Category: Tween Reads

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, geek culture, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Table Titans Club – read it!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Table Titans Club, by Scott Kurtz, (March 2024, Holiday House), $22.99, ISBN: 9780823453160

Ages 8-12

Eisner Award Winner Scott Kurtz crafts a hands-down fantastic story about the power of a good role-playing group in this middle grade graphic novel. Val – short for Valeria – is the new kid in school, and she’s got a bit of a temper. Luckily, a schoolmate named Andrew decides she’s just what the Table Titans – a school role-playing group – needs in their campaign. He and friends Alan and Darius invite Val to be part of the group, and Val discovers she loves the game and the fact that she’s finally found a place where she feels like she belongs. But the teacher who sponsors the group is about to go out on leave, and unless they can secure another teacher sponsor, the Table Titans are looking at an early retirement. Val agrees to join the school’s wrestling team in return for having the coach sponsor the group, and takes on Kate, a fellow classmate who seems to have it out for Val. But why? Table Titans touches on the basics of being in a fantasy role-playing group, and the storytelling is there as a support for Val’s story, as she learns to navigate new friendships and work on controlling her reactions to people around her. Support characters are recognizable and relatable. Kurtz’s artwork is vibrant, bold, and fun to read. All around, an excellent addition to graphic novel collections and another great entry into the gaming-centric stories that have been published lately. Anything that shows folks gaming as social-emotional learning is tops with me. Don’t miss this one.

Table Titans Club has a starred review from Booklist.

Scott Kurtz’s website is a treasure trove of webcomics, including his Table Titans series that follows a group of Dungeons & Dragons players in and out of the game (not the characters from Table Titans Club).

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Happy Book Birthday to VP Anderson & Tatiana Hill’s Blood City Rollers!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Blood City Rollers, by V.P. Anderson/Illustrated by Tatiana Hill, (Apr. 2024, Labyrinth Road/Random House Graphic), $13.99, ISBN: 9780593485712

Ages 8-12

What do you get when you a human ice skater joins a vampire roller derby team? A fun story about found family and discovering not only who we are, but what we really want from life. Mina Murray is a 13-year-old figure skater whose mom has big plans for her: the Olympics, the breakfast cereal boxes, all of it. Mina’s not so sure about her place in this world, so when two vampires “kinda sorta” kidnap her to be part of their Paranormal Roller Derby team, the Blood City Rollers, Mina is surprisingly quick to go with the new flow. The vamps need a human jammer for their team, and they need to win the Derby so they can maintain their status and keep their home. As Mina practices and becomes a part of the team, she feels like she’s finally found somewhere she belongs. A queer-friendly mashup of paranormal/horror and comedy, Blood City Rollers is for everyone who loved Roller Girl, with just a bit more spooky added in. Mina explores a crush on Val, the team captain, and skaters’ pronouns are included on the rosters; the skaters are a diverse group in terms of gender identity, race, and ethnicity. This is the first in a new graphic novel series and looks like it will be a popular one.

Blood City Rollers has a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Posted in Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak coming to paperback in August!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak, by Laura Taylor-Namey, (Sept. 2023, Atheneum Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9781665915335

Ages 12+

I am a latecomer to this one – my 2023 was a case study in “my spirit was willing but my reading ability was weak” – but you don’t need to be! Flora is grieving. Her mother has died after a long illness, and her grief is mixed with the guilt of feeling that she wasn’t there when her family needed her most. Overwhelmed by her emotions, and her family, who expects her to take on a greater role in their tea shop, she escapes to Miami, where she stays with soon-to-be sister-in-law Lila and her family. She accidentally ends up in the orbit of influencer Baz Marín, and finds that she’s caught between feelings Baz and one of her best friends, Gordon. Namey writes a moving meditation on grief and all the emotions that swirl – like a hurricane – inside those coping with it. The love triangle injects a little spark into the YA romance. A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak is the companion novel to 2020’s A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, which was a Reese Witherspoon pick. A good purchase for YA romance collections and where the first novel did well.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Batter Up: Books for Baseball Season!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The baseball season just started earlier this week, and the kids in my library are loving it (we’re stops from CitiField, so we’ve got a lot of Mets fans here – and we even have a Mets library card). What else happens during baseball season? Baseball books! Let’s take a look at a few recently out.

