Flying the Dragon - Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Flying the Dragon by Natalie Dias Lorenzi
Skye and Hiroshi Tsuki are cousins but they've never meet. Skye lives in the United States with her parents and loves to play soccer. Hiroshi lives in Japan with his parents and grandfather, and loves flying kites.  After Skye's father married,he moved to the States, and has never been back to Japan.   Skye is finally going to meet her grandfather because he's moving to Virginia to for medical treatment.  Hiroshi and his parents are moving as well. 

The chapters alternate between the two cousins.  The author does an excellent job, transitioning from Skye to Hiroshi.  The two have very distinct voices and concerns.  Skye has been selected for the soccer all star team for the first time, though there's a conflict with the Japanese lessons and she might not be able to play.  Hiroshi is having a difficult time adjusting to the move and learning English.  One thing the two have in common is their grandfather.  Hirsohi has always been very close to his grandfather. Skye feels an instant bond with his grandfather and wants to get to know him better.

  Some of best scenes center around kite flying/ kite fighting, both of which run through Tsuki's blood, including Skye's even though she never touched a kite until she meets her cousin and grandfather. Many of the readers who pick up this book will be unfamiliar Kokkaku, or Japanese fighting kites and explanations could've easy bogged down the storyline. However the author gives the reader, clear, fun and visually appealing  basic understanding of Kokkaku.  Flying the Dragon is a very fitting title for this great debut.

An excerpt  

The Wild Book - Margarita Engle

The Wild Book by Margarita Engle
A little girl in Cuba named Fefa is diagnosed with Word Blindness in 1912, long before the learning disorder became known as Dyslexia. Fefa is determined to see the words that won't still still on the page. She decides to keep a book and write in it daily. This novel set all in verse is filled with all of Fefa's thoughts and feelings.

Fefa's voice is strong from the start. Engle's writing is pure beauty.
The others laugh
They always laugh
When I am forced to read
Out Loud
they mock
my stumbling voice
and when I have to practice
my horrible
handwriting
they make fun
of the twisted
tilted
tormented
letters

While there are few word the reader still gets well acquainted with Fefa's family and community. Engle is known for her verse novels, and this is my favorite so far. It is visually and rhythmically very well crafted.

Read an excerpt

Maximillian & The Mystery of the Guardian Angel - Xavier Garza

Maximillian & The Mystery of the Guardian Angel by Xavier Garza
Max loves luche libre, his favorite fighter is Guardian Angel. Max is excited about going to a match with his dad. It's his reward for earning straight A's in the fifth grade. This book came out last year, it looked like fun and I wanted to read it. However I never got around to it. After it was selected as a 2012 Purla Belpre honor, I moved it up my tbr list and very happy that I did. Max is a very likable character, and has a lucha libra filled summer. He even gets to meet Guardian Angel. Along with Max's voice, Garza does an excellent job of including the family. There are over exaggerated and very cool black and white illustrations of the fighters included throughout. The big match at the end plays out very well visually and will easily draw the reader into Max's love of luche libre. This is a bilingual story. English and Spanish are side by side, so a reader can read one and not be distracted by the other.

Crow - Barbara Wright

Crow by Barbara Wright
Set in 1898 North Carolina, only a generation after slavery ended and before the Grandfather clause was created. In Wilmington N.C, 11 yr old Moses dad is an elected official and a proud Republican, supporting the party of the president that ended slavery. Moses looks up to his dad who works at the only Black newspaper. Moses is also very close this grandmother, Boo Nanny who never learned to read or write but she still as a lot to teach Moses. When Boo Nanny and the dad argue Moses has learned to stay out of it like his mom.

Wright did a great job with Moses voice as he discovers the world around him. Moses relationship with his his dad and grandmother have a nice bit of depth. The author paints a clear picture of South after the 13 Amendment was enacted during Reconstruction period. The chapters read like interconnected vignettes, with some of the threads continuing to the next chapter. One thing I would've liked some more closure with a few of the threads. For instance Moses always lets the best friend, Lewis decide what they are going to do. Soon the best friend is hanging out more with Johnny, a boy Moses doesn't get along with, neither of these story lines never feel completely finished. While they are not important to the overall outcome of the story I didn't like the feeling of both being left up in the air.

