By Piranha T.

Kek is a refugee from Sudan, fleeing his home after the deaths of much of his family. He is sent to his family in the United States, where he struggles to learn the language and understand the culture. His new school seems like a paradise of freedom to Kek, but he feels isolated until he meets Hannah, a girl who befriends him and helps him navigate the complexities of his new life. But even with Hannah’s friendship, he won’t forget the mystery of what happened to his mother—and the question of whether she’s alive at all.

Home of the Brave is the story of Kek’s struggle in a foreign new home, told in free verse. It is deeply relatable, sometimes funny, a book about change, prejudice, coming of age, and so much more. This is a book to be discussed in book groups, a simple story with a deepness which will remain in reader’s minds. I think Home of the Brave would appeal to fans of books like The Year of the Dog and Other Words for Home, centering around people from other cultures finding a way in a world which sees their identity as their home country, and not who they ​are. I would recommend Home of the Brave to readers ages ten and up. 

By Super Kitty

Living in London with her father and aunts, Tally is perfectly content. But there is the war, of course, getting ever closer, and news of the Nazis every day in newspapers and on the wireless. Children are getting sent to the countryside to protect them from the coming air raids. Tally has no intention of leaving, but when her father gets the opportunity to send her to a boarding school in the country, he accepts, determined to keep her safe from the anticipated air raids on the city.

Tally does not want to go to boarding school--uniforms and field hockey and endless rules are the last things she wants to worry about, and she longs to stay with her family and friends. But when she arrives at Delderton, it turns out to be nothing like the schools she's read about in books. Students only go to classes if they want to, and the classes themselves are entirely different than she was expecting--drama and handicrafts and biology lessons in the woods are taught along with English and math. She meets children who dream of movie stars and revolutions and one with a pet axolotl. Instead of scolding and nagging, her housemother is writing a book about a German philosopher. And Tally begins to think that maybe, just maybe, Delderton is a place where she can be happy. 

Karil, crown prince of Bergania, has spent his whole life surrounded by royals and officials and ceremonies, and has never had friends or felt really free. He is destined to be king someday, but he's never found a place where he feels he truly belongs. And now, with the war close at hand and his father refusing to obey Hitler's orders, tensions at the royal court make things lonelier than ever. 

When Tally learns about the king of Bergania's daring stand against the Nazis, she moved by his courage and longs to visit his beautiful country. The opportunity arises when she learns of a youth folk dance festival that the country is hosting, and she gathers a group of students to choreograph a dance so that they can attend. There, she and the other students meet children from all over Europe, but for Tally, the closest friendship she forms is with someone who's not even supposed to speak to her--Karil, prince of Bergania.

Their friendship might be forbidden, but there are far more dangerous things occupying the minds of the country's leaders. And when Nazi forces infiltrate Bergania's government, it is up to Tally and her friends to help Karil escape to safety. 

Eva Ibbotson is one of my favorite writers, and this book completely lived up to my high expectations. Ibbotson grew up in Vienna, Austria, but fled during World War II as a child, and it's clear that she experienced many of the things described in The Dragonfly Pool--the descriptions and details she writes with have the feel not of careful research, but of personal experience. Her writing is beautiful, and the story is poignant and moving, but still has the characteristic humor and quirkiness which I've enjoyed in many of her other books. And Tally is a wonderful main character, caring and brave but still believable, and I loved the way her friendship with Karil develops. (I also appreciated the lack of romance--so many middle grade books with girls and boys who are friends focus on it, but in The Dragonfly Pool it's all but nonexistent.) I would highly recommend it to readers ages ten and up. 

By Piranha T.

It is 1940 in England; bombs rain down every night. Twelve-year-old Katherine Bateson and her brother and sister are sent to a crumbling castle-turned school in Scotland to escape the Blitz. It seems to be a perfect solution, despite the mysteries and rumors cloaking Rookskill Castle. Kat and her siblings will be safe there—won’t they?

