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Review: Not Nothing by Gayle Forman

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Not Nothing by Gayle Foreman

Not Nothing
Gayle Forman
Aladdin
Published August 27, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Not Nothing

“The book we all need at the time we all need it.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award–winning author of The One and Only Ivan In this middle grade novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman, a boy who has been assigned to spend his summer volunteering at a senior living facility learns unexpected lessons that change the trajectory of his life.

To say Alex has had it rough is an understatement. His father’s gone, his mother is struggling with mental health issues, and he’s now living with an aunt and uncle who are less than excited to have him. Almost everyone treats him as though he doesn’t matter at all, like he’s nothing. So when a kid at school actually tells him he’s nothing, Alex snaps, and gets violent. Fortunately, his social worker pulls some strings and gets him a job at a nursing home for the summer rather than being sent to juvie.

There, he meets Josey, the 107-year-old Holocaust survivor who stopped bothering to talk years ago, and Maya-Jade, the granddaughter of one of the residents with an overblown sense of importance. Unlike Alex, Maya-Jade believes that people care about what she thinks, and that she can make a difference. And when Alex and Josey form an unlikely bond, with Josey confiding in him, Alex starts to believe he can make a difference—a good difference—in the world. If he can truly feel he matters, Alex may be able to finally rise to the occasion of his own life.

My Review

In some ways, this book reminded me of Tree. Table. Book., which came out earlier this year. In that story, a girl befriends an elderly neighbor and learns of her experiences during the Holocaust.

Not Nothing also depicts a close bond between a child and a Holocaust survivor. This time, though, the 107-year-old man narrates the story as if he’s telling it to his lost love, Olka.

The narrative is poignant and gentle even as it tells of hard things: a boy losing his mom when he’s placed in foster care; a family losing their business during the Nazi occupation of Poland; a man separated from his love; and a girl dealing with a parent recovering from a serious illness.

We rarely see main characters, especially in middle grade fiction, who have made terrible choices and now must face the consequences of those choices. This is a brave story that’s also a little bit unsettling. It reminds us that people aren’t one thing. It reminds us that when we judge someone by the worst mistake they’ve made, we miss so many opportunities for good things.

I really appreciated the author’s note that explains why she wrote this book and what inspired the narrative choices she makes in the text. This book offers a lot to think about. I think it also includes a cameo of one of the main characters from Frankie & Bug, also by Gayle Forman.

While this is a heavy story in some places, it’s also hopeful and brave.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Josey is a Jewish Holocaust survivor and the story’s narrator. Several minor characters are queer. Maya-Jade has two moms and is adopted. She is also Jewish. Alex is in foster care. His mom has untreated mental health issues.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
References to slurs and antisemitism/homophobia.

Romance/Sexual Content
A man and woman kiss and become engaged. A couple marries in secret.

Spiritual Content
Alex celebrates Shabbat with Maya-Jade’s family. References to other Jewish holidays and celebrations.

Violent Content
References to World War II and a brief description of the invasion of Poland, destruction of Jewish property, and increasingly oppressive laws under Nazi rule. Brief descriptions of a concentration camp.

Josey references waiting to die several times in the book.

Brief references to Alex’s home life before he was placed in foster care. (He was underweight and not well-cared for.) Brief description of a violent attack against a boy.

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 Monday

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

All Alone With You by Amelia Diane Coombs

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

All Alone with You
Amelia Diane Coombs
Simon & Schuster
Published July 25, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About All Alone with You

HBO Max’s Hacks gets a romantic twist in the vein of Jenn Bennett in this swoon-worthy novel about a standoffish teen girl whose loner status gets challenged by a dynamic elderly woman and a perpetually cheerful boy.

Eloise Deane is the worst and doesn’t care who knows it. She’s grumpy, prefers to be alone, and is just slogging through senior year with one goal: get accepted to USC and move to California. So when her guidance counselor drops the bombshell that to score a scholarship she’ll desperately need, her applications require volunteer hours, Eloise is up for the challenge. Until she’s paired with LifeCare, a volunteer agency that offers social support to lonely seniors through phone calls and visits. Basically, it’s a total nightmare for Eloise’s anxiety.

Eloise realizes she’s made a huge mistake—especially when she’s paired with Austin, the fellow volunteer who’s the sunshine to her cloudy day. But as Eloise and Austin work together to keep Marianne Landis—the mysterious former frontwoman of the 1970s band the Laundromats—company, something strange happens. She actually…likes Marianne and Austin? Eloise isn’t sure what to do with that, especially when her feelings toward Austin begin to blur into more-than-friends territory.

And when ex-girlfriends, long-buried wounds, and insecurities reappear, Eloise will have a choice to make: go all in with Marianne and Austin or get out before she gets hurt.

My Review

I can see the comparison to Jenn Bennett in the marketing copy– I felt like the vibes between Eloise and Austin were a little like the relationship between Bailey and Alex in ALEX, APPROXIMATELY. There’s not a rivalry, but there’s definitely a vested interest in dislike on Eloise’s part, especially at the beginning of the book. The romance blooms slowly, and everyone sees it coming before Eloise herself. In fact, sometimes she’s willfully blind to the signs that it’s there.

