Category: Tween Reads

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.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Graphic Novels Catch-Up

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dog & Hat and the Lunar Eclipse Picnic : Book No. 2, by Darin Shuler, (May 2023, Chronicle Books), $15.99, ISBN: 9781797206899

Ages 7-10

This surrealistic comic series stars a dog, a sentient hat, and their best friend, an ant. In this second series installment, Ant dreams about her mother, who wants her to visit her cousins on the moon. Dog, who was already planning a lunar eclipse picnic, decides to move their festivities to the moon, in order to accompany Ant. Hat, the practical one in the group, says it’s impossible, but Dog quickly disabuses them of that notion, saying they just need to “harness a little moon magic”. Over the course of the story, organized into eight chapters, the trio travel to the moon and visit Ant’s cousins, taking part in dinosaur races and moon crumb-eating contests. Hat, more comfortable with rules and routine, is initially uneasy with the frenetic pace and chaotic fun, but even he manages to relax and enjoy the freedom and play. Wildly colorful illustrations are surreal and eye-catching, including winding staircases to the moon and a whale swimming on a dream lake. Messages of friendship and positive thinking run throughout, powering the group as they take on seemingly impossible things. A fun read.

 

Garvey’s Choice : The Graphic Novel, by Nikki Grimes/Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III, (June 2023, Wordsong), $22.99, ISBN: 9781662660023

Ages 9-12

The graphic adaptation of Nikki Grimes’s 2021 novel gives visual life to her beloved character, Garvey, while keeping the quiet, powerful verse of the original story. Garvey, a brown-skinned boy, would rather play chess or get lost in his books than play football with his father, who says hurtful things about his weight and his inability to play sports. He meets Manny, a boy with albinism, in class and the two become fast friends. Garvey confides his feelings about his father in Manny, and Manny tells Garvey that he wants to be a chef, but his father thinks it’s “girly”. Together, Garvey – bullied for his weight – and Manny are able to rise above their bullies; Garvey also finds the ability to connect with his father not through sports but through music. Taylor’s artwork taps into the humanity found in Grimes’s verse, beautifully translating it to the pages of the book; readers can see into Garvey’s imagination and explore his inner dialogue through Taylor’s artwork. Much of Grimes’s tanka poetry remains in place through the book, with an explanation of tanka in the back matter. If you haven’t put this book in your graphic novel collections yet, buy a few copies.

Garvey’s Choice: The Graphic Novel has starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, The Horn Book, Kirkus, Booklist, and We Need Diverse Books.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

A Kazakhstan bestseller arrives on US shelves: Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup, by Zira Nauryzbai & Lilya Kalaus, Translated by Shelley Fairweather-Vega, (Aug. 2023, Amazon Crossing), $17.99, ISBN: 9781662507021

Ages 8-12

Batu is a regular kid living in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He lives with his parents and his grandmother. He has two close friends, a boy named Sasha and a girl named Dana. He and Sasha are mercilessly bullied by a kid he calls Scorpion, and another boy named Kaira. One day, while sitting on the threshold of his apartment, Batu accidentally summons an ancient teenage warrior named Aspara, who asks for Batu’s help in locating a lost treasure – the Golden Cup – stolen from his people. Using a magical string instrument called a dombyra, Batu and Aspara transport themselves across time to seek audience with the great eagle Samruk, whom they discover is missing. Batu enlists Sasha and Dana to help he and Aspara find Samruk and defend themselves against the dark forces of Shahruh, an evil spirit who takes the form of a giant black bear. The first in a new series, published in Kazakhstan in 2014, is an adventure in the Rick Riordan Presents vein, introducing readers to Kazakh myth and legend while addressing complexities of colonization. It’s a strong debut in an exciting new series. Booktalk this one.

Check out an interview with the authors at The Children’s Book Review.

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

We’re Not Gonna Take: Love & Resistance by Kara H.L. Chen

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Love & Resistance, by Kara H.L. Chen, (July 2023, Quill Tree Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063237834

Ages 13-17

Enough is enough for one Taiwanese-American teen who goes up against her school’s VIPs – with the help of some new friends. Olivia Chang, daughter of a military mom, is at her fourth school in seven years; she’s created rules for survival: stay anonymous. Embrace isolationism. Soon enough, she’ll be out of this little Ohio town and off to college, and leave this toxic mess behind. But she ends up on the In Crowd’s radar when she hears Mean Girl leader Mitzi Clarke make a racist comment about how certain students skew test results; Livvy speaks up, and war is declared, taking place on the social media battlefields that Mitzi and her minions dominate. Until NerdNet comes to the rescue: a quietly operating group of students who use their know-how to defend the bullied, they take up Livvy’s cause and bring her into the group. Empowered by their friendship, Livvy and NerdNet work together to upend the system: but Livvy may push too hard, go too far. Taking on the cult of social media and casual racism, Love & Resistance is reading teen readers will dive into. Livvy is a complicated heroine who risks becoming the type of bully she’s pushing back against, and her fellow NerdNet members have fully realized backstories, making them as realistic and likable as our heroine. The pace moves quickly and the book is compulsively readable, with much food for thought and discussion. Add this to your Fall purchases if you haven’t yet.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Great YA/Adult Crossover Choice: The Navigating Fox

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Navigating Fox, by Christopher Rowe, (Sept. 2023, Tordotcom), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250804501

Ages 13+

This is one of those great fantasy tales that appeals to teen or adult readers. Set in a world where animals and humans interact together, and where there are “knowledegeable” and “voiceless” animals, Quintus Shu’al is a knowledgeable fox; a navigating fox who acted as a guide until one fatal expedition left him in disgrace. A year after that journey, he is offered the opportunity to redeem himself by leading another team – including the sibling of one of the members of his last group – to the gates of Hell itself. The narrative moves back and forth in time between the present and the previous year’s excursion, giving readers a fuller understanding of the main character and some insight into the developing plot and character motives. It’s a cozy fantasy with adventure, with solid pacing and a likable main character whose mysterious backstory – even he doesn’t know it! – assures that readers will be invested in more adventures. Great for Redwall, Longburrow, or Mouse Guard readers. Pair this on a display with Ben Hatke’s Reynard’s Tale for more fantastic, foxy fantasy. The Navigating Fox has starred reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

 

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

More Graphic Novels – if you haven’t read them, they’re new to you!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Another graphic novel TBR rundown!

Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy, by Jonathan Hill, (Sept. 2022, Walker Books), $24.99, ISBN: 9781536216462

Ages 8-12

Tommy Tompkins is the new kid in town, and he’s from somewhere REALLY different: he’s a lizard person from beneath the earth! Beginning seventh grade in a new town is tough enough, but Tommy has an entirely new face and has to pretend to eat human food, which he thinks is gross. It’s hard enough to hide his true self from people, but seeing how different beings are treated in the media makes him feel even worse: there’s a show that’s all about lizard people trying to take over the world, for crying out loud. He and his family aren’t trying to take over anything; they’re looking for a safe place to live. Making friends with other outsiders – Dung Tran, a Vietnamese kid whose scientist parents are working to figure out a series of mysterious sinkholes popping up in the area, and Scarlett Roberts, the janitor’s punk rock daughter – helps for a little while until Tommy lets jealousy get the best of him. A fun graphic novel with a relatable story about accepting and welcoming others, Tales of a Seventh Grade Lizard Boy builds on humor and delivers a stirring subplot focusing on Tommy’s isolation and longing for home. An author note details Hill’s inspiration for the story and details on delicious-sounding Vietnamese food. Endpapers add to the fun with a yearbook layout complete with scribbles over different class photos. A fun addition to graphic novel collections.

 

The Mighty Bite, by Nathan Hale, (Apr. 2023, Abrams), $14.99, ISBN: 9781419765537

Ages 7-10

The creator of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales has a surreal new graphic novel that makes internet stars out of a Trilobite and a whale named Amber. The two don’t realize that the rest of the world thinks trilobites and ambulocetuses are extinct, so when paleo-newscaster Tiffany Timber discovers them, she thinks she’s going to be famous. Which makes Trilobite think he and Amber are going to be famous. It’s a manic and hilarious look at the hunt for those 15 minutes of fame, social media, and a video-making slobberknocker that hits the sweet spot for middle grade readers. Two-color blue and black illustration is calming against the frenetic pace of the novel, with wild fonts sharing space with giant gorillas, zombie pigs and maggot-infested harmonicas, and more. Hale sets up a possible sequel at the end. Middle graders will devour this one and relish the sheer mania.

The Mighty Bite has a starred review from Booklist.

 

Global: One Fragile World. An Epic Fight for Survival, by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin/Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano, (Apr. 2023, Sourcebooks Young Readers), $14.99, ISBN: 9781728262192

Ages 10-14

The creative powerhouse behind 2018’s Illegal is back with a story of climate change. Two narratives; two stories; two areas of the world ravaged by climate change. At the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean, 12-year-old Sami lives with his grandfather. Orphaned by storms that also claimed their home, Sami and his grandfather try to eke out a living on their fishing boat, but there are fewer and fewer fish to be caught; there are also pirates who will steal their catch. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Yuki lives in Northern Canada inside the Arctic Circle. The ice is melting, and bears have begun wandering into residential areas, looking for food. Polar bears and brown bears, their territories mixed up thanks to climate change have started mating, creating a new breed, Grolars. Yuki wants to bring the grolars’ plight to public attention: the bears don’t have the skills to hunt on ice, like a polar bear, or to catch salmon in the rivers, like brown bears. Climate change and human encroachment could spell the end for these bears unless Yuki can do something about it. Each story is a climate change tale that has drastically changed the land and made life difficult for those who live there. Through Sami’s and Yuki’s eyes, readers see how all life is affected – from plants and animals to humans – and how each of the main characters pushes back against despair and surrender to keep going. It’s a page-turning adventure with masterful color illustration making use of ominous shadows, murky earth tones, and cool blues and whites. Back matter includes an author’s note and a graphic novel explanation of global warming. An excellent choice for graphic novel collections and realistic fiction readers who may have moved on from I Survived, but still love tales of survival. Download a free educator guide on the Sourcebooks website.

Global has a starred review from Foreword Reviews.

 

Northranger, by Rey Terciero/Illustrated by Bre Indigo, (June 2023, HarperAlley), $26.99, ISBN: 9780063007390

Ages 12+

A queer spin on Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, Northranger introduces readers to 16-year-old Cade Muñoz, who has to spend his summer working alongside his stepfather, Dale, in at the General’s – Dale’s old Army buddy – ranch. Not thrilled with the prospect of shoveling poop for the summer, not to mention sharing a room with Dale, he is pleasantly surprised to discover the General’s friendly twin children, Henri and Henry. Cade and Henry are attracted to one another and start up a romantic relationship, but Cade is frustrated by Tyler’s secretive nature; a ranch hand convinced that the General killed his wife doesn’t help matters. As the teens struggle with homophobia, racism, coming out, and family relationships, their own relationship hits rocky waters. Cade is Mexican-American; his mother and grandmother sprinkle Spanish in their conversations. Cade’s stepfather and stepsister are Black; Henry, his sister, and father are white. The sepia color palette adds a timelessness to the story, with creative use of shadows to add to the mystery of Northranger. An author’s note rounds out the story. An excellent work of realistic fiction and YA romance.

Northranger has a starred review from the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books and Shelf Awareness.

 

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

National Geographic Kids 2024 Almanac Book Blitz & Giveaway!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Buy | Goodreads

The New York Times best-selling Almanac is packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, National Geographic exclusives, games, activities, and fascinating features about animals, science, nature, technology, and more.

This new edition features:

  • EXCLUSIVE National Geographic Explorer interviews and features
  • EXCLUSIVE Interactive Almanac Challenge 2024, plus the results of the Almanac Challenge 2023
  • BONUS SECTION of sidesplitting jokes and riddles
  • NEW fun-tastic things to see and do in 2024
  • NEW cutest animal superlatives and animal rescue stories
  • NEW science and dinosaur discoveries
  • NEW fun games, quizzes, and activities
  • NEW weird and wacky places around the world
  • NEW experiments to do, places to explore, and ways to change the world
  • UPDATED reference material, including fast facts and maps of every country

Check out THIS PAGE for more information and to take the 2024 Almanac Challenge, Elephant-Stagram!

Praise:

“…this gathering of upbeat, vividly illustrated, browser-friendly dips into topics ranging from black holes to blue-footed boobies to Bolivian street food is hard to put down, and the pop quizzes and research guides at each chapter’s end will give studious sorts a leg up, too”.― Kirkus

 

GIVEAWAY!

  • Three (3) winners will receive a copy of National Geographic Kids Almanac 2024
  • US/Canada only
  • Ends 7/2 at 11:59pm ET
  • Enter via the Rafflecopter below

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