Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina. Candlewick Press, 2013., 260 pages.

Piddi Sanchez is in a new school when one day, in a hall crowded and noisy between classes, a girl she thinks is named Vanesa jumps in front of her and says "Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass". Then Vanesa disappears into the crowd before Piddi can even ask "Who is Yaqui Delgado?".
Piddi needs to learn how to navigate this-- as well as other life situations-- the best friend she left behind seems to be moving on; her mother works all the time and Piddi cannot talk to her anymore; Hair salon chisme leads to a terrible revelation about the father she never met-- and more. A quick read sprinkled with spanish slang terms that do not always work in english (caramel) I loved this coming of age story that stays real about bullying and the behavior of adults, the predicaments kids find themselves in and the limits and possibilities of school anti bullying and discipline policies. Loved it.

Bird & Squirrel On The Run! by James Burks. Graphix, 2012, 126 Pages.

Two friends--
Squirrel-- Jumpy and afraid of his own shadow. A pessimist
Bird--Carefree and Careless-- An abundance of over confidence and hairbrained ideas.
And, unnamed but ever present-- Cat, who wants to eat bird and squirrel both. But it wont be easy.

Graphic novel for kids-- very funny-- for kids and adults-- a little reminiscent of Elephant and Piggie. Not as sweet though-- for a (slightly) older crowd.
Recommended by a young patron AND his mother. Good one.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Alfred A. Knopf, 2012, 315 Pages.

School Library Journal

Gr 4–7—Due to a rare genetic disorder, Auggie Pullman's head is malformed, his facial features are misshapen, and he has scars from corrective surgery. After much discussion and waffling, he and his parents decide it's time for him to go to a regular school for the fifth grade instead of being homeschooled. All his life Auggie has seen the shocked expressions and heard the whispers his appearance generates, and he has his coping strategies. He knows that except for how he looks, he's a normal kid. What he experiences is typical middle school—the good and the bad. Meanwhile, his beautiful sister is starting high school and having her own problems. She's finding that friendships change and, though it makes her feel guilty, she likes not being labeled as Auggie's sister. Multiple people tell this story, including Auggie, two of his new school friends, his sister, and his sister's former best friend. Palacio has an exceptional knack for writing realistic conversation and describing the thoughts and emotions of the characters. Everyone grows and develops as the story progresses, especially the middle school students. This is a fast read and would be a great discussion starter about love, support, and judging people on their appearance. A well-written, thought-provoking book.—Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC

The Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman. Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2010. 232 Pages.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7

This illustrated novel, reminiscent in style of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams, 2007), is sure to have huge appeal. Finn Garrett tells the tender yet humorous story of how he begins to disappear following his beloved dad's sudden death. The 12-year-old awakens the morning after the day when everything changes to find a strand of white hair and less "pinkness" to his skin. Each day he grows whiter and less visible. He begins to write a memoir, which is really an account of his and his family's grief over their devastating loss. While poignant and sad, the book is ultimately upbeat as they begin to heal. At times Finn feels he is being erased because he failed to save his dad. At other times he wonders if he is aging in order to get closer to him. He recounts memory after memory, ultimately realizing the importance of them, and of being the keeper of his father's stories. Finn sees a therapist, and eventually he, his mother, his grandpa, his little brother, and his friend Melanie move beyond their initial pain. Finn's invisibility reverses itself and he becomes a boy who has managed to hold on to the world. The book's engaging, intimate tone is enhanced by Finn frequently addressing readers. Stop signs placed at points when he is overwhelmed with feeling add to the tenderness. The language and style are pitch-perfect middle school, and the illustrations ably capture the boy's memories and moods.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. HarperCollins, 2012. 305 Pages

From barnesandnoble.com:

Overview

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal

Heidi Heckelbeck In Disguise by Wanda Coven. Little Simon, 2012. 119 pages.

Heidi is upset that Mean Melanie, the class bully, plans to dress as an ugly stereotypical witch for Halloween. Even worse, she cannot tell her friends that it hurst even worse because Heidi IS a witch-- a good and lovely one whose mother will not let her use magic just because. So Heidi uses just a little magic without permission to dress up as Melanie for Halloween. Heidi loves that she gets Melanie's goat, but will she lose her friends when her "act" is so true to type?
Easy reader, very popular with 2nd and 3rd graders--its fun and pink and magic. also longer at  100+ pages, even with large type and the occasional drawing. Recommended by several young readers who love a series--and want them in order.

