TweenReading.com

Action-packed Sci-Fi Sequel

3/11/2017

Sterling Squadron (The Resisters #2) by Eric Nylund (Random House, 2012) Reading level 5.4

I reviewed The Resisters, the first book in a tween science fiction series by Eric Nylund, back in 2015 (have I really been blogging that long?) I gave that book a positive review for its quick-paced plot, dynamic action sequences, and intriguing (albeit somewhat derivative) world-building premise. Like many second books in a series, Sterling Squadron falls just a little bit short of its predecessor, but still packs a potent punch that’s sure to keep the attention of even the most reluctant tween readers.

In The Resisters, we met 12-year-old Ethan Blackwood, the big man on campus at his near-future elementary school. A few chapters into that book, Ethan learns that his entire world is a sham. Fifty years before, aliens had conquered Earth. Giant battle-ready insects patrol the skies to maintain order. When puberty hits, humans are transformed into mindless worker drones. Ethan is persuaded to join the rag-tag human resistance, consisting of adults living underground to avoid the mind-control waves, and pre-teen aviators who pilot retrofitted alien insect-fighters.

Sterling Squadron, book #2 in the series, finds the resistance in need of more pilots, and Ethan knows just where to get them – Sterling Reform School, the juvenile detention facility from Ethan’s former faux hometown. The kids who got sent to Sterling were brash, independent, and impulsive. They're rebels, and that’s just what the resistance needs. Ethan leads a small group of pilot-friends behind enemy lines to stage a break-out at Sterling, and recruit the escapees for the human cause. With a major alien attack on the horizon, there’s not much time to train the new pilots. It’s up to Ethan to lead his team of inexperienced ne’er-do-wells into the battle to save humanity.

Zip, zoom, POW! There’s enough action here for a couple of tween novels. However, where Sterling Squadron excels in plot, it falters on character and emotion. Ethan’s the only character we really get to know, and he doesn’t change or grow in the story. In the first book, Ethan had to process his new world/reality in the midst of combat. By the time Sterling Squadron rolls around, Ethan’s role is just a little too clear, especially for a 12-year-old. And there are several important emotional scenes in Sterling Squadron that come across as mundane and listless. (Minor spoiler alert) While staging the reform school break-out, Ethan finds his long-lost sister. Sure, there’s not a lot of time for a tearful reunion, but the characters display almost no emotion. In another scene Ethan has to leave behind his injured friend to save the group. Once again – too little angst and indecision. And the book's biggest reveal – that the alien insects are actually piloted by brainwashed humans – is glossed over so quickly that some readers might miss it. Nylund is a skilled writer, and I’m not sure why he ignores the emotional aspect of his characters. Perhaps he underestimates the sophistication of the tween reading audience.

And maybe that's okay. Giant tech-infused death-ray-shooting wasps, piloted by kids who need to save the world – what more can you ask for? Without the luxury of revealing the world-shifting premise of the first book, Sterling Squadron gives us a high-concept, high-interest shoot-‘em-up that will keep readers up past their bedtimes. Complex emotional content and character develop would make Sterling Squadron a great tween novel. But as it is, it’s very good.

Sterling Squadron will hold the interest of demanding tween readers, and is a must-read for fans of the first book. Buy copies for your library media center and classroom library, and make sure your readers know they should read The Resisters first to fully understand the Sterling Squadron’s post-alien-invasion world.

Another Winner from Haddix

2/13/2017

Under Their Skin by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers, 2016) Reading level 5.4

Divorced parents – pretty common for tweens these days. Mom getting married to somebody else - not unusual. New step-siblings – awkward but not impossible. But in Under Their Skin, the first book in a new two-part series, there’s just a little bit too much weirdness. And leave it to popular tween author Margaret Peterson Haddix to turn that weirdness into a page-turning, complex, and highly accessible tween read.

Twelve-year-old twins Nick and Erin are just a little surprised when their school counselor Mom announces her engagement to the computer programmer she’s been dating. But they are shocked to learn that Michael has twins – a boy and a girl Nick and Erin’s age – that they’ve never met, or even heard of before. The future living arrangements are perplexing; the twins will move with Mom into Michael’s house, but they’ll never meet their new step-siblings. Nick and Erin will be at their Dad’s house on alternating weeks, and that’s when their step-brother and –sister will be with Mom and Michael. Now that’s not too unusual, is it? Of course our curious protagonists begin the investigation that drives the plot.

