MG/YA – Almost There

Posted on March 2, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Rochon, Farrah. Almost There. Disney Hyperion, 2022. 978-1-368-07756-9. $18.99. 464 p. Grades 7-12.

“What if Tiana made a deal that changed everything?” This story begins where the movie comes to an end, and against Tiana’s better judgment, she decides to make a deal with Dr. Facilier, also known as The Shadow Man. He not only promises that Tiana will have her restaurant but that she’ll have it with her father who died when she was young. In return, she must give up a future with Prince Naveen and add a special potion into her gumbo each night at the restaurant. When she agrees to the terms, she wakes up to a seemingly perfect life. Although she misses Naveen, she now has her father and the restaurant of their dreams. As time goes on, strange things start to happen in New Orleans, and Tiana may need the help of closest friends to set things right.

THOUGHTS: I’ve been a big fan of the Twisted Tales since I started reading them a few years ago but as a lifelong Disney fan, I was skeptical of the idea; however, each one has exceeded my expectations, including Almost There, a twist on The Princess and the Frog. Although this series has two main authors, Disney chose an African American author from Louisiana to bring Tiana’s story from the screen to the page. Set in 1920s New Orleans, the book is able to touch on subjects, such as racism, that the movie did not explore. Readers will enjoy this tale even if they haven’t seen the movie and will be inspired to explore the others as well. The Twisted Tales are a must have series for any middle and high school library.

Fantasy Emily Hoffman, Conestoga Valley SD

MG – The Star That Always Stays

Posted on January 9, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Johnson, Anna Rose. The Star That Always Stays. Holiday House, 2022. 978-0-823-45040-4. 274 p. $17.99. Grades 5-9.

The year is 1914 in Boyne City, Michigan, and 14 year old Norvia has her life turned upside down after her parents divorce and her mother remarries. A divorce is considered scandalous during this time, and Norvia and her siblings are about to discover the stigma that is attached to them when they move into their new home. In addition to the divorce, Norvia is discovering that not everyone is accepting of her Ojibwe heritage. Despite all the challenges facing the five Nelson siblings, they are determined to make the most of their new lives. And along the way they discover the benefits of a strong family unit whether they are connected by blood or through marriage.

THOUGHTS: This was a lovely historical fiction book. I enjoyed the setting, the story, and most of all the delightful and vivid characters.

Historical Fiction Victoria Dziewulski, Plum Borough SD

MG – Playing a Dangerous Game

Posted on March 7, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Ochieng, Patrick. Playing a Dangerous Game. Norton Young Readers, 2021. 978-1-324-01913-8. $17.95 186 p. Grades 5-8.

A coming-of-age young adult novel by a skilled Kenyan author, this book offers a glimpse into the life of Kenyan boys in the 1970s. Lumush and his family are doing quite well after his father gets a promotion at his job, but the teenager is understandably worried about changing schools and still being able to relate to his long-time neighborhood friends. As Lumush and his friends hang around after school each day, talking and playing small pranks and games, they eventually work up the nerve to explore a nearby abandoned house that many people think is haunted. What the group find during their explorations is more than they bargained for, and they are caught in the middle of a dangerous, and perhaps murderous, illegal smuggling operation.

THOUGHTS: Mystery, adventure, friendship and personal growth are all major elements of this unique novel. Lumush’s life, including his family, his friends, and his school troubles, are described in rich detail. This book offers a fascinating peek into the lives of Kenyans during the 1970s; although politics and economics are mostly mentioned in passing by adults in Lumush’s life, students with an interest in Kenyan history could use this novel as a way to contextualize the facts found in traditional history books.

Mystery Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

YA – The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

Posted on February 9, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Benedict, Marie. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie. Sourcebooks, 2021. 978-1-4926-82721. 272 pp. $26.99. Grades 9 and up.

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days. She left her husband, Archibald Christie, a letter detailing what he must do during her disappearance in order to get what he wants. If he does not follow her instructions precisely, he will lose everything. As Archibald tries to play his part as written, he becomes more overwhelmed with rage towards Agatha and the officers managing the search for her. But, he was not always like this. Told through alternating chapters, the development of and relationship between Archibald and Agatha grows from passionate and spontaneous to rigid, frustrating, and cruel. Agatha does not know how to care for her changed husband, yet she continues to put him before all else including their daughter. Through her work, Agatha finds escape and the ability to use her creativity to craft unsolvable mysteries and her own disappearance.

