Author Archives: Kim Matthews

About Kim Matthews

Teacher-librarian at Komachin Middle School in Lacey, WA

Nayra and the Djinn

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By Iasmin Omar Ata

Nayra Mansour’s life is in chaos. Pressure from her family, bullying at school, and a friendship demanded from her only other friend all make her world challenging. Her family fasts during the Muslim holiday Ramadan, though something is different this year during fasting. A mythical Djinn has appeared in the human world. His life is also in chaos. As Nayra and the Djinn Marjan meet, Iasmin Omar Ata weaves his story to create a very interesting book. Nayra’s world is interrupted and enriched by their new friendship. I think that readers that really like graphic novels with a kinda soft and a cute style of drawing will really like this book. The drawing is really top rated, and as a person who doesn’t really like bright colors, the pastel and calm colors were really great for me. I really like how the author wove Islamic folklore and the tradition of fasting into this book. Another  thing that I could relate to in this book was the pressure from her mom.  I could relate a lot to the main character of this book. The plot and the conflict in this book between Marjan and Zirkouniya, as well as between Nayra and Rami, kept me interested throughout the whole book. Overall, I really liked this book and its writing and drawings and would give it a 5 out 5 stars!.

Review by 6th grader, Victoria L.

Biblioburro: Una Historia de Columbia

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By Jeanette Winter; traducción de Alexis Romay

This image is the cover in English; Book reviewed is in Spanish.

This Spanish language book is a true story from Columbia about a man named Luis who wanted to take books to children in Columbia. He bought two burrows named Alpha and Beto. He built book holders that hung over the burros backs and loaded the books. Each week he traveled over  mountains, through prairies, and crossed creeks to get books to children. Beautiful and colorful artwork. Very enjoyable. This book in Spanish is perfect for students who are fluent in Spanish or who are bilingual and want to brush up on their Spanish reading skills. It’s intended for elementary school students (K-4), but I think middle school readers will also enjoy the sweet story and the basic Spanish vocabulary. The book is also available in English, in which case I would recommend it for K-4 & not middle school.

Review by Julie Stringfellow at KMS

Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth

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By L.E. Carmichael; illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler

This beautiful picture book is a gorgeous collection of information and illustrations about the Arctic and Antarctic and the life that inhabits these cold, icy landscapes. The artwork is full of cool colors and an almost lithographic feel to the designs. I can’t tell if it’s painted, airbrushed, lithographic, or some combination of all. Some sharp lines & some soft layered ones. I found the artwork beautiful, stark and a perfect complement to the harsh environment about which it was depicting. The text is rich with information about the polar regions. Much of the book is arranged by months of the year & the various events that happen in different seasons. Interestingly, it is organized from March to March. Each 2 page spread includes one page on the Arctic and one page on the Antarctic – showing contrasting seasons nicely. The 2 pages also feature a similar topic, for example the pages on June feature information about how insects adapt to the cold regions in summer in the Arctic versus winter in Antarctica. The book finishes with information about climate change and how the polar caps are seeing the great consequences which only seem to be getting worse. The reader is left with some ways to take action and learn more. The book also includes a glossary and a list of resources for further reading. This is a picture book that flows nicely through the middle grades and extends beyond elementary school. The text is tiny and much more appropriate for upper elementary or middle school readers.

The House that Ruth Built

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By Kelly Bennett; illustrated by Susanna Covelli

This is a picture book that can be read at many different levels. It is a simple poem of a story that could be read aloud to young students – or older ones to analyze the literary elements of the central story. It is a book rich with supplementary text in small print on both sides of the central story that could be enjoyed by more adventuresome upper elementary or middle school students really interested in all things historical about Babe Ruth, the early days of baseball, and the Yankees.  These side panel pieces include information on the Star-Spangled Banner, Cracker Jacks, Early Baseball Leagues, Rocks and Stones (early forms of the game), Baseball caps, Bats, Gloves, and Balls, and many, many more. The artwork of the central story pulls you in and helps you feel as if you’re there on the opening day of a brand new Yankee Stadium. The historical photographs and real memorabilia of the side panels contrast and visually allow the reader to focus on one or the other.  I thought this was a beautiful book about Babe Ruth and the early days of baseball, sure to be enjoyed by both casual baseball fans and those with a passion for all things baseball!