A quick look at the cover, the title, and the book jacket synopsis leads the reader to the easy conclusion that technology is involved in the mystery of the step-siblings. In fact, most of your students will enjoy watching Nick and Erin discover what they’ve already figured out. As displayed in many of her previous books including Running Out of Time, Game Changer, and The Missing series, Haddix is at her best when something’s just not right.

But Under Their Skin takes it one step further, with a plot twist that took me totally by surprise. This development pushes the story in a whole new direction with far-reaching implications. Haddix manages to tackle these big issues while moving the plot along at a quick pace. There’s no philosophical treatise; no third-act slump. Every chapter features at least one new question, observation, or reveal that guides Nick and Erin to the answers they seek.

Under Their Skin is not perfect. There are a couple of plot elements that were confusing to me. (And elaboration would spoil the reveal for you.) Maybe the holes are filled in the second book, In Over Their Heads, due April, 2017. The first book ends with a satisfying reveal, but there are more questions than answers. Nick and Erin must embark on a voyage of discovery in their newly-found existence. Haddix is the perfect captain and guide.

Under Their Skin will appeal to most tween readers. Buy a couple of copies for your library media center, and your classroom collection. They’ll want to read the conclusion, In Over Their Heads, so be mark your calendars for its April release.

Tween Spy's Toughest Assignment

1/10/2017

Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted (Aladdin, 2009) RL 3.9

Almost all tweens can identify with being the “new kid” in school. In Alibi Junior High, thirteen-year-old Cody Saron’s challenge is magnified. He’s never been to school before – ever! Instead, he’s traveled the globe as his CIA-agent father’s protégé. Author Greg Logsted guides first-person narrator Cody through the middle school maze in this highly-readable, entertaining tween novel.

Cody and his secret agent dad have recently survived a bombing at a South American sidewalk café. Fearing for Cody’s life, Dad sends him to live with Aunt Jenny in suburbia. Thrust into an unfamiliar and unfriendly territory – the local middle school – Cody finds his sophisticated skill set totally lacking. Interactions with teachers are strained from day one, and he can’t relate to peers who are more interested in cell phones and locker room pranks. Still, Cody plods along and tries to fit in. Along the way he forges sincere relationships with his Aunt Jenny and a neighbor who’s just returned from a tour of duty in the Iraq War.

His previous high-octane secret agent lifestyle, coupled with flashbacks of the café bombing, make it nearly impossible for Cody to relax. He has trouble sleeping. He sneaks out of the house for nightly patrols around the woods that border Aunt Jenny’s cottage. His paranoia is not unfounded; on one nightly mission he sees a mysterious stalker in the woods! The book concludes with an action-packed, suspenseful hostage situation, which should be enough to keep readers engaged through the ending.

Alibi Junior High’s strong point is it’s main character, Cody. He presents a distinct voice throughout the book, working his way through crises and adjustments. Although he’s the smartest kid in school, and has experiences his teachers could only dream about, Cody doesn’t come-off as snobby or condescending. He shows a great deal of compassion toward an overweight, bullied classmate, and even experiences his first teenage crush. By the end of the book, we’re cheering as Cody straddles the line between selling out and just being himself. That a line very familiar to most tween readers.

A few issues keep the book from being a stellar tween-lit offering. Almost all of the adults who work at the school – administrators, teachers, the security guard – are portrayed as insensitive dolts who are just concerned with maintaining order. No grown-ups have a kind word for the new kid. (My suburban middle school experience is quite the opposite.) After the first few pages, I’m grimacing every time Cody begins an interaction with any adult who works at the school.

Some teachers and parents may take exception to Cody’s rise in popularity, which occurs only after he uses his martial arts skills to fight his way out of a locker room confrontation, and later pulls a destructive prank in the science lab. That’s not the best way to win friends. Sure, the fight was self-defense, and laid the groundwork for reconciliation with the bullies. But the science prank was quite childish for a character we’ve come to respect over the previous chapters.

But that’s middle school; boys and girls spend a lot of time figuring out who they want to be. It’s on-the-job training, and junior high is Cody’s toughest assignment yet. Despite a few flaws, Alibi Junior High deserves a place on your middle school library shelves and in your classroom library collection.

Learning the Hard Way

12/24/2016

Crunch by Leslie Connor (Katherine Tegen Books, 2012) Reading level 3.3

In tween literature, if you want the kids to deal with real-world problems, you have to get the parents out of the picture. That’s a tried-and-true first step in the genre. Leslie Connor frames Crunch in such a kid-centered scenario, and the result is a deftly-written and deceptively deep tween novel.

