Reading Level: Elementary

Hanukkah Moon

When Isobel is invited to Aunt Luisa’s for Hanukkah, she’s not sure what to expect. Aunt Luisa has recently arrived from Mexico. “At Aunt Luisa’s you’ll get to celebrate the Hanukkah Moon,” Isobel’s father promises. Isobel’s days at Aunt Luisa’s are filled with fun and surprises – a new camera, a dreidel piñata filled with sweets, and a mysterious late-night visit to welcome the luna nueva, the new moon that appears on Hanukkah.

When Isobel goes to visit her aunt, she experiences the Hanukkah Moon for the first time. Aunt Luisa explains how Rosh Chodesh is traditionally celebrated with each noon moon. The holiday honors the women who, unlike the males Israelites, refused to contribute gold to a golden calf. The special holiday illustrates the little-known tradition of the Latin-Jewish community. However, Isobel doesn’t just learn about the Hanukkah Moon, she also enjoys getting to know her aunt, who teaches photography at a college.

As the characters talk about some of the holiday traditions, the illustrations bring the story to life. Using soft yellow and purples, the illustrations are uniquely beautiful. Readers will want to look carefully at the picture’s details so they don’t miss anything. When Isobel and Aunt Luisa go outside, readers will need to look for the animals that are hiding in the shadows. Even though Hanukkah Moon is a picture book, younger readers will need help with the text-heavy pages and the unfamiliar words.

The author’s note appears, which is easy to miss, appears in small print on the first page of the story. However, readers will want to take the time to read the author’s note, which explains the Spanish Jew’s connection to the story. The end of the book also has a glossary that will help readers understand the traditions.

Hanukkah Moon isn’t necessarily an amazing story; however, the story focuses on the multicultural aspects of the celebration, which allows the reader to understand the tradition behind the Hanukkah Moon. Anyone who wants to learn more about the Jewish holiday should read Hanukkah Moon, which highlights the importance of creativity and kindness.

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

 

Let It Snow!

Chloe can’t wait to spend the weekend before Christmas in a snowy lodge. However, she’s a little nervous to meet her dad’s new girlfriend and her daughter, Sandy. Chloe has always wanted a sister and she’s hoping she and Sandy will become best friends. But when Chloe’s dog and Sandy’s cat begin to fight, everyone knows that a storm of trouble might be right around the corner.

Unlike Chloe, Sandy isn’t happy about meeting her mother’s new boyfriend. Sandy struggles with her parents’ divorce and secretly hopes her parents will get back together. To make matters worse, an incoming blizzard makes the roads impassable. Now, Sandy won’t be able to see her dad on Christmas. With a swirl of emotions, Sandy just might ruin the holiday trip for everyone.

Chloe tries to understand Sandy’s quickly changing moods. However, “She didn’t understand why Sandy would be having a hard time. After all, she’d [Sandy] had three years to get used to it.” Chloe is trying to be patient, but she wonders, “Why are her [Sandy’s] feelings more important than everybody else’s?” Despite this, Chloe goes out of her way to show Sandy kindness. She even uses her holiday spending money to buy Sandy a gift.

Let It Snow! has relatable characters, relationship drama, and a positive message. However, Chloe isn’t the only person to show kindness. When the group is snowed in, the resort management wants them to move out of their pet-friendly cabin and into the hotel. While waiting to check-in, a couple overhears the conflict, and they offer to give up their cabin. The woman tells them, “We don’t mind giving up a cabin so your poor little fur babies have a nice warm place to stay.”

When Chloe’s father and Sandy’s mother discover why Sandy is so upset about being snowed in, they invite Sandy’s father to join them for Christmas dinner. Even though Chloe’s and Sandy’s families are not traditional two-parent families, the story shows how families change – sometimes in unexpected ways – but that doesn’t mean a “family was ruined or broken. It was just different. Bigger.”

Anyone who needs a cup of Christmas cheer should add Let It Snow! to their reading list. The entertaining story highlights the importance of kindness. So grab a cup of hot cocoa, curl up next to holiday lights, and get ready to read about some snowy fun.

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Breakaways

Shy fifth-grader, Faith, has never played soccer. When popular girl, Amanda, invites her to join her soccer team, Faith figures that it’s an opportunity to make friends. There’s just one problem: when Faith arrives at practice, she finds out that Amanda is on the best team, while she is on the C team—the worst team. Faith finds herself stranded on a ragtag team where it seems like no one is interested in playing soccer, and many of the players aren’t interested in being friends with each other.

The Breakaways is a graphic novel that follows Faith and her teammates as they navigate middle school, their relationships, and soccer. The story concept is unique and funny as it is an inversion of the standard sports story. Unlike most sports books, Faith and her teammates aren’t serious about their sports, and they don’t strive to be great. The characters in The Breakaways aren’t good at soccer, but they discover that their friendships don’t rest on wins or losses. Many of the players even bond over their dislike for the sport, showing that their lives are much more than the sport that they play.

The Breakaways has a diverse cast of characters and several characters are LGBTQ+. This includes Faith, who is bisexual, and Sammy, who comes out as trans. There is also an array of cultural differences in the characters. For instance, Yarelis and her mom have a conversation in Spanish, and Nadia wears a hijab. The diverse characters make the story relatable for readers who don’t otherwise feel represented in literature. Johnson creates an inclusive environment for the team and for the readers as well.

Despite the diversity and the fun concept, the book feels too short, as none of the characters have a well-developed individual story. Some characters, like Yarelis, get only a couple of pages, and then their stories stop abruptly. Some pages are dedicated to scenes that aren’t expanded upon. For instance, Faith has daydream sequences where she envisions herself as a young knight on a quest. Although these scenes and the rest of the book are beautifully illustrated, these sequences don’t seem to add anything to the plot and are never really addressed outside Faith’s imagination.

The Breakaways discusses themes of friendship and acceptance through this ragtag soccer team. Despite joining for a variety of reasons, the players come together and try to make their experience fun. Even though the characters’ stories are cut short, the overall message is about learning how to make the best of a bad situation. For a reader searching for an empowering and feel-good book, look no further.

 Sexual Content

  • Sodacan tells Faith, “I saw you looking at Molly’s bra today.” Faith is flustered.
  • Jennifer tells Molly, “I’m gonna hit on Jalissa’s brother today.”
  • Molly and Jennifer argue about Marcus, the boy they both like, during a soccer game.
  • In one illustrated panel, Molly kisses Marcus on the cheek.
  • Marie likes Sammy and admits her feelings one night. Sammy, another member of the team, comes out as trans. He says, “I think I’m a boy.” They briefly discuss it, then they kiss because they like each other.
  • One player, Zoe, asks Faith, “Do you like boys?” Faith responds, “I don’t know who I like. Maybe boys. Maybe girls.” She then talks about her aunt who “lives with her wife in New York.”
  • Zoe admits that she is attracted to girls.
  • Zoe compliments Yarelis’s ability on the bass, and it seems like flirting. Yarelis blushes in the next panel.
  • Sammy tells Sodacan that he’s a boy. Sodacan doesn’t understand, and Marie says, “He’s trans.” Sammy explains further and says, “It means when I was born, the doctors said I was a girl, but I’m actually a boy.”
  • Marie and Sammy are dating.

Violence

  • Sodacan claps Faith on the back in a friendly way.
  • After they discuss Yarelis joining their band, Yarelis hits Sodacan’s head with a vinyl sticker.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Marie says of another player, “Miss Prissy is too good for us dogs!” Other terms like goody two-shoes are also used often.
  • Two players are called Bulldog (Molly) and Warthog (Jennifer). It is implied that they do not know about these nicknames.
  • Rude language is used frequently by the teens. Rude language includes: dumb, stupid, turd, shut up, crazy, fool, suck, dweeb, nerd, crappy, and losers.
  • Molly and Jennifer pick on Faith because her name sounds like fart. When another player defends Faith, Jennifer tells Sodacan, “You’re such a pig.”
  • Marie asks Sodacan why she’s sticking up for “that baby” when talking about Faith.
  • One player jokes that the team sucks and people laugh. Molly makes the same joke, and Coach makes the team run laps. Molly says, “What? Sammy does it and it’s okay? Only tiny girls get to be rude?”
  • Jennifer rejects a car ride from a classmate on the way to school. He calls her, “Ugly, trashy Warthog.”
  • Marie and Sodacan make up. Marie says, “I should hit you, though. You deserve it. You are sorta a jerk.” Sodacan replies, “You are too. We’re sorta jerks together. That’s our thing.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Jennifer gets mad at Molly after her remark causes the team to run laps. Jennifer says, “God, Bulldog.” Another player yells, “Oh my God” in frustration during practice.
  • One player, Nadia, wears a hijab.

by Alli Kestler

The Kitten Nobody Wanted

When Mia loses her beloved cat, Sandy, she can’t ever imagine having a cat again. Sandy was the best cat in the world, and Mia never wants to forget him.

Mia’s best friend, Emily, is thrilled when her cat, Snowball, has kittens. Emily desperately wants Mia to see the kittens, but for a long time Mia can’t bring herself to. Mia finally visits and falls in love with a small, shy kitten that she names Whiskers. Everyone can see that Mia and Whiskers are perfect for each other, but is Mia ready to give him a home?

In The Kitten Nobody Wanted, Mia struggles with the loss of her cat. She doesn’t want to ever forget him. When Emily’s cat has kittens, Mia’s refusal to see the kittens upsets Emily. The two friends talk about the problem and try to understand each other’s point of view. The girls’ friendship is sweet and the girls clearly care about each other. Mia’s parents, grandmother, and Emily’s mother all try to help Mia feel better about losing her cat.

While most of the story is told from Mia’s point of view, the ending of the story incorporates Whiskers’ point of view, which allows the reader to understand that Mia and Whiskers belong to each other. While the story revolves around Mia’s grief, each person in Mia’s life is portrayed in a positive manner.

