Popcorn by Rob Harrell

Over the weekend, I read Popcorn by Rob Harrell. This humorous realistic fiction novel is about Andrew Yaeger, a boy who just wants to make it through Picture Day. Things begin to go wrong when his bully, Gene Phillips, bumps his backpack into Andrew's face and shoulder on the bus and escalate when Gene wants Andrew to help him cheat on their math test. When he learns at lunchtime that G, his grandmother with Alzheimer's, has gone missing, Andrew worries that he won't be able to avoid his worst fear, losing control of his anxiety and having a public panic attack at school. Although he has support from his best friend Jonesy, Nurse Finnegan, and multiple teachers, unfortunate incidents keep adding up as he goes through the afternoon and he knows that he will burst like a kernel of popcorn the longer it takes for G to be found.

I enjoyed reading this book so much and absolutely loved how it was both funny and emotional. As someone who also has anxiety, even though it's not as severe, I could relate to Andrew and his worries because middle school is not easy, especially when you're having a bad day. I also liked that he could rely on not only his best friend to be there for him, but also the school nurse, a few of his teachers, and even some of his classmates. It was nice seeing that he wasn't alone. I thought Gene was despicable and it was so frustrating that he just wouldn't leave Andrew alone, especially when Andrew just wanted to have a good picture day and the world seemed to be conspiring against him. Despite the drama and how Andrew's day wasn't going well, I definitely did laugh out loud a few times because I thought his drawings and comics were hilarious and accurate. I really appreciated the authenticity of the entire story. As for G, I thought it was so scary how she disappeared and even the police couldn't find her right away. I think anyone would be worried about that, anxiety or not. After reading another one of Harrell's books, Wink, a couple years ago, I wasn't surprised by how amazing this book is because he's an awesome author who can mix humor with serious stuff. Popcorn is superb choice for any middle school student, but especially those who can relate to the feeling of losing control.

Lola by Karla Arenas Valenti

 

On Friday, I finished reading Lola by Karla Arenas Valenti. This fantasy novel is about Lola, a ten-year-old girl who lives in Mexico City in a house that was built around an enchanted tree with flowers for each season and likes to uncover treasures in a bottomless sandbox with her older brother, Alex. After The Thing That Happened, while Lola can see the chaneques that hang around the tree, her brother has been coping with the Darkness. When she notices gray splotches both on the tree and Alex, she suspects that there's a connection and decides to look for a cure. As Alex grows sicker, Lola and Cualli, one of the chaneques, go to see a grocery store oracle, La Vica, who shares that there is a secret passage into a hidden world called Floresta. In Floresta, Lola must convince the young queen, Madre Luci, to help save her brother in time, even if it means facing her deepest fears.

Although beautiful and magical, Lola was one of the most devastating books I have read lately.  I was drawn into the story by the Tree and the sandbox from the beginning and loved getting to know Lola's relationship with Alex. They seemed really close and I could relate because I also have a brother, even though he's four years younger than me rather than four years older. I definitely wondered what exactly The Thing That Happened was, though. It seemed like a dark cloud over Lola and Alex. I thought it was quite scary that both the Tree and Alex were becoming sicker at the same time and I had to know the reason why. One of the things I enjoyed most about the story was the world of Floresta. It was so vivid to me and the adventure was wonderful, especially when Lola turned into a bird for the first time and could fly. I definitely wanted to go there myself. On the other hand, it was so frustrating how reluctant Madre Luci was to help Lola even if I understood why. I definitely saw her as selfish because she knew Floresta was suffering because of her decision. Although I suspected something was off regarding The Thing That Happened, I was absolutely shocked by the plot twist and it broke my heart into a million pieces. It reminded me a lot of the feelings I had when reading The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Although the ending wasn't what I expected, it had a dash of hope and made me feel a little better after the tears I shed. Additionally, the illustrations are amazing and really added to the story. Anyone who enjoys stories about the bond between siblings should read this book.

Johnny, the Sea, and Me by Melba Escobar and illustrated by Elizabeth Builes

 

Yesterday, I read Johnny, the Sea, and Me by Melba Escobar and illustrated by Elizabeth Builes. This magical realist novel is about Pedro Flórez, a ten-year-old boy who is bullied by Ulloa at school and whose father just left him and his mother, Manuela. When Manuela announces that they are are going on a trip to see the ocean on a small island in the Caribbean, he is excited and thinks it's a chance to leave his worries behind. After he presses Manuela about his dad at the blue cabin where they're staying, he is so upset that he runs away and gets lost. Pedro is found by Johnny Tay, an islander who is descended from pirates. Although Pedro is frightened at first, as he spends the night and the next morning with Johnny and his parrot, Victoria, Victoria shares the story of Johnny's pirate ancestor and Johnny shares his island, which changes Pedro's life.

