Middle school is tough.  AJ is determined not to be the book nerd this year. He really likes a girl, and he will change himself to be what she desires: a Vampire.  He darkens his eyes, looks tired, and uses fake blood to give the perfect effect.  Too bad it works too well.  This book was so much fun.  It was about a kid trying to stand out so he could fit in.  It was full of fun adventure, wacky friends, and crazy experiences.  Sometimes being a book nerd is a good thing, as long as you are willing to share your story. 

 A group of Friends write letters to their past selves saying to help a friend. Keep him alive.  Naho is the first girl we meet.  She is timid and shy, and just so unsure of herself. But her letters say to do these things to keep her friend Kekeru.  10 years in the future Naho is married and has a child with her other friend Suwa.  They both get letters with orders to change the future.  This graphic novel has a well written story and great illustrations.  Sometimes it was a bit hard to tell which time panels were in, but overall very well done.  Saying that, this story was not for me.  I do not like sad books.  The reader knows pretty early on that Kekeru’s mother commits suicided and that something happens to Kekeru.  I just didn’t care for it.  I’m glad I read it, but I will not be continuing the series. 

 Travel through middle school with Tori as she recants her memories of 7th and 8th grade.  This is a character driven story of tough points in life.  Sometimes it a moody teenage brother named Ryan or his twin sister the dancing phenom.  Sometimes it’s mom and dad fighting, and dad forgetting his weekly dinners.  This story is mostly a set of vignettes, broken up by pieces of the book written within the pages of this book.  To be honest, I kept waiting for something to happen between these pages, but this isn’t the type of story where things happen and the ending is wrapped up and presented in a bow.  In fact I thought the ending was a bit abrupt.  But then again it mirrors life.  I did really like how the author talked at the end about how remembering things later in life gives you a new perspective, and that is what this feels like… an adult remembering standout moments in their childhood for better and for worse. 

 

For me, I think this is a read and not a listen to book.  This book was a co winner of the Nebula Award in 1966 for the best Sci-Fi book.  It’s co winner was Flowers for Algernon.  I can see what Babel-17 isn’t as talked about as Algbernon.  It’s harder to follow and understand.  At first Babel-17 is an unbreakable code that is a worry to the government.  But then we find out it’s not a code but a language.  One lady not only can decipher it, she lives it.  She has to code switch between languages.  This language is deadly.  It also causes jumps in the story, and other strange things.  The parts that I can remember were really interesting.  Especially when they start talking about an alien race in part 3 that does not have the word or idea of “I”. Everything is “we” and “They”  . This book is part space travel, war ships, and even a bit Hunger games.  There are elements that will remind readers of Altered Carbon, (especially when they are looking for dead workers in the morgue, to help run the ship (they are given a type of second life since there are some jobs on a spaceship that can only be done by someone dead)).  Confused yet?  Yeah, so was I.  There were many parts I listened to more than once.  Overall I did enjoy this book, but I won't remember it next week.  For me this is a book I need to read, because it is going to take a bit of studying to grasp the full picture.

 

 This is a reread for the same prompt as last year.  I don’t normally do that but after reading some other reviews I started to think maybe I was wrong.  I originally loved this book, but what others say about it teaching bad lessons on consent is also spot on.  How often as adults do we tell a friend or someone we know, they just are not interested, leave it alone.  Those that persist are considered creepy.  And this book could be looked at that way.  The ox persists in asking the Gazelle out even though they say no multiple ways.  I still love this book, but I also see what others are saying, and I agree.  New ways of looking at things is the way we grow as people, and I am glad to have had the fog lifted from my eyes. 

 It was really hard to find a Black lead easy reader before 2000.  But Nikki Grimes has been writing forever and I was pleased to find this book for those beginning readers.  The story was about a girl who gets her hair braided weekly and she doesn't want to do it.  The story is great and I think it needs to be given new life with new illustrations.  These current illustrations feel as dated as they are (1996) and ages a story that is timeless. 

 Love these Books for their simplicity and their wit.  This one asks why a lightbulb.  And why, and why, and why.  Just like a child.  Love it! 

 As a child spooky stories were the best.  I always wanted more but there were just not enough of them.  This generation is so lucky.  Ghost Squad is about two best friends and their cat Chunk, who have to save the town and keep the bad ghosts from killing the family ghosts.  Parts of this book remind me of the Second Best haunted Hotel.  Where the kid has to help save their father’s ghost related business.  But that is where the comparisons stop.  This was full of adventure and I enjoyed it.  I felt that sometimes the story jumped around more than I liked, but I think for middle grade and elementary kids this book just works.  It’s spooky without being scary, and It takes place right before Halloween, but can be read at any time of the year. 

 

This is a great series that can be read in any order.  This is the first time the author is telling a story from the male perspective and I think she nails it.  Tyler has shown up in the other books.  He is the school's cute boy on the basketball team.  But Tyler is more than the jock.  He loves art.  And he loves comics.  He starts a project with Emmie (from the first book), but the kids around him tease him for their friendship and think they are more than just friends.  This book looks at Tyler just trying to live his middle school life and be more than the jock.  I love that it is part graphic novel, part illustrated novel.  It just all works.  I also like that there is a male leading character to help attract more boys to the series.

 

 The tag line on the back of the book says “Warning: Colors at Play” and that is exactly what a reader gets when they open the page.  The tree is white and the cloud is green, and while that may seem odd, there is no changing it.  Or is there.  Are colors really what they should be, or can they be played with and be something new.  This book was fun, engaging, and didn’t mind laughing at itself.  It works in all the right ways.