Ghosts - Raina Telgemeier

Title: Ghosts
Author: Raina Telgemeir
Pages: 256
Published: 2016
Genre: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description:
Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake -- and her own. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I made the mistake of reading this after March, so I compared it to that book rather than judging the book on its own merit.  But trying not to compare it to March, which is so difficult to do, it was a really well told story.  I got freaked out during the course of reading the book, so I can see kids being freaked out with the content.  I liked the interaction between the sisters and could identify with trying to get your bearings in a community you don't really know.  I can only imagine how difficult it is for a teenager to adjust to a new town.  Highly recommended.

Bottom line: A really sweet story of trying to adjust in a new community and would recommend it for middle grade readers who have enjoyed Raina's previous works.

Rating: 4/5

Jacob Have I Loved - Katherine Paterson

Title: Jacob Have I Loved
Author: Katherine Paterson
Pages: 272
Published: 2009 (first published 1980)
Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction, Historical Fiction
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated . . ." With her grandmother's taunt, Louise knew that she, like the biblical Esau, was the despised elder twin. Caroline, her selfish younger sister, was the one everyone loved.

Growing up on a tiny Chesapeake Bay island in the early 1940s, angry Louise reveals how Caroline robbed her of everything: her hopes for schooling, her friends, her mother, even her name. While everyone pampered Caroline, Wheeze (her sister's name for her) began to learn the ways of the watermen and the secrets of the island, especially of old Captain Wallace, who had mysteriously returned after fifty years. The war unexpectedly gave this independent girl a chance to fulfill her childish dream to work as a watermen alongside her father. But the dream did not satisfy the woman she was becoming. Alone and unsure, Louise began to fight her way to a place where Caroline could not reach. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: This was the book that changed my reading from Babysistter's Club books into more literary books and probably changed how I view books.  I don't know why that I identify with Louise, but probably because I have felt similar to her in regards to how I was viewed by others and the fact that I wanted to leave behind the rumors and the teasing that I encountered through out most of elementary and high school.

Bottom line: Like The Robber Bride, which I read when I was 15, this book marks a turning point in my reading life and will forever be a favourite of mine.  I would probably say that the book is more YA than middle-grade, primarily due to the age of the characters and the tone of the book.  Highly recommended.

I should note that this wasn't the cover of the copy that I read, but rather this was a cover of the first copy that I read when I was 12 years old.

Rating: 4.9/5

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Title: A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1)
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Pages: 232
Published: 2007 (originally published 1963)
Genre: Science fiction, Fantasy, Classic, Middle-Grade
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure - one that will threaten their lives and our universe. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I had heard a lot about how a lot of podcasters that I listen to liked this book as kids and thought I would give it a try.  To make it plain, this is probably something that should be read first as a kid, but each reader is different.  Basically I couldn't make heads over tails about what the book was trying to say.

Bottom line: Probably more ideal for middle grade readers that like science fiction or fantasy.  Recommended.

Rating: 2.75/5

Moon over Manifest - Clare Vanderpool

Title: Moon over Manifest
Author: Clare Vanderpool
Pages: 315
Published: 2010
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Historical Fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”

Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I had higher expectations for this book, primarily being that it won a Newbery Award, but was a bit disappointed with the book.

Even though I was disappointed with the book overall, I did like the atmosphere that the author created of what it may have been like in a central Kansas town in the 1930s.

Bottom line: This probably will appeal to those middle grade readers that are starting to transition into middle grade reads, but it may also appeal to older middle grade readers that enjoy historical fiction.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.1/5

And Nothing But the Truth - Kit Pearson

Title: And Nothing But the Truth (The Whole Truth #2)
Author: Kit Pearson
Pages: 267
Published: 2012
Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction, Historical Fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Kit Pearson’ s endearing heroine from The Whole Truth, Polly, is now thirteen and following in her sister’ s footsteps to a boarding school in Victoria. The adjustment is difficult— all those rules!— and Polly often escapes into her dreams of becoming an artist. At least her family is intact again, and there are no more dark and difficult secrets to be kept hidden . . . that is, until her teenage sister, Maud, makes a dramatic confession. Will Polly be able to keep this new secret? Will it tear her family apart again?  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Not sure how I first found out about this book, but probably when doing a searching for anything new out by Kit Pearson, who has long been a favourite author of mine since I was about 10 or 12.

I felt that this was a nice continuation of The Whole Truth and liked that a good number of the same characters appeared in the book, in addition to some new characters that made an appearance in the book.  The book was similar to another favourite book mine by Kit Pearson that I enjoyed as a middle-grade reader, The Daring Game.

Nothing really stood out for me, but I did like that there was a change in scenery during several points in the story, this one had scenes in Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna, and the small island community Polly lived in during The Whole Truth.  I also liked that the personality of Polly continued to evolve over the course of the book, experiencing emotions that a 13-year old probably would experience, given the set of circumstances that Polly was faced with.

As well, I liked how the author uses language that appreciates that her readership will probably want something that can challenge their reading ability, while not dumbing it down, making it too easy for them to read.  And writing in a way that even adult readers enjoy the book as well.  And as this reader can attest to, Ms. Pearson does that well.

But if there was something that I didn't enjoy it was that the author basically closed the book on Polly and her family and friends at the end, as I would have like see how Polly evolved as a person through the different adventures and experiences as she grew into a young adult.

Bottom line: A good addition to the Kit Pearson cannon and while it is not my favourite book of hers, it is engaging for the reader and is able to challenge middle-grade readers.  I would also recommend The Daring Game and The War Guest Trilogy, which are also written by the same author.

Rating: 4.25/5