Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden

 Middle school is such a weird time. As an educator, I witness firsthand every year how friendships change or are dropped, how kiddos start exploring to find their own niches and how some kiddos suddenly become "cool".  In Flight of the Puffin, Braden explores the stories of four young people who each have their own battles to fight.

I read a quote in a blog called A Learning A Day which went something like "we spend life trying to justify the story we have in our head". In other words, perception is reality, thus, a person who other people may perceive as a bully may not view themselves as such. Libby, lives in a household with some people who display bullying tendencies and sometimes but she prefers to doodle and engage in creative pursuits.  Vincent, a kid who knows a lot of random facts is forced to confront bullies who have started making his life difficult.  T has decided to leave home as life there had become difficult. Last but not least is Jack, perhaps the bravest kid I have seen in a novel in some time.

Even in the midst of their own struggles, they each found a way to reach out to other young people struggling with their own battles; this small gesture was what touched me the most.  Often, as adults we spend a lot of time trying to teach kids to be kind but we live in a world where sometimes  kindness isn't always cool.  Some read alikes to this novel are Auggie and Me by R.J. Palacio, Paper Things by Jennifer Jacobson and Don't Judge Me by Lisa Schroeder

Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

 To be able to tie together a ton of disparate themes in one novel is the mark of a skilled author and Canadian Chad Lucas brings us this wonderful read about friendship and navigating the twisting, shifting waters of middle school all while dealing with family drama. I especially liked that one of the characters was originally from my native Trinidad!

In Thanks a Lot, Universe we meet Brian, an anxious kiddo who sometimes has what he describes as SAWS when in social situations. Instead of messing up by saying the wrong thing he clams up and keeps his head down and thus has earned an unflattering nickname from his peers.  Brian has a supportive and loving family but when an unthinkable event happens, he must dig deep within himself to find the strength he needs.

We also meet Ezra, one of Brian's teammates on the basketball team who is finding that he has some complicated feelings of his own in addition to dealing with the slow attenuation of a lifelong friendship. When Ezra finds out that a teammate is in crisis, he has to decide if and how to help out his teammate in their time of need.

I love seeing novels centered on the complicated feelings (angst) that boys experience and, moreover that they can choose kindness even in the face of cruel words and actions and even if it may make them a social pariah. I know that middle school drama is pretty much the same anywhere you go, but I think American kids will be surprised to learn that those kids have a ton in common with them. In thisday and age when bullying is rampant, I loved seeing several upstanders in this novel. 

This book will be a hit with ages 10 and above. Some read alikes are The Brave by James Bird, Turtle boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein and Alan Cole is not a coward by Eric Bell.

Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist

Black Boy Joy has become a fashionable trend of late but has always been a thing. This book is one of my new favorites and yes although it starts with a sad premise, the main protagonist is resilient and most importantly he has a village that surrounds him with love and lifts him up.  

Isaiah Dunn's father has recently passed away and we meet him as he, his mother and his adorable little sister are still coming to terms with this.  Isaiah has a good friend, Sneaky, and the two spend hours cutting up and getting on Sneaky's older brother's nerves. Isaiah's mom however is having a hard time with coping and Isaiah tries as hard as a 10 year old kid can to help her out.

Conflict is never far away from a boy like Isaiah and in school, he is sat next to a girl called Angel who, for some reason doesn't like him. When the two eventually butt heads, instead of suspension, they are made to do an alternative conflict resolution which eventually gets to the root of their disagreement.

One positive that I noted in this novel were  the many positive role male models that came into Isaiah's life to lend him support and advice.  Role models are especially important for youth of any age but especially for black youth.  Another positive I noted was the power of words. Isaiah's father kept books of poems and Isaiah spends hours poring over the books and eventually writes his own poetry. Also, one of his safe spaces outside school is the library.

Black Boy Joy (and Black Girl Joy as well, Charlie is one of the most joyful supporting characters I have seen in some time) can come in different forms and just like in any family, sometimes you need to go through rocky patches in order to get to the sweet stuff on the other side. I read this book to my very discerning 10 year old and he lay awake listening to me read anxious to find out what would happen to Isaiah. There were also a few points for us to stop and discuss as well. Some read alikes are Free Lunch by Alex Ogle, I'm Ok by Patti Kim and l Curtis and Paper Things by Jennifer Jacobson.