I really liked the exploration of friendship in the book, too. Eloise was burned pretty badly by her former friends during a personal crisis, so she’s got her defenses up sky-high when she’s introduced to Austin and Marianne. Her prickliness and Marianne’s take-no-prisoners attitude make for some really fun banter.

Between Marianne’s past and Austin’s present role as bass player in a local band, there’s quite a bit of focus on music in the book, too. Each chapter begins with a quote from a song by the Laundromats. One scene shows Austin’s band rehearsing for a gig. Another shows them playing the gig. I enjoyed the way those scenes played out and how they added a lot to Austin’s character beyond the goofy, Mr. Sunshine character we’d gotten to know.

All in all, I think if you’re looking for a prickly, slow-burn romance, with cross-generational friendship, ALL ALONE WITH YOU is a perfect fit and definitely worth checking out for Jenn Bennett or Jennifer E. Smith fans.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Eloise has depression and anxiety. Austin is Korean American and lost his dad. Marianne is a lesbian and struggles with alcoholism.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Very brief reference to the fact that Eloise struggled with suicidal ideation. She refers to Austin’s white van without windows as a “murder van”.

Drug Content
Marianne smokes cigarettes and drinks vodka in several scenes. Eloise notices a bong among Marianne’s things.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of ALL ALONE WITH YOU in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

Yes No Maybe So
Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Balzer + Bray
Published February 4, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Yes No Maybe So

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.

My Review

I’ve had this book on my shelf for a long time. I think I ordered it during the early days of the pandemic. When I noticed the audiobook version was available at the library, I decided it was time to read it! I’ve liked books by both Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed before, so I figured it would be a solid pick.

And it is. It’s a sweet story about childhood best friends who lost touch and reconnect during their volunteer work with a local political campaign. I liked the development of the friendship and romance between Jamie and Maya. I liked Jamie’s friend group, too, and his relationship with his little sister, Sophie.

I’d say the focus of the story was pretty evenly split between Maya and Jamie’s relationship and the political campaign. We get to follow some of the ins and outs of how a local campaign operates and see Maya and Jamie canvas houses. I thought that was a cool idea. It seems like that could easily inspire readers to get involved in their own local politics by sort of demystifying the process a bit.

On the whole, this was a sweet story about love and getting involved in your community. I enjoyed reading it, and I think readers who liked THE VOTING BOOTH by Brandy Colbert should definitely check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Jamie is Jewish. Maya is Muslim.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently in the book.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Someone leaves a suggestive comment on a picture of Maya and Jamie that appear online.

Spiritual Content
Maya celebrates Ramadan and Eid with her family. Her mom talks to her about keeping her relationships halal– no kissing or physical intimacy before marriage. Jamie celebrates Shabbat with his family. His sister celebrates her bat mitzvah.

Violent Content
An antisemitic meme has been appearing in Jamie’s town. He and Maya witness a woman confronting someone who was placing meme stickers on a car. A politician sponsors a bill that would discriminate against women who wear hijab.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Betrayal by the Book by Michael D. Beil

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , , , , ,

Betrayal by the Book (The Swallowtail Legacy #2)
Michael D. Beil
Pixel+Ink
Published April 18, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Betrayal by the Book

A writer’s conference brings twelve-year-old Lark’s favorite writer–and a suspicious death–to Swallowtail Island, in the second book in this middle grade mystery series by an Edgar Award-nominated author.

Swallowtail Island is hosting the Swallowtales Writer’s Conference. Lark’s ecstatic to be chosen as a “page” for her favorite author, Ann E. Keyhart.

But they say you should never meet your idols. When Keyhart arrives with her personal assistant in tow, she is nothing but a terror. And within a few hours, the assistant is dead! But the explanation isn’t sitting well. Not when lots of people had reasons to want to be rid of Keyhart, and especially not after it’s revealed the assistant recently completed a hot new novel and the file’s vanished from her computer.

Then Lark finds out the assistant had a bird–the match to the one she found hidden in her mom’s book–and she needs answers. It looks like Swallowtail Island still has secrets to reveal, and Lark’s going to uncover them.

A gripping new chapter in the Swallowtail Legacy series, Mike D. Beil spins another clever clue hunt that seamlessly slips in alongside the best classics of middle grade mystery.

My Review

I read the first book in this series, WRECK AT ATA’S REEF last year, and really enjoyed it. So, I was excited to see that this second book was coming out this year. Like the first, it’s set on a small island, and features some of Lark’s many family members.

I really liked that the story takes place during a writer’s conference at which Lark is a volunteer helper to her favorite author. Though the conference itself stays more in the background, it still managed to hit a lot of key moments from a conference: panels, hurt feelings over harsh feedback, encouraging words from a beloved author, and disorganized statements from someone clearly underprepared.

I had very strong suspicions about who was responsible for the assistant’s death even before I read the first page of the story, and I was right. So, that made it a little difficult for me to enjoy Lark’s journey unraveling the clues.

