By Piranha T.

When seventh grader Nora Tucker’s school announces this year’s summer homework—a contribution to a town-wide time capsule—she doubts anything worth writing about will happen. Wolf Creek may be home to a secure correctional facility, but the most interesting things which happen are cookouts and carnivals.

But when two prisoners break out of the Wolf Creek Correctional Facility, Nora’s life becomes much more tense. Suddenly, her mom doesn’t let her go outside, police are pouring into town, and her little brother has her check for inmates under his bed.

She also meets Elidee Jones, an African American girl from New York City whose brother is in the prison. And as the search continues and tension runs higher, Nora begins to realize that no matter how welcoming Wolf Creek believes itself to be, it’s still prejudiced—both inside the correctional facility and out.

Breakout was an unusual book which confronted issues of criminal justice and racial prejudice in a way which felt completely natural and was very well done. Kate Messner narrated it in a series of documents submitted by Nora to the time capsule project, mainly by Nora, her best friend Lizzie, and Elidee. This gave the book an unusual feel and depth, and uniqueness, too—there are few books effectively told completely in documents! But instead of becoming dry, it was a really engaging format.

​This book was recommended to me, and if it hadn’t been, I don’t know if I would have read it; however, I’m glad it was. Breakout was an interesting book which covered a lot of issues which I don’t often see in middle-grade books. For anyone who remotely likes realistic fiction, this is a book which is good to read. I would highly recommend Breakout to readers ages ten and up.

Note: Check out our interview with Breakout's author, Kate Messner! 

By Piranha T.

In Inside Out & Back Again, Thanhha Lai narrates the story of ten-year-old Hà, a girl who has grown up in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Forced to flee her home with the end of the Vietnam War, Hà struggles to make a new life for herself in Alabama, while trying to learn the language, make friends, and understand the world around her.

Inside Out & Back Again was a moving, beautifully written book in free verse. Hà’s life was a moving and very real journey, from a war-torn homeland to peace in a foreign country, the story of a girl who longed for her old life despite all the horrors which were taking place where she had once lived. That reality in the story made it in some ways more powerful than many historical fiction novels which I’ve read—not a fictitious story, something imagined many years later by someone who had never experienced what they were writing about, but something based in real life, in the confusion and dreams of a relatable girl in a terrible situation.

This isn’t a book I’ll forget soon, and I doubt anyone will. I would highly recommend Inside Out & Back Again to readers ages ten and up, particularly those who love Farewell to Manzanar or Brown Girl Dreaming.

By Super Kitty
 
Just before Ari and her older brother Gage’s mother died, she made them promise to stick together, no matter what. So four years later, when Gage announces that he’s gotten an apartment and will no longer live with Janna, their prickly guardian, eleven-year-old Ari follows.

It’s only when they’ve packed their things and left Janna’s house that Ari learns the truth: Gage hasn’t found an apartment yet. He doesn’t have a job, either. Until he can find steady work and a place to live, they’ll have to sleep at friend’s houses, and occasionally the homeless shelter. Gage promises that it’s temporary, but as the weeks go by, Ari begins to feel as if her entire world is crumbling. It’s all but impossible to manage schoolwork, friendships, and activities when you don’t even know where you’re staying on any given night.

Whenever it all feels like too much, Ari plays with her Paper Things—pictures of people, furniture, and houses cut out of magazines and catalogs that form a land of paper dolls. When she’s surrounded by Paper Things, all the problems of the real world fall away and she’s part of a happy family, with parents and a house and even some dogs. In those precious moments, Ari pretends that she’s just a normal girl. And hopes with all her heart that someday, she will be.
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I listened to this book with my family, and we all enjoyed it. The characters are believable, trying to do the right thing, but also flawed and vulnerable. It’s one of those books which reminds you not to make assumptions, because everyone is facing problems that you don’t even know about. Although older readers might consider the ending a little too perfect, it’s a great book for kids and parents to read and discuss together—although it deals directly with homelessness, giving a glimpse into the lives of many children and teens today, it stays solidly middle-grade and never gets dark or inappropriate. It’s also an excellent choice for book groups. Poignant and thought-provoking, I would recommend Paper Things for readers ages nine and up. ​

By Super Kitty

Ms. Laverne said every day we should ask ourselves, ‘If the worst thing in the world happened, would I help protect someone else? Would I let myself be a harbor for someone who needs it?’ Then she said, ‘I want each of you to say to the other: I will harbor you.’

