Jack Strong Takes a Stand

"Couch potatoes unite!"

A lot of kids have participated in extracurricular activities, both in and outside of school.  But what happens when those activities become too much?

In Jack Strong Takes a Stand, by Tommy Greenwald (of the Charlie Joe Jackson series), we see what happens when activities run (and ruin) a kid's life.  Jack is a middle-school kid who is involved with tennis, baseball, cello, karate, and Chinese language lessons...plus all his school work!  His parents just want him to be "well-rounded" for college, but Jack just wants to be a normal kid- video games and all.  After missing a crucial social event, and not being able to take a breath from yet another activity, Jack decides he's had enough.  He decides he will not leave his couch (besides bathroom and the occasional food breaks).  As Jack sits, the community watches him take a stand.

This was a fun, funny read.  It was mostly light-hearted, but made a good point.  I reviewed Jason Odell Williams' book Personal Statement earlier.  This was similar- kind of like Personal Statement for Jr. High...but Jack is a bit of the antithesis of most of the characters in the other book.  The illustrations also add to the story- I loved the diagrams of the couch and Nana's Tongue Sandwich (it's not as dirty as it sounds).

Jack's narration is great- something I think many middle-grade boys will relate to (especially if they like a girl who's "so pretty it makes [their] eyebrows hurt."  I read bits and pieces out loud to co-workers, because it was making me chuckle.

This book takes a good look at family: parents doing what they think is best for their kids; talking things out; reaching compromises; and pulling together in scary/tough times.  As Jack's father puts it "never say anything bad about your family.  We stick together through thick and thin."  I like that it shows the family with flaws.  The parents aren't perfect, Jack isn't perfect, but they love each other and worked together as a family.

Jack Strong made me grateful for parents who didn't make me do activities I didn't want to do...except basketball.  I'm not athletic, and I was made to play basketball through Jr. High.  That took some arguing, but I got to quit.  

It's interesting to see how competitive things have gotten in children's futures: that your preschool determines your college/university; that over-involvement in every activity known to man will give you an edge.  While yes, it will give you an edge, is it worth it to not let kids be kids?

I'd recommend this to both kids and parents.  It's an easy read, and the character is likable enough that I think reluctant readers would enjoy it (and the Charlie Joe Jackson series).  It does a good job of showing both sides of the situation, and does so in a funny way.

Jack Strong Takes a Stand is published by Roaring Brook Press (a division of Macmillan).  ARC generously provided by the publisher.

Release Date: 09.24.2013

Hypnotize Me (The Hypnotists #1)

Librarian Fail. I never read a Gordon Korman book.  I recommend the heck out of him to boys looking for something that will interest them...but have never, ever looked at anything more than the spine (okay, maybe the cover) of a Korman book.  However, when Scholastic sent me an ARC for the first in a new series called The Hypnotists, I figured I should give it a shot...and I'm so very glad I did.

Jackson Opus is twelve years old, and has always been persuasive.  He won the student council election without even running, he got the other team's star basketball player to shoot like a toddler, and can get any bus to stop for him.  What he doesn't realize is, he's descended from a long line of very talented hypnotists.  When he's accepted into the esteemed Sentia institute, he's very excited- and his parents are very proud. Soon he's learning to bend minds, and his best friend Tommy thinks it's the coolest thing ever! However, things are darker and deeper than they seem, and soon Jax is in over his head. Will Jax be able to control his powers, or will Sentia control him?

This is a great read, especially for middle-grade boys.  I'd say probably 3rd-7th.  The dialogue is funny, and there's just enough challenging vocabulary to make it educational, too.  The characters are well-written, and not just one-dimensional.  There are some great moments of hypnotism gone awry- one of my favorites occurs in the school cafeteria, and also some heart-stopping action-y moments.  

I'm always on the lookout for books to sell to boys.  It's not that I'm not on the lookout for books to sell to girls, too, but, truthfully, girls are an easier sell.  Girls don't care, usually, about the gender of the protagonist, etc.  I think boys definitely love stories about guys their own age being chosen to do extraordinary things (like Horowitz's Alex Rider series, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, even the 39 Clues series...which also has books written by Korman!)  

Full of action and adventure, fantasy, and humor, this book gets two thumbs up from me!  There's even some political intrigue thrown in for good measure!








Hypnotize Me (The Hypnotists #1) is published by Scholastic.  ARC provided by publisher.
Release Date: 08.2013

Star Wars: Jedi Academy

Star Wars: Jedi Academy was so fun!  I ran into a couple at ALA who had gotten a copy, and gotten it signed/illustrated by Jeffrey Brown.  They were so geeked out about meeting him, I HAD to look into it more.

Told from the perspective of artistic young Roan, we see the galactic universe through the eyes of a middle-school boy from Tatooine.  Roan wants to get into Pilot Academy, like his Dad and older brother Davin.  However, he is rejected.  Resigned to attending the local Agricultural School, he is surprised to get an acceptance letter from Master Yoda to...Jedi Academy!  Through entries in Roan's journal, and graphic panels, we see Padawan Roan hone his skills in light-sabering and using The Force (as well as dealing with bullies, his first crush, and trying to understand Master Yoda!)

