare with all that rain from Henri? It was the perfect day to read yesterday and it looks like today will be more of the same. I finished a fantastic YA debut fantasy yesterday and plan on finishing a debut contemporary YA today.

Middle Grade Monday features Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff. Mr. Lukoff's middle grade debut is difficult to classify. This first-person narrative is part ghost story and part coming-of-age story. It's pace is leisurely, thoughtful and very relatable. First off, Bug lives in a haunted house and the family is fine with that-well, Uncle Roderick is, but Bug's mother? She's skeptical. Bug totally buys in. Now, Bug thinks Uncle Roderick's ghost might be lingering after he died of cancer. Why? What's he trying to say?

Middle school is looming and Bug's bff, Moira, wants to try make-up and make-overs to make a fresh start. Bug avoids mirrors like the plague and isn't interested in make-up or boys. Obviously, this causes friendship friction. Moira has a lot of other friends, but Bug, not so much. What is it about Bug that makes it so hard to fit in?

I'm being purposefully vague here in an effort to preserve the surprises in this satisfying tale. I'm eager to hear what my students think when I add it to our collection. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Pumpkin by Julie Murphy

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~7 hours. Read by Chad Burros. HarperAudio/ Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins Publishers, May, 2021. 9780063088762. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Well, we made it! Happy last day of school! This has been quite the school year and I'm happy that it's over. Personally, I have a challenging summer ahead. I'm glad that I no longer have to juggle school along with the sudden changes that have befallen my family. I can devote all my attention and energy to it over the summer. 

Teen Tuesday features Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. This is the concluding volume to the trilogy that began with Dumplin' and continued with Puddin'. Clover City, Texas is too small to contain high school senior Waylon "Pumpkin" Brewer. He's tall, redheaded, fat and flamboyant. He has been out for a while, but that doesn't mean his life is easy. He can't wait until graduation and the time when he and his twin sister and best friend, Clementine, will move to Austen to attend community college. Then, he's convinced that he can be his true self. He has even planned his wardrobe.

On one fateful night, Waylon is dumped by his closeted hook-up and he discovers that Clementine not only applied to, but was accepted to the University of Georgia. Heartbroken, Waylon dons a wig, puts makeup on and videotapes himself singing as "Pumpkin (his grammy's nickname for him)," thinking he might audition for his favorite show, Fiercest of Them All. After the video is accidentally leaked, Waylon finds himself nominated for Prom Queen and Clem's girlfriend Hannah is nominated for Prom King. Instead of being humiliated, Hannah encourages Waylon to go through with it with her.

Waylon's voice in this first-person narrative is at turns hilarious and heartbreaking, but always utterly honest and charming. Characters from the earlier novels make appearances and become involved in Waylon's journey in large and small ways. Even though this novel can stand alone, reading all three will be a treat. New-to-me narrator, Chad Burros, turned in a delightful performance, imbuing Waylon with energy, determination and longing. I just loved this. 

Fact Friday: Almost American Girl: an illustrated memoir by Robin Ha

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Almost American Girl: an illustrated memoir by Robin Ha. 240 p. Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins Publishers, January, 2020. 9780062685094. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features Almost American Girl: an illustrated memoir by Robin Ha. This graphic novel memoir movingly depicts the author's experience from the time her single-mother took fourteen-year-old Chuna to America for "vacation" in the middle of the school year to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama through college. She liked her host family well enough but when Chuna's mom announced that she was getting married and Chuna would begin school, she's devastated. She speaks almost no English. While her now step-family is kind enough, the eldest daughter, who is supposed to be helping Chuna at school, isn't. Her bond with her mom is still strong despite the upheaval and her mom reminds Chuna how much she loves to draw. She enrolls her in a cartooning class, where Chuna finds friendship at class and solace in her art.

The palette of this graphic novel is mostly muted blues. Chuna's memories of her life in Korea and the different bullying she received there because of her mother's unmarried status, are depicted in browns. The art is enthralling. 

Though the abrupt changes in Chuna's life are crushing, Ms. Ha's memoir is not bitter. There are plenty of moments of hilarity mixed with the disruptions and tension. Fans of graphic novel memoirs will love this one.

