Review: Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Macy McMillan is accustomed to being a team of two: just her and her mom, but her team is growing by three people, and she isn't quite ready for that. Macy's mom is about to marry Alan who has twin daughters. The upcoming marriage means that Macy has to move into Alan's house, which means leaving her garden, her reading nook, and being in close proximity to her best friend.

In an effort to take Macy's mind off all these soon-to-be changes, Macy's mom encourages her to help their elderly neighbor, Iris, pack up her belongings before she moves into an assisted living facility. Even though Macy is very leery about helping out her neighbor, Iris ends up becoming a great friend who shares many life lessons with her.

Throughout this free verse novel, Macy learns the importance of discovering other people's stories. She realizes that there is always more to a person than what you see on the surface. Through Macy's experiences, readers will see the value in listening to the stories of their elders. As a child, I was always enthralled by my grandparents' life stories. I hate that none of their stories were ever written down for me to share with my children so they would be able to see how their story came to be.

Shari Green's verse is beautifully lyrical. This novel is perfect for readers who are going through life changes. It would be a great suggestion for kids who might be anxious about starting a new chapter in life, whether that be a new school or expanding family. Readers will find comfort in Macy's story by seeing that change can be good and "finding home is about following your story."

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Review: Where the Watermelons Grow

Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm so glad to see that authors aren't watering down difficult topics for the children reading their books. Mental illness has such a negative stigma in our country, and the only way to diminish that stigma is to have open, honest conversations about this topic with those who live with it every day. I'm sure many children who have a parent with mental illness may feel like the main character, Della; she believed she was responsible for her mother's schizophrenia because it became apparent after she was born. I'm guilty of feeling responsible for my son's autism, and I'm an educated adult, so certainly children are more likely to feel responsible for a parent's sickness that they absolutely have no control over.

This book is important for both children living with mental illness in their family and those who do not. For the latter group, this book will help them have a greater understanding of mental illness, but it will also help them empathize with peers who have the same struggles as Della. For children like Della, reading this book might help them realize there are plenty of adults who are willing to step in and love on them when their parents are unable.

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Review: Hey, Kiddo

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This graphic novel memoir is rough and not advised for young readers (high school appropriate unless the student will be upset by the profanity). I say that it's rough because the author is brutally honest about his upbringing. His mother was addicted to heroin. He didn’t know who his father was. He was raised by his grandparents who used lots of profanity around him and could be aggressive. But one thing saved him from becoming like his mother, and that was art.

His grandparents encouraged his artistic ability by paying for him to take art classes at the Worcester Art Museum. His art gave him an outlet to explore his ghosts rather than run from them. The detailed author’s note at the end was my favorite part. He recognizes that he became who he both in spite of and because of his mother. He learned from her mistakes; while she squandered her artistic talent, he was determined to make a career out of his. Despite a life full of turmoil, Krosoczka is a successful author & illustrator; his story will be inspirational to students being raised in similar homes. Recommended for mature students.

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Review: The Colors of the Rain

The Colors of the Rain by R.L. Toalson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This novel-in-verse from R. L. Toalson is a must read. Paulie's father was killed on a rainy evening, and ever since that day, his mom hasn't been the same. She's started drinking and is rarely home. Since his mother can longer take care of them, Paulie and his older sister, Charlie, go to live with their Aunt Bee who happens to be the principal of Paulie's new elementary school. It's 1972 in Houston, and the community is boiling with protests over school desegregation. At his new school, Paulie meets Mr. Langley, the art teacher. Mr. Langley is different than any other teacher Paulie has had before because he is black, but Paulie quickly feels a connection to him. Paulie also meets a black student named Greg who has a special connection to Mr. Langley as well. Unfortunately for Greg, he becomes the target of Paulie's repressed anger over losing his dad and his mom. Eventually, Paulie realizes that he and Greg are more alike than he could have ever imagined.

Aunt Bee has the nicest house Paulie and Charlie have ever seen; she cooks for them and provides for them in ways their mother never could. Paulie and Charlie are loving their new life until their mom throws a wrench in it. She wants them back. The children are faced with the dilemma of disappointing their aunt if they leave and disappointing their mom if they stay. There is an amazing surprise in the plot that unfolds near the end of the book. This twist will leave readers in tears (both happy and sad), and they will be rethinking all of Aunt Bee's prior actions.

