Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Quartet #1) by Roshani Chokshi

Saving the world and fighting a demon sounds easier than dealing with school and friends for Aru Shah. Her constant push to try and fit in has meant exaggerations and lies to classmates. When a trio of 7th graders show up at the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture where she lives with her mother to see if she is in Paris for the holidays, she has to do some quick lying again; however, her classmates ain't buying it. The bullies are convinced that Aru doesn't belong at their elite prep school where fancy cars and exotic trips are the norm. Her world involves taking care of herself while mom is off on trips and giving museum tours for fun.

When the classmates dare Aru to light a cursed antiquity lamp she ends up awakening the Sleeper... oops. She thinks of her mom's warning to not light the lamp, like those “generic warnings parents gave to kids, like 'Don’t go outside without sunscreen or you’ll burn!' Or, as the woman who ran the local Hindu temple’s summer day camp liked to remind Aru: 'Don’t go outside without sunscreen or you’ll get darker and won’t find a husband!' Until it happened, who cared? Aru had never gotten sunburned, and she really didn’t need to find a husband at age twelve." She didn't really believe her mom and had no clue she'd have to battle a demon. Great dialogue, fast pacing, funny gods and hysterical characters make this a winner for fans of Rick Riordan's books. Roshani Chokshi's uses familiar fantasy tropes and much of the humor is a parody of hero narratives while following the monomyth. A laugh-aloud middle-grade adventure using Indian mythology.

After lighting the lamp everyone freezes and a guardian who helps Aru on her quest comes in the form of a snarky pigeon. The author is poking fun at several fantasy tropes. Here the guardian is in a frail body and frustrated that he has to mentor a young girl. Aru is the reincarnated soul of one of the Pandava brothers from the Indian epic poem, Mahabharata; however, she lacks the wisdom and athleticism found in the poem's male heroes. Aru thinks of the pigeon as a “rat with wings” and is not impressed by him either. Meanwhile, the pigeon knocks her for being a kid hero and sees the world ending versus her saving it. When she looks at her frozen mom and classmates asking if they would be stuck that way, the pigeon answers: “It’s temporary,” said the bird. “Provided you aren’t riddled with ineptitude.” “In-ep-tee-tood? Is that French?” The bird knocked its head against the wooden banister. “The universe has a cruel sense of humor,” it moaned. Aru may be green when it comes to quests but she proves her bravery as the plot moves forward.

When Aru links up with another reincarnated soul it comes in the form of Mini, a slightly neurotic girl obsessed with germs, Oreo cookies, and death. When Mini shoves an Oreo cookie into Boo's mouth he says, “What ambrosia is this?” He smacked his beak. “Gimme more.”Mini quotes dictionaries and medical books and can't believe she was chosen for the quest instead of her brother. She diagnoses Aru when she talks back to Time explaining that Aru has “Type One Insufferable-ness.” Her character arc progresses from a kid who shrinks at danger to one accepting the inevitable task of saving the world. When Mini first meets Aru, she asks, “I hope you don’t have a bee allergy. I only have one EpiPen. But I guess we could share? I’ll stab you, you stab me?” The pigeon getting a double-dose of inept heroines does a face-plant asking "whyGodwhyme." The heroes embrace the poster-boy or girl image of a superhero from Aru yelling Batman sayings, wearingSpider-man pajamas, asking Boo for capes, to elbow-bumping instead of fist-bumping with Mini. Germs on the fist, Mini points out, and Aru thinks capes are like blankies that bring comfort to superheroes.

Spoiler alert - okay... I might be telling too much of the story at this point. You could maybe read the next paragraph.

On their quest, they search for "celestial" weapons to help them save the world. They dream of magnificent, heroic swords to wield and instead get a bouncy ball and compact. Mini bangs her compact on the ground hoping it will start working during one scene where they are facing the enemy. When the weapons do activate the heroines have no control over them. They also remind characters throughout that they are heroines, not heroes. They are told that heroines are demanding and brave while the heroes let their magical sidekicks do all the work. Part of Aru's character arc is realizing that being overlooked and not considered worthy opponents could be used to her advantage. Their physical weaknesses are a strength. Plus, she's funny as she thinks stuff such as “And it stood to reason that if you were even a little bit divine, you should not have a unibrow.” She also learns that heroes doubt themselves. At the climax, she discovers that the definition of heroism was fighting for the people she cared about in the world.

Spoiler... I think. The next paragraph might be okay too.  Can you tell I don't quite recognize if I'm spoiling it for the reader?

