YA – Midnight Strikes

Posted on July 31, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Shahnaz, Zeba. Midnight Strikes. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-56755-5. 442 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

Midnight Strikes starts with Anais wishing this ball was over so she could stop pretending to like all the bachelors, one of whom her mother is hoping she will choose to marry. When the ball is attacked by bombs and she watches everyone die, Anais thinks this is the end. Imagine her shock when she wakes up the next day, to repeat the same thing over and over again with no one believing her and no way for her to stop this madness. However, in order to stop this from happening and so she can move on (for better or worse), she needs to figure out what is happening and stop this before midnight. Will Anais be able to find anyone who believes her?

THOUGHTS: This is an extremely unique plot twist that keeps the reader guessing what’s going to happen as well as feeling the main character’s frustration at no one believing her. There is some romance in this book; however, it doesn’t show up until the second half of the book.

Fantasy

MG – Parachute Kids

Posted on July 31, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Tang, Betty C. Parachute Kids. Graphix. 2023. 978-1-338-83269-3. 288 p. $24.99. Grades 3-7.

It’s February, 1981. Feng-Li Lin is ecstatic to accompany her older brother, sister, Mama, and Baba on the family’s first trip to America! The best vacation ever takes an unexpected turn when Baba announces that he must return to Taiwan for work while the kids remain in California with their mother. The children enroll in school, and Feng-Li (Ann) begins fifth grade – and the process of learning English – at Mountain View Elementary. Weeks later, Mama reveals that her travel visa has expired, and she must also return to Taiwan. With the help of family friends, sister Jia-Xi (Jessie), brother Ke-Gāng (Jason), and Feng-Li will continue with school and do their best to run the household while managing a modest budget. When even the family friends relocate to another state, the three “parachute kids” must rely on each other not only to survive but succeed in school, learn a new language, and make new friends. However, complicated sibling dynamics, their undocumented status, and a series of big missteps threaten to tear them apart before the Lin family can be reunited. Author and illustrator Betty Tang depicts her characters with warmth and empathy, even when they make mistakes. She represents dialogue in Chinese with red text and English with black text. It’s an effective technique that allows readers to experience the challenges of communicating in a new language.

THOUGHTS: Parachute Kids is a stellar graphic novel with similar themes to Robin Ha’s Almost American Girl and Kelly Yang’s New from Here. Tang writes in her Author’s Note that this is “not a memoir, but a mixture of fiction, my family’s first experiences in America, and anecdotes of immigrant friends I met along the way.” It deserves to be widely read and will become a favorite of many readers!

Graphic Novel

Elem./MG – Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel

Posted on December 8, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Hahn, Mary Downing, and Scott Peterson, Meredith Laxton, and Russ Badgett. Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel. Clarion Books, 2022. 978-0-358-53689-5. 148 p. $12.99. Grades 3-6.

Scott Peterson, Meredith Laxton, and Rudd Badget’s adaptation of Mary Downing Hahn’s Wait Till Helen Comes, is true to the original story of a blended family who move from the city to a church in the countryside. All is not harmonious in the family–the youngest child, Heather (step sister to older siblings Michael and Molly), continually creates tension by tattling and embellishing stories of her half siblings, successfully manipulating her father and stepmother. The tension only rises when Molly is the only one who can see that Heather has begun communicating with Helen, the ghost child of a family who, like Heather’s mother, died in a house fire. The problem is, the ghost child has the reputation of drowning her new friends. Molly has to find a way to get her family to believe in the ghost or save Heather from her fate.

THOUGHTS: This adaptation kept me turning the pages–and I predict it will fly off the shelves into the hands of thrill seekers and reluctant readers alike. The illustration style compliments the ghost story theme, and the adaptors’ combination of first person speech and narration successfully moves the story forward. The story is just scary enough to thrill a middle grade audience, and the evolving relationship within the blended family gives the story heart beyond the thrills.

Graphic Novel Hannah J. Thomas, Central Bucks SD

MG – The Daredevils

Posted on November 7, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Buyea, Rob. The Daredevils. Delacorte Press, 2022. 978-0-593-37614-0 231 p. $17.99. Grades 5-8.

