The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball

Even though my term as a 1st round judge for Cybils is over. I am still slowly putting up reviews for the Cybils books I have read for round one. 

 All of the books that were nominated are more than worthy. Even though I cannot post a review for every book, I wanted to try and post as many I could.

I forgot to previously mention this, but please note: these are just my thoughts on the books. They are no way a reflection of  the committee or committee discussions. 

Thank you to all  that nominated books and to Cybils for giving me the opportunity to participate. It was such a joy to read these books and be exposed to books that I normally wouldn't have read. 

This was such a wonderful experience I will never forget. 

Please be sure to watch for the Cybils finalists on January 1st and the winner on February 12th. 

Finalists and winners will be announced on the Cybils blog.

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 Here is another great round one book: 

 The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball 

By: Elizabeth Atkinson 

The Story 

Cheerful Ruby and her shy friend Eleanor couldn’t be more different. Ruby has lived her whole life in Paris, New Hampshire. Eleanor’s family is from Sri Lanka. But these best friends share one thing: they both have impossible dreams.

Ruby and Eleanor live in the quaint town of Paris, New Hampshire, located at the base of Sugar Mountain, an exclusive ski resort in the White Mountains. Every winter, Paris comes alive with "Outers," wealthy families from out of town who own ski condos and wear designer clothes, luxuries that Ruby and Eleanor (and most of the year-round residents of Paris) cannot afford.

One December day, Ruby and Eleanor stumble across Madame Magnifique, the "World’s Most Divine Psychic," who urges them to unlock their deepest dreams. Ruby’s has always been to mingle with Outers, and now, more than ever, she is determined to make that dream come true.

As a chain of events unfolds over the winter months, both girls find themselves on a journey of self-discovery that starts with unlikely friendships, secret crushes, and new found skills, and snowplows to an unexpected outcome.

A relevant story in today’s world―exploring cross-cultural sensitivities and diversity within a classic New England microcosm―"The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball" questions the role of destiny and the ability we all have to achieve that which seems impossible.

*Description provided by Amazon* 

Best Quote 

"It made me realize—like everything else we’d been through lately—that a lot of stuff you think will happen doesn’t, and stuff you never thought would happen does. So it’s best to be open to anything and everything life throws at you, because you never know where it will take you next."

Strengths 

Four things I really liked about this book: 

1. It had a sweet theme of bettering yourself and following your dreams. The author uses a psychic to push the girls to go out of their comfort zone to achieve their dreams. I thought this was a cleaver plug for this theme. I also appreciated that the author had the adults in the book working on bettering themselves too. It showed that this improvement never stops. 

2. There was some diversity. