A Bunch of Short Books

Over the past few months, I haven’t done a great job of keeping up with new books other than a few middle grade novels and even fewer YA books. I’ll also probably have a new list of picture books to post sometime between now and the end of the year, when it’ll be time for my Best Books of 2020 list. But for now, here’s a quick list of some early readers, chapter books, and graphic novels that I’ve read and liked within the past couple weeks.

The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem by Shannon & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Chapter book, recommended for grades K-2

In my opinion, the first several books in this series are some of the best books out there for kids at that reading level. Princess Magnolia is in many ways your stereotypical girly-girl princess in a big pink dress, but she has a secret identity. As the Princess in Black, she dons a ninja-like costume and fights monsters. The plentiful, brightly-colored illustrations make these stories feel as fun and easy as picture books, and the large font size and relatively simple sentence structure keep them beginner-friendly. But in actuality, they’re nearly a hundred pages long with multiple paragraphs on most pages. And they contain more “big words” than most books at a similar reading level. So they really pack quite a lot of educational value for a budding reader on top of the genre appeal factors, the likable protagonist, and the humor. Unfortunately, the latest couple books haven’t been quite as good as the earlier ones. There are new hero/princess characters introduced in almost every book, sometimes several of them within the space of a few pages. If I counted correctly, we’re up to 14 now, each with their own sidekick animal. The books simply aren’t long enough to continue including everyone in every book. I still feel that this newest Princess in Black books is among the best new chapter books of the year, but it’s a bit of a disappointment after the earlier, better books in the series.

Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright

Graphic novel, recommended for grades 4-6

I was intrigued when I heard that Varian Johnson, author of The Parker Inheritance from 2018 and The Great Greene Heist from 2014, was coming out with a graphic novel. For this book, he teamed up with illustrator/cartoonist Shannon Wright. The resulting graphic novel is a fun, quick read about sibling rivalry that will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale. Protagonists Maureen and Francine Carter are twins who had always been close in elementary school, but now that they’re in middle school, Francine wants to distance herself from her sister. When Maureen and Francine end up running for class president against each other, the rift in their relationship escalates to a full-blown feud. I appreciated this book’s honest depiction of the struggles that twins face when trying to establish their own identities. Since I also had a twin sister myself, I dislike when books or movies give the impression that twins are automatic best friends and that there aren’t any hardships that come along with it. When I finished the book and saw that acknowledgements, I discovered that Varian Johnson also had a twin. His relevant childhood experiences show in the way that he’s able to portray the twin sisters’ pain and insecurities and the resulting animosity between them without portraying either sister as the “bad guy”. 

See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

Early Reader, recommended for preschoolers and kindergartners 

Remember when you were learning how to read and all the “stories” just said things like “see the dog” and “see the dog eat”? I personally wasn’t exposed to Dick and Jane until I was already reading fluently, but I started with the classic reading-lesson book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, which still started you off with imperative sentences about seeing animals eating or reading. After all, there’s only so much plot you can put into a story when you’re trying to keep sentences under five words while only using familiar, monosyllabic words. But in this book, LaRochelle finds a way to have some fun with that extremely controlled vocabulary. In the first of the three stories, everything we’re being told to “see” isn’t there in the picture. What cat? What green dress? Poor Max the Dog doesn’t know what the book is talking about. The joke is simple enough that even a child who is still struggling to sound out words will pick up on it. Each of the other two stories has a similar simple joke. There are a few long sentences in there, but an absolute beginner can probably still handle it with an adult’s help.

Come In, Zip! By David Milgrim

Early Reader, recommended for preschoolers and kindergartners 

This is another great book for kids who are still in the sounding-it-out phase. (Although it’s a rhyming book with a consistent meter that will be lost when read by a beginner) This is actually part of a series, but it functions as a standalone story, too. Zip is a young space alien who would rather play outside than come in for bed. He tries to run away from his mother, and when that doesn’t work, he tries escaping an a car and a jet (presumably imaginary) before his mother eventually succeeds in bringing him in for bed. Despite the sparse text and controlled vocabulary, this book tells a complete story (albeit a story with a very simple plot) and portrays an affectionate mother-child relationship that will appeal to the grownup who is helping the child read the book. This one would function well as a bedtime story.

