23 Minutes

23 Minutes
by Vivian Vande Velde

 From the publisher:
"Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret ability: she can travel back in time twenty-three minutes to relive events she wants to change. But Zoe has learned from experience that this is more curse than gift. Things almost never end well and people just tend to think she’s crazy.

But when she steps into a bank to get out of the rain and finds herself in the middle of a robbery gone horrifyingly wrong, Zoe knows she’s the only one who can help. The problem is, she has only a limited number of tries to make things right. Plus, a single mistake could get her killed—and not even time travel could bring her back from that.

Zoe has always considered herself a loser, about as far from a heroine as a girl can get. Now she has to dig deep to find a strength she never thought she possessed."

Wow, what a ride! I had a great time reading this book. It had an amazing concept, it was full of excitement and tension, and you couldn't help liking the 2 main characters. It reminded me a little of the movie 50 First Dates because of how Zoe would have to explain everything to Daniel every time she went back because she is the only one who remembers anything during her playbacks. Does that sound confusing? It really isn't when Ms. Vande Velde explains it. I will definitely be talking this one up to my students.

Areas of concern:
*Many people get killed in different ways, but those deaths get undone in the "playbacks".
*Under 10 uses of the "d" and "s" words.
*The main character comes from a very dysfunctional family and lives in a group home.

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12-17

Booklist - Grades 7-10

The Deepest Breath

 From the publisher:

"

The Deepest Breath
by Meg Grehan

Stevie is eleven and loves reading and sea-creatures. She lives with her mum, and she's been best friends with Andrew since forever. Stevie's mum teases her that someday they'll get married, but Stevie knows that won't ever happen. There's a girl at school that she likes more. A lot more. Actually, she's a bit confused about how much she likes her. It's nothing like the way she likes Andrew. It makes her fizz inside. That's a new feeling, one she doesn't understand. Stevie needs to find out if girls can like girls - love them, even - but it's hard to get any information, and she's too shy to ask out loud about it. But maybe she can find an answer in a book. With the help of a librarian, Stevie finds stories of girls loving girls, and builds up her courage to share the truth with her mum. Written in accessible verse `chapters' and in a warm and reassuring style, The Deepest Breath will be of special relevance to young girls who are starting to realise that they are attracted to other girls, but it is also a story for any young reader with an open mind who wants to understand how people's emotions affect their lives. "

I have had students asking for LGBTQ+ books this year so I have been trying to get some that are age appropriate for middle school. This one is a sweet, tender look at an 11 year old girl who is recognizing feelings within herself that she doesn't understand. I thought the subject matter was dealt with in a very age-appropriate way. I don't like novels in verse, but my students do. I really liked how the author dealt with Stevie's anxieties as well. So many of our middle schoolers are dealing with high anxiety and I think they will relate to Stevie, who feels like she is underwater a lot of the time and is scared and anxious about many things. I loved the relationship between Stevie and her mum. I think my students who have been asking for LGBTQ+ books will connect with this particular book. 

Suggested Ages:
Booklist - Grades 4-7
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 8-12

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Nevermoor: The Trials
of Morrigan Crow
by Jessica Townsend

 From the publisher:
"A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination.

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart--an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests--or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

Perfect for fans of the Harry Potter series and Neil Gaiman, this fast-paced plot and imaginative world has a fresh new take on magic that will appeal to a new generation of readers. "

I really enjoyed this beginning to a new series. The story of a cursed child gripped me from the start. Her life was so sad and grim. The transition from that dark, gray world to the colorful Nevermoor was really fun. If I were a movie director, I would film the first part in black and white and then change to color when she gets to Nevermoor - like The Wizard of Oz movie. And I also pictured our heroine, Morrigan, as Wednesday Adams - which added to the black and white image in my head. She is described as very pale with dark black hair, so of course Wednesday popped into my head.
Besides the awesome world building, I also enjoyed the plot. I found it well-paced and interesting with times of humor and times of intensity. I only wish the whole series was complete so my students didn't have to wait a year for however many more books will be in the series (there are 3 out so far). I will talk this series up to my kids who loved Keeper of the Lost Cities and are tired of waiting for the next one in that series. I think they will really like it.

Areas of concern:
*The heroine is in danger a few times.
*The villain has murdered a lot of people.
*I think I only saw one instance of using a bad word.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 8-12 (This seems quite young to me - I would say more 10+)

School Library Journal - Grades 5+

The Fourteenth Goldfish

 From the publisher:

The Fourteenth 
Goldfish
by Jennifer L. Holm

Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer.
Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far?

Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?

I enjoyed this book and read it quickly in one sitting. I appreciated the family dynamics - a loving mother and father, although amicably divorced - and a grandfather living in the body of a 13 year old boy and still trying to tell his daughter what to do. It was all quite delightful. Working in a middle school, I know that girl drama at that age is REAL. I liked how the author dealt with that, and the growth that Ellie made through it all. I love all the science references and hope that students who read this will want to do more research because of it, and think of things like consequences. I will definitely recommend this to certain students.

No real areas of concern.

Suggested Ages: 
School Library Journal - Grades 5-7