Pumpkin Heads

Rowell, Rainbow.  Pumpkin Heads.  2019.  First Second.  New York, NY. 

Best friends Deja and Josiah have been working the Succotash Stand at the Pumpkin Patch for years.  Tonight is the last night that they will ever work together, as they will all be off in college next year.  Deja has made it her mission to make certain that Josiah gets together with "Fudge Girl".  For four years, Josiah has been mooning over her but he's never actually made the effort to meet her.  Tonight will be the night that this changes forever.  Deja is going to move the pumpkin patch to make certain that her friend meets the girl of his dream. 

But what happens once you finally meet the girl of your dreams?


Note from Bettina -
This was a really fun read.  I enjoyed the book, and I enjoyed the very real portrayals of the teen emotions and uncertainties that I certainly remember from high school!

Soupy Leaves Home

image: World Cat

Castellucci, Cecil.  Soupy Leaves Home.  2017.   Dark Horse Books, a division of Dark Horse Comics.  Milwaukie, Or.



Pearl runs away from home when she can no longer take her father's abuse.  Uncertain of where to go or what to do, she finds men's clothes and decides to find luck on the road.  Befriended by a Hobo named Ramshackle, Pearl takes on the road name of Soupy and travels across the country with Ramshackle, learning the unwritten rules of the world and finding a code of honor by which she can live. 


When Pearl's time on the road nears the end, will she be able to return home and live by her new rules?  Or will she be forced to fit back into the box that defined her world before she left?




*This historic fiction is based upon a time when women did not have the chances or opportunities that they had now.   It is based upon what is known about the Hobo Life during the Depression.

Last Pick

image: worldcat.org

Walz, Jason.  Last Pick.  2018.  First Second, an imprint of Roaring Book Press, a Division of Hotzbrinck Publishing Holdings LLC.  New York, NY.


Many years ago, on a beautiful day, Earth was invaded by Aliens.  The aliens quickly rounded up anyone between the ages of 16 and 65 who were fit and capable of working.  They left the rest behind.  Occasionally, the aliens will return to scoop up more people that they consider to be worth while, and then they will return to whatever part of the universe that they emanated from.


Sam and Wyatt are twins whose parents were taken in the original scoop.  Left alone to fend on their own, they learn to rely on each other. 


When the Aliens return on another scooping mission, Sam and Wyatt stand up to the aliens and become leaders of a very loosely organized resistance.  In order to force Wyatt to use his talents to lead the remaining humans to stand up to the aliens, Sam makes an unthinkable sacrifice.


Will Sam survive?
Will Wyatt be able to gather the remnants of humanity together to overthrow their alien overlords?

Illegal

Colfer, Eoin.  Illgeal.  2018. London: Hodder.


If you've ever wondered what would prompt anyone to leave their homeland and family, sneak out under cover of darkness at unspeakable risk, paying unknown people exorbitant amounts of money in the hopes that they will help you escape... this is the book.


Set in the modern day Ghana, Ebo finds himself alone in the world.  First his sister left for a better life in Europe, and now his brother has set off in hopes of finding their sister.  As he undertakes a dangerous journey across the Sahara Desert and through the Mediterranean Sea, Ebo focuses on one thing: the upcoming family reunion and how much safer life will be once they get to Europe.


Dark dealings surround Ebo as he struggles to find a safe path through unknown territory - knowing that each moment could be his last.




Awards for Illegal:
2019 Excellence in Graphic Literature Award Winner
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2018
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2018
An Amazon Best Book of 2018
A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Graphic Novel of 2018
An American Library Association Notable Book for 2019
2019 YALSA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2019 CBC Notable Social Studies Book
A Junior Library Guild Selection

Surfer of the Century

Crowe, Ellie.  Surfer of the century : the life of Duke Kahanamoku.  Lee and Lowe Books.  2007. 

Duke Kahanamoku was one of the most famous and influential swimmers of the first half of the 20^th century.  100 years later, his name and story are virtually unknown by those outside of the swimming world.  He was one of the first Olympic Athletes of Color to compete for the United States, and his influence on the sports of swimming and surfing are still felt in the world today.

Born and raised in Hawaii, he was a native Hawaiian who spent much of his time in the water – either swimming or surfing.   When he was a teenager, a friend who saw him swimming in the ocean and he and his friends had astonishing times.  Completely untrained in formal swimming, Duke set World Record Breaking times. Duke was invited to try out for the United States Olympic Team to compete with the best swimmers in the world.  But, could a native Hawaiian effectively compete in a world that wasn’t always welcoming to people of color?

The Red Scrolls of Magic

Image: World Cat

Clare, Cassandra and Wesley Chu.  The Red Scrolls of Magic.  (Book 1 of the Eldest Curses).  2019.  Margaret K. McElderry Books, New York, New York.


Magnus Bane wanted a vacation with his boyfriend.  Just a normal vacation. The High Warlock had planned a wonderful vacation in Paris for them to get to know each other a little better.

But vacation is a relative term when you have a High Warlock and a Shadow Hunter.  Adventure seems to follow them wherever they go.  While the two of them are enjoying dinner in a hot air balloon, they see demons chasing two Shadow Hunters across the rooftops of Paris.  Unable to pass by someone in need, Alec and Magnus help the Shadow Hunters from the hot air balloon.

This begins the adventure that finds Magnus accused of being the head of The Crimson Hand - a cult that is wreaking havoc and causing Faerie deaths around the world.   Magnus and Alec set out to clear Magnus' name and discover that maybe, just maybe, Magnus founded the cult during centuries ago as a joke.  However, in the intervening centuries, The Crimson Hand has become determined to summon a greater demon and rule the world with the help of none other than Asmodeus - better known as Magnus' father.

Can Magnus clear his name before it's too late?


Author's Web Site:  https://www.cassandraclare.com/

From Bettina:  Hey, this is a totally awesome book that pulls in some pretty High Fantasy - which I love!  I hadn't read any books by Cassandra Clare before, and I am now a huge fan of her work!  I am giong to have to make a point of going back to read all of her series.  I love Magnus' character, and I want to explore the world that she has created in depth. 

Pay Attention, Carter Jones

Schmidt, Gary.  Pay Attention, Carter Jones.  2019, Clarion Books, a Division of Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt.

Carter is your average, ordinary, every day kid whose father is deployed overseas.  On the first day of 7th grade, Carter answers to doorbell to find a Butler standing on the front porch, saying that he has been sent to help them by a provision in Carter's grandfather's will.

With clinical efficiency, the Butler moves into the Jones house and helps to straighten out not only the physical house, but also the residents of the house.  Soon, all 4 Jones children are pulling together as a team and finding that they can truly can conquer the world together.

But, when Butler decides that he is going to teach Carter and his friends how to play Cricket - life takes unexpected turns as Carter finds himself at the center of the newly formed (as in formed on the field that day) Cricket Team for the school, which is led by the Cross Country Coach and Butler.  But what happens when an American School suddenly becomes obsessed with Cricket, and the Football Team becomes a mere afterthought?

The Jones family is thrown for a loop when they receive an e-mail from their father, telling them that he will not be coming home from his deployment - that he has found another family and is going to stay with them.

Can the Jones family use the lessons they have learned from Butler and Cricket to pull together and become even stronger in the wake of this devastation?

Will the Cricket Team be allowed to play their first game on the football field before the biggest football game of the season?  Will anybody even care if they do?



Author Web Site: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/schmidt/about.html

The publisher recommends this book for children in grades 4-7.

Note from Bettina:
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and the undercurrents running through the book.  Mr. Schmidt handles a very tough subject with humor and love.  Speaking as a child of divorce (Well over 30 years removed from that divorce, mind you.)  I can honestly say that he does an excellent job of catching many of the feelings and mixed emotions that I dealt with as a very confused and addelepated adolescent.  I like to think that most kids now are as supportive of their friends in similar situations as Carter's friends.  I'd like to state that the character Butler states a truism every child of divorce can relate to "It does eventually catch up to you." 