Los Mapas de la Memoria (The Maps of Memory)(Spanish version)

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by Marjorie Agosin

This book is about the  deep history and woeful past of a city in Chile. It makes it an interesting book for readers who will learn about a culture that may be new to them. Celeste must find her friend Lucilia. She must also learn about her mother’s and father’s past. She’s upset that she got sent away to the states, but will get over it eventually. Until then,  everyone in the city is haunted by the past of what happened on the Esmeralda boat when the supposed enemies of the general were kidnapped. The author did a great job setting the plot and making it an eventful and interesting story. I liked Celeste’s  interest in finding her parents’ past on the Esmeralda boat and her growing interest in the boys. This book has the same soft illustrations throughout like the first book in the series does. There was nothing I disliked. It was a perfecto book! Overall I’d give this book a 5 out of 5.

Note: This book was originally read from the English edition.

Reviewed by 6th grader, Addison K.

Viví en el cerro Mariposa (I Lived on Butterfly Hill) (Spanish Edition)

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by Marjorie Agosin

Celeste lives on Butterfly Hill in the Chilean city of Valparaiso. She loves her town and her family that live in this beautiful place – the only place she’s ever known. The government is in turmoil, the streets don’t feel safe, and her parents are unfortunately drawn in as they go to help people who need medical attention. Whether a reader knows anything about the history of Chili or not, the story of a young girl sent away from her home to find safety elsewhere will touch many readers. Celeste eventually finds herself sent to her aunt who lives in Massachusetts so she can be safe during the time of violence & changing regimes. She misses home and must learn to navigate in a new place and a new language. I loved the occasional soft illustrations that give the reader a glimpse into Celeste’s new life. I learned more than I ever had known before about Chile, its culture, and its history. This book won the Pura Belpre award & I feel it was much deserved. An immigrant story. A positive portrayal of a feisty Hispanic heroine. A gem of a book!

Note: I originally read this book in the English edition.

My Nest of Silence

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by Matt Faulkner

In this book, while living in Manzanar Relocation Center in California,  Mari makes a vow of silence not to talk until her brother Mak returns from the military during WWII. She intends to keep this promise by compensating with her facial expressions and her art.  This  internment camp story will be of interest to those who want to learn how others were treated and how they dealt with events of life in the 1940s. I like the graphic novel sections for the telling of Mak contrasting to the full text sections from Mari’s point of view.  It makes it very interesting and easier to see the difference between the 2 main characters and what life was like IN the camp and during the war. I didn’t dislike much about this book, actually. I just dislike how the Japanese-Americans were treated back then. It was so unfair. The book will be a great read for people who are interested in historic events to learn how people had to live back then.

Reviewed by 6th grader, Addison K.

Freaks

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by Brett Riley

This book is a great read for those who are in love with the supernatural. In this story, despite the bullying happening to them in high school, the four friends, the freaks, have to save their Arkansas town from a mysterious danger and bloodthirsty creatures. I like how the kids stick together throughout their hardships. I particularly love the character Christian’s personality. She doesn’t care about what other people think about her. She makes everything seem funny. There wasn’t much to dislike, but maybe there was not enough story on the monster’s side of things. There is some swearing in the book, so if a reader is offended by that, perhaps this wouldn’t be the book for them. Overall, I’d give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. I really liked it!

Reviewed by 6th grader, Addison K.

Note: Book cover recommends 14 years and up. This student reviewer is often the student to let me know if the content is too mature for 6th graders, however, other than the swearing, the rest of the content did not bother her.

A Seed in the Sun

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Aida Salazar

Cover art

This book is a great read for people who love learning about struggles and how they overcome it in history. Despite her father’s mood changes which mostly cause aggression and her mother’s sickness, Lula finds the strength in herself to find her voice to fight for her community’s rights. The story is an enthusiastic read for people to help them find the strength inside and their voices. I like the main character’s heroism, even though her father told her not to do certain things. Lula didn’t cowardly stay away. When her friend said,  “Let’s go; we are the people that this is affecting, too!” They went to the Labor Union Protest and met the Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, and other real labor rights activists in the 1960s. I disliked the verse novel format since this is the first verse novel that I’ve read. I prefer paragraphs. I found it could be a bit confusing to find where sentences and ideas start or continue. For readers who like verse novels, this probably wouldn’t be an issue. Overall, I’d give this book a 4 out 5 stars.

Reviewed by 6th grader, Addison K.

