Counting by 7s

Counting by 7s
by Holly Goldberg Sloan

From the publisher:
"In the tradition of Out of My Mind, Wonder, and Mockingbird, this is an intensely moving middle grade novel about being an outsider, coping with loss, and discovering the true meaning of family. 

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life... until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read. "

Holly Goldberg Sloan knows how to tell a story. Characters may be quirky, plot holes may exist, but still you want to read. I very much enjoyed this book, and the students at our middle school really enjoy it, it gets checked out a lot. But to compare it to Wonder is going a little too far. Things are a lot less believable and real in this book. That doesn't mean it wasn't incredibly entertaining and heartfelt, just not that realistic. And, once again, I have to take exception to the way public school employees were treated. A teacher, principal and school counselor who are incredibly stupid is kind of a slap in the face to all the wonderful teachers, principals and counselors we have in the public school system. Really? NO ONE realized that Willow was gifted? So in a way this felt a little farcical, like a Lemony Snicket book. And if you just let it flow and not worry about it being unrealistic, then it is a wonderful, fun read. I loved Willow's voice! She was quirky, annoying, innocent and wise. Her brain doesn't work quite like anyone else's, but because of that she has many amazing thoughts. 

The average teenager was willing to wear very uncomfortable attire. From my observation, the older you get, the more you like the word cozy. That’s why most of the elderly wear pants with elastic waistbands. If they wear pants at all. This may explain why grandparents are in love with buying grandkids pajamas and bathrobes. The outfits worn by my fellow students were, in my opinion, either way too tight or way too loose. Apparently having something that actually fits was not acceptable. 

So put aside the many improbable circumstances and behaviors and just enjoy the storytelling.

Areas of concern:
*A 12 year old dealing with the death of her parents.
*A public school system that fails horribly, over and over again.
*Bullying of main character (only at the beginning of the story).

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 7-10
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 10+
School Library Journal - Grades 5-8

(An interesting range.  I would say it is very appropriate for all middle schoolers.)

The Star-Touched Queen

The Star-Touched Queen
by Roshani Chokshi

From the publisher:
"Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself."

While reading this book there were moments where I was so engrossed in the beautiful writing and the music and poetry of it, that I would get to the end of a paragraph and say, "Wait. What just happened?". The writing was stirring and magical and gripping, yet I feel like I am a little clueless about many things that happened. It was weird and other-worldly, but it was supposed to be weird and other-worldly because there is actually a place called The Otherworld in the book. I'm very conflicted about this one! On the one hand there were many things I loved, on the other hand I found a lot of things very confusing. I found the romance believable, very insta-love, but there is a reason for that. The villain was deliciously evil. One of the characters was creepily humorous (a talking horse-thing that wants to eat people.) I loved the sisterly bond, but disliked the rest of the familial relationships. The Indian mythology helped with the magical feeling of the book. All in all, I was very invested in the story and characters, but I'm not convinced that middle schoolers will be that invested. Will they be as enthralled as I was by the pictures the words of this book paint? I can think of a few that will stick with it, but probably high schoolers will do better with it. Not because of content issues, just because of maturity.

Areas of concern:
*No bad language that I can remember.
*Several passionate kisses between husband and wife. They share a bed, but it is clear that they are only sleeping there. 
*Quite a bit of violence is alluded to, but I never felt anything was very graphic. 
*Bullying of the main character at the very beginning of the book.

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 9+

The Truth About Forever

The Truth About Forever
by Sarah Dessen

From the publisher:
"A long, hot summer...

That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father.

But sometimes, unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to question her sheltered life. 

Is it really always better to be safe than sorry?

This is the first Sarah Dessen book I have read, and I'm kind of torn about it. On one hand, I loved the characters and the storyline. I was completely drawn in to the heartache and attraction the 2 main characters shared. I hurt for Macy and her mother and their dysfunctional relationship and loss of self. The secondary characters were beautifully drawn and were every bit as important to the story as the main ones. I loved every member of the Wish team and want to go hang out with them. There is a deepness about this book, and it isn't your ordinary YA contemporary. 

On the other hand, I was not happy about the cussing and partying and sneaking out that was portrayed. Don't tell me that is "normal" teenage behavior, because it doesn't have to be. However, if that is what they are reading in books and seeing in movies and on TV, then it convinces teenagers that that is how they are supposed to act. The whole moral of this book is saying that when Macy was trying to be perfect she wasn't healing and moving on, but when she was sneaking out and drinking then she was really becoming a better person. I was a little uncomfortable with that, even though it wasn't that stark in its telling. 

My students constantly ask for more of Sarah Dessen, but I'm not convinced she is a good fit for middle school. If my students want YA contemporary, I'll steer them towards Kasie West, who tells the same type of stories without all of the bad language and behavior. 

Areas of concern:
*Quite a lot of profanity, vulgarities and cussing. The *f* word rears it's ugly head twice and it is completely unnecessary.
*Quite a bit of teenage drinking.
*Sneaking out at night.

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 9-12 (I agree with this one.)

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+

The Mostly True Story of Jack

The Mostly True Story
of Jack
by Kelly Barnhill

From the publisher:
"Enter a world where magic bubbles just below the surface. . . .

When Jack is sent to Hazelwood, Iowa, to live with his strange aunt and uncle, he expects a summer of boredom. Little does he know that the people of Hazelwood have been waiting for him for quite a long time.

When he arrives, three astonishing things happen: First, he makes friends -- not imaginary friends but actual friends. Second, he is beaten up by the town bully; the bullies at home always ignored him. Third, the richest man in town begins to plot Jack's imminent, and hopefully painful, demise. It's up to Jack to figure out why suddenly everyone cares so much about him. Back home he was practically, well, invisible.

The Mostly True Story of Jack is an eerie tale of magic, friendship, and sacrifice. It's about things broken and things put back together. Above all, it's about finding a place to belong. "

Enter a world where magic bubbles just below the surface. . . .

When Jack is sent to Hazelwood, Iowa, to live with his strange aunt and uncle, he expects a summer of boredom. Little does he know that the people of Hazelwood have been waiting for him for quite a long time.

When he arrives, three astonishing things happen: First, he makes friends -- not imaginary friends but actual friends. Second, he is beaten up by the town bully; the bullies at home always ignored him. Third, the richest man in town begins to plot Jack's imminent, and hopefully painful, demise. It's up to Jack to figure out why suddenly everyone cares so much about him. Back home he was practically, well, invisible.

The Mostly True Story of Jack is an eerie tale of magic, friendship, and sacrifice. It's about things broken and things put back together. Above all, it's about finding a place to belong. 

I liked this, but I didn't love it. The writing is excellent (as usual with Kelly Barnhill), and the story is unique and interesting, but it just didn't have that magical feel of both The Witch's Boy and The Girl Who Drank the Moon by the same author. Which is kind of unusual because it contained a lot of magic. I didn't connect with the characters very much, in fact there isn't one that stands out in my mind that I really loved. And some of the plot line was quite confusing. However, it kept my interest and I can recommend it to my middle schoolers - not as highly as the other 2 our library has by this author, but I think there are quite a few who will like it. 

Areas of concern:
*Good vs. evil abounds. Children are taken from their families and eventually forgotten.
*One of the taken children is returned with many scars and unable to talk.
*Some bullying takes place.
*One very quick, tame kiss between kids that I think were 12 years old?

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 8-12 (I can't imagine an 8 year old following this complicated story, and I think older than 12 can still enjoy it.)

School Library Journal - Grades 5-8