At the center of Crunch is our 14-year old first-person narrator Dewey Marris. Dewey’s family lives on a New England hobby farm within earshot of the interstate. Dad’s a regional truck driver. Mom went along for the ride on the current trip. Dewey’s 18-year old sister Lil has been left in charge, with Dewey’s younger brother Vince, and 5-year old twins Angus and Eva rounding-out the family. The industrious Marrises operate a small family business – The Marris Bike Barn – on the property.

Author Connor succeeds in creating a summertime gasoline shortage that turns the Marris family's lives upside down. With no fuel for the trip home, Mom and Dad are stuck near the Canadian border. And the Bike Barn, once a sleepy little repair shop, is now the most popular business in town. Connor doesn’t attempt to explain why there’s a fuel shortage, or why Dad – a truck driver – didn’t anticipate problems refueling. Instead, the focus is on the Marris kids and how they each adjust to absentee parents and increasing responsibilities in new circumstances.

And that’s the value of Crunch. We get to see how each family member reacts to their new challenges. Anyone who’s experienced a similar shift – the loss of power during a storm, for example – can relate to the Marris kids’ situation. At first it’s exciting. Dewey enjoys his role as the Bike Barn’s customer service manager, and gets an ego boost by being the solution to so many problems. Vince’s skill repairing bikes is on full display. Lil takes on a motherly role, and even the twins mature a little bit. The Marris offspring will be just fine until Mom and Dad return.

However, the days turn to weeks, new challenges present themselves, and the older challenges don’t seem fun anymore. The task of managing a small business becomes overwhelming to the boys. Lil alternates between snapping at her siblings and losing herself in her art projects. Even the twins grow weary of the “maybe tomorrow” answer to their questions about their parents’ return. To complicate matters, there’s a thief in town. Much-needed bike parts are gone, and cash is missing from the Bike Barn. The siblings find themselves ill prepared for these developments.

Within a few chapters the thief is caught and Mom and Dad are on the way home. And then Connor gives us something rarely seen in a tween novel: a third act. More problems, more delays, and more extreme reactions from the kids. Dewey's stress is overwhelming, and Vincent becomes even more reclusive. Lil’s meltdown features some very brief profanity usually not found in tween novels, and that may be a deal breaker for teachers and media specialists. She apologizes on the next page – but the words are still there with each successive reading.

In the final chapters the book turns a corner – almost a little too quickly – as the Marris siblings learn some valuable life lessons. You don’t have to do everything yourself. It’s okay to ask for help. Enabling isn’t always helping. You can’t make everybody happy. The fuel crunch has changed the family for the better. But as with most difficult lessons, there’s been an emotional price.

Despite the kid-friendly cover, the elementary reading level, and the breezy tone of the first few chapters, Crunch isn’t a little kid book. It’s a story about a family separated, and in crisis. The older siblings face challenges beyond their years, and to their credit perform admirably. Still, Crunch is best suited for the middle school audience. Minus Lil’s verbal outburst, I’d recommend Crunch to middle school audiences without reservation. However, inclusion in a library or classroom collection will require librarians and teachers with a good knowledge of their community’s standards.

Violent Alt-History - Squandered Opportunities

11/2/2016

The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond (Scholastic Press, 2014) Reading level 5.8

For starters, The Only Thing to Fear isn’t a book for most tweens. Let’s get that out of the way. The episodes of graphic violence are not found in every chapter. But in many cases they are just too descriptive. An elderly woman is executed by being burned alive. Her corpse is displayed in the public square. Lots of Nazi soldiers are shot in the head, the bullet holes described. That’s too much for elementary students, and for most middle schoolers, too. I might feel good about handing this book to an 8th grader. Maybe.

So, why is that a big deal? Obviously, this isn’t a tween book, right? Well, the publisher is Scholastic, the company that publishes books by many popular tween authors, including Gordon Korman, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Roland Smith. The reading level is 5.8 – well within the range of most tweens. The alternative history premise is appealing to tweens with active imaginations. In other words, there’s lots of room for confusion.

With the audience issue out of the way, let’s focus on the book.

In Caroline Tung Richmond’s The Only Thing to Fear, World War II has been over 80 years, and the Axis powers won. The war ended quickly after Germany and Japan unleashed an army of genetically-altered super-powered soldiers. Now Germany, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler’s great-grandson, controls America east of the Mississippi River, and Japan occupies the west coast. Non-Germans provide manual labor for the German empire in factories and on farms.

