The Carnival at Bray

From Kirkus Reviews....
2015 Printz Honor

KIRKUS REVIEW

In 1993, 16 year-old Maggie and her family move from Chicago to small-town Ireland with the latest of her mother’s romantic partners. 

Moving to Bray, Maggie leaves behind warm, practical Nanny Ei and beloved Uncle Kevin, a 26-year-old who plays in a band, sneaks her into grunge rock concerts and makes himself responsible for Maggie’s musical education. Arriving in Ireland, Maggie finds that she’s no better at fitting in with the girls of St. Brigid’s than she had been at her old school. Instead, she forms a loose web of connections with local figures: Dan Sean, a Bray legend at 99, whose home becomes a refuge for Maggie in times of family conflict; Aíne, the bookish classmate with whom Maggie reluctantly goes on double dates; and Eoin, the gentle boy with whom Maggie falls in love. The narrative subtly and carefully interweaves peer and family drama—much of it involving troubled Uncle Kevin—with the highs and lows of the grunge music scene, from the transformative glory of a Nirvana concert to the outpouring of grief around the death of Kurt Cobain. Every character, every place comes alive with crisp, precise detail: Maggie’s heartbroken mother “howling along in an off-key soprano” to Joni Mitchell’s Blue, Dan Sean welcoming Maggie with a Cossack’s hat and a hefty glass of port. 

Powerfully evocative. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)

Lovely!  But not middle school appropriate.  

I Lived on Butterfly Hill

Agosín’s rich, expansive novel, based on true events in Chile during the 1970s, covers three turbulent years in Celeste Marconi’s life. Sixth-grader Celeste, surrounded by a loving family and lively friends, basks in the natural beauty of coastal Valparaíso, befriending pelicans, dreaming, and writing on her rooftop, which overlooks the harbor. Her idyllic life abruptly ends when a dictatorship takes over Chile, killing the Socialist president and removing his supporters—people like Celeste’s idealistic parents, doctors who run a clinic for the poor. Classmates begin to disappear, her parents go into hiding, and Celeste is sent to a small Maine town to live with her aunt, where she struggles with homesickness, anxiety about her parents, learning English, and making friends. As Celeste slowly comes to feel comfortable in Maine, Agosín explores the relentless mixed emotions of having two homes especially well. “It’s like I have one foot on Juliette Cove and the other in Butterfly Hill,” thinks Celeste. The book’s length and broad scope may intimidate some readers, but the realistically bittersweet ending is rewarding. Art not seen by PW. Ages 10–14. Author’s agent: Jennifer Lyons, Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. (Mar.)

Beautifully written, but long……

Mikis and the Donkey

From Kirkus Review
2015 Batchelder Award

Inspired by a visit to a donkey sanctuary on the island of Corfu, this Dutch import offers a glimpse of a far-off land and a gentle lesson on caring for animals.

From his first meeting with his grandfather’s new donkey, Mikis feels a sense of connection. Fascinated, he spends as much time as possible with the animal, and when he’s given the opportunity to name her, he takes his time and even allows the donkey to have a vote of sorts. When not busy in school, the boy watches over Tsaki (as she is eventually called), urging his grandfather to treat her kindly, not to overburden her and to provide a comfortable stable. Slight subplots, more implied than fleshed-out, feature his teacher’s romance with a motorcycle-riding boyfriend and Mikis’ own affection for a classmate, Elena. Tsaki’s occasionally stubborn personality adds some mild humor, but for the most part, the text is low-key and straightforward. Hopman’s scratchy black-and-white illustrations provide context, showing a scrubby landscape, small houses crowded along the shore or the spreading tree in the center of town where the old men gather to talk. Characterization and action are downplayed in favor of mood and setting, making this a book that will need some work to connect with readers.

Those children who do connect with Dumon Tak’s sweet, quiet tale are likely to find it will resonate deeply. (Fiction. 8-10)

A very sweet story, but too young for middle school.  