Author of the popular series, Because of Mr. Terupt, has written a tale of one summer for twins- Waylon and Loretta. The two are strongly bonded, and Loretta is her brother’s keeper. Waylon was born smaller and has had his fair share of bullies. This is the summer before they enter middle school, and their parents are determined to send them on separate paths in order to prepare them for the coming year. Waylon is sent to robotics day camp while Loretta attends a sports day camp. However, the two are determined to spend their nights together after they discover an old cigar box with a quest inside. Along the way, they meet up with a mysterious boy named Louie, and the three of them will embark on a summer to remember.

THOUGHTS: Rob Buyea has a way to tell a beautiful and poignant story through the eyes of the rocky middle school years. This is another perfect example.

Realistic Fiction Victoria Dziewulski, Plum Borough SD
Novel in Verse

YA – The Ivory Key

Posted on November 7, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Raman, Akshaya. The Ivory Key. Clarion Books, 2022. 978-0-358-46833-2. $18.99. 384 p. Grades 7-12.

Magic in Ashoka is running out. Vira, the young maharani, is desperate to keep this secret from the rest of the country. Her only hope is to find the Ivory Key and live up to her mother’s legacy. Legend says the key will lead to a new source of magic. However, Vira cannot find the key on her own, and she isn’t the only one who is after it. Vira’s siblings, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya, embark on this adventure with her, but the siblings have their own plans for the key. For Kalab, his knowledge of the key freed him from his prison cell, and his involvement isn’t so much as a choice as it is a path to freedom. For Ronak, he sees it as his escape from his royal duties and knows others who would pay handsomely for it, and although Riya has returned to her siblings, she believes that all of the people of Ashoka deserve this magic and longs to return to her new family of thieves fighting against the royal family. Four siblings, and one key. If they find it, will this new magic be enough to save both their country and their family?

THOUGHTS: In this Indian inspired fantasy, readers will enjoy the adventure that the four conflicting siblings embark on together as well as the mystery, traps, and puzzles surrounding the ivory key. The surprise ending should leave readers impatiently waiting for the final book in this duology.

Fantasy Emily Hoffman, Conestoga Valley SD

Elem. – My Brother Is Away

Posted on October 25, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Greenwood, Sara. My Brother Is Away. Random House Studio, 2022. 978-0-593-12716-2. Unpaged. Grades K-3. $18.99.

Drawing from her own family background, Greenwood has penned a story which will resonate with children experiencing feelings of loss and abandonment due to the incarceration of a family member. The unnamed narrator is a young girl who is sad that her brother no longer lives with her and her parents. She misses his storytelling and remembers when they would fly kites or when he carried her on his shoulders as they gazed at the stars. Her classmates and the neighborhood children ask where he is, but the only answer she gives is that he is busy, even though she would like to say that he is at a job or with friends. One day a student reveals to everyone on the school playground that the “brother did something bad,” and the young girl goes through the emotions of embarrassment and then anger directed at her brother. Her parents comfort her and explain that they will visit her brother soon. After a long trip, the family arrives at a “building ringed with silver fences,”-a prison. The siblings reunite, and the girl understands that even though he is not at home he still loves her. As she sees the other family visitors, she realizes she is not alone in this situation. In the author’s note, Greenwood reveals that her own brother was incarcerated for eight years when she was a child. Just like the narrator in this story, the author felt alone and was comforted by seeing other visitors at the prison. Uribe’s illustrations are done in Photoshop. The colors are soft and muted, which help create a melancholy, but reassuring, tone.

THOUGHTS: This picture book handles a sensitive topic in a way that is accessible to young children and will be appreciated by families and guidance counselors. A touching story that is a must-have for elementary collections.

Picture Book Denise Medwick, PSLA Member, Retired

Elem. – Swim, Jim!

