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.

Booked by Kwame Alexander

This book-in-verse (or is it verse-in-book? novel-in-verse? or a novel inverse? or inverse novel? I shouldn't be writing a book review last crazy week of school) about a boy who loves soccer and is dealing with the divorce of his parents. Kwame Alexander can pound out images and rhythms that will make you beat through the pages like a drummer. While "Crossover," the 2015 Newbery Winner was on basketball this one is on soccer. Except the sport takes back seat to the power of words as Nick Hall learns to use them against teachers, parents, wooing a girl, and friends at school. He says he hates words since his dad is a professor and "verbomaniac" who has written a dictionary he's making Nick memorize. But Nick likes words. If he didn't he wouldn't fling around words like "limerence," "codswallop," or "ragabash". This story might leave you with "onomatophobia", but it sure is a heck-of-alot of fun.

Twelve-year-old Nick Hall daydreams in class getting the teacher's unwanted attention. He uses words in a clever way to charm her on to Team Nick before using the same technique to get a girlfriend. Although shy and scared of girls, his words come through for him in the end. His mom and dad are splitting up and he goes through grief as his athletic mom leaves to train horses in Kentucky. When he expresses how upset he is he finds the power of words to bring his mom back and find some equilibrium in a rough time. Cody is his soccer friend who he joke-brags with they are on rival soccer teams and will play each other in a prestigious tournament. When things fall apart, the rapping librarian hooks Nick onto reading and a book club where he discovers books help him articulate what he's going through in his life at the moment (and win the girl of his dreams).

The end doesn't tell the reader what was in the mysterious dragonfly box. A dragonfly symbolizes change and self-realization which is Nick's character arc in the story. If I had time I'd look into rappers. I'm sure the author is doing more with the verses than I can tell but I'm on a break away - I have a parent waiting for this book at the circulation desk and I'm trying to write this as fast as I can. If I shoot this review over the goal or you think it is ragabash, that's why.  (Ah... I see on my labels/tags that I usually use novel-in-verse. Long day.)

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 Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea: The Story of Annaliese Easterling & Throckmorton, Her Simply Remarkable Sock Monkey by Eileen Beha, Sarah Jane Wright

This story takes plot elements similar to "The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams, but explores topics such as divorce, abandonment, and the joy of being loved. Annaliese Easterling loved her sock puppet, Throckmorton, until a horrible incident happened that made her abandon the toy. When she rediscovers it she brings it to life with her love and friendship. Life is difficult in the Easterling household since their mother ran away nine years ago. The oldest boy, Evan, is angry, isolated, and mean-spirited at times. The middle child, Teddy, is more kind to his sister and those around him. However, the father rules with an iron fist, not allowing the children to ask any questions about their mother or letting them have any communication with her. Annaliese is isolated more than any of them. Her brothers are going to military school and a tutor has been hired to teach her. She is not allowed to have friends or go out and it leaves her only Throckmorton, her sock monkey, as her friend.

When an invitation arrives for a large family gathering with their sock monkeys, a hunt begins to find the two that have been misplaced by Evan and the father. When Annaliese finds the sock monkeys in the forbidden attic, she also discovers clues to who her mother was before she left the house. The tutor, Miss Pine, helps Annaliese's father deal with his children in a more healthy way as they begin to question him about the items in the attic that was their mothers. When Annaliese gets together with her grandmother, she learns not only how to sew a sock monkey, but gathers more information about her mother.

The point-of-view is from Throckmorton, which allows the reader to see how all the characters are reacting to each other. The drama, action, and pacing are well done. When Annaliese comes down with pneumonia, I thought of the boy in "The Velveteen Rabbit," that comes down with Scarlet Fever. The author does not follow the same plot and puts her own unique twist that is original from the classic. I got a kick out of the grandma who loves horses which again made me think Margery William's Skin Horse, the wisest and oldest toy in the playroom that tells the Velveteen Rabbit that children's love is what makes toys real. The same is in this story. The sock monkeys are only alive when a child loves them. However the imagery of a child abandoning a toy juxtaposed with a mother abandoning her children is completely unique.

The Esterling grandma handmade all her grandchildren sock monkeys that made me think of how people will give presents like this, but they are not always appreciated as they should be. I was a bit convicted thinking about a person that handmade an ornament that I would hide because I thought it was so ugly. Really it is the effort and love in the item that should be seen more than the product. Even in school I think I focus on students creating products versus thinking of the process. Anyway, it is worth reflecting on how actions impact others. An intriguing story that would make a good read aloud.

4 Smileys

Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes

This novel-in-verse tackles quite a few issues using a small amount of words. Nikki Grimes shows how word choice and metaphors can create a powerful story. Gabriella, is prone to daydreaming. When her parents divorce her daydreaming interferes with her classroom attention. Her teacher recognizes that she is coping with her parents separation through daydreams and he helps her to channel them in a productive manner. The adults recognize that Gabby's daydreams make her a vivid writer as Gabby learns to write she discovers her own voice and self in her words.

Gabby dreams in order to escape from her parents arguments. Later they take over her thoughts so much that she frustrates her mom and teacher who need her to focus more on tasks at hand. At first they try to get her to stop daydreaming altogether, but she becomes so unhappy the teacher tries a different approach telling her to "slide her daydreams in a drawer." He acknowledges the importance of dreams but tries to help her see the importance of paying attention when he's teaching a lesson. When he catches her writing a daydream down he is excited by the quality of it. He decides to give students 15 minutes a day to write down their daydreams. Gabby's mom also recognizes that her daughter's writing and daydreaming are a worthwhile activity. Gabby is powerless in school and her daydreaming gives her some control of the world around her. It was refreshing to have the adults learn from Gabby and reminded me of how much the students at my school have taught me or inspired me to be better at what I do.

The font changes in the story when the reader is in Gabby's dreams or she has a flashback to what it was like when her dad lived with them. These shifts have some gorgeous metaphors and word choices. One of my favorites is Waterfall: "Say 'waterfall,'/ and the dreary winter rain/ outside my classroom window/ turns to liquid thunder,/ pounding into a clear pool/ miles below,/ and I can't wait/ to dive in."  Talk about giving words wings. I love that image of "liquid thunder." This would make a good read aloud for grades 4-5.

4 Smileys

Uncle Daddy by Ralph Fletcher

River's Dad, Nelson, split from the family when he was 3 years old. He went to get pizza and, poof, he was gone. No goodbyes. No explanation. Just gone. River's mom's uncle moves in with them and provides Rivers with the love of a surrogate father. Rivers is now 9 years old and finishing 4th grade. All is well until his father shows up unannounced at the front door at River's birthday party.  Everyone is angry and life gets turned upside down as they try to deal with the long lost father who wants to come home.

This book begins by painting a picture of a loving uncle and happy boy before the tension of dad coming home shatters their calm world. Rivers is a stable, kind boy who invites the entire class to his birthday party and is willing to spend time with an annoying boy in his class, Ethan. This book is a quick read and the father explains that he was away for so long because he became addicted to drugs. I really liked the plot and how the conflicts were handled, but I had issues with some of the minor characters. I wanted to get to know Taylor more and I thought Ethan was mentally handicapped in the beginning and that was why River was being so kind to him. Then I wondered if he was ADHD, but that wasn't the case either. In the end, I just got annoyed with Ethan. I enjoyed how Uncle Daddy would say, "I'm going to cloud up and rain all over you." Wonderful images and word choices. Fun read.

This would be a good read aloud with plenty of heavy topics to discuss.

Reading Level 4.2

:-) :-) :-) 3.5 out of 5 Smileys