Tween Reads – Page 125

Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The Map to Everywhere – a new fantasy series for middle graders begins here

Posted on May 20, 2015May 20, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Map to Everywhere, by Carrie Ryan & John Parke Davis (2014, Little Brown Books for Young Readers), $17, ISBN: 9780316240772

Recommended for ages 10-13

Fin is the perfect thief – any memory of him fades from everyone he meets. But one day, he gets a letter – someone knows him – and offers him a mission that will help him find his mother. He finds his way to the magical Pirate Stream, a waterway that connects every world in creation, where he encounters Marrill, a schoolgirl from Arizona, who’s just trying to get home, a young pirate captain, and a wizard, all searching for the pieces of a Map to Everywhere – the only problem is, an evil wizard and his crew are in search of the same Map, so he can end the world.

We’ve got the makings of a big pirate adventure with this series: two promising young heroes, a wizard and a captain that will almost certainly see more development as the series proceeds, and a world-ending Big Bad. Both Fin and Marrill have their own motivations, which give us some interesting subplots and leave us in a good place for future adventures.

I admit that I struggled with the book, overall. There was something that didn’t hook me right away, a sense of needing something more. About halfway through, I was finally on board and engaged. I don’t think middle grade adventure and fantasy lovers will have this issue at all, though. With strong male and female characters, a sharp sense of humor and exciting storytelling, this will be a good summer reading choice.

Carrie Ryan is best known for her YA post-apocalyptic series, beginning with The Forest of Hands and Teeth; she’s writing this series with her husband, first-time novelist John Parke Davis. You can find activity sheets and extras on the Map to Everywhere site, which also features links to the first eight chapters via Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play.

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction

Ballet Cat is a great new Easy Reader series!

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret, by Bob Shea (2015, Hyperion) $9.99, ISBN: 9781484713785

Recommended for ages 4-7

The creator of the hilarious and adorable Dinosaur Vs. series debuts his new Easy Reader series, Ballet Cat, starring the title character and her best friend, Sparkles the Pony. Storytelling moves in similar fashion to Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie series, with the two characters engaging in fun dialogue while reaching a conclusion that works for both characters.

Ballet Cat and Sparkles are trying to figure out what to play, but everything Sparkles suggests – crafts, checkers, selling lemonade – doesn’t work with all the leaps and twirls that Ballet Cat wants to do. When Ballet Cat asks Sparkles why he looks so sad, we find out that Sparkles has a totally secret secret – but then again, so does Ballet Cat.

The artwork is adorable and kid-friendly, with bright colors and bold lines that will catch the reader’s eye and draw them in. The story helps kids understand and maybe resolve playtime conflict, when friends find themselves split along the lines of what to do, especially when one friend always seems to get his or her way. The friends learn that talking, not moping, gets friends working together and makes things better for everyone.

This book works great for storytime, too- make sure to put on your best funny voices and practice your twirls!

Get a peek at Bob Shea’s other books and learn more at his author website.

Animal Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The Cat’s Maw gives middle graders a good, creepy story!

Posted on May 19, 2015May 18, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Cat’s Maw, by Brooke Burgess (2015, CreateSpace), $10.99, ISBN: 9781500971656

Recommended for ages 10-16

Billy Brahms has luck, all right – it’s all bad. He’s an accident looking for a place to happen, and an easy target for bullies. His parents don’t know what to do with him, but they don’t seem to try too hard to connect with him, either. When he’s struck by a car and risks losing his leg, they’re all at the end of their respective ropes. One day, though, Billy wakes up to discover a cat has adopted him – he just shows up at Billy’ bedside. His mother puts up a fuss, but the neighborhood cat lady manages to talk her into letting Billy and the cat have some time together to bond, saying it will be good for poor Billy, who’s stuck in a cast all summer.

That’s when the dreams start. He’s talking to cats, he’s hearing talk of Watchers, Shadows, and the Enemy that Awakens. He’s been given a mission, a mission that will remove the curse he seems to have hanging over him – will he finally be able to be a “normal” kid? Billy knows his parents will never believe him if he tells them that he’s communicating with his cat, and they’ll never let him go anywhere by himself, especially with that cast on his leg. He’s got to figure out how to break this curse, and he turns to the local veterinarian’s daughter for help.