Despite the stories Kat hears on the way to Rookskill Castle, she insists it isn’t dangerous. After all, she reasons, everything can be explained without falling back on something so ridiculous as magic. She didn’t believe her great-aunt, when she claimed her antique chatelaine had mystical powers; there is no evidence for her temporary home to be haunted.

Before long, more peculiarities are revealed. Lady Eleanor, the castle’s ruler, seems to be more than she appears—and attempts to conceal a chatelaine like Kat’s grandmother’s. Kat hears wordless singing from one of the towers at night, and watches unfamiliar children wander the grounds. She finds but one reasonable solution: Rookskill Castle must be harboring a Nazi spy.

But when Rookskill Castle’s other refugees begin disappearing, Kat realizes the truth is much more complex. She must answer a question she’s never asked herself before: what if magic is real?
​
The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle is at times creepy, at times gripping, but always full of intrigue and unfolding secrets which kept me turning the pages. Kat is an excellent protagonist who has a logical mind without provoking the exasperation readers often feel when a character refuses to accept something which seems utterly obvious; she feels very real, and so does her relationship with her brother and sister, which made me think of The Emerald Atlas. The plot keeps unveiling new layers and eye-opening secrets. This book is filled with mystery and power, including a very interesting villain and kind of magic which I look forward to reading more of in the upcoming second installment. I recommend The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle to readers ages eleven and up who love historical fantasy and twisting storylines. 

Note: If you like The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle, check out our interview with the author Janet Fox, and the sequel, The Artifact Hunters! 

By Super Kitty

On her twelfth birthday, Nisha receives her first diary--a beautiful book where she feels she can record all of her thoughts and wonderings. She struggles to speak in front of anyone other than her family, especially her twin brother Amil, or Kazi, her family's beloved cook, who gave her the notebook. But when she writes, words flow onto the page, telling the story of the sudden changes which have begun in the world around her. 

India has been freed from British rule, but in the summer of 1947, things only seem to be getting more complicated. Before, it didn't seem to matter what religion people were, but suddenly there is talk of India becoming two countries--one for Muslims and one for Sikhs, Hindus, and all other Indians. Everyone is taking sides, from the country's leaders to the students at Nisha and Amil's schools. But the only side Nisha wants to be on is her family's--Amil, Kazi, Papa, and Dadi, her grandmother. 

Dadi and Papa are Hindu. Kazi is Muslim, and so was Nisha's mother, who died when she and Amil were born. So where in this new world does Nisha belong?

As tensions escalate and violence begins to break out in their neighborhood, Dadi, Papa, Nisha and Amil escape and begin the long journey away from what is now Pakistan, away from their Kazi and their bungalow and everything Nisha and Amil have ever known. They cross the desert to what is now the new India on foot, desperate for water and facing the growing tensions between refugees of all religions, escaping their old homes to places they have never seen. They find hardship and danger on their road, people filled with cruelty and some who have lost everything. But there is also unexpected kindness in those they encounter, and the hope for a better future.

Written in a series of letters to her mother, Nisha's journey is sometimes heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful, and although it's historical, it explores many issues which are still relevant today. I don't always prefer reading books written in a diary format--it can be difficult to immerse oneself in the story--but I loved the way that Veera Hiranandani weaves the story through Nisha's letters to a mother she never really met. The relationships within her family are believably imperfect, yet the relatively small cast of characters clearly truly care about one another, and the harsh journey they make together helps to bring them closer together. The story also explores a piece of history that I can't believe I didn't know more about--according to the Author's Note, the journey in The Night Diary "is the largest mass migration in history." Although the story itself is fictional, it is inspired by the journey made by the author's father when he was young, and her vivid details and descriptions bring Nisha's world to life. The Night Diary is written for a middle-grade audience, but older readers will enjoy it as well (though they may find the ending slightly too happy to be completely realistic), and they may be inspired to learn more about the historical events it describes. Overall, I would recommend The Night Diary to readers ages ten and up.  

By Piranha T.
 
Alex has never known the identities of her birth parents, and she has only one clue: the seven shimmering cards she’s had for as long as she can remember, with which she can see the future. She knows they’re magical, which could put not just her, but her adoptive family, in danger—Enchanters and their magic are forbidden in the city of Luma and the surrounding lands, and if her cards were discovered by the dangerous Sentinels, she’d be imprisoned for life. But they’re her only connection to her unknown birth parents, and she’s not going to give that up.

When Alex is betrayed to the Sentinels, she narrowly escapes Luma and finds herself in the perilous lands beyond, where mist-shrouded Hauntings track down magic workers, and a dark-winged Hawke searches for new quarry. But the land wasn’t always like this. And the king didn’t always seek to kill Enchanters and their children. With newfound allies and the aid of strange, Enchanted objects, Alex embarks on a dangerous quest: to dispel the Hauntings—and free the Enchanters—for good.

Full of Angie Sage’s signature humor and wit, Twilight Hauntings is perfect for both new readers and fans of her previous Septimus Heap series. Alex and the supporting characters are quirky, distinct, and hilarious—from a bereft Enchanter to a placid donkey, everyone in this novel feels fully developed and interesting. I also liked the layers to the setting and the elements of magic. I can’t wait to read book two! Angie Sage expertly lives up to the expectations set by her previous novels in character development, plot, and humor, so if you love her other novels, this is a perfect book to read. I highly recommend Twilight Hauntings to readers ages nine and up. 

By Piranha T.

Twelve-year-old Mary Hayes is ready to escape. Ever since her family died in a fire, she’s lived in an orphanage, and finally, tonight, she’s devised a way to run away. But she’s foiled by something which can only be called magic. And the next morning, a mysterious woman named Madam Z comes and adopts Mary.

Suddenly, Mary is whisked away to a warm house, where there are delicious meals and she has no obligations. It feels too good to be true, especially when Mary ventures to Iris, a nearby town filled with conjurers and magicians. For there, she meets Jacob, an illusionist’s son who can analyze nearly every ‘magic’ trick in Iris to something decidedly less interesting. For the first time in years, Mary has a friend.

But things don’t seem like they can be the happily ever after Mary hopes for. Madam Z tells her magic doesn’t exist, but there are strange things in the forest at night. One of the magicians in the village predicts Mary is about to be betrayed. And there’s a door by the staircase, a door she can’t find a way to open.

Together, Mary and Jacob begin uncovering the secrets of both Iris and Mary’s new home. But there is another, darker secret too: Who is Madam Z, and what does she want with Mary?

The Door by the Staircase is a mysterious, engaging fantasy, drawing from Russian folklore, with the feel of an original fairytale. Katherine Marsh creates a setting full of secrets, mysteries, and hidden power, which totally pulled me in. Although it seems like it could be creepy (and still may be, to younger readers), I didn’t find it so in the least; instead, it held some of that fairytale-strangeness and unpredictability, in a way which felt completely natural and part of the story. And the end held a brilliant twist which turned the entire course of the story in a way I hadn’t anticipated. Mary was an interesting, sympathetic protagonist who I grew to really like. This book made me think of several others: The Emerald Atlas, for the orphanages both the protagonists come from; for older readers, Shadow and Bone, for the undertones of Russian folklore, and Begone the Raggedy Witches, for the elements of fairytales. To readers ages eleven and up who love myth-based books written like fairytales, I would highly recommend The Door by the Staircase. 

By Super Kitty and Piranha T. 

​Amina Khokar has never been one for raising her voice. Everyone who truly knows her--from her best friend Soojin to her Pakistani family--tells her that she’s a beautiful singer, but she’s never found the courage to perform in front of a crowd. Now less than ever, what with the visit of her strict uncle from Pakistan, who doesn’t believe music is good. And since she started middle school, Amina is less sure of herself. Her friend Soojin, who she always knew she could rely on before, wants to change her name to something more ‘American’, and is making new friends in the popular girls who have always made fun of Amina and Soojin and their cultural heritages. At least she still has her friends at the Islamic Center, who she sees on the weekends at Sunday School. But even that peace is shattered when someone breaks into it, shaking Amina to her core.