November is Picture Book Month! Review: Julián at the Wedding by Jessica Love

Image: Candlewick Press

Julián at the Wedding by Jessica Love. unpgd. Candlewick Press, October, 2020. 9781536212389. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

It was so wonderful to visit with Julián again! Here, he dresses in a natty lavender outfit to be in a wedding along with Marisol. His abuela is there to celebrate the union of two women in a joyful outdoor ceremony. Marisol has to wear a flower crown instead of her beloved baseball cap. Afterward, Julián and Marisol disappear and she ruins her dress. Her cap is recovered and she gifts Julián with her crown. A friendship is cemented and a union is celebrated. What joy!

The pastel on brown paper art is luminous. Fans of the first book, Julián is a Mermaid will cheer and readers new to Julián and he abuela will be intrigued. More, please!

Teen Tuesday and Audio Book Review: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Image: Penguin Random House

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. Unabridged e-audiobook ~7.5 hours. Read by Michael Levi Harris. 9780525638667. (Review of e-audio downloaded/ borrowed from public library.)

Excepting for Waiting on Wednesday posts, which are all about book that are coming and #tbt posts, which are all about books ten years or older that should not be forgotten, the remaining posts are mainly inspired by what I have recently read. Teen Tuesday usually features books for seventh and eighth grade readers that have slightly more mature content. The majority of my reading is of books that anyone can read. The last two YA books I read this summer, while quite entertaining, are a bit too mature for middle school and more appropriate for high school readers. So I reached back to 2018 in my reading archives to find one I loved, but curiously did not feature on Teen Tuesday.

Teen Tuesday features Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. Darius Kellner is a very depressed high school student who is obsessed with artisanal tea, all things Star Trek and Tolkien. He's overweight, not athletic and bullied at school. He also feels like he doesn't fit in at home. He calls himself a "fractional Persian" from his mom's side and thinks his "ubermensch" white father hates him. The family travels to Iran to visit his grandparents. Babou is terminally ill. Darius worries about his grandfather's judgment of him. He's worried because he doesn't speak enough Farsi. He's worried that Babou will think him weak because he takes medication for his depression. But Iran is a wonder to Darius. He finds himself accepted. He loves the culture and the food. He even makes a friend in Sohrab, who calls him Darioush, the Persian variation of his name. 

I often use the phrase, "heartbreaking and hilarious" in my posts. Though depression is a disease with serious consequences, there is an unfair stigma associated with it. In this heartbreaking and hilarious first-person narrative, Darius paints an intimate portrait of pain, of needing to belong and of learning to love oneself. Darius became a character of my heart. I may find characters endearing and memorable; but very few take up residence in my heart. 

I was so happy to have read this with my ears. When words and phrases in foreign languages are part of the narrative, I either skip over them completely or stop the flow to mangle them phonetically. New-to-me narrator Michael Levi Harris did a lovely job of portraying Darius in all his uncertainty, but also brought the melodic Farsi to life, adding to my enjoyment. 

Darius the Great is Not Okay was Mr. Khorram's debut novel. It won the William C. Morris Debut Award; the Asian/ Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature; was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist and was named one of TIME magazine's 10 Best Young Adult and Children's Books of the Year. Tune in tomorrow for some news about Darius!

Graphic Novel Review: Gender Queer: a memoir by Maia Kobabe

Image: Lion Forge

Gender Queer: a memoir by Maia Kobabe. 240 p. Lion Forge, May, 2019. 9781549304002. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Maia never felt comfortable in her skin. Though born to an accepting and rather unconventional family, she could never verbalize her feelings of disconnection. Assigned female at birth, she never liked to dress in a gender conforming way. She liked the freedom of boy clothes, yet didn't necessarily want to be a boy. She had crushes on boys as well as girls but the thought of being intimate grossed her out. Was she asexual then? This raw, honest, humorous and occasionally explicit memoir stuns in the best possible way. For questioning teens, there is comfort in knowing they are not alone in their confusion. For allies, there is much to be learned in order to be a better ally. 

The panels are easy to follow and the art, muted and earthy, fits the narrative, which is spare and down-to-earth. This is an important addition to high school and public libraries. I am on the fence about adding it to my middle school collection. It is a tad explicit for the age group; but would be an excellent book for questioning or gender queer kids who need a safe place to explore and find themselves. I am leaning toward adding it. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson

Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~5 hours. Narrated by Katie Koster and Christian Barillas. Scholastic Audio, June, 2019. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

When I opened the hard cover of this epistolary novel, my heart sank a bit to find that it is told entirely in text messages. I don't love texting irl and my digital-immigrant eyes have trouble following long strings of text. Still, the premise intrigued. Luckily, I found it while browsing new e-audio additions in Libby. It was delivered to my phone after a brief hold. I found it quite entertaining. 

