Scary Stories for Young Foxes

Mia is a clever young vixen who goes to lessons each day with her siblings.  Ms. Vix is the best teacher they could hope for, and life is happy until the day the yellow shows up.  They can all smell it, that strange scent, unlike any natural fox scent.  They may not understand it, but the quickly realize it makes creatures act strange and violent.  Mia and her mother are the only ones to escape, but escape means they are now without a home and vulnerable to other dangers.

Uly was born was an undeveloped forepaw.  He can't even clean his own ears without falling over, let alone hunt.  His sisters take every opportunity to mock and tease him, but it isn't until his absent father returns that he knows real fear.  Mr. Scratch doesn't tolerate weakness, especially in his own son, so Uly must run for his life, but how long can a fox with only three legs survive on his own?

The trials and adventures of these two young foxes are told as a series of stories to a group of young fox kits who cower at the thought of all the dangers in the wild.  Each story seems worse than the last, and it is hard to believe Mia and Uly will survive.

Christian McKay Heidicker's book is a different kind of scary story with animals as protagonists and the very real dangers of life as wild animals from rabies, to larger hunters, to a very creep story about a Ms. Potter that had me doing some research.  This is for the young reader who likes a creepy story and won't balk at some realistic animal behavior--like eating baby squirrels.

Clean Getaway

Scoob doesn't hesitate when G'ma shows up at the house with a brand new RV and says, "Let's go!"  His dad officially canceled his spring break because he got in trouble for something at school that wasn't even his fault.  Needless to say, he is not happy with his dad, and he is more than happy to leave a handwritten note and hit the road.

G'ma won't tell him exactly what the plan is, but it seems like they are reliving a road trip she and his G'pa took before Scoob's dad was born.  She is using all these old maps and something called a Green Book to navigate, and each stop reveals more about the past.

Scoob's dad has always resented his father who died in prison serving a sentence for a string of jewel thefts, so this is the first time Scoob is really learning anything about the guy.  Each stop is significant to the Civil Rights movement but also significant to his grandparents.  Scoob's never really thought about how hard it was to be a black person fifty years ago, and he didn't even know his grandparents' interracial relationship was illegal.

G'ma is Scoob's favorite person, and they are having a great time at first, but when she starts doing strange things like calling him by his father's name, he starts to worry.  Maybe leaving his cell phone at home to cut off his dad was a bad idea.  What's the point of this whole road trip anyway?  Scoob is starting to lose faith in the person he trusted the most.

Nic Stone's middle grade debut is an interesting read.  I feel like the cover and some of the reviews are misleading.  I'm seeing a lot of words like "light-hearted" tossed around, and I don't think that's accurate.  There are some comic moments here, but once you hit the halfway point, the mood really shifts.  His G'ma starts to feel like a stranger, and he has no way to contact his dad as they head out of the country.  Stressful!  I won't spoil anything, but G'ma's revelation at the end is pretty heavy for an 11-year-old.  I enjoyed the book and recommend it; I'm just a little confused by the marketing.

Bad Best Friend

Niki and Ava have been best friends since 4th grade, which is why what happens in PE is a total shock to Niki.  The gym teacher tells everyone to pair up with their best friend.  No problem, right?  Everyone knows Niki and Ava are best friends, right?  Except Ava pairs up with cool girl Britney and leaves Niki alone like the third elephant on the day the ark was loaded.

Niki can't figure out what happened.  She's always been a good friend to Ava, always concerned about her feelings and wants.  This can't be real!

Thanks to the PE fiasco, Niki has started spending some time with Holly who used to be her best friend before Ava moved to town.  Niki is surprised to discover how much she enjoys hanging out with Holly and her friends, even if she can hear Ava's voice in her head calling them boring nerds.

This is all so confusing, but Niki doesn't feel comfortable talking to anyone about it, especially no her mom.  She always tries to be the easy kid.  Her younger brother Danny takes a lot of her parents' energy, and her mom somehow has this idea that Niki is wonderful and kind.  She doesn't want to shatter her mom's perfect idea, but she also knows this is NOT true.

Is Niki doomed to be the third elephant forever, left out in the cold alone? 

