City Spies – A Summer Blockbuster Film – I mean BOOK for Kids

Lynn: I love a good summer blockbuster whether it is a book or a movie and I know a lot of kids are right there with me on that notion. James Ponti’s new and totally entertaining book City Spies (S&S/Aladdin, 2020) will happily divert kids looking for a bit of a break from the summer heat.

This crazy romp is a series starter that should create fans of every reader. The initial premise – that MI6 has recruited a secret group of teen spies, all terrific talents—requires a leap of faith but once that jump is made the reader is off to the races. The story begins as a new member, an American girl just sentenced to juvenile detention for a well-intentioned hack into the foster care system, is added to the team. A fair amount of time is spent setting the stage and introducing the characters but a well-paced plot with increasing suspense keeps the story moving nicely. Settings include Scotland and Paris and both the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs are part of the fun. Like most summer blockbusters, the action is non-stop and nail-biting.

Ponti gives readers an engaging diverse group of young teen characters, snappy dialog, and a dose of humor plus the addition of STEM topics that make this terrific fun. There is a definite cinematic feel to this one that I really enjoyed and readers like me will be eager to read the next installment.

Dress Coded: Middle School Fiction That Is All Too Real

Lynn: I picked up Dress Coded (Penguin/Putnam, 2020) because of its timely subject and I stayed because the outstanding writing completely captured me! What a terrific surprise! I read this in a day, not wanting to put it down. Carrie Firestone is a debut author and one I will be eagerly watching.

This IS a timely subject and a very important one – the treatment of girls and the clothes they wear. In Molly’s middle school, the dress code is used to humiliate and harass. It is applied inequitably and it’s used to place blame and body shame on young girls. Molly, an 8th grader, is small and slight and a late developer and she has largely gone unnoticed by Fingertips, the administrator who prowls the halls looking for dress code violations such as shorts shorter than the length of a girl’s fingertips, bare shoulders, or bra straps that show. When one of Molly’s friends is treated horribly, she decides to take a stand and starts Dress Coded—a podcast highlighting case after case of humiliation and shaming and the impact it has on girls. The podcast becomes widely followed and soon even high school girls start asking to tell their story of their experiences as middle schoolers. Molly, who is an average student, and who has felt invisible, discovers the power of her voice and her outrage at the treatment of so many. Throughout the course of the book, Molly’s confidence grows and she learns the steps of an organized protest seeking change and justice.

But this more than simply an “issue” story. There is a lot going on here that captured and held my attention. Molly’s family is really struggling as her 11th-grade brother, Danny, is mean and defiant, addicted to the nicotine in vaping, and selling vaping pods to younger kids. The parents’ focus is on Danny and their inability to deal with him and here again, Molly feels unseen.

This story is also a portrait of the power of friendships. Molly, a deeply empathetic girl, is sustained and supported by her relationships with her widening circle of friends. Firestone’s picture of middle school is spot on as is the dialog, relationships, and struggles of kids that age. Told in Molly’s first-person voice, the story also includes podcasts, school bulletins, phone calls, and letters. Crushes, bullies, racism, and more is also explored. The story is compelling, encouraging, and ultimately triumphant. I was cheering the whole way!

Cindy: Dress Coded is going to be a popular book in middle schools. Having worked in them for over three decades and having raised two daughters who attended them, this story raises important questions and issues for students and policymakers to explore together. One of my favorite lines of the book comes during the school board meeting when a junior boy approaches the mic and says that, “he is distracted by girls all day every day (everyone laughs), but it has nothing to do with the thickness of their shoulder straps or whether their shorts are longer than their fingertips. ‘That, my friends, is preposterous.'” Anyone who knows adolescents or remembers being one knows that body image is such an important issue along with so many other awkward parts of this age, for both sexes, but girls face additional scrutiny due to messages in our media, and in our policies. It’s way past time to start doing something about it. Viva la revolution!