The Kitten Nobody Wanted is a sweet story that will appeal to any animal lover. Black and white illustrations appear every one to four pages, which helps break up the text. Even though the story is appropriate for young readers, the vocabulary and sentence structure is more advanced. However, the story would be a good choice for parents to read aloud to their children. The Kitten Nobody Wanted is realistic fiction that is entertaining and shows positive relationships, while teaching the importance of giving pets a good home.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Secret Snowflake

Riley has been looking forward to the English class’ Secret Snowflake project all year. As part of the assignment, the students are having an anonymous gift exchange. Riley is even more excited when she gets to be the Secret Snowflake for her crush, Marcus Anderson. Based on a smile, Riley is convinced that Marcus might be her Secret Snowflake too!

Riley wants to make the gifts extra special. She uses her crafty nature to make homemade gifts. Riley’s best friend thinks Marcus might think homemade gifts are lame. Trying to find the perfect gift, Riley begins paying extra attention to Marcus. Soon, she wonders if her secret crush is really as wonderful as she imagined.

When Riley starts receiving gifts, she knows that her Secret Snowflake has paid extra attention to her. All of Riley’s gifts are sparkly and perfect. Is Marcus really Riley’s Secret Snowflake. . . or will Riley be crushed when her Secret Snowflake’s identity is revealed?

Riley’s excitement and enthusiasm for Christmas make Secret Snowflake a sparkly read. Middle school readers will empathize with Riley, who is experiencing her first crush. However, Riley’s crush doesn’t take over the story. Instead, Secret Snowflake is a story of friendship, family, and bringing Christmas cheer to others. Riley is a relatable character with positive qualities. She is kind to her brother, is part of a choir that sings in a nursing home, and helps her best friend reach out to a new girl.

In the end, Riley learns that her secret crush “focused an awful lot on things that Riley didn’t really care about. . . Sure she could be interested in someone who loved sports—but not someone who measured worth in dollars and cents. And definitely not someone who would throw a handmade gift in the trash like it was garbage.” When Riley’s crush says mean things about his Secret Snowflake’s gifts, Riley is hurt and cries in the school bathroom. However, she doesn’t mope for long. Instead, she joins the festivities and realizes that a boy is worthy when he is kind, caring, and thinks of others.

Secret Snowflake will get readers into the gift-giving holiday spirit. The engaging story shows how simple things like baking cookies and making ornaments are what the season is all about. There’s a lot to like about Secret Snowflake. Riley is a good friend, her family is portrayed in a positive light, and the story shows the importance of thinking about others. Young girls will fall in love with Riley and be motivated to create their own crafty gifts. Anyone looking for a fun, positive holiday story should put Secret Snowflake at the top of their reading list.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • When Riley thinks her Secret Snowflake might think her homemade Christmas ornament is “dumb or babyish,” her brother says, “Then he sounds like a jerk!”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Blended

Eleven-year-old Isabella feels like she’s being pulled in two. Her divorced parents fight over everything! Her whole life is divided. Her time is divided between her parents—every other week, she has to change houses, change rules, change names, and even change identities.

Isabella’s father is black, and her mother is white. She isn’t sure where she fits. After all, if you’re only seen as half of this and half of that, how can you ever feel whole?

Each chapter of Blended jumps between Mom’s week, Dad’s week, and exchange day. This allows the reader to understand how her parents’ divorce affects Isabella’s daily life. While Isabella is trying to navigate between her two parents, she also has to deal with her parents’ live-in partners. The story portrays the headaches caused by squabbling parents and having two homes. In addition, having a white mom and a black father causes confusion. For example, Isabella isn’t sure how to fill out school forms. She tells her mom, “Well, I don’t answer ‘other,’ because that’s like being nothing, like maybe I could be Martian or something. I’m not nothing. I am something. I am somebody.”

Blended also explores racism—both intentional and unintentional. Several times throughout the story, someone says a hurtful comment about Isabella’s race; however, the speaker intended the statement to be a compliment. Equally important is the time Isabella spends in English; the class discusses recent school protests. Some students are hoping that “walking out of school can help change gun laws and stuff.” As part of an assignment, Isabella takes a poem written by an African American author and writes her own version of the poem. This allows the reader to further understand Isabella’s feelings.

The story hits on difficult topics of racism and identity confusion by focusing on Isabella, which allows the reader to understand her feelings. Middle-grade readers will relate to Isabella, who is trying to understand herself and the world around her. Blended deals with relevant conflicts in today’s world. One instance is when Isabella is shot by a police officer; the scene will evoke a strong emotional response because readers will understand Isabella’s fear, confusion, and pain. While the story shows an example of police brutality, it avoids excessive criticism of the police.

While Blended teaches essential life lessons, the plot jumps from topic to topic and the parent drama becomes tedious. Despite this, the story is fast-paced and shows many perspectives. In the end, Isabella begins to understand the importance of speaking up. The story doesn’t end with a cheerful, happy event. Instead, it acknowledges Isabella’s pain and her hope for a better future. Readers who would like to read more about racial inequality and the Black Lives Matter movement should also read A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • In English, the class talked about what “lynched” means. One boy says, “They show that [a lynch] in cowboy movies all the time. No big deal.” Later someone puts a noose in Imani’s locker. “Inside her locker, dangling from the coat hook, is a thick rope, the kind we use in the gym. It’s knotted and tied round and round at the top. The bottom of it is looped.”
  • Isabella’s mother’s boyfriend says his dad would “beat the crap outta me.”
  • Darren gives Isabella a ride to her piano recital. On the way, he gets pulled over by the police. Darren is confused when the police officer “gives the window another wallop.” When Darren opens the door, “he’s yanked right off his seat. He nearly falls, but a cop grabs his arm. Darren thrusts his other arm up in the air… The back door is flung open and someone grabs me [Isabella], roughly, and pulls me out—literally pulls me out of the car.”
  • When Darren and Isabella are pulled out of the car, the police put Darren on the ground and restrain him. Isabella tries to see Darren. “I look around for him and see instead a female officer approaching me with her gun out. It is aimed at me. A gun is aimed at my head! …Why is she pointing that gun and I want her to put it down and Darren is standing again he’s bleeding… Darren is bleeding, and his arms are pulled behind his back because he actually is in handcuffs.”
  • At one point, Isabella thinks that her parents are going to be worried that she’s late for her recital. She reaches into her pocket for a cell phone. “The lady officer yells, ‘Gun! Gun!’ Every point of light I’ve ever known explodes at the moment… I collapse to the ground. The last thing I remember hearing are Darren’s hoarse screams and a male voice shouting, ‘Shots fired! Shots fired! Send emergency medical crews ASAP.’” The scene is described over eight pages.
  • After Isabella is shot, she hits the ground. “I think my head bounces. The back of it hurts so bad… Confused voices surround me… Why is my arm on fire? And my head! Oh, my head! It hurts so bad.” This part of the scene is described over three pages.

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • Isabella’s mother’s boyfriend says that his father “loved him some liquor, and he’d have his friends over every Saturday for whiskey and whatever. After they’d had two or three drinks…or more, they’d really relax and start talking smack.”
  • While in the hospital a nurse gives Isabella ibuprofen.

Language

  • Isabella says that the piano at her father’s house is “freakin’ fierce.”
  • During a class discussion about lynches, one girl gets “pissed off.”
  • Someone calls a classmate an idiot twice.
  • “OMG” is used as an exclamation three times.
  • Isabella freaks out and runs from her parents. Later, she tells her friend, “I probably scared the poop out of them.”
  • Heck is used twice. When a man bumps into Darren, Darren says, “What the heck?”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • When Isabella is in the hospital, a nurse sees her family “holding hands. And praying at one point.”
  • A classmate texts Isabella, “I prayed for you and your fam.”

Breakaway

Twelve-year-old Lily knows her place in the world is on the soccer field. When she’s out there scoring goals, everything’s right. Lately, though, her competitive spirit has been getting the best of her, and she begins to alienate all of her friends. Tabitha, a popular girl who spends most of her time on the bench, would give anything for Lily’s confidence and ability on the soccer field. Meanwhile, Lily secretly admires Tabitha’s world of money and friends. When it’s Lily on the bench instead of Tabitha, she figures out a few things she never expected and realizes that sometimes it takes more skill to make others look good instead of yourself.

Lily clearly loves soccer, but she is often overconfident and has a difficult time controlling her anger. Lily tells her own story in Breakaway, which allows the reader to follow Lily’s thought process and understand her emotions. When Lily isn’t picked up for a select team, she gets angry at her best friend, Vee, who makes the team. Lily is overcome with jealousy and also “was developing a long laundry list of people to blame.” Lily believes that she is the best player on the team, and others should recognize her skill. When Lily is suspended from the team, she has a hard time taking responsibility for her actions. It isn’t until the end that she realizes, “I can tell you all the talent in the world is wasted if you think you can do it all alone. No one can. The world doesn’t work like that. Families don’t work like that, friendships don’t work like that and I’m pretty sure soccer teams don’t work like that either.”

Even though Lily’s family life is interspersed in the story, the long descriptions of soccer make the story best for soccer fans. The fast-paced story teaches many lessons about sportsmanship as well as the importance of taking responsibility for your actions. Lily’s parents are another positive aspect of the story. They are interesting, unique, and demonstrate healthy family relationships. Her parents don’t expect her to be perfect. Instead, Lily’s father tells her, “You can’t erase your mistakes, LJ. You can make up for them and you can make sure not to repeat them, but you can’t just will them to disappear.”

Breakaway combines soccer and family into a fast-paced story that teaches positive lessons. The story’s advanced vocabulary and the large cast of characters makes Breakaway best for proficient readers. Soccer fans may also want to read the other books in Montalbano’s series, Soccer Sisters. As a former soccer player, coach, and motivational speaker, Montalbano creates an entertaining story about soccer, friendship and family.

  Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • During the soccer games, there are some players that use illegal moves. For example, during a game, “Lily trapped the ball with her thigh and turned to shoot, but something caught her foot, and instead of making contact she fell straight to the ground, getting a mouth full of dirt… She had been tripped.”
  • During a game, “a Rockets defender shoved Vee from behind, knocking her flat and stealing the ball.”
  • When some boys are being mean to Lily and Vee, Lily gets angry. “Before Griffin could say another word, Lily tossed her ball up and volleyed it directly at his head. It flew like a rocket, and he ducked just a millisecond before the ball would have hit him like a missile, stumbling to the ground and smacking his hands hard on the pavement.”
  • To stop Vee, a player “brought her down from behind. Could have broken her ankle or wrecked her knee.”
  • During a game, the other team began “taking cheap shots… Reese was knocked down at midfield.” Later, “The sweeper grabbed at Tabitha’s arm. She grabbed her uniform. Tabitha tried to get the shot off, but it was too late: the defender grabbed her from behind and pulled her to the ground.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • At dinner, Lily’s father “took an unusually large gulp of wine.” Later, her father “took another large sip of wine.”

