Elem./MG – Project F.

DuPrau, Jeanne. Project F. Random House, 2023. 978-0-593-64380-8. $17.99. 213 p. Grades 3-7.

Keith is thirteen and living in a world where fossil fuels are no longer used for power and electricity. After all, fossil fuels destroyed the Earth, and now, hundreds of years later, Keith and his friends and family enjoy the simple pleasures of life without the destructive conveniences fossil fuels afforded their ancestors long ago. Keith learns that his aunt and uncle have passed away and his cousin, Lulu, is coming to live with his family. His parents cannot get away from work, so Keith takes the train to meet her and plans on accompanying her back to his home. On the train, he meets a man named Malcolm who gets off at a station before the stop where Lulu is waiting for him. Later, Keith realizes he has accidentally switched bags with Malcolm. Inside Malcolm’s bag, he finds written pages about something called Project F. Once he picks up Lulu, he decides to take a quick detour at Malcolm’s stop to return his bag… and possibly find out what Project F is all about. Once there, he and Lulu find out that Project F might allow people to fly! Keith is certain this will change the world. Imagine if people could fly from place to place! Seeing Keith’s enthusiasm for the invention, Malcolm decides to do a special demonstration of Project F in Keith’s hometown. Once Keith and Lulu get home, they keep Project F a secret so as not to ruin the special demonstration. But then, Keith learns what Project F uses as fuel for flying, and suddenly he is not sure if the progress of this invention is worth the destruction it may bring.

THOUGHTS: This cautionary tale about climate change and the cost of modern conveniences is timely. Students who are fans of DuPrau’s City of Ember will enjoy this book. It is a must-buy for librarians serving upper elementary and middle grade patrons.

Science Fiction

Elem. – The Wild Robot Protects

Brown, Peter. The Wild Robot Protects. Little Brown and Company, 2023. 978-0-316-66941-2. 277 p. $17.99. Grades 3-5.

The Wild Robot Protects takes the reader back to the island with Roz and her family. Everything is going well when a seal comes to the island and warns the creatures of a “poison tide” that is headed towards the island. Many of the animals leave the island, some such as Roz’s son Brightbill decide to stay as this island is their home. Roz decides that she is going to figure out where the “poison tide” is coming from and she will stop it as well. She learns that she  needs to find an ancient shark and ask them for help, so off she goes. The reader follows Roz as she goes off on this adventure, and they will wait with anticipation to find out whether Roz was able to save the island and stop the “poison tide”.

THOUGHTS: The Wild Robot series is so fun, whether being used for a read aloud with a group of students, or just read by one student for pleasure. This addition is as wonderful as the rest of them! This would be a great book to use with a climate change unit, or just as a read aloud (as long as the class is familiar with the other Wild Robot books). Highly recommended for any elementary school collection.

Science Fiction

YA – Gone Wolf

McBride, Amber. Gone Wolf. Fiewel and Friends, 2023. 978-1-250-85049-2. 348 p. $17.99. Grades 6-10.

Inmate Eleven has never seen the sun. She is a Blue living in post-pandemic 2111. She is held alongside her wolf-dog, Ira, in a small room within the tall walls of Elite, the capital of Bible Boot—a future, isolationist portion of the United States post-Second Civil War. Inmate Eleven is given tests and bloodwork with frequency. She has been told through a series of Bible Boot-issued flashcards that Blues are racially inferior, hate is illegal, and Clones are irrefutably kind. Larkin, a white Clone, begins to meet with Inmate Eleven, and Inmate Eleven feels empowered to choose a new name for herself: Imogen. Unfortunately, Larkin’s father also happens to be the powerful, racist leader of Elite. Soon, Larkin and Imogen realize they must escape the walls of Elite where slavery has been fully re-instituted, and both Black and Blue people are enduring torturous treatment. But…who is Imogen, really, and what year is it…truly? Imogen is living two disjointed realities, and she’s fighting to go wolf in both.

THOUGHTS: Many aspects of this book are heartbreaking. The way McBride weaves this story together is poignant and unique. Without giving too many spoilers, this is a book that brings to light concepts of generational and racial trauma in the United States. The book’s underlying commentary regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, racial violence, and political polarization will also be highly relatable to middle school students. Big twists and turns, compounded by sad events, caused myself as reader to question where the story was going at first, but not in a negative way. Then, pieces clicked masterfully into place. Because the story is told from a first person limited perspective, McBride uses ends of each chapter to offer clarifying bits of information that will help all readers access the underlying themes and nuance of the story. The powerful messaging of Black resilience and a new lens of trauma will stick with readers for a long time. As an adult reader, I found myself thinking of Octavia Butler and Toni Morrison’s stories. An essential addition to middle school and even high school fiction collections.

Science Fiction

MG – Falling Out of Time

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Falling Out of Time. Katherine Tegen Books, 2023. 978-0-063-25161-8. 341 p. $19.99. Grades 3-7.

Zola wakes up to a different scene projected on her Picture Wall each morning: Tahiti one day, Bora Bora the next. Her school friends attend from all over the world through advanced virtual reality technology. One morning, Zola asks her AI assistant, Sirilexagoogle, to change the wall to “normal”…but, what does Zola know about normal? Zola lives in the year 2193, a time with wondrous technology and no more fear. Just like Haddix’s debut novel, Running Out of Time, not everything is as it seems in Zola’s world. Zola discovers the truth after finding a mysterious book, The Jessie Keiser Story, detailing Jessie’s daring escape during the 1990s from a fake frontier town. After she stumbles across a hidden staircase in her house, Zola realizes there is very real danger in her not-so-real world. Zola is really living in the year 2023, and she’s being unknowingly watched by hundreds of people each day. Like Haddix’s original novel, this is the story of a daring escape to the outside world.

THOUGHTS: Falling Out of Time is the long-awaited sequel to Haddix’s first novel, Running Out of Time. It certainly lives up to expectations and offers readers relevant 2023 social and environmental commentary while evoking 90s nostalgia for fans of the original story (that’s me!). Although the first few chapters start with detailed world-building and description, the rest of the novel’s plot builds with nonstop action. Some of the twists are quick and a little outlandish, but all elements in this story contribute to the adventurous tone. Readers who are unfamiliar with Running Out of Time (1995) will still be able to enjoy this fresh story on its own. Haddix builds necessary background and context directly into Falling Out of Time.

Science Fiction

MG – A Rover’s Story

Warga, Jasmine. A Rover’s Story. Balzar + Bray, 2022. 979-0-063-11392-9. 294 p. $17.99. Grades 5-8.

Mars rover Resilience, Res for short, was built to explore Mars. As he learns how to do that, he begins to think that maybe he was built for more. He begins to develop human-like emotions which he knows he is not supposed to have. As Res goes to Mars with his helicopter drone, Fly, he ends up learning more about himself than he ever knew before. The story is also told through letters by a young girl who is connected to Res in ways that he does not know. They both develop throughout the story in surprising and wonderful ways.

THOUGHTS: This is an amazing book that looks into human emotions and what it means to have courage, resilience, and strength. Even though this story is fictional these characters felt like they were real, and if I searched I could find a Mars rover who had done the things that Res does in the book. This is a wonderful book that would make an amazing read aloud. A must have for every middle grade collection.

Science Fiction          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

Elem./MG – Your Pal Fred

Rex, Michael. Your Pal Fred. Viking Press, 2022. 978-0-593-20633-2 255p. $12.99. Grades 3-8.

Fred is activated in a post-apocalyptic world after two brothers accidentally discover him in a pile of trash. Fred embarks on a journey over a land that has been destroyed by war, aliens, a comet, and cats. It is now ruled by two opposing characters: Papa Mayhem and Lord Bonkers. Fred is on a quest to bring peace to all. Along the way he makes friends with disgruntled characters who join him to bring kindness to all. Will he be able to convince the two top dogs that peace is the answer and not war? 

THOUGHTS: This graphic novel is full of silliness and fun, and how one individual can create a positive chain reaction through one act of kindness at a time.  

Graphic Novel          Victoria Dziewulski, Plum Borough SD

MG – Star Child : A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler

Zoboi, Ibi. Star Child : A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler. Dutton Children’s Books, 2022. 978-0-399-18738-4. $16.99. Grades 6-8

Star Child is a biography that tells about the life of Octavia Estelle Butler, a famous African American science fiction writer told in various forms of storytelling. Ibi Zoboi uses poetry, short nonfiction essays, quotes from Octavia Butler herself, as well as some photographs from Octavia to demonstrate what her life was like growing up. At the end of the biography, Ibi has an essay about her personal connection to Octavia Butler and even includes a picture of when she met her! There is a list of Octavia Butler’s books listed in the back, as well as Ibi’s endnotes showing her research.

