Review: Franklin School Friends

Title: Kelsey Green, Reading Queen (Franklin School Friends #1)
Author: Claudia Mills
Illustrator: Rob Shepperson
Publisher: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux
Pages: 128
Review Copy: From Publisher
Availability: On Shelves Now

Summary: Kelsey Kline is the best reader in the third grade--well, maybe tied for best with know-it-all Simon Ellis. When the principal Mr. Boone announces  a school-wide reading contest, complete with a pizza party for the winning class and a special certificate for the top readers in each grade, she knows she's just the person to lead Mrs. Molina's third graders to victory. But how can they win when her classmate Cody Harmon doesn't want to read anything, and even Kelsey's best friends Annika and Izzy don't live up to her expectations? And could Simon possibly be reading all of those books that he claims he is, or is he lying to steal Kelsey's rightful spot at the top?

Review: This is a realistic fiction series that is just the right length for beginning chapter book readers. There are illustrations scattered here and there and the font is a nice size for young readers too. In each of the books in this series one of the group of friends will be the focus. The first friend to be featured is Kelsey. Her strength and passion is reading. In this first book, we see what happens when Kelsey participates in the school reading contest. She gets so focused on winning, that she loses sight of everything else in her life including family, friends, and even fun.

There are some bonuses at the end of the story. There is a list of books read by Kelsey's class,  a list of fun facts about books, reading and libraries, and interviews with both the author and illustrator.

I love reading and I want to encourage reading as much as possible, but I have to say that a reading contest like this kind of put me off a bit. I don't think that would necessarily be a problem with students reading the book, but it did make me a little uncomfortable as a teacher. I was not always impressed with the educational decisions of the adults in the book, but again, I don't think all young readers would have that same reaction. Later I read in Claudia Mills' curriculum guide for the series, "I hope the book shares the fun of reading contests, but also raises some doubts about them."

Overall, it is a fun school based book that has plenty of third-grade drama and silliness along with friendship themes. I think it will be a hit with second and third grade students- especially those who are excited about reading.

Title: Annika Riz, Math Whiz (Franklin School Friends #2)
Author: Claudia Mills
Illustrator: Rob Shepperson
Publisher: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux
Pages: 128
Review Copy: ARC from Publisher
Availability: On Shelves Now

Summary: Annika Riz loves math more than anything. She's trying to teach her dog, Prime, to count. She's determined to beat fellow math whiz Simon Ellis in a Sudoku contest at the public library. She even sleeps under number-patterned sheets. But Annika's best friends Kelsey and Izzy think math is boring. All they care about is the upcoming school carnival: their principal is going to be dunked in a dunking tank and their class is going to have a booth selling home-baked cookies. But then disaster foils the friends' cookie-baking plans. Can math save the day?

Review: I enjoy math, but reading is definitely has more of my heart so I wasn't sure how this book would work for me. I actually enjoyed Annika Riz more than the first in the series though. Again, some of the decisions of the educators in the book had me frowning, but not as much as in Kelsey Green.

Annika's house is filled with math since her father is a high school math teacher and her mother is an accountant. They even have a dog they named Prime after prime numbers, which Annika explains for readers. The salt and pepper shakers in the shape of three and four were also a nice touch.

Another part that I enjoyed was the baking fiascos. I spend a lot of time baking cookies and have had all kinds of disasters over the years. The girls have many chances to make the cookies, but each time they find some new way to mix things up. Like in the first book, readers see plenty of third-grade drama with school, friendship and keeping perspective as main themes.

I am a runner, so I look forward to reading the book that will highlight Izzy. There aren't a whole lot of books out there for younger readers that focus on running. It's nice to have another series for young readers.  -- Cover images and summaries via Goodreads

Review: Saving Baby Doe

Title: Saving Baby Doe

Author: Danette Vigilante

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Pages: 230

Availability: March 20, 2014

Review Copy: ARC from publisher

Summary: 

Lionel and Anisa are the best of friends and have seen each other through some pretty tough times--Anisa's dad died and Lionel's dad left, which is like a death for Lionel. They stick together no matter what. So when Lionel suggests a detour through a local construction site on their way home, Anisa doesn't say no. And that's where Lionel and Anisa make a startling discovery--a baby abandoned in a port-o-potty. Anisa and Lionel spring into action. And in saving Baby Doe, they end up saving so much more.