Language

  • Darn is used twice. When Lily’s aunt was late, she said, “the darn car wouldn’t start.”
  • Jerks is used three times. Some of the characters refer to others as jerks or call them jerks.
  • Vee is upset that Lily went to Tabitha’s house. Vee says, “Oh, like the queen of Brookville would ever have a Lakewood loser like me over to her house.”
  • Crap is used once.

Supernatural

  • Lily’s grandfather calls her “brutta,” which means ugly in Italian. “It was an old Sicilian fear that if you talked too much about the beauty of a child, particularly a girl child, then the gods would come and take her away.”

Spiritual Content

  • When Lily throws a ball at a boy, it “slammed into the big glass yellow H hanging in front of the Heritage sports bar… Oh please, don’t let it fall, Lily prayed to herself.”
  • Lily goes to a friend’s house, and a group of boys are playing video games. Lily “prayed they would stay interested in the game.”
  • When Lily has to clean her father’s restaurant’s windows, she “lifted the squeegee and got to work, praying no one she knew would walk by.”

Goldie Blox (Ruins) Rules the School

After accidentally sending the second story of the Blox School to Mars, Goldie Blox is sent to Higgs Bozon Prep. On her first day of school, Goldie causes chaos. Three of Goldie’s classmates decide Goldie should go back to her old school, and they’re willing to do anything to make that happen.

Goldie makes a plan to rebuild the Blox School, but she’s going to need all the help she can get. With the help of her classmates, she plans the repairs for the Blox School. All Goldie needs to do is form a team, bend some rules, and deal with one very grumpy mayor. But at least she’ll make some friends along the way!

Goldie Blox loves to create gizmos and gadgets. Engineering is easy for her, and her inventions work despite the fact that she never has a plan. While repairing the Blox School, her team “did very little measuring,” but they were still able to create five amazing classrooms, a cafeteria, bathrooms, and an epic climbing tower in just one day. Although the process of building the school is entertaining, the story leaves out the hard work and planning that goes into any engineering feat.

Goldie Blox (Ruins) Rules the School uses humor and silly antics to introduce the idea of engineering. Most of the humor comes from the chaos that Goldie’s inventions cause. However, Goldie’s dog Nacho adds some bathroom humor, including him “licking his butt.” The humorous tone and the fast pace of the story will entertain readers as it teaches that it’s more important to make a difference than to fit in.

Goldie Blox (Ruins) Rules the School also shows how trash can be repurposed. Goldie uses “creative recycling” to build the Blox School. Although the results are completely outrageous and unbelievable, younger readers will enjoy Goldie’s crazy antics. Goldie is smart, creative, and willing to tackle any engineering project. The story is accessible to younger readers because it uses easy vocabulary, short paragraphs, and cartoonish black and white illustrations that appear every three to five pages. The Goldie Blox Series combines humor, friendship, and engineering into an entertaining story that readers will enjoy.

 Sexual Conte

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • The mayor tells Goldie, “You’re a rotten apple, and I will not let you ruin the bushel.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History

Today, Orville and Wilbur Wright are celebrated as heroes for their revolutionary contributions to science and engineering. They are acknowledged as the first men to successfully achieve powered, piloted flight. But their road to success was far from smooth. The Wright brothers encounter plenty of bumps, bruises, and mechanical failures along their way!

The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History takes the reader through the history of flight, beginning with Icarus. While many people made important discoveries about flight, the Wright brothers were the first to learn how to control a flyer and get it off the ground. While most people have heard about the Wright Brothers, the magnitude of their accomplishment cannot be fully appreciated until you have read The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History.

The Wright brothers were dedicated and they knew the importance of study and observation. In order to learn about flight, Wilbur reached out to the Smithsonian Institute and was given “any and all research available on aviation and human flight.” While the brothers studied and experimented, Wilbur and Orville also ran a successful business. The two brothers also had some epic failures, including injuries, embarrassments, and accidentally killing someone. Despite this, they persevered and never gave up on their dream. Their success was not based on luck. “It was hard work and common sense; they put their whole heart and soul and all their energy into an idea and they had the faith.”

The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History teaches history in an engaging way. Both historical pictures and cartoonish, black and white illustrations appear on most pages. Many of the illustrations are comical, such as when the brothers were “greeted by swarming mosquitoes.” The short chapters, large text, and illustrations that appear on almost every page make the book accessible to readers. Some of the vocabulary is explained; however, readers may still struggle with the difficult vocabulary. The book ends with a timeline of important events in flight history.

The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History uses a conversational tone that makes learning about history fun. The Wright brothers and other historical figures prove that failure is part of the process of achieving one’s dreams. Instead of looking at failure in a negative light, The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History shows that every failure can be a learning experience. The book highlights the importance of perseverance, dedication, and education. The Wright brothers “never let their failures get the better of them, never let anyone tell them something couldn’t be done, and never gave up on their dreams.”

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • In 1808, two men went up in hot air balloons and “started shooting at each other’s balloons with their muskets.” The loser “tumbled hundreds of feet to his death.” Of course, the argument was about a lady.
  • In 1861, Union soldier Thaddeus Lowe used a hot air balloon in battle. “While he was taking notes on troop positions the balloon broke away from the rope holding it to the ground. . .” The Confederates captured him.
  • While playing ice hockey, Wilbur “took a hockey stick to his face, smashing out most of his teeth, laying him out, and injuring him so badly he had to drop out of school to recover.”
  • Otto Lilienthal created a glider, but he “lost control of his glider, fell fifty feet, and broke his back on impact with the ground. He died the next day.”
  • During a flying demonstration, Orville and Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge went up in the air. The flyer “plummeted several hundred feet, then smashed hard into the dirt, crumpling into wreckage and sending bits of plane scattering in every direction. [Selfridge] became the first person in history to die in a plane crash.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • When Charles Manley attempted flight, he landed in icy water. After he got out, he “slammed down a shot of whiskey.”

Language

  • Heck is used twice. For example, when humans first learned to fly in hot air balloons, they had to figure out, “How the heck do we land this thing?”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Expedition on the Tundra

When a group of researchers plans to enter the forest in order to tag wolves, Stacy and her pack know they must flee. Even though the journey is unexpected, Stacy is excited to learn about a new biome. Stacy and the wolves go over the mountains and into the harsh arctic region.

Stacy has always known that her wolves were different than other animals. After all, other wolf packs do not rescue animals and care for an orphan girl, but Stacy’s wolves are beginning to reveal supernatural abilities. While on their journey, Addison finds some hieroglyphics in the snow. Following Addison, the pack goes deeper into the harsh tundra biome. Can they survive long enough to discover where the pack’s supernatural abilities came from?

Stacy’s expedition on the Tundra takes the reader into the artic and introduces them to artic wildlife. While traveling, Stacy and her pack find a narwhal, who is unable to come to the surface to breathe. The pack uses its supernatural abilities to save the narwhal. Even though the animal encounters are interesting, most of the story revolves around Addison finding hieroglyphics. During their travels, the pack begins to display more supernatural abilities. However, the story never explains why the wolves have the abilities, which makes the events unrealistic.

Unlike the previous books in the series, Expedition on the Tundra has some plot elements that are not believable. In just a week, Stacy and her pack are able to travel to the artic, save several animals, study hieroglyphics, and return home. In the conclusion, Stacy and the pack meet an ancient wolf, who dies after a short period of time. Through telepathy, the wolf shows Stacy the humans that left the hieroglyphics. Unfortunately, the conclusion is anticlimactic and leaves the readers with too many questions.

Each chapter begins with an illustration of Stacy’s animal friends. Other black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the story. The illustrations will help readers visualize the story’s events and the hieroglyphics. Some readers may have difficulty with some of the advanced vocabulary, such as annals, emanate, and swath. The end of the book has a word glossary as well as information about a bear biologist.

While the first two books in the Wild Rescuers series have plenty of action and suspense, Expedition on the Tundra’s slow pace may frustrate readers. Along the journey, Stacy and the pack help several animals; however, the rescues lack any element of danger and suspense. In the end, Stacy is able to translate the hieroglyphics, but the writings do not explain why the wolves have powers. Expedition on the Tundra’s focus on the mystery of the wolves’ power lacks excitement and suspense. However, readers who have read the first two books of the series will enjoy Stacy’s evolving relationship with the wolf pack.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Some of the wolves have supernatural abilities. After Basil was struck by lightning, he was able “to run at speeds so fast she could leave a cheetah in her dust. She was also able to summon fire.”
  • Noah can breathe underwater.
  • Addison can read.
  • Everest is “a supernatural wolf, with the ability to hear [Stacy’s] thoughts as plainly as if she was speaking them.” Everest can also make himself “blend in with the tundra.” The first time he does this, “Stacy could still make out the outline of the large wolf. And his piercing silver eyes were still visible. But the rest of him was perfectly camouflaged with the snow.” He can also camouflage the other wolves.
  • Wink is “indestructible.”
  • When Stacy finds a baby badger, she puts him by Tucker. “Heat began to emanate from Tucker’s body, melting the snow around him and blanketing Stacy and the pack. Stacy couldn’t believe what she was feeling. It was almost as if she was standing in front of the cave’s fireplace.”
  • An ancient wolf communicates with Stacy through telepathy. “The elder wolf stirred, lifting his head and pressing his nose to Stacy’s. What happened next, Stacy could only describe as having some type of dream…or vision.”

Spiritual Content

  • When a wolf dies, Stacy looks at the Northern Lights and thinks, “I bet that’s the spirit of the elder wolf up there in the sky now watching us.”
  • Stacy reads the hieroglyphics, which talk about the wolves’ supernatural powers. The explorers wondered if the wolves’ powers came from “the heavens. Maybe even the aurora itself.”