Operation Final Notice

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by Matthew Landis

This is a good book for people who play an instrument or have money problems, or perhaps people who have had to play in front of an audience. Characters Ronny and Jo both have problems. Ronny’s family has bills marked “Final Notice” that cannot be ignored and Jo has an audition coming up and is feeling unprepared. They only have until January to take care  of these things – only 4 weeks away. Can they do it? The countdown is ticking!  The main character Jo plays a cello. She had to play in front of everyone and that made her nervous.. I play the violin and I know what it feels like to play in front of everyone. I liked this book since I can relate. I also know some people who have money problems like the other character named Ronny. I really like the characteristics and personality of the characters that are throughout the story. The dialogue sounds believable. I feel like something the author did well in this were the conflicts that are very relatable. I related to Jo mostly. These conflicts made me wonder what would happen next. Also  you could tell how nervous and desperate they both were. I didn’t really like the way it was kinda fast, though other people might like that . Overall, I’d give this book a 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to friends. 

Review by 6th grader, Victoria L.

SmART: Use your eyes to boost your brain, by Amy E. Herman with Heather Maclean

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This non-fiction book is a guidebook of self-discovery and self-education to help the reader learn to stimulate their brain and get smarter. The strategy involves really learning to see the things around us, but particularly using famous works of art to learn to do this. The author does a nice job asking the reader to interact with each piece of art in the book, often multiple times, as the reader is encouraged to notice more and more interesting aspects of the art. By the end of the book, I found I was noticing more than I was at the beginning of the book. I also liked that by using these strategies, the reader might find these observational skills might help reduce stress since it refocuses the brain on something else, taking a break from whatever might be stressing them. The book is very interactive which I liked, but if a reader is more passive & chooses not to engage, they may not get as much out of the book. And that would be a shame. The message is powerful and the strategies work! This book should appeal to students who like art, but it can equally be enjoyed by someone who knows NOTHING about art.

Black Internet Effect, by Shavone Charles

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Black Internet Effect (Pocket Change Collective)

A tiny-in-size, mighty-in-voice book in the Pocket Change Collective, I enjoyed this quick modern biography about a young black woman’s journey into the technology industry. As a writing and communications major in college, she knew she wanted into the lucrative tech industry, knew there were jobs for more than engineers and coders, and knew there were not many in the big tech companies who looked like her. She had to create a new path for herself where few had gone before. She chronicles the many steps she took in finding a job that allowed her to be authentically herself as a Black woman in an industry that is not very racially diverse. The book is an inspirational guidebook for others trying to get ahead in places that may feel out of reach. She worked hard. She took every opportunity to learn and grow. It’a quick 62 page, 4 ½”x 6 ½” book. My only criticism with this and others in the Pocket Change Collective series (& I have a few)  is that because of their tiny size, they can get a bit lost on the shelf with other books. They are perfect for a reluctant reader who wants a quick read by an authentic author who will hopefully inspire them.

You’re invited to a Creepover: Truth or Dare, by P.J. Night

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Truth or Dare . . . The Graphic Novel (1) (You're Invited to a Creepover: The Graphic Novel)

This graphic novel is the story of a group of friends who are haunted by a girl who died the year before. At first it seems like it might just be a prank, but there are too many coincidences and the group begins to be truly frightened. The ghost seems to be upset that her crush is moving on to one of the new girls. This is the perfect book for Goosebumps fans or those that enjoy a pre-teen graphic novel with a bit of a creep factor. Slumber parties, text messages, and school crushes all play into the storyline. The friends are all diverse characters which I liked. I was a little confused by the visual similarities between the main character and the ghost. I was confused by that for a while in the story. Perfect for upper elementary students and 6th graders, this is a pretty “mild” scare of a book.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun, by Tọlá Okogwu

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Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

This novel is a little bit Harry Potter magic, a little bit X-Men or Black Panther superheros,  a little bit Lightning Thief mythology & adventure. It’s rich with girl-power and learning to love oneself – flaws and all. Set initially in the States, the plot moves quickly to Nigeria and its magical school in the country’s capital city of Lagos.  This action-packed story hits all the marks for an amazing middle grades read. While some readers may be thrown by pronunciation of Nigerian names, some of which include potentially unfamiliar accent marks, if they just read on without  too much worry, it doesn’t really effect the story. I enjoyed the audio book because I got to hear the actual pronunciation of these names. The book does include a glossary of cultural terms the reader may need explained. I loved that Onyeka’s superpower is her hair which she hates at the beginning of the story because it is so different from her friends and is so unruly. She learns through the story to love it and the power it brings her. By the end, you realize this is definitely meant to be book 1 in a series. Future books to come. I think middle school readers will be anxious to read the next one! (Due out May, 2023) This is a nice addition to any fantasy collection, especially if you’re interested in having diverse authors who tell a rich tale. This fits the bill!