Novels-in-verse are quickly becoming one of my favorite genres. They are such quick reads and beautifully lyrical. This book is no exception. I snapped four or five pictures of lines that I didn't want to forget because they were too special to just keep reading. I love when an author writes such beautiful lines that I just want to savor them, and there were many lines worth savoring in The Colors of the Rain

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Review: Echo's Sister

Echo's Sister by Paul Mosier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

El has high expectations for her seventh-grade-year; she transferred to a private school for the arts, and by the end of her first day there, she thinks it will be her best year ever. When her dad shows up at the school to walk her home, she knows something is terribly wrong. El's dad breaks the terrible news: her little sister, Echo, has a cancerous tumor in her mouth. Echo's cancer suddenly defines El's family. In El's mind, people only see her as the older sister of the girl with cancer. It seems that everything is about Echo. No more tennis for El. No more being honest with her best friend. Possibly no more private school. Just when El is beginning to lose hope, her friends, both new and old, come together to show her they are supporting Echo and El's family every step of the way.

I'm not going to lie; this book is sad. Reading about a kid with cancer is always difficult, but I was surprised by which narrative brought the most tears to my eyes. El thinks that her classmate Sydney despises her, so in turn, El doesn't like Sydney. When Sydney reads aloud an English assignment to her class, El realizes that Sydney is nothing like she thought she was. This honest and emotionally-vulnerable scene gutted me. For those of you who are old enough to have seen the movie, 10 Things I Hate about You, remember how gut-wrenching it was when Julia Styles' character read aloud a poem about Heath Ledger's character? Yeah, it's a lot like that.

If you have a student who asks for a book that will make them cry (because kids ask me that all the time), suggest Echo's Sister by Paul Mosier.

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Review: Love Like Sky

Love Like Sky by Leslie C. Youngblood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

G-baby (aka Georgie or Georgianna) is desperate for her older stepsister, Tangie, to like her. Unfortunately, Tangie doesn't seem to have any interest in developing a relationship with G-baby or her younger sister Peaches. To make life more complicated, G-baby isn't a huge fan of her dad's new wife, Millicent (aka Millipede). On top of all her family struggles, G-baby and her best friend, Nikki, seem to do nothing but fight. G-baby's life really turns upside down when six-year-old Peaches ends up in ICU extremely ill. Suddenly, all she cares about is Peaches getting better and coming home. Seeing G-baby so upset helps Tangie realize how important family is, blended or not, and she begins to act like the big sister G-baby had longed for her to be.

I'm extremely lucky because my parents have been married for 41 years. Both sets of my grandparents were together until death parted them. My in-laws have been married for 45 years + or -(not sure on the exact number). I have no immediate personal experience with divorce, so I could not relate to the complications of a blended family. However, plenty of students and teachers alike will understand exactly how G-baby feels. I did connect to Peaches' situation. My cousin English contracted Meningitis when she was 10 (I was 25); I vividly remember the phone call from my mom telling me she was in the hospital, and it was unclear if she would survive. At the time, I didn't understand the severity of Meningitis, and I felt like my family was overreacting. I feel awful now because I realize how scared my aunt and uncle must have been. My aunt still posts how grateful she is for English's doctors every year on the anniversary of her getting sick. Any reader with a relative who has experienced a severe illness will relate to G-baby's pain and worry for her little sister.

I loved Leslie C. Youngblood's vivid language. Her description of love is pure perfection. She compares a parent's love for a child to the sky. The sky never runs out, just like a parent's love never runs out. Any good parent will totally agree with her on that.

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Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling ☆☆☆☆☆

All last year, Mrs. Montjoy (an ELA teacher at my school & #bookvoyage member) raved about Dusti Bowling's debut novel, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus. Many of her students raved about it as well. Unfortunately, our school library didn't own a copy (no budget 😢) until Mrs. Montjoy donated one of her copies. So I'm a little late to the party since I just got around to reading it, but oh my, was it good!

Aven's family has just moved to Arizona, so she is starting at a brand-new-to-her middle school. While this situation would be difficult for anyone, it's even more difficult for Aven because she was born without arms. At her old school, everyone knew about Aven's condition, so it was no big deal. They were used to her doing everything with her feet, even eating; now, she feels like a "freak" because everyone at her new school is staring at her, and no one will talk to her. 