There is so much to love in Rachel Vail's new book!  Please hand this to all middle schooler everywhere, especially girls!  Vail does such a wonderful job of writing the relationships between these characters--Ava who manipulates and gaslights Niki and Niki who doesn't even realize she is unhappy and being manipulated by her so-called best friend.  Holly is the girl we all want to be, cool, confident, and generous.  Also, well-done for mirroring the daughters' relationships in the mothers.  Unfortunately, we don't always grow out of unhealthy friendship patterns.  And the ending is great!  No one gets off the hook too easily for their bad behavior.  Highly recommended!

Voyage of the Frostheart

As a rare song weaver, Ash has always been an outcast.  Since his parents were lost on a pathfinding journey, Ash has been passed around to different families in the stronghold until he was finally passed to Tobu, a yeti estranged from his own people.

Tobu isn't exactly warm and fuzzy, but he does care for Ash, and he always encourages Ash to keep his talent hidden for his own protection.  Life in this frozen world is difficult, and the people mistrust Ash even though he only wants to use his song weaving to protect them. 

After dangerous beasts attack the stronghold, Ash decides to leave with a group of Pathfinders in search of his missing parents.  The fast-talking Captain Nuk is a walrus with a peg-leg and an open mind.  She is happy to have a song weaver onboard.  He also meets Lunah who could turn out to be the first friend he's ever had and Shaard, a mysterious man who encourages Ash to use his abilities.  He's surprised to discover Tobu onboard the Frostheart, as well.  The cantankerous Yeti just refuses to abandon his charge.

Will Ash and the crew of the Frostheart survive the frozen wilderness and find his parents, or will fall victim to the ice?

Jamie Littler's new fantasy series starter is a great adventure set in an imaginative landscape.  I have to admit I listened to this one of audio and didn't realize it had illustrations until I finished it.  I think that might have made a difference in my reading experience.  It was still an enjoyable fantasy perfect for middle grade readers.

A Match Made in Mehendi

Simi comes from a long line of matchmakers, but she has no interest in the family business even if her mother thinks she has the gift.  Nevermind she just made an on the spot match between her cousin and a soon-to-be lawyer.  Simi is an artist, and that's where she wants to focus her energy.  She's got a big end of term project to figure out, and she wants to find a way to make her Mehendi designs permanent.

But when her best friend Noah suggests that use a dating app her brother created (and her mother and aunt rejected) to gain some social cache, she's tempted.  Freshman year was supposed to be great, but Noah and Simi ended up flying under the radar thanks to intense bullying by Amanda, the queen of the popular crowd.  Now, they could use the app to help their friends find love and reinvent themselves.

When the app matches the local soccer star and ex-boyfriend of the illustrious Amanda with a quiet new girl, things get sketchy.  Simi also thinks maybe she could find a match for herself.  Will it be the cool art guy she's been crushing on for years or the attractive and sweet new guy?

Will Noah and Simi find love and boost their social standing, or will they crash and burn?

This fun new romance by Nandini Bajpai was a sweet delight and the perfect distraction.  Indian American YA romance is becoming one of my favorite genres, and this is a perfect example of why.  It's romantic, fun, exposes some readers to a different culture, and is a mirror for other readers.  On top of that, they are generally pretty clean, so they are perfectly fine for middle school.  Read on, friends!

The Year We Fell From Space

Liberty Johansen wants to change the way people see the stars.  Everyone else just looks for the old constellations, but Liberty sees new images that are relevant to her life at the time.  Her father taught her to love the stars, and she's been struggling to see anything.  Her father promised they would see him all the time, but they haven't seen him in months.

One night while she is out looking at the stars, a meteor falls from the sky and lands near her.  She feels a connection to this space rock which has suddenly found itself in an alien world, so she begins talking to the meteorite, sharing the things she can't tell anyone else.  Even though she's angry with her father, she can't deny she's inherited so many things from him.  What if she also inherited his depression?  Her little sister Jilly is struggling, too, refusing to leave the house.  And then there's her mom; everyone thinks her mom should be sad, but she actually seems happier.

As Liberty struggles to make sense of her new reality, all the challenges of her old life become even harder to face.  There are the neighbor boys who used to be friends with Liberty and Jilly, but they are now tormentors.  There's also the girl at school who has used her social power to ostracize Liberty.  She doesn't feel comfortable talking to anyone which leaves feeling alienated from her whole life.

