Tag Archives: Insecurity

Elem. – Bad Badger: A Love Story

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Wood, MaryRose. Bad Badger: A Love Story. Illustrated by Giulia Ghigini. Union Square Kids, 2025. 978-1-454-95346-3. 195 p. $18.99. Grades 3-6.

A spotted badger named Septimus lives in a lovely cottage by the sea where he enjoys opera and an occasional walk on the beach, provided he is wearing his boots so the sand doesn’t get trapped in his paws. With his odd lifestyle, Septimus is an outsider to the badger community and so is delighted to form a friendship with a seagull he dubs, Gully. Gully lights down on Badger’s porch most days to share tea and conversation. Their talk consists of Septimus’s words and Gully’s caws which the badger interprets. On his own, Septimus wonders about his relationship with Gully: does the bird like him? What can he do to please Gully? How can he be a better friend? When Gully seems to extend an invitation to a beach picnic, it catches Septimus off guard. He is unprepared and does not have his seaside accoutrements. Still, he soldiers on and bears the discomfort of matted fur and gritty paws to please his friend. In this and other humorous and whimsical examples, MaryRose Wood lays out the give and take and sacrifice involved in true friendship. When Gully is missing for several days, Septimus searches for the bird, bringing him in contact not only with his fellow badgers but also with other gulls and a pair of snail detectives. Drowning in self-doubt, Septimus is relieved to find Gully nesting on the roof of his own cottage, a prediction that the pair are now a couple. Sweet and funny, with a clear message of the ups and downs of friendship–albeit one sided from Septimus’s point of view–this story is reminiscent of Michael Hoeye’s Time Stops for No Mouse or Polly Horvath’s Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, Detectives Extraordinaire–minus the mystery. Wood’s prose has the ability to engulf one in warmth and comfort, making this book the pick of more thoughtful readers. 

THOUGHTS: What won me over in this book is the writing. The detail in Septimus’s home and habits brought into mind’s view his surroundings. In addition, I thought Septimus’s ping-pong like thoughts mimicked well the doubts and second guessing people tend to do when meeting a new person. It can be clever or irritating how Septimus always seems to know what Gully is caw-ing about. This book may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I saw that Betsy Bird (“Fuse8 Productions”) listed it on her early Newbery predictions. (I wouldn’t go that far as several times I took Ms. Bird’s book recommendation without reading it first, and the book was a dud at my school library.)

Fantasy

YA – Nick and Charlie: A Heartstopper Novella

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Oseman, Alice. Nick and Charlie: A Hearstopper Novella. Scholastic Press, 2023. 978-1-338-88510-1. 176 p. $16.99. Grades 9-12.

Seventeen year old Charlie, Head Boy of Truham Grammar School, is a relatable, insecure teenage boy. Nick, Charlie’s eighteen year old boyfriend of two years, just completed Year 13 and will be heading off to university in the fall. Just completing Year 12, Charlie will be left behind. Though they’ve agreed to keep their relationship going long distance, Charlie can’t stand to hear Nick excitedly talk about uni. The fact that this happens more now that Nick’s Year 13 is coming to an end makes Charlie feel extremely guilty. But the thought of not being in the same place everyday makes Charlie wonder if they’ll make it. Oblivious to Charlie’s insecurities, Nick happily documents his love for Charlie on a disposable camera. Meanwhile, Charlie obsessively checks his Tumblr where everyone seems to think his relationship with Nick will end – what first love, long distance relationship lasts? Charlie wishes Nick would read his mind and realize he’s worried about their future, while Nick wonders what’s bugging Charlie. When news of another long-term relationship ending surfaces at an end of the year party, Charlie drunkenly pushes Nick away, ending in an explosive, public argument. Did they just break up? Neither willing to admit their relationship is over – but also not willing to ask the other – Nick and Charlie need to work through their feelings for each other while revising (studying for exams). A bonus explanation for American readers written by editor David Levithan is at the end and will give some clarity to readers who struggle with the British-isms.

THOUGHTS: Nick and Charlie are lovable characters who – like many teens – let their insecurities get in the way of talking about their feelings. Highly recommended for high school collections, especially where Heartstopper and other Oseman titles are popular.

Romance, Realistic Fiction

Elem. – Join the Club, Maggie Diaz

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Moreno, Nina. Join the Club, Maggie Diaz. Illustrated by Courtney Lovett. Scholastic, 2022. 978-1-338-83281-5. 229 p. $7.99 (pbk.). Grades 3-6.

Reminiscent of Frazzled by Booki Vivat, Join the Club, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno has as its protagonist a Cuban-American girl ready to start seventh grade in middle school whose friends seem to have found their niches while she is still searching for hers. As the short, sweetly illustrated novel opens, Maggie’s mother is finishing her accounting degree, the Diaz family has welcomed a new baby brother, and their grandmother has come to live with the family in Miami after their grandfather’s death. Until her tiny house is completed in the family’s backyard, Abuela has become Maggie’s roommate. She is not shy about providing Maggie with unsolicited direction and advice (in Spanish). Maggie’s aim to be independent and grown up is thwarted by her lack of a cell phone, her busy parents’ strict rules, and the overshadowing of her seemingly perfect older sister, Caro. Intertwined seamlessly in the plot is Caro’s LBGTQ+ relationship with her tutoring buddy, Alex, and Mrs. Diaz’s positive acceptance of their relationship. Pressured to appear like she is fitting in, Maggie tells little white lies and tries joining every club she can. The one catch to admission to a club, however, is good grades. Maggie finds herself overextended and in over her head and her grades are slipping. If that happens, her prize of a cell phone and more freedom go out the window. With humor and pathos, Maggie muddles through and finds strength in unexpected people. Young readers will identify with Maggie’s struggles to find her special thing and keep up with her schoolwork in an unfamiliar environment of both a new school and a new stage in life.

THOUGHTS: Fitting in and finding one’s place in middle school is not an easy task. Books that have characters failing and trying at the same thing can be encouraging. It helps that Join the Club, Maggie Diaz is a quick read. Maggie’s up and down relationship with her grandmother is also a connection with real life. A fun and relatable read, especially for reluctant or struggling readers.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia