Tag Archives: Family

MG/YA – When You Wish Upon a Star

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Lim, Elizabeth. When You Wish Upon a Star. Disney Hyperion, 2023. 978-1-368-07754-5. $18.99. 380 p. Grades 7-12.

“What if the Blue Fairy wasn’t supposed to help Pinnochio?” Before becoming the Blue Fairy, Chiara was a young woman who loved helping others. In her village, she was known for her kindness, and Chiara was adored by her younger sister Ilaria. Although Chiara was always thinking of others, Ilaria was always thinking of herself. Her dream was to become the world’s most famous opera singer, and her passion for singing landed her an audition at a prestigious opera school. If she’s accepted, she’ll be able to leave their village of Periva and achieve her dreams. Everything changes for the sisters and their family when Chiara is given the opportunity to train with the fairies on the wishing star. In her absence, Ilaria befriends the quiet and caring Gephetto, but when her audition goes poorly and the time comes for Chiara to leave for good, Ilaria joins the heartless fairies in their pursuit for power. Years later, when Chiara and Ilaria meet again as the Blue and Red Fairy in the home of a much older Gephetto, they strike a bargain: If Pinnochio can be kind, good, and true, together they will make him a real boy. If not, Ilaria will take Chiara’s heart instead. Can the sisters who were once so close find their way back to one another, or will Chiara lose her heart and sister forever?

THOUGHTS: This is one of the best Twisted Tales that I’ve read, and I have read them all! My favorite thing about this tale is that the original story of Pinnochio stays exactly the same. The story of Chiara and her sister has been added, and I loved learning more about the fairies, the wishing star, and the magic present in Periva. I’d recommend this one to any reader, and you certainly don’t have to be a fan of Pinnochio to love this story. The Twisted Tales are a perfect addition to any middle or high school collection, especially When You Wish Upon a Star. 

Fantasy

YA – The Stolen Heir

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Black, Holly. The Stolen Heir. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-316-59270-3. $20.99. 368 p. Grades 9-12.

In the fairy world of Elfame, Suren is the heir to the Court of Teeth, but as a child, Suren was raised by a human family. When her fairy family came to retrieve her, it was only then that she discovered who she really was. After a brutal upbringing within the Court of Teeth, she escapes back to the mortal world, secretly hoping to reconnect with her formal family and save humans from making dangerous fairy bargains. When she is tracked down by Prince Oak, the heir to Elfame and her former friend, she agrees to accompany him on a journey North, back to the cruel home she fled from years ago. Suren isn’t sure if she can completely trust Oak, but since she’s the only one that has the power to control her mother, Lady Nore, she decides it might be time to face her past and finally take control of her own life.

THOUGHTS: I’d highly recommend reading the Folk of Air series before The Stolen Her since the plot is a continuation of the events that transpired in The Queen of Nothing, and fans of Jude, Cardan, and Oak will be eager to find out what happens after The Battle of the Serpent. This book is a reminder to readers that Elfame is a dangerous place and that even the main characters cannot always be trusted. The folk are tricky and often have their own secret plans and agendas since they cannot lie, and I always think it makes for a unique and somewhat darker YA story.

Fantasy

YA – Girl Forgotten

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Henry, April. Girl Forgotten. Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, 2023. 978-0-316-32259-1. 260 p. $18.99. Grades 8-12.

True crime-loving Piper Gray has arrived at Firview High School as the quiet new girl. When the school assigns a required senior year passion project, Piper decides to try her hand at the one thing she loves most: podcasting. Inspired by her favorite podcast, Kelley McBrain’s Dead, Deader, Deadest, Piper decides to investigate a local Firview, Oregon unsolved mystery. Piper enlists the help of a classmate named Jonas who serves as Piper’s podcasting mentor. Piper and Jonas quickly become immersed in a seventeen-year-old mystery involving the unsolved murder of a young girl named Layla Trello. During the pursuit of truth, Piper interviews Layla’s ex-boyfriend, close friends, school employees, and family members about the mysterious murder. Piper gets more than she bargained for after she receives a menacing package and ominous online threats telling her to stop the search for Layla’s killer…or else. Just as Piper begins to sense she is close to uncovering the truth, one of her interviewees ends up dead. Is Piper next? Alongside Layla’s mystery, some of Piper’s own hidden secrets are also bound to spill out. Filled with twists and turns, this story will keep readers guessing until the end.