Sixteen-year-old Zara St. James, lives with her Uncle Red on a small farm in Virginia. Zara works days as a janitor and servant at the local Nazi high school, while Uncle Red scratches-out a meager existence, struggling to meet the German crop quota. A loosely organized underground rebellion pesters, but never really harms the Nazis. Zara’s mom was killed in a crushing rebel defeat a few years ago, and the local chapter has been dormant ever since. Uncle Red is supposed to be the local rebel leader, but still haunted by the defeat that claimed his sister (Zara’s mom), his efforts consist of sneaking into a local Nazi fort to steal medical supplies. His accomplice – a beloved elderly nurse – is the only other rebel in town.

Of course, idealistic teen Zara wants to join the rebellion, and begs her uncle for an active role. Zara herself is a genetic anomaly; she can control the weather, and she can fly using wind gusts. Uncle Red forbids her from using her power. He knows that if captured, the Nazis will dissect her in the name of science. As the story progresses, Zara manifests a second power – the ability to create and throw electric pulses that can stun or even fry the target.

One night a regional rebellion leader shows-up at the St. James farm. He’s disappointed at Uncle Red’s meager resistance efforts, but thrilled at the prospect of recruiting Zara for their next big mission – a direct attack on the White House with Fuhrer Dieter as the target.

A budding romance between Zara and the Nazi colonel’s son is protracted and awkward, and serves almost no real purpose in the book. Zara is perfectly capable of carrying the plot without her Nazi crush always hanging around. And would you just kiss the girl already?

Unfortunately, The Only Thing to Fear is all plot and not much else. Our protagonist Zara is one-dimensional. She doesn’t grow or change or learn anything about herself or the world. She never even questions the source of her special abilities. Early in the first chapter she’s tempted to use her power on the Nazis. She’s just waiting for the right circumstances. The title – an obvious reference to the FDR speech – doesn’t really fit. The only person who deals with fear is Uncle Red, and he finally comes around. By the end of the book Zara has zapped several Nazis, and she doesn’t spend a lot of time soul searching. The transition from farm girl to cold-blooded killer seems just a little too smooth. After the big battle, Zara - the new face of the rebellion – joins the rebellion leaders in an underground hideout as they plan their next attacks. At least no one calls her Mockingjay.

Comparisons to The Hunger Games and Divergent are unavoidable. In those series, as well as The Only Thing to Fear, the heroine needs a mechanism to be thrust into rebellion. In The Hunger Games it was a lottery; in Divergent, a socially-unacceptable personality type. Both of those scenarios are inherent to the plot, and consistent with the premise. Unfortunately, The Only Thing to Fear fails on both of those measures. If we’re to use World War II as a starting point – and that’s the author’s choice – then the book’s world needs to follow that reality. People who can throw fire, create earthquakes, and spontaneously heal injuries just couldn’t be created in a 1940’s Nazi laboratory. And if the Nazi anomalies were lab-created, then how did Zara get her powers? (Was her Japanese father an anomaly himself? That possibility is never explored.) By the end of the book, we learn about a host of super-powered rebels. Who created them? And why was an untrained 16-year-old girl chosen for this critical mission instead of those seasoned soldiers?

As the plot progresses, The Only Thing to Fear becomes less and less like alternative history and more and more like an X-men comic book. Of course with the ability to throw lightning bolts and suck the air out of the room (really), Zara’s only worthy opponents are other super-powered mutants. POW!

Young readers may gobble-up this book, but for all the wrong reasons. Sure, some readers will enjoy the action scenes with mutant death battles, and reinvigorated Uncle Red shooting Nazis at point-blank range. But what’s America really like under Nazi control? I was excited to begin reading this book, and I was eager to explore Richmond’s alt-history America. Instead, I got another dystopian teen novel that just doesn’t measure-up to other entries in the genre.

An Engaging Armchair Adventure

10/10/2016

The Lost Kingdom by Matthew J. Kirby (Scholastic Press, 2013) Reading level 4.3

The spring of 1753 was an exciting time in American history. More than two million British subjects lived in the American British colonies, and 60,000 French, closely allied with the Native Americans, occupied the Ohio Valley and present-day Canada. Scientific discovery, community progress, and a spirit of self-determination ruled the day. This era provides the background for The Lost Kindgom, Matthew J. Kirby’s fascinating and tremendously satisfying road trip westward across the American frontier.

In the 1750s Philadelphia was emerging as a center of commerce and progress. The Pennsylvania State House – better known as Independence Hall – was the center of political life, and the Christ Church sanctuary, at 196 feet, was the tallest structure in the colonies. An ambitious public service-oriented man named Benjamin Franklin had recently founded the Union Fire Company, and obtained a charter for Philadelphia’s first university. There was a new hospital, and mail was delivered on paved roads illuminated by street lamps.

