by Jo Knowles

310 pages for middle grade readers – have tissues ready

Fern feels mostly invisible. Her family is busy – each struggling with issues and questions that keep them away from her most of the time. Dad is scheming up ways to bring more business to the family restaurant.  Mom, when not  meditating, is helping with that.  Older sister, Sara, has taken a gap year between high school and college.  She working for her parents and trying to find her way in town when no one her age is around.  Holden, always Fern’s partner until now, is struggling with his sexual identity.  But Charlie, the three-year old family joy, has time for Fern – always, and sometimes that’s a bother!  If it weren’t for her best friend, Ran and his soothing mantra, all will be well, Fern is pretty sure no one would even notice if she dissolved away.

They are a family, trying to work as a team.  They spend lots of time together, enjoying, annoying, challenging and supporting one another.  It seems as though much of their life is controlled by the rhythms of Harry’s until an unthinkable tragedy happens that nearly undoes the entire family.  All is not well and never can be again.  Perhaps…maybe eventually it will be okay.

The characters in this book are part of me now forever.  They have amazing courage, strength and beauty.  Jo Knowles writing is striking.  It is honest and clear.   This part near the beginning of the book made me stop, reread and wonder:

“Holden?  Is it true, what Sara said?”

“That I’m too sensitive?  No.”

I nudge him.  Come on, you know what I’m talking about.”

“Yeah, I know.”

I wait for him to really answer, but he doesn’t.  He just sits there with his arms crossed over his knees.  If it’s true, I wonder what that must be like.  To know you’re different.  To know some people are going to hate you because of it.

I laughed out loud and then I cried and cried and cried.  Just when I thought I knew what the story would be, it changed.  It wasn’t that at all. I sat breathless and sobbing, desperate to know what would happen as I turned the page.  See You at Harry’s is a book that will live with me from now on and will keep coming to mind when I need to be reminded of the power of friendship, love and forgiveness.  What an amazingly powerful book.

by Gill Lewis

338 pages of environmental adventure

Kara is from in a small fishing village on the coast.  Everything in her life revolves around the sea.  Her mom, a marine biologist has been missing since she went to protect dolphins being captured for aquariums and sea parks.  Her dad is struggling to pay the bills and because of this Kara is about to lose everything left that she cares about, Moana their sailboat.  Enter Felix, a Londoner who has CP and is resentful about being forced to leave his friends for a small town of nothing.  Sailing might be the thing that break the boredom and that’s how he and Kara connect in instant dislike.

Not all kids are welcoming, appreciative or kind.  Jake and Ethan are those kids.  They make everyone uncomfortable through teasing and humiliation.  Kara is not sorry she broke Jake’s nose – she simply couldn’t stand to hear him say one more nasty thing about her missing mother, or her out-of-work father.  Breaking his nose only highlights the tensions between their families. Dredging the reef will mean fisherman can reel in more money. That’s what the town needs according to Jake’s fisherman dad.  He has several trawlers and as soon as the dredging ban is lifted he is going to farm the sea.  He sees that as his right.  Kara does not see it as farming: farmers sow, dredgers only reap.

School is about to end – thankfully in Kara’s mind.  Everything is in turmoil in her life.  She looks to the sea for some calm and she finds a joyous pod of dolphin dancing in the cove.  With them she see a white yearling.  Amazing!  Kara looks to sea each day for calm and it at one of those times she discovers the albino dolphin washed ashore.  It had been snared in an old fishing net, is severely hurt and close to death.  Felix finds them there and together they work with vets and specialists to save her and reunite her with her mother.  This rescue effort sets off a chain of events that might save the reef – but certainly not without heartache and danger.

Gill Lewis is veterinarian and a writer. Her knowledge of what it would take to save a dolphin and her understanding of the fragile connections between all life add real depth to her stories.  The pungent sounds and smell of the sea surround you and bring you to the shore in Cornwall, but you’ll be thinking about the importance of all life around you when you close the covers.

by Patricia McLachlan

119 pages of gentle care

Kindred Souls is a kind comforting embrace from the first.  It is like reading a poem that surrounds you with all the best people have to offer.  Jake’s grandpa, Billy, and he share a powerful bound.  They are kindred souls who know best how to support each other.    There is nothing unusual in what they do and in how they are together but that is what makes everything about their relationship extraordinary.