I enjoyed this gentle story so much. Although it is deceptively simple, its messages are profound. I especially liked how Johnny stated that there is good in bad people and bad in good people, which is something I've come to believe over the years. Life isn't black and white, but shades of gray, and this book does a beautiful job of illustrating that. As for Pedro, I thought it was fascinating how he would grow when he's happy and shrink when he's upset or sad because that added a touch of magical realism to this book. I also loved his determination to prove his bully, Ulloa, wrong. Johnny was a compelling character, as well. It was so cool learning that his ancestors were pirates and I enjoyed how he was like a father figure to Pedro. While this story is thought-provoking, it is also funny at times. I thought Victoria was absolutely hilarious when telling the story of the Johnny Tay who lived 300 years ago and was good friends with the pirate, Captain Drake. Not to mention, it really made me curious about the treasure buried beneath the breadfruit tree on the highest point of the island and if it was found. Additionally, I thought the mixed media illustrations were wonderful and added to the mood of the story. If you like cozy, low-stake adventures with a touch of magic, I highly recommend Johnny, the Sea, and Me.

The Door of No Return and Black Star by Kwame Alexander

 

Over the past week I read The Door of No Return and Black Star, the first two books of a trilogy by Kwame Alexander. These historical fiction novels in verse are about Kofi Offin, a boy who came from Ghana to the United States in 1860, and his twelve-year-old granddaughter, Charley Cuffey. The story begins when Kofi is eleven years old in his village in Upper Kwanta. He enjoys spending time with his family, especially playing oware with his grandfather Nana Mosi, and swimming in the Offin River. He is warned, though, to never go to the river at night. Before the wrestling contests of Bayere, the annual Kings Festival, Kofi agrees to race his cousin, who is also named Kofi, in seven days time in order to prove himself. After disaster strikes when Kofi's older brother, Kwasi, wrestles Yaw Boateng, the prince of Lower Kwanta, Kofi's family fears of retribution and Kwasi retreats into himself. The day before Kofi's big race, Kwasi is more like himself and they both go to the river so that Kofi can train. When night falls and Kofi can't find Kwasi, Kofi is captured and ends up in fight for his life that takes him on a dangerous journey. In Black Star, Charley loves playing baseball and wants to play professionally as a pitcher when she grows up. She also enjoys her grandfather Nana Kofi's stories even though she doesn't always understand his cryptic advice when she asks questions. After she challenges Cecil the Third, a neighborhood bully, to a baseball game that will take place after the church picnic, she must gather enough players to form a team, in addition to her friends, Cool Willie Green and Socks. Although she is determined that her ragtag team will win, when the picnic spreads over to the baseball field in Mosquito Park, she makes the fateful decision to take the game to the new baseball field in Great Bridge's Hickory Park.

The first two books of this series were excellent. Not only was I able to read them quickly, but they were joyful, funny, adventurous, maddening, tragic, and devastating. I really became attached to Kofi and his granddaughter Charley, who were just trying to seek out happiness when their lives were uprooted. Kofi's story specifically reminded me a little bit of a movie that I saw recently called The Woman King, when I learned more about slave trade and how Africans along the western coast responded. I was so disappointed and frustrated when Kofi's story left on a cliffhanger, but I came to enjoy Charley's story as well, even when her story also left me hanging. It makes me wonder who in their family line will be featured in the final book and if they will finally be able to go back to Ghana, even just to visit. Additionally, I enjoyed how much of the story revolves around Ghanaian culture, which I recently learned more about when I read Kwame Crashes the Underworld a few weeks ago. I liked how each chapter began with an Adinkra symbol that related to the themes of the two books. I thought it was cool how Kofi and Charley each had their own sport, swimming and baseball respectively, but it broke my heart how those things set them on life-changing paths. Both books made me cry at their ends at the injustice of it all. While The Door of No Return takes place at the beginning of the Civil War and Black Star takes place during the segregation era as the Great Migration begins, the themes of struggle and determination are universal. This series is an incredible choice for anyone, from middle school kids to adults, especially those who like family sagas.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins and The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

