Tag: Valerie Tripp

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade

STEM Smart: Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero, by Valerie Tripp/Illustrated by Geneva Bowers, (Oct. 2021, National Geographic Kids), $7.99, ISBN: 9781426373039

Ages 8-12

Izzy Newton, Allie Einstein, and Charlie Darwin are best friends starting Atom Middle School together, when they discover that a friend of theirs who moved away is back! Marie Curie doesn’t seem as friendly as she was when the girls were besties, and she’s got a new friend, Gina Carver, who seems equally standoffish. When the air conditioner in their middle school shows no signs of letting up, the group have to put their science-loving brains to work to figure out how to keep themselves, and the rest of the school, out of deep freeze. Izzy and her friends are all named after scientific icons (you’ll learn more about them in the back matter), and each girl has an interest in an area of science similar to their namesakes. Middle-grade subjects like friendship and working out differences are familiar for readers, and the story examines how misunderstandings arise when people assume and don’t speak to one another. The air conditioning mystery is a science problem that needs to be solved; something the girls do through the scientific method, detailed throughout the story. The pace and dialogue are light and smart, and black and white illustrations run throughout. Back matter includes explanations of scientific terms and profiles of women scientists mentioned in the novel. Absolute Hero – a play on the scientific term “absolute zero” – is the first book in the Smart Squad series, with an additional novel, Newton’s Flaw, available now, and another, The Law of Cavities, coming in October. Visit the Smart Squad webpage for free, downloadable Readers and Educators Guides. Absolute Hero was originally published in hardcover in September 2020.

The S.M.A.R.T. Squad series is shaping up to be a fun STEM-related series for middle graders. Pair with Kate Biberdorf’s Kate the Chemist series.

 

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Boys Camp: Zee’s Story is a good summer read for middle-graders

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

boyscamp Boys Camp: Zee’s Story, by Kitson Jazynka and Valerie Tripp/illus. by Craig Orback, (2015, Sky Pony Press), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1629147543

Recommended for ages 8-12

It’s summertime, and Zee is excited to return to Camp Wolf Trail and hang out with all of his friends, especially his best friend and partner in pranks, Will. But things are a little different this year when Will gets angry at Zee for including other friends in their camp fun. Zee is worried about the infamous Will and Zee dynamic duo coming to an end, but heads out on an kayaking trip with his camp group, where he finds himself in some serious danger – can he navigate his way out of the rapids before it’s too late, and reconcile with his best buddy? It’s going to be a heck of a summer at Boys Camp!

This is a great book for my more conservative readers, who’ve been on my mind since reading the article about serving more conservative teen patrons in School Library Journal. I’ve got quite a few groups of kids who want something without a lot of negative connotations or perceived bad behaviors. These are the kids that are still my ardent Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys readers, My American Girl readers, and now, I imagine my Boys Camp series readers.

Co-authored by National Geographic books for kids author Kitson Jazynka and American Girl author Valerie Tripp, Boys Camp: Zee’s Story is good, lighthearted storytelling. These are good kids that like to have fun, enjoy working together, and yes, experience conflict. What you’re not getting are mean-spirited kids, ghost stories, or wisecracking kids that outwit adults on a regular basis. Conservative teens start out as conservative middle-grade readers, and finding books for this group isn’t always the easiest. Books like Zee’s Story are great for me to give to my younger readers and readers from conservative families, because the characters are multi-ethnic, work together, and form respectful relationships with the adults in the camp. The story itself is light and fun, and set within a larger Boys Camp series from Sky Pony, allowing return readers to make new literary friends and return to a favorite place. Illustrations by Craig Orback flesh out the readers’ imaginations and add some tension to scenes like the kayak ride by the rapids.

I’m glad this book is going on my shelves, and can’t wait to order the other Boys Camp series. I know I’m going to have a very happy group of boys in particular that will be enjoying this book over the summer.