TAXI GHOST by Sophie Escabase

 

Taxi Ghost by Sophie Escabase

Graphic Novel, Ghosts, Girls Coming-of-Age, Family

211 pages; 2024

Description

Publishers Weekly (June 10, 2024)

Escabasse (the Witches of Brooklyn series) suffuses this graphic novel tale of typical tween angst with a magical realism twist. Young Adèle is overwhelmed enough dealing with acne, awkwardness, and the start of her first period. But with her maturation comes an additional wrinkle: Adèle can now see ghosts. Over winter break, which she had hoped would be quiet and uneventful, Adèle meets a ghost hacker and persistent gentleman, whom she dubs Mustache Ghost. Her new acquaintance reveals that he belongs to a spectral club aiming to protect Montreal against ruthless developers- a principle that Adèle’s living grandmother also champions-and embroils Adèle in his plight. Adèle’s sarcastic yet kindhearted narration renders her struggles to balance her new abilities and the everyday challenges of growing up with perceptive relatability. Ghost characters are easily distinguishable in Escabasse’s expressive artwork, which depicts them in a soft palette of pinks and greens and adds a touch of surreality to the grounded metropolitan setting. In this empowering and fanciful ghost story, the creator tackles issues such as gentrification, the afterlife, and cultural traditions surrounding menstruation. Ages 8-12. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

My Comments

Early teen girls may like this. The plot is a bit forced for me, but the artwork is expressive and fits the storyline. Cute.

RUBY LOST AND FOUND by Christina Li

 

Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li
Realistic Fiction, Asian American, Feelings & Emotions, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Family, Friendship
2023; 288 pages

Description
"Thanks to her Ye-Ye's epic scavenger hunts, thirteen-year-old Ruby Chu knows San Francisco like the back of her hand. But after his death, she feels lost. . . . After Ruby gets in major trouble at school, her parents decide she has to spend the summer at a local senior center, with her grandmother, Nai-Nai, and Nai-Nai's friends for company. When a new boy from Ruby's grade, Liam Yeung, starts showing up too, Ruby's humiliation is complete. But Nai-Nai, her friends, and Liam all surprise Ruby. She finds herself working with Liam . . . to help save a historic Chinatown bakery that's being priced out of the neighborhood. And alongside Nai-Nai, who is keeping a secret that threatens to change everything, Ruby retraces Ye-Ye's scavenger hunt maps in an attempt to find a way out of her grief--and maybe even find herself"--Provided by publisher.

My Comments Middle school students may relate to the difficulties of dealing with change in friendships. Ruby has lost one friend to moving and another who abandons her for a new group. She is in trouble for leaving school without permission, her parents are busy starting a new business, and she feels guilty about her grandfather's death whom she misses terribly. Ruby feels lost and lonely, but the summer brings new understanding, friendship, and growth.

This is a quiet book, but one with depth. The portrayal of relationships and characters are compelling and keep the book interesting. There is also a bit of adventure when Ruby and her grandmother 'run away' towards the end of the book. Although the book is not difficult, it is a bit long. Give this to thoughtful readers. I did like the book!

SIGN OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM by Katherine Paterson

 

Sign of the Chrysanthemum by Katherine Paterson

Historical Fiction, Adventure, Japan History,  Fathers and Sons, Coming of Age, Conduct of Life,

132 pages

Description
A teenager comes to know himself through contacts with social ills and political unrest while searching for his father in Japan's capital during the Heian period. (794-1185)

My Comments

Great story that moves along. I wish that there was a glossary to define many of the words. The beginning could be a bit confusing so it would be helpful to give some background and help with the topic specific vocabulary, but the story picks up quickly. There are a lot of worthwhile discussion possibilities despite the short length. Excellent.