Bird & Squirrel On Fire

It’s been a long, crazy trip around the world. Now the duo is back in their beloved forest, and Bird wants to throw a party! But Squirrel isn’t in the mood to celebrate. His house needs a good cleaning, the river has been dammed up by a pesky beaver, and the forest animals are jittery about a growing menace. Will the dam dry out the forest? Will the mysterious new danger ruin the party? Will Bird finally convince Squirrel to let go and just have a good time? Find out in their hilarious new adventure!

Unfortunately, the third installment of Bird & Squirrel isn’t as funny as the previous books. The story’s plot is not well-developed; in most scenes, Bird and Squirrel are being chased by rats or arguing. The story follows the same format as Bird & Squirrel on the Edge, except this time Bird and Squirrel are running from rats instead of wolves. The story never explains why the rats have suddenly begun trapping forest animals, which may leave some readers scratching their heads in confusion.

The story adds a few new characters, but the characters don’t add much interest. Bird and Squirrel meet a grumpy beaver that has a log as a friend. However, the beaver is strange instead of funny. In addition to the beaver, Bird and Squirrel also meet a lady squirrel named Red. Squirrel soon develops a crush and has difficulty talking around Red, which adds a little romance to the story.

Bird & Squirrel on Fire isn’t as funny as the previous books, but Squirrel shows significant growth. When Squirrel’s belongings burn in a forest fire, Squirrel learns that people are more important than possessions. Bird’s disappearance causes Squirrel to reevaluate his life. At the end of the story, Squirrel teaches his daughter to be brave but cautious. Fans of the previous books will still enjoy the interplay between Bird and Squirrel, and they will wonder if Squirrel’s new brave attitude will continue in Bird & Squirrel All Tangled Up.

 Sexual Content

  • Several months pass after the dam disaster, Squirrel and Red are seen at home with their daughter.

Violence

  • Bird and Squirrel fall into a trap. They fall into a dark hole, are tied together, and hang from the ceiling. Bones are scattered on the floor. Oversized rats show up to eat them, but Bird and Squirrel are able to escape. The scene is illustrated over six pages.
  • As Bird and Squirrel run from the rats, they find Mouse hanging from the ceiling with a boiling cauldron underneath him. Bird and Squirrel help mouse down, but then the rats corner the three friends. Squirrel shoves a rock into a rat’s mouth, and then rocks begin falling from the ceiling. The three friends are able to escape the cave. The scene is illustrated over nine pages.
  • All of the forest creatures gather for a party. The rats show up and chase the animals. In the confusion, a fire starts. The rat chase scene is illustrated over six pages.
  • As Bird and Squirrel are trying to break a dam, the rats appear, but before they can eat the two friends, the dam breaks, and the rats are taken downstream.
  • A burning tree falls on Red, landing on her tail. A rat threatens to eat her but is taken out when the dam breaks. Bird, Squirrel, Red, and the rats are swilling in the water. The rats and Bird disappear, but the Squirrel and Red are safe. Months later, Bird shows up.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Out of My Shell

Usually Olivia is excited about her family’s annual summer vacation to Florida, but she’s not this year. This year, everything is different. Her parents have recently separated, and her father isn’t joining the family trip. Every summer, Olivia and her father have been a pair. Olivia has never felt close to her mother or younger sister, Lanie. This year, Olivia isn’t sure what she will do without her father.

Olivia tries to stay out of everyone’s way by hiding in her bedroom. She doesn’t know how to deal with the hurt that constantly gnaws at her heart. At night, Olivia goes to a special place on the beach. By chance, she sees a confused sea turtle come onto the beach. Olivia learns that the sea turtle population is in serious risk of dying, and the lights on the neighbor’s poorly designed inn are making it difficult for sea turtles to lay their eggs. Olivia knows she has to do something to help; she just doesn’t know what.

With all of the changes in her life, she feels helpless, hopeless, and angry. She can’t handle any more heartbreak. Will Olivia learn to find the courage to save the turtles? Will she stop hiding in her room and allow others to see her pain?

Like many middle school readers, Olivia is overcome with all of the changes in her life. Between her parents’ divorce, the changes in her summer friends, and the crowd of relatives she has to deal with, Olivia just wants to stay in a hard, protective shell. To make matters worse, her little sister Lanie won’t leave her alone. Olivia is a relatable and likable narrator, whose actions often do not turn out the way she intended. Readers will understand Olivia’s conflicting emotions as well as her desire to help the turtles.

Each chapter begins with an interesting turtle fact. However, the majority of the story follows Olivia’s emotional journey. At one point, Olivia envies her sister’s ability to dream. “I remember what it was like to believe in magic and fairy tales and happily-ever-afters. Maybe it was worth believing in monsters under the bed and the bogeyman if you could still have unicorns, friendly dragons, charms, and enchantments.”

As the story progresses, Olivia learns the importance of standing up for herself and the turtles. She finally realizes that “I wasn’t perfect, but I wasn’t powerless either.” Through Olivia’s story, readers will see that anyone—even a twelve-year-old—can make a positive difference in the world. Even though Out of My Shell focuses on Olivia’s emotional turmoil, the story has enough action to keep readers turning the pages until the very end. Goebel knows how to weave a heartfelt, entertaining story that will encourage middle school readers to step out of their shells and share their feelings.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Crud is used once.
  • Olivia calls her aunt a jerk.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • When Olivia’s sister sees her going outside at night, Olivia “prayed she wouldn’t say anything as I tiptoed toward the door.”
  • Olivia helps release baby turtles into the wild. Olivia “found myself whispering a prayer as the ocean gobbled each one of them whole.”
  • When Olivia’s sister almost drowns, she whispered prayers.

The Parker Inheritance

When Candice finds a letter, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, after all, who left Lambert in a cloud of shame. The letter describes a young African American woman named Siobhan Washington, an injustice that happened decades ago, a mystery involving the letter writer, and the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle.

With the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues in the letter. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert’s history—full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love—and deeper into their own family’s unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter’s promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?

The Parker Inheritance is an ambitious story that tackles too many themes, including racism, oppression, love, friendship, bullying, sexual orientation, as well as family dynamics. The story uses flashbacks to delve into racism during the 1950s. Instead of being just a bunch of facts, the flashbacks will have an emotional impact on the reader. While most of the content is appropriate for middle-grade readers, the story does show some brutality as a group of white men attack a black boy.

While The Parker Inheritance is interesting, the complicated plot and the large cast of characters may be overwhelming for some readers. The story flips between the current day and the past as told by many characters. In the present day, Candice and Brandon research as they try to solve the clues. While the story has some mystery, most of the clues are revealed through flashbacks. However, the riddles are interesting, and following Candice’s and Brandon’s thought process is enjoyable.

One of the best aspects of The Parker Inheritance is the message that people can change, and “a mistake isn’t a failure. It’s just an opportunity to try again.” The characters’ personalities are multifaceted, which highlights the complicated nature of humans who often make choices that lead to both positive and negative consequences. For example, Candice’s grandmother was fired from her job, and some of the townspeople thought she was crazy. While this caused Candice’s grandmother to leave town, it also allowed Candice to become close to her grandmother.

In the story, a white boy’s father tells him, “You’ll never understand what it means to be a Negro. You’ll never face the discrimination they see every day. You’ll never struggle the way they do.” However, The Parker Inheritance allows readers to see the effects of racism both in the past and in the present. After reading the story, readers will hopefully reevaluate their own actions and be more accepting of people’s differences.

Sexual Content

  • Candice thinks that a group of boys is bullying Brandon because he “liked boys instead of girls.” Candice thinks, “It wasn’t a big deal—a few of the kids in her neighborhood had gay parents and there were two gay teachers at her school. But she didn’t know anyone who was gay.”
  • Candice overhears a conversation between her divorced parents. Candice wonders, “Had her dad asked if her mom was dating because he was seeing someone as well? And since when did he think it was okay to live with someone before getting married?” Later, Candice finds out that her father is dating another man.
  • Brandon’s grandfather kissed his girlfriend. While Brandon is uncomfortable, his grandfather “kissed Ms. Kathy again, this time longer.”
  • Siobhan and her boyfriend kiss at the park. After talking, “he kissed her again, and they both forgot about tennis and soda pop and everything else in the world.”
  • Brandon asked a boy who was bullying him, “Speaking of girlfriends, is Deacon Hawke still seeing your mom? Does your dad still go to therapy because of it?”
  • Brandon’s friend Quincey is gay.

Violence

  • Brandon is being bullied by a group of boys, and the ringleader is Milo. When Brandon shows up at Candice’s house, his “shirt was covered with leaves and grass, and two red scratches lined his face.” Brandon says the boys are “kids from school. They started picking on me a month ago.”
  • A group of men wielding baseball bats attacked Dub. After the attack, Dub “was slumped over in the recliner, his left arm in a sling. A white towel, wet with blood, had been wrapped around his head. Dub’s jaw was swollen, his nose was clearly broken, and his face was covered with scrapes and cuts… his front two teeth were missing.”
  • A group of men leaves a threatening message for Siobhan’s father. “The baby doll’s white skin had been painted the color of midnight, with thick cherry-red lipstick smeared over its small mouth. The doll was naked, with horrible words scratched into its plastic skin. A noose hung around the doll’s neck.”
  • Reggie runs from a group of men who are carrying baseball bats. A man with a knife grabbed Reggie. “He swiped at Reggie, tearing a gash in Reggie’s side… Reggie pinned the man’s hand to his side while stabbing at the man’s face with a mop handle. The stick, with its jagged, sharp end, sank into his attacker’s face. Into his eye socket. The man screamed.” Reggie fell, and two men “began to strike him with their bats.” Someone breaks up the fight, and Reggie is forced to leave town. The fight is described over two pages.
  • A tennis coach says his uncle “liked to knock me around when he was drunk, which was all the time.”
  • After Brandon says mean things about Milo’s mother, Milo “cocked back his arm like it was in slow motion. Brandon easily leaned away from the wild swing. And, then Milo was off balance, Brandon crushed his fist into Milo’s stomach… Milo’s fist exploded against Brandon’s face. He fell, his arms billowing out. His back and head bounced against the sidewalk with a loud crack.” Brandon is knocked unconscious and is taken to the hospital. The fight is described over two pages.