I also expected the bird figurine to tie into the mystery somehow? It remained pretty separate, though. Because that thread began in the first book, I kind of wonder if it’s something that will be the center of a mystery in the next book in the series? I haven’t heard anything, so I don’t know.

All in all, I think I’d have enjoyed this one a bit more if I hadn’t figured out the mystery so quickly. I still enjoyed the island community and Lark’s role as a conference volunteer. I’m not sorry I read the book. The series still makes me think of the Northwoods Mysteries by Margi Preus.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lark wonders whether she’s attracted to a boy on the island.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Lark responds to a scream and sees the dead body of a woman who has apparently died of an allergic reaction. (No blood, just open blank eyes, clearly not breathing, cold to the touch.)

Drug Content
Ann Keyheart gets drunk in several scenes and slurs her words or behaves rudely.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of BETRAYAL BY THE BOOK in exchange for my honest review.

Middle Grade Mondays!

Greg at Always in the Middle does a Monday roundup of posts about middle grade books and news. Check out today’s Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays!

Review: Shelter: Homelessness in Our Community by Lois Peterson

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Shelter: Homelessness in Our Community
Lois Peterson
Illustrated by Taryn Gee
Orca Book Publishers
Published October 12, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Shelter: Homelessness in Our Community

There are 150 million people experiencing homelessness worldwide, and that number is increasing every year. Homelessness is not a choice, yet it exists in almost every community. But why are people homeless? Who are they? What can you do? In SHELTER: HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, readers will get answers to these complex questions. They’ll learn about the root causes of homelessness and its effects, and what people and organizations around the world are doing to address the problem.

It shares the personal stories of people who live on the street and the adults and kids who work with them. As a former homeless-shelter worker, author Lois Peterson encourages young people to approach the issue with knowledge and compassion. She dispels some of the myths about homelessness and makes the case for why everyone deserves a safe, permanent place to call home.

My Review

The author of SHELTER has been both a librarian (where she encountered homeless people regularly) and the executive director at a homeless shelter. So, she brings a lot of personal experience to the book. She also includes bits of stories about different people she’s met and their situations. This helps to illustrate some of the information and statistics presented about the homeless.

Since the author is Canadian, a lot of the information relates to how homelessness is viewed and handled there. She also includes statistics and information about homelessness in the United States. The book is full of facts and ideas for how to help. It discusses what kinds of interventions have been shown to work and how people can help in their own communities.

Possibly one of the coolest parts of the book is that over and over the author tells about kids who’ve been inspired by volunteer work to create their own charities or inventions to help homeless people receive care and services. I thought that was particularly inspiring. There are also some great lists, both for additional nonfiction resources and fictional stories highlighting the challenges of poverty and homelessness.

This book would make a great resource for a classroom, public or home library. It would also serve as a helpful resource guide for youth at religious institutions. I think it’s a great way to begin to get more educated about homelessness and learn ways to help in a local community.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
The book includes short snippets of stories from people who are or have been homeless, including Indigenous and Black interviewees.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some references to churches and other spiritual centers offering support or services for homeless people.

Violent Content
Brief references to risks associated with homelessness, such as being assaulted or robbed.

Drug Content
Reference to some homeless people struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SHELTER: HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones

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Six Feet Below Zero
Ena Jones
Holiday House
Published April 20, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Six Feet Below Zero

A dead body. A missing will. An evil relative. The good news is, Great Grammy has a plan. The bad news is, she’s the dead body.

Caught in a one-of-a-kind predicament, 12-year-old Rosie and her younger brother, Baker, must honor their great-grandmother’s final wishes by pretending she’s still alive until they can find her will and locate their dear Aunt Tilly. Rosie and Baker do their best to follow Great-Grammy’s plan and act as if everything is completely normal, but as their lies get bigger and bigger, so do their problems. And the biggest problem of all? Their wicked grandmother, the horrible Grim Hesper! 

My Review

Holy smokes, this book was so good. Like, it’s every bit as good as that first paragraph of the summary promises. I loved the zaniness of it. It’s all my favorite things about those comedies where everything goes wrong, and it’s hilarious, but you can’t stop rooting for the good guys to get to the other side in the end, even if you can’t see how that could be possible sometimes.

SIX FEET BELOW ZERO is absolutely a book to make you laugh and cry. Possibly at the same time. The grief that Rosie and her brother experience over Great Grammy’s death and the weight of keeping it a secret felt real and heartbreaking. But so many ridiculous things happen! It’s fantastic. Honestly. It’s part Arsenic and Old Lace and part From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Also, there are recipes in the back of the book. They’re things referenced in the book, which was a totally charming touch. I absolutely have to try the cookies!

If you liked DOUBLE THE DANGER AND ZERO ZUCCHINI by Betsy Uhrig or THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage, definitely check out SIX FEET BELOW ZERO.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
I think the major characters are white. Rosie’s friend and neighbor is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Rosie and her brother hide their great grandmother’s body in a freezer in the basement.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of SIX FEET BELOW ZERO in exchange for my honest review.