I will harbor you.
                                                              - Excerpt from Harbor Me


When Ms. Laverne tells six of her fifth/sixth grade students that she wants them to spend Friday afternoons at school in a no-adults-allowed room, talking and getting to know each other, they aren’t exactly thrilled. They aren’t friends, and what are they supposed to talk about, anyway? What’s the point? It mostly seems like a big waste of time.

Slowly, though, the six students begin to learn about each other, and discover that despite their differences they have some important things in common. They may have faced loss, racism, bullying, or poverty. Their parents might be immigrants or undocumented or born in America. But they all have scars that are only just beginning to heal, and over the course of the year, they form a powerful bond, learning to accept each other—and themselves—for who they really are.
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Jacqueline Woodson (award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming) has spun a story that deals with important present-day issues, but also one about childhood, growing up, and searching for your place in the world. I loved the characters, and the way the story unfolded—as a series of one of the students’ memories as she looks back on that life-changing year. I would highly recommend it for ages eleven and up, but although the book is about fifth/sixth graders (the main character, Haley, is eleven), slightly older readers may actually enjoy it more. Stunning, timely, and sometimes heart-wrenching, it’s especially good for book groups and discussions.

There are some books which are unforgettable because they are about past events that really happened. Harbor Me is powerful because it is about the present day, and how for millions of Americans, America isn’t really free. 

 By Super Kitty
 
Pacy Lin is excited about the upcoming Year of the Dog—according to her parents, it’s a year to “find yourself” and make friends. As one of the only Taiwanese-American kids in her school, Pacy sometimes feels like she doesn’t fit in, and the Year of the Dog seems like a good time to figure out who she really is.

Sure enough, she becomes fast friends with Melody Ling, a new girl in school who has so much in common with Pacy that they’re practically twins! Pacy is hoping that the Year of the Dog is a sign that she’s going to discover a new talent and decide what she wants to be when she grows up, and as the year goes by she and Melody compete in a science fair, perform in the school play, enter a Halloween costume contest, and more. But as the end of the year gets closer and closer, Pacy begins to wonder: will she find something that she’s good at before the Year of the Dog is over? Or will she be stuck without a special talent forever? 

I read The Year of the Dog before Piranha T. and I started Rapunzel Reads, and we’ve been meaning to review it ever since! I loved it as second grader, and it was just as good when I re-read it recently—it’s one of those books that is impossible to grow out of, and while aimed for younger kids, older readers shouldn’t take that as a reason not to read it. There are some books which really capture what being a kid is like, and this is one of them. In an author’s note, Grace Lin, who based the story on her own childhood, says that when she was young her favorite books were about normal kids: “When I read those books, it was as if I was wrapped in a warm hug. I saw all the things that I loved and lived—my neighborhood, my friends, and my school. The only thing I didn’t see was me….I wrote [The Year of the Dog] because it was the book I wished I had had when I was growing up, a book that had someone like me in it.” Fun, believable, and engaging, I would highly recommend this book for ages eight and up. And if you enjoy it, I also loved both sequels: The Year of the Rat and Dumpling Days.

By Contributing Reviewer FalconX, Age 11

Everyone knows that the Crown Prince Sebastian is hosting a ball to look for the perfect bride. Young ladies squeal over invitations, shops are selling out of ball gowns, and seamstresses are working day and night to keep up with the demand. Frances, a seamstress, is asked to design a dress for Lady Sophia, who is in need of a dress for the ball. However, Lady Sophia is in a bad mood, and she says something to Frances: "Make me look like the devil's wench."

Frances, intrigued by this idea, designs a daringly short black dress of thin chiffon and lace, unlike the colorful sweeping skirts of the other ladies at the ball, and her dress is noticed by all. Including the Crown Prince Sebastian, hidden behind a curtain. Secretly, the prince dreams of wearing something like that.

Frances is offered the chance of a lifetime by Sebastian's personal assistant. She doesn't realize the person she's designing for is a boy, much less the Crown Prince. During the day, Sebastian plays the charming prince, finding a bride, while at night, he goes out in secret in dresses and a wig; and Paris knows him as Lady Crystallia, the "woman" whose dresses and fashion sense is admired everywhere.

Frances is one of the only two people that know Sebastian's secret. But as she keeps designing dresses for the prince, it gets harder and harder to keep his secret. How long can she keep it quiet for her friend before someone finds out?

The Prince and the Dressmaker was a beautifully illustrated graphic novel full of vivid pictures and amazing facial expressions. Jen Wang spins a tale of friendship, courage, and the confidence to embrace one's identity. Frances and Sebastian are characters you will never forget, making you cry and laugh all throughout the book. It mixes suspense, mystery, and just plain fun into the story, making it an unforgettable read. I loved how well the characters' personalities were displayed; through the illustrations, actions, and way they talked. This book explains that no matter who you are, you are free to dress, to act like who you want to be.