Once I Was You: Finding my Voice and Passing the Mic (adapted for Young Readers)

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by Maria Hinofosa

This book is a powerful story that discusses the challenges of an immigrant Latina woman in the United States. Maria Hinojosa tells her story about the challenges of being an immigrant to the United States, arriving in this country in 1962. This book not only tells the story of Hinojosa finding herself as a Latina woman but also tells the story of finding out who she is, as a person. The story of Hinojosa’s life is compelling and draws you back time after time. The story of her feelings pull at your own self conscience  and make you feel as if you know the author personally. It included photographs of the author at various young ages before she became well-known in her career in journalism. I enjoyed how the book connected with my own feelings even if our experiences were different. I did not like how there was some Spanish in the book without translation, but it was a very small amount and did not take away from the story. Overall, I would highly recommend this book and give it a 5 out of 5 stars. [This review written by a Komachin staff member , Erica C. ]

This book is also available in a Spanish edition. (ISBN: 1665920882)

Gaia: Goddess of Earth

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by Imogen & Isabel Greenberg

The story of the ones who came before Zeus and his siblings, this origin story graphic novel begins with the goddess Gaia, the creator of Earth, according to the ancient Greeks. It shows the development of conflict between her desire for peace on Earth and her husband, children and grandchildren’s desire for chaos and dominance over the Earth. The book begins with introducing the reader to Gaia and her offspring. While this was helpful, I kept wanting to see a family tree to show some of the more convoluted family connections. Much of the book is about the various conflicts in each generation for leadership, all while Gaia looks on sadly as peace is constantly challenged by her descendants. You see battles with the Titans, Zeus overthrowing his father, Giants trying to wrestle control from Zeus… so much conflict! The artwork is bold, dark, autumny colors & stylized characters. Facial expressions say a lot about how the characters are feeling. The book includes a glossary and a brief bibliography. Fans of Greek mythology will enjoy this prequel to so many of the more familiar myths and legends that came after these earlier struggles.

Grounded for All Eternity

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by Darcy Marks

Mal and his friends are just regular teens, except that their quiet suburban neighborhood is located in an unusual place – Hell. They are currently under lock down during their last vacation together for a while because of an escaped prisoner from the 8th circle of… Hell. The friends end up “falling” into another dimension – Earth – and realize they have to help bring the escaped prisoner home if they want to get back to their regular lives. This funny story was full of adventure and turned the stereotypical ideas of Hell=bad/Heaven=good a bit on its head. As it turns out, BOTH do the world a pretty important service & by working together, they just might accomplish their goals more efficiently. Similar to the recent popularity of mythology books by Rick Riordan and others, this tale melds a bit of the horror genre with the mythology of the hereafter. Much of the story takes place on Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts (& in Hell), so it’s also a perfect October read! There is a slight hint of a possible lgbtq romantic relationship in Mal’s future, but it’s very subtle. Mal has romantic interest in both a girl and a boy in the book – neither of which really develops in the story until a romantic letter he writes at the very end to one of his interests. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am sure my students will eat it up!

Tin Man

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by Justin Madson

Fenn, a lonely boy, meets Campbell, the tin man in a junkyard while looking for spare parts for the rocket ship he’s building in his garage and they instantly become friends. Fenn also finds a metal clock/heart part that he assumes belongs to the tin man & hands it to him. So begins the twisted, modernized tale of the Wizard of Oz, complete with a yellow brick road, a tornado, and a wizard of sorts. Fenn’s sister, his once-helper of the rocket, is struggling with her own problems – the loss of their grandmother, a jerk of a boyfriend, and flagging hopes and dreams. She, too, finds help from the tin man struggling with his own problems and broken heart. Even without knowing the original story of The Wizard of Oz, I think modern readers will enjoy this graphic novel. The art work is done in bold colors and subtle facial expressions, but add to the poignancy and rough times all the characters are striving to get through. I enjoyed all the little “Easter eggs” scattered throughout the story that refer back to the original story. In one scene you see two women talking. One is clearly Glinda & the other, clad in black & white striped tights & red shoes, is a nod to the Wicked Witch of the West. A lion appears on a movie poster and a sweater. The Flying Monkey taco truck. Even the town name forms the initials O.Z.  This is a clever graphic novel that has much to offer. I think readers will enjoy it.

Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation

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by Sylvia Liu

I really enjoyed this action-packed, futuristic story of a plucky twelve year old heroine whose curiosity and determination save her and her classmates from becoming manipulated by adults who should have been protecting and training them. The story shows Hana and her friends in a recently accelerated program to learn how to use a technology that will mesh their minds with the internet and each other. She quickly realizes that something is not right with the program and begins to investigate. She does this while grieving her father and the splintering, distant feelings of her immediate family. Readers who love technology or video games will enjoy the action scenes in the virtual world as the students train with their new tools. I liked that Hana also loves OLD technology, particularly animatronics that she builds from scraps in the junkyard. The pacing of the story is solid and the characters are all multi-ethnic. Even the cover draws you in. I think this title will be a hit with middle school readers who enjoy a fast-paced novel of intrigue and action.

My Name is Jason. Mine too. Our Story. Our Way

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By Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin

This beautifully poetic and artistic book is a collage of the two artists’ early works while struggling to make it in Brooklyn shortly after the two former college roommates graduated and moved to the “big city”. Reynolds’ poetry is often superimposed over Griffin’s painting/collages in a way that helps the reader feel the raw excitement, terror, & sometimes loneliness that comes with making a big leap of faith in yourself in a new place. At the time of this collection, both were unknowns trying to make enough money to eat and pay rent so they could keep making their art. Fans of Jason Reynolds will enjoy this look back at his early years of personal struggle while also discovering the mixed media style of his friend Jason Griffin. Whereas current work is more fictional in nature, this is raw him. Anyone struggling to stay true to themselves while fighting all the doubts that come with it will be able to relate. I also really like the message of these two very different looking young men finding such a strong connection with each other as they lean in & support each other during their struggles to make it. There was not much I didn’t like about the book though the artistic style of Griffin’s work may not appeal to everyone, I really liked it. I’m sure my middle school readers who are fans of Reynolds and poetry are really going to like this book, and there is nothing that makes it inappropriate for middle schoolers other than the book is about people in their 20s. 

Welcome to Dweeb Club

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by Betsy Uhrig

I think this is a very good book for people who love books that have humor in them and a book that is semi-realistic but still has crazy ideas. and it’s one of the books that is in first-person. Jason Sloan is not one of the people you will notice in the halls of a school, he is according to his sister, a “Dorkfus” and he decides to join a also not very known or noticed club. and it was named…H.A.I.R club!… [trails off] yeah he knows. Super weird name. Their job in this club is looking at cameras and security (NOT HAIR), and when they look at the cameras, they find something out. The pictures in the cameras show scenes of the future possibility. This club leads them to adventures. I think she did well at making this book funny. Also most of the time, people make things which was interesting. I also liked the book cover. I like the humor in the book. One example In the book was a teacher named Ms. Grossman. Near the end of chapter 58, a kid named Steve typed into his computer, “WHAT PRODUCT AM I PUTTING ON MY HAIR THAT IS MAKING IT LOOK LIKE THIS????”(244) After reading that, I laughed for 1 whole minute! I also kinda found it funny how much idiotic stuff they did. I did wonder though, “What’s with all the weird abbreviations?” TWERP? No idea what that stood for. Overall, I give the book a 4 out of 5.  [This review written by Komachin 6th grader, Victoria L. ]