Magic Tree House #34: Late Lunch with Llamas by Mary Pope Osbourne

(This is actually book #62 if the original 28 books and the Merlin Missions are counted as one continuous series)

Chapter book, recommended for grades 2-4

In this latest installment of the popular Magic Tree House series, Jack and Annie travel to the Andes during the time of the Incan Empire. As in many of the other books in the series, they have a note from the sorceress Morgan le Fay that gives them vague hints about their mission. So far, they only know that it has something to do with rescuing a creature and that “old legends” will help them. Soon after arriving, they meet a boy whose beloved llama has just been taken by royal guards from the Secret City. (Jack and Annie later learn that “the Secret City” is Machu Picchu) It becomes clear that their mission is to go and recover the llama from Machu Picchu. While this book is not necessarily one of my favorites in the series, and I found some parts a little corny, I loved the ancient Peruvian setting.

Serena Says

Serena Says by Tanita S. Davis, 2020

Recommended for grades 4-8; realistic fiction

Serena St. John’s long-time best friend JC is in the hospital recovering from a kidney transplant, and as class ambassador, Serena is excited to get to go visit her. But then Serena gets a bit of a cold, and JC’s weakened immune system means that she can’t have sick visitors. So the new kid, Leilani, goes to visit her instead. What’s worse, once JC finally gets out of the hospital, she starts hanging out with Leilani more. Serena doesn’t get to see her BFF very often, and when they do hang out, Leilani is usually there, too. JC even backs out of the project that the girls were planning to do together for the school’s annual WinterFest. Serena feels like she’s been replaced. It doesn’t help that Leilani is somewhat of an overachiever at school.

Then the vice principal Mrs. Henry puts Serena on Student Senate. Serena is not happy; everyone knows that Student Senate is “pointless” because “everyone knows that teachers and Mrs. Henry are the ones who make the rules.” Serena thought it was stupid when her older sister Fallon was involved in revising the student constitution, and she doesn’t think any more highly of her own new role in student government. But Mrs. Henry tells her that it’s a good opportunity for her to “stand out and speak up”, so Serena grumpily allows herself to be given tasks and put on a subcommittee. Together with Harrison, a classmate she doesn’t especially like, Serena is in charge of planning student activities for Red Ribbon Week, another of the many special events designed to emphasize school spirit. Harrison clearly doesn’t expect much participation from Serena, so it comes as a surprise to him when she’s full of spontaneous ideas. 

As the story progresses, the plot starts to lose its cohesiveness. Halloween, school events, and bickering between the sisters are added without any real connection to other elements of the story. At one point, Serena finds out that Harrison’s older brother is a patient at the mental health facility where her mother works. Serena can’t resist the urge to share this piece of gossip with JC for a little attention. Although she feels extremely guilty for a couple chapters, there are no consequences and the incident is quickly forgotten by everyone. WinterFest preparations play a recurring role in the story, and a major school project about Ancient Egypt becomes a major focus towards the end of the book. There’s also a short-lasted subplot involving JC’s birthday party and a special heirloom dress she wants Serena to wear so that she doesn’t have to wear it herself. But again, none of these elements are really tied together, and the order of events seems somewhat random. 

Throughout all of these school events, friendship crises, and family squabbles, Serena regularly records a practice vlog called Serena Says in which she shares personal anecdotes, gives advice, and sometimes talks about books or DIY projects. These videos are included in the book in the form of transcripts. I know I’ve seen that a few reviewers didn’t like the vlog element, and the SLJ review said that their “purpose” is “unclear”, but I actually felt that they contributed to the thematic consistency of the story and added a significant appeal factor for middle-grade readers. (Like it or not, most kids in that age range spend a lot of time on Youtube and get a lot of ideas and advice from their favorite vloggers) And I think it’s worth acknowledging that the vlog sections are where Serena’s character development really shows. 