Closet of Dreams, by Mark Ukra and Tara Mesalik MacMahon/Illustrated by Donna Dyer, (March 2024, Booklogix), $22.99, ISBN: 978-1665301664

Ages 8-12

Child is a nine-year-old boy who loves baseball. He’s got a wicked fastball and wants desperately to be on the Little League team, but the bullies targeting him aren’t making things easy on him. After confiding in his grandmother, he visits the Closet of Dreams: a place Gamma created for Child to seek refuge from his fears. Between the Closet of Dreams and the retired circus animals at the Kids Park where Gamma works, Child begins discovering an inner strength he never realized he had. Talking animals and a reassuring and loving intergenerational relationship makes this a good additional purchase to consider.

Closet of Dreams is the first in “The Adventures of Child and Gamma”, a new chapter book series.

 

 

Extra Innings, by Fred Bowen, (Feb. 2024, Peachtree Publishers), $16.99, ISBN: 9781682634110

Ages 7-11

The latest in Fred Bowen’s Sports Story Series is all about baseball – Mike is a 14-year-old kid who loves being a pitcher on his baseball team and he’s good at it. While his team depends on him to help bring the wins, Mike’s dad is a little worried that he’s concentrating too much on baseball and not enough on school or other responsibilities. Extra Innings is all about Mike and his father finding a balance. The main character is a teenager, making the book accessible to hi-lo readers as well as intermediate readers; themes of responsibility, parental relationships, and finding a work-school-life balance will appeal to tweens and teens alike. A good addition to chapter book collections where sports interest is high.

Visit Fred Bowen’s author page for more about his books and sports columns; he also has free resources available, including guided novel studies, discussion questions, and writing prompts.

 

Warrior on the Mound, by Sandra W. Headen, (March 2024, Holiday House), $18.99, ISBN: 9780823453788

Ages 8-12

It’s 1935 in North Carolina, and 12-year-old Cato wants to play baseball and meet his hero, Satchel Paige: the best player in the Negro Leagues. Cato and his friends are accused of damaging the new, whites-only ballfield in their town; an event that sparks racial unrest that threatens to burn out of control. Cato begins learning more about the relationship between field owner Luke Blackburn, a white man who was friends with Cato’s deceased father, but no one wants to speak about what happened the night Cato’s dad died. Themes of historical racism and violence power this book through a gripping narrative and conclusion, with a strong backbone of family, community, and sports. Back matter includes an author’s note, historical notes, timeline, resources, and further reading. An outstanding work of historical fiction and social commentary that belongs on shelves.

Warrior on the Mound has starred reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews. The Heritage Mom blog has an excellent review of the book and resources on Negro Leagues Baseball.

Posted in Middle School, Non-Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Minecrafters! Get ready for tasty treats with The Crafter’s Kitchen!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Crafter’s Kitchen: An Official Minecraft Cookbook for Young Chefs and Their Families : An Official Minecraft Cookbook for Young Chefs and Their Families, by The Official Minecraft Team, (March 2024, Random House Worlds), $24.99, ISBN: 9780593579923

Ages 8+

Who doesn’t love a tasty treat, especially when it’s related to a video game that you love? Last year, I was all about Gather, Cook, Eat!, an official Minecraft cookbook that had Nether Portal Rolls and Inventory Bread. This year, we’ve got a new Minecraft Cookbook: The Crafter’s Kitchen, introducing us to The Gourmand, a Minecraft chef who’s concerned by how we’re eating here on the other side of the Nether – every ingredient over by The Gourmand has its own story, and everyone has healthy farming and composting practices by them, so they want to give us a hand. There are delicious recipes for all palates here; each chapter spotlights a Minecraft biome and recipes that come from those biomes. Who wouldn’t want to wander the Forest biome with their tasty Applesauce Snack Cakes, and learn how to start your own garden? Wait about those amazing Cardamom Bear Paws and Swedish Meatballs coming out of the Taiga? Learn how to support wildlife refuges while you chow down. Written to educate not only about good food and how to cook and bake it, The Gourmand wants readers to come away with a sense of responsibility to our world. Kids and grownups alike can enjoy time together in the kitchen and at the computer – this cookbook is a win.

 

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Not-so Happily Ever After? The Princess Protection Program is here for you

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Princess Protection Program, by Alex London, (Feb. 2024, Greenwillow Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780063303874

Ages 8-12

Did you ever think about whether or not Sleeping Beauty really wanted to be kissed by some guy she never knew after being asleep for 100 years? Or if The Little Mermaid would have made a different choice if she’d know she was going to turn into foam at the end of her story? That’s the story at the heart of The Princess Protection Program; it’s a place where fairy tale princesses can escape to when they find their own stories too much. The story begins with Rosamund, who wakes up just as a prince is about to kiss her, as is their destiny – but she’s not having it. Running away, she discovers two other young women who lead her to the Orphans Home Educational Academy – or, as the students call it, Happily Ever After Academy. Verna, the fairy godmother headmistress, explains the school’s purpose to Rosamund, who meets other famous fairy tale princesses (and one prince!) who’ ve escaped their fates. At first, Rosamund is happy to be in school and making new friends, but begins noticing some strange happenings: why are the students perpetually learning the same lessons? And what happens to students who “graduate”? Something is going on at HEA, and Rosamund is determined to discover it. Starring a very familiar cast of princess characters, London also inserts some familiar names among the faculty, especially for fairy tale/fantasy readers. There are great laugh-out-loud moments mixed with conversations on consent and free will, all set in a magical world hidden deeply in our real one. A brilliant contemporary reimagining of the fairy tale universe and a guaranteed hit with middle graders and middle schoolers.

Posted in Middle Grade, Middle School, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Tween Reads

Continental Drifter seeks belonging

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Continental Drifter, by Kathy MacLeod, (Apr. 2024, First Second), $14.99, ISBN: 9781250813749

Ages 8-12

Eleven-year-old Kathy lives in Bangkok with her Thai mother, American father, and her sister. The family doesn’t seem to interact much, so Kathy’s looking forward to the family trip to her father’s family in Maine: – with a summer camp trip-within-a-trip included! Feeling like she doesn’t quite fit in with her family and friends in Thailand, she has high hopes for America, but discovers that she doesn’t quite fit in with the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls who can’t figure out where Thailand is – maybe she’s saying Taiwan wrong? Kathy loves Maine. She loves her extended family; she loves food she can’t get in Thailand, like blueberry pie and clam chowder. She LOVES shopping the the mall. But she feels out of touch within her own family unit, and it doesn’t help how she feels in the world at large. Continental Drifter is MacLeod’s graphic memoir about a child of two cultures searching for belonging, but it’s more than cultural: this family doesn’t interact. Her retired father prefers his alone time, and her high-powered mother runs a business, comes home, and wants her own time. Her older sister is going through adolescence, leaving Kathy to feel unmoored at home; with her friends in Thailand, there are questions about her American half, and when she visits her American family, there are questions about being… not American. MacLeod tells her story without melodrama; we see the lonely girl at the heart of the story, and we see how others in her family have their own loneliness. It’s a moving story that will resonate with readers from immigrant families and readers who may simply feel out of place. Back matter includes an author’s note and photos. Readers who love Remy Lai’s storytelling will Continental Drifter.

Continental Drifter has a starred review from Kirkus. Follow Kathy MacLeod on Instagram for more comics. MacLeod also has archived comics on BK Magazine, which have a slice of life in Bangkok flavor.

Posted in Non-Fiction, picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Guess Who and What’s on the Menu? Animal non-fiction for kids!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Eye Guess: A Forest Animal Guessing Game, by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes, (Jan 2024, Charlesbridge), $8.99, ISBN: 9781623544478

Ages Infant-3

Play a game of Guess Who? with littles with this illustrated board book that offers clues and extreme close-ups. Spreads alternate question and answer, with close-up illustrations and a brief clue and a full spread of the animal in its environment… and a sneak peek at the next animal for readers to discover. Realistic illustrations are in full color and pay attention to details and are reminiscent of Steve Jenkins’ books. Fonts are easy to read and the repetitive question and answer format will help readers identify animals after a few reads. A good addition to board book collections.

 

 

 

Menus for Meerkats and Other Hungry Animals, by Ben Hoare/Illustrated by Hui Skipp, (March 2024, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684648306

Ages 6-9

Kids who have ever wondered what’s on the menu for different animals will get a kick out of this friendly book that describes what different animals eat and why: who’s a vegetarian? Who’s a meat-eater? Who dabbles in both? There are 10 profiles of animal appetites in here, including the dung beetle and the different types of poop they snack on, so be ready for a lot of laughs. Spreads alternate between a menu, offering a few general facts about the animal’s eating habits and what they eat and drink, and a dinner spread, which gets into more detail about how they eat what they do: grizzy bears are omnivores who will dig up roots, eat berries, and fish for bears, and they eat most of the time they’re awake because they hibernate through the winter, for instance. Fun fact boxes provide more statistics, like length and weight. A glossary and index make up the back matter. Hot pink endpapers have animal illustrations, and the interior illustrations are colorful, bright, and cheerful. A fun additional add to animal collections, and let’s be honest here: can you ever have enough books on poop? The kids at my library would say no.

 

 

Posted in Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

YA Dark Fantasy meets Fairy Tale: The Byways by Mary Pascual

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Byways, by Mary Pascual, (June 2023, SparkPress), $17.95, ISBN: 9781684631902

Ages 13+

Cece is a neurodivergent high school student who doesn’t feel like she fits anywhere: when she defends herself against her tormenters, she ends up in the principal’s office. When she’s overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of school, her teachers single her out and try to shame her. The final betrayal comes when her best friend insinuates that her other friends may think Cece is behind some missing money for a school fundraiser; Cece takes off and finds herself in the Byways, a world of the forgotten, full of alleys that change and confuse, with magic and dark figures with dark purposes. Desperate to find her way home, Cece meets some people who want to help her, and some who want to keep her for their own uses. A dark, urban reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, The Byways is full of familiar characters, but with a new spin. Themes of political unrest, bullying, homelessness, and drug abuse run throughout. A good additional purchase for collections where YA fairy tale reimaginings are popular.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

Blog Tour: The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg / Translated by A.A. Prime

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I am loving that Amazon Crossing Kids is now translating middle grade novels: first, there was Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup, introducing readers to Kazakhstan folklore. Now, we’ve got a Swedish mystery series that is eerie and atmospheric. Let’s learn a little bit about The Night Raven.

The Night Raven, by Johan Rundberg/Translated by A.A. Prime,
(Nov. 2023, Amazon Crossing Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9781662509599

Ages 10-14

Set in 1880 Stockholm, Mika is a 12-year-old girl living in an orphanage and answers the door one cold, dark night. A teen boy hands her a newborn baby, murmurs something about a “Dark Angel”, and leaves. When Detective Valdemar Hoff shows up, investigating a murder, Mika – already a very observant and smart young woman – knows something is afoot. Hoff, impressed by Mika’s intelligence and ability to notice details, ends up making Mika his unofficial partner. A gritty Scandinavian crime thriller for a middle school audience, Rundberg touches on social issues including corruption and poverty, indifference and privilege; Mika is a girl who knows how to survive, but she’s always hopeful, a light in the bleak winter darkness. The translation is flawless and the novel is perfectly paced, keeping readers turning pages as they’re drawn into Rundberg’s world. I loved this book so much, I already downloaded the ARC for the next book in the series. An excellent add to upper middle grade/middle school collections.

The Night Raven has starred reviews from The Horn Book and Kirkus.

 

★“This gripping, fast-paced mystery comes together well, with Mika’s deductions based firmly in logic and connections based in her own clear observations…A thrilling and thoughtful period murder mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

 

★“This English translation of Rundberg’s lively historical mystery…is something to celebrate…Joyous, funny, suspenseful, and serious—an unusual and winning combination for middle-grade readers. Let’s hope its three sequels appear in [A. A.] Prime’s English translation, too.” —The Horn Book (starred review)

 

“ It’s a testament to the authors that none of the solutions comes easily — in any good mystery story, truth is a messy and painful business.”  —The New York Times Book Review

Johan Rundberg is an award-winning author of children’s books who lives in Stockholm. He has written picture books, early readers, and middle grade, including Kärlekspizzan, Knockad Romeo, and the series Häxknuten. In 2021, he was awarded Sweden’s most prestigious literary prize, the August Prize, in the children’s and YA category for Nattkorpen, the original edition of The Night Raven, which was first written in Swedish. Nattkorpen was also the winner of a Swedish Crimetime Award in the children’s and YA category. There are now four books in this series published in Sweden.

 

A. A. Prime (Annie Prime) is an award-winning translator of Swedish literature. She was born in London and traveled the world studying a number of languages before settling in the English coastal town of Hastings. She now works full-time as a translator, specializing in the weird, witty, and wonderful world of children’s and young adult fiction. She holds an MA in translation from University College London and has published more than twenty books in the UK and US. In her free time, she can be found belly dancing, folk singing, horse riding, and sea swimming.