 

At the beginning of spring break, I finished reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, the fifth book taking place in the world of The Hunger Games. Featuring Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's mentor for the 74th and 75th Hunger Games, this dystopian novel is about how he won the 50th Hunger Games. In honor of the second Quarter Quell, forty-eight tributes, four from each district, are taken from their homes to participate, instead of the usual twenty-four. When he tries to protect his love, Lenore Dove Baird, as the fourth tribute, Woodbine Chance, decides to run and is shot, Haymitch is chosen to replace him during District 12's reaping. Although he knows that it's unlikely that he will win and return home to his mom, his brother Sid, and Lenore Dove, he begins to come up with a plan with the three other District 12 tributes, Louella McCoy, Maysilee Donner, and Wyatt Callow, to create an alliance with tributes from the other districts during training. He also meets Beetee, a District 3 mentor whose son Ampert was reaped, and they discuss a secret plan to sabotage the arena involving both Haymitch and Ampert. Having caught the attention of President Snow, Haymitch realizes that he has been set up to fail, but despite the odds, he still wants to fight, not only for survival in the arena but to inspire rebellion.

I had been excited to read this book ever since it was announced last year, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I loved getting to know more about Haymitch and why he became the way he was when Katniss and Peeta met him in The Hunger Games. I thought the concept of the arena was fantastic and it definitely reminded me how beauty can hide deadly things. President Snow was so sinister and I knew that he would punish Haymitch severely, having read the original trilogy. On the other hand, I really liked Louella, Maysilee, Wyatt, and Ampert and how Haymitch connected with the four of them. I was also so excited that Beetee, Wiress, and Mags made appearances in this story as mentors because I knew them from the rest of the series. As expected, the violence in the arena was horrifying and I was devastated by the deaths of almost all the characters I had come to care about. The end of the story was particularly heartbreaking. It's not a spoiler that Haymitch was the victor of the second Quarter Quell, but I sobbed while learning how exactly Haymitch lost everything. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. The other things I found interesting about this book is the theme of implicit submission (being resigned to the rule of a few without giving it a second thought) and the references to "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. Additionally, in the Barnes & Noble version of the book, there is an interview with the author, Suzanne Collins, at the end. Overall, Sunrise on the Reaping is an excellent addition to the series and I recommend it to anyone who has read The Hunger Games trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Last week, I read The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly. This science fiction novel is about Michael Rosario, a twelve-year-old boy who has a crush on his sixteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby, and is stockpiling supplies to prepare himself and his mom for Y2K in August 1999. When Michael and Gibby meet Ridge Sabio, a teenage time traveler from 2199 who's been hanging around their apartment complex, they decide to befriend him and help him return to his time. After Ridge mentions he has a book outlining the events of the next twenty years, Michael is determined to do whatever it takes to get the sumbook so that he can prepare for the future. Meanwhile, over the next week, Ridge immerses himself in 1999, including a trip to the mall with Michael and Gibby, but when he begins to feel sick, it becomes critical that his time traveling device is fixed so that he can go home to 2199 before it's too late.

This novel was positively lovely. From the very beginning, I could empathize with Michael's worry that he and his mother wouldn't be ready for Y2K because I remember living through that time myself and being uncertain that things would be okay when the clocks switched from 1999 to 2000. Of course, nothing bad ended up happening, but it was something that a lot of people were talking about at the time. I also thought that Michael's crush on Gibby was endearing because I know what it's like to have a crush on someone older than you. It was cool how Gibby was willing to help Michael out with Ridge and the friendship between the three of them really became something special. It was really interesting to learn about the technology that Ridge used to time travel and I loved how bold he was, even if it was borderline recklessness. I felt bad that he couldn't get home when he needed to and it was awful as he got sicker and sicker because I didn't know what would happen if they had to take him to a hospital. I hoped that somehow his time traveling device would be repaired in time. I can't forget about Mr. Mosley, the maintenance man who was a like a father figure to Michael, either. Without saying too much, I think the development of their relationship was the most heartbreaking part of the story. Another thing I really liked was the excerpts of informational texts from the future and audio transcripts of conversations that Ridge's family was having in 2199 to show what was happening there. Ultimately, the best part of The First State of Being is its message to live in the present moment because it's something anyone can take to heart. Anyone who enjoys stories of time travel, friendship, and/or found family should read The First State of Being.