Lions & Liars by Kate Beasley

 Would you rather be a lion or a flea? One aspect of life in many societies is that those who are stronger physically or personality wise tend to dominate social circles. This is true in  Frederick Frederickson's school where cool kid Devin sits atop the social circle and Frederick, an unathletic, a cruise-loving fifth grader sits at the very bottom. In their school there are lions, gazelles, meerkats and on the bottom of the totem pole, fleas. Frederick is a flea. 

As you can imagine, Frederick sometimes wishes he wasn't a flea, but he secretly hopes that some day he will get his moment. Maybe some day he will be top dog in dodgeball AND get more wings on his plate at lunch.

When by a weird series of events, Frederick finds himself on a camp for boys who need behavior adjustment, he suddenly gets a chance to vault right to the head of the pecking order. Of course this brings a set of consequences that he didn't anticipate. For one, at this camp, the kids seem to revere Frederick. Then as if that wasn't enough, mother nature throws a huge spanner into the works.

This is a good read about friendship and about doing the right thing under pressure. Kids at this age are beginning to make decisions for themselves and the influence of the peer group is becoming so very important. Some similar books are Louis Sachar's classic Holes, Lisa Graff's Absolutely Almost and Erin Entrada Kelly's excellent Hello Universe.

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

All Mr. Kermit wants to do is wind his teaching career until he can take early retirement. His "career" has long fizzled out after a scandal in his early days sucked all the joy out of him. His nemesis in the district office is not letting him go gently into the night however and orders his principal to give him the worst class out there- The Unteachables.


Mr. Kermit is a veteran however and he spends his days drinking coffee from a humongous mug and doling out worksheets. Then between the dogged persistence of his younger colleague and his students, Mr. Kermit finds the old spark being reignited but will it be too late?

Korman tells the tale from various viewpoints so the reader gets to see the perspective from various characters in the novel and their motivations.  Any student can learn as long as their are caring, willing adults in their school.

As I myself make my return to the school environment this school year I intend to not view any student as an "unteachable" and instead do all in my power to reach them where they are. Some read alikes to this book are Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher and The Losers Club by Andrew Clements.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

The immigrant story comes in many forms but one common theme is that most people view the United States as a land of opportunity and are willing to work hard for what they want. Author Kelly Yang's autobiographical work rings very true with many real life experiences.

I cannot imagine growing up in a hotel and basically always being on duty but this is the story that Mia Tang describes as she relates how she grew up in California. Despite this,  What makes the story worse is that her family is taken advantage of by someone from their own background. Unfortunately it is sometimes true that immigrants are the ones who take advantage of other immigrants because they know how desperate they are to get ahead.

Many times however, immigrants tend to band together and Yang's descriptions of the various Chinese uncles and aunts who stop by is spot on. The generosity and hospitality of Mia's parents is also one way that they sought to hold on to their culture. In a desert of hard work, the sharing of tea is an oasis for them.  Although Mia and her family are all the way in America they still are part of an extended clan and Yang's descriptions of how life changed in China are eye-opening.

This book has been on a ton of lists for 2018 best books and deservedly so. Some read alikes for the 9-12 age group are Everlasting Nora by Marie Cruz Miranda and I'm Ok by Patti Kim.

Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald L. Smith

  All things Black Panther and Marvel are the rage right now.  My coworkers put this book on display to capitalize on the buzz around the movie earlier this year.

The movie starts in media res and we meet T'Challa as an adult, fully formed Black Panther. In this middle grade novel, Smith re imagines life for a younger version of the Wakandan prince. T'Challa is not the Black Panther yet and in truth, he is still learning about himself and his role as a prince. This means sitting in on long ceremonies and dealing with his father's adopted son, Hunter. He can count n one friend however, M'Baku with whom he can do boyish escapades.

When there is some turmoil in the kingdom, T'Challa's father decides to send him to Chicago under an assumed identity. M'Baku is sent to accompany the young prince and soon the two boys find themselves finding their way in the various social hierarchies in the school. As in any school there are various cliques but one such clique is weird and a little dangerous, just like their leader Gemini Jones. That's not all, weird stuff starts happening at school and T'Challa must decide if he should use his Wakandan technology and risk revealing his true identity.