Although not as prominent as the Renaissance man Franklin, John Bartram was the preeminent botanist of the era, carefully harvesting, cataloging, and cultivating newly-discovered plant species. His son William (Billy) assisted his efforts and eventually followed in his father’s footsteps. As The Lost Kingdom begins, Benjamin Franklin recruits the elder Bartram to join a team of scientists on a secret mission to the American frontier. Bartram sees an opportunity to discover even more plant species and brings Billy along as his assistant, and our first person narrator.

The scientific team – all members of the American Philosophical Society – learns the true nature of their mission shortly before their departure. The philosophers will use all available resources to find the descendants of the Welsh prince Madoc. Widely-accepted legend of the day says Madoc led a group to the New World hundreds of years before. The team will solicit the help of Madoc's descendants against the French and their Indian allies in the predicted upcoming conflict (The French and Indian War.) The group’s transportation: The de Terzi, a schooner-based airship buoyed by large copper vacuum spheres attached to the masts. When all the air is vacuumed out of the spheres, The de Terzi floats, allowing the philosophers to glide swiftly and effortlessly westward over peaks and valleys.

The Lost Kingdom is a non-stop adventure. The group meets a colorful French fur trader and a young British major named George Washington. They explore ancient ruins, escape the jaws of the fierce bear-wolf, and have a too-close experience with a herd of stampeding mastodons. There’s not a dull spot in the book, and the philosophers use their wits and survival skills to escape several predicaments that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Readers experience this adventure through the eyes of young Billy, a capable and likeable narrator. Billy’s growth and maturation, and his inevitable conflict with his father form a satisfying subplot. In the beginning, he’s seen as nothing more than a tag-along boy. By the end of the story, he’s proven himself in battle, and is recognized as a full-fledged member of the team.

While the action continues, author Kirby educates us about some of the conflicting opinions of the era. Attitudes about Native American culture vary greatly among the team members, and form the groundwork of the conflict between Billy and his father. The need to tame the wilderness is also explored. Every philosopher has strong opinions, but Kirby never preaches. Instead, he uses the characters to explore the conflicting ideas. The reader can draw his or her own conclusions.

It’s also refreshing to read about a boy’s graduation into the world of men. The Lost Kingdom isn’t a “kids save the world” book. The adults are the leaders, and the source of all knowledge. Billy doesn’t possess any talents or insights particularly useful to the philosophers. He’s there to learn, and help any way he can.

There are more research starters in this book than I can list. Is the Madoc legend reliable? Thomas Jefferson thought so. Can a ship really be lifted using vacuum spheres? Students can research Francesco Lana de Terzi, the 17th century Italian mathematician, and decide for themselves. Did mastodons really roam the western plains during that time period? Fossils have been found from Alaska to central Mexico, and archaeologists argue about the dates.

Is The Lost Kingdom a fantasy? Not really. Alternative history? Only to those who believe history books have all the answers. Science fiction? No, not if you believe in possibilities.

So what is The Lost Kingdom? A truly imaginative tween novel that’s part Indiana Jones, part Wild Wild West, and entirely enjoyable. Include it in your upper-elementary or middle school library or classroom collection, and recommend it to readers who love adventure and aren’t afraid to challenge their own assumptions about science and history.

Nobody Is Somebody Special

8/31/2016

Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2009) Reading level 4.7

Newt Newman is nobody. Really. Unnoticed. Unappreciated. Unremarkable. So different from the rest of his family. His older brother is the star quarterback of the high school football team. His mother is a frantic real estate agent, and his father is a successful construction manager. Then there’s Newt – the youngest of the family – who helps his mother find her cell phone, rustles his brother out of bed every morning, and makes exquisite breakfasts nobody has time to eat. In Captain Nobody, Newt becomes somebody as his family deals with an unexpected, all-consuming tragedy.

It’s the night of the big football game against the next-town rivals. As brother Chris prepares for the big game, Newt’s parents host a giant pre-game tail-gate party where Newt is once again overlooked. Later that night on the last play of the hard-fought football game, Chris dives headfirst into the end zone to score the game-winning touchdown. As the pile disperses, Chris is found at the bottom, unconscious. Newt’s parents rush to the hospital, beginning a week-long vigil at their comatose son’s side. Mom and Dad tag-team twelve-hour hospital shifts while trying to maintain their careers. Newt is left to get himself to school, prepare the family meals, and basically watch out for himself.

