YA – Bring Me Your Midnight

Griffin, Rachel. Bring Me Your Midnight. Sourcebooks Fire, 2023. 978-1-728-25615-3. $9.49. 416 p. Grades 9-12.

Mortana Fairchild is a witch. She lives with her coven on an island separated from the mainland, and although they practice magic, they only expel small quantities at a time in order to keep the peace between witches and mainlanders, who have been distrustful of witches in the past. As a result, Tana and her coven purge their excess magic once a month into the ocean, and although they have noticed its negative effects on the water, the tradition continues. When Tana misses the midnight ritual due to a run in with a stranger named Wolfe, she must find a way to purge her magic on her own before it kills her. When she discovers that Wolfe and his hidden coven still practice “dark magic” on the other side of the island, she unwillingly accepts his help in order to stay alive. Their relationship becomes complicated when she begins to develop feelings for him because Tana is engaged to Landon, the son of the mainland governor. This arrangement will create an alliance between the witches and mainlanders, and even though Tana knows how important this union is to her coven, she’s torn between her duty and her desire. As she starts to question what she’s been taught about using magic and the powers she has, her world begins to unravel, and her choices will not only determine her future, but the future of her island and her coven.

THOUGHTS: Although Bring Me Your Midnight is a part of the fantasy genre, I would highly recommend this one to readers looking for a love story. It has a bit of everything that kept me reading late into the night: an arranged marriage, a forbidden “enemy to lovers” romance, and an intriguing mystery surrounding the use of magic in Tana’s world. Bring Me Your Midnight is a stand-alone fantasy that exceeded my expectations, and I think this is a must have title for any YA, library collection. 

Fantasy

MG/YA – The Love Report

BéKa. The Love Report. Illustrated by Maya. Hippo Park, 2023. 978-1-545-81127-6. 192 p. $12.99. Grades 7-10.

Besties Grace and Lola have a lot of questions about dating, love, and romance. Why do all the boys at school like this one particular popular girl? What is going on with love and the goth girl? And the boys… well, there are a lot of questions about romance and the boys at school. The girls decide to write a love report filled with questions and answers following their love study. The girls will discover more about love, their friendship, and themselves as they ask questions and find answers.

THOUGHTS: A love report of self-discovery and worth. Middle School readers will relate to this book as they begin their own discoveries of love and relationships.

Graphic Novel

YA – See You On Venus

Vinuesa, Victoria. See You On Venus. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-70513-1. 341 p. $12.99. Grades 8-12.

Mia has grown up in group homes and foster homes with very little known about her birth mom. She knows that her mother is from Spain and her name is Maria. Mia has grown up with a heart defect, and now faces the possibility of a short life unless she undergoes a risky surgery. Mia wants to meet her birth mom before this happens, but time is running out. She has been saving and planning this trip with her friend, Noah. Her biggest wish is to meet her mom and find out why her mother gave her up. Kyle has everything going for him until a fatal accident occurs that kills his best friend – Noah. Kyle begins to spiral to a dark place, and then enters Mia. The two of them embark on this overseas trip to find Mia’s birth mother. Will this trip provide answers to help them move forward with their lives? Noah’s death has brought them together; will this tragedy help mend their broken hearts?   

THOUGHTS: This was a quick read with a powerful message of hope and love and friendship. It has also been made into a movie, so students will be familiar with this story and may come looking for the book version. 

Romance

Elem. – The Shape of You

Van, Muon Thi. The Shape of You. Illustrated by Miki Sato. Kids Can Press, 2023. 978-1-525-30545-0. 32 p. $18.95. Grades K-2.

A mother and daughter look for shapes around them: triangles, spheres, squares. The search takes on a more figurative approach such as the shape of learning is quiet, the shape of the wind is a scarf flopping, etc. The ending is sweet when the child shares that the shape of her love will always be the shape of her mother

THOUGHTS: This sweet book will allow children to appreciate all of the things surrounding them, tangible and intangible.

Picture Book

Elem. – Love Makes a Garden Grow

Yoo, Taeeun. Love Makes a Garden Grow. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-534-44286-3. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.

