Five tween titles that bring happy smiles and laughs

Hi everyone, welcome to the month of October. We have not long to go until Christmas, and summer is not too far away for us here in New Zealand. That should have brought a smile to most of you who call Auckland home!! So, in ensuring you keep smiling, even those who are facing autumn or fall, here are five tween titles that kept me smiling and laughing, sometimes even out in public!!

Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2017) is one of those heartwarming reads that bring smiles to readers as each chapter unfolds. Julia Marks is not having the best start to her summer even though she has been cast as a Munchkin in the local theater production of The Wizard of Oz. But then, unexpectedly, Julia begins to see the world – and herself – in a different way. She is inspired by the show’s always enthusiastic director, and she becomes friendly with two women unlike any she has ever met: Olive, an adult with dwarfism who doesn’t let her size define her; and Mrs Chang, a neighbor whose incredible artistry helps Julia to see herself as an artist. She soon realises that “there is going to be the summer when the little people call the shots”. You can’t go wrong with a middle grade novel by Holly Goldberg Sloan!! This was another best-selling one that kept you in giggles and tears from beginning to end. You’ll love her quirky characters with their hilarious dialogue and storyline!! 

The Vanderbeekers series by Karina Yan Glaser (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing; 2017) gives a delightful story of a biracial family from Harlem. Readers will be taken into the world of the Vanderbeeker siblings and the drama that usually follows them in every chapter. The dynamics of this madcap family and their pets are sure to drive anyone to hysterics and uncontrollable laughter!! Follow their adventures as the series goes and see if you don’t fall in love with this amazing band of siblings and their entourage!! 

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (Rick Riordan, 2018) is a fantasy/adventure tale like no other. Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in with her classmates in her private middle school. While her classmates are jetting off to exotic vacations, she’ll be spending her autumn break in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art & Culture that her mom curates. One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru’s doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don’t believe her claim that the museum’s Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees The Sleeper, an ancient demon who is intent on awakening the God of destruction. Her classmates and mother are frozen in time, and it’s up to Aru to save them. The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the legendary Pandava brothers and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-man pyjamas supposed to do all that? Roshani Chokshi’s debut novel has it all!! Suspense, intrigue, high octane adventure, heroines who have only just entered puberty, love, and death!! Fans of Percy Jackson will enjoy this fantasy-adventure featuring the Hindu gods like you’ve never seen them before. Our heroine Aru Shah is as funny as they get and you won’t ever tire of her quick wit and courage as she braves the Kingdom of Death.   

Sal & Gabi break the universe by Carlos Hernandez (Rick Riordan, 2019) is actually a winner of the Pura Belpre award in 2020. Another fantasy/adventure novel, but this time it’s Cuban mythology that takes centre stage. When Sal Vidón meets Gabi Reál for the first time, it isn’t under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal’s office for the third time in three days, and it’s still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school newspaper, is there to support her friend Yasmony who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that, somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany’s locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared. Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for the sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess… except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he’s capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken – including his dead mother – and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There’s only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk. A sassy entropy sweeps, a documentary about wedgies, a principal who wears a venetian banta mask, and a heaping platefuls of Cuban food are just some of the delights that await in this mind-blowing novel gift-wrapped in love and laughter. If you are after a decent-sized tween fantasy read, this is definitely for you. With a colourful and hilarious storyline, readers can follow Sal and Gabi through their adventures in both time and space in this awesome story. 

The Freja Peachtree series by Katrina Nannestad (HarperCollins, 2017) is a sweet series filled with interesting characters who brought smiles to my face. The first story is titled The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome. For the first ten years of Freja’s life, she and her mother, Clementine, have roamed the Arctic in search of zoological wonders. But now everything is changing, and Clementine must send Freja away to live with her old friend Tobias, a bestselling crime writer and quite possibly the most absent-minded man on Earth. Tobias isn’t used to life with a child, and Freja isn’t used to people at all, but together they’ll stumble into an Italian adventure so big that it will change things forever. This series follows Freja and Tobias as they travel across Europe and describes the fascinating destinations they end up in and the hilarious characters they meet. The story may not be a high-octane adventure or a suspense-filled mystery, but it has all those that give you smiles and a full heart at the end of your day!! If you’re a romantic at heart like me, you’ll enjoy this sweet series of stories!! 

Well, there you have a short-ish selection of reads that brought me happy smiles and laughs. I’d love to hear from anyone who can give me any other titles that have given you laughs as you read them.

Until I hear from you stay safe and keep reading

Miss Mahee