I love how Brown used so many mediums to tell this story.  There are the journal entries, and the panels...but there are also bits from the student newspaper, Jedi Academy FAQs, yearbook-esque staff pictures, report cards, sign-up sheets...it's like a journal-scrapbook (instructions on how to make your own at the end!)  It was kind of like...Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, but still its very own thing.

And it's funny!  There are so many little quips, and especially drawings that made me snicker.  There was something about algebra being used in real life (I hate math, so I liked that one).  And the light saber teacher is also the Home Ec teacher. There are lots of Ewoks...and pictures of Endor.  I have a bit of an Ewok obsession, so that made me happy.  And the Librarian is Librarian Lackbar (sadly, no "It's a TRAP!" exclamations, though).

I can already think of about 20 middle-grade boys I'll be recommending this to- as well as a few adults. Brown has two other graphic novels out, too, that I need to check out now: Darth Vader and Son, and Vader's Little Princess.

Also, I dare you to read it without getting this stuck in your head:

I'd recommend this to middle-grade (and younger...and up) guys, fans of Star Wars, and those who'd like to learn a bit about Star Wars' more obscure characters.





Star Wars: Jedi Academy is published by Scholastic.  Digital ARC provided by NetGalley.
Release Date: 08.27.13

After Iris

After Iris by Natasha Farrant is the bittersweet story of Blue and her family in London.  Told through Blue's diary entries and screenplay transcripts, this middle-grade novel follows the Gadsby family as they continue to deal with the death of Iris- Blue's twin sister.  As parents become busier with work to forget, a Mr. Tumnus-esque au pair enters to deal with Flora (16), Bluebell (13), Jasmine (8), and Twig (10).  Anyone with siblings will appreciate the relationship these four share.

Don't let the heavy subject matter deter you.  Farrant manages to deal with the death of a sibling (or child) while still catching hilarious family moments.  I mean...really?  Pet rats racing around a schoolroom in RC Aston Martins?  The story has some very heartbreaking moments, but they are balanced with very heartwarming moments.  

It did take me awhile to get used to the screenplay format, but once I did *shrug*.  It helped paint the scenes!  While there is an overarching storyline, the different "scenes" had their own mini stories.  If anyone read something like McCloskey's Homer Price, it reminded me a lot of that.

I enjoyed After Iris very much (and not just because Iris is my grandmother's name)- and would recommend it to Jr. Highers who want to read about families, death in a family or England. Or who enjoy filmography.


After Iris is published by Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin USA).  Digital ARC provided by NetGalley.
Release Date: 07.11.2013

The Wells Bequest

This is how it happened-

Me: Hmmmm...this ARC looks really good!  Oh, it's a companion to another book.  Oh well, it should still make sense.
[60 pages in]
Me: Erm...oh wait, I did read the companion.  That explains a lot.

How is it I can remember all the characters and parallels in Stephen King's books over several years, but couldn't remember that I read The Grimm Legacy?  And I liked it!  And it was only two years ago!?

Anyway-

A library!  A library that lets you check out objects!  A library that lets you check out enchanted objects!

That is the premise of The Wells Bequest (and The Grimm Legacy) by Polly Shulman.

Leo comes from a family of scientists, but he's the more creative one.  One day, a six-inch version of himself, along with a girl he's never met, arrives in his bedroom on a tiny time machine.  Mini-Leo instructs him to read The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.  His search for the time machine, and the girl, leads him to the New York Circulating Material Depository.  This fabulous library lends out objects- from fairy tales and classic science fiction novels.  He meets Jaya, the Head Page, and thinks there's something familiar about her.  What follows is an awesome story of history, time travel, adventure...and some amazing inventions.  And a nice little run-in with Nikola Tesla.

I loved this book.  As the humanities person in a family of engineers...I empathized a bit with Leo (though, he's still more mechanically minded than me).  I've also always had a fascination with H.G. Wells- in 3rd grade I picked up a copy of The Time Machine, because it was such a slim book.  It took awhile before I actually understood what was going on.  Then, in 5th grade I did a book report on War of the Worlds- I even created a board game as part of the project!  I remember, I used a "came with the frame" family as people watching the skies...

I love how these fictional inventions of authors like Wells and Verne are made non-fiction...or are they?  There's a very Schrodinger's Cat-esqueness about the whole Materials Repository that I can't think about too much, lest I get a nosebleed.  There are many references to automatons and other early inventions that I now have to look into...like Rossum's Robot.  The writing is smart and fast-paced, and the characters are great!  Especially when having to give something up as collateral, when checking something out from the Special Collection.

Really, if 19th-century literature and The Big Bang Theory had a love-child...this novel would be it.  It's hilarious, smart, scientific and literary.  And just friggin' cool! 

I would recommend this to anyone who likes Wells & Verne, The Big Bang Theory and/or The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  And I'm hoping the next book has to do with Poe and Lovecraft.



The Wells Bequest is published by Nancy Paulsen Books.  Digital ARC provided by NetGalley.
Release Date: 06.13.13