LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds

Realistic Fiction, Novels in Verse, Gun Violence, African American, Coming of Age, Family, Brothers, High-Low

Multiple Awards. 

My Comments

Outstanding! Intense, so choose your middle school reader carefully.

From the Publisher
An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds's fiercely stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds--the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he's going to murder the guy who killed his brother.A cannon. 

A strap.
A piece.
A biscuit.
A burner. 
A heater.
A chopper. 
A gat.
A hammer
A tool for 
RULE
Or, you can call it a gun. 

That's what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That's where Will's now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother's gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he's after. Or does he? 

As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that's when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn's gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn't know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck's in the elevator? 

Just as Will's trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck's cigarette. Will doesn't know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.

And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END...if WILL gets off that elevator.Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, Long Way Down is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds.

MS. BIXBY'S LAST DAY by John David Anderson

Realistic Fiction, School, Friends, Teachers, Cancer, Adventure

From the PublisherA funny, heartwarming, and heartbreaking contemporary story about three boys, one teacher, and a day none of them will ever forget.Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard, the ones who stopped trying long ago. The ones you'll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. Ms. Bixby is none of these. She's the sort of teacher who makes you feel like school is somehow worthwhile. Who recognizes something in you that sometimes you don't even see in yourself. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind.Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she won't be able to finish the school year, they come up with a risky plan--more of a quest, really--to give Ms. Bixby the last day she deserves. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand what Ms. Bixby means to each of them--and what the three of them mean to each other.

My CommentsI warmed up to this story as the plot unfolded. Wasn't thrilled with some of his teacher portrayals, but perhaps kids will find these entertaining. It has some entertaining scenes of their antics during the journey to reach Ms. Bixby in the hospital and their kind intent brings heart to the story.

BAD BOY: A MEMOIR by Walter Dean Myers

African American, Coming of Age, Racism, Family, Courage, Harlem Renaissance, Memoir

From the Publisher

In a memoir that is gripping, funny, and ultimately unforgettable, New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers travels back to his roots in the magical world of Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s. Here is the story of one of the most distinguished writers of young people's literature today.

As a boy, Myers was quick-tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously--he would check out books from the library and carry them home, hidden in brown paper bags in order to avoid other boys' teasing. He aspired to be a writer.

But while growing up in a poor family in Harlem, his hope for a successful future diminished as he came to realize fully the class and racial struggles that surrounded him. He began to doubt himself and the values that he had always relied on, attending high school less and less, turning to the streets and to his books for comfort.

My Comments

I disagree with the publisher's description as 'funny,' but it is definitely a powerful story set during the Harlem Renaissance period in New York City. Myers relates tales of terrible prejudice and despair as he begins to understand that despite being bright and going to an excellent school, his prospects are limited because of his race. This would be especially relevant to classes studying U.S. History, the Harlem Renaissance, prejudice, and civil rights. An incredibly powerful story that lends itself to discussion.

DRUMS, GIRLS & DANGEROUS PIE by Jordan Sonnenblick

Realistic Fiction, Cancer, Family, School, Romance

From the PublisherThirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heart warming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.My CommentsA true favorite. This book can speak to a wide range of readers. A realistic fiction staple. Potential for a great class or small book group book discussion.

From the PublisherAn amazing sequel to the groundbreaking Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.Jeffrey isn't a little boy with cancer anymore. He's a teen in remission. Even though the cancer should be far behind him, life still feels fragile. His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, who has always been Jeffrey's main support system and confidant, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and "find himself." His best friend, Tad, is hatching some kind of secretive, crazy plan, which is driving him bonkers. And there is a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he's cute.Profound, funny, and utterly original, After Ever After promises laughter and tears and characters who will live with readers long after the story is over.

My Comments

Just as good as Drums. It's rare to have a book you can recommend to so many different kinds of readers. 

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs

Mystery, Horror, World War II, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

From the Publisher

Sixteen-year-old Jacob, having traveled to a remote island after a family tragedy, discovers an abandoned orphanage, and, after some investigating, he learns the children who lived there may have been dangerous and quarantined and may also still be alive.

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow--impossible though it seems--they may still be alive. 

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

 My Comments
Intriguing, disturbing, haunting. Young readers may need a little encouragement to get past the beginning. The story takes off once they arrive on the island and Jacob starts exploring. There are many different psychological levels on which to read this story; I couldn't help thinking of the monsters as metaphorical, but it can also be read as a great adventure, mystery, horror, love story.

THE ISLAND OF DR. LIBRIS by Chris Grabenstein

Mystery, Adventure

From the Publisher

Twelve-year-old Billy Gillfoyle discovers that an island in the middle of the lake where he is spending the summer is the testing grounds of the mysterious Dr. Libris, who may have invented a way to make the characters in books come alive.

What if your favorite characters came to life? Billy's spending the summer in a lakeside cabin that belongs to the mysterious Dr. Libris. But something strange is going on. Besides the security cameras everywhere, there's Dr. Libris's private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the books inside, he can hear sounds coming from the island in the middle of the lake. The clash of swords. The twang of arrows. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It's almost as if the stories he's reading are coming to life! But that's impossible . . . isn't it?

My Comments
Fabulous, fabulous! Great imagination! This book will appeal to a wide grade range from elementary through at least 7th grade. I love the way Grabenstein uses the story as a jump off to recommend great classics at the end. Grades 4-7