The formatting of the book, as Lynn notes, makes this an appealing read for reluctant or busy teen readers. The subject is sure to grab their attention, and the brief chapters and ample white space will keep them turning the pages.

Cats and Dogs and Picture Books

Lynn and Cindy: You can NEVER have too many picture books featuring cats or dogs or both! Here are three terrific books featuring our furry friends.

My Wild Cat (Eerdmanns, 2019) by Isabelle Simler

I don’t know how I missed this one last year but I am so glad I caught up with it now. This is part scientific fact, part poetic description, part affectionate tribute and all stunning illustration. Simler is an illustrator I admire greatly and she clearly knows and loves cats. The book is in a small format, with each set of pages featuring a descriptive phrase, a related scientific fact as a footnote and wonderful drawings in pastel on a white background. The use of shape and form is simply brilliant and there is a smile lurking on every page. A cat is shown in a sink, the tail echoing the curved faucet, draped over a radiator or stalking a fly on a glass. Readers who cohabitate with felines will recognize every scene. Simple yet sophisticated this little gem would be treasured by readers of all ages.

Joy (Candlewick, 2020) by Yasmeen Ismail

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt! Kitten has a ball of red yarn and it’s her favorite toy. An onomatopoetic rhyming play session ensues full of zooms and zams, clops and hops, until a trip, trip, slip, flip results in a bruised kitten, or at least a bruised ego. Her parent comes to the rescue and soothes her until she’s forgotten the hurt and is ready to adventure again. Oh, joy! Jenni Desmond’s mixed media illustrations exude the appropriate joy for Ismail’s rollicking picture book. Anyone who’s watched a kitten (or a young child) at play will appreciate this fun story.

Cat Dog Dog: The Story of a Blended Family (Random House/Schwartz & Wade, 2020) by Nelly Buchet

Blended families come in all shapes. This one features a man and his dog who moves in with a woman and her dog and cat. The story is told almost entirely in the illustrations with the various dog, cat, dog descriptors. There are adjustments to be made in every blended family as the various members learn to adapt to the shifting members and partners, amid lots of humor. Just as things are finally starting to calm down in the blended house a new element, a baby, is added to the mix! The humorous details are in the cartoonish ink illustrations, created by Zuill, who wrote and illustrated one of our favorite books, Sweety (2019). Cat Dog Dog is a current Junior Library Guild Selection, for a very good reason.

Welcome to the Alley – Harper Alley Graphic Novels

Lynn and Cindy: It is nice to find something to celebrate in these difficult times and we are happy to help welcome Harper’s new graphic novel imprint, Harper Alley. Nine titles are coming in September and October and we’ve been lucky enough to have been sent some of them to preview. And what a treat! Here’s a quick look at a few of these wonderful upcoming new books.

Early Readers

Pea, Bee & Jay: Stuck Together by Brian “Smitty” Smith (September 2020)

Pea loves to roll! He brags to his friends that no one on the farm as ever rolled as far as he has – all the way to the fence! Like kids everywhere, one of Pea’s friends challenges him with a risky dare – roll all the way to the big red tree OUTSIDE of the farm fence! Pea can’t back down and he rolls right into the biggest adventure of his round little life. Pea finds danger, two new friends and a new appreciation for home. Plenty of kid perfect humor and cute illustrations with just enough danger and surprises to keep the story rolling along. Simple vocabulary and plenty of visual assistance for early readers. Watch for more adventures to come!

Arlo & Pips Series: King of the Birds by Elise Gravel (October 2020)

Arlo is a crow with a big ego and he tells his friend, Pip, about his talents. He can imitate other sounds (a car honking) and count up to six. Footnotes add additional facts to back up Arlo’s claims. For instance, crows can count, and may even be able to add.) Arlo and Pip’s adventures are divided into three chapters, and the clear illustrations are in panels from one to six on a page with text appropriate for beginning readers. Humor, friendship, and animal science facts make this a winner for early comic fans.

