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

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

 I do not know how I would feel  or act if I had grown up without an appendage.  I cannot even begin to imagine if my children were born without an appendage. Aven Green was born without both arms but through sheer force of will, spunk and some extremely supportive parents has managed to learn to do many daily things that folks with arms may well take for granted.

As we meet Aven, her family is about to move to Arizona, a place that is unlike any place Aven has been. To make it worse, her parents are now managing the most rundown Western theme park you'll ever see. Like any kid, she worries about readjusting to a new friend group and playing sports but unlike other kids she also has to worry about not being noticed and deal with the accompanying weirdness that usually follows. (I loved her wacky way of dealing with some of this.)

 

Aven somehow finds herself hanging out with Connor, a classmate with his own set of challenges and through Aven's curiosity they set about trying to solve some nagging questions that she simply must find the answer to. The resulting events are unexpected but heartwarming. I found myself marveling that even for kids with various levels of difficulties, they were each able to survive and thrive in different ways.

We know that when humans read and interact with other cultures that it helps create empathy and this book more than many others of its ilk will help in that regard. This book will resonate with ages 10 and above. Some read alikes are Roll With It by Jamie Sumner, Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry and  The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty.

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.

The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner

Nationally stats on homelessness are stark especially in cities like mine where increasingly there are less units that low income people can afford. In my library system we sometimes see families in transition who are temporarily displaced and are sleeping in their car in our parking lot. Some branches in my system have created packets for families, single moms and single men as each one of these groups has different needs.


Kate Messner is the author of novels such as Manhunt, The Seventh Wish and All the Answers. In her newest book, The Exact Location of Home, we meet Kirby "Zig"Zigonski who has settled into a routine that he loves. He mostly hangs out with Ruby and Gianna and he loves tinkering with simple circuits and electronics which he finds at yard sales and around the neighborhood.

His dad does't live with the family and his mom burns the candle at both ends trying to make ends meet while also finishing school. Zig is convinced that his mom is deliberately preventing him from seeing his dad (it's been more than a year since he's seen him) and when he finds some geocaches left by someone who seems to bear many similarities to his father he determines to follow the clues -even if he puts himself at risk. Zig's determination to find his dad increases when he and his mom have to leave their rental and wind up at a homeless shelter.  Zig learns some valuable life lessons in the process and is also able to teach what he learned to other-which is important.

These issue oriented novels are important for kids to read first because they may have a friend or classmate who has experienced homelessness or displacement and second because even if they haven't, reading books such as this helps create empathy in kids. Some read alikes to this book are Jewell Parker Rhodes' Towers Falling, Joan Bauer's Almost Home and Nicole Lea Helget's The End of the Wild.

Finding Mighty by Sheela Chari

I grew up in the 80s and was always fascinated by the emergence of the hip-hop movement. From afar I watched as b-boys used the tenets of the movement (rapping, djing, b-boying and graffiti) to express themselves in the dawn of a new era. Thus, when I saw Sheela Chari's new book, Finding Mighty I was instantly drawn to the cover and the book did not disappoint.

Chari is of East Indian descent and the main protagonists are of East Indian descent as well, something that I had not seen in many middle grade novels but which was a refreshing change as I feel it is critically important for kids to read about different perspectives and cultures.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints- Myla, Peter and his older brother Randall, and centers around the mysterious death of the boys' father, Omar. Randall has joined a group of graffiti artists who tag different parts of the city at night. One night Randall disappears and leaves cryptic clues to help his brother find him. Peter starts to search but soon realizes that he can't do it alone.

In addition to all of the above, Myla and Peter have to deal with being new sixth graders and the transition that this entails. Myla for her part feels invisible and in one interesting exchange between her and Peter they reflect on the pros and cons of the different neighborhoods. Chari does a wonderful job of touching on some deep issues in a very sensitive manner.

There are more characters too including the boys' weird uncle, an ex-con called Scottie Biggs and a nosy reporter called Kai Filnik who has a knack of popping up in the most unexpected places. This is a mystery with twists, turns and a great deal of heart. Highly recommended.  Natasha Tarpley's The Harlem Charade is is another great mystery set in the Big Apple. Blue Balliett's Chasing Vermeer series is a wonderful series of intricately plotted mysteries for middle grade readers.

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.