Monthly Archives: June 2024

YA – The Color of a Lie

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Johnson, Kim. The Color of a Lie. 2024, 978-0-593-11880-1. $19.99. 336 p. Grades 7–12

It’s 1955, and Calvin and his family are moving from Chicago, Illinois to Levittown, Pennsylvania. While he and his family are Black, they are light-skinned enough to pass for being White. After moving into their new house, Calvin finds himself caught between two very different worlds. The longer Calvin and his family live in their new city, the more racial division and injustice he starts to see.

THOUGHTS: This book was phenomenal. I cannot wait to book talk it when my middle schoolers do their historical fiction novel unit in the fall. While there are historical elements like the Greenbook and redlining within districts it is written in such a way that is super engaging for teen and young adult readers. There also are elements of mystery woven throughout the novel which keeps readers wanting to know more!

Historical Fiction 

YA – Salt The Water

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Iloh, Candice. Salt The Water. 2024, 978-0-593-52932-4. $11.99. 228p. Grades 9–12

Cerulean Gene is known for going against the grain and pushing against the authorities, especially in school. They live with a set of loving parents who truly encourage them to be whoever they wish to be in this life. But when Cerulean makes the decision to no longer attend high school and drop out, but isn’t prepared to deal with the consequences of their actions, it takes a toll, especially when an accident puts one of their parents out of work.

THOUGHTS: I liked this book but it just felt like it was missing something. I LOVED that it brought attention to how the education system fails non-binary and Black students. I love that it opened up that conversation about how to better help those students who are non-conformities. The writing in verse was perfect and really gave readers the opportunity to feel and empathize with what the main character was struggling with and feeling.

Realistic Fiction 

 

Elem./MG – Operation Happy: A World War II Story of Courage, Resilience, and an Unbreakable Bond

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Walsh, Jenni L. Operation Happy: A World War II Story of Courage, Resilience, and an Unbreakable Bond. Zonderkidz, 2024. 978-0-310-15926-1. 240 p. $18.99. Grades 4-6.

In 1940, Jody and her military family are on the move to a small military base in Hawaii, known as Pearl Harbor. To help with all of her transitions, Jody creates Top Ten lists that she accomplishes with her retired and loyal dog, Happy. As the war starts to creep closer to her new home, Jody also begins to recognize that happy isn’t as young as he used to be, so she starts a new list, “Operation: Happy,” of things that they can enjoy together. But when the island is attacked and Jody’s life is rearranged, the Operation: Happy list becomes a way to help her cope and protect her family. Her father must stay behind on the island as Jody, her sister, mother, and Happy are evacuated to California. Things stay tough, as Jody navigates a new school and her mother’s crippling depression. Jody’s resilience shines as she continues to add and check things off of her Happy list.

THOUGHTS: A good introduction to World War II for upper elementary, although the descriptions of war get pretty intense and scary. Based on a real person’s memoir, it covers a wide range of topics without going too in-depth with many of them. The Zuber’s are a proud military family with sibling rivalry and sibling bonding. Some elements felt strange; the foreshadowing from the mother feels a bit heavy handed, a very brief surface view of xenophobia and Japanese internment camps, her older sister’s assault by a stranger and rescue by Happy, and the only one week tin collection campaign. The writing felt more modern but would be easier for younger audiences to approach it. Having the occasional chapter from Happy’s point of view helps to lighten up some of the tougher topics.

Historical Fiction

Elem. – Overdue: The Misadventure of Bob the Book

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Koster, Gloria. Overdue: The Misadventure of Bob the Book. Capstone Editions, 2024. 978-1-684-46920-8. 32 p. $17.66. Grades 1-4. 

This humorous book told from the perspective of a popular library book was such a fun read. Poor Bob, the book, finds himself borrowed by a little boy who forgets all about him. Bob is missing from the library for nearly a whole school year, but readers will not despair with the positive ending showing the joy books can bring readers. There is also a list of “Book Care Tips from Bob” at the end.

THOUGHTS: With colorful and engaging illustrations, this book is a great instructional tool explaining book care and returning books on time for school librarians to read to younger students.

Picture Book

Elem./MG – Poetry Comics

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Snider, Grant. Poetry Comics. Chronicle Books, 2024. 978-1-797-21965-3. 96 p. $18.99. Grades 3-6. 

This collection of poems is presented in comic strip form with bright, eye-catching, yet simple, illustrations. The poems are sectioned off into seasons and follow two characters, a boy and girl, experiencing growth, nature, writing, and all the change that comes with it. The poems range from diving deep into contemplations to appreciating the simplicities of life all perfectly through the eyes of children. At the end of each season, a “How to Write a Poem” page is included, which definitely could be used as springboards into lessons on creativity and writing poetry.

THOUGHTS: Presenting poems in this format makes them highly accessible to students who may have shied away from reading poetry otherwise. I highly recommend this collection for classroom use throughout the year, but especially during Poetry Month.

Graphic Novel
Poetry

Elem./MG – The Mystery of Locked Rooms

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Currie, Lindsay. The Mystery of Locked Rooms. Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2024. 9781728259536. 247 p. $16.99. Grades 3-7.

