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Review: Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,
Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry covers shows a girl with square glasses on the left facing an elderly woman in glasses on the right with a tree in the background.

Tree. Table. Book.
Lois Lowry
Clarion Books
Published April 23, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Tree. Table. Book.

Everyone knows the two Sophies are best friends. One is in elementary school, and one is . . . well . . . in a little trouble of late. She’s elderly, sure, but she’s always been on her game, the best friend any girl struggling to fit in could ever have. The Sophies drink tea, have strong opinions about pretty much everything, and love each other dearly.

Now it seems the elder Sophie is having memory problems, burning teakettles, and forgetting just about everything. It looks like her son is going to come and get her and steal her away forever. Young Sophie isn’t having that. Not one bit. So she sets out to help elder Sophie’s memory, with the aid of her neighborhood friends Ralphie and Oliver.

But when she opens the floodgates of elder Sophie’s memories, she winds up listening to stories that will illustrate just how much there is to know about her dear friend, stories of war, hunger, cruelty, and ultimately love.

My Review

I read this book cover to cover in one sitting. Sophie’s voice drew me in immediately. She’s chatty and clever, and I loved the connection she shared with the other Sophie. Her neighborhood was also really neat, with families that had close connections and looked out for one another.

Sophie’s desire to prove that her friend is not unwell drives the story forward. She looks up information about cognitive testing and then proceeds to try to walk her friend through the questions in the test. As she does this, she begins to see her friend in a new way, and her friend shares stories with her about her childhood in Poland.

I was a little older than Sophie when my grandmother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia. It happened so quickly that I missed those beginning days, and by the time I understood what was happening, it was too late for her to tell me the stories she still needed to share.

Reading about Sophie having those moments and sharing those memories brought me back to those early days of my grandmother’s illness and made me wonder what stories she would have told me about her childhood.

Sophie learns a lot about how to support a friend gracefully and what it means to work to stay connected. Her family also supports her connection with her friend, and I loved that, too.

This is a bittersweet story about the power of intergenerational friendships and the importance of passing stories from one generation to the next. I loved it.

Content Notes for Tree. Table. Book.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Elderly Sophie is Jewish. One of the neighbor boys is neurodivergent.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
On one page, a word is written with the first letter and the rest marked with asterisks.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to Catholic beliefs. References to Sunday church services.

Violent Content
Sophie learns some information that she pieces together to realize is about the Nazi occupation of a Polish village during World War II. She hears a description of men rounded up and shipped somewhere to work.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Poetry, , , , , , , , , ,

One Big Open Sky
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Holiday House
Published March 5, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About One Big Open Sky

Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free—or cost them everything they have—in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement.

1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family an opportunity to claim the independence they’ve strived for over generations on their very own plot of land.
But Thomas’ hopes—and mouth—are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger.

Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn’t nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn’t no one tell us/how to live/how to die.

Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery—but bound by poverty, access to opportunity, and patriarchal social structures. Will these women survive the hardships of their journey? And as Thomas’ desire for control overpowers his common sense, will they truly be free once they get there?

Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome’s striking verse masterfully portrays an underrepresented historical era. Tackling powerful themes of autonomy and Black self-emancipation, Cline-Ransome offers readers an intimate look into the lives of three women and an expansive portrait of generations striving for their promised freedom.

My Review

I had all these grand plans to read and talk about so many novels in verse this month, and instead, here I am, talking about the first one on the last day of April. Alas. It’s a book worth talking about, though, so I’m not sorry about that!

I picked up a copy of One Big Open Sky on Netgalley. After reading the description of the story, I was hooked. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about the Black homesteader movement, so I love that this book explores that part of history.

Three women tell the story. First, we meet Lettie, the oldest daughter in her family, who has just learned about her parents’ plans to move from Mississippi to Nebraska, a journey of about 1500 miles. Lettie’s mom, Sylvia also shares her perspective, listening as her husband complains about the group’s leadership choices and dreams for the future. Philomena, a single woman on her way to Nebraska for a job as a teacher, joins the group, sharing space with Sylvia, Lettie, and their family.

It took me a few chapters to catch that Sylvia was Lettie’s mom. At first, I thought they were in two different families. Once I understood the relationship, though, the two perspectives on the same family gave me a more complete picture of what was going on and how each person felt about it.