I really enjoyed the second half everything seems to come together. An election is coming up and the democrats are using the threat of violence to keep Black men from voting. Moses along with everyone else in this small town witness what can happen when anger, hate and fear take over.

This is a very good middle grade debut and I am looking forward to the debates that will come about, when award season makes its way around again in regards to its five starred reviews.

An excerpt via authors site

Crow would pair nicely with Finding Family by Tonya Bolden

Ship of Souls - Zetta Elliott

Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott
After 11 yr old Dmitri, who goes by D loses his mother to cancer, he's placed in foster care and goes to live with Mrs. Martin. Just happy to have a place to live, D is on his best behavior. D's only indulgence is bird watching in the park and he keeps to himself at school. D's status as a loner is challenged after he finds himself hanging out by chance with two of the popular kids, Hakeem and Nyla.

D's life changes forever after coming to the aid of a Bird that is anything but, its a being that goes by the name Nuru can take on any shape of its choosing. D has been selected has a host to assist Nuru in bringing peace to millions African American souls by providing them with a way to finally pass over. Though the friendship is newly formed Hakeem and Nyla will not let D do this alone.

When I finished it the first time I thought it was good. I loved the characters. They made the story for me. One of the things I love about Elliott's writing is she knows how to craft dimensional characters. Even the walk- ons, will leave an impression. Though at times this skill can lead the reader astray. I found myself being wanting to know more about the characters that were meant only to make a quick appearance. A good example of this was the eclectic group of kids that sit at Nyla's lunch table and embrace their freak status.

While this is D's story from beginning to end, Elliott still makes room for Hakeem and Nyla, sharing enough about both to paint a clear picture. Much of the appeal for all three characters comes from the fact that they easily come across as real teenagers, with distinct voices. The three had good chemistry together and I would've liked at least another chapter in which they got to know each other better.

The guiding spirit that goes by the name Nuru has the task of helping the dead who want to pass over to find eternal peace. Though Nuru has been held captive for 100 of years and unable to help the souls of many African Americans that died around the time of the American Revolution cross over. Nuru elects D has is host to complete this quest. When Nuru first appears I didn't know if D could trust this being or if it was simply using D has a host to accomplish its mission without any concern for his well being. I liked not knowing, it kept me on my toes.

The first time in I felt Ship of Souls had a few unexplored threads but there was still a lot to like about it. Beyond the characters its visually amazing. When the kids finally found the room where the African American souls were trapped, Elliott had my heart. She describe sorrow with such beauty. Also Elliott's writing is strong and crisp. There are moments and lines that are hard not to be moved by. The first time in I wished Ship of Souls was longer. However when I read it again I was more okay with the length (though I still wanted an extra chapter in which the three friends get to know each other better) and everything came together better.

Everything I enjoyed the first time was still there and I found a few more things to appreciate. Ship of Souls is claffisified as YA but comes across as more MG. Ages 11 up. The chapters are short making this an excellent choice for reluctant readhers. The cover wasn't final until around mid or late Janurary I believe but I think it was well worth the wait. I really like it and believe it has some serious eye appeal.

An excerpt
Starred Booklist review
Edi's review

Disclaimer aka putting it all out there - I am friends with the author and she sent me a review and finished copy from the author. Since some will think the line might be a bit blurred (which is understandable) I plan to link to more reviews of Ships of Soul once they become available. Though if you are worried about this reviews credibitility (though I hope you aren't ) I highly recommend reading the excerpt, the booklist review and the few reviews on amazon.

Oopsy Daisy - Lauren Myracle

Oopsy Daisy by Lauren Myracle
Milla, Yasaman, Violet and Katie-Rose are in the fifth grade and are best friends. This the third book in this series and they just keep getting better. The four friends have very distinct personalities and each is given a chance to shine. Much of the stories beauty lies in the authenticity of the girls voices. I really appreciate the natural ease in which diversity is embraced amongst the four friends. It doesn't feel forced nor does Myracle shy away for it. The author is also doing an excellent job of building the world about the main characters, from their families, to could be boyfriends to the mean girls. The various stories of Milla, Yasaman Violet and Katie-Rose blend together very well.

Read an excerpt

As an added bonus since I love the goodness that is this series, an excerpt of book 1, Luv Ya Bunches, which is available in paperback.