While the author uses Indian culture and mythology, I kept thinking of Western folktales as well. There was an east-west blend for me. Parts reminded me of the Phantom Tollbooth ...perhaps because they end up in a tollbooth. Actually, the puns, word plays, and wit are what reminded me of it. From Polly Esther to the "-allys" it is pretty funny. Or the scene where the dead speak sentences backward because they can no longer go forward. Their third test is to get the celestial keys and one of the trials is to take a bite out of adulthood which Aru does literally when she finds a book titled, “Adulthood”. I like the imagery of a young protagonist that is coming-of-age taking a bite out of adulthood literally and figuratively. Great chapter headings such as “#1 on Mini’s Top Ten Ways I Don't Want to Die List: Death by Halitosis" add to the humor along with pop culture references such as Johnny Cash. Aru wants to nickname the bird "Sue", short for Sabula, but he says he is male. She asks if he's heard Johnny Cash's song, "A Boy Named Sue" which is about a boy named, Sue, who goes to kill his dad for naming him a girl's name only to find out that the dad said he named him that to make him tough. She settles on "Boo" for a nickname.

Okay, stop! Now I am definitely spoiling the story. If you have a great memory you might not want to read on.

The legend of Shukra is the author using her own creative powers that mixes folktales. Aru and Mini must cross the Bridge of Forgetting that is guarded by Shukra, a man cursed for killing his wife out of vanity. He is surrounded by mirrors as protection against memory-stealing snowflakes and anyone that wants to cross must give him all their memories or fall into the "fires of hell and be forced into the next life". He is a metaphor for the choices people make in life. He does not want to break the mirrors because bad karma will follow him into the next life. As he begins to steal Mini and Aru's memories, Aru goes after him but is cursed in the process. He reminded me of Marley in "A Christmas Carol" who forged long chains through greed. Shakru's "chains" are his mirrors and vanity led to him murdering his wife. He discusses being robbed of the past, present, and future. He's talking about karma but I kept thinking of the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. It's the same idea. The mirrors also reminded me of the Snow Queen and shards of glass that cursed the children in the story. Here, Shakru curses Aru as he moves on to reincarnation.

Aru's character arc involves coming to terms with her lies that are good and bad. She tells Mini the truth for the first time when she is exposed for not telling Mini she lit the lamp in the first place. Aru realizes that she lies to imagine “the world as it could be and not as it was.” She pulls out Adulthood coin upon this realization showing her growing up and coming-of-age. When Mini rejects her in anger at lighting the lamp, Aru reacts with courage and anger. She doesn’t roll over. She thinks about stories and how they are told: "The truth of  a story depends on who is telling it." She can write her own narrative. 

In another trial at the Palace of Illusions, Aru must escape her fears of being abandoned by her mother and being alone. She thinks, “People are a lot like magical pockets. They’re far bigger on the inside than they appear to be on the outside.” The Palace is alive and creates an illusion where Aru thinks she will die. She has to look at herself to escape the illusion, a metaphor for having to realize that her illusions and lies stem from fears. I think. The idea isn't really hashed out enough. I do find the Palace represents childhood and what is left behind when becoming an adult. It cries and tries to keep Mini and Aru kids by giving them everything they wish for and playing with them such as riding bikes and eating ice cream. A child's imagination dims over time and that is worth crying over. The Palace gives the two girls a tile to remind them of it and "home". The tile can be a metaphor for adults who hold on to their imaginations and memories of childhood can be storytellers in society. The Palace says “It is better, perhaps, to be thought of as a fiction than to be discarded from memory completely.” Again, the ideas are not completely fleshed out and it is up the reader to put their own interpretation on the plot. I felt teased by many of the metaphors but thought some of the thoughts came up short. A fun and funny book.

4 Smileys

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

A male high school student asked me to buy several romance ebooks for the Kindle. He didn't want to be "seen" carrying print copies just like the character, Brandon Jones, who likes to read "girl" stories. This is just one of many different social issues addressed in this novel giving it depth. Topics cover racism, marginalization, choices, LGBTQ, divorce, bullying and more; however, is written for readers ages 8-12. At the heart of the story is a puzzle being solved by the protagonist, Candice Miller, and her new friend, Brandon. When 12-year-old Candice moves to Lambert, S.C., for the summer after her parent's divorce, she finds a letter that promises millions of dollars to the city if it can be solved. Candice's grandmother tried to solve it ten years earlier and it cost her job and reputation as the first African-American manager of the city.

The author does a terrific job shifting between complex themes bringing it together in a satisfying ending. The character arcs are distinct and the flashbacks reveal Lambert's history of injustice that are good for discussion. The puzzle is tied in with the book, The Westing Game, that the two characters love to read. As they problem solve they make connections with how the mystery was solved in that novel to solve their dilemma. It that made me want to go back and reread the book. The treasure hunt is fun and I particularly like how the author addresses the freedom people choose to live their lives and the consequences of those choices such as the grandmother and Candice's dad. A well-written book that can be as complex as the reader wants to make it.