Jake says, “After I do my chores, Billy and I take our daily walk around the farm.  Everyday I’m not in school we take the same walk.  It isn’t boring.  It is peaceful and what Billy calls “predictable.”

“I like predictable,” says Billy.  “I like the spring rain.  I like summer heat.  I like thunderstorms with lightning all around.  I like the wind and snow in winter.”

I like the feeling of gentleness and care of ordinary and the contentment of time well spent because the things that are truly important are more likely to be noticed.

Hummingbirds, the changing of the seasons, sod houses, the sights and sounds of the prairie, family and angel dogs are important parts of this story that helps us notice what is important to see.

by Andrea Cheng

146 pages for early middle readers wishing for ways to understand the complications of friendship

“We read to know we are not alone.” C.S. Lewis
Anna reads all the time. The wonders and adventures found in books seems safer than those that surround her now that she is in fourth grade. It is easier to be with a book than it is to be with Laura now that she is hanging out with Allison and Lucy. Anna feels different and without a friend she feels a little lost. Anna likes to read. She likes to sew. She likes to make things and create. Ray, the crossing guard, appreciates what she creates. Mr. Sheppard, the man her mom cleans for, sees her talent. But Allison, “the whispering kind of girl”, thinks she’s weird.

That’s hard. Anna wishes to fit in and be the same. If that can’t happen, Anna wishes to be left alone. But sometimes you can’t just read or be alone. Sometimes you need to help and be a friend, even when it is hard. That’s what Anna does and in the end learns some new things about herself that makes being different not so different. After all, everyone is different in her or his own way.

by Shiela O’Connor

246 pages to ponder – what if, what was what could be…

How would you feel if your mom took a new job and all of a sudden your summer changed?  How would you feel if you found yourself at a strange dilapidated mansion populated by a few eccentric artists?  You’ve got lots of questions, but you get no answers.  You know Grampa Mac, back in Milwaukee, is angry about it.  You know that your mom isn’t telling you the whole truth.  And Viktor, the guy driving the truck out from the train station, is less than friendly – he’s almost creepy in fact.

That’s how Raine’s summer begin – with one added twist, no talking at all until dinner six days a week, no electronics either.  Fortunately Raine and her mom arrive on a talking day.  Raine meets the artists: a confused elderly poetess, Lillian, a severe reclusive writer Eleanor, a vibrant joyous fabric artist, Josie and an optimistic collector mosaic artist, Diego.  She learns about Sparrow Road, Sorrow Lake, and the orphanage that once stood there.  But what’s a 12-year old supposed to do with her days, with her summer?

“But silence until supper?” I asked.  “Every day?  That sound absolutely horrible.”

“I know.”  Diego nodded.  “It sounds bad in the beginning.  But trust me, you’ll learn to like it, Raine… And Sparrow Road’s the perfect place for dreams.”

“Dreams?”

“Sure.  Like the way you start to daydream when you’re bored.  Or, there’s nothing but quiet so you dream.”

“Six days a week till supper?  That’s a lot of bored.”

“Oh, it’s not boring really.  Because an artist just gets busy and creates.  All the time alone becomes a painting or a poem or a quilt”

“When I was young I used to dream up stories,” I said.  “But that won’t keep me busy until supper.”

Diego laughed again.  “You’re still young, Raine.  And you might be surprised how much you create in all that quiet.  You could write a book at Sparrow Road.”

“About what?” I asked.

“Who knows?” Diego smiled.  “That’s part of the discovery.  Just start out on  a journey.  Ask yourself, What if?  Or think about what was or what could be.  And suddenly” – he snapped his fingers – ” like magic, you’ll be drifting in a dream.”

“What if?” I asked.  “What was?  Or what could be?”  Diego makd the silence sound enchanted.  Not a rule, but a chance.

“I swear it works for me,” Diego said.  “Just give it a try tomorrow.  Let me know what you dream up.”  (p 31-32)

There are dreams for Raine and challenges and mysteries.  There are joys and grave sorrows.  There are choices and changes.  What if?  What was?  What could be?  Go to Sparrow Road to find out.  You’ll be glad you did.

by R.J. Palacio

320 must read pages full of challenges that could help you decide what kind of person you want to be

August (Auggie) Pullman is about to start 5th grade.  The first unusual thing about that is up until then he has been home schooled.  The second unusual thing is that Auggie was born with mandibulfacial dysostosis.  This means he has no outer ears and it looks as if the rest of his facial features have been melted off.  After 27 surgeries it seems as though he is strong enough and ready for a new step.  Is he?  He’s used to being looked at, but not looked at.  He’s used to being called Freak or Freddie Kruger or Gross-out.  He’s used to people averting their eyes when they see him.  Up until now when that happens he can leave.  That won’t be the case in school.  He knows what he looks like on the outside but on the inside he’s pretty ordinary. He’s a Star Wars fan.  He loves his x-box.  He decides to give Beecher Prep a try and courageously goes off to middle school – like “a lamb to the slaughter” as his father says.