Three seventh graders—Sarah, West, and Hannah—must solve a series of escape room-style puzzles in an abandoned funhouse. Many decades before the three main characters, a set of triplet brothers began to build the epic house back in the 1950s, but the business was never opened. The project was abandoned, and the house was completely boarded up. There is an enduring rumor that keeps causing people to break into the funhouse. The rumor is that whoever solves all of the house’s mysteries will win a massive treasure. This entices the three friends in our story. They already have broken speed records at solving modern-day escape rooms. How will they fare with this one? The three friends travel to the site of the abandoned funhouse and find a way into the first room, decorated like a giant circus tent. Will they find their way through all of the elaborately designed rooms to the very end—and win the potential prize?

THOUGHTS: This fast-paced read of under 250 pages is highly accessible and will appeal to a range of readers. Each character is developed and has a unique motivation for being a part of the “Delta” team that wants to solve the mystery. While there is character depth here, the emphasis is on the plot twists and quick pace. Recommended for all upper elementary and middle school fiction collections where puzzle-based middle grade mysteries like The Westing Game, Absolutely Truly, and The Parker Inheritance are popular.

Mystery

YA – The Titanic Survivors Book Club

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Schaffert, Timothy. The Titanic Survivors Book Club. Doubleday Books. 2024. 978-0-385-54915-8. 320 p. $29. Grades 10+.

Two years after the Titanic sank, people who held tickets to sail on the disastrous journey, but for myriad reasons never boarded, are invited to a mysterious gathering. This first encounter is the catalyst for a story about healing, love, memory, and friendship. The backdrop for most of the action is a charming Paris bookshop, hosting a central theme of  how books can bring people together.  Lush and detailed descriptions immerse the reader in a moment of pre-war freedoms, from humble cafes to grand opera houses. The main characters are lovingly drawn, and readers will be as fond of them as the author clearly is. Some elements of the characters’ lives feel improbably magical, but that will be exactly what draws many readers to this novel.

THOUGHTS: This is a highly readable story that will be enjoyed by high school fans of historical fiction, queer literature, and anything whimsical. I immediately started recommending this to devotees of The House in the Cerulean Sea, though The Titanic Survivors Book Club is for older readers as the characters do drink and smoke.

Historical Fiction

YA – This Book Won’t Burn

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Ahmed, Samira. This Book Won’t Burn. 2024, 978-1-536-22909-7. $16.97. 528p. Grades 8–12

This timely, important book explores book banning, activism, speaking out, and finding your voice. Noor Khan recently moved to a small town after her father abruptly leaves her, her sister, and their mother, forcing Noor to spend her last quarter of senior year surrounded by new people, places, and ideas. While she originally just wanted to blend in and keep her head down, when she sees that HUNDREDS of books are being pulled from the school library for “review” because they have been labeled “pornographic” or “obscene” she can’t just sit and watch this happen. Especially when she realizes that almost all of the books being pulled are books written about or by queer or BIPOC people.

THOUGHTS: This felt like a love letter to librarians. It’s a reminder of why we fight so hard for books that are windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors for our students. While I would love to put this in the middle school library, I feel like it is slightly too mature for middle level readers.

Realistic Fiction

Elem. – Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough

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Rocco, Hayley. Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough. John Rocco. GP Putnam’s Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-0-593-61809-7. 48 p. $19.99. Grades K-3. 

Following the life of naturalist Sir David Attenborough, the Roccos created a stunning and informative picture book biography giving some details to Attenborough’s youth and journey towards becoming a world renowned writer, presenter, and advocator of the natural world. Throughout the narrative and illustrations, readers also witness the drastic changes the natural world has seen over the course of one person’s life. Quotes from Attenborough’s film A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and Vision for the Future are sprinkled throughout the book. An author’s note goes into more details about Attenborough’s life, and there is a section titled “Rewilding Our Planet.” The conservation messages are meaningful and provide solutions and means of advocating for the natural world, all with a hopeful tone.

THOUGHTS: Students will enjoy learning about Attenborough’s career through the accessible narrative and beautifully detailed illustrations, which also provide an excellent visualization of how the world has changed over the past century. This book would be a useful tool in both history and natural science lessons.

Picture Book
Biography

YA – Not Like Other Girls

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Adamo, Meredith. Not Like Other Girls. Bloomsbury, 2024. 978-1-547-61428-8. 448 p. $19.99. Grades 10-12.

When Jo’s ex best friend, Maddie, asks for her help she is shocked, but curious. When Maddie goes missing right after their conversation, Jo can’t help but feel there’s something bigger going on. Maddie’s friends and boyfriend say she ran away, but Jo and Hudson want to know the truth. Jo has been estranged from this friend group after nude photos of her are leaked and she’s not sure she wants to work her way back into the crowd, but Maddie’s disappearance is just too hard to dismiss. Hudson proposes that he and Jo start fake dating to give Jo access to her old friends. The relationship allows them to spend more time together and to hunt for clues and dig deeper into Maddie’s disappearance. As time passes and Jo has to face all the hurt and truths she experienced at the hands of her old friends, she’s faced with tough choices about herself and not just Maddie.

THOUGHTS: This book draws on experiences of so many teens, especially those that have suffered at the hands of a cell phone. Students will be drawn to Jo because of the difficulties she’s had, but feel stronger and grow with her on her journey to find herself again. With the awareness around cell phones and social media, this book will resonate in high schools.

Mystery