Middle Grade

Lightfall: The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert (September 2020)

Have you been struggling to find something to give to fans of the Amulet series (Graphix 2008) by Kazu Kibuishi? Look no farther than this outstanding new fantasy series. The sun has disappeared from the land of Irpa. Bea is the adopted granddaughter of the Pig Wizard who owns the Salty Pig and makes medicines and tinctures. While out gathering herbs, Bea encounters a strange traveler, Cad, a supposedly extinct Galdurian, looking for the Pig Wizard. When they return to the cottage, Bea’s grandfather has disappeared leaving only a note and a precious Jar of Endless Flame. The pair set out on a quest to find the Pig Wizard and perhaps they will save their world along the way.

A terrific storyline, endearing characters, humor, and mystery will delight readers along with absolutely gorgeous illustrations. I read this in galley form and even in that format, the luminous quality of the illustrations took my breath away. I cannot wait to see the finished copy and young fans will be clamoring for the second installment the minute they finish the first!

Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte (October 2020)

There’s nothing like a food competition to bring on stress in the kitchen and between friends. Cici is new to Seattle and misses her A-ma back in Taiwan but winning a local kids’ cooking battle would give her the means to bring her beloved A-ma over to celebrate her 70th birthday with the family. Schoolmates have already mocked her packed lunch food choices, so what can she make for the judges that they will like? Cici is a likeable character in a fun story that navigates some of the pitfalls of middle school, especially as an immigrant. Perfect for readers who liked Amina’s Voice, about a Muslim girl finding her self through music instead of food.

Cindy once created a bulletin board with chef’s aprons and red checked tablecloths captioned “Are You a Foodie?” and this book needs to be added to that fun display.

Left-Handed Booksellers of London – Please, Mr. Nix, We Want Some More

Lynn: Have you ever read a book that feels as if it has been written specifically for you? That is exactly how I feel about The Left-Handed Booksellers of London (Harper/KT, Sep. 2020) It is as if I had a wonderful conversation with Garth Nix about fantasy books and he immediately wrote this marvelous book with all those elements in play. I’ve always loved Garth Nix’s work. The Old Kingdom series is one of my all-time favorites but The Left-Handed Booksellers feels special. An urban fantasy set in an alternate England with bookshops that are far more than bookshops and booksellers with special gifts keeping an eye on the magical elements of Britain. What urban fantasy fan, bookstore-loving reader could possibly ask for more?

Susan Arkshaw has grown up with a single mother who often seems to be so distracted or inward-focused that she seems absent. Yet Susan’s childhood has been a good one, bolstered by a recurring comforting dream of being guarded by unusual beings. Now 18, Susan has earned a place at a prestigious art school in the fall but she is leaving for London early, on a mission to track down the father she has never known anything about. Her first stop in London is with her most concrete prospect and it is a spectacular disaster. With the stab of a silver pin, a strange young man dispatches the man Susan came to see. Suddenly they are pursued by creatures out of legends and nightmares into a place outside of the world Susan knows. The young man, Merlin St. Jacques, is on a search too, and their paths seem linked. Incredibly, Susan discovers a world of legend, myth, and magic that exists alongside her own, and policed by the Booksellers of London. The Booksellers possess special gifts and abilities. The left-handed, such as Merlin, have more physical gifts for combat while the right-handed have more intellectual gifts. Together, they keep the supernatural world more or less in check. But something has knocked the system completely out of order and Susan may be the key to it all.

This intelligent, inventive, and immersive story is a pure pleasure to read. The writing flows so smoothly, the characters are wonderfully developed individuals (complete with flaws and quirks) who grow and change through the story. The plot is compelling with perfectly placed twists and chapter-ending cliff-hangers and the magic system and world-building are simply superb. I read this as slowly as I could manage and still, the book was done before I was ever ready to stop reading. I loved the touches of humor, the comments on writing, publishing, the book world, and the expertly managed story arc. The resolution was completely satisfying but left me yearning to stay in this incredible world.

