Middle Grade Pick: On Snowden Mountain

On Snowden Mountain
by Jeri Watts
Candlewick Press
2019
193 pages
ISBN: 9780763697440

Twelve year old Ellen's father goes off to fight World War II, and her mother sinks into her deepest depression yet. Ellen has nowhere to turn except her distant Aunt Pearl. Pearl shows up, takes everything into her own hands and packs the family up to live in her small frame home at the base of the mountains in West Virginia.

Ellen is used to big city Baltimore and going to school with children her age. In the mountains, there's nothing but a one room schoolhouse, a gruff teacher, farm kids, mountain kids and a stinky skunk kid. There's nothing to do in the small village and Ellen isn't one to explore the mountain. Her mother is like a walking zombie, and Ellen fears she may end up with her mother's illness after she learns her grandmother also suffered depression.

Aunt Pearl's distance thaws out over time, and Ellen enjoys spending time with her and hearing about the past. Although her mother doesn't seem any better, Ellen gets a letter with news her father is coming home.

Issues of abuse, mental illness, poverty, depression, war and friendship are deftly handled by author Jeri Watts. Although the issues seem for a much older crowd this is a lower middle grade read that could easily be read by age eight and up.

Recommended grade 4 and up and for introspective readers who enjoy a "quiet" story.

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

Middle Grade Pick: Naked Mole Rate Saves the World

Naked Mole Rat Saves the Day
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Books for Young Readers
2019
304 pages
ISBN: 9781616207243

Available: October 15, 2019

Naked Mole Rat Saves the World is just what readers expect of a Karen Rivers' book: quirky, funny,  and heartbreaking. kit (spelled with a lower case "k" because she's so small) is dealing with more than just "normal" middle school problems. Her mother struggles with mental illness issues. Her mom used to be a famous singer, but now she's so anxious, she can't leave the house. In fact, she's  so anxious that kit is named after her mom's tattoo: k.i.t. which means "keep it together," and kit turns to this phrase throughout the book.

kit's best friend Clem was injured after a fall during the show "The Most Talented Family in America," and now she's shut herself off from kit and their friendship. While Clem deals with depression, kit tries to navigate alone.

Young readers will empathize with the friendship between Clem and kit and the loss kit feels as she wanders. Rivers' characters are believable and lovable. kit will remain with readers long after they close the book.

This is one read with tons of heart and will likely lead to spirited discussions in middle grade book clubs about anxiety, depression, friendship, mental illness in families and how to seek help. I received the ARC of this book which did not contain phone numbers for depression or mental health helplines. The finished book is likely to include toll-free numbers and how to seek help. It would be a plus to include questions for book clubs as well.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy great characters and value friendship and compassion. Recommended for any middle grade book club and whole class reads. Grade 5 and up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC 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.

Sure to Become a Classic Pick: Wolf Hollow

Wolf Hollow
by Lauren Wolk
Dutton Children's Books
2016
291 pages
ISBN" 9781101994825


Wolf Hollow is sure to become a classic of children's literature. It is the triumphant story of a rural childhood during World War II set in the hills and hollows of Pennsylvania's mountains. Annabelle lives on a farm where life is defined by the rising and setting of the sun and the passing of seasons. There are always chores to do before and after school: stock to be tended, stalls to be cleaned, food to be prepared, clothes to be washed. The list is never-ending, but Annabelle never complains. It is expected of children to help in the home and on the farm.

Life seems idyllic besides the work, but when Betty Glengarry moves in with her grandparents, she threatens Annabelle's quiet life. Betty has been shipped off to her grandparents in the country because she is "incorrigable." Annabelle thinks that Betty is just plain mean and evil.  Betty tells Annabelle to bring her something, or she will hurt Annabelle and her two younger brothers. Annabelle brings a penny, all that she has, and Betty laughs and hits her with a stick.

Annabelle decides she is not going to back down to Betty's threats after that. She does not want to tell her parents either. She decides that she will have to stand up to Betty. A silent witness who makes his home in the woods sees all. Toby, a silent loner who arrived after World War I, roams the hills around Annabelle's farm. She is not afraid of him. Toby is gentle and quiet. He just wants to be left alone. He leads a simple life, hunting what meat he can find, and Annabelle's mother makes sure to send a plate of food with Annabelle up the road where she will leave it for Toby to find. The next day the washed plate is always left right where Annabelle set it, and Annabelle knows that Toby got a decent meal.

As the taunting and bullying from Betty comes to a head, suddenly Betty finds another ally. Farm boy Andy comes to school and soon Betty is too smitten by his attentions to bother Annabelle until the day that someone hurts Annabelle's friend Ruth. A rock thrown from the trees on the hill  changes Ruth's life forever and affects the entire community.

Betty blames Toby by saying that he was probably aiming at Mr. Ansel's wagon or Mr. Ansel. Annabelle knows Toby would never hurt anyone, and she wants to prove his innocence.

The life lessons contained in Wolf Hollow are reason enough for everyone to read this book. WWII changed the landscape of America forever. Many boys did not come home, and those who did never talked about the horrors of war they faced. They became silent witnesses, like Toby. Maybe some became scapegoats for others' crimes and misdeeds.

It is brilliant that a child like Annabelle could see the shining light in Toby when the adults could not. Maybe they did not look for it or did not look deeply or long enough. Adults can  be too quick to judge. They can form opinions of a quiet loner. They may think he is crazy, or stupid, or a lazy bum or a threat. But a child sees his honestly, his care, and his grace.

Bring tissues. Wolf Hollow will both break your heart and refresh your spirit!