At the beginning of the book, her confidence and self-worth are heavily tied to her identity as “student ambassador” and JC’s BFF. In fact, she’s oblivious to the fact that her teachers and peers see a lot of leadership potential in her. But by the end of the book, she’s gained the confidence to start uploading some of her videos and she’s enjoying using them to showcase her creativity. She also frequently makes comments about “speaking up” or sharing her story, which starts out as something of a catchphrase that she says without meaning. But later in the story, she does learn when and how to speak her mind. Whether it’s asking for group extra credit in school, expressing herself to JC, or communicating her crafty ideas on her vlog, she acquires the skills to actually “stand out and speak up” as Mrs. Henry encouraged her to do earlier in the book.

My overall opinion is that this book is a little lacking in the quality of the plot, but it more than makes up for that in Serena’s believable, likable character and the real-life lessons she learns along the way. It also deserves credit for being an “own voices” book about an African American protagonist while also depicting Filipino-American culture (that is, JC’s family) and tactfully portraying both physical long-term illness and mental health problems. This combination of appeal factors and relevant messages make the book well worth the read.

We Dream of Space

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly, 2020

Recommended for grades 4-8; realistic fiction, historical fiction

It’s January 1986 and the Nelson Thomas family is a pretty typical, if somewhat unhappy family living in Park, Delaware. Cash Nelson Thomas is halfway through repeating seventh grade and is in danger of failing yet again. He’s discouraged by both his poor academic performance and his lack of skill in basketball, and now he has a broken arm on top of it all. His slightly younger brother Fitch, whose life revolves around arcade games, has a reputation for being a bit of a hothead, and now he’s in trouble for losing his temper and insulting Amanda, an annoying girl from his class who evidently has a crush on him. And Fitch’s twin sister Bird, an electronics whiz and aspiring astronaut, just longs for a happy family life with regular meals together at the dinner table. She finds solace in imaginary conversations with her hero, Judith Resnik, a mission specialist for the upcoming Challenger Space Shuttle expedition. Both Bird and her favorite teacher Mrs. Salonga are eagerly awaiting the launch.

Most adult readers of this book will know to expect the tragic ending, but many middle-grade readers will be as surprised as the characters. On January 28, 1986, the Challenger experienced a “major malfunction” and was engulfed in flames just a little more than a minute after takeoff, killing all seven astronauts aboard. This book doesn’t go into a lot of detail about the disaster, largely because most of those details weren’t publicized until months later. For the sake of this book, the significance of the disaster lies not in the mechanical failure itself but in the impact it had on viewers and the questions it raised about the feasibility of space exploration and the reliability of technology.

When the tragedy occurs, Bird is absolutely devastated, so much so that she ends up taking several days off from school. She decides to give up on her own aspirations, coming to believe some of her classmates’ opinions that space exploration is pointless. Cash and Fitch, normally so self-absorbed, come to realize what Bird knew all along: Their sister is the glue that holds their dysfunctional family together. The story ends on a hopeful, if not entirely happy, note as the brothers cheer Bird up with a backyard picnic and a little bit of a pep talk.

Told in three interspersed viewpoints, this book is a combination of ‘80s nostalgia, commentary on the importance of good family dynamics, messages about self-identity and self-worth, and interesting questions about the relationship between people and technology. Despite this wide array of themes and points, We Dream of Space does a great job of covering them all while still maintaining an easily readable, child-friendly tone. 

In a draft of this blog post, I had elaborated on each of these thematic elements with examples from the book and commentary on why the multiple-viewpoint format worked so well, but the resulting blog post would have been several thousand words. In the interest of keeping this down to a (more or less) acceptable length for a book review, I’m cutting out all of that extra analysis. But suffice to say that there’s plenty of room for intelligent analysis there, making this a great book for classroom discussions and book reports as well as recreational reading. In my opinion, this book well deserves the multiple starred reviews it has earned and just may be a likely candidate for the Newbery Award.