High school senior, Haley receives a text from a classmate in her AP history class regarding an upcoming assignment. He identifies himself as Martin Nathaniel Munroe II. The only problem is that there are two Martin Nathaniel Munroe IIs in her class and she hates one of them. Believing she is talking to the one she doesn't hate, Haley answers his question. He responds and the two begin to banter. Soon the bantering turns into full-fledged honest conversations as the two open up. Is it time to meet irl?

This was kind of fun. It was like eavesdropping. The challenge of the text format is that the only clues we have to these characters are what they say type to each other. There is no interior dialogue, no setting, and few extra characters weighing in to add dimension. All have is two smart teens getting to know each other in all its messy glory. 

Another challenge when texting or reading texts is the absence of emotional clues. Sure, we have emoticons, of which I am not fluent; but it can become tricky. The performance of these two new-to-me narrators helped with that. Haley was snarky and anxious and often hilarious. Martin was earnest. But then, perhaps the audio turned the book into a series of phone conversations? 

Either way, Technically, You Started It was an amusing experiment. I'm eager to book talk it when we return to school. I think my teens will love it. Not sure I'd jump into another text-only novel very soon, but interested in reading more from this debut author. 

Audiobook Review: Ask the Passengers by A. S. King

Image: Listening Library

Ask the Passengers by A. S. King. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~8 hours, 5 minutes. Read by Devon Sorvari. Listening Library, October, 2012. 9780449015124. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Confession time: This is my first A. S. King book. Gasp! Tut-tut! I am a bad librarian.

Over the years, I have read reviews/ heard about her titles and thought I would eventually get to them. But I work in a middle school and they seemed to be solidly high school. Then, she wrote a middle grade novel, which I dutifully bought and never got around to reading. (cringes) I was scrolling through the new titles that were added to Libby (our e-library app) a week or so ago and found Ask the Passengers.

I fell in love with Astrid immediately. She lives with a dysfunctional family (Ugh! That mother!) in a tiny, intolerant Pennsylvania town. She's a whip-smart high school senior who's wrestling with the great philosophers in her humanities class and she thinks she might be gay. Oh. And she's also keeping a big secret for her two best friends who happen to be the school's "It Couple." When things get to be a bit much, she retreats to a picnic table that she and her dad built, lies down and searches the skies for passing aircraft that she can send her love to. Passenger narratives are interspersed throughout Astrid's first-person narration and add an interesting perspective. 

Astrid is a winning narrator. She's smart and dryly hilarious. She's truly questioning her sexuality. She doesn't deny her attraction to Dee, her cute co-worker, but she's also resistant to labels and, truthfully, terrified of the rumor mill and her family's reaction if she does. New-to-me narrator* Devon Sorvari strikes the right balance of snark and sincerity. (*Oops, turns out, she's not. She read Dorothy Must Die.) 

There's a lot to absorb and ponder here. It's mature stuff with some a lot of profanity. It's typical of high school students and not gratuitous. That said, issues of identity are rendered intelligently and respectfully. Thoughtful high school students should be able to relate to this outstanding novel regardless of where they identify. Ask the Passengers floored me. I'm sorry it took so long to get to. I can't wait to read more of King's work.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

Image: Scholastic

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~13 hours. Read by Jayne Entwistle. Scholastic Audio, May, 2019. 9781338357677. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday TMS Readers! Don't let the rain get you down! Go out and sing in it, then dry off and curl up with a good book! Teen Tuesday features Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly. Author Donnelly begins at the end of the Cinderella tale and weaves a wholly original tale of identity and redemption. 

If the Disney version of Cinderella is the only one you are familiar with, then you're in for a bit of a shock. You see, Cinderella's stepmother had one stepdaughter cut off her heel in order to fit into the glass slipper that was left behind at the ball. When that didn't work, thanks to some tattletale birds living in the linden tree, she had the other stepsister, Isabelle, cut off her toes in order to fit the slipper. 

Isabelle doesn't want to. All her life, she has been told she doesn't fit in - she's too bold, she's too headstrong, her interests in horseback riding and fencing aren't feminine and she certainly has no interest in marrying the prince! Her heart belongs to someone else; someone who left her brokenhearted. 