"Make good decisions and remember who you are!"  -Butler

New Kid

Craft, Jerry.  New Kid.  2019.  Harper Collins, New York, New York.

Jordan Banks dreams of going to Art School.  His parents were able to choose his school, and rather than sending him to the school of his dreams, they send him to Riverdale Academy Day School - an prestigious private school that is known for academics.

As one of the few children of color in the school, Jordan struggles to break stereotypes that teachers and other students hold about him because of their limited experience and he chronicles the entire thing in his ongoing comic book that he keeps with his school books and works on during his spare time.

But when one of his teachers discovers his drawings with his innermost thoughts, Jordan wonders if he will ever be able to have a "normal" moment in school ever again.

Genesis Begins Again

image: https://www.worldcat.org/

Williams, Alicia D.  Genesis Begins Again.  2019.  Simon and Schuster, New York, New York.

Genesis keeps a list of 100 things that she hates about herself.  It began when some girls in school gave her a list of things they hated about her - and Genesis kept the list and continued adding things to the list.  Among the things that she hates about herself are:  her very dark skin, her nappy hair, and the fact that her family keeps getting put out of their house because her Dad doesn't pay the rent.

As the story begins, Genesis is headed home from school with the coolest of the girls in school, ready to have some friends over to hang out.  When they arrive at her house, Genesis is shocked to find all of their things out on the front lawn.  Even worse - the girls see it, too.  They ruthlessly make fun of her and her situation.

When Genesis' family moves into their new home - out of Detroit and into the suburbs known as Farmington Hills, Genesis finds her life taking an unexpected turn. Her mother has threatened to leave her father "for good" if  he doesn't stop drinking and gambling and start paying the rent.

Genesis  herself struggles to find out who she is in a new school.  Not only does she find out what true friends are all about, she discovers that everyone struggles to accept themselves as they are.
As Genesis struggles to accept herself and save her family, she starts down a dark road that could change her life forever.


Author Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/storiestolife?lang=en

Chomp

Hiassen, Carl.  Chomp.  2012.  Random House.  New York, NY.

Hardcover $16.99, ISBN: 978-0-375-86842-9.


Derek Badger is a reality tv star.  His show, Expedition Survival, is all about his adventures in the wilderness while battling wild animals who are out to eat him for dinner. 

Wahoo Cray is a teenager whose father - Mickey - is a Wildlife Wrangler.  Mickey's the man you talk to if you want "tame" wild animals on your program.  He has trained the animals, and he takes care of them and makes sure that you treat his animals safely while they are on your program.

A few months back, the lives of the Cray family were turned upside down when a frozen iguana dropped on Mickey's head after a hard freeze and dented his head - giving him a concussion, persistent migraines, and double vision.  Since the accident, Mickey has not accepted any work, and the family's financial situation is getting dire.

When a phone call comes in from the Expedition Survival crew, asking Mickey's father to be the animal wrangler and provide them with an alligator, a snake, and a snapping turtle, Wahoo snaps up the offer without consulting with his father.  "What could possibly go wrong?"

Derek Badger really isn't the Wildlife Survival expert that he plays on tv.  He loves comfort and luxury, and doesn't like being  uncomfortable.  However, after an incident with an alligator, Derek is convinced that he can conquer anything and insists that his crew film in the Everglades with real wild animals along, so that the viewers can get the true Everglades Wildlife Experience.

Wahoo and his Dad are hired to be the animal wranglers on location, and Wahoo's friend Tuna tags along with them at the last minute, sporting a black eye that she claims came from "falling down a set of stairs", but everybody knows was given to her by her father.

What happens when the crew hits the Everglades is the stuff of nightmares:

1) Derek Badger goes missing in the middle of a storm.

2) Tuna's Dad shows up waving a gun, threatening to kill anyone who stands in between him and his kid.

Will Derek be found in time?
Can Tuna escape her father's wrath?

