Hi everyone, this first week’s booklist post will take you on a trip with some tween reads! There’s a mixture of themes, lively and unforgettable characters, and… well… You’ll have to click below to find out more…
In See you in the cosmos by Jack Cheng (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2017) we’re treated to Alex Petroski’s road trip with his dog Carl Sagan – named after Alex’s hero, the real-life astronomer. All Alex wants to do is launch his golden iPod, which has a series of audio recordings, into space. However, with a dad long-dead, a troubled mom, and a brother who’s never around, Alex struggles with big questions: Where do I come from? Who’s out there? And above all, How can I be brave? Intent on seeking answers, Alex has set out with Carl Sagan and meets some remarkable people along the way. But is Alex prepared in uncovering the answers to the secrets on his journey? I was all over the place with this one!! Poignant, inspirational, heartwarming, funny, moving and so much more!! Alex is such a loveable and adorable character. Brave and strong, he personifies all that we see today in the kids now!! The writing style, in the form of audio recordings, is such a unique experience that you almost forget where you are while reading!!
This next one, The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla (HarperCollins Publishers, 2017) takes us on a cross-country road trip with Charlie and his family. Since his father’s return from Afghanistan, Charlie’s perfectly ordinary life has been unravelling. Now his life consists of living with Gran, trips to the hospital, and wishing things were back to normal. When his father heads from California to Virginia for further medical treatment, Charlie reluctantly travels cross-country with his entourage of siblings and a mysterious new family friend. Along the way he decides that if he can spot all the birds that he and his father had been hoping to see someday, then maybe, just maybe, everything might turn out okay. I experienced every emotion as I read this story!! I laughed at the twins’ antics, felt embarrassed by Davies’ boy-madness and was heart-stricken for young Charlie as he coped with every situation with his routine of cleaning. Sally J. Pla has created a masterpiece in my opinion. Not only did she give us a happy ending but as we drove across the country with this mad-cap group we learned how we each can survive as an individual in this world. We need to learn to celebrate each person’s uniqueness. I love how she explained the personalities of each character with the many adventures and mishaps they got up to. The adults in this story also seem to contribute quite a bit to the overall storyline. It felt more like a movie to me where in the end, with not just a happy ending of acceptance, we also learn more about ourselves and grow as a person. A great debut novel!!
Best quote comes from T. Shaw’s letter:
“… It is so easy, cowardly easy, in this world, to destroy things. And it takes such courage to create, to build, to renew, to embrace life….. When you see trouble, you want to help, even if you’re not sure how. ….. You are a creator, not a detractor.”
The Matilda Effect by Ellie Irving ( Corgi Books, 2017) isn’t just about a road trip. Our young protagonist Matilda is someone who loves science, and she’s desperate to be an inventor one day. So she’s astonished to learn that her grandma was once a scientist herself. Not only that – Granny Joss discovered her very own planet! But her nasty boss stole the discovery and he’s about to be presented with a Nobel Prize!! Matilda is determined to tell everyone the truth… but can she and Granny Joss get to the award ceremony in time? What a delightful little book!! I laughed, I cried, I stomped my first in frustration (even though I was reading in bed!) and I cheered!! Matilda’s one quirky, adorable, courageous and determined character!! The supporting cast of assorted family, new friends – both human and animal – bring this story to life along with the hilarious dialogue and vivid description of their trip towards Sweden. An awesome and hilarious story!!
My last read, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (Henry Holt & Co, 2019) sure packed a punch. Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road for five years in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation. It’s also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash. Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished – the very same park where she, her mom and her sisters buried a treasured memory box – she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington State in four days… without him realizing it. They end up picking up a strange crew of misfit travelling companions. Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote learns that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.” Equal parts hilarious and poignant, if I wasn’t laughing I was crying my head off!! For a young tween, Coyote Sunrise sure had a lot of courage and spark to her. Armed with wit and determination she drags her father, Rodeo, across the country to unearth the last remaining memories she has of her mother and sisters. The supporting cast of Salvador, Lester and pet cat Ivan brought so much colour to the story. Highlighting engaging topics such as domestic abuse and homosexuality, this amazing read will keep you entertained all the way through. It’s no wonder that this book was also awarded the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award in 2022 among several others.
I hope you enjoyed this selection of tween reads.
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 