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

The is a well-crafted novel with interesting characters and structure. The story is about 11-year-old Vigil Salinas, an introvert who is painfully shy and trying to find his voice by talking to the confident and deaf, Valencia Somerset. He gets help from his close friend, Kaori Tanaka, a Japanese American and her side-kick sister, Gen. Kaori is an entrepreneur that believes her psychic abilities can help others with their problems. Gen is always asking a gazillion questions adding humor to the plot as the annoying and energetic younger sibling. Vigil struggles with standing up for himself against his family and the neighborhood bully, Chet Bullens. His parents tease him and call him "Turtle" waiting for him to come out of his shell. He's the introvert in an extroverted family. His Philippine grandmother, Lola, gets him and respects his quietness and hilariously tells him folk tales where children are eaten by monsters.The author captures the pain of teasing that families so often use when they don't like something about another person that is essential to their character. The parents are not intentionally cruel but don't understand the pain of their name-calling. Chet bullies Vigil but his character is developed to show how Chet's father is a poor role model that leads to Chet being insecure and bullying those around him as a result. His actions are not one-dimensional and more nuanced making for good discussions.

The short chapters help keep the pacing moving along and the structure is brilliant. Valencia Somerset is deaf and her voice is portrayed in first-person, while all the other characters are in third-person. This limited point-of-view not only gives a personal touch that allows the readers to identify closely with Valencia but mimics the isolation a deaf person might feel. Many times, Valencia doesn't understand the person that is speaking because they are not facing her or are looking down. She comments on how often this happens in addition to trying to play games like hide-and-seek with friends but can't hear when they call out, "Ready, set, go!" Her friends appear to like her until the day they tell her she's wrecking the game and rather than figuring out one she can play, they shun her. She ends up having a continual nightmare as a result, where she is isolated in a field staring at an eclipse with a girl in a blue dress with no whites of her eyes showing - her eyes a black iris like the eclipse. This nightmare can symbolize darkness obscuring light or when prejudices blot out the goodness or light in people who are ruled by fear of people that are different from a disability or anyone oppressed or marginalized. This point of view lets the reader step into Valencia's character more closely and understand some of the challenges as well as advantages with her disability whether lip-reading or observing nature without sound.

The two children that have disabilities, Virgil and Valencia, are in the same resource room at school and love the book, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathon Swift. They even name their guinea pigs Lilliput and Gulliver. The Lilliputians are afraid of Gulliver's size and welcome him at first before turning against him out of fear. Valencia is accepted by her friend, Roberta, but influenced by those around her later turning against her deafness in fear and ignorance paralleling the Lilliputians. Gulliver's Travels is a satire on politics and the author cleverly parallels the politics of middle school and belonging through subtle references. Gulliver is also an average person who is gifted with learning different languages. This is ironic considering Vigil cannot squeak out even a "hello" to Valencia because he is so shy. And the choice of the name Virgil is symbolic too. Virgil was Dante's guide through hell in Dante's Inferno. Virgil goes through hell; that is falling into a well where he has to find his voice to talk to Valencia and learn to stand up for himself against a bully.

While some might find this slow-paced, I thought the short chapters helped move it along and the gorgeous writing and humor kept me engaged. When I went back to think about sections I started to see quite a bit of symbolism that I mention briefly. There's a lot going on in this book. It isn't going to be for everyone but it is a gem.

5 Smileys

Attack of the Alien Horde (Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape #1) by Robert Venditti, Dusty Higgins (Illustrations)

This superhero book has a strong character arc, layered themes, and hero's journey to create a humorous and entertaining read that mixes comic illustrations with narrative text. The technique strengthens the story and will help readers because every time Miles turns into a superhero the text becomes a comic strip with speech bubbles. It works particularly well with the story and is funnier because of the visual of a small middle school boy turning into a six foot five, muscular caped crusader. Seventh grade was the ultimate in awkward periods for me and I would have loved this book with its alter-ego protagonist who deals with middle school peer pressure and identity that is grounded in strong morals.

Miles Taylor is the new kid in school and he is bullied by the star football player and his flunkeys. If it isn't coke dumped on him, it's food getting stolen, or verbal abuse. He takes it as best he can and even tries to fight it but always ends up on the losing side. Worse, Josie sees it all - the girl he has a crush on at school. Top that off his parents have gotten divorced as his mom ran off with another man. She calls once a week and Miles feels angry and frustrated. The divorce has meant his dad, an electrician, has had to move into a small apartment and they don't have enough money to pay the bills. The reader never learns the mom's career or even if she had one, but I assume so since Miles and his dad are so short on cash.

The strong character arc and definition of what makes a hero is what kept me engrossed in the story. Miles is pretty clueless and downright stupid at times which makes him the antithesis of the conventional superhero. When he goes with his dad on a job and ends up with a magical cape in his hands from the previous superhero, it is obvious that its going to be hard to save the world when you have to be in school all day long. Miles hooks up with genius and superhero aficionado, Henry Matte, who helps him discover and manipulate the powers of the cape (and use his brain power more efficiently).