Naturally, Newt is concerned about his brother, but his requests to visit the hospital are unheeded. In an unsuccessful effort to cheer-up his mother, Newt dons his brother’s sports uniform hand-me-downs. His two supportive friends add a cape and mask, and Captain Nobody is born!

Much to everyone’s surprise, Newt keeps wearing the costume. Naturally his teachers are concerned, but they attribute the costume to Newt’s attempt to process his brother’s tragedy. Of course Newt, his friends, and the readers know the truth – Captain Nobody is somebody! He’s not ignored. Newt’s walking taller, with more confidence. He’s never been out of control, but now that control has a name.

Through a series of right place – wrong time events, Captain Nobody rescues a disoriented elderly man, thwarts a jewelry store robbery, and clears a highway so an airplane can make an emergency landing. However, Captain Nobody’s greatest deed is one he intentionally chooses – the rescue and redemption of a young man stuck at the top of a water tower. The young man: the football player who put Chris in the hospital.

Author Dean Pitchford is better known for his songwriting/soundtrack abilities (Fame, Footloose) but there’s no denying his talent for writing the tween novel. The pace is quick, and the prose is accessible. There are no dead spots; no second-act let-down. But amid the action, we learn with makes Newt tick. Pitchford perfectly describes the conflicting emotions of a boy who wants to be noticed, but doesn’t want to beg for attention – the introvert in a family of extroverted over-achievers. Despite the serious undertone, Captain Nobody is really an upbeat, optimistic tween read. Newt is alternately cheerful and sardonic as only a chronic wallflower can be.

My only quibble with the book is the age of Newt/Captain Nobody. He’s 10 years old, and that’s really too young for the lack of supervision provided by his parents. During his brother’s hospital stay, we get the impression that Newt is home alone most of the time, perhaps even overnight.

And unfortunately, the age of our protagonist reduces the potential audience. With a reading level of 4.7, many fourth and fifth graders (ages 9-10) will find this book too difficult. As a former library media specialist, I can tell you that a book about an elementary kid is a tough sell to a middle schooler. Older students typically don’t like to read books about “little kids.” So really, the audience for Captain Nobody consists of fourth and fifth graders with average to above-average reading skills. That’s a regrettable limitation, because the plot and emotional content is certainly appropriate for middle school students.

Newt’s two friends, JJ and Cecil keep the story moving along by encouraging Captain Nobody to seek new adventures. Some of the most comical sections involve Cecil’s use of a walkie-talkie to summon Captain Nobody, who really doesn’t want to get involved. Newt is comfortable slipping into the shadows, but he can’t step away from the responsibility that goes with the cape and mask.

And that’s really what Captain Nobody is about – finding out who you really are, and doing all that you’re capable of doing. That’s an important task for all tweens, and that’s what makes Captain Nobody a keeper. Buy copies for your elementary library collection and your upper-elementary classroom library. Recommend it to all students, but especially to those who need a little encouragement to become their own “somebody.”

Defining Humanity

8/21/2016

Bot Wars by J.V. Kade (Dial Books, 2013) Reading level 4.2

The Bot Wars have been over for six months, but Robert St. Kroix hasn’t returned from the battlefield. His two sons, 12-year-old Trout and 20-year-old Po haven’t given up hope, especially since their father’s internet-connected heart monitor can’t confirm his death. Desperate for answers, Trout makes a simple video pleading for information about his father. He posts the video online, where it quickly goes viral. This starts a chain-reaction of events: Dad’s heart monitor comes back online, Po is taken into custody, and Trout is whisked deep into Bot Territory. Bot Wars, an action-packed yet meaningful novel by J.V. Kade, follows Trout’s attempt to locate his father in enemy territory and rescue his brother from the hands of a manipulative government.

Here’s the backstory: in the near future, robots take-over society’s menial tasks. Robots work as laborers, in manufacturing, and as domestic servants. Almost every house and business owns at least one robot. As robot technology advances, robots begin to feel human emotions and became sentient. Those advancements lead the robots to demand increasing rights, and when those rights are denied, civil war breaks out. After 18 months of fighting an uneasy truce is established; the southeastern United States becomes a free bot territory. In the remaining states, robots are outlawed and deactivated on site (except Texas, which reverts to its independent status.) Trout and his brother live in District 5, in the former state of Colorado.