My only complaint is that the jacket blurb says this is a stand-alone book. Please, Mr. Nix, more, please! The booksellers of London and this brilliant world are just too good to leave behind!

Cindy: Merlin is a great character, and like Lynn, I’m hoping this isn’t the end. I’d love more of him, Susan, and the Booksellers of London. Merlin laments being denied access to the customers, mostly being assigned to moving stock around. He even pleads to be put in Special Orders, “That would be better than the stockroom.” His cousin, Vivien, replies, “You would get cross checking Books in Print and destroy the microfiche reader…” These and other nods to the professional bookseller world are fabulous for the book nerd readers amongst us.

Another favorite element is the frequent complaints about the dangerously close-to-truth knowledge that ignorant fantasy writers put in their books. Even the Bard gets a slap when Susan compares the information she’s been given by the Booksellers. She asks, “Like Oberon and Titania?” Merlin’s muttered response is “Shakespeare knew too much.”

This story is recommended for high school, but it’s definitely an adult crossover. Lynn and I enjoyed it as thoroughly as any teen will!

Ick! A Book About Toxic Toots and Bubbles of Goo for Kids

Lynn: National Geographic always does a great job of publishing books that kids love but Melissa Stewart’s new book, Ick!: Delightfully Disgusting Animal Dinners. Dwellings and Defenses (National Geographic, 2020) stands out even from that crowd.

The book is divided into the 3 main chapters listed in the title: dinners, dwellings, and defenses—all icky. All of the delightfully disgusting creatures get their own two-page spread. Each of the creatures featured has the same categories of information provided including a Stat Stack of statistical facts, a general description, Extra Ick with additional or related information, and magnificent large color photographs. Stewart’s writing is terrific! The general descriptions are wonderfully done, snappy, full of groan-worthy puns but also clear, informative, and attention-holding. It is far more than just eww-inducing! There is a lot of great information provided here about why the behavior is employed and the advantages gained by the organism.

Let me be clear. There is plenty of disgusting icky facts that kids will gleefully read and share with everyone around them. How about a lacewing larva that uses its own toxic farts to stun its prey? Or the Caecilian babies who literally eat their mother’s skin? Yup. And of course, there are plenty of poop-related facts like Burrowing Owls who line their underground nests with poop—theirs and anyone else’s they can find. Or read about young Komodo Dragons who roll in their own foul-smelling poop to keep from being eaten by OTHER Komodo Dragons!

I set out on this book, thinking I would read a few pages a day and work my way slowly through but I ended up reading half the book in one sitting and finishing it eagerly the next morning. Stewart’s writing and the fabulous photographs hooked me. It certainly is icky but I learned so much! The excellent back matter includes a Glossary and 2 pages of Selected Sources for additional revolting reading. This is bound to be wildly popular with a lot of kids who will loudly share the grosser elements but they are going to learn a whole lot of solid biology along the way!

My Brother the Duck – Scientific Method at Work in a Picture Book

Lynn: Take one “fledgling scientist,” aka young Stella Wells, who is clearly not pleased about the impending addition to the family, and add a father’s joke. “You’re waddling,” he tells Stella’s mom, “We must be having a duck.” Stella is not amused because if a “baby was bad enough, a duck was unacceptable.” Stella decides much more research is required and sets out to gather facts to prove her hypothesis. Pat Zietlow Miller takes on the scientific method in her very funny new picture book, My Brother the Duck (Chronicle, 2020).

When the new sibling arrives and her parents name him Drake, Stella sets to work. Enlisting her best friend and fellow researcher, they tote up the accumulated proof. Drake not only sounds like a duck, he looks like a duck! Deciding the facts were not yet conclusive, the team consults an expert, their teacher who tells them:

“If it looks like a duck

and sounds like a duck,

it’s probably a duck.”

Just as Stella decides that maybe having a duck in the family wouldn’t be so bad, her ongoing observations yield a startling new discovery.