*Note - I have cross-posted this review on my other blog, Mini-Van Mom.*

Blog Problems

Amazon has cancelled my Associates account since I haven't had anyone sales through the Amazon link since like - ever.    I used Amazon solely for the pictures of the book covers. So bear with me - I'm attempting to find another source for the pictures.  I have 7 days to remove the links.  I'm working on it while I try to find another copy of the book covers that does not involve me tracking down all of these books and then posting a new picture of each cover.... 

In the meantime, if the pictures suddenly disappear, you know why.....

Monday's Not Coming

Jackson, Tiffany D..  Monday's Not Coming.  2018.  Katherine Tegen Books, and imprint of HarperCollins.  New York, NY. 


Book Talk:
Monday and Claudia have been best friends since Kindergarten.  Attached at the hip, the two girls revel in every shared moment.  They think of themselves as sisters, and call themselves twins.  They share so many things - but not everything.  Claudia's parents are upwardly mobile, middle class working adults who are doing their best to give their daughter every advantage they can afford.  Monday's mother lives in Public Housing, and does what she can.

Claudia arrives home from her Grandmother's house the day before 8th grade starts, looking forward to the beginning of a great year and high school applications.  Claudia expresses mild anxiety because Monday has not been heard from all summer.
When Monday never shows up for school, nobody except for Claudia notices.  Nobody can answer the question "Where is Monday" and it seems as if nobody cares to find out what happened to Monday.
How can a teenage girl vanish and nobody notice?

Book Awards:
Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent 2019
Walter Dean Myer Honored Book


Author Website:
http://writeinbk.com/


Note from Bettina:
Many, many years ago, I taught in Washington DC.  As a newly minted teacher, I was excited to have my own classroom and a chance to change the world.  I was rudely awakened to the harsh realities of life where every meal, every day, every life - is not a given. I taught in a neighborhood much like Ed Borough.  The neighborhood that fed into our school has been torn down and replaced by new upscale housing.  The elementary school - with bars over the windows, no air conditioning, and an open air drug market across the street - has become a charter school and looks nothing like the building where I worked. 


I saw young kids forced to make choices no 8 year old should ever have to make.  As a teacher, I had some of the most gifted, amazing, bright students it has ever been my privilege to work with.   Some of them have made it to adulthood, and are bright shining stars, making change and living wonderful lives.  Others never made it out alive.  Monday's Not Coming struck so close to home for me.  While this story is fiction, it rhymes with so many real life stories.  It has taken me over a week to be able to sit down and write this review.  And I cried many times while writing it, remembering the young voices and talent that have been silenced forever.

This is an excellent work, Tiffany.  Thank you for giving voice to the voiceless and telling stories that need to be told.  I look forward to reading your stories for years to come.

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1046101307

Finding Langston

Cline-Ransome, Lesa.  Finding Langston: A Novel.  2018.


Langston and his father have moved to Chicago from Alabama in order to find a new life for themselves after Langston's mother has died.  In this strange new world where Langston lives, his father is gone from sunup to sundown, working in a factory.


Langston finds himself with no friends, and he is forced to fend for himself in the time after school before his father gets home.  While Langston struggles to stay hidden from his gruesome new classmates, he finds himself constantly in their line of fire.


And then came the magic day when Langston found the public library.
He discovers authors of color, and he discovers poets of color, and he hears how others have put into words what his heart has been feeling.


When Langston discovers his namesake, he finds the bridge between himself and his mother, and a bridge to their neighbor Miss Fulton. 


Will Langston discover the path that leads to new friendships?


Author Web Site: http://lesaclineransome.com/


Finding Lagston is a 2019 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book.
Winner of the 2019 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1050454489

The Poet X

Acevedo, Elizabeth.  The Poet X.  2018.  Harper Teen, Harper Collins Imprint.  New York, NY.

So many stories

Are echoes of my own.

I hear voices that remind me of how I became.

Who I am today.

I will never forget the confusion and pain of adolescence.

Words and poetry were the core of her strength.