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor

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by Xiran Jay Zhao

This middle grade story is a beautiful mix of Chinese history, fantasy, mythology, and science fiction technology. It has all the adventure of a Rick Riordan gods & goddesses mythology book, but using the stories of ancient Chinese Emperors and their complex machinations as the myths. These are the stories of China that have been passed down and have been woven into modern Chinese and world culture, including manga & video gaming. The story centers around Zachary Ying, a modern Chinese American kid who loves to play the video game Mythrealm using his special portal goggles. Things go awry when the ancient Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang, tries to possess Zach, but ends up stuck fused to his portal goggles. They embark on an epic adventure with several others to try to stop the spirits from breaking more completely into our world from the spirit realm. The book is sprinkled with history lessons to help familiarize students with Chinese history they may have never learned – like Zack and me. Water dragons, crazy battles between immortals, and trying to find one’s moral compass make this action-packed adventure worth the read. Those unfamiliar with Chinese names, may mentally destroy & horribly mispronounce some of the names of characters or could find it a stumbling block. It’s worth reading despite that and might be an opportunity to share the audiobook version as a way of learning how to pronounce some of the names. (It helped me!) I think students who love mythology adventures will probably love this addition to the genre. This appears to be a first book in a series as it leaves a major cliffhanger at the end of the book.

Let the Monster Out, by Chad Lucas

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Having just moved to a new town, Bones Malone is trying to fit in and make new friends and keep his temper in check. This is not easy for Bones, especially since he’s often misunderstood and judged unfairly. Things in this new town get complicated as Bones and then several other new friends start sharing the nightmares of each other. Also, the adults in town start acting like vacant, alien-zombie librarians (AZL). The kids team up to solve the problem and fix the adults in their life from all succumbing to the weird AZLing. To do this, they take on the big corporation that employs many of the town’s adults, but who are definitely up to something shady. The book is a mystery wrapped up in a “Stranger Things” vibe – spooky and suspenseful. Some of the kids’ nightmares are downright scary!  The book is full of diverse characters, including Kyle who has autism. I liked that his friends get to experience the way Kyle views the world when they end up in his nightmare. It helps them relate to him better in the real world once they understand how intense sounds, lights, and other stimuli can be for him. Bones is black with a Mom and siblings starting over away from his violent dad. His background has left Bones often feeling the need to protect his Mom and siblings, but also gets him into trouble. Friendship, courage, and facing fears all take center stage in this sometimes scary story. I know this is going to be a hit with students!

The Swallows’ Flight, by Hilary McKay

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The Swallows' Flight by [Hilary McKay]

This book follows four ordinary children, Eric, Hans, Kate and Ruby (& one dog) as they grow up and find their lives intertwined in the years leading up to and during World War II. Eric and Hans come from Berlin, so the reader sees what life was like leading up to the war in Germany. Kate and Ruby are from Britain. All struggle through pretty normal bits of childhood set in a time of approaching conflict. I loved the book once it got going, though I found it a bit slow and confusing to keep track of the various characters at the beginning of the book. Once the book caught its stride and various characters met each other, it was not a problem, and the action pulled the reader along. Seeing family life from the two countries will help readers understand that war is made of regular people – not all evil or good Just ordinary folks caught in extraordinary times. The book has one of those satisfying endings that lets the reader know what happened to characters years after the main conflict is over. At least I always like to know that! The author also gives some background information at the end of the book of some historical facts about the world the children have inhabited. There is also a family tree at the end, indicating some of the characters may have been in another book by this author, The Skylark’s War.  (Perhaps keeping track of all Kate’s family members would have been easier if I’d read this earlier book.) Definitely one to include for students interested in historical fiction about WWII, especially because it includes a look at both sides of the war.

Animorphs, the Graphic Novel: The Visitor

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Based on the novel by K.A. Applegate & Michael Grant, adapted by Chris Grine

This is the second volume in the new graphic novel adaptation of Katherine Applegate & Michael Grant’s popular series Animorphs, adapted by Chris Grine. Having never read the original series, I did read the first graphic novel to get the gist of the big problem, namely the alien ability of the 5 main characters, Jake, Marco, Cassie, Tobias, and Rachel, to now turn into animals. Their new abilities will help them fight the Yeerks, an alien race trying to take over Earth while our planet waits for the good aliens, the Andalites, to come join the fight. In the second volume, Rachel agrees to go undercover in a cat form to discover what they can from their assistant principal, Mr. Chapman, who has become a host to the main Yeerk. Illustrations are bright and bold. The transformation scenes are clever as we see part human and part animal morphing. Text bubbles are different when characters are talking vs when they are using mind reading, adding a visual element to inner dialogue. If the first book in the series is popular, students will definitely enjoy the second. And, if like me, you never experienced the original series, I think the animal element and the high action will appeal to new audiences. Some scenes might be visually scary for younger audiences, though I think this will be fine for upper elementary and middle school level readers.