The two figure out that in order to use the cape, thoughts must be on others and not oneself or the promotion of oneself. The cape will not work if the user has any thoughts on pride, domination, or using it for personal gain. Miles learns to deal with power humbly. He also learns that to be a hero he must be willing to die even though the odds are so against him. He must act because to do nothing is unacceptable. At the climax Miles realizes that he might not be the smartest, or best looking, or athletic, or exceptional, but he is good and he can use that to better the world. When he fights the Gaarls and the odds look bad, it is an outside force that rescues him. This is like the hero's journey in the "Lord of the Rings." It involves a character dealing with the corruption of power and going on quest or journey that will most like fail and being rescued by others.

The play on words and cartoonish villains are a hoot. The Unnd's not only stand for the prefix "un", or not, their name is used in all the words such as unhappy- they are un(nd)happy, un(nd)friendly, un(nd)inviting, un(nd)amusing. It reminds me of "ikke" in Norwegian which means "not" - an influence on Midwesterners use of the phrase, "ick!"when Scandinavian immigrants moved there. And while the villain, Commander Lord Calamity, is a tyrant that kills a servant that displeases him in a cruel way, he bows to his mother who calls him "Oggie" and makes his favorite rancid soup. Calamity is evil incarnate and quite silly. When he sees Earth for the first time he feels moved by its beauty but he has no inkling what the concept means. One of his soldiers has to explain it to him. The Commander might have a thing or two to learn from the earthlings and suggests that he is not beyond redemption and the ending shows that evil exists on Earth too as well as with the aliens. The General (from Earth) sees his rescuers as aliens with too much power (reminds me of the Transformers movie plot). The end definitely implies a sequel. Nothing too serious here, folks, and one that young readers will find fun and funny.

4 Smileys

The Astounding Broccoli Boy by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Don your cape and soar into this smart, well-written book that parodies and deconstructs the superhero trope. While some will think it a blast to read, others will want it Gamma Bombed. It's silly, cartoonish, and a bit like watching the "Laurel and Hardy" TV show - two people acting stupid over and over and over again - only these two are fifth graders, Rory Rooney and his nemesis, Grim (aka Tommy-Lee). But beneath the humor are layers of deeper themes as Rory learns to deal with bullying, friendship, and self-confidence while being surrounded by inept adults. Plenty of archetypes and wackiness. Rocket launch your realistic side to Mars and have fun with this one.

Rory is being bullied by Grim and his minions at school. After he is pushed into a river on a field trip he emerges from it with skin the color of broccoli. He finds himself as a medical subject study along with another "green boy" who happens to be Grim (aka Tommy-Lee). Rory decides he and Grim have superpowers because of the abundance of green superheroes in comics: Hulk, The Swamp Thing, The Green Hornet, Green Goblin -who isn't a hero but villain, but hey, this plot is not only about heroes but villains too. Going from powerless to "super" he thinks that he can slightly teleport and his brain operates at 200% while Grim can break any security code while sleepwalking. Rory feels empowered by his physical change and convinces Grim that they can work for Good. He stops calling him Grim in his first step toward a bully-free life.

While Rory declares the two will use their superpowers for Good, he's not sure Tommy-Lee knows the definition of good. His fears are realized as their powers plunge the city into chaos as they sneak out at night from the hospital where they are imprisoned test subjects and pull pranks. As Rory has a hey-ho time with his escapades, he starts to waffle toward thinking of the duo as villains. Tommy-Lee thinks they are doing good so he wants to rob a bank. Yes, his definition is a bit messed but he's so dumb he thinks a night club is a bank and their robbery is quite creative. The author ka-pows! with plot twists. Next adventure has Tommy-Lee sleepwalking and the two getting into some shenanigans at the London Zoo. Last adventure they meet a green girl who changes the dynamic of their relationship.  One adventure after another leads to green pickled messes that make for a terrific and unpredictable plot.

The author pays tribute to comic book superheroes while poking fun at it too. ""But there's more than one kind of hero. There are heroes with shocking great muscles who can stop a speeding train with their bare hands... But there are also skinny little heroes who destroy big bullies using only their superior intelligence and cunning." This is where Frank Cottrell Boyce deconstructs the superhero trope. Comics have suffered historically as being male-dominated with stereotyped women and men of muscle. Here the hero comes in the form of the puniest kid in the grade, a bully that hides his fears, and a girl that wants to run the world. The shifting between the characters between being good and bad makes them more real and interesting as the story progresses.

The character development focuses mainly on Rory and Tommy-Lee, but the archetypes are funny as well. The nurse watching over them eats different kinds of chocolate every night as she watches them in what Rory calls, "The Fish Tank." They are locked in a glass room with Nurse Rock (as they call her) just outside. "What kind of person can't settle on a favorite type of chocolate? A 100 percent untrustworthy kind of person, that's what." After the two break out at night and explore London, the nurse can smell chocolate on Rory that they'd been eating. Rory calls her a bloodhound.