The Whole Story of Half A Girl by Veera Hiranandani

The Whole Story of Half A Girl by Veera Hiranandani
Sonia has always attended the same private school, Community. After Sonia's father loses his job, there's not enough money to send Sonia and her younger sister, Natasha to Community. Come the new school year Sonia will be entering the sixth grade and going to public school for the first time. At her private school Sonia was never questioned about her identity. Though at the new school, some of other students ask Sonia, What are you? Sonia is trying her best to fit in but finding it difficult when she notices that Black and White students do not hangout together at lunch. Sonia, who's father is Indian and mother is Jewish wonders where this leaves her. Soon Sonia must choose who she will be friends with Kate, a popular cheerleader or Alisha who loves to write.

One of the things I loved about this story besides Sonia's voice, if the fact that while this is in part about a girl understanding her identity, this one aspect of the story doesn't overshadow everything else, and I know could've easily happened. Sonia's family is also coping with her father's most recent bout of depression after losing his job. I thought Hiranandani did an excellent job with this part of the storyline. It reminded me of Silhouetted by Blue by Traci L. Jones in which the main characters father also suffers from depression. With all this going on in, the story never feels too heavy, the author is able to keep a light tone. The story moves at a great pace and is filled with wonderful dialogue. A 2011 debut favorite.

The Whole Story of Half a Girl received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus read both via Hiranandani's blog

The Kirkus reviewer compares Sonia to Blume's main character in Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret. That is classic goodness and a lot to live up to and Hiranandani does just that.

An excerpt

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach - Brenda Woods

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach lives in New Orleans with his parents. Saint's a natural clarinetist and he earns money playing on the Quarter for tourists. This was before Hurricane Katrina. The novel opens with Saint talking about his before and how the after keeps getting better. Saint begins his story with his best day pre Katrina, which was one week and two days before it hit.

The novels strengths lies in Saint's voice. Woods does an excellent job with it, along with Saint's relationship with his parents. Saint's love of music shines through. My favorite secondary character was Miz Moran an older woman who refused to evacuate, Saint finds himself spending a lot of time with her. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed one minute Saint's in danger after an impulsive act, the next he's with his parents again. Though overall this was an enjoyable read.

Read an excerpt

Dog Whisperer:Storm Warning - Nicholas Edwards

Dog Whisperer:Storm Warning by Nicholas Edwards
Emily has a special connection with Zack, her dog she helped rescue. Zack can always sense when someone is in trouble and when that happens the two go running to help because they can read each others minds. When a storm hits their small Maine town, Emily and Zack are quick to lend a hand and a paw (ha ha ha) but seriously I loved the first book "Rescue" and I was glad to finally see another book come out in the series. Emily and Zack take a lot of risk to come to the aid of others, the author builds the suspense well. While the first one is my favorite this was still a good read. I really like how the author is not limiting Emily's ability to connect only to Zack, instead Edwards is stretching the boundaries of Emily's gift allowing her converse with different animals. As this series continues it will be interesting to see how this skill develops. Dog Whisperer is just a fun series for anyone who love dog stories.

excerpt

The Cheshire Cheese Cat - Carmen Agra Deedy, Randall Wright

The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright drawings by Barry Moser
Stories will talking animals are hit or miss for me (usually miss) I can't articulate why only a few work for me or what it is I like but I know it when I see it. Like Underneath by Appelt or Whittington by Armstrong this hits the mark.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat is co-author Deedy's first early reader and an excellent one at that. The story is a fun hat tip to Charles Dickens featuring a cat named Skilley with a secret. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is an inn known for having the best cheese in London. They also have a mouse problem. Skilley the only street cat that doesn't have a taste for mice bought into to Ye Olde to kept the population down. This is perfect for Pip, the mouse in charge. Pip and Skilley make an arrangement so everyone is happy. Everything is going well until Pinch a very vicious cat is hired. Pip and Skilley have to be extra careful that their secret isn't discovered.

When I started reading this I couldn't put it down. It's one of those books that makes me wish I had a fireplace to read by. Moser's illustrations which are sprinkled throughout are lovely. Along with the short chapters make this a great choice for a read aloud. There's another layer to this story involving a Raven that makes it that much more intigruing. The Cheshire Cheese Cat has everything, adventure, unlikely friendship, danger. and beautiful language.