Posted on October 13, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Windness, Kaz. Swim, Jim! Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022. 978-1-534-48343-9. $18.99. Grades K-3

Jim is a crocodile who cannot swim! Well, as he states, it is that he is scared… not scared of swimming, but scared of sinking. After his sisters make fun of him, Jim decides to leave to find a small swamp, one that isn’t too dark and deep like his own, to learn how to swim. Jim leaves and is able to find the perfect little swamp full of floaties to help him learn how to swim!

THOUGHTS: An adorable book about overcoming fear to learn something important… swimming! This book is full of encouragement that young readers will enjoy as Jim learns to swim.

Picture Book Rachel Burkhouse, Otto-Eldred SD

Elem. – My Life Begins!

Posted on October 13, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

MacLachlan, Patricia. My Life Begins! Katherine Tegen Books, 2022. 978-0-063-11601-6. $16.99. 119 p. Grades 3-6.

Jacob is 9 years old. His greatest wish is to have a puppy, perhaps even a whole litter of puppies. Puppies are not in Jacob’s immediate future, however. Jacob’s mother is having triplets. Jacob refers to his newborn siblings as The Trips. The Trips don’t do much at first. The family must dress them each in different colors to keep track of which is which. Jacob watches his exhausted parents as they feed, dress, and rock the triplets to sleep. When a school research project is assigned, Jacob decides to study the changes in the lives of the newborns as they grow and mature. He titles the project “A Litter of Trips – from Birth On” and begins to keep notes on their development. The early journal entries claim The Trips do nothing and are all the same. Then, one night Jacob is awakened by a crying baby. Knowing his parents could use a rest, Jacob realizes he can change and feed her himself. As he comforts Lizzie, he is rewarded with her first smile. Suddenly Jacob realizes that his newborn sisters each have a distinct personality. The Trips all have favorite ways to get attention. Char, the quiet one, will wave her hands excitedly when Jacob passes, Kath, the bold one, will make vocal noises, and Lizzie will smile and take Jacob’s hand. As The Trips grow, so too does Jacob. He begins to realize he no longer thinks of the triplets as The Trips, but he is not sure exactly what to call them. When Mom returns to work, the family hires Mimi, an experienced mother of five, to help out. Mimi, who is adored by the entire family, sees Jacob’s kind, caring nature. Mimi helps Jacob to understand “the girls” and himself. Jacob finishes his school report with an in class visit by the triplets, who he now refers to as his “sisters.” Jacob comes to realize that as we mature our lives begin again and again with new experiences, new people, new skills and interests. Told partly in journal entries, and partly through narrative, this is a delightful look at the first year of life through the eyes of an older brother. Illustrated with great care by Daniel Miyares.

THOUGHTS: An utterly delightful read that will resonate with children and adults alike.

Picture Book Anne McKernan, Council Rock SD

MG – Smaller Sister

Posted on October 12, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Willis, Maggie Edkins. Smaller Sister. Roaring Brook Press, 2022. 978-1-250-76741-7. 312 p. $22.99. Grades 4-7.

Lucy and her older sister, Olivia, are just twenty months apart. While close as can be in their youngest years, the sisters grow apart when Olivia becomes more concerned with her looks and her weight than spending time with Lucy. Things keep changing when Olivia is diagnosed with an eating disorder, followed by a family move from Indiana to Massachusetts. As Lucy moves into middle school and deals with some (really) mean girls, she too becomes excessively focused on her appearance. She needs her sister’s guidance more than ever, but Olivia – and their parents – remain focused on her fragile recovery. Will Olivia be able to reprise her role as supportive big sister when Lucy needs her most? Author/illustrator Maggie Edkins Willis portrays this story of a serious topic with plenty of humor and heart. Her digital artwork and gentle color palette wonderfully depict how the sisters grow and mature over the course of several indelible years. The book’s back matter includes a note on how Willis’s own preteen years inspired this story and resources for readers who struggle with disordered eating.

THOUGHTS: Smaller Sister is an excellent choice for fans of middle grade graphic novels, sibling stories, and the fabulous works of Lucy Knisley!

Graphic Novel Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

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