Will Liberty be able to find the pattern to get her life back on track?

This new middle grade novel from Amy Sarig King mixes a touch or her signature surrealism with the very real emotional struggles of her protagonist.  This is a lovely and quiet novel revealing the inner life of a child dealing with life's struggles.  King is gentle with her protagonist even when she is prickly, a good reminder to us all to be gentle in our interactions with others.  Highly recommended.

The Silence Between Us

After moving across the country, Maya will be attending a hearing school for the first time.  It's hard enough to leave your best friend and everything familiar, but when you are starting over in a school where you can't communicate with anyone, the stakes are higher.

Luckily, the aide the school hired seems like she will be an ally, but Maya isn't so sure about anyone else.  Nina has been "assigned" to her as a sort of student mentor which is always a little awkward, and then there's Beau.  Maya isn't sure what's going on with this hearing boy.  What does he want from her?  That's not to mention missteps from well-meaning teachers and obnoxious classmates who don't realize she read lips.

Maya loves math and science, and she dreams of studying respiratory therapy to help kids like her little brother with cystic fibrosis, and she quickly impresses everyone with her knowledge and ability.

When Beau starts learning a few signs, Maya still isn't sure what to make of him, but it doesn't take long before she realizes he is sincerely interested in her.  To her own surprise, she's interested in him, too.

But her frustrations come to a head when it seems like everyone is pushing her to reject her deaf identity.  Even the people she trusts the most, don't seem to understand her.

This engaging love story for Alison Gervais is an unexpected treat.  It's a sweet romance that also explores life as a deaf teen in a hearing world.  In the author's note, Gervais explains she also has hearing loss.  Maya is a bit prickly for most of the book, but that is believable for a girl suddenly thrust into a world where no one speaks her language or understands her culture.  Highly recommended.

The Light at the Bottom of the World

It's the end of the 21st century, and the world is underwater.  The people who survived this catastrophic event live in underwater habitats with the hope of one day returning to the surface.  Leyla McQueen doesn't know any other life.  For her, it's completely normal for sea creatures to swim in and out of the landmarks of Old London.  Humanity lives in a careful balance between hope of returning to the surface and fear of the dangerous creatures in the ocean. 

When Leyla's name is chosen to race in the annual London Marathon, she is determined to win.  Each year the winner gets a prize of his or her choosing, and Leyla plans to ask for her father's freedom.  He was arrested and imprisoned for preying on those suffering from seasickness, despair that affects those who can no longer accept this new way of life. 

The race is just the beginning, and after an unexpected twist, Leyla is off on an illegal quest to find her father and uncover the truth about his imprisonment.  Her companion is the brooding and unwelcome Ari who has promised Leyla's grandfather he will protect her, but Ari has a few secrets of his own.

I really liked the concept of this novel by London Shah, but the execution was a bit clunky for me.  I have consumed a lot of science fiction in my time, so I might be more critical than other readers.  In a world where you aren't tied to living on land, I found it odd there were not more people living off the grid in their own submarines.  It was also a bit unbelievable that a girl who doesn't even have a vehicle could win a race.  In fact, Leyla has no real skills, but she thinks she just takes off on her own and magically overcomes every obstacle in her path, even obstacles people with experience and training have failed.  Add to that a love plot that just feels obligatory, and this wasn't my favorite.  I didn't hate it; I just spent a lot of time rolling my eyes.

Beverly Right Here

Beverly Tapinski has had enough.  She's run away from home before, but now it's for good.  Her dog, Buddy, is dead, and she is done with her alcoholic mother, so she hitches a ride up the coast to a small seaside town. 

She lies about her age to get a job at a fish place, and she finds a temporary home with Iola Jenkins.  Beverly doesn't want to rely on anyone, and she for sure doesn't want anyone to rely on her. 

But she quickly becomes tangled up in the lives of her new neighbors.  Iola needs someone to drive her to bingo and is willing to exchange a place on her sofa for a driver. It isn't long before this relationship between 14-year-old Beverly and the elderly Iola becomes more personal.