Music and notes were the power of mine.

Her story ended with power and peace,

the love of her parents entwined, making her stronger.

Xiomara finds her voice and shares her story.

Her power will help you find your own.

Printz Award Winner for 2019.

Author Web Site: http://www.acevedowrites.com/

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1081338628

The Unwanted

Brown, Don.  The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees.  2018.  Houghton Mifflin-Harcourt.  New York, New York.

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel follows the story of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, explaining the rise in power of Bashar-al-Asaad's father in 1970, and the impact that this continuing tyranny has had on the people of Syria.  As Asaad has tightened his hold on power, dissent has grown, and the oppression of the people of Syria has become interminable.  Rebels and the Military openly battle in the streets.

The story follows refugees as they attempt to flee Syria - how they leave, the obstacles that they encounter, and the realities that cause thousands of refugees to lose their lives every year in a quest to work and raise their families in a safe place. 

This phenomenal novel does a fantastic job of putting into simple language the reasons why people are fleeing Syria as fast as they can, without pushing any particular political agenda.  An absolute must read for anyone who is looking to better understand the cause of the Syrian Refugee Crisis.

Winner of the 2019 Excellence in Non-Fiction for Young Adults Award, presented by the American Library Association. 
http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2019/01/unwanted-stories-syrian-refugees-wins-2019-excellence-nonfiction-young-adults



Author Website: http://www.booksbybrown.com/

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1050454489

Printz Awards

The Poet X won the Printz.  I have not  yet read the book - it literally arrived on the hold shelf for me on Monday as the awards were being announced, and it is the only book on my desk right now.  I just finished writing my Book Talk for the Darkest Star, and this will be the next book that I read.  I am really looking forward to the book!

The Honor Books -
Damsel - Elana K. Arnold
I, Claudia - Mary McCoy
A Heart and Body in the World - Deb Calletti

I did read Damsel, by Elana Arnold.  In looking back through my posts, I realize that I didn't write a book talk for Damsel.  It is an interesting take on a fairy tale with a feminist twist and very unexpected ending.


I was really rooting for Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyumi.  I have described this book to friends as a modern day Lord of the Rings, based in Africa.  The world building in that book is phenomenal.  The research Adeyumi put into West African Folk Tales in order to write her story is evident throughout her book.  It is a masterpiece of Young Adult Literature.  Children of Blood and Bone was named a finalist for the Morris Award - which honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.  (http://www.ala.org/yalsa/morris-award, 1/30/2019)  

Her next book, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, is due to be released on June 4 of this year. 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and spend a little time with me!  Have you read any of the Printz Award Winners yet?  What did you think of them?

Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/

The Darkest Star

Armentrout, Jennifer L.  The Darkest Star.  2018.  Tor, a division of McMillan Publishing.

Life as a teenager in Columbia, Maryland in a post invasion world is very different than life before the invasion.  While Eve doesn't remember everything about her life before the Luxen Invasion, she figures that is normal - as the invasion itself redefined life on earth for humans and Luxen alike. 

In the post invasion world, Evie attends school with Luxen children and an uneasy truce exists between the two races.  There are restrictions placed upon the Luxen.  They must register with the authorities.  They must also wear Disablers - bracelets that contain the other worldly abilities of the Luxen that allow them to destroy human life with the flick of a wrist. 

Evie's world turns upside down when she forays into Foretoken: a club where Luxen and Humans freely mingle.  She is called over to meet Luc, who questions her fake ID, as well as her right to be in the club when suddenly the club is raided and Federal Agents enter, searching for unregistered Luxen and underage drinkers. 

As Luc and Evie run away from the chaos, her world is forever turned upside down. 

Luc appears at her house.  Not only does Luc appear to know her mother, he tells her that "All deals

are off" as he hands her mother the fake ID.

Friends disappear and are found brutally murdered - and the manner of death points towards a Luxen.

All the while, Evie continues to be pulled into the orbit of the mysterious Luc.  While he claims not to be a Luxen, it is obvious that he is something different - and so much more dangerous than Evie could ever have imagined. 

