Monthly Archives: April 2023

YA – Nine Liars

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Johnson, Maureen. Nine Liars. Katherine Tegen Books, 2022. 978-0-063-03265-1. 445 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

High school detective Stevie Bell in England investigating murders of two university students in 1995 makes for page-turning reading, particularly for devotees of the Truly Devious series. Stevie’s boyfriend, David is studying in England and persuades Stevie to come not only to be with him but also to help his friend Izzy whose Aunt Angela is still troubled by the unsolved murders. Inserted in the present narrative of the book are sections that explain the circumstances of the murders. Nine friends, connected through their comedy writing and performances, go away for a weekend at Merryweather Manor, the luxurious country home of one of the circle to celebrate their impending graduations from Cambridge University. They wake in the morning to two of their group hacked to death with an ax in a locked woodshed on the property. Keeping the murder angle under her hat, Stevie convinces Dr. Quinn, the head of Ellingham Academy in Vermont, that she and her friends (Janelle, Vi, and Nate) should take advantage of this invitation for a week-long study abroad. An initial meeting with Aunt Angela to ascertain the scope of the case turns sinister when Angela goes missing. Stevie sets her sleuthing prowess into high gear, sorting out clues from Angela’s home and interviewing The Nine, now in their forties. As the week progresses, Stevie and the group get a descriptive tour of London while Stevie’s and David’s romantic trysts get thwarted at every turn. Stevie and her classmates meet up with The Nine at Merryweather to probe what they recall about that fated night, but Stevie’s efforts are curtailed when they learn devastating news. Stevie may not be as confident as her friends in mapping out her future college plans, but her tenacity shows through in following the case to the end. In gradual release, Poirot-style, Stevie uncovers the murderer, tying up all the loose threads, and keeping the reader eager for the next installment. 

THOUGHTS: Fans of mystery books will add this one to their nightstand. Johnson interjects humor when appropriate. Drinking is a constant pastime, but Stevie usually opts for the non-alcoholic beverage. She and David dance around having sex, but nothing ever happens, other than a warm feeling and deep kissing. There is some cannabis growing and use from 1990 group. Some character diversity is present: Janelle, Yash, and Theo are people of color; Nate comes out to Stevie as asexual; Vi and Janelle are a couple; one of the adult characters, Sebastian, is gay. Some of the book reads like a tour guide and also a history text; but with the flippancy and lightness of Johnson’s writing, it seems interesting and fun. One thing that bothered me is how quickly Izzy, niece of Angela, recovered from her death (ah! sorry for the spoiler). It is also nice that Stevie is from Pittsburgh. 

Mystery

Elem. – Groundhog Gets It Wrong

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Townes, Jess. Groundhog Gets It Wrong. Illustrated by Nicole Miles. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-32615-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

Groundhog’s family tree is full of meteorologists. Now it is his turn to announce his prediction on February 2, about whether winter will persist or if spring will make an early appearance. Dressed in a tuxedo, Groundhog goes on stage and declares that winter is over, since he saw no shadow. The happy townspeople put away their winter things and plan a spring festival, but become extremely disgruntled when a major snowstorm hits the town the next day. The woodchuck tries to make amends by clearing the snow, but only makes matters worse when the streets turn icy. Sadly he leaves town seeking a new career, but returns to his burrow when the jobs don’t work out. Once home, the critter realizes that predicting the weather is not a natural talent, but requires study. After taking classes and reading a lot of books, the community weatherman is ready to return to the family business. Will he find success? The digital illustrations by Miles are colorful and amusing.

THOUGHTS: This picture book is a great read aloud and is a worthwhile purchase to freshen up your Groundhog Day collection.

Picture Book

Elem./MG – The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story

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Lowry, Lois. The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story. Clarion Books, 2023. 978-035-867250-0. 186 p. $16.99. Grades 5-7.