Tommy-Lee has anger management issues. His parents don't visit him. Nor do Rory's. Or so it seems.  Another pretzel in the plot for you to eat up. The trio use a window washing cage instead of the elevator because "superheroes do not use the lift." Again, the poking fun at superhero tropes makes this fun. The three green children decide that if everyone in the world was green there would be no people fighting over who thinks they are better than others. Yep, I'm for team green.

Rory's character arc shows him learning what a real hero means and that it is the same as being a good friend that knows when to do the right thing. When Tommy-Lee gets in a tight spot, Rory has to decide whether or not he will help him or walk away. All three have weaknesses and strengths that they face throughout the plot and it gives them more depth of character.

Everyone reacts in the wrong way to Rory from students to adults. It is so absurd that I couldn't help laughing. It was constant and reminded me of the book, The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. Although that one is nonstop gags on fairy tales not superheroes. From the nurse checking in Rory at the hospital, to his hypochondriac mother and odd family, to the boys coming up with superhero names, be ready to laugh. This book pokes fun at nurses, doctors, parents, politicians, etc. The nurse grabs Rory's hand and says she needs blood. "This won't hurt," She said, grabbing my thumb and jabbing it with a needle. She squeezed blood out into a test tube. It really, really hurt. "I lie" - she smiled - "a lot. But always for your own good." How often have you heard that at the doctor's office? Everyone is convinced, including Rory's parents that he turned green on purpose. When he is bullied, it is his fault. He's blamed for everything and anything to such an extreme it adds to the absurd comedy.

Humor is not easy to pull off. When it falls flat, it splats. The author mixes comedy and realism with great word choices that kept me flipping the pages. He describes Tommy-Lee's sleepwalking, "Then he gave a snore that sounded like a tiger gargling treacle. Then he rolled over. Plonked his feet on the floor. Stood up and started to do the Spooky Playmobil. I followed him..." Did I mention that the city is under high alert from a Killer Kittens virus plague? Silliness blasts off from the get-go.

When Rory and Tommy-Lee meet Koko Kwok, things get interesting. When I was growing up comics were male-dominated with dippy women in them. Now there is more diversity and women can be their own superheroes. Once Koko enters the plot it shows that she's the brains of the "Laurel & Hardy" show and Tommy-Lee does whatever she asks and never bullies her. She develops a catchphrase for them, "Green is for Go!" The trio even picks-up a couple of penguins on their adventures in a nod to Batman comics. Enjoy this one. Super astounding.

5 Smileys

The Cat at the Wall by Deborah Ellis

A thirteen-year-old American girl dies in a car accident and is reincarnated as a cat living in West Bank in the midst of the Israeli-Pakistan conflict. I know. Bizarre premise. But the author pulls it off and the plot is not about religion - it's about redemption. It's about getting a second chance to do the right thing and doing it even though you are a cat. It's a sad story about a girl that blames herself for her grandma's death and bullies those around her to feel secure and powerful. It's about the choices made in life and knowing when to act for hate or peace. You'll have to try this quirky book yourself. While sometimes the teacher got a tad preachy, it has a good mix of action and deep-thinking. Surprising, because it is only 150 pages.

Two Israeli soldiers, Simcha and Aaron, break into a Palestinian house to spy on the neighborhood. Clare, the cat, sneaks in with them and finds a boy, Omar, hidden under the floor. When the two soldiers find him they try to sneak out with him, but their plan is foiled when they get discovered by villagers. The tension escalates when they start firing bullets at each other. Because the point of view is from a cat, the violence is buffered by the creature's nonchalant attitude, "If people insist on shooting other people, they should do it quietly so that a cat can have a decent nap." Simcha is somewhat stereotyped as the California surfer dude. I would have liked him and Aaron fleshed out a little more. Omar recites the Desiderata poem to control his fear. It is a poem about being happy and treating others fairly and says that fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Alternating with this tense situation is the cat, Clare, having flashbacks to when she was a girl and having problems at school. We find out that Clare lacked character and motivation. She wasn't responsible or honest or kind. A new teacher tried to get her to see the value in character but most of the year was just a power struggle. The teacher made students copy Max Erhmann's Desiderata poem as punishment. While this is not generally how character education is taught today, I see why the author used it to tie it in with the alternating plot. It shows Omar using the poem as comfort in contrast to the self-centered, bully Clare. When Clare thinks about why she took the girls wallet instead of returning it to her it is the first time she questions why she does things "without thinking." At the end when she looks at how the universe is unfolding she thinks it is wrong that she should be alive and her good-hearted grandma dead.

Omar has built an elaborate "City of Dreams" out of cardboard, his refuge and desire for a safe world from his war torn one. Simcha, the American, comes in and kicks down Omar's city not realizing what it was. The author seems to suggest that the United States oftentimes flexes its muscles without thinking of consequences. More importantly, it ties in with the theme of understanding context before taking action. Tragedy results from fears and misunderstandings throughout this story. The teacher doesn't understand the context of Clare's misbehavior. The Israeli soldiers don't understand the context of the boys parents at check point. Simcha and Aaron don't understand why Omar is alone. Clare realizes that hostility and fear create paranoia that will lead to certain death for others and she decides to change the context. It is the first time she chooses to do something because she cares. A terrific novel for studying character development and discuss current events.