When she hears a boy (Connor) barking at her in the school library, she bravely confronts him and asks about his rude behavior. What Aven perceived as bullying was actually just a Tourette's tic. Aven and Connor become fast friends because they both feel like outcasts at their school. Throw in a little mystery involving Aven's new home, a western-themed park, and an old picture of a girl who looks just like Aven, and you've got one fantastic book.

I love books with short chapters because you feel like you are flying through them. At 262 pages, this book isn't exactly short, but it is such a fast read due to the quick chapters. I think students will really appreciate that aspect. Bowling's debut would be a welcome addition to any library as it teaches so many wonderful lessons about empathy and embracing those with differing abilities. As the mom of an autistic son, I really appreciate reading novels that point out all the positives and unique abilities of those who are not necessarily typical.

2 books . 1 post

Last week, I read two short books but neglected posting about them, so here we go.

Book 1: Positively Izzy by Terri Libenson ★★★★

Positively Izzy is a graphic novel (GN) about the ups and downs of middle school. This GN is told through alternating perspectives. The chapters alternate between Izzy and Bri: two very different girls. Izzy loves nothing more than being creative and acting. It's pretty much all she thinks about, which means her school work suffers tremendously. When Izzy's mom grounds her for not completing a take-home test, it means that she will not be able to perform in the school talent show. There is no way that Izzy can let that happen.

Bri is known as "the brain," a nickname she'd rather not have but definitely lives up to. While Izzy is busy preparing her one-woman skit for the school talent show, Bri is trying to avoid it at all costs. Unfortunately, Bri's mom is the school's beloved drama teacher. When a member of a two-person skit can't perform, Bri's mom begs her to fill in. Will Bri be able to break out of her shell so that show can go on?

I love that graphic novels can cover difficult, important topics in a really light-hearted format. Colorful pictures and minimal text is much less intimidating than hugely thick chapters. That being said, this graphic novel didn't tackle any major life lessons. It certainly shows readers that everyone is different, and we need to embrace our differences. It also teaches us that trying new things can be scary but worthwhile. Because I didn't feel deeply moved by the plot, I gave it 4 stars. However, I think this book is a fun read that can engage reluctant readers.

Fair warning: this book includes a huge plot twist at the end. I promise that you'll be rethinking everything you read once you finish the last chapter but in a good way.

Book 2: A Good Day for Climbing Trees by Jaco Jacobs ★★★★

A Good Day for Climbing Trees is a super short novel that takes place in South Africa. It was originally written in Afrikaans and translated to English. Therefore, there a few words that were unfamiliar for me (South African foods, drinks, etc); strange words aren't a problem for me because I can read right over them, but younger readers may struggle to get over that hump. I wasn't really sure that I was going to like this book; I honestly didn't even want to read it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The Plot

Marnus is the middle child in a family of three boys. His older brother is good looking, athletic, and spends his time giving kissing lessons to local girls. His younger brother is extremely smart and has an excellent business sense (he is making money off all of those kissing lessons happening in his backyard). Marnus is spending his Christmas break doing all his little brother's chores because he needed to borrow money from him. He is really sick of opening the door for all the "kissing lesson" girls; when Lelia shows up  at his door, she has a very different question for him. She asks Marnus to sign her petition to save the "tree at the center of the universe," which is about to be cut down by the town. Marnus agrees to check out the tree with her. When Leila climbs the tree and says she won't come down until the town agrees not to remove it, Marnus decides to join her cause and climbs into the tree as well. Their simple protest garners lots of attention. Marnus is overjoyed that their protest seems to be working but can't understand why Leila still seems unhappy. She is still waiting for the attention of someone else, but who?

This is a sweet story about the importance of finally being seen, whether that is by the entire town or simply one's family.

Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am a huge fan of The Someday Suitcase by Corey Ann Haydu, so I was thrilled that she shared an ARC of her newest book, Eventown, with #BookPosse. This middle-grade novel will publish in February 2019, so you will have to wait a while to get your hands on it, but I promise it will be worth the wait. 