Will Evie manage to unravel the mystery that surrounds both Luc and her past in time to save herself and those she loves?
Author Web Site:  https://jenniferlarmentrout.com/

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1061316758

Children's Literary Awards

The Printz is coming!  The Printz is coming!

The American Library Association will be announcing the Winner of the Printz award on Monday, Jan. 28 at 8 am Pacific Time.

If you're so inclined, you can watch the live feed of the announcement here: http://ala.unikron.com/.

For my own part, I wanted to speculate on this year's contenders.  From the books I've read and Book Talked on here, my personal favorites are:

Children of Blood and Bone
Author:  Tomi Adeyemi

This high fantasy tale, set in Africa relates the story of Zelie and Tzain - both descended from powerful Maji.  The King has forbidden the use of Magic in his country and has hunted down and killed the magic users throughout the country.  There is one chance - one - to restore magic to the kingdom or see it lost forever.  Zelie sets out to seek that one opportunity to restore balance to the world.  But will she be able to complete her journey before the opportunity is lost forever?

The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Jude is a young girl unexpectedly swept into a world of Fairie Intrigue when he biological father shows up at her mother's door, slaughters her parents, and takes the children back to Fairie to live with him.  The world of Fairie is unexpectedly twisted and corrupt, and Jude struggles to stay out of high court politics and live her life as "normally" as possible.  This illusion she has lived since being brought to Faerie is shattered when the High King of Faerie gets ready to step down and appoint one of his children to be the next High King.

I've heard a lot of buzz about Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo, but I have not yet read that book, so I can't comment.  It's on hold for me at the library though!

Side note here, if you've read my picks for long enough, you know I tend to favor Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books, so you know who I'm pulling for!

What book do you think is going to win?

Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows

Calejo, Ryan. Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows.  2018.  Aladdin, a Division of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.  New York, NY. 

Charlie's parents have mysteriously disappeared and his house burned to the ground.  He is fortunate that he has been placed in a foster home that is in his school district so that he is able to remain in his school, with his friends, and people who understand him while his life is upside down.

Things seem to be going as normal as they can for Middle School when Charlie sprouts feathers in the middle of third period history class.  As he scrambles to find a way to cover his feathery anatomy until he can get home, Charlie is confounded by teachers, friends, and the school bully who all appear determined to expose his freakish secret to the world.

Unexpectedly, the very popular Violet Ray comes to his rescue.  Not only does she help Charlie safely escape school and get home, she agrees to help him figure out why he has grown a coat of feathers.  And maybe, just maybe, they can discover what happened to Charlie's parents.

As Violet and Charlie look deeper into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his parents, they find themselves sucked into a world where the Latino and Hispanic myths he heard from his Abuela as he was growing up have come to life and are all coming together to pursue him - and the mystery of his parents disappearance is wrapped up in an ancient horror that has come to destroy him.

Can Violet and Charlie discover the key to the mystery before it destroys them and brings and unthinkable darkness to the world?

Note: my library has this catalogued as Children's Fiction.  I believe it is appropriate for teens and tweens, grades 5-8.  

Author's Twitter:https://twitter.com/thebookglutton

Publisher's Author Page: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ryan-Calejo/130172738

Image Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1033565665

The King of Attolia

Turner, Megan Whalen.  The King of Attolia.

Eugenides has married the Queen of Attolia, and is now King over all the land.  A position that he never wanted to be in, and one that he sees no way out of.  While Eugenides struggles to adapt to his new role in the middle of an openly hostile court, the queen struggles to keep her court in some semblance of order while attempting to ferret out the lurking, creeping danger within her own court.

Things take a turn for the deadly when a sinister plot to assassinate the King slowly emerge, and it seems that possible assassins populate the court.  Can the threat to the King be eliminated?  Will Eugenides finally grasp the reigns of power as King and take firm control of the kingdom, or will he become a mere puppet, controlled by a master with sinister designs on the throne?

Image Source:http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/951507545