City of Ghosts (City of Ghosts #1), written by Victoria Schwab, reviewed by Amanda Davies

Summary:  After being saved from death under mysterious circumstances, Cassidy (Cass) finds that the veil between the land of the living and the land of ghosts is much thinner. When her family travels to Edinburgh, Scotland for the summer, she and her best friend (who is a ghost) find themselves drawn through the veil in new and scary ways. With smarts, trial and error, help from a new friend, and a little luck, Cass hopes to be able to survive the summer and learn more about her strange skill. This is the first book in a three-book series; the other two books take place in Paris and New Orleans.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  Middle school students love ghost stories that are creepy and ghosty without being too gory and Victoria Schwab nails it with this first book in the City of Ghosts series. The ghosts are just spooky enough to keep students interested. The setting (both historical and modern-day Edinburgh) means that readers learn about some Scottish culture (please call the the cookies "biscuits" and the fries "chips") and geography along with the frights. A great addition to middle school ghost story collections; sure to have a long holds list.

A Place at the Table, written by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan, reviewed by Amanda Davies

 

Summary:  Sara and Elizabeth are both sixth graders. While Elizabeth, who is white, Jewish, and half British, starts school knowing that she can depend on her old friends who will be at school with her, Sara, who is brown, Muslim, and Pakistani,  doesn't know anyone and feels left out and alone. Until cooking club. When Elizabeth and Sara end up as cooking partners, they begin to learn that even though they have differences, they actually have a lot in common. Sara learns that Elizabeth is overwhelmed by her mom's depression and the death of her grandma. Elizabeth learns that Sara worries about her parents finances and the racism she and her family experience. They also discover that both of their moms are studying for their American citizenship test. As they navigate the difficulties of middle school friendship, the impact of racism, and joys of sharing cooking and food, they discover how powerful forgiveness can be.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  Sara and Elizabeth's characters alternate narration throughout the books. Like Reynolds and Kiely's powerful All American Boys, this gives the authors the opportunity to authentically share the thoughts, feelings, and conflicts experienced by each character. The book does an outstanding job illustrating what it means to stand up for your friends and against racism. Faruqi and Shovan name racism as racism without tiptoeing around it. While a secondary character's acceptance of her own racist behaviors may come off as too tidy, it feels appropriate for the grade level.

Disappeared, written by Francisco X. Stork, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary:  Young women in Juarez, Mexico fear being kidnapped and disappearing forever. Sara and her friend Linda travel together every day because it's safer. Sara writes stories for the local newspaper about the girls who have disappeared. She never dreams Linda will become one of the disappeared. Someone sends threatening letters and emails to the newspaper. They want Linda to stop writing about the missing girls. Life in Juarez is challenging. Sara's brother Emiliano wants a better life than his single mother can provide. His business of selling folk art products catches the attention of some businessmen who want to sell his folk art across the border. When Sara's work and Emiliano's business goals collide, they flee Juarez for the safety of the United States.

Stork’s novel captures the gritty details of life across the border in Mexico. He realistically portrays the dangers of human trafficking and the drug cartels. The novel moves at a rapid pace which heightens the immediacy of the story. The narration moves between Sara’s voice and Emiliano’s voice. The contrast is staggering. Sara always wants to do the right thing no matter what the cost. Emiliano struggles with how to get the various pieces of his life to fall into place. His love for Perla Rubi threatens to overwhelm his better judgment.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  The novel sensitively handles difficult topics. Sara and Emiliano are relatable characters who arguably struggle with more mature problems than the average teen. The novel shines a light on the difficulties immigrants face at the border between the U.S. and Mexico. A just cause or fears for personal safety often aren’t enough to be admitted into the U.S. legally. The novel describes human trafficking, the illegal drug trade, theft, underage drinking, and kidnapping. For these reasons, it is recommended for mature students only. I highly recommend this novel for young adult readers.

Even if the Sky Falls, written by Mia Garcia, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

 

Summary:  Julie thought leaving home for a mission trip in New Orleans would be the answer to her problems. Her family is falling apart. Her once close relationship with her older brother Adam is faltering. Julie has walled herself off from her closest friends. The trip leader Tavis and his unwanted attention makes her uncomfortable. Julie sneaks onto another group’s bus and impulsively flees. She winds up in the middle of Midsummer Mardi Gras and in the company of a cute young stranger. They decide not to tell each other their real names. Julie calls him Miles and he calls her Lila. She and Miles spend a memorable night together exploring New Orleans. Julie and Miles soon realize that the storm brewing is stronger than expected. Miles and Julie have no choice but to ride out the storm together in the only shelter they can find.

Parts of the novel require suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader. Julie and Miles freely move about New Orleans in the middle of a festival and even get into a bar with no ID even though they are only sixteen and seventeen. Tavis happens to find Julie twice during her adventures even though she isn’t answering her cell phone and he has no idea where she is.  How does he know she running around New Orleans when she took off without telling anyone where she was going?  It seems way too coincidental.  The scenes involving the losing and finding of Miles’ bracelet also push the boundaries of credibility. Inserting “magical” elements into a realistic fiction novel does not work.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  Even if the Sky Falls is not recommended for younger teen and tween readers due to mature content. The novel features scenes of underaged drinking, sexual activity, multiple tragedies, and a character’s near suicide attempt. The novel is part romance, part adventure tale and a love letter to the city of New Orleans. I recommend this novel for fans of young adult romances.

The Rembrandt Conspiracy: A Lost Art Mystery #2, written by Deron Hicks, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: Twelve-year-old Art Hamilton and Camille Sullivan are back in this 2nd book of the Lost Art Mystery series. Art’s father is the director of the Lunder Conservation Center, which is responsible for the artwork at the Smithsonian. Art and his dad used to travel all over the world because of his job. In the first book, they had decided to permanently reside in DC because of the job at the Smithsonian. Art and Camille are about to get involved in their second art heist mystery. Art things that someone is planning to rob the National Portrait Gallery during the Millennium Exhibit at which priceless paintings will be displayed and the Queen of England will be in town. There is a woman who Art noticed at the museum that gets an iced mocha, takes forty-two steps and appears like clockwork at 4:30 pm to walk through the museum in the same route taking the same amount of steps each time. Art finds this very suspicious and when he finally lets Camille know what is going on, they have to try to find proof that something bad is going to happen. It’s up to them to solve the mystery in time. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: I really love these books because they are a good mystery for middle-grade readers. It’s fun and suspenseful, but not too scary. I also love the QR codes woven into the chapters so that readers can look at the actual artwork being described in the story. The QR codes mostly go to museum sites that house the original artwork. I think it would be a good book and a good series for art teachers to recommend. I also think that it would be a good read for kids (and adults) who are planning a visit to Washington DC and the Smithsonian to read some fun background. The books comes with a floor plan of the Smithsonian. As a librarian, I think this would be a good book to go on a mystery display, an art heist theme or a Washington DC theme display. I think it also has a wide appeal to boys and girls because of the characters in the book, maybe some reluctant readers and some hardcore mystery readers. I think any adult middle-grade readers would also enjoy this book (I did!) This is a great purchase for a school library.