Nine Open Arms

From Publisher's Weekly..
2015 Batchelder Honor

Twelve-year-old Fing narrates the adventure of her family’s 1937 move to the house at the end of Sjlammbams Sahara, in a fictitious Dutch town based on Lindelauf’s childhood home. Initiated by yet another business venture (this time, cigar-making) launched by Fing’s ever-optimistic father, whose mottos include “First believe, then see,” and “the opposite of worrying,” the family’s latest move brings Fing’s four older brothers, two younger sisters (dramatic Muulke and timid Jess), dreamy father, and gruff, swivel-eyed, story-telling grandmother, Oma Mei, into a house that “seemed to be bursting with voices, quarrels, footsteps, squeaking doors, creaking windows,” peculiarities, and secrets. Strong female personalities include the long-dead “Nienevee from Outside the Walls,” whose unfortunate son, the button-eating Oompah, still haunts the town fringes and pulls the family’s heartstrings. Lindelauf’s masterful rendering of fraught yet loving sisterly ties, snappy dialogue, graveyard mysteries, and “traces of a tragical tragedy” from generations past combine to humorous and poignant effect in this gripping tale of eclectic families and inveterate wanderers in search of a welcoming home. Ages 9–up. (June)

Good…sweet…translation a little sketchy in places.  

The Port Chicago 50

From Publisher's Weekly..
2015 National Book Award Finalist and YA NF Award

Sheinkin delivers another meticulously researched WWII story, one he discovered while working on his Newbery Honor book, Bomb. The accidental explosion at Port Chicago, a California Navy base where African-American servicemen loaded ammunition onto ships, killed more than 300 soldiers and injured nearly 400. The author carefully details how this long-forgotten event from 1944 was pivotal in helping end segregation in the military. Though not as fast-paced as Bomb, the dialogue-laden narrative draws heavily on past interviews with the servicemen, telling the story from their perspective. Ordered to load ammunition without proper training—and often in a competitive atmosphere fostered by their white officers—50 African-American sailors refused to return to the same work after the disaster. Readers get a front-row seat at their mutiny trial through myriad trial transcript excerpts. Tried and convicted, their convictions still stand today despite efforts to expunge the now-deceased men’s records. Archival photos appear throughout, and an extensive bibliography, source notes, and index conclude this gripping, even horrific account of a battle for civil rights predating Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. Ages 10–14. Agent: Susan Cohen, Writers House. (Jan.) ■

Excellent!  Very compelling and moving book.  

Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere

From Booklist Online…

Fans of Michael Vey will not be disappointed in this high-octane addition to the series featuring a boy who can manipulate electricity and who tries to stop the nefarious Dr. Hatch from controlling the world’s power. Picking up from the final escape scene in Rise of the Elgen (2012), Michael finds himself in the Amazon rain forest. There, he joins forces with Tessa, whose ability to amplify powers comes in handy as they try to free the other Glows still held captive. Evading both the Elgen and Peruvian armies, the teenage Electroclan try to stop Dr. Hatch and return home once and for all. While the character development is shallow and the dialogue sounds dated, Michael and his friends are appealing, uncomplicated protagonists. Chaste romantic scenes and a conspicuous lack of profanity may widen the audience. Readers new to the series may be confused by the large cast and lack of backstory, but the relentless pace and constant one-liners should keep the pages turning easily. — Summer Hayes Another good one!

The Crossover

From Publisher's Weekly..
2015 Newbery Winner

Josh Bell, known on and off the court by the nickname Filthy McNasty, doesn’t lack self-confidence, but neither does he lack the skills to back up his own mental in-game commentary: “I rise like a Learjet—/ seventh-graders aren’t supposed to dunk./ But guess what?/ I snatch the ball out of the air and/ SLAM!/ YAM! IN YOUR MUG!” Josh is sure that he and his twin brother, JB, are going pro, following in the footsteps of their father, who played professional ball in Europe. But Alexander (He Said, She Said) drops hints that Josh’s trajectory may be headed back toward Earth: his relationship with JB is strained by a new girl at school, and the boys’ father health is in increasingly shaky territory. The poems dodge and weave with the speed of a point guard driving for the basket, mixing basketball action with vocabulary-themed poems, newspaper clippings, and Josh’s sincere first-person accounts that swing from moments of swagger-worthy triumph to profound pain. This verse novel delivers a real emotional punch before the final buzzer. Ages 9–12. Agent: East West Literary Agency. (Mar.)

Very good, even if I didn't understand all of the basketball lingo!

Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen

From Amazon.com…

Michael, Taylor, Ostin, and the rest of the Electroclan have escaped from the Elgen Academy in Pasadena and are headed back to Idaho to plan their next move. But what’s waiting for them there will change everything.

After using their wits and powers to narrowly escape an Elgen trap, a mysterious voice leads the Electroclan to the jungles of Peru in search of Michael’s mother. Once there, they discover that Dr. Hatch and the Elgen are far more powerful than anyone realizes; entire countries have begun to fall under their control. Only the Electroclan and an anonymous voice now stand in the way of the Elgen’s plan for global domination.

But is the voice that Michael is following really an ally, or is it just another Elgen trap?

Very exciting!  Have to read #3.