Sparrow by Sarah Moon

Pages: 264

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Contemporary

Notes for Parents: Contains mildly coarse language and mature scenes.

The Back Cover

They find her on the edge of the roof of her school. No one believes that se wasn’t about to jump.

But then again, no one knows Sparrow very well.

She keeps good grades. She keeps to herself. Though she wishes she could find a friend, she has no idea how that might happen.

So sometimes she goes where the birds gather, and she waits, waits for them to come get her, gather her up, take her with them, take her high above the school, above the city, above the crowds. For those few moments she’s not alone, closed in.

But Sparrow begins to discover something else inside her—a music, a song that grows in power, if only she can let it be bridge.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author, Sarah Moon, created a Spotify soundtrack for this book, and you can find the link to it in her Instagram profile (sarahmoonbooks).

What’s good?

Sparrow is a lonely girl, who finds solace in books and in being invisible. She’d love to make a friend but doesn’t know how and instead imagines herself flying with the birds. After a traumatic loss sends her to the edge, people take notice. Fear of being labelled or judged keeps Sparrow from asking for help. The story follows her through conversations with her mother and therapist that eventually leads her to music as an alternative source of comfort, and to a rock camp that opens up a whole new world for her. The plot is straight forward, the pace is steady, and the tone is hopeful.

Best Part: Dr. Katz and her fun and funky retro clothing and cool music.

What isn’t good?

The first half of the book is mostly conversations between Sparrow and her mother, and Sparrow and her therapist where she (eventually) reveals that she’s shy, lonely, and sad. The story starts to perk up when music enters the conversation. When Sparrow goes to rock camp, things genuinely get good.

Worst part: Nothing is terrible, but Sparrow’s coping mechanism is very poetic, making it perhaps a little too romantic for comfort.

Recommendation ☺☺☺ (3.5/5)

Sparrow’s story will resonate with many young people who are feeling lonely, sad, or out of place. It is ultimately a positive story about growth with the help of therapy, music, and effort. While the subject of mental health is an important one, the premise has been overdone in the past few years, but the inclusion of music and her focus on birds sets it apart just enough. Recommended.

Moon, Sarah. Sparrow. New York: Scholastic, 2017.

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Pages: 211

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: Grahpic novel / Memoir

Notes for Parents: Contains some mildly mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it’s probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she’s dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina’s tummy trouble isn’t going away…and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What’s going on?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

As with her books Smile and Sister, this is based on the author’s real-life experiences.

What’s good?

With her trademark bold, colourful drawings, Raina Telgemeier once again brings a personal childhood experience to life. Young Raina’s anxiety is causing her physical symptoms that make it difficult to deal with friends and school. With the help of her family and a therapist, she learns to cope with the stresses of life. The plot is simple and straight forward and the pace is good. The characters are relatable, and the message is thoughtful and heartwarming. This is a quick and easy coming of age story that promotes mindfulness and courage, and de-stigmatizes anxiety disorders and therapy.

Best Part: Raina.

What isn’t good?

I supposed if I have to find something that isn’t so good, I’d have to say that the story itself is a little thin. I’m not sure if more substance is really a fair expectation of a middle grade graphic novel, but that’s the only thing I thought of after I read it – this could have used a little more…depth.

Worst part: Nothing.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺(4/5)

This is a classic Raina Telgemeier graphic novel. If you enjoyed her other novels, you’ll love this one. If you haven’t read any of her stuff yet, you should. Definitely recommended.

Telgemeier, Raina. Guts. New York: Graphix, 2019.

Beneath by Roland Smith

Pages: 264

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: Adventure

Notes for Parents: Contains implied violence and some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Pat O’Toole has always idolized his older brother, Coop. Coop is…different. He doesn’t talk on the phone, doesn’t use email, and doesn’t have friends. He’s never really cared for anything but the thrill of being underground, and for Pat of course. So it’s no surprise to anyone that after a huge fight with their parents, Coop runs away. One year later, Pat receives a package containing a digital voice recorder and a cryptic message from his brother. He follows the clues to New York City and soon discovers that Coop has joined the Community, a society living beneath the streets. Now it’s up to Pat to find his brother—and bring him home.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a series. It was nominated for the Oregon Spirit Book Award for Middle Readers in 2015 and for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award in 2018.