Sylvia and Lettie have very different relationships with Thomas, Sylvia’s husband and Lettie’s dad, for example. They also have different fears and worries about leaving Mississippi.

The story takes place in 1879, meaning the Civil War and emancipation happened within the lifetimes of many characters. Sometimes they reference back to life as an enslaved person, their expectations for freedom and what turned out to be true, and their hopes for life in the West.

One of the sweet threads of the story is the relationship between Lettie and another group member’s dog, Sutter. He’s an old dog with a limp, but Lettie takes to him, and they form a sweet friendship. I loved the way that plays out.

Conclusion

I liked this book a lot. It made me remember playing Oregon Trail in school (I’m not sure I ever successfully forded a river or escaped dysentery) and long to know more about the Black homesteader movement. The character perspectives were obviously carefully chosen and each added a lot to the tale.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A man appears interested in courting Philomena.

Spiritual Content
The group prays together and sings hymns sometimes. Several times the story references the story of Moses in the Bible, leading the Israelites to freedom.

Violent Content
A man accidentally shoots himself. A group of white men attack someone in the night, but are successfully chased off. A man drowns during a river crossing. A violent hail storm causes injuries to those caught in it.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Lightfall: The Dark Times by Tim Probert

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Lightfall: The Dark Times (Lightfall #3)
Tim Probert
HarperAlley
Published April 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Dark Times (Lightfall #3)

The Lights have gone dark in Irpa.

Danger lurks as the air grows colder and threats lie in the shadows at every turn. While the rest of their fellowship seeks safety, Bea and Cad team up with a small group of survivors to travel to the Citadel of Knowledge, pursuing answers to their world’s darkest mysteries.

But their journey reveals even more secrets. Until an unexpected ally shines a light in the darkness, providing a clue to a mystery from long ago…and a beacon of hope for the future.

My Review

I waited two years for this book. The only disappointment, and I’m not sure it’s truly disappointing, is that it’s not the conclusion to the series. I don’t know why I thought it would be, but it’s not. The great thing about that is there are more Bea and Cad adventures still to come!

Because the story takes place during an unending night, the color palette is very dark with a lot of golden/firelight colors. It’s not my favorite combination of colors, but I get why that palette worked for this particular part of the tale.

Bea and Cad remain great characters and deliver fun and surprising lines. The ever-optimistic Cad loses hope for a bit, and Bea steps up as a bold warrior in a couple of scenes. I loved seeing the two of them experience some growth and depth. Their friendship remains a powerful force that helps them both.

I read this book at the end of a pretty grinding day, and it was very much the warm, fun adventure I needed to finish my day on a high note. The artwork by Tim Probert continues to amaze me. Everything has a playfulness to it, and the story world feels epic and fantastical. It’s so fun.

I’m really glad to have the next installment of this series on my shelves. I think fans of the Amulet series or fantasy graphic novels in general will love these books. If you’re unfamiliar with the Lightfall series, you can check out my reviews of the first and second books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Cad is a Galdurian, which means he looks a little bit like a giant axolotl?? There are minor characters with brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Bea learns about magic from a mentor who teaches her that everything in her world has a soul, and if you can learn to listen to each soul around you, you can ask them for help.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays. Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke and Mel Valentine Vargas

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Pillow Talk
Stephanie Cooke
Illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas
HarperAlley
Published April 30, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Pillow Talk

Grace Mendes a.k.a. Cinderhella is a fierce competitor in the PFF, a pillow fight federation that’s part roller derby, part professional wrestling. But in this fresh, coming-of-age YA graphic novel, Grace needs to learn to overcome her biggest enemy: herself. For fans of Check, Please and Bloom.

When college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport. Despite her usually shy, introverted, and reserved nature, Grace decides to try out for the Pillow Fight Federation (PFF), a locally famous league of fighters with larger-than-life personas like Pain Eyre, Miss Fortune, and champion Kat Atonic. They may battle with pillows, but there is nothing soft about these fighters. The first and only rule to pillow fighting is that the pillow needs to be the first point of contact; after that, everything else goes.

Grace struggles with deep-seated body image issues, so she is especially shocked when she makes the competitive league and is welcomed into the fold of close knit, confident fighters. As her first official fight performing as newly crafted alter-ego/ring persona Cinderhella looms on the horizon, the real battle taking place is between Grace and her growing insecurities. What if people laugh or make fun of her? Why did she think she could pillow fight in the first place when she doesn’t look like your “typical” athlete? Turns out, no one is laughing when Cinderhella dominates her first match in the ring. And as her alter-ego rises through the ranks of the PFF, gaining traction and online fame (and online trolls), can Grace use the spotlight to become an icon for not just others, but most importantly, for herself?

Pillow Talk is an inclusive, high-octane, outrageously fun graphic novel that aims a punch at the impossibly high standards set for women in sports (and otherwise) and champions the power of finding a team that will, quite literally, fight for you. A knock-out! 

My Review

This was such a fun read! I was a little nervous at the very beginning that Callie, Grace’s best friend, was going to turn out to be a mean girl that Grace worked really hard to stay friends with. She comes off as selfish and self-serving in the first few scenes, but gradually, I started to see more sides of her. From there, it pretty quickly became clear why Grace likes her and why their friendship works. She has flaws, for sure, but she cares about Grace a lot, which was awesome.

I love the way this book celebrates female friendship. From Grace’s relationship with her roommate Callie to her connections to the other PFF fighters, Pillow Talk showcases the power that comes from people, especially women, lifting one another up. (One major character is nonbinary, and they do a lot of lifting up, too.) I really liked the way the book highlighted that without making it the point of the story.

Grace is also just awesome. I loved seeing her come alive in her fights and embrace being Cinderhella, the persona she created. She faces fear and doubt because she’s a plus-sized girl in a judgy world. The scenes that explored those feelings showed her vulnerability and hurt in ways that were so easy to connect with and made me root for her even more.

Readers looking for a fun story about friendships and wrestling or girls in sports will really enjoy this graphic novel.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Grace is Latina and plus-sized. Callie has had relationships with boys and girls. One nonbinary character is in a relationship with a girl. The rest of the PFF team is a pretty racially diverse group.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very rarely.

Romance/Sexual Content
One kiss between two girls. One kiss between a nonbinary person and a girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Pillow fight matches show characters swinging pillows at one another as part of wrestling moves. One fighter appears to get injured at one point, but a medical staff member checks her out, and she’s okay.

Drug Content
The PFF team go out for drinks and karaoke. (Grace and Callie are in their first year of college, but some of the other team members are older.)

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Deep Is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson

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Deep Is the Fen
Lili Wilkinson
Delacorte Press
Published April 16, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Deep Is the Fen

Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble.

But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who specialize in backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions—and Merry is determined to stop him. Even if it means teaming up with the person she hates most: her academic archnemesis, Caraway Boswell, an ice-cold snob who hides his true face under a glamour.

An ancient Toad ritual is being held in the sinister Deeping Fen, and if Merry doesn’t rescue Teddy before it’s finished, she’ll lose him forever. But the Toadmen have been keeping dangerous secrets, and so has Caraway. The farther Merry travels into Deeping Fen’s foul waters, the more she wonders if she’s truly come to save her friend . . . or if she’s walking straight into a trap.

There’s nothing the Toadmen love more than a damsel in distress.

My Review

Something about this book reminded me of some of my favorite things in Mary Watson’s books. I guess it’s that it feels both like it’s set in the real UK world and simultaneously in a separate, fantasy world at the same time. I love that worldly/otherworldly vibe in this book.

The story also contains some themes that beg to be explored. (Think THE TROUBLED GIRLS OF DRAGOMIR ACADEMY, but YA) Women who have power are witches and imprisoned. Men form secret societies in which they promote and celebrate forbidden power. It invites some thinking.

It also has a great rivals-to-lovers thread weaving through it, and since that’s one of my favorite tropes, I knew I would be hooked on it. And I was! I loved Merry and Caraway’s characters. (And their names.) I liked the pacing of their getting to know one another and learning things about each other. Also, I liked the evolution of Merry’s besties trio. I liked that the author didn’t write Teddy and Sol out of the story.

I devoured this whole book in a single afternoon. The setting is immersive and the characters engaging. By the time I finished the last page, I was already looking at what else Wilkinson had written so I could get more of this incredible storytelling.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
One of Merry’s best friends is Black and transgender. Several characters are queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Merry stumbles onto two people in bed together and quickly leaves.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic, most often women. These people are labeled as witches and imprisoned in a forced rehabilitation program. Only 100 spells are legal. Anything outside the legal spells must be purchased from an approved vendor, one of the three companies that basically run everything.

Merry can see threads of magic in people. Some people have unnatural threads that she believes come from using illegal magic. The threads can be used for other nefarious things.

The Toadmen are an elite society with secret, sacred rituals that promise power and opportunity to members.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some brief torture and scary images. A man severs a nerve in another man’s face, effectively making him unable to smile ever again. Someone tortures a man in an attempt to manipulate someone. Someone cuts a man’s throat. Another man dies by suicide in order to protect someone else.

Someone uses stones and rings to control others.

Drug Content
Drugged (or magicked, I guess) food and drink make people see things that aren’t there or make them easily manipulated.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of Deep Is the Fen in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Fake Chinese Sounds by Jing Jing Tsong

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Fake Chinese Sounds
Jing Jing Tsong
Kokila
Published April 30, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Fake Chinese Sounds

A middle-grade graphic novel about a Taiwanese American girl navigating identity, bullying, and the messy process of learning to be comfortable in her skin.

Between homework, studying, and Chinese school, Měi Yīng’s summer is shaping up to be a boring one. Her only bright spots are practice with her soccer team, the Divas, and the time spent with her năi nai, who is visiting from Taiwan. Although Měi Yīng’s Mandarin isn’t the best and Năi Nai doesn’t speak English, they find other ways to connect, like cooking guōtiē together and doing tai chi in the mornings.

By the end of the summer, Měi Yīng is sad to see Năi Nai go—she’s the com­plete opposite of Měi Yīng’s serious professor mother—but excited to start fifth grade. Until new kid Sid starts making her the butt of racist jokes. Her best friend, Kirra, says to ignore him, but does everyone else’s silence about the harassment mean they’re also ignoring Sid . . . or her? As Sid’s bullying fuels Měi Yīng’s feelings of invisibility, she must learn to reclaim her identity and her voice.

My Review

One of the many reasons I wanted to read this book is that my older daughter is studying Chinese in school. I thought this book would be something we would enjoy talking about—and we did!

Since Měi Yīng attends Chinese classes on Sundays, some of the panels show her working on what appear to be homework assignments or journal entries. They contain Chinese characters positioned with context clues so that even readers unfamiliar with the language will be able to piece together what’s being said. The panels also show conversations between Měi Yīng’s mom and grandmother. Standard speech bubbles show when characters speak English to one another. When characters speak Chinese, the speech bubbles have a different background color, and the text appears in all uppercase letters. I love that this simply and visually cues readers that the characters are not speaking those lines in English.

The pages in which Năi Nai teaches Měi Yīng Chinese words are also cleverly done. The panels set up the idea that Měi Yīng’s grandmother is teaching her the Chinese words for things. Then, a page shows Měi Yīng in its center, with the things around her labeled with Chinese characters and pinyin (phonetic spelling of the characters) for the objects around her.

I loved that. It’s so immersive, and it perfectly captures that experience. Měi Yīng’s relationship with Năi Nai is also super cool. They practice tai chi and cook together and develop a connection wholly different than Měi Yīng’s relationship with her mother, who is more buttoned up and stoic.

The other theme the story focuses on is bullying. Měi Yīng overhears people making fun of the way her mom and grandmother speak. Then, a classmate begins regularly harassing her. People tell Měi Yīng to ignore the cruel comments, which leaves her feeling as though her friends are ignoring how those statements affect her.

The author presented this aspect of the story really well, too. It was easy to see how deeply the racist comments affected Měi Yīng, and how betrayed she felt when her friends didn’t speak up. Eventually, Měi Yīng does find a way to resolve the conflict, but it doesn’t happen easily.

Měi Yīng also plays soccer. While the story isn’t about her prowess on the field, her role on the team and performance in the games does impact the story. I liked that the author included sports as a part of Měi Yīng’s interests.

All in all, this is such a smart book! I love how accessible it makes speaking Chinese, and the character relationships and conflicts play out in believable and engaging ways. I highly recommend this for readers who enjoy graphic novels about fitting in, playing sports, learning another language, or family relationships.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Měi Yīng is Taiwanese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some racist comments directed at or about Měi Yīng and her family.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays. Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.