The Cat’s Maw is one of those books that’s better read when you can talk about it with other readers. There’s a lot going on, and you need time to sit, read, and work things out to really appreciate the book. It’s a narrative that builds, never really giving anything away – rather, it gives you little peeks here and there, little glimpses, building toa tense finale that leaves you waiting for the next book. And there will be one; this is the first in the Shadowland Saga by Burgess.

Billy is a sympathetic kid. His parents are fairly awful, even though you get the feeling that they don’t want to be. He’s a bully magnet. Even his friend, the vet’s daughter, is happiest when she’s bossing him around. You want to see things work for Billy, and if a link to a cat is the key to this, let’s go there.

The ending left me with more questions than answers, which means that I need to read it one more time, and that I need the second book in the series to come out soon.

The Cat’s Maw is available in eBook, audiobook, or paperback. Check out the author’s website or information about his other books, and more information about The Cat’s Maw.

Early Reader, Fiction, geek culture, Science Fiction, Toddler

Star Wars Epic Yarns: Train your youngest readers in the ways of The Force.

Posted on May 15, 2015May 15, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Star Wars Epic Yarns: A New Hope (ISBN: 978-1-4521-3393-5), The Empire Strikes Back (ISBN: 978-1-4521-3499-4), Return of the Jedi (ISBN: 978-1-4521-3500-7), by Jack & Holman Wang (2015, Chronicle Books), $9.95

Recommended for all ages

I love Star Wars, and am crazy about all the concept books coming out so I can get my toddler on board early. He’s already got Star Wars 123 and Star Wars ABC, and next on the list will be these three adorable board books that teach exciting new words and introduce all readers to the greatest trilogy in the galaxy.

Each book covers a movie in the original Star Wars trilogy, using words kids will be familiar with (“princess”, “boy”, “heroes”) with new words that can only enhance a youngling’s vocabulary (“Force”, “droids”, “lightsaber”). The books are sturdy and can are ready to be held by little hands over and over again.

Let’s just talk about the amazing work that the Wangs have put into these books. Created with figures made of needle-felted yarn and set against movie-esque backdrops, these pictures are gorgeous. This is a tremendous level of artistry that leaves me shaking my head in wonder. Kids are going to love these child-friendly faces and words, and there are many, many cuddly storytimes ahead with these books in hand.

Look at the work that went into this series, courtesy of StarWars.com, and check out this behind-the-scenes video. And then, go get your copies!

Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Are you a Book Scavenger? Read, Play, and Find Out!

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Book Scavenger, by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (June 2015, Henry Holt), $16.99, ISBN: 9781627791151

Twelve year-old Emily is on the move again. Her unconventional parents are on a quest to live in all 50 states, so she and her brother don’t get a chance to put roots down anywhere. This move takes them to San Francisco, where Emily’s idol-Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the game Book Scavenger-lives. Shortly after arriving, she and her new friend James discover a strangely new copy of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story, The Gold Bug; they learn that Griswold has been viciously attacked and is in the hospital, and people start showing an unusual interest in her copy of The Gold Bug. Could there be a connection?

This is a new spin on the middle grade mystery, with a real-life tie in that’s interesting and brings kids into the world of The Book Scavenger. Influenced by the online site Book Crossing, where you leave books for people and record where you’ve left and discovered books, Book Scavenger creates a game where you can attain levels of detective-dom by finding books and hiding books using clues to lead your fellow players to them. Chambliss and publisher Henry Holt have brought Book Scavenger to life, hiding advance review copies of Book Scavenger all over the country and inviting readers to locate them – go to http://bookscavenger.com/ to get on board and join the fun!

There is some great discussion on cryptography and hidden codes used in the book – James and Emily are fans that bring the practice into their school after being caught passing notes – and the book becomes a true whodunit, with readers trying to figure out who could have been behind the attack on Garrison Griswold, and more importantly, what is the secret of The Gold Bug? The characters are likable, even if Emily does become frustrating in her single-mindedness over solving the mystery at points, and Book Scavenger makes for exciting summer reading.

Check out Jennifer Chambliss Bertman’s author page for updates on what she’s working on.