4 Smileys

Better Nate Than Ever (Better Nate Than Ever #1) by Tim Federle

Yikes. Ning Chi chili sauce feels like swallowing a flaming sword... one small teaspoon in a pot of homemade soup and if there was an open fire hydrant nearby I would have had my mouth over the geyser. Instead I settled for the bathroom faucet guzzling water and letting it run down the side of my face and into my hair where the chicken noodle soup had matted it together. I needed a spoon the size of my head to keep the noodles from slithering off and splashing broth all over me and the book, "Better Nate Than Ever." If I was the protagonist, Nate Foster, two bullies from a school gang would have picked me up and dunked me head first in a toilet to quench my thirst. A few punches to the stomach would seal the deal before they'd leave off. Thirteen-year-old Nate's list of physical and verbal abuses at school and home (by his brother) include beatings and name-calling such as, "gay," "homo," "faggot," "Natey the Lady" to name a few. While he is uncertain about his sexuality, he has had it with life in Jankburg, Pennsylvania where he doesn't fit in. He hatches a plan with his best friend, Libby, and goes to New York to audition for "E.T. The Musical." While this novel is marketed as middle grade, Nate's attitude, humor, family addiction problems, and sexuality issues are going to attract more middle schoolers than elementary students - at least in my school.

The self-deprecating voice is humorous even if it sounds too old at times. I struggled with the parenthetical asides that Nate gives. You'll either like this stream-of-consciousness or be like me and feel that it slowed the pacing. In the Chapter, "Split Screen," every other sentence had parentheses and it was a confusing transition because he's in Heidi's apartment the chapter before. I ended up rereading and skipping the parentheses so I could figure out the action and how Nate ended up at the casting agency when in the previous chapter he was told he was cut from the play. The phone call explaining this comes at the end of the chapter versus the beginning which is why it was so confusing.

Just to be clear, this parentheses technique of revealing Nate's thoughts varies throughout the entire book and is critical to character development. It makes Nate accessible and creates a fully imagined, emotional character that drives the action. I only had problems at the beginning and that one chapter at the end where it felt like a downpour of parentheses confusing my already jumbled ADHD brain. The parentheses contain inner monologues that flesh out Nate and are funny, but it was too much for me at times, particularly in the beginning. It took me until page 50 to get into the story and character's voice. The beginning dialogue doesn't flow as well as later (when there are less parentheses) and the greyhound action scene has Nate talking in an awkward way to the ticket man. This is actually on purpose and while it is explained later some foreshadowing would have made it less of a "huh" moment and more of a file-that-information-away for later in the plot.  It makes sense at the end of the story when he is talking to Libby. The hilarity begins for me when Nate is at the audition. His descriptions of the over-the-top competitiveness are funnier-than-heck.

Sexuality is not an easy topic to write about and the author does a nice job showing Nate's passion for theater and how it appeals to his melodramatic character in this coming-of-age story. He relates incidents and people to different Broadway musicals, some obscure and others famous. His euphemisms related to theater such as "Holy cats!" substitute profanity throughout the story in an amusing way. The character arc has Nate working on his self-identity and learning to embrace his differences from others. Themes involve a best friend, bullies, his parent's marital problems, an estranged sister, addiction, cancer, intolerance in Christians, competitiveness of auditions, and more. I liked the theater audition best and thought the author really created a terrific dynamic between exaggerating the competitiveness and oddness of it all with Nate's insecurity and snarky observations. Nate's naiveness at reading a script and brilliance at making the performance memorable was a highlight. This is a strong debut novel.

4 Smileys

Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord

My mother-in-law's photography hobby led her to tipping a canoe in a quagmire of lilypads and sending her expensive camera to the bottom of the lake. I've had my own adventures where my scared dog tipped the canoe jumping out, then tried to drown my husband by wrapping his body around his shoulders and head. Lucy Emery, the new kid, is not a klutz and while she takes pictures in a kayak and brings her dog with on one trip she is a cautious girl that doesn't have any disasters like me. She assimilates pretty quickly to her new life on the lake making friends with her friendly neighbors, the siblings Nate and Emily, who spend each day on Loon Patrol, their catchy phrase for observing the loons nesting on the lake. Like biologists-in-training, the two will report their daily observations to the Loon Preservation Committee office at the end of the summer. They let Lucy come with them to take pictures for a photography contest. Cynthia Lord is one of the few realistic fiction writers that can sweep me into a slower moving story. I admire how she crafts her plot, develops characters, writes memorable phrases, and creates tension through relationships. While the start is a little slow for me, it all comes together at the end with some strong messages.