THOUGHTS: This was definitely a more unique format, especially as far as biographies go, and it was extremely well done! The author’s genuine love of Octavia Butler, both as a person and as a writer is evident throughout the pages of this book. This is a wonderful introduction to an author that readers might not know a lot about. 

Biography          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

YA – M Is for Monster

Dutton, Talia. M Is for Monster. Abrams ComicArts, 2022. 978-1-4197-5197-4. 224 p. $17.99. Grades 7-10.

Frankenstein’s monster gets a gender-flipped, graphic novel update in Talia Dutton’s M Is for Monster! Innovative scientist Frances Ai lost her younger sister in a laboratory accident six months ago. Frankie cobbled Maura back together and, with the help of a well-timed lightning strike, brought her back to life. However, she isn’t quite … Maura. “M” has no memories from before her resurrection, and she fears that Frankie may take apart and reassemble her over and over again until she gets it right. She finds an unlikely ally in the ghost of Maura, who appears in mirrors and coaches M through interactions with her older sister. This way, M avoids a dismantling and Maura gets to keep living, in a fashion. But the cracks in this arrangement begin to show as M and Maura assert their individuality. Can they both find a path forward, or will Frankie intercept their Cyrano de Bergerac-style ruse? Author and illustrator Talia Dutton uses a green, black, and white color scheme (and plenty of period details) to portray M’s limited but intriguing world. It’s one she desperately wants to continue living in, and readers will feel the same!

THOUGHTS: What first appears to be a straightforward horror novel is also a thought-provoking take on grief and identity.

Graphic Novel          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

MG – It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit

Reynolds, Justin A. It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit. 978-1-338-74022-6. 304 p. $17.99. Grades 4-7.

Eddie is rocking summer vacation. He has managed to weasel out of doing his laundry, his agreed-upon summer chore, by methodically wearing every piece of clean clothing until he’s down to his swim trunks. This is when the plan falls apart; mom discovers the odorous closet stuffed with dirty clothes, and grounds Eddie, on the day of the big beach bash. He is home alone with a load of wet clothes in the dryer, and another load in the washing machine when the power goes out. As Eddie pokes around the deserted neighborhood, he encounters four friends and learns not only is their power out, too, but the kids seem to be the only people in their neighborhood. So what do you do when all the grownups are gone? Eat junk food!! But when no one can reach their families at the beach, a frisson of worry interrupts their unsupervised glee. The friends pool their knowledge and come up with a credible plan to stick together (it involves entering neighbors’ homes to search for useful items like flashlights, sleeping bags, food, and deodorant). Reynolds provides a lighthearted dystopian story (that’s probably an oxymoron) that will keep readers wondering what happened until the very last page and its cliffhanger ending. The kids, all Black, are an engaging group who realistically swing between joy at being on their own, and worry for their family and the long-term outlook. The one possible drawback to the book is Reynolds’ unusual choice for narration. Written in first person, from Eddie’s point of view, the story is basically a monologue, with Eddie addressing the reader. While the story feels more natural when the friends are conversing, Eddie is an entertaining, honest narrator who openly discusses his ADHD, thoughts about being in therapy and his new step-dad (whom he calls WBD – Wanna-Be Dad.) 

THOUGHTS: Some readers may be thrown by the lengthy interior monologue, but others may be captivated by the conversational tone of the writing. The lack of resolution and the cliffhanger ending will leave fans anxiously awaiting the sequel. 

Science Fiction          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD
Dystopian

YA – All That’s Left in the World

Brown, Erik J. All That’s Left in the World. Balzer + Bray, 2022. 978-0-063-05497-4. 338 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

When 78% of the world’s population has been decimated due to a superflu, and the world has headed in post-apocalyptic terrority, survival takes center stage in the lives of those remaining. Andrew decides that he needs to leave Connecticut on foot in order to settle a debt. He becomes injured and stumbles onto a remote cabin in the Pennsylvanian woods. This is where he meets Jamie. Jamie has been surviving on his own for many months, and he has not made contact with another human during this time. The two form a friendship, and their daily lives fall into a comfortable pattern until their sanctuary is threatened and the two must escape. They spend the next few months discovering just what has happened to the rest of the country.

THOUGHTS: This was a fast read. I thoroughly enjoyed the strong character development of both Jamie and Andrew as they discover their strengths and weaknesses as they fall in love in this broken world.

Science Fiction          Victoria Dziewulski, Plum Borough SD