Counting Thyme

Counting Thyme
by Melanie Conklin

From the publisher:
"When eleven-year-old Thyme Owens’ little brother, Val, is accepted into a new cancer drug trial, it’s just the second chance that he needs. But it also means the Owens family has to move to New York, thousands of miles away from Thyme’s best friend and everything she knows and loves. The island of Manhattan doesn’t exactly inspire new beginnings, but Thyme tries to embrace the change for what it is: temporary.

After Val’s treatment shows real promise and Mr. Owens accepts a full-time position in the city, Thyme has to face the frightening possibility that the move to New York is permanent. Thyme loves her brother, and knows the trial could save his life—she’d give anything for him to be well—but she still wants to go home, although the guilt of not wanting to stay is agonizing. She finds herself even more mixed up when her heart feels the tug of new friends, a first crush, and even a crotchety neighbor and his sweet whistling bird. All Thyme can do is count the minutes, the hours, and days, and hope time can bring both a miracle for Val and a way back home."

Things I liked: 
* This book has an unusual premise with the main character (whose name is Thyme), earning alone time from her parents by doing things around the house to help. She is saving up her time slips in a jar she calls her Thyme Jar in the hopes that she will one day earn enough to be able to go home to San Diego to see her Grandma and best friend. Their family has been uprooted from San Diego to Manhattan in order for her little brother to be a part of a clinical trial for children with neuroblastoma.
* The family in this book is not perfect, and the parents, in trying to protect their children, keep a lot of secrets from them. However, they are loving and supportive parents who are just trying to keep their heads above water while dealing with their son's horrible disease. I love Thyme's parents!
* I LOVE Manhattan, so I really enjoyed all of the descriptions of life in the city. 
* The portrayal of friendship in this book is very strong and real. Friends have fights, but they get over it. And it's okay to make new friends when you leave your old ones behind. 
* The secondary characters are very well drawn. How can you not totally picture Mr. Lipinsky in his purple robe with Sylvie on his shoulder? How can you not love Mrs. Ravelli? Celia and Delia in their matching outfits? And on and on. 
* Val! Oh how I loved that little guy! He was so strong and loving while going through something no child should ever have to go through. 

Things I wasn't too fond of: 
* I hate reading about kids with cancer! Just like holocaust books, I can't take the feelings of hopelessness and depression. I will have to say, though, that this book and Jordan Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie treat childhood cancer with gentle hands. While understanding the dark, dark cloud of cancer that is always hanging over our characters, this isn't a sob fest out to gratuitously make you feel miserable. It is a story of lives that are going on while dealing with the unthinkable.
* I wasn't too happy with the ending. I like closure in my books and this one left too much unresolved. 

Areas of concern:

* The stress and strain on a family dealing with childhood cancer.

* The older sister exhibits some rebellious behavior (nothing very bad at all), and she gets suspended from school.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 10+

School Library Journal - Grades 4-7

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie

Drums, Girls &
Dangerous Pie
by Jordan Sonnenblick

From the publisher:
"Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. 

But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece.

Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis"

Think of the part in Disney's Beauty and the Beast where Belle takes a book out of her basket, hugs it and says, "I just read the most WONDERFUL story".  That is how I felt when I finished this book. I laughed, I cried, I hugged. I have so many students here at school who ask if we have The Fault in Our Stars , and I always tell them we don't have it because it is a high school book.  Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie is the book I will start steering them towards. It is a beautiful story of a family fighting cancer. The only raging teenage hormones in this story belong to our main character, Steven, who is madly crushing on the "hottest girl in 8th grade" and she doesn't really even know he's alive. It is a lovely coming-of-age story and besides hugging the book, I wish I could hug the author.

I loved the characters in this book! They were all so well drawn and I felt like they were all my friends. I cried for some and cheered for others. These were real people going through a horrific experience. Steven is a normal 8th grade boy with a little brother who bugs him. When that little brother gets cancer, it turns Steven's world upside-down. The stages of grief he went through were valid and normal. Was he perfect? No, he was an every day kid. I found that so refreshing. I particularly loved the chapter "Take Me!".  In this chapter, Steven starts bargaining with God to save his brother. I think we all do the bargain-with-God thing when we are in those circumstances. Steven's bargains involved Ring Dings, never hitting his brother again, never having impure thoughts about the hottest girl in school again... A favorite quote:

"But let's face it - I am a thirteen-year-old American male. I have no willpower. So every night I'd go to bed totally convinced that I was going to gain twenty pounds and be a fat, violent pervert forever and that my little brother was doomed." 