THOUGHTS: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie is an adult novel with great YA crossover appeal. Any reader who loves Agatha Christie (still the best selling author outside of Shakespeare) and a true detective mystery will enjoy this historical fiction text. It is also a wonderful text for introducing further research about the period, Christie’s actual disappearance, or further author studies.

Historical Fiction Erin Bechdel, Beaver Area SD
Mystery

Elem./MG – Case Unsolved Crimes: Escape at 10,000 Feet: D.B. Cooper and the Missing Money

Posted on January 24, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Sullivan, Tom. Escape at 10,000 Feet: D.B. Cooper and the Missing Money. (Case Unsolved Crimes). Balzer, 2021. 978-0-062-99151-5 (pbk.). $12.99. 96 p. Grades 3-8.

“I have a bomb here and I would like you to sit by me.” Hi-jacker D. B. Cooper committed one of the only unsolved skyjacking in United States history when he boarded the Northwest Orient Airlines flight traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, on November 24, 1971. Weak or non-existent airline security gave rise to a rash of plane hi-jackings at the end of the Cold War. Author Tom Sullivan arranges the story according to six different steps and relates the interesting heist peppered with stylistic drawings and facsimiles of boarding passes and other airline paraphernalia. From our 21st century perspective, Cooper’s seemingly modest demand of $200,000 was readily granted by the head of the airline. His well-planned crime, however, did not go smoothly. He requested parachutes and directed where and how he wanted to escape from the plane; however, when the money arrived, it was in smaller denominations making the parachute backpack heavier than he anticipated. After Cooper stepped out of the plane, no trace of him was uncovered despite a thorough FBI search. In 1980, a family camping along the Columbia River uncovered deteriorating packs of $20 bills. This quick, cleverly illustrated book will interest reluctant readers especially.

THOUGHTS: This fun book has broad appeal. Though the information may not be of high value in terms of curriculum, Escape at 10,000 Feet. . . is a perfect match for students who crave short, easy non-fiction with lots of interesting facts.

Graphic Novel Bernadette Cooke, SD Philadelphia
364.15 Criminal Offenses

A Moment Comes…2013 YA Fiction

Posted on August 15, 2014 by pslamediaselectionreview

Bradbury, Jennifer. A Moment Comes. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013. 978-1-4169-7876-3. 288p. $16.99. Gr. 7 and Up.

A Moment Comes is set in India during 1947. Great Britain has given up its rule over the Country and is in the process of drawing the “Radcliffe Line”, the border designed to create a new Muslim nation (Pakistan). This is the story of Margaret Darnsley, whose father is a cartographer working on the border. It is also the story of Tariq, a Muslim teenager who desperately wants to study at Oxford, and Anupreet, a young Sikh woman whose face was slashed in a mob attack. Tariq and Anu are employed in the Darnsley household. Anupreet is Margaret’s maid and Tariq is Mr. Darnsley’s assistant. As one might expect, there is some romantic tension between the three teens. Margaret believes she is in love with the exotically handsome Tariq, but Tariq finds himself drawn to Anu. None of these relationships are realized, however; the cultural and religious barriers between the three are simply too high.

The strength of this book is in its depiction of the ever increasing conflict between Muslims and Sikhs. India is a very dangerous place at this time, although the unrest hasn’t really touched the people who are drawing the border. The Darnsley’s own precarious situation changes when a mail bomb is delivered to their house. Tariq intercepts the package (sent by his childhood friend, Sameer) and endangers his own life in the process. Tariq becomes a man without a home; he refuses to join his family in Pakistan, an Oxford education seems impossible, and he is now an enemy to India’s Muslim militants. This novel’s ending seems abrupt and somewhat unrealistic, but this book is still highly recommended. It depicts a time and place in history that is rarely discussed. Margaret, Anupreet, and Tariq are very relatable and students may see themselves in these characters. This book would be a useful complement to the study of Britain’s colonial history.

Historical Fiction (India, Mid-20^th Century) Susan Fox, Washington Jr./Sr. High School

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