Hi everyone, this week’s tween booklist is filled with a selection of some stories that may have brought a tear or several to my eyes. It took me a while to fill this post with books that I hadn’t covered before, so… I hope you like the ones that found their way this week.
In this first title, Just under the clouds by Melissa Sarno (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2018) readers are entrusted with a stunning debut novel which explores some challenging themes. Cora’s father always told her the right way to climb trees in Brooklyn: two hands, one foot. She is now a middle-schooler, a big sister, and homeless. Her mother is trying to hold the family together after her father’s death, and Cora must look after her sister, Adare, who’s slightly different. Quick to smile, Adare hates wearing shows, rarely speaks, and appears untroubled by the question Cora can’t help but ask: How will she find a place to call home? After their room at the shelter is ransacked, Cora’s mother looks to an old friend for help, and Cora finally finds what she has been looking for: Ailanthus Altissima, the “tree of heaven,” which can grow in even the worst conditions. It sets her on a path to discover a deeper truth about where she really belongs. I found this debut novel on the bonds of family and how it strengthens over time a gorgeous read!! Although Cora’s younger sister Adare is labeled as ‘special’ it’s Cora who needs more guidance to find her way. Touching on themes of homelessness, death, friendship and the bonds of love for your family, this lovely story transports you into Cora’s world and you forget where you are. Readers can find shades of kindness woven into every chapter and scene. Sarno has described New York City and Cora’s life with her family expertly and woven the many themes intricately.
This next read, Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh (Roaming Book Press, 2018) tells a story about the refugee crisis in Europe but the strands of kindness running through it find a way of shining right in your face! Newly arrived in Brussels, Belgium, fourteen-year-old Ahmed has fled a life of uncertainty and suffering in Syria, only to lose his father on the perilous journey to the shores of Europe. Now he’s struggling to get by on his own, and his hope is fading. When he meets a lonely and homesick American boy, Max, their lives collide and an unexpected friendship grows. As they learn from each other, Ahmed and Max defy the odds and figure out what bravery means and how hope can change one’s destiny. Award-winning Katherine Marsh delivers a tale for our times: a gripping story of resilience, friendship, and everyday heroes set against the backdrop of the refugee crisis. Set in part of the world that’s bearing the brunt of our refugee crisis – Belgium – this contemporary read takes us on a journey with two young boys. One who is pining for his home in the States, another who has lost everything dear to him and lost in a sea of foreign faces. The descriptions of the street where Max lives brings an image of an idyllic sort of life. I loved that Ahmed was a boy who liked to garden and yet enjoys football and superheroes. It just shows you that even in the midst of a crisis that boys will remain just that: boys!! So many powerful themes of racism, tolerance, identity, resilience, honour and loyalty intermingling with a school story and that of family dramas. I loved how this story is based on a similar event from World War Two!!
Best quote:
‘…Max wished he could tell inspector Fontaine that until Ahmed came into his life, he hadn’t felt worth much himself. But instead he just said, “You can’t know what anyone’s worth unless you give them a chance.”…’
Every Shiny Thing by Cordelia Jensen & Laurie Morrison (Amulet Books, 2018) gives readers a story of friendship and justice wrapped up in kindness. Lauren has always been a good sister. Sierra has always taken care of her mom. Both girls feel lost when the person they love most isn’t with them anymore. Lauren’s brother Ryan goes to a therapeutic boarding school for autistic teens, and Sierra has to leave her mom to live in foster care in Lauren’s wealthy neighbourhood. The girls feel a little less lost when they become friends. But when Lauren recruits Sierra to help with a Robin Hood scheme to raise money for those in need, Sierra has a lot to lose if the plan goes wrong. What an amazing collaborative project by a couple of exceptional writers! I love how Sierra’s voice is portrayed in verse while Lauren is in prose. You almost feel the story skipping along around you when each character unfolds in different ways. Those descriptions of a Quaker school filled with religious values and terminology was something I didn’t realise I would enjoy. An interesting and heartfelt read!!
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (Walden Pond Press, 2017) is the first in a trilogy. Our young protagonist Bat, Bixby Alexander Tam, has had a life full of surprises, some good and others not so good. Today, though, is a good surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mum that a baby skunk may just make a terrific pet. I really liked the quick and quirky narrative of the story. Arnold has portrayed young Bat’s autistic tendencies quite well and gives us a glimpse into how separated families of autistic kids work. The classroom scenes with his teachers are crafted really well and quite funny at times! Bat’s unique way of seeing the world brings kindness to the forefront of this read!!
This next read, No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen (Anderson Press, 2018) was another book that featured homelessness. It was a bit tough to get into but once I started, it was a lovely read. Felix Knutsson and his mom Astrid have a secret: they are living in a van. Astrid promises it’s only till she finds a new job, and begs Felix not to breathe a word. When Felix starts at a new school, he does his best to hide it from his friends.But Felix has a plan to turn their lives around. All he needs is a little luck and a lot of brain power. What I liked the most about this story was the format: it was mostly Felix’s interview with Constable Lee!! His unique way of explaining things with a bit of back story attached is adorable and I found it quite enjoyable!! The seriousness of homelessness in Vancouver is really well presented. Readers get to see kindness running side by side with the other themes of humour and heartbreak in Nielsen’s moving story about the people who slip through the cracks in society.
My last selection, Everything I Know About You by Barbara Dee (Aladdin, 2018) delivers an engaging and interesting story of dealing with food disorders and how it affects friendships in middle school. To Talia ‘Tally’ Martin, her upcoming class trip to Washington D.C. feels like a nightmare. To foster seventh-grade unity, the teachers have assigned Tally and her best friends, Sonnet and Caleb (a.k.a Spider), to share hotel rooms with their enemies. But the three day trip is full of surprises. Alliances are made and broken and Tally makes an uneasy peace with her roommate, head “clone girl” Ava Seeley. Soon Tally begins to suspect something is off with Ava, who keeps a weird notebook, and doesn’t seem to be eating anything during meals. For the first time Tally doesn’t have an easy solution to an incredibly complex equation. This is a trip full of lessons Tally won’t forget, including how to love yourself and embrace your flaws and that being a good friend can actually mean telling a secret you promised to keep. This unexpected read had me gripped until the end. The dynamics between Tally, Sonnet and Spider are expertly woven and unravelled as they’re thrown in with their enemies during a school field trip. I enjoyed the descriptions of the different things the kids did in Washington DC and the new friendships that were formed. The scenes where Tally deals with Ava’s suspicious behaviour around food is expertly crafted and I liked how Tally was portrayed as being worried about her. We see her whole personality emerge. Barbara Dee has dealt with anorexia and its effects on young girls really well here while giving us layers of kindness throughout the whole story. An amazing story!!
I hope you all enjoyed this booklist of tween reads. If anyone knows any others, I’d love to hear from you.
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 