I would recommend this book to readers age twelve and up, who enjoy a good, sweet tale set in Paris.

By Super Kitty
 
Everyone thinks George is an ordinary boy—a pizza-loving, Mario Kart-playing, ordinary boy. They’re wrong. Secretly, George knows she’s girl, but she doesn’t know how to tell people that, and isn’t sure if other people would understand. She’s never worked up the courage to tell anyone, and isn’t sure if she ever will. 

But when she finds out that the fourth-grade play is going to be Charlotte’s Web, everything changes. George wants to be in the play—a lot. But not as Wilbur, Templeton, or any of the other boy’s parts.

She wants to be Charlotte.       

Determined to get the part, George and her best friend, Kelly, concoct a scheme to show everyone who George really is, once and for all…from the school bully to George’s mom.

I would recommend this book for ages eight and up, and in fact think that those eight and older should read it. It deepens the reader’s understanding of important present-day issues, and is at the same time moving, captivating, and amusing. The storyline is entertaining, and the ending is perfect for the story. There are more sophisticated and complex books about being transgender available for older readers, but very few are written for younger elementary schoolers, and that’s what really makes George stand out. The straightforward plot, believable characters, and focus on George and Kelly’s friendship make it appealing to younger readers, and it’s an excellent choice for book groups, or for kids and parents to read together and discuss.
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Before I read it, I understood the theoretical meaning of being transgender, but reading George really helped me appreciate what it’s like, and how hard it can be. Not only was it an interesting and thought-provoking read, it was also a satisfying and enjoyable one.

By Piranha T.

In beautiful poetry, Newbery honor winner Jacqueline Woodson narrates the story of her childhood as an African-American girl in the south. In the sixties and seventies, when the Jim Crowe laws were still in effect in many places in the south, the author was told not to simply accept that way of living. Instead, during her journey from Ohio to South Carolina to New York City, she’s taught to stand by her beliefs and learn who she is.
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In Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson combines lyrical poetry with an incredible autobiography. Each poem is like a tiny work of art, a glimpse into her life, scraps of stories which sweep together into a moving, mesmerizing narrative. It tells not just the story of a girl discovering who she is but also what it was like as a Jehovah’s Witness, as someone who never felt quite at home, as a young writer discovering the power of words. It doesn’t have to be action-packed, like many books are today, to be impossible to put down. Jacqueline Woodson’s poetry—and the story she tells in it—is truly incredible. Even though this book is an autobiography, it reads like a story, which is why I placed it under the fiction tab. I would highly recommend Brown Girl Dreaming to readers ages ten and up.

By Super Kitty

Nine-year-old Cassie Logan knows the world isn’t fair. Like how she and her brothers have to walk miles to their school every day, rain or shine, while the children of white plantation owners get to ride the bus. Or how storeowners serve every white customer in the store before asking her what she wants to buy. No one seems to see her past the color of her skin. It’s not right, but in 1933, Mississippi doesn’t show any signs of changing.

Her family has something, though, which keeps them from losing hope. The land. For generations it’s given the Logans a source of income and pride that keeps them from being forced into sharecropping. But it can’t protect them from everything, and it draws the attention of people, powerful people, who would do anything to get their way.

The world isn’t fair, and everyone knows it. To accept the way things are is to be considered inferior, to be mistreated and abused. But change comes at a price, and to rebel is to put at risk everything close to your heart.
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry won the Newbery Medal, and it’s one of those books which completely deserves it. The author creates a setting and cast which truly seem real, and doesn’t shy away from the deplorable things which happened during that period in history. Cassie’s narration is strong and believable, and her family and friends are all stunningly human. The effects of racism and intolerance are far-reaching, and the story makes clear just how horrific they can be. I would highly recommend this powerful, unflinchingly honest book to readers ages 11 and up.

By Contributing Reviewer FalconX, Age 11

Orïsha was a kingdom that hummed with magic. Different people possessed different powers and talents that commanded the elements. That all changed. Zélie Adebola's mother was a maji. This meant that Zélie's mother was magical; and she could summon souls. Under a ruthless king's order, all maji were killed and hung from trees to display to the world the true death of magic. Zélie's mother was among them. No matter what Zélie does, her mother will never return. Then, Zélie's powers begin to manifest. She must keep it a secret. The princess, the daughter of the king responsible of the murder of magic, embarks on a quest with Zélie. Zélie's brother Tzain, the princess, and Zélie set out on a quest to bring magic back. However, the crown prince (the princess's brother) is onto them, and catching up. He has one goal: kill Zélie and kill magic. Zélie is in more danger than she thinks. The crown prince is capable of hunting them down and killing them quickly, but not with Zélie's powers. Tzain tries to protect the princess and Zélie, but they are no match for an army of trained soldiers. Even with Zélie's newly manifested powers. But perhaps the most challenging thing for Zélie is suppressing her growing feelings for the supposed enemy. Will they succeed in bringing magic back to Orisha and returning it to what it was always meant to be? Or will they fail and magic will be lost forever?