Intermediate, Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction

STEM Bios – Aprille Ericsson, Aerospace Engineer

Posted on April 29, 2015April 29, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

STEM Trailblazer Bio: Aprille Ericsson, Aerospace Engineer, by Laura Hamilton Waxman (2015, Lerner Publishing Group) $26.60, ISBN: 9781467757935

Recommended for ages 8-12

Where are my science fans at? My future astrophysicists, mathematicians, and engineers? Maybe you’re still in middle school, watching episodes of Cosmos on YouTube. Are you at the museum or planetarium, or staring up at the night sky? Wherever you are, this book is for you. Get to your library and ask for it.

Aerospace engineer Aprille Ericsson started out as the kid in school who loved math and science. After taking second place at a middle school science fair, she knew she wanted to make science her life. We follow her education path, her work with NASA, and learn what she’s working on these days. There are great pictures and callout quotes from Ms. Ericsson, a timeline of her life thus far, source notes, and a glossary. For anyone interested in learning more, there are recommended books and websites.

I adore Lerner’s STEM Trailblazer biography series. They’re great books for young to intermediate readers who need biographies on people that are making discoveries and progress today. These books – these people – are introducing kids to names like Aprille Ericsson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, who founded YouTube, theoretical physicist Brian Greene, computer engineer Ruchi Sanghvi, and more. Please get these books on your shelves, teachers and librarians; parents, get to your libraries and get these books for your kids. Let the other kids be Cleopatra and Albert Einstein on Biography Day – let your kid be Aprille Ericsson!

Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

My Life in Dioramas: A touching middle grade book about family, change, and holding on

Posted on April 29, 2015April 29, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

My Life in Dioramas, by Tara Altebrando (Apr 2015, Running Press) $14.95, ISBN: 9780762456826

Recommended for ages 9-14

Kate Marino has spent her life in Big Red, her wonderfully large, rambling house. But her parents are having financial trouble, and have to put Big Red up for sale and move in with her grandparents – just as Kate’s dancing class is about to compete for the very first time! Kate’s world coming feels like it’s coming to an end, and begins crafting dioramas of her life at Big Red as she and her friends try to think of ways to turn potential buyers off of a sale.

I loved this story. Ms. Altebrando takes a sobering look at life for many families today and finds the spark of hope, the humor, and ultimately, the ability to move on. Kate is a wonderful main character that middle graders will love. The ideas she and her friends come up with to discourage potential buyers are hilarious and innocent rather than mean-spirited. We see the stress of the family’s financial situation affecting Kate, but also, her family, particularly through her mother’s fight with depression. Using a popular school project – the diorama – as a vehicle to advance the plot and take readers through Big Red’s story – as much a character in this book as anyone else – immediately invests the reader.

Tara Altebrando’s author page offers more information about her other books, including Roomies, a YALSA 2015 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers selection,co-authored with Sara Zarr. My Life in Dioramas hit shelves this week, so please check with your local bookseller and pick up a copy. You’ll be glad you did, and so will your kids/students/and so on.

Check out this great book trailer for My Life in Dioramas, made by Teeny Tiny Filmworks, a group of young filmmakers.

My Life in Dioramas from Teeny Tiny Filmworks on Vimeo.

Fantasy, Teen

Spelled: A Fairy Tale/Wizard of Oz Mash-Up!

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Spelled, by Betsy Schow (June 2015, Sourcebooks Fire), $9.99, ISBN: 9781492608714

Recommended for ages 13+

Spoiled princess Dorothea has it all – including a family curse that requires she, like all the women in her family, never leave the castle. That all changes the night she tries to get out of a royal matchmaking by making a wish that undoes the fabric of the land. Now, her parents are missing and she finds herself hunted by Griz, a wicked old witch; she’s on the road with Kato, her almost-fiancé-turned-chimera, and a grouchy kleptomaniac lady in waiting named Rexie. Can they find their way to the Wizard before Griz and her magic henchfolk get hold of her?

This book is a mashup that’s influenced by, but not a retelling of, Frank L. Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, with a splash of Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass to keep the story moving. It’s a fun take on the spoiled princess grows up concept, set in a kind of parallel Oz. There’s a lot going on here, and plotlines can become a little confusing. There’s a lack of depth to the characters, especially for a story that’s relying only on a basic recognition of established characters – this could be on purpose, as the ending leaves no question as to whether there will be a sequel.

Fans of the current young adult fairy tale mashups trend will get a kick out of this book.

Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Middle School, Teen, Tween Reads

To This Day: A Graphic Novel’s Call to Anti-Bullying Action

Posted on April 9, 2015January 30, 2026 by Rosemary Kiladitis

tothisday_1 To This Day: For the Bullied and Beautiful, by Shane Koyczan (2014, Annick Press) $19.95, ISBN: 978-1554516391

Recommended for ages 10-18

What began as a spoken word poem turned into a viral video, and has culminated in this gorgeous, touching graphic novel about the lasting damage caused by bullying. To this day, a boy saddled with a the nickname “pork chop” hates pork chops. To this day, a woman teased about a facial birthmark thinks she’s ugly, despite having a loving husband and family. To this day, bullied kids carry the battle scars they earned in the trenches of elementary, middle, and high school. This book, based on Shane Koyczan’s spoken word poem and animated by 86 animation and motion artists, contains the work of 30 artists and illustrators and give new life to Koyczan’s poem.

Bullying has become a hot-button topic in recent years, as cyberbullying changes all the rules. The attraction of anonymity makes bullies bolder, and victims find their tormentors omnipresent, thanks to 24/7 social media access. Crafting a multimedia work – a spoken word poem, a viral video, and now, a graphic novel, takes the bullying discussion to the arenas where tweens and teens live and interact. Making the discussion visual will help bring home the internal damage that bullying brings, hopefully making both bullies and the bullied understand that there are repercussions to bullying. There is someone on the other end of a computer or smartphone that is directly impacted by everything that one writes or records. In this case, a picture truly speaks a thousand words.

This would make for a great class discussion and could be paired with the video. There is also a free app available through iTunes. The To This Day Project website has anti-bullying resources, the video, and a link to the app available.

Fiction, Teen

Material Girls: Pop Culture Gone Wild!

Posted on April 6, 2015April 5, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Material Girls, by Elaine Dimopoulos (May 2015, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Group), $17.99, ISBN: 9780544388505

Recommended for ages 12-18

Imagine a world where teenagers’ tastes drive commerce. Fashion trends? Voted on my teen judges. Tween programming and music stars rule the day, setting trends and acting out carefully crafted roles and personas. But guess what? A handful of adults are still running the show, sitting behind the scenes, letting this new version of child labor run society.

Material Girls takes place in a not too-distant future, where popularity drives everything. Young tweens are picked, after crafting online portfolios, to be called to creative careers in fashion or entertainment; “adequates” are left to do the boring stuff that holds society up – doctors, accountants, that sort of thing. Fashion is paramount, and trends are fast, furious, and make tons of money. People have trendcheckers that scan clothing labels and let you know whether or not you’re still on trend; teenage judges decide what clothes get made. There are no more superstar fashion designers; designers and drafters are relegated to the less glamorous, lower levels of the operation. “Stay Young!” has replaced “See ya!” as a well-wish greeting.

Two narratives make up Material Girls. Marla is a teen judge who finds herself demoted to drafter after disagreeing with her fellow judges’ outrageous tastes one too many times. Told in the first person, we see Marla slowly gaining awareness of society around her, and work with her fellow drafters and adequates to bring about change, through revolution, if necessary.

Ivy is a teen queen pop star who begins questioning her place in society and society in general. Through a third person narrative, we see her growing discomfort with people spending money they can’t afford on outrageous and uncomfortable trends that she, and other teen pop stars like her, seemingly dictate. Her brother’s “tapping” – the process by which kids are called to special careers – doesn’t go as well as planned. She’s tired of living a scheduled, scripted life and just wants to be free, but does she have the courage to see it through?

Material Girls is a brilliant indictment of today’s pop-culture and youth-obsessed society. Blending shades of Brave New World with reality television, this is as much a cautionary tale as it is a parody of today’s society. I loved this story; it provides great topics to discuss in a tween or teen book club setting, and can be read as a sociological text to generate discussion on youth culture, pop culture, and how it affects society as a whole.

This is author Elaine Dimopoulos‘ first book. She’ll be having a book release party at Boston Public Library on May 5, which sounds great for anyone in the area. There’s going to be a slide show with fashion trends that influenced the book and eco-chic swag to win. Weigh in if you get to go!

Material Girls Release Party!
Tuesday, May 5, 7 p.m.
Abbey Room, Boston Public Library