Danette Vigilante crafts an accessible, heartfelt and much needed story for the middle grade market featuring Latino characters. 
--Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Review: Danette Vigilante sure knows how to grab a reader's attention and keep it. The first page drops you right into the presence of a mother giving birth. There are flashes of humor here and there, but the book often has a high level of intensity. My emotions were involved early on in the book. I was rooting for Lionel throughout the serious complications that life threw his way. He is a young man who cares about his friends and wants to be helpful. He doesn't always make the best choices as he tries to help, but he certainly has good intentions and a big heart.

Vigilante has delivered a fairly gritty book for the middle grade audience. It is living up to the label realistic fiction. Things are not sugar-coated. An abandoned baby, religious conflicts, violence, and instruction on condom use are all topics that come up among others. Saving Baby Doe is labeled middle grade. The publisher information says grades 5 and up and I would say that this is pretty solidly middle school territory. Lionel himself is thirteen and dealing with mature issues even though the cover may lead readers to believe that it is a more humorous book with a younger main character.

What really made this book work for me were the relationships. Lionel and Anisa have a friendship that anyone would envy. They will do just about anything for each other. The adults in the story really appealed to me too. Aside from a loving mom, Lionel has two mentors in his apartment building, Miss D and Mr. Owen. These two look out for Lionel and help him in more ways than he even understands. Miss D gives him piano lessons and love. Mr. Owen listens to Lionel and shares himself. 

I found it interesting that Vigilante tackled subjects that don't often come up in children's literature. One example is the conflict between the religious views of Lionel's family and Anisa's. Anisa's mother has gone through a religious experience of some kind and wants little to do with anyone who is not saved. This puts a decided strain on the relationship between the families.

No matter what was happening around Lionel, including getting mixed up with some shady characters, I worried for him and my emotions were all in a tangle. Is it appropriate to admit that I cried while reading this book? It happened. This is a book that will stick with readers as it touches their hearts.

I would recommend Saving Baby Doe for fans of realistic fiction or issue books and those who don't mind a bit of a cry.

Review: The Boy on the Porch

Title: The Boy on the Porch

Author: Sharon Creech

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 160 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Review Copy: Digital ARC from Edelweiss

Release Date: September 3, 2013

Summary: One day a young couple wakes to find a boy asleep on their porch. Unable to speak, the boy cannot explain his history. What kind of person would leave their child with strangers? All they know is that they have been chosen to care for this boy. And as their connection to him grows, they embrace his exuberant spirit and talents. The three of them blossom into an unlikely family, and John and Marta and the boy begin to see the world in brand-new ways. Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech delivers a poignant story of finding family when you least expect it.

My thoughts: With brief chapters, this sweet middle grade novel just flew by. I was completely charmed by John and Marta. They are so unsure of themselves, but dive right into caring for this boy who dropped into their lives. They are still learning how to be with each other and adding a random child into the mix flusters them, but heir interactions are adorable. 

Where the boy came from, why he doesn't speak, why someone doesn't come back for him, these are all questions that rumbled through my head. Some of them are answered, but even more questions popped up as I was reading. This book is rather short on answers though. I guess that is like life. We don't always know why things happen. This may simply be the "realistic" element of the story, but it also seemed that possibly Sharon Creech was writing this way to inspire wondering and thinking on the part of the reader. In some ways I appreciated that, but I think as readers we have expectations from the author. When there is no way to know an answer, we accept that, but in this story, the answers are possible, we just don't get them. That was a bit frustrating.

The boy in the story doesn't speak and this certainly adds to the mystery. It also makes the boy more interesting. The wondering starts. It is also intriguing to see the many ways that he does communicate without the use of his voice. He has a way to "talk" with the animals and he speaks through art and music too.

This is a beautiful story of family and making the world a better place for others. In spite of some of the hardships in the book, I felt a warm glow while reading. There aren't as many jokes, but it did remind me of Creech's earlier book Ruby Holler as we see one more way that a loving family can be made.