He attempts many other bargains throughout the course of that chapter, and the end of the chapter is hysterical. I read it out loud to my 6th graders when I book-talked this book. Read it and see. And yet we are never allowed to forget that behind all of the funny things that go on, there is the black cloud of cancer hanging over all their heads. This was so well done. 

Another thing I loved about this book is the family dynamic. Once again, they are not perfect - they are normal. The dad is overburdened and worried about the mounting bills. The mom is naturally focusing most of her efforts on her 5 year old with cancer. They have problems, they have issues, but they remain a family and grow together throughout the process. Another favorite quote:

"Since when do you wear cologne to learn math? Oh, my son is growing up right in front of my very eyes. Maybe I should get out the video camera.

Maybe you should tie me to a stake, douse me in kerosene, and torch me right on our front lawn.

I won't need any kerosene, Steven - I'm sure the cologne will go up pretty fast!

Ha-ha, Mom. " 

I have also discovered, through my vast experience of reading middle grade and Young Adult books, that if you want a true picture of how schools and teachers really are, read a book written by a teacher. So often in books the teachers are portrayed as total idiots or uncaring jerks. I appreciated the care and attention the teachers and counselor gave to Steven in this book.   STEVEN doesn't always appreciate it, however (another case of real and normal).  

One last thing - I'm a percussionist, so I thoroughly enjoyed all of  the drumming references. I can't remember the last time I heard the word "paradiddle". The band teacher, Mr. Watras, reminded me very much of my own Jr. High band teacher, Mr. Art Lies, who cared about us tremendously, but wasn't above chucking his baton at our heads when we weren't listening or playing correctly. 

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I will definitely be reading more by Jordan Sonnenblick and continuing to book talk his books. 

Areas of concern:
I don't think there are any concerns for parents in this one. Things that might have been a concern were handled so beautifully that they weren't a concern anymore.

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 5-8

School Library Journal - Ages 12+

Love, Lucas

Love, Lucas
by Chantele Sedgwick

From the publisher:
"A powerful story of loss, second chances, and first love, reminiscent of Sarah Dessen and John Green.

When Oakley Nelson loses her older brother, Lucas, to cancer, she thinks she’ll never recover. Between her parents’ arguing and the battle she’s fighting with depression, she feels nothing inside but a hollow emptiness. When Mom suggests they spend a few months in California with Aunt Jo, Oakley isn’t sure a change of scenery will alter anything, but she’s willing to give it a try.

In California, Oakley discovers a sort of safety and freedom in Aunt Jo’s beach house. Once they’re settled, Mom hands her a notebook full of letters addressed to her—from Lucas. As Oakley reads one each day, she realizes how much he loved her, and each letter challenges her to be better and to continue to enjoy her life. He wants her to move on.

If only it were that easy.

But then a surfer named Carson comes into her life, and Oakley is blindsided. He makes her feel again. As she lets him in, she is surprised by how much she cares for him, and that’s when things get complicated. How can she fall in love and be happy when Lucas never got the chance to do those very same things?

With her brother’s dying words as guidance, Oakley knows she must learn to listen and trust again. But will she have to leave the past behind to find happiness in the future?"

I probably shouldn't say I enjoyed a book that is about a beloved brother dying of cancer, so I'll just say I was immediately caught up in it. I cared about the characters and felt Oakley's pain and confusion about life going on after you lose a loved one. I thought the way she would try to keep living, and then push people away again was very believable. If your children are wanting to read stories about love and death but you don't want them reading the language and content of a John Green book, or a Gayle Forman book - this is the book to point them towards. There is a sweet romance that doesn't go beyond kissing, there is little to no bad language, and even though the loss of a brother is tragic, it shows a girl learning to live through that experience. There is quite a shocking occurance towards the end of the book that really amps up the excitement level. But all ends as well as could be expected. 
I need more books like this in my middle school library. I will definitely be recommending this to my students.

Areas of concern:
Death of a loved one.
Possible divorce of parents.
A violent accident that involves blood, but is not too graphic.
Sweet romance with some kissing.

Suggested Ages:

School Library Journal - Grades 7-10

Wish Girl

Wish Girl
by Nikki Loftin

From the publisher:
"A dying girl gives a boy the strength to live in this lyrical novel that will break your heart and lift your spirit 

Peter Stone’s parents and siblings are extroverts, musicians, and yellers—and the louder they get, the less Peter talks, or even moves, until he practically fits his last name. When his family moves to the Texas Hill Country, though, Peter finds a tranquil, natural valley where he can, at last, hear himself think.