"Scat, cat!" A broom came down hard out of London's cold and fog. Startled, Skilley leapt sideways and the broom whiffled empty air. The cat however, refused to scat. He eyed the dead fish then the broom, calculating the distance between the two. "Off now, you thieving moggy," the fishmonger shrilled. As if reading his thoughts, she kicked the fish under her stall and cocked the broom for another swing. Fishwives. the curse of London cats. With a flick of his peculiar tail, Skilley turned his back to the woman, putting all the disdain he could muster into the sway of his hips."

Deedy and Wright have collaborated to create a wonderful story. A 2011 favorite that I believe is a serious contender for the Newbery.

Three Starred Reviews - Kirkus, School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

Dancing Home - Alma Flor Ada, Gabriel Zubizarreta

Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel Zubizarreta
Lupe moves from Mexico to United States to live with family. Lupe will be in the same grade, (fifth) as her cousin Margarita who goes by Margie. The story alternates between the cousins. Margie does everything she can to fit in and not be teased for being Mexican. Lupe is trying very hard to learn English and adjust to life in the United States.

Lupe and Margie's voices blend very well together making for smooth transitions. At one point Margie is reading How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay for class, which I thought was a very sweet nod to Julia Alvarez. I loved the beginning it says so much as to why Margie does everything she can to distance herself from her Mexican roots.

"Margie felt nervous having to wait outside the principal's office. She kept her eyes fixed on the huge map that covered the entire wall. Mrs. Donaldson seemed to be a plesant woman, but Margie had never had to address the principal all by herself before. The map's colors were vivid and bold showing Canada, the United States, and part of Mexico. Alaska and the rest of the United States were a strong green; Canada was a bright yellow. The reminder of the map, however, showed only a small part of Mexico in a drab sandlike color Margie could not name. "

The author created two realistic characters in Lupe and Margie. They both made Dancing Home a very nice story and a pleasure to read.

Read an excerpt

The Detention Club - David Yoo

The Detention Club by David Yoo
Peter and his best friend Drew were popular in elementary school. A day into middle school, the two realize they are no longer cool. Peter and Drew don't know how their status changed over the summer. Peter comes up with several plans to make them popular again.

All the schemes fail, until Peter figures out detention is the key to popularity. Soon Peter and Drew's friendship is strained by starting middle school and losing their cool status. Peter's older sistery Sunny gets perfect grades and wins everything. So Peter has the added pressure of trying to keep up with his teachers expectations.

I wasn't a big Peter fan but his voice was believable. I thought the author did a good job with Peter and Drew's friendship. They had a great back n forth, it was easy to imagine that they've been friends for years.

This was an enjoyable read with some funny moments. A few of Peter's interactions with his parents had me laughing out loud. This is Yoo's third novel and middle grade debut. It's a solid debut, it's not always easy to make that transition from a YA voice. Yoo does a good job, Peter and Drew feel very much like the middle school freshman they are suppose to be. Their fear of middle school and not fitting in play out well.

An excerpt via HarperCollins.

Ghetto Cowboy - G. Neri, Jesse Joshua Watson

Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri illus. by Jesse Joshua Watson
12 yr old Cole lives with is mother in Detroit. When Cole's mom finds out he's been ditching school for weeks, she's had enough. She drives the two of them straight to Philly, and leaves Cole with a father he's never meant.

Cole's father Harper runs a stable in the city. Cole doesn't know what to think of his father or the horses. He's quickly put to work and learns a few things from the Black cowboys he never knew existed. The stable has a long history with the community. Between those blocks there's no gang violence. Now the city is demanding the land back. After learning from his father and the other men, Cole steps up to help out the Cowboy Way.
Cole's voice was very strong. He took hold of the story from the very beginning. And he has one of the best lines of the year.

"I look in the closet and see he pulled some stuff out of it and put a blanket on the floor. Uh no, I ain't no Harry Potter. And I ain't living in no closet."

One of the things I love about Neri, he knows how to tell a good story. Ghetto Cowboy moves at a great pace and everything fits together very well. I loved Watson's illustrations, they added a nice dimension to the story.

Listen to a sample of the audio book via Candlewick press

Vanished by Sheela Chari

Vanished by Sheela Chari
Neela brings her instrument, a veena to her sixth grade class for the around the world unit. On the way home there's a very bad rainstorm. Neela is offered shelter from the rain by an old man in a church. She's very uneasy about not being able to take her valuable veena straight home. Also the old man is a little strange. The two have an odd conversation in the kitchen. When Neela goes to leave her veena is missing and the man has disappeared.

