Tag: #YA

Dreadful

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Caitlin Rozakis

This book reminded me much of Susanna Clarke’s Clarke’s Piranesi, except lighter and less literary. Its premise also reminded me a bit of Gordon Korman’s Korman’s Restart. We’ve got a protagonist who has no sense of who or where he is and has to try to survive a number of obstacles (both death-defying and personal) in the quest to find out his reality.
Our protagonist wakes up and finds himself beaten and bruised in a destroyed lab, an imprisoned princess, and the threat of the Dreadful Lord Gravrax. He has lost all sense of memory and identity; however, he soon finds out (with insightful guidance from the princess) that he, unfortunately, is the Dreadful Lord himself.
The novel’s humour and tone helped me through the times when the plot was slow. This is a fun, lighthearted, and, at times, humorous fairytale-esque novel that successfully discusses the themes of identity, appearance, and the importance of memory in defining oneself.

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the copy!

Small Ceremonies

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Kyle Edwards

Although this novel has multiple narrators, the story centres around two characters; Tommy Shields and Clinton Whiteway. Tommy and Clinton, like many of us, play for the St. Croix Tigers, an inner-city hockey team in Winnipeg. The Tigers haven’t won a game in so long they are rumoured to be cursed. The novel follows Tommy and Clinton as they navigate their final year of high school and what their future may entail. Both characters have tremendous obstacles to face, whether it be a mentally ill mother or a convict brother intent on recruiting his younger brother for the drug trade. 

Edwards centres his novel around hockey and the Tigers’ degree of success. At the end of each section, we get a chapter in italics written from the point of view of a hockey commentator. Each of these nail-biting chapters presents the Tigers’ potential gains and heartbreaking losses, symbolic of the gains and losses of our two main characters.

The accuracy of detail in Edwards’s writing is astonishing. He brilliantly describes “small town” (even though it’s Winnipeg) hockey culture, from the locker room to the history of the Zamboni driver to the make-up of the fans in the bleachers. Edwards is also gifted in creating nostalgia, meeting your childhood best friend, for example, and playing marbles on the playground.

This novel humorously yet heartbreakingly describes the Indigenous experience in Canada, and the reader really does hold both Tommy and Clinton close to their hearts as we follow them on their journey of self-discovery.

It is a wonderful and effective mentor text, not only for the themes of coming of age, identity and place, overcoming trauma, racism, and friendship, but also brilliantly written. Edwards’s writing would be very effective for teaching descriptive writing, character development, setting, developing the setting as a character in itself, organizing a story atmosphere and tone, and dialect.

Trigger warnings: childhood trauma, intergenerational abuse, mental health, substance abuse, racism. 

Sunrise On the Reaping

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by Suzanne Collins

Years ago, I was a fan of the Hunger Games series, and I read the first book aloud to my ninth-grade class. They naturally loved it. I was delighted to find out that Collins has now written a prequel from Haymitch’s point of view. 

Written in first person, we, the reader, get to know Haymitch personally. The novel unfolds on Haymitch’s 16th birthday, the day of the Reaping. Despite his numerous entries to secure food and supplies for his family, Haymitch has avoided being chosen. We delve into the intricacies of the Haymitch family, his ties with the Everdeen family, his fears, his wit, and most importantly, his love for Lenore Dove.

As we all know, Haymitch is, in fact, chosen to represent District 12 for the Hungar Games, even though the circumstances under which he is chosen are questionable. 

Of course, the novel’s main action occurs in the Arena for the Hunger Games. Due to specific meetings and acquaintances, Haymitch’s task in the Arena isn’t just to survive; it is to sabotage the Game in the hopes of bringing down the Hunger Games and, ultimately, President Snow.

This novel, in line with the Hunger Games series, is intense and fast-paced. I found it intriguing to unravel the layers of Haymitch’s character and understand the roots of his eventual struggles with substance abuse. Suzanne Collins’ incorporation of verses from Edgar Alan Poe’s poem “The Raven” creates a perfect opportunity for teachers to discuss patterns and connections between the two pieces of literature. The poem’s verses beautifully mirror Haymitch’s feelings towards Lenore and his trauma in the Games, particularly in the final chapter.

Collins also employs nursery rhymes and the lyrics from The Hanging Tree to help support themes.

Trigger warnings: extreme brutality, murder and death.

A Sorceress Coes To Call

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by T Kingfisher

I immediately knew I would love this book because Kingfisher is a tried and true author. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a take on the fairytale The Goose Girl. So, If you’re a fan of Kingfisher and fairytale retelling, this book is perfect for you. 

