High School Pick: Here To Stay

Here To Stay
by Sara Farizan
Algonquin Young Readers
2018
204 pages
ISBN: 9781616208721

Shy teen Bijan Mijadi  loves basketball and plays on his school's JV squad. When he's called up to the varsity squad and sinks  with the winning basket, he's his school's new  hero. Students congratulate him and the coach even asks Bijan to join the varsity squad for the rest of the season. Not everyone is happy to see Bijan join the team. Some people want him to fail.

When a photo of Bijan is photoshopped  to make him look like a terrorist, the school administrator is outraged and vows to find the culprit and punish him or her. Some students rally  together to champion Bijan, but he just wants the incident to go away. Islamophobia and hate speech does not just "go away" his mother insists. She and other parents meet and pass out flyers to rally the community. Bijan is now poster boy for a movement he wants no part of. Can't he just play basketball and crush on cute girl Elle in peace?

Play by play announcers,real-life basketball announcers Kevin and Reggie (Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller),  provide narration for some of Bijan's inner thoughts and epic fails. Their tongue-in-cheek banter makes this novel special. Basketball terminology and the mention of game legends like Bill Laimbeer (legendary bad boy player fans loved to hate) make Here To Stay a smart addition to sports fiction. It's obvious that Farizan knows a thing or two about the sport.

This timely topic will resonate with readers of all backgrounds. Bijan is a character they'll fall in love with. Here To Stay will be on the top of all awards lists this season! Can you say TAYSHAS?

Highly, highly recommended grade 8-up. A MUST READ.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Lower Middle Grade Pick: If This Were a Story

If This Were a Story
by Beth Turley
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
2018
256 pages
ISBN: 9781534420618

This sweet and soaring debut by Beth Turley introduces readers to nine-year old Hannah. Hannah is in fifth grade. She wishes her parents would stop their fighting. When they fight, she turns to her stuffed elephant, Ambrose. One night, Ambrose comes to life and has a conversation with Hannah. He tells her that he'll always be there for her as long as she needs him.

Bullies at school are bothering Hannah. Someone even wrote a note and left it where she'd find it. It said: Nobody likes Hannah. Her teacher demands to see the note and warns the class they will be punished for their behavior. Hannah is sent to her counselor for a "talk." Hannah parents are called and they pull together to help Hannah  feel better. Hannah is happy to see her parents stop their fighting. 

Hannah's best friend Courtney seems to be distancing herself from Hannah. There is trouble on all fronts, so  Hannah puts her energy into  practicing for the spelling bee. An avid speller and lover of vocabulary words, Hannah is in her element when learning new words and using them. She daydreams frequently and is creative and imaginative. She imagines how scenes would turn out, "if this were a story," but then she counters by saying, "...but this is real life, so..." Ambrose the elephant  becomes her constant source of comfort as things spiral down. Hannah can't wait until she meets upper grade pen pal Ashley, but when she does, Ashley isn't as "cool" or fun as Hannah had envisioned. 

Readers will be surprised by the twist in the ending which will  lead to spirited classroom discussions about bullying and its effect on everyone involved.

Not to be missed for its timely topic and masterful storytelling, If This Were a Story is likely to earn many state awards. Can you say Texas Bluebonnet? You heard it here first.

Highly recommended grade 3-6.  Bullying.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

YA Pick: Heartless

Heartless
by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends
2017
449 pages
ISBN: 9781250044655

Heartless is a richly imagined, breathtakingly told story prequel of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. Evocative of Carroll's mad romp and "Wicked," Heartless delivers this story to this generation of readers. All the principal characters appear: the Cheshire Cat, Cath (who becomes the Queen of Hearts), the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit and with Meyer's deft ability to tell a tale, live again in this book.

Catherine  wants to open a bakery and sell the best tarts and pastries in all of Hearts, but her mother has other ideas. No high born woman should work in business. The king has his eye on Cath as a wife, but Cath meets and falls under the spell of Jest, a new court jester. There's magic and monsters in this kingdom and enough trouble to keep the young couple apart.

There is no happy ending in this book. We all know Cath turns into the Queen of Hearts, so we are prepared for her wicked behavior. It's interesting to see a villain as a young and innocent teen before life and love wreaks their heart and mind.

For fans of Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles, this is a must read. This is not simply a retelling of Alice in Wonderland; it's a prequel  which means Meyer can imagine anything for young Catherine.

Recommended grade 7-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library.