As a twelve-year-old, Lucy is not new to moving to a new place. Her dad, a famous photographer, finds it hard to stay put in one place. When she moves from Massachusetts to a lakeside home in New Hampshire she struggles with being the new kid again. She knows that some will be interested in her at first only to go back to their old friends when they tire of her. When she meets Nate she finds that his childhood friend, Megan, is jealous that Lucy is invading her turf. When Emily and Nate invite Lucy to go on Loon Patrol it is easy to see why Megan is upset since she was the previous third wheel on Loon Patrol. Megan doesn't deal well with her anger and retaliates in a nasty way toward Lucy. Meanwhile Lucy wonders if Nate's friendship is real or temporary. When Lucy discovers her dad is judging a photography contest she decides to secretly enter. She wants her dad's unbiased opinion of her photography skills since she wants to follow his career path. She is full of doubts and insecurities about not being good enough in her relationships with others. Lucy justifies entering the contest by wanting to use the money to help Nate's sick grandma see the loons.

Lucy is shy and shows her uncertainty with making friends. She is sensitive to what others think of her. She texts Nate and then wonders if her one-word response was too blunt and adds another text. Her uncertainty captures what it is like growing up and learning to socialize, especially when a kid is somewhat interested in a boy. Lucy has never had a friend that is a boy and is somewhat conflicted, not recognizing her romantic feelings toward Nate. Nate helps Lucy with her photos for the contest and quite a bit of the dialogue and descriptions involve the art of photography. I liked the parallels between it and stories. "I imagined Dad beside me: 'It's pretty,' he'd say. 'But pretty isn't enough for  a great photograph. Show me why I care. What's the story?'" Storytelling is the same way. The reader must care for the characters and story for it to come alive and keep them reading. I have never stopped to think of photography in the same way as crafting a story.

Megan is not a one-dimensional villain and Lucy reacts to her meanness with kindness. She does this because she wants what is best for the loons and sets aside petty jealousy that is affecting her relationship with Megan. Both are interested in the same boy and Megan is rightfully upset about being excluded from the trio, she just reacts to it in an unhealthy way. When Megan sabotages Lucy's project, it is revealing that Lucy responds in a mature manner. Lucy never tattles on Megan and includes her in the project. She even uses her photos and compliments her. She doesn't stoop to the same levels as Megan even though she thinks some jealous thoughts. Instead she always keeps the big picture in mind which is what is best for the loons and how can the group accomplish this? Megan knows that she doesn't deserve Lucy's kindness and respect and in the end feels ashamed of her actions and apologizes to Lucy. The author shows the result of Lucy not reacting in anger to Megan that allows them to be civil to each other even though they both like Nate and don't want to share him with each other. Ironically, Nate is oblivious to their friction and mutual attraction to him.

Cynthia Lord does a nice job articulating feelings in regards to relationships that many readers might not know how to express in words. "I know what it feels like when you want to matter to someone and they don't notice. But I was still mad at Megan for deleting my photos and trying to take over my idea of the posters." While Lucy is mad at her she never retaliates in anger and the result is "Megan and I might not ever be good friends, ... but ...I was going to ...invite her. Because maybe we both wanted to try, and sometimes people are like shooting photos. It takes a bunch of misses before something good happens." Lucy knows her dad loves her but she wants her dad to notice her photography. And she wants to be good at it. She's afraid of failure and also brave at striking out and taking risks with her photography. When she uses the photo of Grandma Lilah, it took courage to choose it because she knew she'd be upsetting her friend, Nate.

The subplot of Nate's grandma losing her mind because of dementia is full of tension and authenticity. My mom is going through the same thing. She's in the phase of dementia where she recognizes that her mind is not working properly. Because I've experienced this illness in my personal life, I found the author's portrayal of Grandma Lilah very real and poignant. Nate is in denial of his grandma's illness and afraid of her not recognizing him. I know eventually my mom will also not know me. It fills me with sadness and is not an easy thing to deal with as an adult much less as a child. Lucy's actions force Nate to talk about it and deal with his grandma's illness in a healthy manner.

Friendship, family relationships, facing a loved one's illness, and being the new kid are just a few of the many themes the author splashes throughout the plot. Lucy's dad is a nice guy but is hard to live with as he likes to move and travel. As a famous photographer he likes change and the freshness it brings to his photos, "But really, I think Dad loves how good it feels to leave - to let go of the routine in an old place and start over somewhere else." I can actually relate to the dad. I enjoy change in routine because it makes me feel so alive. Luckily my husband has the same wanderlust as me giving me a best friend to traipse all over the world with. Lucy discusses with her dad photography because she knows it is what he loves and she does too. This shared passion helps her communicate with him although sometimes it seems one-sided. While her father loves her, he makes mistakes and isn't always sensitive toward her. The mother comes across as lonely and disappointed when Lucy doesn't want to do something with her. Yet, she doesn't force Lucy to come with on excursions. I wanted their relationship developed a bit more.