14-year-old Corderlia’s mother, Evangeline, takes cohesive control to a new level. You see, Evangeline is secretly a sorceress whose “gift”, if you could call it that, is to place an “obedience” spell on anyone she chooses. This spell causes a person to do Evangeline’s bidding while being conscious that what they are saying and how they are acting is not of their doing…like being a marionette on a string. When Evangeline’s “benefactor” cuts off all monetary support, she sets off to town to find a wealthy suitor who will support the life she desires. 

Meanwhile, a woman by the name of Hester wakes up one morning with a sense of dread. She knows some ill fate is about to settle on her house, and sure enough, she is right when “doom” arrives in the form of a beautiful woman bent on seducing Hester’s brother Samuel. Even though Hester is focused on figuring out Evangeline’s motives, she is empathetic towards Cordelia, and it soon becomes evident that Cordelia is terrified of her mother, fueling Hester’s premonition. 

I REALLY enjoyed this book. It’s an entertaining fantasy with just the right amount of suspense and violence. I especially liked Hester’s character; her practicality, humour, and sense of sarcasm made her my favourite.

Thank you to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for the copy.

The Trouble with Hereos

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by Kate Messner

The Trouble with Heroes is a book in verse, one of my favourite formats, especially for middle school fiction. This novel is about grief, anger, and self-discovery. Written in first person, Finn Connelly is still grieving the COVID death of his father. His grief is manifesting in ways that are detrimental to Finn’s growth and well-being, and he is, well, he has resorted to skipping school, failing his courses, and vandalizing the local cemetery. To make amends for this crime, Finn is assigned make-up assignments, particularly in Language Arts and Phys Ed. To do so, Finn must complete a poetry project centred around the theme “what makes a hero and put in 14 hours of “moderate to strenuous” activity.

Finn must hike all “forty-six Adirondack High Peaks to atone for his crime AND make up the course material and requirements. 

This novel is filled with the most engaging verse, a combination of humour and beautifully emotional lyricism. It also includes the formats of newspaper articles, instructions written in prose, photographs, recipes, and letters, indeed, one of the best examples of a hybrid text.

Finn’s journey of self-discovery and overcoming grief is beautifully developed through first-person narration. Messner effectively captured the voice of an adolescent boy through his humour, sarcasm, and view of the world and society.

This novel would be a VERY effective mentor text to use in the classroom. The theme, character development, writing formats, point of view, imagery, various poetic devices, and tone are all literary devices worth noting and can be illustrated effectively using Messners writing as an example.

The Trouble with Heroes is a versatile addition to any school or middle school classroom library. It’s not just a great read for individual students, but also a fantastic choice for book clubs and classroom book studies. Its engaging verse, unique writing formats, and relatable themes make it a book that can inspire a variety of learning experiences. 

The Trouble with Heroes will be published in April 2025. Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Netgalley for the free copy.

The Curse of Eelgrass Bog

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by Mary Averling

Kess Pedrock lives with her brother in a fascinating old museum filled with all sorts of natural and unnatural curiosities. With her scientist parents far away on the other side of the world conducting research, Kess has only her neglectful, somewhat abusive brother for company. Kess spends most of her time alone with her only friend being Jim (I don’t want to say who or what Jim is…but he is one of my favourite characters). Kess and Jim spend their time on the periphery of Eelgrass Bog on the hunt for unique artefacts for the museum, hoping to draw enough crowds to keep the museum afloat. One day, a young girl, Lilou, arrives, eager to use her birthday money to see all the exhibits the museum has to offer. Lilou brings with her not only the potential for friendship but also a quest to find the answers to mysteries surrounding not only the museum itself,  but also Kess’s family.

I am so excited about this book for several reasons: First of all, as a reader- what a wonderfully engaging story with a fast-paced and thrilling plot and an engaging, sympathetic young protagonist. Canadian author Mary Averlying’s writing style is beautiful and sophisticated for a middle school book. I mean, “ bats fly hither thither like tiny black comets”…come on, how wonderful is that! Secondly, I’m excited about this book as an educator. This book would make an excellent read-aloud, individual book study and/or class study. It also lends itself as a mentor text for writing! Teachers can use a plethora of paragraphs as small mentor texts to teach literary elements, syntax, and vocabulary. 

Excellent squishy parts, several moments of creepy suspense, a  relatable main character, and strong themes of identity, friendship, family, and courage make this a perfect addition to any middle school classroom.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the free copy.

2 New Books for Young People…or Anyone Really : )

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The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans

The Otherwoods is an incredibly engaging novel about a young person, River, who, in addition to trying to navigate the world as non-binary, also sees monsters….and spirits. For most of their life, River has been trying to avoid the portals that would suck him to a place where spirits and monsters rule supreme. Up until now, they have been successful in avoiding being drawn into these portals, steering away from any place that looks weird and definitely doesn’t acknowledge or making eye contact with any spirits or monsters at school or at home, which is almost impossible to do when one of them lives under your bed. When River’s crush gets sucked into a portal and “the Otherwoods”, River has to be brave and enter a world they have been spending their entire life trying to avoid. 

I found this novel almost allegorical, with the Otherwoods representing the real world filled with the “monsters” our LGBTQIA2S+ young people face. The character of River, their fears hurts, and loneliness creates empathy in the reader, and one can’t help but root for River’s defeat of not only the monsters but their insecurities. 

An important addition to any middle school library and classroom. 

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s and Netgalley for the free copy.

Tzia: the Book of Galatea by Mister Sanamon

A beautifully written fantasy novel about family, identity and discovery. Fourteen year old Theo boards an airplane to Greece with the hopes of finding her long lost family.  On board the plane, she encounters a strange old women who  tells Theo (through the wonderful use of caterpillar type creatures) about her heritage and about a quest she must take in order to save her world. This book reminded me A LOT of the Chronicles of Narnia. Descriptive language, a young protagonist, and a lion who will determine the fate of not only Theo but her ancestors, descendants and the mythical world of Tzia. 

A wonderful addition to any classroom library, a book club recommendation, read aloud or class study.

Thank you Netgalley and Hilverloo Publishing House for the free copy.

The Gray

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Chris Baron

If Middle School isn’t tough enough, Sasha also suffers from a condition that can, at times, get him into trouble. At first, Sasha seems to be a typical albeit shy middle schooler preoccupied with video games and texting his friend; however, we immediately learn that Sasha suffers extreme anxiety, which he tries to cope with through playing Earthfordge and watching YouTube videos for hours on end. This means of ‘escape through technology’ is not working, however. When Sasha is overwhelmed by anxiety, he goes to “the gray”, a place where he zones out and can hurt those around him. It is when Sasha enters “the gray” at school and beats a bully that his parents decide to take away all of his technology and send him to stay with his aunt out in the country. Sasha loves his aunt and does have fond memories of visiting his aunt and uncle until his uncle died two years ago. But his mom says his aunt “will look after [him] if [he’s] having a hard time,” and maybe he could “watch over her too”.

Throughout his visit, Sasha encounters several people, some of whom will become close friends and confidants and others who are just like the bullies he left at school. Through these encounters, Sasha learns that others around him encounter heart-wrenching life events that cause anxiety in them as well. Can he remember to manage his own “gray” while helping those he has begun to care for?

It is a wonderful novel that deals with anxiety in youth honestly and straightforwardly. Its characters are interesting and relatable, and it possesses many moments of suspense that propel the plot. A great addition to any middle schoolers’ reading list!!

When Giants Burn

by Beth Vrabel

This novel is told in alternate chapters from the point of view of two different characters. Gerty lives with her mother, father and little sister in a cabin “off the grid”. Her parents are survivalists, and her father is especially suspicious of the government and is ready to pack up and move at a moment’s notice. Gerty misses the life they had before when they celebrated Christmas, had reliable running water, and she didn’t have to sneak around to visit her pilot Grandmother. In fact, Gerty and her grandmother have a secret: they are building an ultralight airplane. Gerty is obsessed with flying and is considering joining the civilian air patrol (CAP). Still, with the types of parents she has, doing so looks highly impossible.

Our other narrator is Hayes. Hayes’s mother has just been released from prison, and he is trying to do everything he can not to end up like her. He is especially suspicious and fears she may commit another crime when his mom invites one of her friends, a past inmate, to visit.

Gerty and Hayes meet in the school counselor’s office when she attempts to help them build social skills, but neither kid is receptive to the idea. It is when Gerty shares her secret plans of building her plane and visiting Pando, an intricate system of trees originating from one organism believed to be one of the oldest on earth (Google Pando, it’s fascinating!!!) that two of them form a friendship that will prove to one essential to the survival of them both.

A fast paced book full of adventure. One of my favourite Middle School reads this summer.

Ever Since

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Alena Bruzas

The novel is a real and raw story centered around the dynamics between a group of friends the summer of their freshman year. It is about their friendships, their fallout, loyalty, betrayal, and forgiveness.
The novel deals with really weighty subjects: sex, sexual abuse, date rape, alcohol abuse, and emotional abuse.
The characters are diverse in ethnicity and gender identity.
Again, it is REAL.
If you’ve got a teenager in your life, this novel would offer AMAZING points of discussion around sexuality, friendship, victimization, healing, and empowerment.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the free copy.

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet

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by Jen Ferguson

I have tried over and over again to write about this novel but I cannot find the words that accurately explain my thoughts and feelings surrounding it. I love this book. This book needs to be made available to read AND be discussed in every grade 8-12 classroom. Ferguson discusses subjects such as: intergenerational trauma, sexual assault, sexual identity, racism, among others gently and respectfully. Discussion around these topics is not sugar coated, but neither is it gratuitous. The beautiful note to the reader before the novel begins gives you an idea of the care and love Fergason has for her readers. She lists the trigger warnings of her content and tells us “More than anything, I care about you. Your health, happiness, safety, and well being matter more than reading this book.”  

A wonderful book. Read it.

Girl Out of Time

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

by Clyde Boyer

 Anna Armstrong is a brilliant precocious girl who has always been fascinated by space. In fact, she has attempted to launch herself several times into space but unfortunately her homemade rocket ships did not have sufficient enough power to get her there. Tragically, on the day of one of her “launches”, she learns that her mother and father have died on their way back home from Europe. Thirteen year old Anna then goes to live with her kind uncle Jack on his farm research center outside Smartt Indiana.

 Very soon upon her arrival, Anna sees strange lights in the distance and eventually goes and investigates. There, she discovers a different dimension in time and space, where  girl named Mara exists. Anna soon becomes involved in trying to help Mara save the world from the repercussions of time travel using Science to help them.

This is such a wonderful book about responsibility, friendship and science. The young people presented are supportive and caring towards each other and lessons learned about curiosity, responsibility and friendship abound.

This book should be added to school libraries as well as any little classroom library. It is a science fiction novel that is accessible to upper elementary and middle school students.

Thank you to Girl Friday Books and Netgalley for the free copy. Girl Out of Time is available for purchase on March 7

Delicious Monsters

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by Liselle Sambury

Daisy can see dead people- something she spends most of her life avoiding when she isn’t with her manipulative and controlling college boyfriend, Noah. unfortunately (unfortunately?) Noah has since broken up with her, and now Daisy has found herself stalking his whereabouts and dodging spirits. So when her mother calls and tells her that she has inherited and house and property away from the city, Daisy figures this is as good a time as any to move on with her life.

Brittany is a young woman with an entrepreneurial spirit and a very toxic relationship with her mother. She and her business partner Jayden have been moderately successful with their YouTube series on haunted houses. Now, they are about to research and film another series about a supposed haunted house with a history of violence. But this haunted house is different. Not only does it have a fascinating past, but it is also that house that Brittany’s mom claims “changed her from an abusive and neglectful parent to a completely reformed woman”. Miracle Mansion, she has named.
Miracle Mansion is also the same house Daisy and her mother moved to 10 years earlier.

I loved this book. It so, so well written. It is also very, very creepy and gruesome at times. Both Dasiy and Brittany are characters that become independent through courage. Even though the book is heavy on the supernatural, the internal conflict both protagonists experience and how they deal with it are realistic.

Thank you to Netgalley and Margaret K McElderry Books for the advanced copy.

The Kids From Fawn Creek

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by Erin Entrada Kelly

“I am imaginative and kind” taken from Orchid’s I Am Poem (pg 319)

I loved this book. When I finished reading it I knew that it should be in every library and every classroom. It would make the most amazing read aloud because it is abundant in timely topics and VERY approcable subject matter. It will encourage discussion amongst any age group.

I have read another of Entrada Kelly’s books Hello Universe which I absolutely loved so I knew I was probably going to love this one as well. Entrada Kelly has an uncanny ability to convincingly inhabit the world of adolescence thus creating authenticity to her story telling. 

This is a novel about a group of seventh graders who, as most seventh graders, are trying to figure out who they are, which can be both difficult and easy when you live in the VERY small town of Fawn Creek (or referred to as “Yawn Creek” by most) and if you attempt to break away from that stereotype, you run the risk of being bullied and teased by those who are threatened by your uniqueness. The Fawn Creek seventh graders have recognized “who” others say they are: Lehigh takes a bit longer to learn so he is deemed “Slowly”, Dorothy doesn’t want to rock anyone’s boat let alone her own and wont even acknowledge anyone’s tears for fear it may lead to an uncomfortable conversation, Greyson prefers fashion design over duck hunting but can’t let his friends and family know for fear of judgment, and Janie, well Janie has been the minion of Renni, the queen bee herself, and even though Renni has moved away, Janie is still under her reign. But one day, a new girl comes to town. Orchid Mason is an enigma. It’s not just her name that is exotic, but she comes to little ol Fawn Creek from New York via Paris and, unlike the rest of them, she is extremely insightful,confident and kind. Orchid notices when you are hurting and asks if she can help, has a way of making you feel important and special no matter who you are, and she  recognizes your strengths and helps you see them too. Orchid is as kind as she is beautiful. 

This is a wonderful novel about friendship, courage, and being able to stand for what is right and just in front of those who ridicule you. It’s about being brave enough to choose kindness over cruelty, even if it means breaking from those who you once thought were your friends.

I would use this novel as a class novel study, or at least a choice for student book clubs.