The trick in writing a near-future story lies in the ability to create a society that is somewhat similar to present day, and just different enough to establish the conflict. Kade (actually popular YA author Jennifer Rush) creates such a society in Bot Wars. The technology is advanced – with hoverboards, self-driving cars, and of course, robots – but not to the point of being unrecognizable. Trout’s world isn’t dystopian like The Hunger Games or Divergent, but we get the feeling that left unchecked, it may just end up that way.

Trout is our first-person narrator, and Kade makes sure we’re experiencing life as he does. Trout and Po’s relationship is reminiscent of the Curtis brothers in The Outsiders, with the elder brother serving as surrogate father working for a meager salary while the younger brother searches for elusive satisfaction in a broken world. The writing in Bot Wars is expressive and literate.

“I stand there listening to the emptiness of the house and the hollowness of my chest, like my heart ran off in the middle of the day because it was sick of hurting. Not that I would blame it.”

Trout (author Kade) also has a talent for describing smells. An office building smells like “leather shoes and lemons.” Imprisoned brother Po smells like “fried beans and sweat.” An underground industrial tunnel smells like “a beach ball fresh out of the package.”

As he searches for his father, Trout meets a well-developed assortment of robot and human characters. Kade successfully establishes the “humanity” of the robots and the quirkiness of the humans. I won’t give away the major plot twists, but let’s just say that Bot Wars challenges our ideas of what it really takes to be human. The book’s premise leads to exploration of themes including human rights, slavery, self-determination, and social justice. Unfortunately, those plot lines are left unresolved, but it looks like they’ll be further developed in the sequel, Meta Rise.

To be honest – based on the title and the cover – I was expecting a two-dimensional Transformers knock-off. Bot Wars gives us much more. Part cautionary science fiction, part social justice discussion, and completely engaging and readable, Bot Wars deserves a place on your library shelf and in your classroom library. It’s WRENCHED! (That’s future talk for really, really good!)

Tempting TV Tie-In

8/16/2016

The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf (Club CSI: #1) by David Lewman (Simon Spotlight, 2012) Reading level 4.1

Some tweens will come to your library media center or classroom with an appetite for reading and a love of books. For other students, you need a hook. Television and movie tie-ins are popular with reluctant readers, although sometimes the quality of those offerings is lacking. Fortunately, the Club CSI: series is a well-written, intelligently plotted entry into this arena. The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf is the first of six books published earlier this decade.

The characters and situations in the CSI: television shows probably wouldn’t be appropriate for our tween audience, so we switch the setting to Woodlands Junior High, where new science teacher Miss Hodges introduces forensic science into the curriculum. (Miss Hodges mentions a cousin who works in a crime lab in Las Vegas – probably a nod to lab tech David Hodges from the TV show.) Three students are inspired to form an after-school club - Club CSI: - using their newly-obtained knowledge to solve mysteries around school. The first mystery: a case of food poisoning linked to a meatless meat loaf served in the school cafeteria – based on a recipe provided by Miss Hodges!

The first book in any series must introduce the main characters, and the three Club CSI: members are straight out of central casting. There’s Hannah – the detail-oriented natural leader, Ben – the brainy science kid who’s a bit lacking in social skills, and Cody – the affable, insightful jock who never backs away from a challenge – or a snack. The reader doesn’t have to spend too much time learning about these characters because they’ve seen the "type" in countless shows, movies, and cartoons. Add the buffoonish, loud-mouth bully, the cool new teacher with cowboy boots and a denim jacket, and the principal who always seems to be one step behind, and the dramatis personae is complete. The kids are just a little too focused and little too smart for reality, but once again that’s typical for a TV tie-in. The use of such stock characters is disappointing, but they certainly increase the accessibility for reluctant readers.

The beauty of The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf lies in the plot. The club uses the information they’ve learned in class to follow the clues to a logical conclusion. This isn’t the Scooby-Doo team tripping over clues. These students interview witnesses and victims, collect evidence, and question basic assumptions. All of this is done without help from Miss Hodges, because she’s a prime suspect. Careful readers can solve the mystery, but it’s not obvious.

Although the mysterious predicament is quite serious, the tone is light as a feather. It’s easy to imagine yourself watching a television show while reading this book. Jokes and reactions are telegraphed, and I found myself listening for laugh-tracks and segue music as a new chapter began. But, familiar turf is the best place to meet a reluctant reader. No complaints here.

Books from the Club CSI: series probably won’t show up on any state-award lists. Don’t look for an award sticker on the cover. The literary book club will take a pass. But if you’re a classroom teacher, a school library media specialist, or a parent looking for that hook that starts a lifelong reading habit, Club CSI: may just solve your mystery. Consider adding the series to your classroom library and school library media center collection.