Among a garden full of beautiful blooms and lush greens, a young girl grows. With a watchful, loving eye, her grandfather cares for her and his plentiful plants. The two favor different flowers – she peonies, he orchids – but they care for the garden together, humming to the plants. Surrounded by plants, the little girl feels her grandfather’s love. As she grows and experiences life’s changes – like moving away and eventually having a family of her own – plants make her feel like she is loved and home.

THOUGHTS: This sweet intergenerational story would be perfect to celebrate grandparent’s day. Stunning pencil illustrations are brought to life with digital coloring. Highly recommended.

Picture Book

YA – Spin

Caprara, Rebecca. Spin. Simon & Schuster, 2023. 978-1-665-90619-7. 393 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

“You must learn to question/ the stories you hear” (84). “The bards and poets/ often get it wrong, especially/ when they speak of/ girls and women” (4). Arachne is unattractive and destined to be nothing and be heard by no one, they say in town. But Arachne grows, learns to weave from her mother, loves her younger brother and friend Celandine fiercely, and questions the wisdom of the gods. Even as her mother shares stories of the gods (including Persephone, Leucothoe, and Aite) and leaves gifts at Athena’s altar, Arachne in her anger dares to question what the gods have done for them in their harsh, illiterate lives. As the years pass and Arachne grows from girl to young woman, she avoids others, distrusts the gods especially in their treatment of women, and learns to weave so skillfully she begins to feel pride in her own abilities as well as earn approval from others, including her father. But tragedy steals her family, and when beautiful Celandine is assaulted by a group of boys, the two flee to the city of Colophon. There, finding work as a weaver, Arachne again becomes known for her increasingly exquisite handiwork, but she will not give credit to the goddess Athena, who Arachne feels never offered her anything. Even as Arachne feels an attraction to Celandine, the two are pulled apart by anger and misunderstanding, and Arachne pours her emotions into her weaving. The resulting showdown between Arachne and Athena is powerfully described as Arachne stands boldly–in words and in weaving–for herself and all women misused, overlooked, and judged harshly. 

THOUGHTS: This masterful novel in verse will appeal to young readers, especially those interested in mythology or strong women.  

Fantasy (Mythology)

Elem. – Nubby

Richards, Dan. Nubby. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. Illustrated by Shanda McCloskey. 978-0-593-38109-0 Unpaged. $18.99 Grades K-2. 

Nubby has had it. He’s a favorite blue stuffed bunny who has seen too many puddles, been used as a tissue too often, and felt unloved with constant mistreatment by his boy. Nubby wants appreciation, and he sets out to find it.  With the help of the family dog, Nubby escapes to adventure and acceptance–perhaps with real rabbits? No, they just ignore him. Perhaps as part of a magic act? No, the act is forgotten when the audience fails to care. Perhaps finding treasure digging with the dog? No, he’s left with strewn stuffing, dirtier and alone. Then Nubby thinks back to his boy. “It had been messy and loud and unruly. But it had also been close, and unspoken, and … real.” Fortunately, older brother discovers Nubby, mom sews him up, and his boy loves and adores him once again. Only this time, Nubby and his boy appreciate being together far more.

THOUGHTS: This is a sweet book about appreciating what–and who–you have and might make children re-consider their care of their own favorite toys.

Picture Book

MG – The Labors of Hercules Beal

Schmidt, Gary D. The Labors of Hercules Beal. Clarion Books, 2023. 978-0-358-65963-1. $19.99. 347 p. Grades 5-8.

Hercules Beal is 12 years old and entering seventh grade. Hercules loves his small town of Truro on Cape Cod. Every morning he rises before dawn to walk to the dunes to watch the sun rise. As the first light of day emerges, Hercules whispers his love to his parents who died a year ago in a horrific car crash. Hercules lives with his older brother Achilles, in a home built by his great-grandparents. Achilles had been pursuing a career in journalism when the accident changed the Beal family forever. He returned to Truro to care for Hercules and run the family business. Hercules was the smallest kid in his sixth grade class and is full of all of the trepidation that goes with entering middle school. He is hoping that he will hit the much anticipated Beal growth-spurt soon so that he can avoid bullying in middle school. At the last minute Achilles announces that Hercules will not be attending the local public school, but will begin middle school at The Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Sciences. Disappointed he won’t be attending school with his best friend Elly, Hercules is nervous to meet his new homeroom teacher who introduces himself in a terse and unfriendly welcome letter. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer is a retired Marine. He is a no-nonsense teacher with exceedingly high expectations. The first assignment he gives is a year-long project based on ancient texts. Each student is challenged with an individual project that would make a college student sweat. Hercules Beal is assigned to examine his namesake’s 12 labors from ancient Greek mythology and to reflect on each labor as it pertains to his own life and the lessons he learns in 7th grade. Hercules (the kid) is somewhat perplexed as he dives into researching Hercules (the myth) and his journey of self-discovery. In the ensuing school year, Hercules (the kid) is met with many challenges of his own. Achilles and Hercules are so busy trying to survive, they have not yet learned to live with their immense grief. As he contemplates his classical namesake, Hercules (the kid) begins a journey of self-discovery that takes him to the very depths of his own version of hell. With the love of his brother, his friends, his teachers, his community, and the Greek mythological stories, Hercules (the kid) finds himself.