Amina’s world is changing fast. But maybe in the midst of it all, she’ll find the courage to raise her voice.

This is one of the (many!) books which have been on my reading list for years, and I'm so glad that I finally have! The story is inspiring and hopeful, and Amina is relatable and caring. I especially liked how Amina's struggle to adjust to middle school and her experiences with her family--especially Thaya Jaan--balance and contrast with each other, giving the story depth and complexity. Although I'm several years older than the main characters (and target audience), I felt a strong connection to all of the characters, especially Amina, whose dreams, fears, and growing courage feel deeply real. It's an excellent choice for book groups and fans of Grace Lin's The Year of the Dog or Meg Medina's Merci Suárez Changes Gears. I would highly recommend Amina's Voice to readers ages eight and up looking for a satisfying story about friendship, family, and growing up in a complicated world.

By Piranha T.

When fifth grader Mika first enters middle school, she doesn’t expect to like math class. Her favorite subject has always been art. But her math teacher, Mr. Vann, gives them ‘math journals’, in which he encourages them to solve problems ‘using words, numbers, and/or pictures,’ not just formulas. And it’s in Mr. Vann’s room that she gets to know two new friends, Dee Dee and Chelsea. So it’s no surprise that math class swiftly becomes one of her favorites.

Nevertheless, although Mika seems on her way to enjoying fifth grade, life is more complicated than just numbers. And when she’s confronted with a problem that equations alone can’t solve, she begins to wonder if her life will ever be the same again.

Solving for M has the same coming-of-age feeling as Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle, and elements of math similar to The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. This book is about family and friendship and math, but maybe more than any of those, it’s about growing up. Mika is a very relatable main character to kids in many different situations, whether or not they’re experiencing the same things she is. I recommend Solving for M to readers ages nine and up who love math and stories which feel very real.

Note: If you like Solving for M, check out our interview with author Jennifer Swender! 

 By Piranha T.

Sixth grade is only just over, but Virgil Salinas already regrets the rest of middle school. This is the day he believes he’s officially a Grand Failure. The quietest kid in a seemingly flawless family, he’s always felt different. His only sources of comfort are his grandmother Lola, who loves to tell him the stories from the Philippines which she heard growing up, and Gulliver, his pet guinea pig. But when Virgil and Gulliver end up in danger, and no one knows where they are, everything changes.

Valencia, a girl who’s deaf who Virgil has always admired for her courage and daring.

Kaori, a self-proclaimed psychic who believes she’s a reincarnated freedom fighter from Bangladesh.

Chet, a school bully who pulls the trick which gets Virgil in trouble in the first place.
They’re four middle school misfits, who barely even know each other. But when their paths collide in what might just be fate, their lives are changed forever.
​
Hello, Universe was sometimes funny, sometimes thought-provoking, but always with themes of friendship and acceptance. With chapters narrated by Virgil, Valencia, Kaori and Chet, by the end of the book, I felt like I knew each of them in a really personal way. This is a book you read less for the plot, although it was quite engaging, and more for the interesting, relatable characters, who truly formed the heart of this story. Hello, Universe won the Newbery Medal, and I’m not surprised; it is a truly excellent book. I recommend Hello, Universe to readers ages ten and up. 

By Piranha T.

For generations, Aileen’s ancestors have been the Wise Women of Skarr. She’s always expected she’ll become one too, and follow in the footsteps of her Aunt Beck, but instead, she fails her initiation. And before she has a chance to try again, she and Aunt Beck are summoned by Skarr’s king to embark on a dangerous mission.

For years, a barrier has stood between the three Islands of Chaldea and the neighboring island of Logra, blocking trade and travel alike. But there is a rumor that, if the barrier can be breached by someone from each island, it will be broken.