Purchasing note: Book Outlet (www.bookoutlet.com) currently has all six paperback books in the Club CSI: series for $2.99 each. Of course, with Book Outlet, when they’re gone, they’re gone!

S.O.S. - Save Our Series

8/13/2016

Shipwreck Island by S. A. Bodeen (Fiewel & Friends, 2014) Reading level 4.4 and Lost by S. A. Bodeen (Fiewel & Friends, 2015) Reading level 4.0

Twelve-year-old Sarah Robinson’s dad just re-married, and Sarah does not approve. No one could take the place of her mother, who died six years ago. Dad’s new wife Yvonne is gracious and sincere, but Sarah’s not having it. Complicating matters are Yvonne’s sons: twelve-year old Marco and little brother “Nacho,” two years younger. The newly-blended family embarks on a chartered cruise in the South Pacific in Shipwreck Island, the first book in a three-book tween series by young-adult author S. A. Bodeen. The story continues in a slender second volume, Lost.

After a long plane ride to Fiji, the family finds their chartered boat, Moonflight, a real downgrade from the gleaming, luxurious vessel pictured in the brochure. Against Dad’s better judgment, the family decides to undertake the ocean voyage anyway. Captain Norm is the owner, skipper, and chef; Ahab – a large Newfoundland dog – his only crewmate.

Captain Norm sets sail for a lush, private tropical island. Within hours, the Moonflight is battling an intense storm. The boat rolls, the mast breaks, and Captain Norm is missing and presumed dead. Miraculously, the Moonflight survives the storm, and the (Swiss family) Robinsons are marooned on an island paradise.

At this point I think I know exactly where this exciting, readable page-turner is going, and for a couple of chapters, I’m right. The new family needs to work together to salvage supplies from the boat before it sinks, find a source of fresh water, and build a secure shelter while waiting to be rescued. Amid the challenges, the three children learn to tolerate and eventually care about each other. The Brady Bunch meets Gilligan’s Island. I’m primed for a group hug as the rescue boat makes landfall.

And that’s where I’m wrong. Way wrong. Shipwreck Island’s third act makes a sharp turn toward creepy-land, with immensely satisfying results. The book's two 12-year-olds, Sarah and Marco, each witness odd hybrid animals – a kangaroo with lion’s paws and a bird with four wings and a full set of teeth! The family continues to experience odd, eerie phenomenon as they establish a home-base on the island.

Shipwreck Island ends too abruptly, with no real plot resolutions or cliffhangers. It’s one of those endings that has you looking at the blank pages at the end of the book to make sure you didn’t miss something. After 184 pages, it just stops.

The reader now turns to Lost, book #2 in the series for some sense of fulfillment, but the payoff never comes. A new character (who emerged briefly at the end of the first book) tells her 20-page backstory around the family campfire in the early chapters. This narrative provides details too quickly; I’ve invested 200 pages trying to solve the mystery, and now a minor character spills the beans?

(Spoiler alert-paragraph) As Lost continues, family members become separated, with Sarah and Marco exploring the island hoping to find Dad and Nacho. They work together, save each others' lives, and learn that having a step-brother/sister may not be so bad after all. They stumble upon more oddities, and eventually find the source of the weirdness. It’s a shape-shifting alien, whose collection of frozen animals includes Dad and Nacho!

Depending on the reader, the extra-terrestrial developments in Lost may be greeted with excitement, or scorned with an eye roll. On one hand the science fiction element gives the series a jolt of intrigue and suspense. Conversely, we’ve now “lost” all semblance of our original story, and we’re two-thirds of the way into a three-book series. The series’ first shift was an unpredictable hook, but the alien component feels more like inconsistency. Bodeen has written herself a literary magic wand. There’s a fine line between a plot twist and a gimmick.

Middle school readers will probably gobble-up Shipwreck Island. Lost is a necessary continuance of the story, but like it’s predecessor, it ends too abruptly. The final book in the series, Trapped, was released last month. Trapped may redeem the series, or it may sink it like Captain Norm’s boat. Feeling a bit shipwrecked myself, I’m not all that eager to find out.

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Action-packed Sci-Fi Sequel

Another Winner from Haddix

Tween Spy's Toughest Assignment

Learning the Hard Way

Violent Alt-History - Squandered Opportunities

An Engaging Armchair Adventure

Nobody Is Somebody Special

Defining Humanity

Tempting TV Tie-In

S.O.S. - Save Our Series

Keith Kyker

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