Fortunately The Milk by Neil Gaiman. Harper, 2013. Unpaged.

Short funny bizarre fantasy- very British and very Neil Gaiman, story about a family home one morning without mom. There is no milk for the kids cereal or for Dad's tea, so dad goes out to get some. When he finally returns home, really really late but with the milk in hand, he relates a bizarre time travel kidnapping dinosaur, alien, balloon story. The kids love it but do not believe a word. Good back and forth with hard to fool kids and a storytelling dad who thinks on his feet. lots of illustrations make this a fast fun read.

Magic Below Stairs by Caroline Stevermer. Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin, 2010, 200 Pages.

Off Shoot of a Stevermer adult series, but stands alone well. Very Harry Potterish-including the type set-- but much shorter, of course-- still, this single volume leaves lots of room for sequels. Fun, fantasy magic fiction with a historical feel and some adventure. Ending see big showy fight with evil spirit-ish thing. Good Guys win-- for now.
Rated for grades 4 -7. First choice for 4th,5th and 6th grade book club. upper elementary.

LIng & Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin. Little, Brown and Company. 2010. 43 pages

I finally read Grace Lin's Geisel Winner- Ling and Ting. A very early chapter book- still considered easy reader. Fun and clever and charming-- and all 6 tiny chapters come together at the end. i loved it and so will everyone else. Twin or not.

Foxy! by Jessica Souhami.Frnaces Lincoln Children's Books, 2012. 26 pages.

OH OH OH - Full of repetition and a satisfying ending-- Sly old fox tricks one person after another into giving him their stuff. When he finally tricks a young boy into jumping into his sack, it is a clever woman who keeps the boy from becoming a foxy lunch- and makes it time for Fox to run. Reads like a old timey folk tale. Great for read a louds- elementary aged.

Tashi and the Giants by Anna Fienberg. Allen & unwin, 1995. 63 Pages.

Recommended by a young patron- a first grader who reads well above his grade level-- but is still a first grader--this is a good choice. It reads to me like Roald Dahl  (which is another good choice for this patron.) Unlike other series, this one appears to be sequential.

Penny and Her Doll by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow Books, 2012, 32 pages.

Easy reader-- very early chapter book. A sweet family story very much akin to his picture books. A little girl has a decision to make about her new doll's name. Her family tries to help but she comes up with the perfect name herself. Sounds very much like several of his picture books, but this very very early chapter book is great for kids (and parents) who loved the picture books and are now just reading on their own. Of course, i loved the story.

Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. Tu Books, 2012. 355 pages.

How Tia Lola Learned to Teach by Julia Alvarez. Yearling Books, 2011, 135 pages

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz. Riverhead, 2012. 224 pages.

Yunior from Drown grows up.

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl. Puffin Books, 2009. 63 pages

Recommended to me years ago by an excited 3rd grader who loved funny books, I have been recommending it myself, but only read it now. Great book for many kids-- especially as a first chapter book-- slim and sprinkled with illustrations, it is funny and full of themes kids can identify with- family, emotions, underdogs, justice, animals, magic, etc. And it is VERY British-- think EB White, Dick King-Smith, LeGuin's CatWings. An oldie but goodie, i will be recommending with renewed vigor.

Dragonwings by Lawrence Yep. HarperTrophy, 1975, 248 pages.

Recommended to me by both an 8th grader (who reads for assignments but not for pleasure) and another librarian, I loved it. My first Laurence Yep since Spring Pearl of the American Girls -girls of many lands-series. Wonderful historic fiction, San Francisco, 1904, Chinese immigrants. Little known on this coast, great storytelling and a real sense of what was true for many many families. I love historic fiction.

Lions, tigers and bears, volume 1: Fear And Pride by Mike Bullock. Image Comics, 2006.

Recommended to my by an 8 year old patron, i read the first in the series. Publisher recommends for all ages, but this is clearly geared for juveniles- young kids. Joey is a lonely and fearful child who feels different than the other kids. Only his Grandma understands him and she tells him he has special powers and sees and feels things others do not. Grandma is special too. Joey 's parents, who we never see, move and he must leave grandma, so grandma gifts him with 4 protector stuffed animals. Joey soon finds out there is a whole world most of us do not see-- and ends up on the other side in a Narnia type place where stuffed animals are alive and Joey must overcome his fears to help them and him get back. All the classic adventure fiction threads in graphic form accessible to young readers. And i know an 8 year old who LOVED it. That'

s enough  for me to recommend it to kids but lets be very clear that there is nothing for adults or older kids here.