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • Candice’s mom takes a bottle of wine to the neighbor.
  • One of the adults “finished off his scotch. It tingled as it slid down his throat.”
  • Candice’s mom uses “cooking wine. It wasn’t very strong at all, not like real wine, but Candice still felt a little sophisticated whenever her mother used it.”
  • After Dub is attacked, he is given morphine.
  • When Dub’s daughter, Siobhan, helps him return to his seat, “she could smell the alcohol on his breath.” Dub thinks that “it was easy for him to be bold when he was propped up by liquor and bravado.”

Language

  • Lord is used as an exclamation four times. God is used as an exclamation twice. “Oh my God” is used as an exclamation three times.
  • Candice thinks the app Mental Twister is “crappy.”
  • When Brandon sees the bullies, he says, “crap.”
  • Damn is used three times. When Dub doesn’t answer his friend’s question, the friend says, “Dammit, Dub!”
  • Hell is used once.
  • Someone calls a boy a “half-bred mutt.”
  • Dub tells a boy who likes his daughter, “A poor, high-yellow, country-dumb Negro like you will never be good enough for Lil’ Dub.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • When a landowner shows up at Enoch’s house, his mother “mouthed a prayer to herself.”
  • Candice goes to church, and “the pastor talked about hope. About faith. About staying on the right path, even when you can’t see the Promised Land.”
  • During a tennis game, Siobhan “closed her eyes and offered up a prayer.”

Sink or Swim

Abby and Jonah discovered a magic mirror that takes them into fairy tales. The first two times they traveled to a fairy tale and changed the story by accident. This time, Abby and Jonah promise not to change the fairy tale, but when the magic mirror pulls them into the Little Mermaid’s story, they are determined to help the Little Mermaid because the original story doesn’t have a happy ending.

Instead of being a fun retelling of The Little Mermaid, Sink or Swim has several flaws. In the first few chapters, Abby gives a summary of the first two books in the series. Unfortunately, the summary is uninteresting and jumps from topic to topic. Unlike the previous book, Jonah rarely appears. When he does, he spends all of his time arguing with his sister. Plus, the story contains some inconsistencies that stronger readers will notice. For example, Abby is afraid of the water and has difficulty swimming. Yet, she is able to swim underwater for several hours in order to find the sea witch.

Once Abby and Jonah get to the Little Mermaid’s world, the siblings struggle to find the mermaid. When they do find her, they learn that her name is Lana and that she is determined to be with the prince. When Lana meets the prince he quickly proposes, but then he backs out when he learns that Lana is a mermaid. Despite this, Lana still gives up everything in order be with the prince. Once Lana appears on land with legs, the prince says that he will honor his proposal. Instead of being a cute romance, Lana soon discovers that the prince is shallow. The prince says Lana “just needs to smile, dance, and be beautiful.” When Lana runs from the altar, the prince chooses a girl from the audience and marries her on the spot.

Even though Abby meets all the characters from the original fairy tale, the fairy tale characters are flat. Lana is convinced that she’s in love with the prince and refuses to listen to anyone’s advice. Abby warns Lana, “You’re going to lose everything! Your tongue! Your life! You can’t make a deal with the sea witch! You can’t give up everything that makes you who you are. It’s just not right.” Despite this, Lana still makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch that could end in death.

In Sink or Swim, Lana is neither likable nor relatable. The new ending leaves a lot to be desired. However, Lana is not the only negative character. Instead of being evil, the sea witch is portrayed as a misunderstood mermaid who reverses the spell in exchange for a date with Lana’s father. As Abby tries to negotiate a deal with the sea witch and save Lana’s life, Lana’s father flirts with the sea witch.

Fans of Disney’s The Little Mermaid will wish they left Sink or Swim on the library shelf. Sink or Swim doesn’t have any of the charms of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and all of the characters are lacking depth. The only redeeming value of the story is that it highlights the importance of being satisfied with your life and shows that love at first sight isn’t true love. If you’re looking for more fairy tale stories, Fairy Tale Reform School by Jen Calonita would be a better choice.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • In order to undo the spell, the sea witch tells Abby and Jonah to kill the prince. The sea witch says, “I’ll give you a knife. You’ll use the knife to stab the prince in the heart. Then I’ll undo all the spells. Lana can go back to her life as a mermaid.” Abby and Jonah refuse to kill the prince.

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • One of the castle workers makes a potion that allows people to breathe underwater. The potion contains “Mermaid’s spit, a tablespoon of water, a teaspoon of club soda, and a pinch of algae.” Abby and Jonah take the potion and swim to Lana’s world.

Language

  • Abby thinks, “the prince is a bit of a jerk, but that doesn’t mean I want him dead.”
  • Abby calls the sea witch a coward.
  • The sea witch tells Abby that Lana is a “jerk! Just like her father!”

Supernatural

  • Abby and her brother Jonah travel through a magic mirror. When Jonah knocks on the mirror three times, “there’s a hissing sound. The mirror starts swirling and casts a purple light over the room. A second later, it’s pulling us towards it like it’s a vacuum cleaner.” When they step through the mirror, they land in the Little Mermaid’s world.
  • The original story of The Little Mermaid is repeated several times and explains that the mermaid exchanges her tongue for legs. In Sink or Swim, Abby is upset when Lana appears on land with legs. Abby gasps “in horror. Since she has legs and went to the sea witch… the sea witch has her…has her…has her tongue.”
  • In order to return home, Abby and Jonah swim into the sea witch’s cauldron. When Abby enters the cauldron, “it squeezes but doesn’t hurt.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

Soccer Stand-Off

Ethan is pumped for soccer this year. Since he is an eighth-grader, he’ll definitely be placed on the starting lineup. However, a startling discovery is waiting for Ethan on the soccer field. On the first day of tryouts, he learns that his soccer coach is his least favorite teacher, Ms. Brezinka. She taught him science last year–a subject he almost failed. Suddenly, Ethan’s take on the new season has gone from excitement to dread. What does a woman know about coaching a boys’ soccer team?

Although a few boys decided to quit the team, Ethan and his friend, Malik, stay. Ethan slacks off during tryouts though, landing him a spot on defense. Despite Malik’s constant defense of Ms. B and Ethan’s mom’s lectures about how “women often have to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously as men,” Ethan can’t seem to fix his attitude. Finally, after he and Malik get into a fight that lands Ethan a detention and an indefinite grounding, Ethan realizes he is acting selfishly. He confesses to Ms. B that he was embarrassed about doing so poorly in her science class, so he convinced himself into believing she was the problem with the soccer team instead of himself. Ms. B gives him a clean slate, and Ethan starts to play as a member of the team. Although it takes his teammates a while to accept him back, the team eventually turns into a well-oiled machine that wins their first game.

Soccer Stand-Off focuses on Ethan’s inner conflict of being embarrassed about almost failing Ms. B’s class and lashing out. The story is told from Ethan’s perspective, so he is the only one that undergoes character development. Ethan usually feels pangs of guilt when he says something hurtful, making him a frustrating but relatable character. The story is realistic in that it takes Ethan a while to realize the mistakes he is making. After realizing he was wrong for believing a woman couldn’t coach a boys’ soccer team, he learns to play as part of the team instead of only serving himself on the field.

In addition to his internal conflict, Soccer Stand-Off also focuses on Ethan’s conflict with his mom, Malik, and Ms. B. He has friends who oppose Ms. B’s coaching of the boys’ soccer team as well as friends who support Ms. B. Malik’s constant defense of Ms. B is what finally gets through to Ethan. He bravely stands up to the boys who quit the team and apologizes to Ms. B, Malik, and the rest of the team for acting selfishly.

Soccer Stand-Off is part of the Jake Maddox JV series, a series of standalone sports books. It has a simple plot and is separated into short, easy-to-read chapters, making it good for reluctant readers. Discussion questions, writing prompts, soccer terms, and a glossary are included in the back of the book. The book describes a few soccer practices and one soccer game in detail, but the book isn’t overloaded with soccer scenes. Instead, it focuses on the morals Ethan learns. Soccer Stand-Off teaches readers this important lesson: when you have a problem, look at the way you’re behaving before blaming someone else.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • When he makes the team, Ethan is upset he is in a defensive position instead of a starting position. Jerome, the team captain, tells Ethan he wasn’t even trying at practice. Angry, Ethan “charged up behind Jerome and shoved him, almost knocking him down… [Jerome] shoved Ethan back.”
  • Ethan and Malik get into an argument over how well they think Ms. B can coach the boys’ soccer team. When Malik defends Ms. B, Ethan tells him Ms. B is “the only one who would be dumb enough to start you.” This causes Malik to “charge at Ethan” and “knock him to the floor.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Jerk is used frequently. For example, the characters say Ethan is “playing like a jerk” and “acting like a jerk.”
  • When Ethan’s friend, Jacob, doesn’t show up to practice, Ethan texts Jacob, “What the heck is going on?”
  • Upset that last year’s soccer coach is replaced with a female science teacher, Ethan says, “Now we’re stuck with this demon woman.”
  • One of the players on the boys’ soccer team says, “This is bull,” when he finds out the new coach is a woman.
  • Jerome tells Ethan his position is attacking midfielder for their first game. When Ethan thanks him for getting him off defense, Jerome responds, “It’s totally [Ms. B’s] call. I still think you’re an idiot.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

by Jill Johnson

 

Deep Zone

Ty just made the team that will play the seven-on-seven tournament for middle-school athletes, coached by former NFL star Mark Bavaro. If his brother Thane’s NFL team makes it to the Super Bowl, they would be living their football dream: both brothers playing for a championship game in one weekend. Unfortunately, Thane injures his knee in a game and is out for the season. Still, Thane supports Ty as they travel to Miami with Ty’s team. There, Ty meets Troy, another football player his age who has an uncanny knack for guessing which way Ty will run. Will Ty be able to outsmart Troy in the championship game?

In addition to football, Ty has other worries. Ty is visited by Agent Sutherland, who is assigned to protect him and Thane from the mob. Last season, Ty accidentally gave the mob inside information so they could bet on who would win the Super Bowl. Now, two mobsters are loose and may have Ty marked as a target.