The veena is very special and rare it was a gift from Neela's grandmother in India. Neela is determined to find her instrument even after her parents tell her to stop.

I enjoyed Vanished a lot and loved Neela's voice. It was also nice to see Neela's parents and younger brother, Seri were a part in the story.

"Like strep throat or the chicken pox, or the Great Plague which Neela read about in social studies, bad luck was one of those things are one of those things are mother tried at great length to avoid. She was training to be a pharmacist, and it was her belief that all human experience was the result of chemistry and luck, good and bad. But mostly bad. Neela's father would always exclaim that's so unscientific. But there was no changing her mother's opinion. Bad luck was an impenetrable force working against them all. Worst of all it was contagious."

Since the suspect list is small, I liked that the other doesn't throw in too many red herrings. The mystery lies more in the how and why the veena was stolen. The story moves along at a great clip. There's a nice hint of creepy and unexplained darkness. The age old curse on the missing veena adds to this feeling. Neela slowly connects the clues and everything comes together in India.

Neela reminded me of Glida Joyce. Both characters have a certain similar quailty that I love. Vanished was a well layered story that was simply a lot of fun. An excellent debut and one of my favorites of the year. I hope this is the first of many books starring Neela Krishnan.

Warp Speed by Lisa Yee

Warp Speed by Lisa Yee
Marley is a member of his school AV club loves Star Trek and feels invisible. The only people who see Marley are his five AV friends and the bullies. Marley's calls his biggest tormentors the Gorn, three could be brothers. Their bullying gets as the school year goes on. To keep ahead of the Gorn, Marley accidentally discovers that he loves to run.

Marley is simply trying to survive the 7th grade. He's never portrayed as only a victim. He's also funny, fast, and loves old movies, to name a few things. From the beginning Marley's voice is strong and authentic.

This is the fourth novel Yee's has written that's set at Rancho Rosetta middle school. I've read three , including this one. 3 for 3 is the yes column. The Yee is simply skilled at creating realistic characters and situations.

A quick sidenote, when Marley has a conversation with one of his bullies, I couldn't help but think of The Bystander by James Preller. The final scene sealed the connection for me and these two stories about bullying. Warp Speed and Bystander would pair up nicely.

Read an excerpt

The Lemonade Crime - Jacqueline Davies

The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies

This is a sequel to The Lemonade War . The summer sibling feud between Evan and Jessie is over. The two made up and will be in the same fourth grade class. Evan and Jessie believe Scott stole Evan's $208. A few weeks into the new school year Jessie decides to put Scott on trail for theft. The entire fourth grade class takes part in the trial. Though Jessie is the youngest (she skipped) everyone listens as Jessie assigns what roll everyone will play from judge to jury.

The story alternates between Evan and Jessie. Each chapter is headed by a defined legal term. Scott's served in the 5th chapter called Accused. Once again Davies writes a great story. Evan and Jessie's voices ring very true, and the same goes for their classmates. I enjoyed watching the trail play out. Davies gives young readers a good look at the legal system.

I loved The Lemonade War and was very excited to hear a sequel was coming out. Once again Davies writes a great story. The Lemonade Crime can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading The Lemonade War first. Davies novels are a great suggestion for fans of Andrew Clements.

First chapter of The Lemonade Crime

A starred Booklist review

Sidekicks - Jack D. Ferraiolo

Sidekicks by Jack D. Ferraiolo
Scott Hutchinson aka Bright Boy, has been a sidekick since he was little. Now in middle school he's outgrown his Bright Boy outfit, yellow tights and red cape. In the opening scene, after saving a woman from a kidnapper, the tights show Scott's excitement and its caught on tape. Now everyone is making jokes at Bright Boy's expense.

Bright Boy is the sidekick to Phantom Justice. Supervillain Dr. Chaotic has escaped from prison. Now Phantom Justice and Bright Boy must face off against Dr. Chaotic's and his sidekick Monkeywrench again. After the sidekicks accidentally discover each others identities, Scott begins to second guess his secret identity and hate his inappropriate outfit even more.

From the beginning Ferraiolo pokes fun at the superhero world, with the cliched saving of a beautiful female hostage. Phantom Justice takes himself a little too serious. The hero/villain scripted banter is hilarious. Scott is a great character and the perfect guide into this superhero world. I expected the action and humor, both were great. Scott having a love interest was a pleasant surprise.