THOUGHTS: Readers who enjoy suspense, true crime mysteries, and April Henry’s signature fast-paced thriller style will enjoy this newest release. The book is told through news articles, Piper’s narration, and partial transcripts of Piper’s podcast. Characters cue as white. Aside from the action, readers learn a lot about podcasting itself, but the step-by-step nature of Piper’s project doesn’t slow the pacing down too much. There are some big twists near the end, but readers will be so hooked in to the mystery by that point that they may forgive (and perhaps even love) the wildness of the last fifty pages. Henry’s story also would be a hit (and a shorter read!) for those who love stories like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson or One of us is Lying by Karen McManus.

Mystery 

Piper Gray is starting her senior year in a new house, a new school, and with a new family. She moves in with her dad after an incident with her mother. She now shares a home with two younger siblings, her stepmom, and a dad she has never lived with before. She has no friends at school, and is at a low point in her teenage life. This is until she discovers she has to do a senior passion project. Piper knows exactly what she wants to do – a podcast. She has discovered a cold case of a local 17 year-old girl, Layla Trello, who was murdered 17 years ago. She decides to create a podcast to dive deep into the case. Along the way she discovers a few secrets that some want kept quiet, and Piper finds herself in danger. Will she discover the identity of the killer, or will she have to abandon her project for her own safety?

THOUGHTS: Page turner! Great for those readers who love true crime podcasts and mysteries. There is mention of teens drinking alcohol, so this may be best for older readers.

Mystery

MG -Finally Seen

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Yang, Kelly. Finally Seen. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-534-48833-5. unpaged. $17.99. Grades 3-7.

When her parents emigrated to the United States with her young sister Millie, Lena Gao stayed behind in the “waiting city” of Beijing with her beloved lao lao (grandmother). In the opening pages of Finally Seen, Lena is on a flight to Los Angeles to be reunited with her family! But five years is a long time, and Lena has a lot to learn about her own family, not to mention the English language and American culture. Lena quickly realizes that nothing has been perfect for her parents in California either. Her dad works very long hours on an organic farm, back rent will be due in a few short months when COVID-19 rent relief expires, and their green cards are hung up in red tape. To make ends meet, Mom and Millie make bath bombs to sell on Etsy, and Lena happily joins in the family business. At school, Lena begins to learn English with the help of an empathetic ELL teacher and Flea Shop, a graphic novel that offers Lena a mirror of her own life. But Lena’s joy at being “finally seen” in a book also finds her caught in the midst of a culture war over what books are appropriate for students to read. 

THOUGHTS: Kelly Yang delivers another charming and relatable middle grade novel rooted in the real experiences of so many young people in the United States and beyond. Her Author’s Note describes the impact of attempts to ban her novel Front Desk, and her steadfast belief in the freedom to read books that offer windows, mirrors, and sliding doors.

Realistic Fiction

YA – Greywaren

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Stiefvater, Maggie. Greywaren. Scholastic, 2022. 978-1-338-18839-4. $19.99. 384 p. Grades 9-12.

The Lynch family secrets finally are being revealed. Their lives are intertwined with dreams and realities, but the surviving brothers are on the brink of destruction. Declan is doing his best to keep Matthew awake and alive while Ronan has fallen into a deep and unwaking sleep. As the story of their parents comes to light, so does the reality of Ronan’s actions, and dreams around the world are in dire need of sweetmetals to keep them awake. Will Ronan find the strength to save the world and his family, or will he abandon them to ruin and destruction amongst the chaos in the world?

THOUGHTS: Greywaren is the final book in Stiefvater’s Dreamer trilogy, a companion to The Raven Cycle. Stiefvater has crafted a perfect ending for the brothers Lynch, first introduced to readers in The Raven Boys, and readers will be rooting for Ronan and Adam as they find their way back to one another outside of their idyllic life at the Barns. 