Overall I think this is a great read for middle grades and I especially like that it features young people of color. Some read alikes are Junior Hero Blues by J.K. Pendragon,  V is for Villain by Peter Moore and Sidekicked by John David Anderson and Powerless by Matthew Cody.

The Boggart Fights Back by Susan Cooper

A bombastic, super rich man who always gets his way and whose last name is a five letter word ending in T...does sound like anyone you know?  Mr. Trout is a big businessman who has come to beautiful Scotland in order to build a new resort complete with golf courses a marina for yachts and so forth. The development will bring lots of jobs as well, or so he claims.

Old Angus Cameron doesn't believe it and neither do his grandkids, Allie and Jay who are visiting from Canada. Granda is a stubborn old Scotsman who loves the land and doesn't want to see development just for the sake of it; he especially doesn't approve of Mr. Trout and his way of doing business.

Mr. Trout doesn't back down from anyone or anything as the children and Granda soon discover. The Boggart, an ancient friendly spirit, along with some of his friends are soon called in and the hijinks begin.

The Scottish countryside and Scottish mannerisms are well depicted, so well indeed that I had to double check to see if Cooper was Scottish (she isn't).  I also liked the conservation theme that ran through the novel. Young ones are smarter than we give them credit for and will probably decipher that on their own.

Another takeaway for me was that as adults we sometimes (for good reason) lose sight of the innocence and wonder of childhood. Cooper conveys the wonder of both scientist father Tim and Granda upon realizing that the Boggart is back. This is actually the third book in the Boggart series. There are also The Boggart and The Boggart and the Monster. Some read alikes are Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer, Talons of Power by Tui Sutherland and Kelly Barnhill's awesome The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore

We need diverse books hashtag has certainly had some impact almost five years later...For more on diverse books check out the website or simply search the hashtag #weneeddiversebooks.

Lolly Rachpaul is like any other kid in New York City. He hangs out with his pal Vega, is waiting to see what he gets for Christmas (a new phone would be nice) and he loves building Lego. There is something else bothering him also-he is still in mourning over a recent tragedy What's worse is that the siren call of the streets has now turned its attention to Lolly and his friend, if they heed it, things could change drastically.

Lolly is at that awkward stage when he is aware of girls but still not sure if and how to approach them. One of the girls at his after school program is called Rose (the kids call her Big Rose) and they strike up an unlikely friendship over a shared love of legos and as coping mechanisms. The kids think Rose is strange and either mock or play pranks on her.

I liked that I could read a book with a young man with a heritage similar to mine (West Indian/Caribbean). The old adage is that it take a village to raise a child and Lolly benefits from various caring adults who influence him in different ways. I think of all the many children growing up in the United States, and in New York City in particular with similar heritage who will see themselves in this book, will be faced with similar social and societal obstacles and may even know someone with similar circumstances. Moore also does a great job presenting different family dynamics.

I would recommend this book for readers aged 10+. Some similar reads would be Walter Dean Myers' A Star is Born,  Jason Reynolds' Patina and Ghost.

Posted by John David Anderson

 Disclaimer: My oldest son is going to middle school in the fall and I am concerned about bullies and general meanness. I know I am not the only one, quite a few parents had questions about bullying in the open house last month.

Middle school is an awkward time for kids. They are coming into their own and finding a tribe to protect themselves from wolves. The schisms between tribes are usually difficult for middle schoolers to navigate since they haven't experienced anything like that before.

John David Anderson's Posted explores what occurs in one such tribe at Branton Middle School when the principal bans cell phones. The story is told from the viewpoint of Eric, an awkward, somewhat nerdy but decent kid who hangs out with fellow misfits nicknamed Bench, Deedee and Wolf. They eat at their table every day during lunch period and play Dungeons and Dragons on Friday nights.

The cell phone ban at school forces the kids to go old school to communicate and they start using post-it notes in class and worse, on lockers. Anderson explores what happens when kids say things that are downright mean and also what happens when kids unintentionally hurt others. Eric's tribe must deal with turmoil in their own family life, mean kids at school, a new kid called Rose and the sudden stratospheric rise of one of their own on the sports field.

Anderson's characters are ones you root for instantly and the antagonists made my blood boil although I couldn't help wondering what they were dealing with in their own lives. This is a great little book although some of the themes explored might go over the heads of younger readers. I recommend it for fifth grade and up. If you have read every Wonder book and spin-off try this novel.