What’s good?

Pat has one goal – find his brother. But it isn’t so simple when he tracks him to New York and discovers he’s somewhere in the mysterious underground where a community of people have settled. The underground is a fascinating place full of interesting people like Posty, Lod, Kate, and the Librarian. The chapters are short – sometimes very short – so it’s a quick and easy read. The plot is simple (find Coop!) and the pace is quick. There’s plenty of adventure, danger, fear, and intense moments. The ending is good, wrapping up most of the story but leaving it open for further adventures.    

Best Part: Pat was very likeable.

What isn’t good?

The geography of the underground was a little confusing.

Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺(4/5)

The description of the story didn’t sound very interesting, so it took a while before I picked up this book. But once I did, I was sucked into the story almost immediately. The short chapters and fast pace make it very easy to read, and the premise is captivating. Definitely recommended.

Smith, Roland. Beneath. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2015.

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Pages: 390

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Contemporary / Disaster

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language, violence, and mature scenes.

The Inside Cover

Everyone’s going to remember where they were when the taps went dry.

The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s life has become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.

Until the taps run dry.

Suddenly Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a war zone of desperation; neighbors and families turning against one another in the hunt for water. When her parents don’t return and she and her brother are threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

In reality, spring of 2019 saw California officially declared drought free after more than seven years of experiencing some type of drought. Water in California is very closely managed because rainfall is limited and occurs mostly in the winter. That’s not to say the tides can’t quickly turn. A few months without significant precipitation can threaten reservoirs.

What’s good?

The desperation becomes palpable as a group of kids go in search of water during a drought. There’s chaos and danger when Alyssa, Garrett, and Kelton have to leave their neighborhood after violence breaks out. The plot is full of twists and turns and the pace steadily increases until the dramatic end. The story is told from different characters’ viewpoints, giving interesting insight into their thoughts and fears, especially after the group dynamics get complicated when other survivors join them. Henry’s narration is funny and Jacqui is a compelling character.  

Best Part: Henry.

What isn’t good?

The chapters are long and especially daunting in the beginning because the story starts slow. While the premise is believable, the series of events that follow the group is unrealistic – nothing seems to go right for them and eventually it gets tedious. Also, the government response to the crisis is chaotic and bumbling beyond belief. The threat of serious drought has existed there for so long that there must be at least a decent plan in place.

Worst part: Their luck.

Recommendation ☺☺☺ (3.5/5)

This could have been a great book, but it was still a good book. It’s fascinating to see how disaster brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. There were some tense moments and some great action scenes. And there was a shocking turn of events that I didn’t see coming. Recommended.

Shusterman, Neal and Jarrod Shusterman. Dry. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Pages: 324

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Notes for Parents: Contains violence, some under-age drinking, and other mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Hazel and her brother, Ben, live in Fairfold, where humans and the Folk exist side by side. Since they were children, Hazel and Ben have been telling each other stories about the boy in the glass coffin: that he is a prince and they are valiant knights. But as Hazel grows up, she puts aside those stories. Hazel knows the horned boy will never wake.

Until one day he does…

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction in 2015.

What’s good?

Set in contemporary time, this is a dark fantasy where the existence of faerie folk is accepted by the town, but they are considered to be dangerous and cruel. The world-building is well done and the plot is complex but easy to understand. Exciting action scenes and tense moments create a good pace in the second half. This story has magic curses, exciting battles, royalty, knights, swords, secret revels, power struggles, a town under threat, and a monster in the forest. It also touches on issues of racism, xenophobia, ethics, and the LGBTQ community.

Best Part: The boy in the glass coffin.

What isn’t good?

Something’s missing and I’m not sure what. Perhaps with all the good stuff it has, I was disappointed that it wasn’t more…intense? The first half is good, but not as exciting as the second half. The characters are interesting, but I didn’t really care about them as much as I should have.

Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺ (3.5/5)

The story has a fantastic premise that drew me in right away. The town’s cautious relationship with the fae (fairy folk) was intriguing, Jack’s history was fascinating, and Severin’s story was captivating…and yet. For some reason I just couldn’t connect with Hazel, the main character. Her friend Leonie was more interesting! Regardless, I still really enjoyed the story. Recommended.

Black, Holly. The Darkest Part of the Forest. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2015.