August Isle by Ali Standish (Juvenile Fiction)
There's an intense and rather heavy vein running through the story of August Isle. Miranda isn't sure her Mom, Beth, really loves her anymore and can tell her mom is pulling away from her. Initially I wasn't sure about such a heavy theme in a book about a thirteen-year-old, but it's sadly something some kids have to wonder about so it's a great book for kids struggling with this. I think Standish does an excellent job portraying the adults as people who don't have all the answers and who may be forever dealing with the choices they've made and/or the tragedy that's occurred in their lives. There are lots of fun moments though as Miranda learns more about herself while spending the summer with friends of her mom. She befriends two kids who are also dealing with heavy things in their life - racial prejudices and divorce, but they eventually open up and talk about these things with each other. I was surprised by lots of things, which doesn't happen too often when I read books for tweens. There was a plot twist that snuck up on me. And when the reason for Beth's behavior is revealed, I was truly floored. I was a little upset with the mom for how she handled her personal problems, but then I realized that just because we become adults, it doesn't mean that we magically know how to handle everything life throws at us. So yes, this is equal parts fun summer vacation and major family complications. It's not for everyone, but for the small group of people that it is for, I think it's incredibly reassuring and hopeful. I will leave you with a favorite quote: "'Sometimes,' he said, 'change is just discovering something that's been inside us all along...'"
After Squidnight by Jonathan Fenske (Picture Book)
Oh how I adore the mischievous, punk expressions on the squids' faces! The artwork is really something else. The colors are both emo and electric. I immediately started thinking of the squids as taggers, which gives me the serious giggles. The story is hilarious, the language is dynamite, and it's just so much fun to read aloud. I definitely want to read this for a storytime. I think it can get a bit creepy but my plan is to interject "oh those silly squids" every now and then to lighten things up.
Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley (Juvenile Graphic Fiction)
Jen's reluctance to jump enthusiastically into farm life baffles me, but I definitely can understand how much she misses her city life and her dad when she moves from New York City to upstate New York. As always, I enjoyed Knisley's artwork immensely. She does an extra super duper cool thing by placing herself in a comic that she's reading. The comic that she's reading kinda just morphs into her life. It's one of the coolest things I've seen in graphic fiction. I enjoyed the characters, but never really connected with the almost-stepdad. His character doesn't evolve much, but I'm hoping that the sequel shines more light on his character. The best part for me though, was the note from the author at the end. The story was great. The artwork was ridiculously spectacular. But the author's note is what completely melted my crusty heart. I will be recommending this to everyone.
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