Auggie is smart, funny, thoughtful and brave.  He tells his story of that year, with all its ups and downs.  Mr. Brown his English teacher asks them to consider various precepts – one each month.  He calls them “rules about really important things.”  The first one is: “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”   —Dr. Wayne Dyer  Auggie thinks he is going to like Mr. Brown.  (I know I do!)  The other important characters in Auggie’s life tell their side of the story too.  His sister, Via, just starting high school, explains what its like to have Auggie in her life.   Jack and Summer, the kids he thinks are his friends – one who was asked to befriend him and one who just feels it is the right thing (after all who wants to sit in the cafeteria alone) share their relationships with him.  Miranda, Via’s old friend and Julian, her new boyfriend, also explain tell what it is like to have Auggie in their lives. Middle school is hard.  Everyone wants to fit in and melt into a pool of sameness while being importantly different.  Auggie is definitely that in so many more ways than his appearance.

What an amazingly thought-provoking book.  Visit the Wonder book site  for more thoughts and connections.  I hope everyone reads Wonder and thoughtfully chooses how to be true, steadfast and kind – in fact “ always be more kind than necessary.” J.M. Barrie

 by Sara Pennypacker

162 pages of smiles for middle grade readers

(older readers may enjoy finding their younger selves in the pages too.)

I would love having Clementine in my class at school.  She is herself at all times.  I admire that.  She would be a great friend.  She is creative and funny.  Although I have to say she does some things that would make my 9-year old self a little nervous.  (I didn’t like getting into trouble.) She is committed to her family and she always tried her best.  It’s just that things don’t always work out smoothly.  When this book begins Clementine’s having a nervous breakdown. The “Family Meeting!” sign is up in her house.  She knows she must be in trouble for something, but she can’t figure out what it is.  Try as she might to find out what’s on the agenda, her parents won’t give her even the smallest, teeniest clue before the meeting.

Clementine gets through that meeting just fine, but in the end initiates a meeting of her own to let her family know how she would like to deal with the changes in their lives.  In between she tries to work with Waylon to create a science project – he wants to try transmogrification – and with Margaret her year-older neighbor who is thinking makeup is the coolest thing.  Clementine is not so sure.

One of my favorite parts of the story is how Clementine (named after a fruit) always calls her little brother Squash or Yam or Bean Sprout throughout the books.  It seems as though she might find him annoying, but really he turns out to be a pretty great kid to be a sister to.

Read all the Clementine books.  They’re fun and refreshing and real.

by Kathryn Erskine

245 pages to thoughtful calculations for intermediate and middle school wonderers

Dad’s an engineer.  His head is always in his work, noticing very little of what Mike does or who he really is.  Mike claims he has dyscalculia.  His father seems unaware and remains certain that he will get into Newton High if he completes a special project – building an artesian screw with his great uncle.  Dad is spending the summer in Romania and Mike is going to live with those unknown relatives, Poppy and Moo.

The great engineering project turns into a much larger and more complicated adventure.  The town, “Do Over” (the N has fallen off the sign) is working together to raise $40,000 in three weeks to support the adoption of Misha.  The town is committed to this goal, but unable to get it done.  That’s where the “true value” of Mike come into play.   Mike energizes, masterminds and organizes a massive campaign that brings the town to life.  He helps them realize that it will take everyone moving forward in the present to achieve a goal.

Mike overcomes incredible obstacles.  He determinedly moves through each challenge he encounters.  From porch pals to herb vinegar to songs and hand-crafted boxes, Mike organizes and orchestrates it all, in the end coming to understand that numbers are not the only things with value.

You will fall in love with the characters in this book.  There are some laugh-out-loud parts and some sobering serious parts too.  It is amazing how crazy real-life can be, especially when it takes everyone present to get something done.  This book makes you stop to wonder about possibilities.  Can the true value of a person ever be known?