This book was so intriguing, good, and cleverly written. I picked it up and could not put it down. Tomi Adeyemi weaves a vibrant and imaginative world. Join Zélie and her companions on a quest to bring the true Orïsha back. I love the plot twist at the end. It is not at all what you expect. The story is rich and full of interesting side plots and different perspectives. By the time I'd gotten the book in my hands, it had been recommended to me by at least eight different people. I love how Tomi Adeyemi makes you feel like you are standing next to the characters, that you are fighting and celebrating and mourning right along with them. This is the first book in a trilogy that the second and third book has not yet come out. I would recommend this book to grades 6-9 because there are very violent parts. 

By Contributing Reviewer FalconX, age 11

Mia Winchell appears to be an ordinary kid. From the outside. She has a secret: after certain sounds and words, she can see colors in the air. At first, Mia's secret is easy to keep. But, as a middle child and juggling home and school, Mia begins to wonder if she should tell someone. But who? And when? At least, she has her best friend Jenna. But are best friends forever? Can she trust Jenna with her one most important secret? Mia thinks she is going crazy. But when she reveals it to someone, they take her to a therapist, and he says that there might be others like her . . . .

​A Mango-Shaped Space is a funny, heart-breaking, and crazy book that will keep you turning pages late into the night. I especially liked the word play and feelings Wendy Mass packed into this novel. This book can make you laugh and cry in the same scene. It makes you feel like you are right beside Mia, experiencing her troubles and triumphs. I would highly recommend this book to grades 5-8. ​

By Piranha T.

Little Rock, Arkansas has been known throughout the country as a hotbed of the segregation and integration movements. In 1957, several African-American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, went to one of the high schools. A year later, high schools are closed all over Little Rock to ensure that they won’t be integrated.

Twelve-year-old Marlee Nisbett isn’t caught up in that piece of the drama, but her older sister Judy is. She’s sent away to their grandparent’s house, and Marlee, who has always been shy and reserved, feels as though her world has been torn apart. Only because of Judy has Marlee even remotely participated in school. Marlee, however, always feels like she’ll say the wrong thing, and usually doesn’t speak in class unless she has to.

But despite believing going to middle school will just make everything worse, Marlee meets Liz, a new girl. Though they have almost nothing in common, they become fast friends. Liz helps Marlee grow more confident with talking to other people as they work together on a project for school. It’s not long, though, before Liz has to leave—and it doesn’t take Marlee long to learn why. Liz is really African-American, trying to get a better education at a better school. Marlee, though, isn’t willing to give up on a friend who has helped her so much, and is determined that their friendship won’t end here. But in 1958 Little Rock, that’s not as easy as it sounds. If anyone learns what they’re doing, both their lives could be in danger—and the world which Marlee’s always known may be about to fall apart.
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When I started The Lions of Little Rock, I didn’t think it would become one of my favorite books, since historical fiction isn’t usually my favorite genre. But Marlee was an interesting, sympathetic heroine who I could understand every step of the way. Although the schools closing in 1958 and the issue of integration were major points in the plot, what drove the force of the story were the characters and their choices. It didn’t feel like a lesson from a history book, but I learned a lot. It was an excellent book, well-written, weaving in bits of history naturally and easily. I would highly recommend The Lions of Little Rock to readers ages ten and up.  

By Piranha T.

When Candice Miller moves into her grandmother’s old house in Lambert, South Carolina, she doesn’t expect to find a mystery in the attic. But she finds an old, dusty box there—an old box that’s labeled for her. And in the bottom of it, she discovers a letter, the beginning of a mystery which will bring her all over the city of Lambert. It explains a mystery from the 1950s, the disappearance of an African-American family, and the injustice that was done to them all those years ago.

But solving the mystery isn’t as simple as it sounds. It doesn’t take Candice long to realize that this letter is at the root of her grandmother’s disgrace in Lambert a decade earlier. So instead of telling her mother, she keeps it a secret from everyone but her new friend Brandon. Together, they navigate hidden puzzles, uncovering the past of Lambert, the man who wrote the letter in the first place, and the family who the letter is about. But to Candice, it’s more than just a puzzle. It’s about clearing her grandmother’s name, and living the future she wants to.