We know that the stepsisters' ruse did not fool the prince and the archduke. What we don't know is what happened to the stepsisters after Cinderella's "happily ever after." Donnelly's fierce, feminist, wholly engrossing and original fairy tale is not for the faint of heart. It is, however, a must-read if you are a fan of fairy tale retellings, magic and fantasy and intricately plotted adventure. Isn't that cover gloriously gory?

Jayne Entwistle turns in an absolutely fabulous performance. Her vocal changes are subtle and consistent. The pace is careful, almost leisurely giving the listener time to savor the delicious writing and wry commentary. This is one I may reread with my eyes and underline (yes, underline) all the examples of terrific writing and plotting.

Middle Grade Monday: Operatic by Kyo Maclear

Image: House of Anansi

Operatic by Kyo Maclear. 160 p. Groundwood/ House of Anansi, April, 2019. 9781554989720. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher. Received at SLJ Day of Dialog)

Happy third Monday of summer vacay, TMS readers! Have you read anything great lately? Put some titles in the comments or send them in a Schoology message.

Middle Grade Monday features Operatic by Kyo Maclear. Eighth grader Charlotte, Charlie, Noguchi, one of only three Asians in her class, wants to fly under the radar and is a keen observer of the pecking order in her middle school. It is spring of her final year of middle school, the due date for her music project is looming and she hasn't yet picked a song that defines her. She's also worried about a missing classmate, Luka, a transfer student with a gorgeous voice who wears his hair long and has a unique fashion sense which made him a target. As this spare story flashes back to the fall and forward to spring, Charlie reflects on all the music history she learned and realizes that opera, specifically, Maria Callas, speaks to her most. This is an unusual choice for a contemporary eighth grader and Charlie needs to figure out if she wants to play it safe and stifle who she is or take a lesson from Luka and be true to herself despite the often cruel opinions of her peers. 

The art in this unusual graphic novel is just gorgeous with its swirling colors and dreamy panels. It's also beautifully designed. Graphic novel fans will learn a bit about music and music loving students will learn to love graphic novels with Operatic.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Unabridged downloadable audiobook, ~10 hours. Read by Robbie Daymond. Listening Library, 2017. 9781524734565. (Review of downloadable audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This first-person narrative features Sal, who finds himself in detention on the very first day of senior year when he decides to use his fists instead of his words to confront a bully. This fast and furious anger puzzles Sal who admits that his life has been pretty great. Though his mother died when he was three, her best friend, Vicente adopted him and Sal, while white, grew up surrounded by a loving Mexican American extended family. He ponders his birth father and begins to wonder if he inherited this new tendency toward violence from him. 

He's also lucky with friends, especially his best friend, Samantha. The two are thick as thieves and Vicente acts as a surrogate father to her because her relationship with her mostly absent mother is fraught. He also makes a new friend in Fito, a gay classmate who is working hard to both earn money and college acceptance. 

The writing is lovely in this character driven story. It's leisurely pace will require a patient teen reader but the reward is in the warmth of Sal's adoptive family and his friendships. The performance by Robbie Raymond is measured and introspective.

Teen Tuesday: Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Off Beat by Becky Albertalli. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~6 hours. Read by Shannon Purser. HarperAudio, May, 2018. 9780062822932. (Review of e-audio downloaded from public library. Own HC.)

Teen Tuesday features Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. Albertalli follows up on her Morris Award-winning debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo sapiens Agenda with this companion which takes the following school year. Leah Burke is Simon Spier's best friend. She is also drummer for a girl band called Emoji and doesn't like change. But change is coming as she and her friends await their college acceptance (or rejection) letters and plan for prom, or not. 

Leah has been keeping a secret from everyone but her mom. She was supportive of Simon when he came out, but didn't reveal her own bisexuality to him at what might have been the perfect time. 

Leah's blunt, salty, sarcastic style is refreshingly hilarious yet also provocative. While it has been some time since I read Simon, Leah didn't come off quite as edgy as she does here. She's headstrong and anxious, edgy and vulnerable, smart and protective and she's hyper-aware of the economic disparity between her friends and her. 

New-to-me narrator Shannon Purser plays Leah perfectly. I didn't want the story/ recording to end. Your teen fans of Simon vs. the Homo sapiens agenda will be so on board this this sequel but it can stand alone.