Football fans will appreciate the large amount of football terminology, descriptive game scenes, and discussions of strategies. Ty and Thane have a great relationship, and readers will be impressed by all the things they get to do as a result of Thane being in the NFL, such as riding in limousines and going to exclusive parties. While the lavish lifestyle is realistic, these scenes do not help advance the plot and make it difficult to relate to the characters.

Even though the mobsters add mystery to the plot, they are completely inept and do little to make the main characters shine. Unfortunately, Ty is not very relatable because he is one-dimensional. However, he has a couple of positive personality traits, such as being caring and hardworking. The story can drag at times, and although satisfying, the climax doesn’t come until the very end of the book. Deep Zone is a book for football fans looking for an easy read.

 Even though the publisher recommends Deep Zone for readers as young as eight years old, there are scary scenes, such as Ty and Troy being kidnapped by mobsters. Deep Zone is the last book in the five-book Football Genius series. The books follow Ty and Troy’s stories separately, and they meet in Deep Zone. Although Tim Green summarizes the story thus far so readers can understand Deep Zone, reading the previous four books would make the plot easier to understand.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • During a game, Thane catches a ball and gets tackled. Thane “got hit by all three Ravens players at once. Thane’s body pinwheeled in the air, and he landed somewhere in the pile of arms and legs right at the goal line.” He injures his knee.
  • Ty swings a bat at an intruder in his house. “Ty reared back and swung the bat. It connected with something. The man yelped and fell at Ty’s feet . . . Ty swung the bat again. Klunk. The man collapsed in a pile.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • Troy’s dad tells the two mob men to “have a drink” to celebrate winning a lot of money. Ty hears “the clink of glasses as they toasted their success.”

Language

  • A fan for the opposing team shouts, “You stink!” at Ty.
  • Heck is used several times. For example, Thane turns quickly and re-injures his knee. He says, “Man, that hurt like heck.”
  • Ty calls himself a “stupid chicken” because he is easily scared.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Agent Sutherland tells Thane, “Thank God everything worked out.”
  • Thane’s uncle Gus “nodded like a Sunday school teacher.”
  • When Ty is stuck on a swamp tour and it starts to storm, he “closed his eyes, crossed his fingers, and said a prayer.”
  • Ty thinks he is about to die, so he “prayed to God there was a heaven and that he really could be with his mom and dad. But he was afraid heaven wasn’t true . . . Afraid God was just words. He didn’t think that, but he couldn’t help being afraid.”

by Jill Johnson

The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches

Wendy’s sisters can fly fast, cackle loudly, and cast spells. Wendy can’t do all of those things and when Wendy loses her broomstick, she can’t even fly.

On Halloween, Wendy’s sisters fly into the night, planning on scaring people. They leave Wendy home in a dark house. When a lone tricker treater shows up dressed as a ghost, he asks Wendy to join him. Wendy and her new friend Roger go to his house to get Wendy a new broomstick. With the encouragement of Roger, Wendy is able to fly and cast spells. With Wendy’s newfound confidence, Wendy and Roger fly into the night.

After a fun Halloween, Wendy decides to teach her mean older sisters a lesson. She casts a spell so her two sisters can’t fly, and the sisters have to walk home. Wendy and her sisters learn that Wendy is a very good witch, even if she isn’t exactly like her sisters.

The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches is a fun Halloween story that readers will enjoy. Wendy is a friendly, relatable character who lacks self-confidence. With the help of Roger, Wendy learns that she doesn’t have to be like her sisters in order to be a good witch. Wendy changes Roger’s Halloween costume so he looks like a witch and the two friends have a fun Halloween. Wendy’s spells are silly and fun to read aloud.

The book’s illustrations use fall colors with pops of orange and purple. Even though Wendy and her sisters are witches with green skin, they are not frightening to look at. Readers will giggle as both Roger and his mother try to ride Wendy’s broomstick.  Most pages have a large illustration and oversized text. The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches has five short chapters with short paragraphs, which make the story the perfect bridge to chapter books.

The high-interest topic, fun illustrations, and easy-to-read format make The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches a wonderful Halloween story. Many readers will relate to Wendy, who just wants her sisters to be nicer to her. In the end, Wendy learns that she does not need to have a frightening voice or a broom made of sassafras in order to be a good witch. More importantly, Wendy learns to accept her differences and becomes self-confident.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Dang is said once.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Wendy says a spell, “Frogs and lizards / Toads and newts / Buttons, raincoats / Hiking boots. Turn this ghost / Into a witch. / Presto, change-o / Make a switch.” The spell changes her friend’s robe from white to black.
  • To make a pointy hat for her friend, Wendy says, “Stew and brew / And cat and bat. / Give this witch / a pointed hat.”
  • To reverse both spells, Wendy says, “Broiled figs / And toasted toast. / Turn this witch / Back to a ghost.”
  • Wendy’s sisters stay out too late, and Wendy wants them to learn a lesson so she makes a spell. “Snakes and cakes / And pumpkin pie. / Oldest sister / You can’t fly. / Salt and pepper, / Bouncing ball. / Middle sister / You will fall.” Later, her sisters come home limping because they had to walk home.
  • Wendy reverses the spell so her sisters can fly again. “Oldest sister / You can fly. / All you have to do / is try. / Middle sister / Flying’s fun. / The spell I made / is now undone.”

 

 

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes

Nine-year-old Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, the entire town calls her “The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes!” One day, the inevitable happens: Beatrice makes a huge mistake in front of everyone. But in the end, readers (and perfectionists) will realize that life is more fun when you enjoy everything—even the mistakes.

Most readers will relate to Beatrice, who wants to do everything perfectly and is afraid of making mistakes. When Beatrice almost makes a mistake, she begins worrying that she will mess up, and her worry makes her terribly unhappy. The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes illustrates that everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes mistakes can lead to fun. However, when Beatrice finally makes a mistake, she laughs at herself, which causes others to laugh with her. Parents may want to take the opportunity to discuss when it is and isn’t appropriate to laugh when others make mistakes.

Even though The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. Most pages contain 1-6 sentences and some of the sentences are complex. The full-page illustrations add humor to the story. Some of the pages have paneled pictures that resemble comics. Throughout the story, the illustrations show Beatrice’s facial expressions, which allows readers to see her varying emotions.

In a world where children are often pressured to do well, The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes reminds readers that mistakes are a part of life. Beatrice’s “mistakes” are wearing mismatched socks, making a messy peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and falling when ice skating. Beatrice’s mistakes are simple and do not lead to any major problems; nevertheless, the story makes a good starting point for parents and children to have a conversation about how it feels to make a mistake.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001

The only thing Lucas loves more than football is his dad’s friend Benny, a firefighter and former football star. He taught Lucas the game and helped him practice. So, when Lucas’s parents decide football is too dangerous and he needs to quit, Lucas has to talk to his biggest fan.

On a whim, Lucas takes the train to the city instead of the bus to school. It’s a bright, beautiful day in New York. Just as Lucas arrives at the fire house, everything changes…and nothing will ever be the same again.

Lucas’s story will capture readers’ attention because it begins by focusing on Lucas’s love of football. At first, Lucas is devastated that his parents want him to quit football, as he has had three concussions in two years. Like many preteens, Lucas is impulsive and doesn’t think through his plan to skip school and go into New York to talk to Benny. However, as Lucas witnesses the attacks of September 11, he realizes that football is not the most important thing in life. At first, Lucas was worried that he would lose the friendship of his football friends. However, he realizes that his football friends still have his back, even if he isn’t on the field.

The blending of football and the attacks on the Twin Towers is a little awkward at first. However, the mix of the two topics allows Tarshis to highlight the importance of family, friends, and supporting each other through many situations. Even though the story gives details about the attacks of September 11, the events are described in a kid-friendly manner. The story does not go into vivid details, but it allows younger readers to get a glimpse into the tragedy of September 11. The end of the book has a timeline of the events of September 11 as well as questions and answers about the tragic day.

I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 answers the broad questions about the day’s events without giving readers a graphic image of the death and destruction. Readers who are curious about the attacks will see the events through Lucas’s eyes and understand his fear and worry. Not only will readers learn facts about the attack, but they will also learn the dangers of concussions and the importance of friendships.

The story is accessible to all readers because Tarshis uses short paragraphs and simple sentences. Realistic black and white illustrations are scattered throughout the story and help bring the story alive. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 uses suspense and a simple plot that will answer readers’ questions about the attacks on the Twin Towers. Although the story doesn’t go into detail, the story is a good starting point for curious readers.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • Lucas is near the Twin Towers when the first plane hits the Twin Towers. “There was a thundering explosion. People all around Lucas screamed. And then the bright blue sky filled with black smoke and fire.”
  • When the plane hit the tower, “black, fiery smoke gushed out of a huge gash in the building’s side, billowing into the sky. Lucas turned away. He couldn’t look anymore.”
  • A news reporter says, “We have just witnessed the horrific sight of a second plane hitting the other tower—the South Tower… There was a massive explosion.”
  • Lucas and his father were fleeing to safety when one of the towers collapsed. “There was the sound of shattering glass and a powerful blast of hot wind. Minutes passed. Lucas squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears. His mouth and nose filled with gritty dust. It was hard to breathe.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Lucas watches the news on TV. The man on TV says, “Oh, my God! What was that? Another explosion!”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • When the firefighters began returning to the station, Lucas kept praying that Uncle Benny would be alright.

The Case of the Phantom Cat

In book three of Holly Webb’s The Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins, twelve-year-old Maisie and her dog, Eddie, are invited to join Maisie’s friend, Alice, on a trip to the country. But there’s something strange about the manor where they’re staying. Odd noises, horrid smells, and spectral sightings abound. Alice is terrified, but Maisie is skeptical. She doesn’t really believe in ghosts. Does she? There must be another explanation for the odd happenings, and Maisie plans to use her detecting skills to find out just what it is!

Maisie and Alice are friends despite being from different social classes. While Alice goes to French lessons, Maisie is dusting, cleaning, and running errands. The story hints that Maisie isn’t a proper friend for Alice because of their social class. Readers may wonder why the governess, Mrs. Sidebothan is rude to Maisie and expects her to help the servants clean. Mrs. Sidebothan is snooty and lazy which allows the girls to make fun of her. For example, Maisie “comforted herself that at least she didn’t have a name that sounded exactly like Side Bottom. And the bottom to match.”

The mystery revolves around strange noises, a bad smell, and a ghost-like cat. The story is spooky without being scary and the girls show bravery when they investigate the strange happenings. In the end, Maisie is able to discover a plausible reason for each thing that was attributed to ghosts. Readers will enjoy seeing Maisie and Alice band together to solve the mystery.

Even though the mystery is solved in a satisfactory way, The Case of the Phantom Cat has an abrupt ending that leaves the readers with plenty of questions. Despite this, readers will enjoy exploring a strange house with secret passages and how Maisie’s dog, Eddie, helps solve the mystery. While the content is appropriate for younger readers, they may need help with the difficult vocabulary. The characters use words and phrases that fit with the old-fashioned time period, such as guts for garters, insolent, hogwash, and stickler.

The story ends with reading comprehension questions as well as information about the time period, such as explaining how Calves’-foot jelly is made. Even though The Case of the Phantom Cat is the third book in the series, the books do not need to be read in order. Readers who want a little ghostly fun will enjoy The Case of the Phantom Cat. With eight short chapters and cute black and white illustrations, The Case of the Phantom Cat gives readers a chance to see if they can piece together the mystery’s clues themselves.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • Alice says “oh drat” once.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Dragons and Marshmallows

Zoey discovers a glowing photo in her mother’s bedroom and her mother shares an amazing secret. Zoey’s mother has been helping injured animals who come to their backyard barn for help. Since her mom is going on a trip, it’s up to Zoey to keep watch on the magical photo for any animals that appear. But when a baby dragon appears, Zoey isn’t sure how to help. With the help of Sassafras, Zoey’s cat, Zoey must figure out what is wrong with the dragon. Will they be able to help the little dragon before it’s too late?

Dragons and Marshmallows will appeal to younger readers and parents. Zoey is an adventurous, bug-loving girl who uses science to solve problems. The curious cat Sassafras stays by Zoey’s side and adds some humor. Even though much of the conflict revolves around helping a baby dragon, Zoey also worries about her mom going on a trip. Zoey “felt a little nervous about not seeing her for a whole week.”

Little Marshmallow, an adorable magical dragon, is weak and must rely on Zoey for help. Zoey jumps right in and documents her experience in her science journal. In order to help Little Marshmallow, Zoey reads books that have fun reptile facts. After learning about reptiles, Zoey comes up with a hypothesis and makes a list of necessary materials. When Zoey writes in her science journal, the font changes to a large, kid-like font and occasionally uses illustrations. One of the best aspects of the story is that Zoey does not succeed the first time; instead, she makes mistakes and must use trial and error before she succeeds in helping the dragon.

Zoey’s adventure is shown through large black and white illustrations that appear on almost every page. Sassafras appears in many of the pictures, and clearly loves bugs just as much as Zoey. At one point, Zoey tells Sassafras, “I do not trust you out here with my bugs. My new little friends are not a snack!” Readers who are not fluent will need help with some of the vocabulary. However, with short paragraphs, plenty of dialogue, and a simple plot, Dragons and Marshmallows is accessible to most readers.

Dragons and Marshmallows combines magical animals, a relatable character, and the scientific method into an entertaining story that children will love. Zoey and Sassafras will not only entertain readers but also teach important lessons along the way. Readers will learn about reptiles, the importance of eating healthy foods, and perseverance. The end of the book has a glossary that explains unfamiliar terms. Even though Zoey and Sassafras is a series, the books do not need to be read in order. Readers who want more magical animal fun will also enjoy The Last Firehawk Series by Katrina Charman.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • A frog told Zoey’s mom that “he’d been out past dark looking for something he’d dropped during the day. An owl attacked him. He was terrified and hurt, but managed to escape.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • When Zoey’s mother was a child, she found an injured frog. When she helped it, “the frog looked me in the eye, smiled, and said, ‘Thank you!’” The frog told other magical animals that Zoey’s mom would help them if they were injured.
  • Not everyone can see the magical animals. Zoey’s mom explains that the picture of the magical frog glows “because of the magic. Any time you photograph a magical creature, some of the magic stays in the photo.”

Spiritual Content

  • None

The Forgotten Girl

On a cold winter night, Iris and her best friend Daniel sneak into the woods to play in the freshly fallen snow. There, Iris makes a perfect snow angel—only to find the crumbling gravestone of a young girl named Avery Moorse right beneath her.

Soon strange things start to happen to Iris. She begins having vivid nightmares. She thinks she sees the shadow of a girl lurking in the night, and she feels the pull of the abandoned grave calling her back to the woods…

Obsessed with figuring out what’s going on, Iris and Daniel start to research their town. They discover that Avery’s grave is actually part of an abandoned black cemetery, dating back to a time when white and black people were kept separate in life—and in death. They become determined to restore Avery’s grave and have proper respect finally paid to Avery and the others buried there.

Unfortunately, they have summoned a jealous and demanding ghost, one who’s not satisfied with their plans. She is tired of being overlooked and wants Iris to be her best friend forever—no matter the cost.

The Forgotten Girl is a heart-stopping ghost story intertwined with the historical significance of racism. As Iris and Daniel research their town’s history, they learn about when their junior high was desegregated and the history of segregated cemeteries. The story delves into history, but the examples of racism are completely integrated into the story and never feel like a lecture. Through the characters’ eyes, readers will be able to understand how racism isn’t always overt, but it is always painful.

The story also shines a light on how grief can change people’s lives. When Daniel’s father dies, Daniel becomes fearful and cautious. He spends more time at home and no longer spends time with his friends. However, Daniel is not the only person affected by a death. When Daniel’s grandmother, Suga, was a teenager, her best friend died during a snowstorm. The loss of her friend caused Suga to become fearful and superstitious. Through their experiences, the reader learns the importance of not allowing fear to control your life.

Iris and Daniel’s friendship will draw the reader into the story, but readers will keep reading because of the creepy events that happen. The Forgotten Girl uses an engaging story to present historical information that is both interesting and relevant. At the end of the book, the author’s note gives historical information about abandoned graveyards and her inspiration for the story. However, sensitive readers should be wary of reading The Forgotten Girl because the ghostly events are frightening; readers will be able to imagine the events happening to them. Despite this, The Forgotten Girl should be on everyone’s reading list because of the historical information and positive lessons.

 Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • While doing research, Iris and Daniel learn about when Nelson’s Pond Middle School was desegregated. “There were protests…Avery and the others were spit on, their hair was pulled, and things were thrown at them, when all they wanted to do is go to school. To learn.”
  • A ghost tries to drown Iris so they can be “forever friends.” Daniel sees Iris. “Iris’s head broke the surface of the pond, her mouth open to take a loud gasp of breath, before she was pulled back underwater…she’s pushed Iris into the pond and held her under. Iris tries to fight her, but couldn’t, her arms going right through her instead.” Iris survives the attack. The scene is described over six pages.

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • Suga has many superstitions. Suga believes that “Babies can talk to angels, you know.”
  • Suga believes that the snow spirits snatch children. She tells Iris the tale. “When you hear the winter wind, that’s the sound of their screaming. That’s when you’ll know spirits of the snow are ready for their feeding. Wandering children are their prey, lonely in the night. They take the children in the snow, feeding on their fright.”
  • When someone drops their fork, that means they will get an unexpected visitor soon.
  • Suga tells Iris, “If you looked over your left shoulder and saw a ghost, it was probably the devil. If you looked over your right, it was likely an angel.”
  • Suga tells Daniel, “Well, if a ghost is attached to a person, they’ve lost their way to where they were trying to go in the first place… They need to be led to where they need to go, so they can rest. A ghost obsessed with a person is a lost spirit.”
  • When Iris and Daniel are lost in the woods, Daniel “silently prayed, thought about his father… Daniel saw a light. He let himself become relieved. He was starting to see houses!” Iris is afraid that the light is a trap, but Daniel “didn’t think so. He didn’t feel afraid. The light felt like basketball and comic books and trying ties and haircuts…” When Daniel touches the ball of light, “a familiar, warm comfort washed over him. He felt the excitement he used to feel from holding a basketball. He felt his dad telling him that it would be all right, that he was proud of him. That he was at peace.”

Spiritual Content

  • While sneaking out of the house, Iris “tiptoed down the stairs praying that they wouldn’t creak.”
  • When Iris hears a tap-tap-tap, she “prayed that the spirits of the snow wouldn’t come for her tonight in her dreams.”
  • Iris falls asleep. When a noise wakes her up, “she stared straight at the ceiling, realizing she’d fallen asleep praying.”
  • Iris and her family go to church. “The pastor talked about the importance of helping those in need, talking about some of the community service drives they were holding…” During the church service, “they prayed their benediction.”
  • When Daniel’s family go to visit his father’s grave, “Suga closed her eyes in prayer.”
  • Before the meal, Iris’s sister “said a singsongy prayer.”
  • When Iris sneaks out of the house, the neighbor turned on the porch light and yelled to see if anyone was near. Iris “ran past the neighbors’ house, praying that they were already back in bed, not looking for anyone anymore.”

Digging Deep

Asiyah Najjar isn’t sure she wants to play on a travel team. But her best friend Lucy talks her into going to volleyball tryouts. When both Asiyah and Lucy are chosen to be part of the team, Asiyah is excited. But the practices are longer, harder, and more frequent than her old squad’s. Soon, Asiyah isn’t sure that she made the right decision in joining the travel team.

Asiyah is well-known for goofing around and making her friends laugh. While at practice, she keeps up her silly antics but instead of laughing, Asiyah’s new teammates are upset that she’s distracting them. Instead of having fun, Asiyah keeps making mistakes. Instead of upper her game, Asiyah is having difficulty concentration. When she overhears Lucy and her other teammates talking poorly about her, Asiyah wants to quite the team. Will travel volleyball come between Asiyah’s and Lucy’s friendship? Can Asiyah dig deep and jump to the next level of play?

Before quitting, Asiyah asks her brother for advice and with his encouragement, Asiyah begins to ask herself, “Is now the right time for fun?” As Asiyah gets more serious and focused on the game, she realizes that working hard improves her skills. Soon, both her coach and teammates notice Asiyah’s efforts. When Asiyah makes a key play that leads to winning a game, Asiyah knows her hard work has paid off. Asiyah realizes that she doesn’t need to change, she just needed to figure out when to be serious and when to be silly.

Readers will relate to Asiyah, who loves to make people laugh. Her silly faces, dance moves, and jokes are fun, but they also lead to trouble. Like many, Asiyah’s feelings are hurt when her best friend doesn’t stand up for her. Asiyah begins avoiding Lucy, which just makes the problem worse. When Asiyah talks to her brother, he gives her advice—about both volleyball and friendship. Her brother tells her, “Well, you need to decide if you want to put in the effort to get better…If you don’t, then maybe the travel team isn’t right for you. And that’s okay.”

Asiyah is Muslim and wears a hijab. When she tries out for the travel team, she is nervous about having to explain why she wears a hijab. This brief scene is the only time Asiyah’s religion is mentioned. While the story has diverse characters, the characters are one-dimensional and generic.

While the story has some play-by-play sports action, readers of all types will relate to Asiyah’s insecurities, realistic conflicts, and silly antics. Told from Asiyah’s point of view, Digging Deep allows the reader to understand Asiyah’s conflict. Digging Deep has ten short chapters, easy vocabulary, and a simple plot. The cute black and white illustrations that appear every 4 to 7 pages help keep readers engaged. For those who would like to use Digging Deep as a learning opportunity, the end of the book has a word glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and a glossary of volleyball terms. Digging Deep will entertain readers and teach them the value of hard work.

Sexual Content

  • None

Violence

  • None

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • None

Race to the Sun

Lately, seventh-grader Nizhoni Begay has been able to detect monsters, like the man in the fancy suit who was in the bleachers at her basketball game. Turns out he’s Mr. Charles, her dad’s new boss at the oil and gas company. He’s alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins. Nizhoni knows he’s a threat, but her father won’t believe her.

When Nizhoni’s dad disappears the next day, he left behind a message that said “Run!” The siblings and Nizhoni’s best friend, Davery, are then thrust into a rescue mission that can only be accomplished with the help of Diné Holy People, who are all disguised as quirky characters. However, their aid will come at a price. The kids must pass a series of trials that seem as if nature itself is out to kill them. If Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery can reach the house of the Sun, they will be outfitted with what they need to defeat the ancient monsters Mr. Charles has unleashed. It will take more than weapons “for Nizhoni to become the hero she was destined to be.”

Middle-grade readers will relate to Nizhoni, who wants to be good at something but just isn’t. When her emotionally distant father is kidnapped, Nizhoni embarks on a quest to save her father. However, she isn’t alone; Nizhoni’s book-loving best friend and annoying brother join her adventure through the Southwest. On the quest, Nizhoni and her friends meet the “Holy People” as well as some scary monsters.

The fast-paced story combines Navajo mythology with moments of humor, unexpected twists, and timeless lessons about friendship, family, and failure. The importance of hard work and helping others is weaved into the story. Spider Woman says, “All good things come through hard work. If something is too easy to get, it isn’t worth much, is it?”

At first, Nizhoni doesn’t feel like she has the qualities to become a hero. However, Nizhoni learns that she doesn’t need to change. One of the story’s recurring themes is: “Don’t worry about what you’re supposed to be. Just be who you are.” While Nizhoni shows bravery, she is able to defeat the monsters only with the help of others.

Race to the Sun will take readers on an action-packed quest and introduce them to Navajo mythology. Nizhoni is an interesting but imperfect narrator. Readers will relate to Nizhoni’s insecurities and her moments of courage. The conclusion is rushed, and there are several holes in the plot, but this doesn’t take away from the book’s enjoyment. For readers looking for more marvelous mythology books, the following books will delight you: the Storm Runner series by J.C. Cervantes and the Pandava series by Roshani Chokshi.

Sexual Content

  • When Nizhoni’s parents are reunited, they kiss.

Violence

  • Charles tells Nizhoni that he wants her dead. Without thinking, Nizhoni runs “full tilt at Mr. Charles. His startled eyes are the last thing I see before I kick that knife right out of his hand… I’m not done. I head-butt Mr. Charles in the stomach… And for good measure, I execute a perfect elbow strike to the cheek, just like I learned in self-defense class Coach taught in PE last year.” Nizhoni’s dad comes in and stops her.
  • In the past, Nizhoni had to attend anger management classes for “punching Elora Huffstatter in the nose.”
  • Adrien, a bully, and his friends corner Mac. “Mac screams, an animal-like bloodcurdling cry of rage. He slams his hands onto the ground, palms flat… A low rumble rolls across the baseball field, like an army of badgers tunneling through the earth, and then, suddenly, all the sprinklers turn on…” Mac makes the sprinklers shoot at the bullies. “The jets are all pointed at them, zipping back and forth in sharp slashing cuts, or pulsing bursts aimed at their eyes.” The bullies eventually run away.
  • To save Black Jet Girl, Nizhoni needs to get by two buzzards. She throws a feather into a fire and “it explodes into a million tiny salt crystals that pop and sizzle. Hot granules fly everywhere… The salt strikes their protruding eyes and they stumble around, screeching in pain.”
  • Some people believe that Spider Woman eats children. However, Spider Woman helps Nizhoni and her friends.
  • Nizhoni and her friends are following the Rainbow Road. They enter a corridor surrounded by rocks. When Mac disappears, Nizhoni runs after him. When she finds him, “he’s staring right at me. With big red eyes… He bares his sharp teeth and hisses… Monster Mac takes a swipe at me, and I see that besides having long, pointy teeth, he has long, pointy claws, too.”
  • When Nizhoni sees monster Mac, she turns to “launch a swinging kick right at the monster’s stomach. It lands with an Oomph! I elbow him in the chest and he doubles over. One more kick—this time to his ribs—and he’s down. He’s on all fours, panting.” Monster Mac “becomes a cockroach. It scuttles off…” The fight is described over one page.
  • In a multi-chapter battle, Nizhoni and her friends fight to keep the monsters from returning to earth. “Nizhoni lifts her bow and…release. The arrow flies true, a streak of white lightning that hits the banáá yee aghání in its veiny red eyeball. The monster screeches and veers away…”
  • A banáá yee aghání goes after Nizhoni’s mother. “Mom waits until the buzzard is practically on top of her, and then she swings the sword. Lightning crackles from its tip, slashing the monster’s face. Ligai drops, almost too quickly, streaking under the buzzard and dragging its beak across the monster’s underside, tearing it open.”
  • During the fight, Mac falls off a flying bird. “A shimmery substance unfurls in the air underneath him like a silver net. He falls into the glimmering stuff, and it completely envelops his body, rolling him into what looks like a giant burrito.” Later, Mac finds out that Spider Woman put him in a spider web to keep him safe.
  • When Mr. Rock points a gun, Nizhoni’s mom “launches herself into the air, her sword slashing downward, and Mr. Rock’s gun goes flying—while still attached to his hand.”
  • Mr. Charles shoots an arrow at Nizhoni. “It’s a direct hit right over my heart. I scream as fire radiates through my body… I struggle to breathe, my pulse beating too loud in my ears… I fall to the canyon below.” Nizhoni discovers that she cannot be killed by her own arrow.
  • Nizhoni uses lightning “that’s been building up in my blood. And I blow Mr. Charles to smithereens… And then a sound like a bubble popping. And then more pops as all the banáá yee aghání in the sky above me burst into a blaze of white lightning and turn into ash that rains down on me.”

 Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • A girl tells Nizhoni that her mom “left us because I was a dirty Indian. Then she made war-whopping noises like something out of a bad Western.”
  • Adrien, a bully, and his friends bother Mac. The bully says, “Marcus Be-gay! Oh, please be gay!” The rest of the boys chant, “Gay! Gay! Gay!”
  • Adrien calls Nizhoni a loser.
  • “Oh my God” is used as an exclamation one time.
  • Heck is used three times. For example, when Mr. Charles meets Nizhoni and her brother, who are a mess, Mr. Charles asks, “But holy heck, what happened to you all?”
  • Nizhoni calls her brother a dork.
  • A buzzard tells his brother, “Don’t be an idiot.”
  • Nizhoni says her mom is “badass.”

Supernatural

  • Nizhoni can tell if a person is a monster in disguise. When she sees Adrien, a bully, “his eyes meet mine and that horrible sensation—my monster detecting—springs to life. The hair on the back of my neck rises, and a chill like the trail of an ice cube scuttles down my spine.”
  • Nizhoni knows the “language of animals” and can see in the dark.
  • Marcus can control water. He tells Nizhoni, “I’ve made water move before. Like in the bathtub.”
  • Nizhoni’s stuffed horned animal comes to life. Nizhoni had “been raised to take seemingly supernatural things in stride. Up to now, talking animals hadn’t been a part of my everyday life, but my shimásání taught me there’s more to the world than we humans can see…”
  • Mr. Charles is a shape-shifter who can look human. He is related “to a nasty kind of monster called a banáá yee aghání. These are vicious bird creatures.”
  • Nizhoni meets a crystal boy, who is made of white crystal rock, and a girl, who is made out of black rock.
  • Nizhoni and her best friend Davery go into a school that is having a prom. They are tempted to stay, but when they leave, “in an instant, the whole gym shimmers and disappears.”
  • Nizhoni looks into a mirror. She “leans forward to press my hands against the mirror, and suddenly the surface is not there anymore… I go plummeting into the glass.” Nizhoni is transported to a glade, “where she can see people, but they can’t see her.”
  • Nizhoni meets the sun, who is “wearing blinding bright armor and carrying a golden shield. And step-by-step on an invisible set of stairs, he appears to be climbing into the sky.”
  • Nizhoni finds her mom, her friends, and others encased in amber. When the amber cases shatter, Nizhoni looks up, and “Mac is standing on a platform, yawning and stretching his arms over his head.” All the people in the amber come back to life.
  • Nizhoni and her friends must fight a group of buzzards, but “only a monster slayer can look into their eyes.”

Spiritual Content

  • Along the journey, Nizhoni meets the Holy People. Someone tells her, “The tricky part is that the Holy People don’t always answer, or at least not in ways that you might recognize. But they are always there.”
  • After Nizhoni’s father is kidnapped, she prays “with all my might that he’s out of that trunk and getting food and water.”
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