I loved the author's first book, Big Splash and was really looking forward to Sidekicks. I was not disappointed, this was so much fun and very well done. Ferraiolo simply brings it every time. There aren't that many tween or YA novels featuring a male protagonist with a romance storyline and the author pulls it off with ease. It's simply another layer in this well told and very funny story.

I really like the Sidekicks cover. I read a galley, this was the cover.
I didn't think it did the book justice or would help sell it. So I am very glad they decided to go with something else.

Chad W. Beckerman, art director at Abrams discusses the evolution of Sidekicks Jacket.

An excerpt

A starred Kirkus Review

Okay for Now - Gary D. Schmidt

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
I loved Wednesday Wars so I was very excited to hear there was a sequel coming out. The main character from Wednesday Wars does make a quick appearance but that's about it. I was expecting something very different but I still really enjoyed what I got.

Doug's family is moving to a new town in Upstate New York where his father found work. Doug's father is has a very quick and violet temper, which is aided by his drinking. Doug is the youngest brother of three. The oldest, Lucas was drafted and is his fighting in the Vietnam war. Doug is treated badly by both brothers.

Doug shares only when he's ready, slowly revealing everything that's going on at home. Doug is fascinated by Audubon's work which is on display at the local library, though he would never admit it or maybe he simply doesn't have the words yet Mr. Powell, the librarian is smart enough to realize this and never questions Doug about this appreciation for Audubon's work. Mr. Powell simply gives Doug drawing lessons.

At the beginning of each chapter there are Audbuon's bird drawings. Schmidt is seamlessly introducing Audobon to young readers. Doug interest feels natural as does his need to hide it.

Doug's voice is close to perfect. From the beginning, it's honest, sincere and vulnerable. Okay for Now is a well layered story. I wouldn't even know where to begin to break it down. And to do so might take away from some of its beauty. I highly recommend it.

Read chapter one

Okay for Now received a starred review from, Kirkus, Booklist and School Library Journal

Bindi Babes - Narinder Dhami

Bindi Babes by Narinder Dhami
14 yr old Geena, 12 yr old Amber and 11 yr old Jazz are sisters and very close. The sisters are very popular at school with the other students and the teachers. At home their dad says yes to whatever they want, ever since their mum died. Everything is about to changes, their Auntie moves to England from India to help look after the sisters.

Geena, Amber and Jazz want nothing to do with Auntie and try to figure out ways to get rid of her. The sister tried really hard (with their I love Lucy schemes) but Auntie was always one step ahead of them. It was fun watching the sisters attempt to out smart Auntie.

I really enjoyed this story and the sisters. The one thing I didn't like was the sisters little comments about everyone seeing them as perfect and cool. Though thankfully this stopped quickly enough. The Bindi Babes was the right amount of fun and serious. As the sisters try to deal with their Auntie and cope with missing their mom. An excerpt

I will be reading Bollywood Babes very soon.

Reading Bindi Babes reminded me of author Neesha Meminger's wonderful guest post at The YA YA YA's, called An Equal Place at the Table

Standford Wong Flunks Big-Time - Lisa Yee

Standford Wong Flunks Big Time by Lisa Yee

Stanford's plans of going to basketball camp for the summer are ruined when he fails sixth grade English at Rancho Rosetta Middle school. Stanford must past English in summer school, or lose his spot on the basketball team.

Published in 2005, this is Yee's second novel. Its also the first companion to the author's debut novel Millicent Min, Girl Genius. (loved it) Standford is a secondary character that is getting tutored by Millicent. This time Standford is telling his story from that summer.

Standford has a lot of pressure to get good grades from his name to his overachieving older sister. This story was easy to get into and I loved losing myself in it.

Yee is very skilled at creating well developed characters and placing them in realistic situations. The story has great balance, we get to see all sides of Standford. The one that's great on the basketball court, the who only wants his dads approval, the one who is trying to figure out if a friend is really a friend, the one who loves is grandmother, the one who realizes English isn't too bad. There are a few more, all add up to a great and whole Standford Wong. ages 10up

Read an excerpt

Yee's most recent release Warp Speed came out in March. It's also set at Rancho Rosetta Middle School.

Read an excerpt