There, he meets a girl his age: Annie Blythe. Annie tells Peter she’s a “wish girl.” But Annie isn’t just any wish girl; she’s a “Make-A-Wish Girl.” And in two weeks she will begin a dangerous treatment to try and stop her cancer from spreading. Left alone, the disease will kill her. But the treatment may cause serious, lasting damage to her brain.

Annie and Peter hatch a plan to escape into the valley, which they begin to think is magical. But the pair soon discovers that the valley—and life—may have other plans for them. And sometimes wishes come true in ways they would never expect. "

This book has some wonderful moments. I really liked both of the main characters - they are what is best in this story. They have a lot of conflict, pain and heartbreak to deal with. I enjoyed the time they spent together and the relationship they had. However, I didn't care for any of the secondary characters. I wanted to punch Peter's family and arrest the bullies, so I felt like the ending was either very unrealistic, or a lot was left unresolved. What happens when school starts in the fall? Won't Peter and the bullies be going to the same school? 
Anyway, I do think this one would make a good read-aloud or book group book because it deals with some issues that could lead to important discussions. Terminal illness, bullying, dysfunctional families, running away, suicidal thoughts... 
Bottom line - I liked it but I didn't love it.

Areas of concern:
The above mentioned issues.

Suggested Ages:
Kirkus Reviews - Ages 8-12
School Library Journal - Grades 4-7

I Kill the Mockingbird

I Kill the Mockingbird
by Paul Acampora

From the publisher:
"When Lucy, Elena, and Michael receive their summer reading list, they are excited to see To Kill A Mockingbird included. But not everyone in their class shares the same enthusiasm. So they hatch a plot to get the entire town talking about the well-known Harper Lee classic. They plan controversial ways to get people to read the book, including re-shelving copies of the book in bookstores so that people think they are missing and starting a website committed to “destroying the mockingbird.” Their efforts are successful when all of the hullabaloo starts to direct more people to the book. But soon, their exploits start to spin out of control and they unwittingly start a mini revolution in the name of books."


I'm not gonna lie - I'm having quite a love affair with middle grade books lately. And this one did not disappoint, I loved it. There is no insta-love, no mythical creatures, no hormonal angst, no partying, drinking, or other inappropriate behaviors; just good, normal kids from loving homes who do something a little crazy that changes the world. It was wonderfully refreshing. One of the quotes I love from the book:

"If you're a teacher, you dream about having students who will try to change the world someday because of something you do or say in the classroom."

There are so many things to love about this book, one reviewer called it a "book-lover's book" and in an online article the author called it his "love-letter to books". Another favorite quote:

"A book connects you to the universe like a cell phone connects you to the Internet." ..... "But it only works if your battery's not dead."

Now, there are several books lately that could have been called "book-lovers books", but this one is definitely my favorite. And although the main character loves the book that the title comes from ( To Kill a Mockingbird ) , one of the other major characters doesn't like it, he loves Dickens. So it shows that different books speak to different people, and I think that is an important concept to know. You could argue that these almost-9th-grade-book-nerds are too well read, but I know kids like them and it's wonderful to see that kind of student celebrated. Maybe that is why I felt such a connection with the characters, or maybe it is because they were described so well.

As I mentioned before, each of the 3 main characters come from good, loving homes. Not homes that are perfect and without problems, because each character has their own different set of problems, but loving homes where they are taught good behavior and good values. In a conversation with his daughter about her mother's cancer, Lucy's dad tells her:

“Life is a gift. Going to church is like sending a thank-you card.”

Lucy's mother was also full of wisdom. When Lucy was treating her mother with kid gloves and worrying constantly about her health, her mother told her:

 “I'm not one of those people who think that cancer is some kind of jousting match. People live or die based on good medicine, good luck, and the grace of God. The people that die from it did not fail. The people who live will die another day.”

Oh gosh, there are so many amazing quotes from this book. Just check out the quotes page on GoodReads (https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/26123583-i-kill-the-mockingbird).
I loved, loved, loved this book, it would make a great classroom or family read-aloud, or a quick, fun individual read. Let me finish with this one last quote from the WWW.KILLaMOCKINGBIRD.com manifesto:

“We support all actions that lead to the joy, the fun, the reward, the challenge, and the adventure of reading.”

Read this book for all those reasons.  And yes, I have ordered more books by this author for our library :) . 

Suggested Ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 10-14
School Library Journal - Grades 5-8
*Mrs. Duke says "Everyone!"