Aileen and Aunt Beck set off through the Islands of Chaldea to attempt just that. Along the way, they are joined by, among others, a mysterious cat with strange powers, a reluctant Prince of Skarr, and a determined inventor who believes there is indeed a way to cross the barrier. But something much darker is brewing in the Islands and Logra alike. Will Aileen be able to uncover the barrier’s secrets—and understand her own powers—in time?

I first read The Islands of Chaldea several years ago, and when I reread it, I discovered it is every bit as good as I remembered. Aileen is a capable, smart, and brave heroine, and the other characters are amusing and unique. The Islands of Chaldea is the kind of high fantasy novel I love, with whimsical magic and multilayered settings. I’d highly recommend The Islands of Chaldea to fantasy lovers ages nine and up.

​Note: Diana Wynne Jones is the author of many acclaimed fantasy novels, including Howl’s Moving Castle, which I also recommend if you enjoy this book.

By Piranha T.

This year, Emma’s first day of school is different. It isn’t because it’s fifth grade, or it’s a new school. It’s because she hasn’t gone to public school before in her life. Ever.

​She and her older brother Owen have always been homeschooled. But last year, Owen gave public school a try, and now, Emma’s doing it too. She’s looking forward to everything, but most of all, she wants to make a best friend.

The night before school starts, Emma and her dad rescue a honey-colored rabbit caught in a fence. Emma knows they can only keep him until they learn who the real owners are, but she names him anyway—Lapi. Buy the next day, she can’t imagine ever letting him go.

Then school starts, and it’s harder than Emma expected. Everything is so new to her that she can’t keep track of it all. She has a hard time meeting people. At last, she devises a way that Lapi can help her make friends. But will even he be taken from her?

In her author’s note, Cynthia Lord explains that her daughter went from school to homeschooling, and much of her experiences were part of what shaped Because of the Rabbit. I’m not surprised. This book held a vivid, realistic portrayal of what it would be like to go to school for the first time. It was sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes sad, but felt completely real. Emma is a great main character who I really like. I highly recommend Because of the Rabbit to readers ages eight and up. 

By Piranha T.

For twelve-year-old Milo Pine, winter vacation is a time to relax. His adoptive parents run Greenglass House, a smuggler’s inn, but no one ever stays there during the winter. But then guests begin appearing at the front door, and before long, Greenglass House is full of mysterious lodgers, all of whom seem to have their own reason for being there. And none of whom seem the least bit ordinary.

A perplexing map. A potential thief. Missing belongings. As the snow piles up outside and the mysteries deepen, Milo teams up with the cook’s daughter, Meddy, to uncover the secrets of the strange guests, the stories they tell, and the one thing they all seem to have in common: Greenglass House itself.

Greenglass House was a brilliant mystery with complex characters and multilayered histories. Milo and Meddy were awesome protagonists, and the puzzles they were solving kept me turning the pages until the very end. The entire cast was exceptionally quirky and enigmatic, in a way which reminded me of Nooks and Crannies, The Mysterious Benedict Society, or The Westing Game. Additionally, this mystery was unusual because it had hints of magic while still being set in this world, a combination I only remember reading in Knightly and Son, and was extremely well-done. I would highly recommend Greenglass House to lovers of brilliant plot twists and unusual characters ages ten and up.

Note: If you like Greenglass House, Kate Milford has written several sequels and companion books, many of which I’ve read and loved! 

By Piranha T.

Eleven-year-old Trinket’s father was a teller and a bard. He would tell stories for a living, traveling the countryside, but he would always return to Trinket and her mother, and their house by the sea. But for five years, he hasn’t returned. And Trinket is determined to find him.

With the help of Thomas the Pig Boy and a map which her father left when he disappeared, Trinket travels across the countryside, finding the seven stories she needs to become a true bard herself. She tangles with Gypsies and a seer girl, helps rescue a child stolen by selkies, aids a skilled young dancer bargain with faeries, and has many other adventures besides. But as her search turns up no trace of her father, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever find a trace of him—until she hears a story which changes everything she believed.