Fantasy          Emily Hoffman, Conestoga Valley SD

MG/YA – Bravely

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Stiefvater, Maggie. Bravely. Disney Press, 2022. 978-1368071345. $19.99. 384. Grades 7-12.

Merida of DunBroch is feeling a little bored with her life, but when two deities show up on her doorstep on Christmas Eve night, she learns that if she cannot bring change and progress back to DunBroch, her family and realm will be destroyed by Feradach, a god of destruction. In order to save her family, Merida embarks on three journeys and hopes to move her family away from stagnation. They need motivation in order to change, but Merida only has a year, and while she puts all of her energy into others, she forgets that she must also change herself.

THOUGHTS: Brave is one of my favorite movies, and Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors. Naturally, when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it! It wasn’t quite what I expected it to be, but I loved it all the same. Stiefvater adds to the myth and magic already present in the story while focusing on each character in depth, and I especially loved reading about the triplets and their unique personalities. However, I would recommend seeing the movie first before diving into Bravely.

Fantasy          Emily Hoffman, Conestoga Valley SD

Merida of DunBroch, the Scottish princess featured in the Disney film, Brave, is now twenty years old and restless when Christmas Eve brings her an encounter with the god Feradach. Charged with rooting out and destroying entities that are stagnating, Feradoch has his eyes set on DunBroch, Merida’s beloved ancestral home. Only Merida’s quick thinking, and the sly intervention of the wily old goddess, the Cailleach, provide DunBroch a reprieve. Merida is granted a year to bring necessary change to DunBroch. She hounds, nags, and drags her parents and triplet younger brothers to explore opportunities and expand their horizons; to analyze and discover their true callings, to repair and improve the family home. But will a year be enough? Will DunBroch change enough? Fans of Stiefvater, a writer of ethereal fantasy fiction, may be initially disappointed with her prosaic writing, but with her solid grounding in Celtic lore, she crafts an engaging story with delightful character development. Readers with no familiarity with the movie will still be caught up in Merida’s quest and Stiefvater’s evocative world building. Merida is a compelling, sympathetic character who needs to learn at least as much as the rest of her family, but may not realize, until too late, that the biggest change is risking her heart. 

THOUGHTS: A Young Adult Disney princess tale, this a charming story with a limited audience. Stiefvater’s writing is aimed at a more inclusive age range than her Raven Boys and other series. Purchase where romantic fantasy is in high demand, or readers maintain a fondness for Disney. Hopefully this will lead readers to Stiefvater’s truly genius works. 

Fantasy          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD
Mythology

Elem. – The Bird Feeder

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Larsen, Andrew. The Bird Feeder. Illustrated by Dorothy Leung. Kids Can Press, 2022. 978-1-525-30483-5. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-6.

Grandma loves birds, and when illness causes her to move into her grandchild’s house, she brings her beloved bird feeder with her. Together, grandma and grandchild watch birds, talk, and draw together. When grandma moves to a hospice, Mom describes hospice as a place where she will be more comfortable and receive special care. The grandchild feels sad and hopeless about grandma’s move–unable to fully understand that is where she needs to be now… but over time realizes hospice isn’t a scary place and Grandma is still Grandma, even in this new place. On the child’s second visit, the bird feeder is hung outside the grandmother’s window, and they are back to watching, drawing, and spending time together. Over time, grandma sleeps more and spends more time in bed, waking when the therapy dog visits. One of the birds builds a nest in the birdfeeder tree. Grandma sees the nest, but her grandchild is sad that she passes away before she sees the birds leave the nest. The connection to grandma remains strong for the child, however, in the drawings hung around the house, the birdfeeder hung on a branch outside the bedroom window, and the child’s love of birds.

THOUGHTS: The Bird Feeder’s illustrations and text work together beautifully to tell a story that centers on terminal illness that is both comforting and honest. Mom is shown as a reassuring presence, and the grandchild could be a boy or girl, leaving the reader to connect to the child in their own way. Grandma is depicted growing more tired and less able as the book progresses, but she surrounded by love in family, the hospice facility dog, and the growing collection of artwork she and her grandchild created. The ending gives a nod to how our loved ones live in us, even when gone. A highly recommended, must-have for library shelves for the moment a child or family needs this book. 

