Tag Archives: Rock Band

MG – Samira’s Best Worst Summer

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Hamza, Nina. Samira’s Best Worst Summer. Quill Tree Books, 2024. 9780063024946. 242 p. $19.99. Grades 4-7.

Shy, unassuming Sammy (Samira) does not fit in with the cool seventh and eighth graders, and that’s not okay with her best friend from preschool, Kiera Carter. At summer’s start, Samira’s parents and older sister Zaraa are on their way to India, while Samira and her younger autistic brother, Imran, are under the care of their lovable, friendly grandmother, Umma, for two weeks. Sammy’s plan to have a retiring respite, away from people and activities and deep into working on a video contest showcasing home, community, and world, is disrupted by the disturbing toilet papering of the tree in Sammy’s front yard and the presence of a new neighbor, a YouTube-influencer, rambunctious Alice. Hamza takes a well-worn middle grade trope–fitting in and loss of best friend–and weaves a nuanced, emotionally satisfying story. Samira has taken a backseat to her own life, bending her own wants so as not to rock the boat. Her grandmother’s extroverted personality contrasts with Samira’s introversion, and Hamza creates homey and believable situations that carry Samira through her first days of vacation: mistreatment by Kiera, getting to know Alice, dealing with her autistic brother, communicating with her people-pleaser sister, helping her Umma with a dinner party, working as a roadie for a local band, confronting prejudice, and speaking up for herself. As narrator, Samira’s worldview rings true and is infused with humor and pathos, both in her mind and in her photographs. This book goes down like butter and shows the importance of loving oneself first.

THOUGHTS: Though a typical theme in middle grade literature is the change of friend groups, Hamza makes it fresh. Samira’s reticent and sensitive personality conveys how shy people react and feel in social situations. The minor characters are fully drawn and memorable. To the reader, Kiera’s meanness is evident, and eventually it is to Samira as well. The book is also full of enriching Indian and Muslim cultural references.

Realistic Fiction

MG – Tegan and Sara: Junior High

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Quin, Tegan and Sara. Tegan and Sara: Junior High. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023. 978-1-516-05891-4. 298 p. $22.99. Grades 5-8.

Identical twins Tegan and Sara are starting 7th grade in a new school district now that they are living with their mother and stepfather. Unfortunately, middle school is not living up to the hype. The twins are in separate classes, dealing with first periods, and struggling to make new friends that they both like. The twins even start bickering for the first time in their lives. While navigating all of this, both twins are grappling with the idea that they might like girls, something they haven’t even shared with each other. Nothing seems to be going right until they discover a guitar stored in the garage and coated in dust. It belongs to their stepdad Bruce who, unbeknownst to them, was in a band back in the day. From the strum of the first chord, they are hooked. Tegan and Sara realize they have a natural gift for playing guitar and writing songs, and this closes the rift between them. They start a band and begin playing at friends’ parties. Once they realize they are stronger together, they take on junior high as a team.

THOUGHTS: Middle grade students may not know Tegan and Sara as indie rock stars that they are, but they are sure to relate to the semi-autobiographical book. Based on their adult memoir, the graphic novel version places Tegan and Sara in modern day rather than the 1990s when they actually attended high school. The illustrations are colorful and interspersed with Tegan and Sara’s inner thoughts that they only share with each other and now, the reader. This could be a great addition to middle grade libraries, especially for fans of the Sunny series and Raina Telegemeier.

Graphic Novel