LUCKY BROKEN GIRL by Ruth Behar

 

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar

Realistic Fiction, Cuban-Americans, Immigration, Grief, Loss, Coming of Age

243 pages, Pura Belpre Award

ruthbehar.com

Description

Horn Book Magazine (July/August, 2017)

In this novel based on the author’s childhood, Ruthie is just ten years old in 1966 when she arrives in Queens from Cuba with her little brother and parents. Because she only speaks Spanish, she is placed in the fifth-grade “dumb” class. Over the next eight months Ruthie’s English improves, she becomes the neighborhood hopscotch queen, and she’s ready to move out of the remedial class. Life is looking up, but then everything comes crashing down when she breaks her leg in a car accident, requiring a full-body cast. Immobile in bed for almost a year, Ruthie is dependent on her mother for everything, and as the months pass, feelings of anger, loneliness, and despair fill her heart. When her next-door neighbor introduces her to drawing and painting, her attention refocuses and she begins to heal emotionally. As she attempts to learn how to walk again, Ruthie finds that friends, family, and the ability to look beyond the present into the future can help turn her “brokenness” into wholeness. Through an unflinchingly honest first-person narrative, readers are taken through a traumatic period in the author’s life (an appended note provides more context and encourages readers to “speak up. Tell your story”). Effectively scattered Spanish phrases lend authenticity, while period references evoke the 1960s setting. alma ramos-mcdermott

My Comments

Author's inscription: "For my son Gabriel, who was also wounded and recovered, and for children everywhere who suffer and look for hope." This is a lovely portrayal of Cuban culture and a loving family who have been forced to leave a country that they love due to political upheaval. The aftermath of a terrible car accident only adds to Ruthie's feeling of isolation. I love how she found art as a way to deal with feelings. This is accessible for all readers.  Highly recommended for grades 6-8.

BLACK BROTHER, BLACK BROTHER by Jewell Parker Rhodes

 Realistic Fiction, African American, Racism and Prejudice, Fencing, Coming of Age

239 pages.

Description
Booklist starred (March 1, 2020 (Vol. 116, No. 13))
“Grades 5-8. A profound treatise about institutional racism for the middle-grade set, Rhodes’ (Ghost Boys, 2018) latest elevates beyond simple moralizing into a penetrating look into the soul of a young person struggling with how to become a Black man of character in a world that expects him to be less. Dropping the reader directly into a tony prep-school office where Donte anxiously awaits judgement for an offense he did not commit, Rhodes dials readers immediately into the boy’s acute dread as he cycles through feelings of shame, anger, and confusion, ultimately leading to a nonconfrontation that causes him to be arrested. As we learn more about Donte and his biracial family, including his lighter-skinned brother, we come to root for him and his pursuit of redemption as he seeks to prove his self-worth to his bullies and his school community through fencing. His coach, one of the first Black Olympic fencers, helps him refine his talent and his ability to deal with the inequities he experiences on a regular basis. An entertaining story and happy ending does not take away from this powerful examination of how the educational and justice systems punitively treat children of color—and how this bias impacts their self-perception and esteem. A powerful work and a must-have for children’s collections.”

My Comments This is a powerful story that skillfully weaves a classic Rocky-like story with serious messages about the effects of cruel and undeserved racism. Rhodes incorporates valuable lessons about redirecting hurt and anger into positive action. Dante comes from a tightly knit, loving family who helps him deal with racist bullying by standing beside him and validating his emotions. Discovering a way to channel his emotions and to develop his confidence through fencing brings the story to a new level that can resonate with all readers. The afterward provides information about the effects of racism on children with links to further reading. An excellent choice for all middle schoolers. Pair this with Stamped by Jason Reynolds, a YA remix of Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi.

FOURMILE by Watt Key

Realistic Fiction, Family, Loss, Violence

228 pages
Teacher's pdf guide available

Description
"Twelve-year-old Foster lives with his mother on Fourmile, their Alabama farm. Foster is still struggling with the death of his father the previous year and the knowledge that he and his mother will have to sell Fourmile and go live in Montgomery. To complicate matters, Foster’s mother is dating Dax Ganey, a man Foster knows is deceitful and bad for her. When a mysterious stranger, Gary, arrives at the farm, Foster bonds with him and looks up to him, unknowingly trying to fill his father’s place in his life. When Foster’s mother spurns Dax, he becomes a dangerous enemy to Foster, Gary, and her. Eventually, Foster must face both Dax and his fears and come to terms with a new life that does not include Fourmile." (teacher's guide summary)

My Comments
I read this book in one sitting. Key's plot and characters keep you on the edge of your seat. Key describes emotions of grief and the fear of change. He also portrays the frustration of being at the mercy of adult decision-making. There is a lot to think about in this short book. One caveat is that there is a lot of violence and grief, but I am glad to have this book on the library shelf. This important book will be just the right match for some middle school readers.