I took to this picture book like a duck takes to water! Miller’s sly text wonderfully assisted by Daniel Wiseman’s cheery digital illustrations made me laugh out loud. Young readers will have no trouble getting the jokes so delightfully presented on each page and along the way, they’ll acquire a little more understanding of the scientific method. This picture book fits the bill for both classrooms and lap-time reading.

Cindy: Fits the “bill?” Lynn does love her puns, but the book does just that. A new sibling can be a strange thing to understand for a young child but as this new baby brother “fledges,” his older sister grows comfortable with him. Wiseman has as much fun with his ducky illustrations and hidden “eggs” in the brightly colored art as Lynn does with her puns. Make note, the twist ending will have everyone laughing.

Pair this with the classic Are You My Mother? (Random House, 1960) by P.D. Eastman for added fun.

A Sporting Chance: from Incurables to Paralympic Champions

Lynn: I’ve seen a T-Shirt recently that proclaims, “I read. I know things.” I like that but what I want is a T-Shirt that says, “I didn’t know that!” I needed to wear that shirt when I read A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttmann Created the Paralympic Games (Houghton, 2020). This truly outstanding book by Lori Alexander made me exclaim this sentiment the entirety of the book! The book is intended for younger readers, Gr. 2-5, and it introduces them to an extraordinary figure, Ludwig Guttmann. I am sorry to say that I knew nothing about Guttmann or his many outstanding contributions or so much more that Alexander so skillfully conveys.

Ludwig Guttmann’s early life was spent in Germany near the Polish border. A variety of experiences led him to become a neurologist and skilled surgeon. But when the Nazis came to power, Guttmann, a Jew, was forbidden to treat non-Jewish patients and then he lost his medical license completely. As conditions worsened for the Jewish people, Guttmann was able to escape to England where he had to begin again to establish himself as a physician. Finally, his deep interest and research in spinal injuries resulted in him establishing a neurology unit and resuming his ground-breaking work. Again, I had absolutely no idea that spinal injuries were considered un-treatable as late as the end of WWII or that doctors expected patients to die within the year. It is no surprise that 80% of spinal injury patients did just that considering the prevailing appalling beliefs about treatment. Observing the benefits of sports participation for his patients, prompted Guttmann to establish and promote what became the Paralympics. Dr. Guttmann revolutionized understanding and treatment of spinal injury cases and thanks to this book, young readers will come away with a solid grasp of Guttmann’s contributions. They will also gain a real admiration for Guttmann, his perseverance, and the enormous obstacles he had to overcome in his life as well as his impact on the world.

Alexander does an outstanding job of presenting complex and wide-ranging information here for young readers, including scientific and historical background but not bogging down the text. The story is a fascinating one but it is also one with many facets and Alexander manages all of this extremely well. I learned so much from this enjoyable and really inspiring story. Now – where is that T-Shirt????

Cindy: “Incurables.” That’s what spinal injury patients were called. What a journey in the last 80 years and Ludwig Guttmann’s story is fascinating, inspiring, and cautionary. Perseverance and the belief that horrible situations do not have to remain the status quo are characteristics that young readers can learn from as they read this book.

The sometimes tough subject matter and the historical photos are supplemented perfectly for the young audience by Allan Drummond’s illustrations throughout the book. In 2011 we blogged about Energy Island, a book he both wrote and illustrated, and we’ve been fans of his ever since.

The final chapter, “Going for Gold,” features some of the amazing athletes who have won medals at the Paralympic Games.

I was moved to investigate the Paralympic Organization’s website and found this short video that includes Guttmann on their history page. There are more videos and information to be found there, including one about the Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Spinal Treatment Unit.

Miss Meteor – New Teen Underdog Story Shines Brightly

Lynn: Do you have teen readers looking for something different and fun? Miss Meteor (Harper, Sept. 2020) by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore is a perfect choice. Quirky and odd but utterly charming, this is an underdog story, a sweet romance, and a bit of a Cinderella tale with a dollop of magical realism and a lot of humor. You can’t go wrong!