Picture Book  Hannah J. Thomas, Central Bucks SD

Elem. -Me and Muhammad Ali

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Asim, Jabari. Me and Muhammad Ali. Nancy Paulson Books, 2022. 978-1-524-73988-1. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.

Muhammad Ali is the main character’s hero, and he is thrilled when he finds out that the champ himself is coming to his town. He spends all morning getting ready, going to get his hair done, hearing stories about Ali, and pumping himself up the whole time. When the moment comes to go hear Ali speak, he and his mom are turned away. The author’s note at the end tells that this is loosely based on a real story that happened to the author’s mother, in a similar manner that it occurred in the book.

THOUGHTS: This is a lovely book that shows a different side of Muhammed Ali outside of the fighting ring. This book will be enjoyed by fans of Ali as well as fans of wonderfully written and illustrated picture books.

Picture Book          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

MG – Small Town Pride

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Stamper, Phil.  Small Town Pride. Harper, 2023. 978-0-063-11878-2. 260 p. $16.99. Grades 5-8.

Jake is adjusting to being his school’s first openly gay kid, but it’s not easy. His family and friends have been accepting but not everyone in the small Ohio town he lives in feels the same. The book starts with Jake coming home to an obscenely large pride flag hanging outside his house…his house across the street from the mayor’s house. People in town begin to be concerned that this could lead to a pride parade. Which causes Jake to think…why not? The main problem is that they would have to get approval from the town council and the mayor. Will Jake and his friends be able to convince people that a Pride celebration is an awesome idea? Why is Brett, the mayor’s son, spending so much time with Jake and his friends?

THOUGHTS: This was a wonderful story about standing up for yourself and what that can look like for an individual person. Highly recommended for any middle school collection.

Realistic Fiction          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

MG – My Own Lightning

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Wolk, Lauren. My Own Lightning. Dutton, 2022.  978-0-525-55559-9. $17.99. 307 p. Grades 6-8.

This sequel to Lauren Wolk’s award-winning, Wolf Hollow, picks up at the close of that fateful school year. Annabelle McBride has survived classmate Betty’s bullying and the death of the traumatized World War I veteran Toby, but she still is trying to make sense of all the puzzle pieces that school year gave her and how she should view herself and her world. While helping the teacher clean the schoolhouse, she meets Mr. Graf, a man she perceives as charming and friendly, who is searching for his lost dog. On the way home, a storm kicks up and Annabelle is struck by lightning. An unknown person saves her life. Afterward, her senses seem heightened, and she feels an affinity to animals, especially dogs. Not only is Mr. Graf’s dog missing, but Annabelle’s brother, Henry, cannot find his dog, Buster, either; and neighbor, Andy (who was Betty’s accomplice in bullying Annabelle) has lost his dog as well. When Annabelle meets new neighbor, the dour Mr. Edelman, she thinks he is mean. Despite this scary first impression, when she hears barking from the Edelman property, she investigates and finds a secret animal rescue shelter. Neighbor Andy, Annabelle’s nemesis, has been sleeping in the family’s potato house to escape his abusive household. His past behavior overshadows the kindness he displays with the animals. All of these characters mix together for a sort of human mystery that Annabelle navigates that summer, both in pursuit of the lost dogs as well as a realization that people are not always what they appear. Though the lightning seemed to sharpen her perceptions, Annabelle has to figure out for herself who is sinister and who is truly kind. In the process, she learns not only about others, but also about herself.

THOUGHTS: The language in this book is delicious. The descriptions of the family suppers, the city of Pittsburgh, and the farmland are lush and rich with unique imagery. Wolk has the talent to create authentic characters; even the minor ones ring true. Sensitive readers will appreciate Annabelle’s struggle to detect who is an enemy and who is a friend and learn from her realizations that it is never a waste of time to look deeper into a person’s actions and behavior before judging them. Use this book for great examples of lush imagery.

Historical Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia