Tag: family

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

Took – You’ll never look at your dolls the same way again

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

tookTook, by Mary Downing Hahn (Sept. 2015, Clarion Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9780544551534

Recommended for ages 10-14

Local legend says that Old Auntie takes a new girl every 50 years to slave for the old witch. Once she’s worn out, she lets her go and takes another. And the girl let go never lives for long after.

Daniel and his sister Erica are new to West Virginia when they hear this story. It sounds ridiculous, right? And Daniel has more on his mind than worrying about some crazy old fairy tale. His family has relocated from Connecticut to this ramshackle house with a history in West Virginia after his father’s layoff. The kids at school are awful, and Erica withdraws further into herself and her doll, Little Erica. But when Erica disappears one night, word is that she’s been “took” – especially when a girl who looks like the one who disappeared 50 years before shows up wearing Erica’s clothes. His family is falling apart, and Daniel knows it’s up to him to get his sister back and make things right.

This book wraps itself around you like a fall chill. You can feel it creeping through you, but you can’t quite get it out of your bones until you finish it. Ms. Hahn creates a tale that had me searching the Web to find out if this was an actual local legend, it’s so fleshed out and believable. She gives us solid characters with issues we can certainly understand, possibly even empathize with – unemployment, underemployment, being bullied for being the new kid at school, and watching the cracks in one family threaten to tear it apart. It’s a very human story set within a paranormal thriller, and it’s a great read for kids who have aged out of Goosebumps and are ready for a little something more.

Mary Downing Hahn is an award-winning children’s book author and former children’s librarian (whoo hoo!). You can check out her author page and see a complete list of her books and read an FAQ with Ms. Hahn.

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

What do you NEED and what are you willing to do to have it?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

needNeed, by Joelle Charbonneau (Nov. 2015, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s), $17.99, ISBN: 9780544416697

Recommended for ages 13+

A social network promises you whatever you need – but nothing comes for free, and the teens at Wisconsin’s Nottawa High School discover just how far they are willing to go for concert tickets, gym equipment, or just the thrill of a mission. Kaylee Dunham, social outcast at Nottawa, needs a kidney for her sick brother, but she discovers pretty quickly that the site is causing havoc around her. When things turn deadly, Kaylee starts digging to find out who’s behind NEED, but what happens when you’re up against a social network that can send someone to kill you in exchange for someone’s greatest wish?

NEED is a fast-paced thriller that teens – boys and girls – will enjoy. Everyone’s life seems to revolve around a multitude of social networks, so joining one more – that promises to give you free stuff for just one little task – will click. The tasks start off almost innocuously – more like pranks, really – but as the situations escalate and everything starts falling into place, the book becomes tense and unputdownable. The pervasiveness of social media and a seemingly invisible antagonist who can contact you anywhere, anytime – and can assemble your own classmates against you – is truly unsettling.

NEED is a good addition to collections for fans of tech fiction and a good thriller. It also lends itself to a good discussion on wants versus needs.

Joelle Charbonneau is a New York Times bestselling author of the Testing trilogy. Her author website offers links to social media, information about her books and appearances, and a section dedicated to authors united in support of Ferguson, Missouri’s youth by supporting their library, which stayed open and provided a safe space for the community during the riots. NEED will be available in November 2015, but you can pre-order a signed copy from Ms. Charbonneau’s site.

Possible booktalk: Kaylee signs up for NEED because she wants a kidney for her sick brother. Other classmates sign up for NEED because they want material possessions like concert tickets and gym equipment. What is a want versus a need? If someone offered you the chance to have something you really wanted, but you had to complete an anonymous task, would you blindly do it? Would you question it at all? Is there always a price to pay for something that appears to be free?

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Middle School, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Part Judy Blume, Part Dork Diaries: Dream On, Amber

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dream on AmberDream On, Amber, by Emma Shevah (Oct. 2015, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $12.99, ISBN: 9781492622505

Recommended for ages 8-12

Ambra Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto is half Japanese, half Italian, and things are not molto bene (very good) for her at the moment. She thinks her name is ridiculous; she’s managed to put herself in the sights of a bully at school; she’s doing her best to take care of her little sister, Bella, who really feels the absence of a dad in their lives, and she doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere.

Her dad left when she was six and Bella was one, and he hasn’t even tried to get in touch. She feels like a whole half of herself is missing: she knows nothing about her Japanese side, but she doesn’t look like her Italian mother. And to top things off, she’s been trying to keep up a charade for Bella’s benefit, writing letters to her as their father, explaining why he’s not able to come home in time for her birthday party.

It’s such a relief to find realistic fiction that looks at big ticket items with sensitivity and humor. Amber tackles some tough questions and issues that middle graders face, and she does it with Judy Blume-esque humor, with a touch of Dork Diaries/Diary of a Wimpy Kid slapstick. The book is told in the first person, from Amber’s point of view, complete with illustrations and chapters headed by numbers in English, Italian, and Japanese.

True to life, there are no easy answers waiting for Amber, but she makes some big moves and grows up during the course of the novel. I loved this book and how it uses humor to take the sting out stressful situations facing kids these days. I’d love to read more of Amber’s adventures in the future – I hope we get some!

Posted in Horror, Humor, Teen, Tween Reads

After Dark: There’s something very creepy going on in this town…

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

after dark After Dark, by James Leck (Aug. 2015, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771381109

Recommended for ages 11-14

Charlie Harker is not having a great day. He’s in trouble on his last day of school; his mom met him to tell him there’s no more money left – their absentee dad spent them all into debt, and she’s putting Charlie, his sister, Lillith, and his brother, Johnny, to work over the summer to renovate his grandfather’s old inn in the boring town of Rolling Hills. The only excitement seems to come from local conspiracy nut, Miles Van Helsing.

Charlie realizes, pretty quickly, that there may be something to Miles’ ramblings. People are acting weird, and Charlie decides to help Miles investigate further. There’s definitely something going on in Rolling Hills, but will Charlie and Miles be the next victims?

This is a fun humor/horror story; think of Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets old-school Fright Night. There are some nice nods to horror history, including references to George Romero and The Lost Boys, not to mention the obvious Dracula references in the boys’ last names. The ending leaves the possibility for a sequel. It’s a good end-of-summer read, and readers who shy away from gore and horror may be drawn in by the sarcastic narration and overall humor.

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

It’s About Love – A new teen romance that hits on strong topics

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

itsabout loveIt’s About Love, by Steven Camden (Aug. 2015, HarperCollins Children’s Books), $8.99, ISBN: 9780007511242

Recommended for ages 12+

He’s Luke. She’s Leia. They meet in a film class, and the Star Wars connection pops up right away. That’s where the similarities end. They’re from different ends of town, and different social classes. He’s from the wrong side of the tracks, a kid trying to get out of the poor British town and lifestyle he feels trapped in. His brother is just home from prison after spending two years behind bars on an assault charge, and he’s trying to make sense of his life, too. Home life is rough on Luke, but he doesn’t know where to go with his feelings for Leia.

Leia pursues Luke, but their relationship is anything but smooth. She’s got her own baggage, and there’s bound to be conflict with Luke’s past.

The story deals with a lot of topics affecting teens these days. Luke wants out of the circumstances he’s been dealt, and he has the presence of mind to know that more education presents a way out – but at the same time he’s plagued with the fear that he’s got anger management issues – like his brother – that could be tragic if they spin out of control. He’s not sure how to act around Leia, not sure of himself at home, and not at all sure how to feel about or act around his brother. Luke’s parents throw wrenches into the works of his psyche with their relationship, and he discovers that his teacher is an uncomfortable mirror for him, creating a rich and complicated connection.

The story is a solid read, with likable and relatable characters from working-class backgrounds. It’s a smart romance, with the characters working through their feelings in typically teen fashion – lots of angst and analyzing. The Star Wars references are a bonus.

Teens looking for a different kind of read will enjoy It’s About Love for its casual, first-person narration; its introspective storytelling, and its solid character development.

Posted in Fiction, Humor, Puberty, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

The Incredible Three and A Half Superheroes is a silly superhero story… kinda.

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

titaah_superheroes_side_crThe Incredible Three and a Half Superheroes, by Frank Schmeiβer/Illus. by Jörg Mühle, Translated from German by David H. Wilson, (April 2015, Little Gestalten), $19.95, ISBN: 978-3-89955-740-4

Recommended for ages 10+

Imagine if Doug, the Wimpy Kid, his buddy, Rowley, and Fregley, the weird kid, started their own superhero group. Now you’ve got an idea of what to expect with The Incredible Three and a Half Superheroes. Headed by Sebastian Appleby-Krumble, aka The Brain, the three middle school friends and classmates are a quirky group of kids from class 6A, taught by the lovely Mrs. Daffodil. Their nemeses, class 6B (for bums, among other things), are taught by the awful Mr. Devill. Things have gone missing from Mrs. Daffodil’s class, and the school administration thinks that she may not be able to control her class. To save her teaching position and reputation, the Incredible Three and a Half (the half being Martin “The Chameleon’s invisible friend, a shy chicken) must find out exactly who the real culprit(s) are.

If that wasn’t enough on its own, Sebastian also has his awful – but wealthy – Aunt Boudicea – staying with them for her birthday festivities. Sebastian’s mother is going crazy trying to feed the woman and her husband, and create an entertaining birthday song and dance routine for Sebastian to perform to entertain her at her birthday party!

The book is written in middle grade style, but the language tends toward a slightly higher level. There’s more profanity than I expected in a middle grade book, so this may be an issue for some families. Written in first-person from Sebastian/The Brain’s point of view, and illustrated with black and white line drawings throughout, this will appeal to fans of The Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and other books in the diary/journal genre. There’s a lot of running back and forth between plot and subplot, and the writing becomes hectic, but kids will likely get a kick out of the craziness of planning a party for Sebastian’s crazy aunt and shrugging off the constant indignities she – and his classmates – toss his way.

Not a bad purchase for home and public libraries, but school libraries will likely be turned off by the language.

 

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Uncategorized

Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles is Back with The Woe of Jade Doe!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Last year, I raved a new middle grade series, Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles, about two sisters living with their very unconventional grandmother and forming a roller derby team. This book was too much fun, and I immediately began asking the authors, via Twitter, for more. Well, the time has come –  I present to you, a Sourcebooks Jabberwocky spotlight on Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: The Woe of Jade Doe. Review to come!

Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: Woe of Jade Doe

By Meghan Dougherty

Illustrated by Alece Birnbach

August 4, 2015; ISBN 9781492601470

jade doeBook Information:

Title: Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: Woe of Jade Doe

Author: Meghan Dougherty

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Publisher Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

 

Summary:

When times get tough, just keep skating…

 Ever since Dorothy joined the Slugs & Hisses Derby team, her life has been one adventure after another. Dorothy’s onetime enemy Alex is now a friend, while her friend Jade keeps missing practices. Then the skating rink shuts down, and Dorothy’s life becomes as jumbled as a derby jam. And that’s not to mention the bizarre things happening to anyone who enters the rink (maybe it’s haunted?)… 

Can Dorothy restore order to the new life she’s finally settling into, or will her world become a crazy mess she can’t skate away from?

 Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25782850-dorothy-s-derby-chronicles-woe-of-jade-doe

Buy Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/OHPtn

Barnes & Noble- http://ow.ly/OHPz9

Books A Million- http://ow.ly/OHPPE

iBooks- http://ow.ly/OHQnp

!ndigo- http://ow.ly/OHQvD

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/OHQJN

 

About the Author and Illustrator:

Meghan Dougherty is a full-time PR consultant. In 2007 she joined the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls roller derby league. She lives in Colorado.

Alece Birnbach owned her own advertising agency before creating designs that appear on more than 100 products. She lives in Colorado.

Social Networking Links:

Website: http://www.dorothysderby.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dorothysderby

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dorothysderby/

 

Excerpt from Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: Woe of Jade Doe

“You okay, Dorth?” Max asked, squeezing Dorothy’s hand.

Dorothy stared into Max’s chocolate-­brown eyes. Words weren’t coming. From the tip-­top of her curly red hair down to her hand-­me-­down roller skates, Dorothy was buzzing with delight. She wasn’t even twelve yet, and she had just been kissed! She had thought the night couldn’t get any better after coaching her team, the Slugs ’n’ Hisses, to a win at the Halloween championship bout. But here she was, hand in hand with the boy of her dreams.

Floating on a cloud of bliss, Dorothy was barely aware of the roller rink under her feet or her nearby team chanting, “I’m a roller derby girl. Derby, derby, roller, yeah!”

And there was another sound too, like a squeal—­but not a happy squeal. More like a metallic screech, actually. And it was growing louder. Dorothy’s gaze shot upward and her bliss vanished, replaced instead with heart-­pounding terror.

Suddenly, everything and everyone in the dimly lit, outdated Galactic Skate was moving in slow motion. The dusty ceiling fans ticked as slowly as the second hand on a clock. The people in the stands lumbered toward the door like molasses on the faded, star-­patterned carpet.

“Get off the floor!” Dorothy screamed. “Now!”

Her team stopped chanting and turned to look at her with puzzled faces.

“Frappit,” Dorothy said, dropping Max’s hand. She rocketed toward her team, her arms waving frantically above her head. “Move it!” A second later, time was in hyperdrive.

“You heard your coach!” Grandma Sally yelled. Her tight, fishnet stockings made Grandma’s thighs look like a pair of misshapen waffles. Unaware that her sexy nun costume was riding up dangerously high, she hooked Jade by the arm and pulled her toward the bleachers.

“Ouch, Grandma! Easy,” Jade complained, hopping on one foot. “My ankle, remember?”

The next few seconds were a blur of confusion with the clack and swoosh of skate wheels, the cries of “Run!” from the few remaining fans standing in the bleachers, and above it all, a metallic banshee shriek growing louder each second.

In the chaos, Dorothy realized she had lost track of Sam. Cold fingers of panic wrapped around Dorothy’s throat and squeezed. Her nine-­year-­old sister had been there just a minute ago, chanting and celebrating with her team. Where was she now? In the frenzy, Dorothy slowed way down, carefully scanning the people running past the rundown refreshment area and blackened popcorn machine and the restrooms with the groovy guy-­and-­gal signage. No Sam.

Then it happened. With a bang like a gun going off, the chain that held the giant disco ball to the ceiling snapped. Dorothy turned and watched helplessly as the ball fell. Time slowed again. It was like a horror movie version of the Times Square countdown on New Year’s Eve—­a glittering ball of death was plummeting toward the floor, and there wasn’t a single thing Dorothy or anyone could do to stop it.

“Sam!” she cried desperately, but all she heard in return were the screams of her terrified teammates and shattering glass.

Enter here for a Rafflecopter giveaway!

 

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Graphic Novels

Flop to the Top – A WhatchaReading Review!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

TOON Books is knocking it out of the park with the graphic novels they’re putting out for younger readers. I love Toon Books. Their Fall lineup looks amazing – check this space often enough, and you’ll hear all about it. Flop to the Top is a great book about learning to be a good friend and a great commentary on the role of social media in pop culture today, all written and illustrated for young kids.

flop-to-the-top

Check out my review, plus a preview, over at WhatchaReading!

Posted in Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Middle School, Teen, Tween Reads

Trollhunters: YA from Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

trollhuntersTrollhunters, by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus/illus. by Sean Murray (Jul 2015, Disney/Hyperion), $18.99, ISBN: 978-1423125983

Recommended for ages 12+

In September 1969, a rash of kidnappings in San Bernardino left parents terrified. The reign of terror ended some 100+ missing kids later, with the final disappearance being young teen Jack Sturges, who was riding bikes with his younger brother, Jim, at the time.

Forty-five years later, Jim has grown up and become a father, but the scars from Jack’s disappearance remain. His son, Jim Jr., grows up behind steel shades and locked doors, curfews and phone calls to police if he’s the slightest bit late. He’s not exactly big man on campus at school, either – his best friend, “Tub”, is bully fodder who lives with his grandmother and her legion of cats.

The thing is, weird things are starting to happen in San Bernardino all over again, and Jim’s right in the line of fire – no matter what his father does to keep him safe. Trolls aren’t fantasy, they’re a horrific reality, and Jim finds himself sucked into the world of the Trollhunters, where he and his band of fighters will come together to save San Bernardino, and possibly, the world.

How do you not read a YA book written by Guillermo del Toro? Especially when said book starts out with this:

“You are food. Those muscles you flex to walk, lift, and talk? They’re patties of meat topped with chewy tendon. That skin you’ve paid so much attention to in mirrors? It’s delicious to the right tongues, a casserole of succulent tissue. And those bones that give you the strength to make your way in the world? They rattle between teeth as the marrow is sucked down slobbering throats. These facts are unpleasant but useful. There are things out there, you see, that don’t cower in holes to be captured by us and cooked over our fires. These things have their own ways of trapping their kills, their own fires, their own appetites.”

I’m not versed in Daniel Kraus’ work, but that will change shortly. The two together have created what I hope is the first of an ongoing middle school/YA series that blends gratuitous gore, ooze, humor, and a strong story about family and what makes a family into a book you won’t want to put down. Trollhunters gives us action, a touch of horror – it is del Toro, after all – and a loving story of loss, rediscovery, and family. Reluctant readers? Give them this book, and they’ll be demanding more (and that’s when you introduce them to Hellboy comics, novels, and movies).

This book is great to give to boys, but there’s some serious girl power in here too. Jim Jr.’s crush, Claire, can hold her own against a school bully as well as against anything else the authors throw at her. Sean Murray’s illustrations are wonderfully gross and gooey, with dark and murky colors to fill out your imagination.

All in all, Trollhunters is a great mid-summer read. Don’t miss it! The only question I’ve got now is, when will we see the movie?

Posted in Preschool Reads

Walking Home to Rosie Lee: A boy’s search for his mother, post-Civil War

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

rosie leeWalking Home to Rosie Lee, by A. LaFaye, illus. by Keith D. Shepherd (Sept. 2015, Cinco Puntos Press), $7.95, ISBN: 9781941026052

Recommended for ages 6-10

The Civil War is finally over. The slaves have been freed. Young Gabe is searching for his mother, Rosie, who was sold before the war’s end. Told in the first person through Gabe’s perspective, Walking Home to Rosie Lee chronicles Gabe’s search for his mother.

This is a 2-hankie book, everyone. I’ve got three sons, and reading Gabe’s earnest voice describing his mother’s appearance, his potential joy and disappointment, his fear, just struck me right in the heart. It’s a beautiful story about the love of a son for his mother, and a small story within the larger story of the struggle that freed slaves went through, post-Civil War, to find their families and start their lives. We learn about the Freedman’s Bureaus, where freed slaves could go to find pictures and news of their relatives, and the importance of word of mouth – and sheer luck.

Keith D. Shepherd’s artwork is beautiful, truly enhancing the story with striking images like young Gabe, sleeping next to a woman he discovered on the search for his mother. Gabe, the focus for the book, is striking, with his huge, loving eyes. You want this boy to find his mother, you want everyone on that trail, that search, to be reunited with their families. The artwork gives this story a deeper pathos than words alone can reach.

rosie lee_6

Walking Home to Rosie Lee is a beautiful story of love and reunion. Put this one on your shelves, parents and educators, and read it often. Talk about it often.

Walking Home to Rosie Lee was a Stepping Stones Honor book, a 2012 IRA Teachers Choice Selection, 2012 Bank Street School of Education Best Books of the Year Selection, and a Nominee for the 2012 Kentucky Bluegrass Award. It will be published through Cinco Puntos Press in September 2015. There is an educator’s guide on the author’s website.