This dual-narrative introduces readers to Lita Perez and Chicky Quintanilla who live in Meteor, New Mexico. Best friends in childhood, the girls’ friendship ended their first year in high school because of the important secrets each girl was keeping. But now the two have come together for a common goal – to help Lita win the Miss Meteor Beauty Pageant. Lita is sure that she and her grandmother came from stardust brought to earth by the meteor that hit outside of town. (Just go with this, OK?) She now has silver bands of star stuff on her torso and they are expanding. Lita knows she is turning back into stardust and she wants to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming Miss Meteor before that happens. Chicky is struggling with her own issues but she hopes the $10,000.00 prize will help save her family’s struggling diner. Both girls also want to thwart the gorgeous mean girl whom everyone believes is a shoo-in for the crown.

This is such a fun premise! Lita definitely has her own fashion sense and both girls know it is going to take some expert help to turn her into a beauty queen. Enter Chicky’s three bickering older sisters who bring their considerable talents to the challenge. For me, the characters are definitely the stars of this story and the Quintanilla sisters nearly stole the show! The depiction of this sisterly relationship is truly hilarious. There are several other wonderful characters in the cast and this warm-hearted story celebrates many types of differences with each character finding their own way of being comfortable with who they are. A lot of issues are brought to this runway in a story that culminates in a wild final pageant that readers won’t forget.

This is a terrific book for teens who might feel out of place and provides a sweet message about being true to yourself and following your dreams.

Jane Against the World – A Definitive Examination for Teens of the Struggle for Reproductive Rights

Lynn: Does a woman have the right to control what happens to her body? That seemingly simple question is at the heart of a centuries-long struggle in America that has included not only the right to terminate a pregnancy but also the right to basic information, birth control, and legal protections. Award-winning author Karen Blumenthal* delves into these controversial issues in Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights (Roaring Brook, 2020). Opening with a riveting account of a 1972 police raid on an abortion-rights service in Chicago, called Jane, Blumenthal then takes readers back to the early 1800s and the story of the struggle for reproductive rights and the reality of women’s lives throughout history.

The central issue, the development of the laws governing these issues and the legal challenges to these laws, is always at the heart of the book but the many fascinating byways Blumenthal ventures into deeply enrich the reader’s understanding. She includes information on many of the individuals involved in these issues since the 1800s (and before) and the changing course of both understanding and public opinion. One of the things I found most fascinating was the very clear depiction of the development of what is currently termed the right-to-life movement and the shift in political support to become a party partisan issue. She doesn’t falter from examining all sides of the issue as well as the racial and class divides that have and continue to have an important impact.

There is real tension in the sections about Roe v. Wade and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton, as they were developed and presented to the court. All the central figures are presented, frequently quoted, and emerge as far more than dry biographies. The complexities of the legal cases are very clearly outlined and Blumenthal guides readers through each step of the complicated process of the litigation, and both hearings of the cases before the Supreme Court. The constitutional arguments that the cases hinged on are examined in a way young readers can follow. An epilogue brings the on-going struggle right up to date with the appointment of the two new conservative justices and Blumenthal concludes with several scenarios about the possible future of Roe v Wade.

Extensive sidebar information is provided through the device of Pregnant Pauses, including a brief history of birth control, the development of medical knowledge about women’s biology, brief biographies of key individuals, and types of pregnancy tests over the years. Excellent back matter includes a large bibliography, extensive source notes, and a glossary. This is an outstanding and definitive examination of an essential issue that continues to impact women’s lives and dominates political efforts still. This is an essential purchase for all high school collections.

* Lynn and Cindy: We had already queued up this review to post for Nonfiction Monday but last week we learned the news of Karen Blumenthal’s sudden death. We are deeply saddened at the loss of this extraordinary writer and send our condolences to her family, friends, and the entire publishing world.