High School Pick: Fat Girl on a Plane

Fat Girl on a Plane
by Kelly DeVos
Harlequin Teen
2018
376 pages
ISBN: 9780373212538

Fat Girl on a Plane is an important book for teen readers tackling issues of self-esteem, body shaming, body image, self acceptance, overcoming obstacles, and rising to challenges. Cookie Von is an aspiring fashion designer with a keen eye and a knack for pattern, proportion, and color. She makes much of her own wardrobe and writes a fashion blog. Fat Cookie is forced to buy two seats on a plane and she vows that she's done being "the fat girl on a plane."

The story jumps back and forth from fat Cookie (in high school) to skinny Cookie in a fashion design program at ASU. Some readers may become disconnected with the way the story is told, but it's a strong story nonetheless.

Cookie has self-doubt and a good bit of self-loathing brought on by stares and comments from complete strangers and most biting of all: rude comments from her super-model mother. One lesson Cookie learns is that fat or skinny, things don't change that much. Sure, men give her approving looks. People take her designs more seriously, but designing for plus-size women isn't considered a real design business.

Through it all, Cookie sticks to her guns and creates plus-size fashionable pieces because she believes that fat people deserve fashion. A woman should not have to wear tents or caftans because she is bigger than runway models. Fashionable pieces can be created and worn by all sizes of women. Fat Girl on a Plane forces readers to view fashion from the eyes of women who have been under served and unrepresented by designers, publishers, fashion editors, models, and media. The plus-size market is a gold mine if someone like Cookie makes it their own. 

Once skinny, Cookie attracts a much older, more worldly boyfriend. This is where this YA novel veers off path. With profanity and sexual references, this book cannot be placed in a middle school library. Cookie is in her first year of college and if there were still a recognized genre as New Adult, that's where this title would be placed.


Recommended grades 9 and up. Profanity, sex.

Picture Book Pick: The Wall in the Middle of the Book

The Wall in the Middle of the Book
by Jon Agee
Illustrations by the author
Dial Books for Young Readers
2018
48 pages
ISBN: 9780525555452

Available October 2, 2018

A story that could only come from the imaginative mind of Jon Agee, The Wall in the Middle of the Book will entertain and captivate young readers. As a read aloud or bedtime story, parents and readers will want to encourage youngsters to see EVERYTHING happening on both sides of the wall at the same time. Children will point out what they see on both sides. The poor knight, however, cannot see over the wall and assumes the worst. 

The tiny knight is safe on his side of the wall; the left side of the book is safe he explains. The wall protects him from the right side where there is danger lurking. Wild animals: a rhino, a tiger and a gorilla are on the right. When a mouse appears, the larger animals run!

The knight climbs a ladder not at all worried about the rising waters at his feet. Several pages later,  the safe side, the left side, doesn't seem so safe after all. An ogre that eats people is on the right side. The knight is torn. What should he do?

Careful readers will spot clues on each page that tell more of the story. Children are apt to tell YOU the story of the knight and what he will do.

A MUST HAVE for every young reader. Buy this for your favorite toddler and toddler parents.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

@Cybils2018 Announces Judges!

The judges for @Cybilsawards @Cybils2018 were announced September 18 on the Cybils page.
You can see the lists here 

I am a 2018 Cybils YA Speculative Fiction Judge. The Cybils Awards recognize the best books in Children's and YA for the year. This year is the tenth anniversary of the Cybils Awards. Cybils judges are children's and YA bloggers who review books on their blogs and champion literacy in young readers. I am thrilled to represent this blog!

Series Pick: Nate Expectations

Nate Expectations
by Time Federle
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2018
256 pages
ISBN: 9781481404129

The third book in the Nate series does not disappoint. Nate Expectations finds Nate Foster in high school and living back in his small hometown in Pennsylvania. After his Broadway show closes, Nate goes home. He's able to get through each day with the help of his friend and sidekick Libby. This theater kid cannot go home and forget about theater. That would be like forgetting to breathe.

Nate takes over the production of Great Expectations for his drama department in true Nate style. Even though he misses his new boyfriend and he's "out" to his friends, he's still not "out" to his parents.

Lighthearted, funny, and heart-warming, the Nate series is a series of books for every reader--whether they are into musical theater or not. It doesn't matter their gender or their preferences, Nate is such a winning character, everyone will love him. Rarely does an author capture the voice of a middle grade boy. Even though in the this book Nate is in high school, the book is great for middle school readers and up.

Highly, highly recommended for readers of the earlier books, and if you haven't read the Nate series, what are you waiting for. This series is a MUST READ.

Grade 7-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.