30 Days of No Gossip

Maddie is the gossip queen of Troy Middle School. She was shy and unpopular in elementary school, but she found herself to be the center of attention when she became the source of information, rumors and gossip. She even publishes the Troy Tattler, the school's unofficial gossip newsletter.

Maddie's best friend, Vi, is quiet, brainy and extremely interested in design. She doesn't participate when Maddie and their other friends gossip, preferring to withdraw and sketch.

When Maddie reveals Vi's crush on a boy to the boy himself, with only the best of intentions, Vi is furious and challenges Maddie to stop gossiping for thirty days or their friendship is over. Since Maddie values Vi's friendship, she accepts the challenge, but the task is daunting. As anyone who ever attended middle school knows, gossip and rumors are it's life's blood.

Maddie struggles with what gossip is and whether it has made her as popular as she thinks it has. When does passing on information cross the line into gossip? Is it okay to spread negative or judgmental information? Is talking behind people's backs hurtful, even if they don't find out? What if they do? What kind of person is she being when she engages in gossip? Are people interested in her or are they only interested in the information she has to share?

When Maddie finds out about a really big secret, that a TV makeover show is planning a big decorating project at Troy Middle School, she is challenged to keep the knowledge a secret. It is practically impossible to keep such a secret in that environment, but she doesn't want to jeopardize the project and she especially wants Vi to have a chance to participate and show off her design talents. Maddie watches helplessly as the little bit of information she does divulge,  grows and takes on a life of its own.

This is an easy read with believable characters and dialogue. The redecorating project seems a little contrived, but I think most upper elementary students would buy into it. This book may plant some seeds for thought as to what we say about other people and whether we are hurting anyone by doing it. It also gives some insight into rumors and their amazing ability to spread, becoming something much larger than their origin.      2014       

R.Rauch                                                                                     

Amber Brown Is Tickled Pink by Bruce Coville and Elzabeth Levy

Amber Brown is experiencing some big changes in her life, as she continues to cope with her parents' divorce and spending time with each of them separately. Her mom and her boyfriend, Max, are planning their wedding and the three of them will be moving to a new house after the wedding, leaving the house where Amber has grown up.

Although Amber didn't like Max in the beginning,  he has grown on her. He laughs at her jokes, coaches her bowling team and is an all-around nice guy. She is also looking forward to the wedding, which she realizes is supposed to be a big party. She has invited her closest friends from school and her best friend, Justin, who moved away in one of the earlier books, will be coming with his family. But Amber's mother wants a small wedding at city hall to save money and Amber's big plans are looking doubtful.

Amber comes up with a creative solution that is also economical and saves the wedding. It involves an unpopular classmate of Amber's, who to her surprise, turns out to be much nicer than she ever thought.

Amber feels badly when she has fun with Mom and Max and her father is not part of her happiness. She feels badly when she has fun with her dad and her mother is not part of the good time. She also resents it when either of her parents saying anything negative about the other.

I was a big fan of the Amber Brown books and I think that Coville and Levy have done an excellent job of capturing her voice. Their portrayal of a child dealing with her family dynamics, her classmates and the stress any family experiences when planning a wedding are very realistic.   2012

R. Rauch                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Georges (named after Georges Seurat) and his family have moved out of their house and into an apartment, in the same neighborhood, leaving behind many treasures and memories. Georges' dad lost his job and is trying to start his own business. Georges' mom is a nurse and is working a lot of double shifts to help with the financial difficulties. Georges misses his house, especially his bedroom, and he misses seeing his mother.

Georges is still at the same school, which isn't necessarily a good thing. He is the victim of bullies and his friend since kindergarten has abandoned him to be friends with the cool kids. There is a big taste test coming up in science and school lore maintains that is determines who is a loser and who's not. Georges is dreading it because he is sure it will cement his position as an outcast and a victim.

Friendship possibilities improve for Georges when he meets Safer, a quirky homeschooler who lives in his building and has a warm, inviting, but equally quirky family. Safer soon draws Georges into his spy games, convincing him of one tenant's nefarious deeds and shady character.

There are several layers to this story, as there were in Newbery winner Stead's When I Reach You. Besides the mystery involving the enigmatic neighbor, there is the mystery of why Safer rarely leaves the building. Georges' dad spends a lot of time at the hospital with Georges' mom, who is supposedly working and Georges never want to go along.

Georges handling and the eventual outcome of the feared taste test at school is both clever and potentially believable. While all of his problems don't go away, the resolution of the story is both hopeful and satisfying. Rebecca Stead has written another good story full of characters with whom kids can relate.   

R.Rauch                                                                                                                           2012

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan

This year's Newbery winner is a first person narration in the voice of  Ivan, a silverback gorilla, who resides at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. A large billboard outside the mall, which features prominently in the story's resolution, proclaims the presence of the One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback.

Ivan's has two best friends. The first is Stella, an old elephant, and another featured animal of the mall. The other is  Bob, a homeless dog who lives off scraps left by the mall patrons and who sleeps in Ivan's "domain," as he calls his glass walled cage.