The Parker Inheritance was a fun, incredible book which had me thinking at many points how awesome the puzzles were. Candice and Brandon are clever characters who manage to think of things I can’t be sure I would have myself, and both are bookworms, mentioning lots of my favorite stories! Intertwined with the story are ‘flashback’ chapters, relating the life of the family mentioned in the letter and the events leading up to what made them leave.

This book went deeper, though, because it wasn’t just about the mystery and the past. It was also about segregation in the south, social justice, and persecution. Almost all the characters were African-American, often still dealing with similar issues to those related in the flashbacks from sixty years before. These messages weren’t as obvious as they are in other books we’ve reviewed, or in many historical fiction novels. But they were also just as powerful, because it made you think how it’s set in the present day. The Parker Inheritance is completely fictional, but all it tells feels real. It’s not the main course of the story—that’s about Brandon and Candice, and the letter in the attic. But it’s still a major part of the plot, something which leaves you thinking even after you’ve turned the last page.
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I would highly recommend The Parker Inheritance to kids ages ten and up.

By Super Kitty
 
The city of Ketterdam is the center of world trade, an industrious city of merchants, ships, banks, embassies, and the like, along with theaters and festivals to delight its many visitors. But Ketterdam has another side, too: one home to ruthless crime bosses, competing street gangs, and a notoriously talented young thief by the name of Kaz Brekker.

When Kaz, who has a gift for the impossible, is offered a deal involving his breaking into one of the most secure buildings in the world, located in distant enemy territory, he shocks everyone by accepting. But as always, he has more prepared than it appears, and he recruits a team that most people would never dream of. A legendary spy, a disgraced elite warrior, a runaway Grisha, a sarcastic sharpshooter, and a fugitive with a flair for chemicals join the master thief himself on a dangerous mission destined to change the fates of Grisha everywhere.

There are several things about this book which really struck me. The characters and character development is outstanding: for most books six different points of view would be confusing and awkward, but instead readers are able to understand each character intimately, and sympathize even with Kaz, who is so cold and ruthless that rumor has it he isn’t even human. Indeed, at first all of the crew members appear heartless and unfeeling, but slowly readers begin to appreciate what they’ve gone through, and also how, despite all appearances, each member of the cast is still incredibly human. Each seems totally different, but as the journey continues, it becomes clear that they may be more similar that they had thought. Each has lost something more precious to them than anything else, and the mission might just give each of them a second chance. But how far are any of them willing to go? And, ultimately, at what cost?

Also, I just want to say that this is definitely on the older side of what we review (think young adult section as oppose to middle grade). I would recommend it for ages 14+, largely because of the fact that there were some pretty violent scenes. However, if you are old enough, trust me and read it—it’s honestly not even the sort of thing I would usually read (I picked it up because I liked the original trilogy*), but the way the story unfolds is completely mind-blowing. Not only does Leigh Bardugo, who is a master of brilliant twists, create a story which gets progressively deeper and more complex as the stakes grow higher, but readers also get flashbacks from each of the six main character’s pasts, revealing their entwined stories as the author builds up to a climax which is impossible to put down. Overall, Six of Crows is an intense but spellbinding read that’s sure to appeal to fans of sophisticated and action-packed fantasy.
 
*The Six of Crows duology (there’s a sequel as well, and I highly recommend it too) takes place in the Grishaverse, the setting of the Shadow and Bone trilogy and The Language of Thorns. However, there is little overlap, and while I think you can appreciate the duology the most having read the previous books, it’s perfectly fine to start here. They’re very different, but both are really good.     
 

​By Piranha T.
 
Nalah is the daughter of a glassblower in a land where magic is forbidden, yet she possesses it. Her own magic gift is growing stronger, and she must struggle to control it. Because there’s not just people who don’t want her to have her power. There are those who want to use it for themselves.
 
Halan is the crown princess of a desert kingdom where your magic dictates who you are. She has none, a fact that she has always struggled to understand. The royal family has always had magic, and Halan will grow to wish for it more than ever. For although there’s a rebellion against her father slowly spreading around the castle, the rebels aren’t the only ones who want to take her life.
 
They are two girls, from two worlds. Yet Nalah and Halan’s lives are about to collide, and together they will uncover secrets which someone wants to hide forever.
 
Sisters of Glass is a fun, exciting fantasy with a plot full of unexpected twists and turns. Nalah and Halan are two excellent characters with understandable and sympathetic desires. I recommend Sisters of Glass to readers ages nine and up.