​The Seven Tales of Trinket was a fairytale-like tale of a girl searching for her father intertwined with Gaelic folklore. Shelley Moore Thomas creates a vivid world of magic in the stories Trinket finds, from faeries to banshees to selkies and more, very much in the flavor of the Celtic myths much of the story was drawn from. I loved the stories and adventures Trinket had, which were vivid and multilayered, all standing easily alone but intertwined into her adventure in different ways. I would recommend this to readers nine and up, especially those who love folklore or The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, or anyone who loves a lyrical, enchanting stories of family, quests and adventure.

By Super Kitty
 
Seventh-grader Isabelle Perez and her older brother Julian love spending hours together, playing maracas or working on her wind-harnessing project for the school science fair. Sure, Julian (who has an extreme type of epilepsy) might not be able to do all the things which other kids can, but he’s still the best brother ever. When one morning Julian has an enormous seizure and is rushed to the hospital, Isabelle is afraid that he’ll never be the same.

The night that Julian comes back from the hospital, he and Isabelle are transported to Las Brisas, a magical place where Julian doesn’t have epilepsy. Every night after that, the two of them go to Las Brisas, where Julian can talk, run, swim, and more. As Isabelle gets to know him in a whole new way, she begins to truly understand his struggles at home—and his incredible hope, determination, and love for her and her parents.  

Back in the real world, Julian is slowly adjusting to his new seizure medicine, and seems more and more distant. Isabelle’s parents are struggling to figure out what’s best for him, and Isabelle wonders if things will ever go back to the way they used to be. In the midst of seemingly endless worries, Isabelle will need all of the courage which Julian gives her to find her voice—and help Julian discover his, too.

I had gotten multiple recommendations to read What the Wind Can Tell You, and I’m really glad I did. Isabelle’s journey explores what it’s like to have a disability, the struggles of growing up, and what it means to be a family. Isabelle and Julian are both strong protagonists and relatable siblings, and I loved their relationship. The story is relatively simple, yet beautifully told, and I wholeheartedly enjoyed it—it’s an excellent pick for book groups and discussions, or for any readers ages 9+ looking for an inspiring, moving, lyrical story.

Note: Click here to read our interview with Sarah Marie A. Jette, author of What the Wind Can Tell You​! 

By Super Kitty

Hoping,
I’m starting to think,
might be the bravest thing a person can do. 
                                  - Excerpt from Other Words for Home


Before the protests began, Jude lived with her family in Syria. She watched old American movies with her  best friend and walked on the beach with her older brother. She dreamed of being an actress like the ones in her favorite movies. That was before.

As tensions rise in Jude’s home city, she and her mother fly to America, where they move in with her aunt and uncle in Cincinnati. As Jude struggles to adjust to a new culture, language, school—a new life—she learns that America is different than it seems in the movies. Everything is big and loud and shiny, clamoring for attention. She learns that some people expect her to be a certain way before they even meet her, or seem to treat her differently when she starts wearing a headscarf. But in America she also finds friends, allies, hope for her family in Syria and a connection with those in America. She finds a place which, slowly but surely, begins to feel like home.

Every now and then I’ll randomly stumble across a book, decide to give it a try, and end up completely adoring it. Other Words for Home is definitely one of those. A combination of gorgeous free verse, multilayered plot, and a protagonist who I completely loved creates a poignant, inspiring story about finding a new home and growing up. The story never gets violent or dark, but still honestly faces the realities of being a young Middle Eastern refugee. I’ve connected with countless book characters in different ways over the years, but Jude touched me more deeply than any have in a long time. Her fears for her family and the future make her immensely relatable, but it’s her courage, dreams, and unquenchable spark which truly make her shine.

Although it’s a middle grade book, Other Words for Home can easily be enjoyed by readers of all ages—it’s also great for discussions or book groups. I would highly recommend it to readers ages 10+ looking for a story brimming with strength, courage, and hope for a better future. 

Note: Check out our interview with Jasmine Warga, author of Other Words for Home! And Other Words for Home was one of our favorites from 2020!