Ivan was born in the wild and captured with his twin sister, Tag, who died during the trip to the U.S. He first lived with his trainer, Mack, in his house, but was transferred to the mall when he became too big and unmanageable to live with people. He has had no contact with other gorillas in the twenty-seven years since his capture and spends his life being stared at and imitated by the many people who pay to see him and the other animals.

While Ivan is generally disdainful of humans (slimy chimps), he does like Julia, the mall custodian's daughter. Julia is quiet and patient, unlike the noisy humans that Ivan sees all day. Julia is the one who first introduced Ivan to the world of art. When she noticed him watching her draw while she was waiting for her father, she pushed a crayon and some paper into his cage and he began drawing the things he saw. Mack, seeing the opportunity to further capitalize on the animals, began selling Ivan's drawings in the mall gift shop.

As Stella becomes older and sicker, Mack brings in a new, baby elephant, Ruby. He hopes to train Ruby to perform with Stella and bring in more business for his ailing circus. When Stella is dying, she extracts a promise from Ivan to provide a better life for Ruby than this mall existence.

This poignant tale is much more than an animal rights treatise. The author conveys a thoughtfulness and intelligence in the animals, especially character of Ivan, that lends depth to the story. Although obviously fictional, the book is based on a real gorilla that lives at the Atlanta Zoo. Despite the size of the book, it is a quick read. It has very short chapters, lots of white space on the pages and several illustrations. The personification of the animals will make this book appealing to a wide audience, not just animal lovers. 2012

R.Rauch

Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far), by Ann M. Martin

Ten Good and Bad Things About My Life (So Far)

Realistic fiction fans who enjoyed Junie B. Jones, Ramona, and Fudge, will be quickly drawn in by the humor and insight of Pearl Littlefield, the protagonist of this new book by Ann M. Martin, author of favorite series that include Main Street and the Baby-Sitters Club. Pearl’s first writing assignment of fifth grade provides the vehicle for a sensitive and often funny tale of a summer vacation that begins with her father losing his job as an economics professor, and ends with her going into business with her best friend.  Readers will surely see themselves and their own travails in Pearl’s complaints about her older sister, Lexie, and uncertainty about how to patch things up with her best friend, JBIII, following a fight at a waterpark. 

Martin writes about the serious theme of a parent’s unemployment in a way that is thoughtful and age-appropriate, without dragging down the overall light-hearted tone of this book. Intermittent illustrations, letters, and tween-style lists add appeal to the narrative, and a section at the end of the book provides information on the New York City sites Pearl and her family visit during a staycation. The novel’s title, presumably selected to provide continuity with Martin’s first book featuring Pearl Littlefield, Ten Rules for Living with My Sister, does not accurately describe the story. This, however, is a minor weakness in an otherwise first-rate book that will be most appreciated by fourth through sixth graders. 2012

D. Rosen-Perez

The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech

The Great Unexpected

Sharon Creech (Walk Two Moons, Newbery Award 1995) has created two interesting and outspoken heroines, Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens, starting with the incident when she was three and a dog attacked her. Her father died trying to save her. Lizzie could "talk the ears off a cornfield" and signs the girls up to be "companions" to some of the needier local senior citizens.

Naomi and Lizzie are both orphans and live in an obscure little Southern town called Blackbird Tree, which has a full cast of unusual characters, including Witch Wiggins, one-armed Mr. Farley, the Dimmens clan up on the mountain, Crazy Cora and Mr. Canner. One day a boy named Finn literally drops into their lives and so begins a chain of events that change both their lives.

In the meantime, a separate plot line involves an old lady on a grand estate in Ireland who is hatching a plan and sending a spy to gather information on the people in Blackbird Tree. Her heart being broken many years ago and an estrangement with her sister were both caused by another boy named Finn.

This book is well written and creates an air of mystery as the two storylines unfold, eventually joining up to create a satisfying, if slightly too good to be true, ending.     2012

R. Rauch

The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand

The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls

Friends can be messy. And Victoria does not like mess of any kind. She likes perfection in all areas of her life from her appearance to her grades to her home life. She prides herself on her perfect hair, her perfectly organized bedroom and mostly her flawless grades. The only complication she allows into her life is one extremely messy friend named Lawrence. When Lawrence goes missing, Victoria realizes that all the children in her seemingly perfect town, who are a little different in some way, have all disappeared. She traces the disappearances to the mysterious Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls where children seem to go into but never come out. The problem is Victoria is the only one who seems to notice that the children are gone. Even their parents seem strangely unaware.

Once Victoria gains entry into Cavendish, the mystery only heightens. It's run by an ominous headmistress who takes delight in torturing the children, who are held captive, using their specific weakness against them. The walls and floors seem to move of their own accord and the rooms are crawling with insects that are capable of carrying off any rule breaking children.

