At his old junior high, Donte Ellison didn't stand out at all.  Now living in a Boston suburb and attending a snobby prep school, he feels like the whole world has turned white.  Donte and his brother are both bi-racial, but Trey can "pass" with his lighter skin and straight hair—he's navigating their new school just fine while Donte is constantly bullied.  

When Donte's main aggressor takes things too far, Donte decides the only way to get the kid to back down is to beat him at his own game:  fencing.  With no idea how to play the sport, Donte seeks out an old Black janitor who was once a fencing champion.  Arden Jones reluctantly agrees to coach Donte, Trey, and a few other kids.  As they learn how to fence, their confidence grows, and their team becomes one that's at least worth a second glance.  Now that Donte's managed to channel his anger into mastering a new sport, can he prove himself to the bully?  Is revenge even important to him anymore?  

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes is about a lot of things:  racism, colorism, classism, the unfair targeting of Black males in the criminal justice system, standing up for one's self, etc.  None of those things make the book particularly unique.  Fencing, however, is a topic I've never read about before and certainly one that's never showed up in all my reading of books for children.  Using the sport as a backdrop gives Black Brother, Black Brother a fresh hook that makes the novel stand out.  Not only does Rhodes use it to show that Black kids can and do excel at traditionally "white" sports (check out The Peter Westbrook Foundation), but it's also a vehicle to demonstrate Donte's growth throughout the book.  Black Brother, Black Brother moves along at a steady pace, using a staccato narrative style that gives it an almost verse-like feel.  The characters are sympathetic and likable, the plot is compelling, and the story is thought-provoking and engrossing.  As mentioned before, it teaches some excellent lessons about empathy, fitting in, standing out, channeling anger into healthy pursuits, etc.  Black Brother, Black Brother should appeal especially to boys and reluctant readers as well as anyone else who wants an exciting, enlightening read.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier as well as the movie Life of a King.  Rhodes' books have also been compared to those by Jason Reynolds and Jacqueline Woodson)

Grade:  

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Last year, Joy Fonseca had a smart, kind best friend named Lukas Brunetti.  She had even begin to think of him as more than just a buddy.  Then, he had an accident and died.  Joy is consumed by grief, still aching from the loss a year later.  On her 13th birthday, she finally decides to open the envelope Lukas left for her exactly one year ago on the morning he died.  She knows it's the first clue in their annual birthday scavenger hunt.  Is it possible that the clues he planted then will still be there now?  Joy's not sure, but she's finally ready to find out.

As Joy travels all over her little seaside town following Lukas' clues, she's reminded of all the great memories they made together.  Swinging back-and-forth between the present (from Joy's point-of-view) and the past (from Lukas'), the story paints a picture of a sweet friendship, the kind that endures even when death intervenes.

Although Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin is about grief and other hard things, it's a hopeful novel that reminds readers how important it is to live even in the face of heartbreak.  It's more upbeat than it sounds, featuring likable characters and a treasure hunt format that makes it into a fun, exciting adventure with a little bit of mystery mixed in.  While I didn't absolutely adore this novel, I did enjoy it overall.

(Readalikes:  I feel like there are a million middle grade novels about grief, but no specific title is coming to mind.  You?)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

It's been two years since her parents' divorce and lots has changed for 10-year-old Bea.  While things have turned out mostly okay, she still worries a lot, which makes her eczema act up.  To help calm herself, she keeps a list in her notebook of the things in her life that have not and will not ever change.  She knows her mom and dad will always love her, for example.  That's a constant, no matter what.

When Bea's dad informs her that he and his boyfriend will soon be getting married, Bea's thrilled.  She loves Jesse.  He's even got a daughter Bea's age, which means she'll finally have the sister she's always wanted.  She just knows they're going to be BFFs.  As the wedding date comes closer, though, Bea discovers that nothing ever goes perfectly.  Building a new family isn't easy and sometimes change is difficult, confusing, and heartbreaking.  With her family structure shifting once again, Bea has to learn how to manage her anxiety, deal with difficult situations, and find happiness along the way.

The List of Things That Will Not Change is the newest middle grade offering from Newbery Award-winning author Rebecca Stead.  Although its plot is a little unfocused, the story is realistic in that it has both sad and happy parts.  My favorite element of the novel, in fact, is its validation of emotions—not just that they can be super complicated, but also that it's okay, even important, to feel them.  Bea's voice as she's dealing with hers is pitch-perfect, making her a narrator who is both authentic and relatable.  Although The List of Things That Will Not Change deals with some tough subjects, overall it's an upbeat, hopeful novel.  I enjoyed it, even if I didn't absolutely love it.

(Readalikes:  Hm, nothing's coming to mind.  You?)

A junior in high school, Avery Grambs is living in her car when she gets astonishing news:  she's been named in the will of multi-billionaire Tobias Hawthorne.  Since she's never heard of the man, it's obviously a mistake.  Still, she's curious enough to travel to Texas for the reading of the will.  Not only is the summons not an error, but Avery learns she's about to inherit most of the man's huge fortune.  All she has to do is live in Tobias' luxurious home for a year—with his furious disinherited family members.  Avery's understandably confused, but she's also penniless.  She needs the money.

Avery meets Tobias' four grandsons—all handsome, entitled young men who believe the money should be theirs.  Having grown up playing their grandfather's beloved puzzles and games, they figure this is just another one of his grand amusements.  If they solve this one, they win.  Some no-account pauper like Avery is no match for them.  Or is she?  Avery intends to show the spoiled boys just what she's made of.  Not only can she outthink and out-solve them, but she's going to win their money fair and square.  She's in for the game of her life against some very keen (not to mention hot) competitors.  Can she keep her head and pull off the ultimate coup?  She has a year to prove herself while answering the most compelling question of all:  Why did Tobias choose her?

Have you seen Knives Out?  Did you love its intriguing premise and quirky execution as much as I did?  Then you've got to pick up The Inheritance Games, the newest YA novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.  It has a similar feel and is just as much fun.  I read the book in a day because it's clever, exciting, and just totally diverting.  Not all of the twists surprised me, but that's okay.  The story still kept me turning pages.  Avery is a likable narrator, although I can't say I loved Grayson or Jameson.  Love triangles bug anyway and this one is especially annoying since there's no chemistry between any of the players.  Those irritants aside, I thoroughly enjoyed The Inheritance Games.  It's an entertaining romp that made me smile.  Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the sequel.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Knives Out as well as the Truly Devious trilogy [Truly Devious; The Vanishing Stair; and The Hand on the Wall] by Maureen Johnson and the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series by Chris Grabenstein)