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.

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith

Historical fiction, Brooklyn, Alcoholism, Family, School, Coming of Age

Note: Current 8th grade assigned book (2017-2018)

"From the moment she entered the world, Francie needed to be made of stern stuff, for the often harsh life of Williamsburg demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit. Often scorned by neighbors for her family's erratic and eccentric behavior-such as her father Johnny's taste for alcohol and Aunt Sissy's habit of marrying serially without the formality of divorce-no one, least of all Francie, could say that the Nolans' life lacked drama. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the Nolans' daily experiences are tenderly threaded with family connectedness and raw with honesty. Betty Smith has, in the pages of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, captured the joys of humble Williamsburg life-from "junk day" on Saturdays, when the children of Francie's neighborhood traded their weekly take for pennies, to the special excitement of holidays, bringing cause for celebration and revelry. Betty Smith has artfully caught this sense of exciting life in a novel of childhood, replete with incredibly rich moments of universal experiences--a truly remarkable achievement for any writer.

Classic! This story brings Brooklyn at the turn of the century 1900, alive, but it is also an ageless story of tenderness, family, and love. Recommended for grades 8 and up. Also try the audio version as a family read.

MANIAC MAGEE by Jerry Spinelli

Fiction, Prejudice, Racism, Homelessness, Family, Strength

Newbery Award 1991; Boston Globe/Hornbook Award 1990
184 pages, 1990

Let's not forget to recommend this powerful, heartwarming book! It exemplifies the strength of innocence and truth. An uplifting story that will also make you want to cry.

"In this modern-day tall tale, Spinelli ( Dump Days ; Jason and Marceline ) presents a humorous yet poignant look at the issue of race relations, a rare topic for a work aimed at middle readers. Orphaned as an infant, Jerry Magee is reared by his feuding aunt and uncle until he runs away at age eight. He finds his way to Two Mills, Pa., where the legend of ``Maniac'' Magee begins after he scores major upsets against Brian Denehy, the star high school football player, and Little League tough guy, John McNab. In racially divided Two Mills, the Beales, a black family, take Maniac in, but despite his local fame, community pressure forces him out and he returns to living at the zoo. Park groundskeeper Grayson next cares for the boy, but the old man dies and Maniac moves into the squalid home of the McNabs, who are convinced a race war is imminent. After a showdown with his nemesis, Mars Bar, Maniac bridges the gap between the two sides of town and finally finds a home. Full of snappy street-talk cadences, this off-the-wall yarn will give readers of all colors plenty of food for thought. Ages 8-12" -Publishers Weekly May 1990

PAPERBOY by Vince Vawter

222 pages. Coming of Age, Disabilities, Stuttering, Racism, Historical Fiction

"An 11-year-old boy living in Memphis in 1959 throws the meanest fastball in town, but talking is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering, not even his own name. So when he takes over his best friend's paper route for the month of July, he knows he'll be forced to communicate with the different customers, including a housewife who drinks too much and a retired merchant marine who seems to know just about everything." (titlewave.com)

Great choice for classroom discussions. Older elementary, middle school and up. The issues raised will encourage thinking from a new perspective. Wonderful read.

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd

Realistic Fiction, African American, Families, Coming of Age, High School

301 pages

Description

"Teenagers; Women; Racism; Beekeeping. "Fourteen-year-old Lily and her companion, Rosaleen, an African-American woman who has cared from Lily since her mother's death ten years earlier, flee their home after Rosaleen is victimized by racist police officers, and find a safe haven in Tiburon, South Carolina, at the home of three beekeeping sisters, May, June, and August." 

My Comments
A poetic journey with passages that make you pause and read again. It is a manageable and riveting read for older students, grade 8 and up. This is a great discussion book for a reading group or class.