And what about Elmer, the genius clerk at the local gas station with painful acne and a beautiful spirit?  He's the first friend Beverly's had since Ramie and Louisiana.  Maybe he's even more than just a friend. 

Then there's Iola's cranky old cat Nod who doesn't like anyone except apparently Beverly.  No matter how many times life has let you down, it just may not be possible to live without connections, and Beverly may realize she isn't as finished with her past as she thought.

Kate DiCamillo's third book in the Rancheros series is beautiful and evocative.  It's only a short slice of Beverly's life, but it gets her on the road to healing.  DiCamillo is a master of characterization and can create an entire world with a few words.  Will there be a surprise fourth book to bring our girls back together?  Fingers crossed, but even without another book, these characters will live on in the minds of readers.  Highly recommended.

Maybe He Just Likes You

Mila's family has been having a hard time lately; her father never pays child support and money is tight.  That's why she hasn't said anything to her mom about needing new clothes.  She just sticks with what she can make work, but her body has changed a lot, and even the clothes she can wear are tight over her chest and hips. 

She's already self-conscious, so when the basketball boys force a group hug on Mila and her friends, so just feels worse.  But that's not the end of it.  Suddenly, Mila is the focus of a group of boys who try to hug her, touch her, and put her in uncomfortable situations. 

Is she just being too sensitive like the boys say when she confronts them?  It doesn't feel like it.  It feels like torture, like every part of her life is being invaded by aggressive boys.  Even when she tells her friends, they don't really get it.  Zara even accuses her of thinking everyone is flirting with her.  Max wants her to talk to a school administrator, but how can she go to a man about this, especially when he coaches the basketball team?

A karate class at the new gym in town helps, but what will she do when the two-week free trial is over, and they can't afford the classes anymore?  It's not until things become completely overwhelming that she lashes out.  Will someone finally listen to her side of the story and really understand?

Barbara Dee's new book should be required reading for middle school and up.  My middle and high school days are decades in the past, but Mila's story took me back to those awkward encounters with touches and words I would never tolerate now.  I think this book highlights the beginnings of a cultural shift.  We can't just brush off inappropriate behavior by saying "maybe he just likes you" anymore.  Victims of this kind of casual assault need safe harbors at school and at home, and the perpetrators need to be educated and disciplined for inappropriate behavior.  Highly recommended.

The only thing that struck me wrong was the use of the slang "fresh" for talking back.  It pops up a couple of times.  Does anyone say that anymore?  Is it a regional thing?  I only know it from watching reruns on afternoon tv as a kid. 

Warrior of the Wild

Rasmira may be the only girl entering the warrior trial, but she is by far the strongest candidate.  She just wishes their trainer would stop singling her out and showing her special favor because her father is the leader of their village. 

The boys in her training group despise her and don't hesitate to take out their frustrations with violence.  When she fails her trail through betrayal, she is cast out into the wild as all failures are.  She can't return unless she completes a task set by the village council.  No one has ever successfully completed one of these tasks.

But Rasmira's may be the most difficult task ever set for a failed warrior:  defeat a god.  Each year all the villages pay a hefty tribute to this god in order to avoid his wrath.  They have seen him kill a man with the flick of his wrist.  Rasmira is horrified.  They never expected her to return.

As Rasmira tries to survive the wild and plot a way to accomplish her matugr, she meets Soren and Irik, fellow banished warriors.  If they work together, maybe they can complete their tasks, but it won't be easy.  Each task is deadly, and the wild is filled with dangerous creatures who might kill them before they even get a chance.

Tricia Levenseller's new fantasy is a stand-alone with roots in Viking culture.  I liked it ok, but I just wanted something more.  It felt a little too plot-driven and episodic for my tastes.  Also, I was kind of hoping Rasmira would find a whole community living out in the wild.  I wanted more of her mother's backstory and more about the whole "god" situation.  No spoilers, but that was a key turning point of the book, and it's a bit of a throwaway.  Also, be aware that one village has to supply a girl each year, and there is evidence of abuse in his lair--no details but it's pretty obvious.  I can overlook a lot because I love a story with a strong female character, especially one who learns to balance strength and authority with personal relationships.  Recommended for 8th grade and up.