As Victoria and her friend Lawrence manage to bring down the evil Mrs. Cavendish and save their friends from her clutches, she learns that being different and having "mess" in your life are the things that make life rich and interesting.

While the message of this book is important and the plot definitely holds the reader's interest, the story is incredibly creepy and dark. Scenes of children being physically and emotionally tortured may be extremely difficult for some children to tolerate. Lovers of horror stories will enjoy the story but caution should be used when recommending this book.

P.Sassoon. 2013.

Flabbersmashed About You by Rachel Vail, Illustrated by Yumi Heo

Flabbersmashed About You

This lovely picture book tells the story of Katie Honors, "a really friendly kid" whose best friend is Jennifer.  Jennifer's smile "is as bright as the morning sun in your eyes."  They always play together and walk in together from recess -- always, that is, until today.  Suddenly Jennifer is playing with Roy, and Katie is left out and hurt.  "My whole self felt like a bruise."  Worse yet, Katie and Roy hold hands to walk in together.  Katie is left feeling flabbersmashed.  Luckily, Arabella, the quiet kid in the class, takes Katie's hand, and smiles a smile "gentle like the afternoon sun between the leaves." 

Flabbersmashed About You addresses a common concern for children in a simple yet entertaining story.  I liked that Jennifer is not portrayed as deliberately mean, instead, she is simply interested in playing with someone else.  Katie is still hurt, but she is open to Arabella's offer of friendship.  By acknowledging Katie's feelings but showing that other friends can also be fun, the book gently suggests a solution for children smarting over the shifting alliances between friends.  Yumi Heo's illustrations are bright and cheery, yet effective at portraying Katie's feelings when she is upset. 

This book is entertaining for anyone, and particularly good for instigating a discussion about feelings, friendship, and loyalty.  2012.

M. Adams

My Rotten Life by David Lubar

My Rotten Life

Nathan Abercrombie, 10, was having a really bad day. He was not invited to Shawna's Halloween party and she made a point of telling him in front of the whole fifth grade at lunch. He was picked last for a team in gym. The coach singled him out for his lack of athletic ability and told him he had seen babies crawl faster than he could run. To top it off, he completely bombed on a video game, earning him the nickname "vidiot."

When Abigail, a very nerdy, quiet girl from his class, offers Nathan a way out of his pain, he jumps at the opportunity. She tells him that her scientist uncle has developed an experimental formula that makes anyone who takes it impervious to pain, physical or emotional.

After Nathan takes the formula, he feels better and even notices that his asthma seems to be improving. But then his ability to withstand pain becomes frightening, as he is stabbed with a fork in the face during a food fight and doesn't even feel it. He has no appetite and his asthma is improving because he doesn't seem to need to eat or breathe. The formula has turned him into a zombie.

Abigail's uncle has disappeared and the government is pursuit of him. Can Nathan, Abigail and Nathan's best friend, Mookie, find the missing uncle or come up with an antidote on their own, in time to prevent Nathan from becoming a zombie permanently?

In the process of their search, Nathan comes to some realizations about people, popularity and the social order in middle school that will ring true with many middle schoolers. It may even open the eyes of others.

This is fun, quick read that will appeal particularly to boys of this age, but can be enjoyable for either gender. It is the first in a series, Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie, and the title pretty much answers the question as to whether or not Nathan remains a zombie permanently. It does turn out to be a matter of choice,however, rather than a failure to find a cure in time.  2009

R. Rauch

Me and Rolly Maloo, by Janet S. Wong

Jenna Lee is thrilled when the most popular girl in fourth grade, Rolly Maloo, calls and invites her over for a playdate. Jenna is good in school, especially at math, but she doesn't have many friends, so this is a big step! In fact, Jenna is so excited that she barely notices that Rolly is saying something about the big math test coming up. However, when Jenna's mother says she can't go to Rolly's house, Jenna is sure her one big chance to be friends with Rolly is gone.

So when Rolly passes a note in the middle of the test asking for the answer to question #8, Jenna decides to help her, even though she knows it is wrong. The rest of the book shows the consequences of this decision for everyone involved, from the kids to the teacher, parents and principal. Cartoon-like illustrations are scattered throughout the book, showing various people's reactions to the rumors going through the town about the incident.

Somewhat unusually for a children's book, Me and Rolly Maloo portrays the parents and school officials as complex people; not all of them are portrayed positively. Even the mothers can be catty and prone to spreading rumors, and the principal and the teacher don't like the new school board decision. Children reading this book might be surprised to see these glimpses into the adult world, but they may also enjoy them.

Overall, this book is well written and handles the subject of cheating intelligently and with sensitivity. The suspense builds throughout the book as you wonder how it will all turn out, and Me and Rolly Maloo will keep most readers glued to the pages right through to the ending. 2010

M. Adams

Two Bobbies, by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery

The touching picture book tells the true story of the friendship between a dog and a cat in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They stick together and care for each other as they wander the streets, and when they are taken in by a shelter it becomes clear just how special the bond between them is. 2008.
M. Adams