THOUGHTS: One of the best books I have read this year. This book is very much in the style of Gary D. Schmidt’s 2008 Newbery Honor, The Wednesday Wars. Fans of that story will be thrilled to delve into another coming of age journey that is not ever simply what it appears to be on the surface. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer is a complicated character with many demons of his own to overcome. The community of classmates, neighbors, and middle school faculty is wonderfully rendered. A stunning story about moving forward with grief. Many applications for further inquiry into classical mythology.

Realistic Fiction

Twelve-year-old Hercules Beal is entering seventh grade with a lot of baggage. His parents, owners of Beal Brothers Farm and Nursery, have died in a tragic car accident while on a rushed delivery run. Now his twenty-something brother Achilles has put his travels as a writer for National Geographic  on hold to take care of Hercules and run the family business on the coast of Cape Cod. Hercules is not looking forward to starting seventh grade at the Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Science and would prefer to start middle school with his neighbor and lifelong best friend, Elly Rigby. He winds up in the homeroom of retired marine, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Hupfer (Holling Hoodhood’s best buddy from Gary Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars), who distributes a yearlong assignment on the first days of school: to relate Greek mythology to the students’ own lives. Of course, because of his moniker, Hercules receives The Labors of Hercules. Thus begins a coming-of-age tale that integrates mythology into the seemingly mundane goings-on of a close-knit New England community and the silently grieving siblings. Hercules Beal speaks to the reader in a conversational tone, relating his struggles to complete each of the twelve tasks throughout the school year. Circumstances determine how the labors are accomplished: the town is plagued by a pack of feral cats; the Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Science is condemned after a severe nor’easter; Hercules’s dog gets hurt and needs assistance during a blizzard, and so on. After each “labor,” Hercules must write a reflective essay. Each is brief yet meaningful and hopefully cathartic; following each essay is Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer’s professional but sensitive response. As Hercules navigates this critical year coping with his guilt and grief, neighbors, friends, and teachers support him, especially when the unthinkable happens. By story’s end, a more secure Hercules recognizes he is not left to carry his burdens alone. And the reader is left with a host of memorable characters and a renewed conviction in the importance of helping each other. Most characters appear to be white; some have Asian-sounding names.

THOUGHTS: This book can be used well in several ways: character study–the development and arc are easy to trace; for a similar assignment involving myths; comparative stories, classic to modern; writing tips from the essays; minimally, plant identification and environmental impact; relationship building; social and emotional health discussions. I don’t know if this is the best book I read all summer, but it is the one that touched my heart the most. Although set in the present day (cell phones, laptops, etc.), it is not slick or trendy. Typical Gary Schmidt, he alludes to the hard stuff–the pain, the anxiety–with a few phrases and ellipsis rather than a lengthy description, but the meaning is taken. Schmidt brings in Hupfer and his now-wife, Mai Thi, from The Wednesday Wars, and makes a reference to Doug Sweiteck (The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now) and the Joe Pepitone jacket, which may lead students to seek out these titles if they cotton to this book. I say this because The Labors of Hercules Beal may appeal only to readers who are into reading or interested in mythology (though Hercules Beal gives them a very different take on the mythical Hercules) or like books that challenge their thinking or make them feel deeply. Not all middle schoolers are open to the raw but basic feelings this book touches on, but I wish they were. Also, there are some possible glitches. First, the diversity aspect and the lack of differences. The main characters, Hercules, Achilles, Viola (Achilles’s girlfriend), Hupfer, Elly are white, but some of the other characters are not described. The book doesn’t go into gender identity or people with disabilities. Aside from this, the story projects an authentic picture of flawed people–the surprises behind a stern facade, the generous spirit expressed in little kindnesses, the courage that bursts through in time of need, the ability to get mad and get over it. If this sounds too saccharine, it is not. Mean things are said, punches are hurled, students slack off and act goofy. In a review of Okay for Now, Jonathan Hunt who writes the column, “Heavy Medal,” praised Schmidt’s book, but pointed out the parts where the reader had to exercise “suspension of disbelief.” So next, these questions arise: why would anyone leave a twelve-year-old essentially in charge of a business for two weeks? Why aren’t Hercules and his brother in grief therapy? How does one get any seventh grader to work that hard? Maybe I am under the Gary D. Schmidt spell for even with these criticisms, I still think this book is a winner.

