Middlegrade Microreviews

I've been reading a ton of middlegrade books for this award committee I'm on, and I thought hey, why not share my thoughts on all these books I'm knocking out? So here we go, several brief reviews of the books I've been reading the last couple of months.

1. Monster Tree by Sarah Allen - Started off strong, but ultimately ended up feeling somewhat half-baked. The explanation for the spooky things that were happening and the reason they were targeting the main character didn't track for me, the ending was rushed and unsatisfying, and overall I just didn't find it terribly spooky.

2. All the Ways to Go by Jessie Janowitz - I really couldn't decide how I felt about this one. On the one hand, it didn't really feel like there was anything driving the story forward, so I was like what is this actually about? On the other, I enjoyed it the entire time. So...I guess that means it was good.

3/4. Link and Hud: Heroes by a Hair and Link and Hud: Sharks and Minnows by Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey - I accidentally read these out of order, and that mistake has me conflicted. The thing is, I read the first one (the "first one" being book 2) and was like wow, these boys have some pretty problematic behaviors, and at the end of the day those behaviors end up basically being celebrated, which is wild to me. Yikes. But then I read the second one (the "second one" being book 1), and while it starts with them having some similarly problematic behaviors, in the end it seems like there is more of a "we're learning that there's a time and a place for actions like this and that we should also sometimes think about how what we do impacts other people" message. So now I'm just kind of baffled. Like...not only NO character growth in the second book, NEGATIVE character growth. I guess book one, thumbs up, book two, thumb sideways.

5. A Split Second by Janae Marks - Realistic fantasy, all about the struggle of navigating friendships and conflict. I thought it was very sweet!

6. Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles - I'm disappointed I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to. I thought the first bit was excellent, but then it just dragged a little too long. If it were shorter, it would have been five stars. I still enjoyed it, but I have my doubts about if the age group it's intended for would stick with it when it slows down.

7. Heroes of the Water Monster by Brian Young - I think this is technically a "companion" novel to another book, Healer of the Water Monster, and I was hoping that not having the context of the other book wouldn't impact my experience with the story, but it did. I think Young did his best to make it work as a standalone, but there were references to the other book and I just felt the lack of context. Outside of that, I thought it was a slow pace but a good story. Very nuanced.

8. My Name is Hamburger by Jacqueline Jules - A historical fiction about a Jewish girl whose father immigrated to the US from Germany to escape the Holocaust. I thought this story was beautiful, I couldn't put it down.

9. The Sasquatch of Hawthorne Elementary by K.B. Jackson - There are two parts to this story. The first, a boy who just moved to the Pacific Northwest with his mom forms a detective agency with two other students at his school to track a sasquatch. This bit, quite fun and enjoyable. The second, the boy's father, who is not on his birth certificate and has never been in his life, apparently decides that twelve years in he wants and is owed a relationship with his son, finds out where they moved, and follows them across the country, ultimately ending up essentially stalking his son until he gets caught. This was treated as an okay thing to do, and that is just BAFFLING to me. As much as I enjoyed the sasquatch stuff, the weird dad stuff tanked this book for me.

10. Glowrushes by Roberto Piumini - This is a beautiful story, but I'm not sure I would consider it a true kid's book? It's an Italian classic, and while it is short and very good, it seemed to me to be something with more adult appeal. I'm also a little baffled at it being included on our award list, because while the edition I read was published more recently, the story itself is from 1987. Soooooo....weird choice. Like I said, though, it's a beautiful story, read it if you can. Hell, read it to a kid and tell me if they like it.

11. The Curse of the Ten Broken Toes by Matthew Eicheldinger - Dude, the main character in this book can be such a little shit, but I loved this. "The Curse" aside, it felt very realistic, and I appreciated that while he had his asshole 12-year-old moments, there were also some genuinely thoughtful and kind moments. This was a fun read, and one that I think my students will enjoy.

12. The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers - Look, I'm not technically done with this one yet, but I love it. I had no idea what to expect, and it has surprised me in the best way.

And...that's it! The Eyes and the Impossible is the last book for me to finish, and then I've read them all. The end of an era...until next year's award cycle!