In May 1952 in northern Germany, men excavating a peat bog discovered skeletal remains, with remarkably preserved hair and clothing remnants. Scientists estimated that this “bog body” was buried in the First Century A.D, during the Iron Age and could find no obvious signs of trauma. At first they believed the body was that of an adolescent female, and she became known as the Windeby Girl. Fascinated by this, Lowry poses a possible explanation to this mystery, after conducting research on that time period. She calls the girl Estrild, and she lives in a village with her family. Her friend is called Varick, who is an orphan boy with a curved spine and other disabilities. Approaching adulthood, Estrild is not looking forward to a future as a wife and mother.  Instead, she longs to be a warrior like her brothers and asks Varick, who works with the forger, to help her learn how to use a sword and shield. Soon it is time for the eligible boys to undergo the initiation rites of the warrior. Estrild joins them, declaring before the village and the druids that a woman should have the same opportunities to fight as the males. Those in power make a decision, which ends in tragedy. After writing this story, Lowry learned that a scientist in this century determined that the bog body was that of an adolescent male and so she created a second story from the viewpoint of Varick, who is very curious about nature and how things work. From his study of bones, he is able to successfully treat the forger’s hip injury, but sadly the teenager cannot help himself avoid an unfortunate end. The book is divided into five parts: History, Estrild’s story, History, Varick’s story, and History. The History sections discuss life in the Iron Age and the bog body discovery. There is ample information in the back matter about warrior shields, animals, and customs. The end papers show a photograph of the body, and there are grayscale illustrations by Stroh before each chapter. 

THOUGHTS: This is an intriguing book that will attract middle grade readers. One can imagine Estrild as a modern day feminist and Varick a scientist. Even though the reader learns the fate of  the characters, there is no narrative discussing their actual deaths. Lowry is a fabulous storyteller, and elementary and middle school libraries will not want to miss this one.

Historical Fiction

MG/YA – Hoops

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Tavares, Matt. Hoops. Candlewick Press. 2023. 978-1-5362-3195-3. 224 pp. $12.99. Grades 4+.

It’s 1970 in Wilkins, Indiana, and Judi Wilson longs to play basketball instead of cheering from the bleachers. Five years later, she’s a cheerleading senior in high school when she hears an announcement that Wilkins Regional High School is going to have a girls’ basketball team! With only eight girls going out for the team, everyone makes the cut. However, the girls don’t have real uniforms, buses to away games, meal money, or equal access to the high school gym. Judi and her teammates present their demands to the Athletic Director, but they face an uphill battle. With some grassroots publicity and the dedicated support of Coach Montez (plus electrical tape for putting numbers on their t-shirts), the “Lady Bears” make it all the way to Indiana’s first-ever girls’ basketball state championship! Do they have what it takes to bring home the trophy? Hoops was inspired by the true story of the 1976 Warsaw High School girls’ basketball team (read the Author’s Note for more details). Matt Tavares’ gentle, retro color palette of brick red, olive green, and turquoise (and orange basketballs, of course!) perfectly situates this story in a particular time and place: Indiana in 1976. It’s full-to-bursting with heart and exciting moments on the court. 

THOUGHTS: Hoops is a stand-out all-ages read with connections to Women’s History Month, March Madness, Title IX, and more!

Graphic Novel    

MG – The First Rule of Climate Club

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Firestone, Carrie. The First Rule of Climate Club. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books, 2023. 978-1-51604-213-5. 469 p. $22.99. Grades 5-8.

Mary Kate Murphy has always loved nature. Luckily enough she lives next to a beautiful nature sanctuary that becomes a special place for her and Lucy, her best friend, to hang out. She is thrilled that she is chosen to be in the first ever climate change science class along with Lucy. Under the guidance of Mr. Lu, the class decides to do a composting project. They apply for a grant that would give them enough money to start the project, but their application is rejected by the mayor who has troubling racist views. The climate class decides to host a fun fest to raise funds for the project. To raise awareness for the fest (and also expose the mayor’s problematic views), they start a climate change podcast. One of their guests includes Miss Charlotte Lane, their English teacher and the candidate running against the mayor in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Lucy is battling an unknown illness which weighs on Mary Kate’s mind. Fortunately, she has her friends in the climate club, and with their help, Mary Kate sets out to educate her community about climate change and prove that a group of determined kids can do anything.