Realistic Fiction

YA – Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Hibbert, Talia. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. Joy Revolution. 2023. 978-0-593-48233-9. $19.99. 315 p. Grades 9-12.

Senior year at a British upper school finds ex-best friends, spunky, outspoken Tik-Toker Celine Bangura and the popular, accomplished bisexual Bradley Graeme circling each other as they compete for a $30,000 scholarship senior year from the Breakspeare Enrichment Program (BEP). A human rights lawyer noted for her attention to other minority groups, Katharine Breakspeare has set up a series of weeklong outward-bound type of challenges in surrounding forests for a selected group of which academically-driven Celine and Bradley are a part. Told in monthly installments in the stream of consciousness of the two protagonists, the reader is privy to their initial barbed repartee and secret attractions, then their insecurities about each others’ ability to fall in love. Bradley comes from a tight-knit family and suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (though it seems to be a mild condition) who is struggling with his college major decision. Abandoned by her lawyer father, Celine has daddy issues making trust difficult for her. Her feelings become more complicated as a contender in the BEP because her father’s firm is one of the sponsors. Diverse and authentic minor characters enrich the story as Brad and Celine rekindle their friendship and teeter on making it more. Though the plot may be predictable, the witty exchanges of Celine and Brad are not. Author Talia Hibbert usually writes for adults but this young adult novel maintains a breezy, humorous tone throughout with minimum foul language and sexual situations. Hibbert’s adept talent to create a teen world with interesting feelings and conversations sets this book above the usual meet-cute books. Includes a glossary of Britishisms for teens who do not frequent BritBox, Acorn, or PBS.

THOUGHTS: Suitable for grade 8 readers searching for a funny romance. Nothing heavy about this story. Though Hibbert could have delved into Brad’s OCD or Celine’s feelings of abandonment, or the failure of each of them to admit their feelings, she doesn’t. That decision is more than okay; it’s refreshing. Give this book to a reader who might go for Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’ Diary.

Realistic Fiction 

YA – Chaos Theory

Stone, Nic. Chaos Theory. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-30770-0. 288 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

Not all illnesses are visible, but that doesn’t make them any less difficult to manage. Stone begins with a letter to readers about her own struggles with mental illness and a content warning (self-harm and suicide). Shelbi mostly keeps to herself to protect her fragile psyche and the safety she’s managed to build. Andy lives in the shadow of his younger sister’s unexpected death and the way his family has fallen apart since. While his mom loses herself in a political campaign, Andy drowns his grief and guilt in a bottle. A drunken text with a mixed up number leads Shelbi and Andy to a text exchange in which he promises not to drive home drunk then proceeds to do just that. When Shelbi passes a car accident on her way home, she thinks she sees Andy. Upon later inspection Shelbi, who has a scientific interest in car crashes, finds Andy’s wallet at the scene. Told in alternating chapters a tentative friendship begins, with a contract to help both teens understand the rules, one of which is “Do not, under any circumstances, fall in love with Shelbi.” Due to past trauma, Shelbi is cautious, and with his drinking out of control Andy isn’t really able to commit to a true friendship where one has to think of others. But there are beautiful moments where the two are drawn together and tragic moments where they aren’t there for the other in times of need.

THOUGHTS: Sure to be popular among fans of Stone’s writing, Chaos Theory is an emotional, character driven novel that will have readers rooting for Shelbi and Andy to find what they need. Highly recommended for high school collections.

Realistic Fiction