This is the BEST childhood classic I have read in a very long time. It reminds me of Charlotte's Web and A Secret Garden. Every child and every adult should read this book. Do NOT miss this one.
School book clubs and reading clubs must read this book!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Blog Tour and Extras: Dear Nobody

Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose
edited by Gillian McCain & Legs McNeil
Sourcebooks
2014
336 pages
ISBN: 978140228789

see the gallery of Mary Rose's drawings

Read an excerpt here

From the publisher:

Every word you read in this journal is the absolute, unvarnished truth. Told through Mary Rose’s actual diary entries, DEAR NOBODY is a raw and gripping account of a girl that grapples with the typical angst of teen life—love, happiness, heartbreak—but also struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and a terminal illness that loom over her life.  Intense and authentic, this an eye-opening account of a girl so desperate to be loved, so eager to fit in that she’ll go to extremes that could cost her life. 

 

Already critics are buzzing:

·        “A rare, no-holds-barred documentation of an American teenager’s life.”—Publishers Weekly

·        “The voice is authentic, this book is an experience.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

Mary Rose died when she was 17. As much as she hoped, a cure for her terminal illness has not been found.

 

“I feel like a real life loser—and the game is life. I’m failing everywhere—academically, emotionally, socially, and even intellectually. I am losing myself on a bet. A bet that I can survive, that I can still be what destiny wants me to be.”

 

Her editors, Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil, have given Mary Rose the voice that life and circumstances denied her. A vitally important and compelling read that’s sure to engender controversy and discussion, it’s a not-to-be-forgotten book, and destined to be a true diary classic.

 

My thoughts:

 

This is an unputtdownable page turner that is both heart breaking and life changing. Mary Rose is that teenager who is looking for love and belonging--she speaks to that need that is human in all of us. For fans of Go Ask Alice and books with a raw voice full of strife, longing and need. It will break your heart. This book is an emotional roller coaster that will pull you in. Teens will love this book.

 

Visit the publisher's webpage for more!  

 

 

Summer Pick: The Summer of Letting Go

The Summer of Letting Go
by Gae Polisner
Algonquin Young Readers
2014
314 pages
ISBN: 9781616202569

Available March 25, 2014

From the publisher's website:

“Polisner has a keen understanding of the suffering, maturing teen psyche; Frankie’s fragility and self-doubt are heartbreaking in their realism. … First-rate realistic fiction with plenty of heart.” —School Library Journal 

“The prose is gentle but evocative, and Frankie Sky’s childlike exuberance and occasional misconceptions add heart and humor…[The Summer of Letting Go is] both hopeful and careful—like Francesca herself.” —Kirkus Review
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“The characters of the story are all very well drawn, the dialogue realistic, and the story itself well written, with much for teens to think and talk about.”
—VOYA

“The Summer of Letting Go is haunting, heart-lifting, and impossible to put down...Francesca Schnell is one of the most authentic young adult characters I've read in a long time.” —A.S. King, author of Reality Boy, Ask the Passengers & Please Ignore Vera Dietz

“A beautiful story of heartbreak and hope.” —Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds and Starry Nights

The Summer of Letting Go looks like a sweet beach read, but don't let the cover confuse you. This novel isn't about bright sunshine, endless walks on the beach and idle hours frolicking in the surf. This novel is about grief and guilt, depression and agony, family and friendship, regret and redemption, and  love and forgiveness.

Frankie's brother Simon drowned four years ago, and she blames herself. She should have been watching him more closely. She should have stayed by his side. Now he's dead and she's a tangle of grief, depression and heartbreak so palpable readers will weep for her. She suspects her father is  having an illicit affair with their attractive neighbor and even follows the lady  to the country club.

There she meets a little boy named Frankie Sky who looks like he could be Simon's twin. Everything about Frankie Sky  reminds Frankie (the girl) of her brother Simon. When the boy's mother hires Frankie to babysit for him, she is worried about taking him to the pool or the beach.

Best friend Lisette is pulling away and spending more and more time with Frankie's secret crush Bradley, and Bradley keeps showing up and stealing kisses from his own girlfriend's best friend. Frankie knows she shouldn't kiss Bradley and betray her friend, but she acts with her heart not her head.

The Summer of Letting Go is a remarkable YA title. Polisner is able to create a character who is intelligent but deeply troubled. Frankie exudes grief but learns to see the world anew through the eyes of innocent Frankie Sky.

The ending seemed forced. I am not sure any girl would be as forgiving as Lisette. Her best friend and her boyfriend have been carrying on behind her back, yet she forgives all too quickly to be believable. The cover with a headless girl walking on the beach? Really, publishers, I am OVER headless bodies on covers. Show all of the girl (or boy) or don't show them at all.

Recommended grade 9-up. Possible marital affair, death, grief.

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

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

High School Pick: My Beautiful Failure

My Beautiful Failure
by Janet Ruth Young
Antheneum Books for Young Readers
2012
304 pages

After his father’s sickness, Billy longs to help others. He signs up for Listeners, a suicide hotline advertised on billboards. His job is to listen and only listen to the voice on the other end of the line. He is not to offer any information about himself. He is not to get involved emotionally or meet the person face to face. His is not allowed to know personal information like the person’s last name or address.

That is until Jenney. Jenney is struggling. She is remembering repressed memories of child abuse and a crime so impossible it’s no wonder she suppressed it as a child. Her parents are monsters. The more Jenney remembers, the more she wants out. Billy tries desperately to help her. He waits for her calls, he longs for her voice, he believes he is the only one who can help Jenney save herself.

Jenney is Billy’s beautiful failure. She is the girl he falls in love with. She is broken and beyond repair.

Poignant and compassionate, My Beautiful Failure is not a “feel good” read. Readers who love a tear-jerker with believable characters will love this YA novel. Girls will empathize with sensitive Billy and likely admire his bravery and capacity for caring.

Recommended grade 8-up. Adult themes. Child abuse, infanticide, and suicide.

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

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)