Some Favorites this Spring
Happy Spring everyone! Although we’re struggling to feel like it’s spring here in Illinois, I thought I’d share a picture of something we can look forward to very soon! And here are some favorite middle grade books I’ve discovered since my last post. I’ve given all of them five stars on Good Reads! I hope you’ll find a new title to add to your TBR pile!
Counting Thyme
By Melanie Conklin
How did I miss Counting Thyme? For some reason, I’ve missed the reviews for the past two years about this heartfelt and important middle grade novel with a great sense of place. What’s important, however, is that I now know Thyme and her family, and I can’t stop thinking about their story
The Owens family left their home, their beloved grandma and their friends in San Diego, and abruptly moved to the very strange and unfamiliar world of New York City. The plan is to go home once Thyme’s beloved 5 year old brother, Val, completes his trial treatment for neuroblastoma at Memorial Sloane Kettering, but Mom and Dad are making no promises. Meanwhile, Thyme has to share a room with her older sister (who can’t stand her), live in a prewar walkup New York City apartment and start middle school, AGAIN, just before Thanksgiving. She desperately misses her next door neighbor and best friend, Shani, back in California, feels invisible to her mom and dad and lives with the fear that her little brother might not get well. But through it all, Thyme remains a loyal, loving and compassionate big sister and daughter who is willing to do whatever is necessary to help Val get well, and to help her family get back to normal.
This story includes the familiar middle school issues of friends, first crushes and going to a new school, but more importantly it tells us about a family in crisis. It tells us about how a cancer diagnosis, especially of a child, not only changes the victim’s life, but that of everyone in the family. It tells us about the anger and the stress that are just simmering beneath the service, even as the family strives to care for the child. It tells us about how the parents can’t help but let the other kids fend for themselves. It tells us about the guilt the healthy children experience as they resent all of the attention their sibling receives, and the lack of attention and interest they receive from their parents. And, finally, it tells us the importance of trust as a family faces the biggest battle of their lives.
One of the biggest lessons I learned from this story was the reminder and the realization of the importance of being honest with your children, no matter how difficult that might be. Thyme just wanted to know what was really happening with her brother and with her life. When her family tried to protect her by hiding the truth, it caused her to be not only fearful, but it also to lose her trust in everyone and everything around her.
As I said, I will not soon forget Thyme’s story. This is a book that is one that should be in every elementary, middle and public library, as well as in the counseling offices of schools and hospitals. It is one that needs to be shared not only with the siblings of children with cancer, but also their parents.
The Last Grand Adventure 
By Rebecca Behrens
Thank you to @rebeccabehrensbooks and @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
When I was growing up I always loved Amelia Earhart’s story and I always had the secret hope that she survived and was living happily somewhere on a desert island. When I began my freshman year at Purdue (where Amelia was a professor) and I found myself living in Amelia Earhart Hall, I was convinced it was a sign that my secret wish was true. So when I learned about The Last Grand Adventure, I knew I had to read it, and I wasn’t disappointed. In fact I loved every moment of the adventure, right along with Pidge and Bea!
This is a fascinating historical fiction story (set in 1967) of a granddaughter, her grandma, Pidge and their search for Pidge’s sister, Amelia Earhart. While I read this absorbing book (I had a hard time putting it down!), I experienced so many emotions as I followed Pidge and Bea on their cross country trip from Sun City, CA to Atchison, Kansas to celebrate Amelia’s 70th birthday. They are in a rush, because Pidge believes with all her heart that her long lost sister will be waiting for her on her special day. At times the story was heart wrenching and at times full of excitement. Bea, a rule following straight A student who rarely leaves her hometown of Burbank, is suddenly thrust into a situation where she is a stowaway who is thrown off a train in the middle of the desert, and turns into a hitchhiker with very little food and almost no money. I felt her fear and her embarrassment when she realizes the grandmother she barely knows has gotten them into an unbelievable situation. I also felt her struggle to face her fears as she bravely supported and protected her grandma, and to find the courage to continue their great adventure. I felt her growing hope that just maybe her great aunt Amelia might be waiting for them in Kansas. Finally, I loved how Bea learned so much from her adventure about the kindness of strangers and the realization of the importance of family; even if it is a step family. I highly recommend this to students in grades 4-8, who are looking for a story full of adventure, mystery and history!
Enginerds
By Jarrett Lerner
Published by Simon and Schuster
Twelve year old Kennedy, and his friends all eat lunch together in an empty science room or anywhere else that’s available, as long as they don’t have to eat in the cafeteria and listen to the endless chatter about who likes who, who was holding hands or who’s going to the next party. Because who wants to talk about those things, when you can be discussing a scientific finding about the latest weather phenomenon or your newest invention? And what do they call themselves? Well, enginerds, of course because “it’s the nerds who are the engine of the world.”
This hilarious book will keep kids reading until the end! It’s full of adventure, laugh out loud moments and even some potty humor. It also has very short chapters, which will help those reluctant readers gain a feeling of success, as they fly through the book. However, everyone will love this book, as I did, no matter their reading ability. It’s a great choice for anyone in grades 2-5. I highly recommend Enginerds for all elementary libraries, and believe me, one copy will not be enough! Finally, the best news is that more Enginerd adventures are coming soon!
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Kate Hosford’s story is even more poignant due to the warm and colorful illustrations by Abigail Halpin. Her pictures bring little sister’s expressions alive for us. I loved her eyes on every single page. She expresses so much emotion just by the tilt of her head or the slant of an eye. I would definitely like to have one of Halpin’s paintings hanging in my home! Be sure to peak beneath the cover of Mama’s Belly and you’ll find this hidden gem!
York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book award and was named an ALA Notable Children’s Book. Her books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, French, and Romanian. Kate lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. To learn more, visit her website: 