The reader will learn about loons and responsible behavior toward them. Boaters that get too close to loons scare them. The parents end up not feeding their babies enough food, spending too much time protecting them from the boaters and the result is the babies can starve to death. Lucy, Nate, and Emily decide to create posters to inform the public on appropriate behavior around the nesting birds. They eventually include Megan in the project and while she can be obnoxious, Lucy deals with her in a way that helps them reach a truce. Lucy is upset by an incident of a predator attacking the loons. I remember as a kid struggling with the death of bunnies and deer. I grew up on a nature center and it took me a long time to understand why the deer had to be shot periodically to reduce their numbers. This can open up discussions on the balance of ecosystems, human care and responsibility toward the environment, and human impact on animal habitation. If readers like this aspect, they can try other books with similar themes such as, "The One and Only Ivan," "Hoot," "Julie," or "Endangered." This book would make a great read aloud for grade 3 - 5 students.

4 Smileys

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

The plot is a familiar one. A boy gets in trouble at school and has to journal about it. He muses about girls and his shenanigans with friends all the while learning and growing up into a better person in a middle school setting. What makes this story stand out is how the character humorously reflects on what is happening in his life to the classic stories assigned for English class describing his good and bad actions with a raw honesty that makes him believable and likable. He is supposed to be reflecting on a bullying incident he was suspended from school for but this specific event is not revealed until the end. The beginning shows that the character really is thinking about the incident but the reader has to connect the dots on his or her own. While there are some minor flaws in a weak historical setting and forced portrayal of a Spanish boy, the author nails the main and minor character voices in a terrific story that has some heavy themes balanced with plenty of laughs.

The story begins with Julian explaining how he will do anything for his friend and vice versa. This is a problem. Except Julian doesn't know it at this point. He doesn't think for himself and is more concerned with belonging to a group of friends. Throughout the course of the novel the friends fight over a girl and it leads to Julian thinking about what it means to not be associated with a friend. To be on ones own. To think for oneself. This is critical to him growing up and finding his own self-identity. When he is with his friends he does something really stupid and painful to another person who has a disability. The buildup throughout the novel shows that he is a nice kid. a likable kid. A kid who cries when he accidentally kills a bird with a stone. A kid who wants a "do-over" but knows he can't get it. In the end he seeks redemption and forgiveness from the person he hurt which is about all he can do after the fact.

People make mistakes. Adults, adolescents, and children. It is a part of life and learning to deal with them is difficult. One of the messages is how to live with the consequences of hurting someone else or making a bad decision. Julian is also getting out of writing a paper on Julius Caesar, which he ironically realizes reflects his life and how he and his friends betray each other by fighting over girls. No one gets stabbed but they do have a physical fight. Julian jokes about how ditzy his friends become once they fall for a girl, "One second he's good old Howie, yakking it up, and then the next second, he notices Beverly Segal walking up the block, and he's like a zombie, shuffling his feet back and forth..." and while their actions are hysterical it also shows them learning to deal with crushes on girls. Howie learns that his crush is a dream and his friends weren't honest with him. Lonnie learns the girl he has a crush on likes his best friend. Julian learns the girl he's sort of interested in has just manipulated him.

The last third of the novel has Julian realizing that he is just one of many people on earth. He repeatedly quotes Hamlet's comment on humans being the "quintessence of dust." Julian in many ways is a modern day Hamlet or at least a young adult from the 1960's. Like Hamlet, Julian doesn't know how to take effective action because he has a need for certainty which isn't going to happen in adolescence. When Julian starts talking about the "quintessence of dust" it is in situations where he doesn't believe he can act in a controlled and purposeful way. Like Hamlet, Julian thinks about actions in the abstract and oftentimes when he does act it is blind and emotional. In the end, he does learn to take reasonable action as shown in his gathering of friends to apologize to the person they were cruel to. In that regard he pulls away from Hamlet's obsession with death and chooses life. He is not a tragic figure. 

The beginning of the book shows how Julian will mindlessly do what his best friend asks him to do. Even though Julian is smarter than his friend, he is loyal and insists to everyone that begs to differ that Lonnie is a bright guy. Lonnie shows that he isn't bright and lacks the introspective quality that Julian has regarding his actions. Lonnie is insensitive about his mom's past, looks down on a kid with a disability, and usually comes up with the ideas that get Julian and his friends in trouble. It's hard because Lonnie isn't as sensitive as Julian nor does he appear to struggle with right and wrong like the Hamlet-like Julian. The girlfriend incident makes Julian realize that perhaps he needs to strike out a bit on his own and not "jump" at every suggestion Lonnie makes to the group. Lonnie leads the boys but they need to know when to stand up to him and when to follow. Eduardo is the foil that helps Julian realize this and was the only character that needed more fleshing out. Sometimes he sounded too old. Sometimes his English was too good. Other times he was funny. He's needed to show the character development and succeeds in doing just that. By the end, they all stand up to Lonnie in a funny and satisfying way. This well-written story would make a great discussion for any book club or classroom.

4 Smileys