LIncoln and His Boys by Rosemary Wells. Candlewick Press, 2009. 96 pages.

A lovely little book by Rosemary Wells. Based on an actual letter written to Lincoln by one of his sons, the story is diary like, told in alternating voices over a span of just a few years, we get an insiders view of Lincoln and the family life told from the boys as he is running for office, arriving in DC and then again near the end of the war. A lot happens to the country and to this family in this very short time. An intimate and moving view of the man not widely known but well documented. Reminiscent in style and fell of Kate DiCamillo's work,  Lincoln and His Boys is slim, but rich and deep.

Night by Elie Wiesel. Bantum, 1990. 99 pages

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007. 346 pages.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz. Simon & Schuster, 2012. 357 pages

Teenagers, Ari, named after his Mexican grandfather and Dante, son of a literature professor, meet in the early 1980s. Seemingly very different but both outsiders they become friends. lots happens here- family dynamics and problems and growing pains and sexuality and secrets  but through it all, love prevails. So well written and compelling that even though i knew what where we were going , i did not know how we would get there. And,  unlike LIE, i genuinely liked the characters who were believable and lovingly portrayed. Recommended absolutely.

LIE by Caroline Bock. St. Martin's Griffin, 2011.

Oh no! I wanted to like this. It is dedicated to the Southern Poverty Law Center and is promoted as a tool to stop hate crimes. It is listed on multiple YA good read lists. It got starred reviews in no less than 3 Library Journals. And it sounded like such a great book.
-- A group of teens routinely amuse themselves by jumping Salvadoran immigrants. One night someone dies and a witness escapes. He lives and talks. As police come in to investigate the teens try to hang together and stonewall, but group dynamics come into play and now the questions are: what really happened? who did what? who knows, will someone tell, should some one tell, or should they stay quiet.
I expected a "Killing Mr. Griffith" but the book was nothing but disappointment from the beginning.
The characters are wooden stereotypes-- who were very predictable and really unlikeable. I could not bear to finish the book and never came to that "couldn;t put it down" part as promised.
the book was super hyped up but it left me so cold i never finished it. I would be interested in what teens themselves have to say. Until then, Don't Bother.

True Blue by Deborah Ellis.Pajama Press, 2011, 229 Pages.

Casey and Jess are high school seniors, outsiders and best friends for years. Casey is arrested and charged with murder in a high profile case that sets almost the entire town against her. Jess struggles to remain a good friend-- and the story of what happened at summer camp that led to the murder of a camper- is told through flashbacks as Jess struggles with her feelings about Casey. Does she believe Casey is innocent? A YA crime/noir/mystery that  we do not expect from Ellis, famous for social justice realistic fiction. It starts off very strong- i really loved it at first-- very Lois Duncan, ti thought. but it ends weakly-- i thought it was disappointing at the end when i really did not care about Jess or her struggles. Very strong start, good middle, weak and didactic end-- i hate to say so. i wanted to love it and did at first. i am curious to see what kids say about it.

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach. Sourcebooks Fire, 2011. 311 pages.

Stupid Fast was recommended by Victor, who saw it on a library display at school and picked it right up. I see the attractions. Told in the voice of 15 yrs old hot mess, Felton Stupid

 Fast is about  Small towns, mental illness, bullying, outcasts, jocks, highschool, family disfunction and lies. BUT-- in the tradition of Jack Gantos, funny and warm and filled with love and affection for all the weirdness and disfunction found in all families and all of us. What don't kill you will make you stronger! Recommend. watching for the sequel.

This one is from VOYA, a mag that serves kids’ librarians:

“In the tradition of great young adult protagonists like Holden Caulfield and Eric “Moby” Calhoune comes Felton Reinstein, soon to be sixteen… This novel is Herbach’s first for a teen audience, but you would not guess that from the authentic teen voice of his protagonist. The author manages to deftly balance humor with high-stakes, emotional storytelling and even includes some romance to boot. Surprises abound in this future youth classic, not the least of which is how Felton comes to terms with his newfound inner jock. While male reluctant readers with an interest in football or running will especially connect with this novel, it is difficult to imagine a reader who will not find Felton’s tale compelling and highly entertaining.” —VOYA, June 2011