THOUGHTS: While this is a stand-alone novel, fans will be delighted to see the return of some beloved characters from Dress Coded. This book is fast-paced, funny, and realistically portrays middle schoolers in a modern world. This is a fantastic read for any middle school students, especially those with an interest in activism.

Realistic Fiction

MG – A First Time For Everything

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Santat, Dan. A First Time For Everything. First Second Books, 2023. 978-1-626-72415-0. 308 p. $22.99. Grades 5-8.

Dan is a quiet, obedient boy both in school and at home. His mother is often sick from her struggle with lupus, so Dan helps out when he can. At school, he follows the rules and tries to stay invisible, yet he still finds himself the target of bullying. Dan has never been outside of his small California town, and he sets his expectations low when he attends a class trip to Europe. But despite the fact that the trip gets off to a shaky start, Dan finds his travels to France, Germany, Switzerland, and England are opening his mind to new possibilities. He discovers he loves Fanta, likes French rap, and dislikes getting lost. Dan also discovers he really, really likes Amy, a girl on the trip with him. As he treks through Europe, Dan continues to push himself outside of his comfort zone as he realizes that the world is a big place – and he has a place in it.

THOUGHTS: As a Caldecott-winning illustrator (and author), Dan Santat is a familiar name to librarians. This graphic memoir about his time in Europe is funny, endearing, and relatable. The illustrations are beautifully done, especially his drawings of various European landmarks. Santat even includes back matter: a note from the author and an explanation of how he recreated his old memories in the pages of this book.

Graphic Novel Memoir

Caldecott-award winning author and illustrator (The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend), Dan Santat puts all the cringe-worthy and awkward moments of his middle grade years into the memoir, A First Time for Everything. Docile, obedient, and hard-working, middle-school Dan has a difficult time shrugging off the memory of reciting an A.A. Milne poem in front of the entire student body and being booed. A European tour with other kids his age the summer before high school finally yanks him into living a more typical adolescent life. As the group of mostly white students jaunts from city to city, shy Dan is coaxed to shed his uptight nature, take some risks, make new friends, and welcome the romantic interest of fellow tourist, Amy. When Dan’s camera doesn’t work well, he resorts to keeping a record of his trip in his detailed, realistic sketches. The graphic novel captures the humor of the group, sampling highlights from each country in food or special event. Colored frames represent present day while Dan’s recollections are black and white. Precious memories is the main theme of this lengthy graphic novel (the reader follows the group for 21 days). It sounds cliche, but Dan’s realization that making the most of each moment is genuine. Back matter contains original photographs.

THOUGHTS: The embarrassing moments, the sometimes annoying friends, and the misbehavior of peers will be relatable to most middle school students. There is not much diversity in the book, save for Dan who is Thai-American. His group is from California; the group they travel with is from the Midwest; and they are traveling only through European cities. Dan breaks out of his super rule-consciousness one night and steals a bike, bulking up his courage to sneak into a Wimbledon tennis match where he is center court with John McEnroe. The memoir teaches that each new experience can change us and help us grow, a healthy lesson for those on the brink of high school.

Memoir, Graphic Novel

This coming-of-age story from Caldecott winner Dan Santat shares the true story of his school trip to Europe when he was 14. Having been bullied and feeling invisible in middle school, Dan was not on board with his parent’s idea to travel to Europe with the same classmates who made fun of him. A series of first experiences gradually open Dan up to the world that lies before him. Will these firsts include his first kiss and first girlfriend?

THOUGHTS: A perfect read for the middle school set, this graphic novel will transport you back to all the awkward feelings of middle school and almost make you wish you could go back!

Graphic Novel