We meet twin sisters, Elodee and Naomi, on their last day in their hometown of Juniper. Things have been difficult for their family for a while; something terrible happened, and now they are sad all the time. Their parents decide to move the family, and they pick a small, idyllic place called Eventown. Everything seems perfect in Eventown; the food Elodee cooks tastes better than it ever has before; her father's rosebush from Juniper flourishes; her mom is finally happy, and shy Naomie feels right at home. Unfortunately, Elodee is having more trouble assimilating. A visit to the Eventown Welcoming Center is guaranteed to help Elodee fit in with everyone else. Unfortunately, her visit is cut short, and after that day, things start to go a little haywire in Eventown. Elodee starts questioning Eventown's perfection. The beautiful library is full of books with blank pages. The delicious ice cream shop only has three different flavors. There is only one song in all of Eventown. How can a place be perfect when everything and everyone is the same? 

I must admit that I was a bit frustrated with this book when I was a 100 pages in and still had no idea what awful thing had happened to Elodee's family. We know that it was something sad that upended the family's lives, but we have no clue what happened to make them feel the need for a fresh start. I was desperate to know what trauma they were trying to escape, and I was getting angry that it seemed like I was never going to find out. I was just being too impatient because we finally learn about their tragic past in the most perfect way. This book would not have been as powerful if Haydu had chosen to reveal their loss at the beginning or even middle of the book. By waiting until the end of the book, we feel the family's loss even more. 

Haydu's newest novel shows readers that "love is messy," but that messy can be beautiful and necessary. Our emotions are not isolated; we can be happy and sad at the same time. Sometimes we need to revisit events from our past, even if they are sad, to appreciate what we have in the present. This novel presents valuable life lessons (the importance of remembering the past and appreciating differences) in a very accessible way for middle-grade students. Eventown is a must-add to classroom and school libraries.

Review: From You to Me

From You to Me by K.A. Holt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On the first day of eighth grade, Amelia's teacher mistakenly gives her a list of goals written by her deceased sister, Clara, in sixth grade. Since Clara didn't live long enough to complete the goals on her list, Amelia decides to achieve them for her. In her mind, checking off these boxes for Clara will help her not feel as lonely or sad. In her efforts to complete her sister's goals, she ends up pushing away her two closest friends, leaving her feeling even more alone. Ameila's journey is angst-ridden, but there are also moments of pure joy along the way.

I know K. A. Holt as an author of novels-in-verse, so I was surprised to see that this quick read is written in prose. Her writing feels very much like the language an eighth-grade girl might use; there are lots of OMGs and references to Beyonce and her lyrics. Middle school girls should feel right at home in this book.

I was fully expecting this book to be a tearjerker; it's hard for me to read about the loss of a loved one without bawling. Oddly enough, I didn't cry at all during this book. Perhaps it's because we never have a full on description of Clara's death. Her death is revealed in bits and pieces. We know she drowned at the lake; we know her death has scarred her family and closest friends, but that's about it. We never see Amelia and Clara's relationship because she is deceased when the book begins. I didn't feel as emotionally invested in Amelia because I never saw what she was like with her sister, so for me, this book was not draining like I expected it to be.

It's likely that many MG students haven't yet closely experienced the loss of a loved one.From You to Me will be a good introduction to this topic. It accurately depicts the suffering family members experience when they are left behind, but it does so without sending the reader into a terribly depressive state. I certainly think it is worth recommending to any student who has experienced the loss of a sibling or close family member. This book may prove to be very cathartic for someone who connects to Amelia's loss and loneliness.

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Review: The Benefits of Being an Octopus

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ann Braden's writing is captivating. There were so many beautiful lines that had me grabbing my phone so I could snap a picture of them. While I never lived in a situation as dire as Zoey's, I felt a connection to her because I remember thinking that all the other kids at my school were better than me because their families had more money. This thought plagued me from elementary school all the way through college. It's hard to add to a conversation when you think your opinion is insignificant.

Zoey has way more responsibility than anyone her age should ever have, and reading about her made my heart ache for all the students I have known who live just like her. I was so invested in her character that I felt my blood pressure rising when her mom chooses her boyfriend over Zoey.

I think this book should be in the hands of any child that lives in poverty so they can see that their voice is important and their opinions matter. One of Zoey's friends is villainized because he is quiet, wears camo, and likes to hunt with guns; I think that many boys who live in rural areas might connect with his character. One chapter includes a shooting in the school parking lot; while no one is injured, I think in today's society that students younger than 5th grade might be frightened by that aspect. This book certainly needs to be in every middle school library.

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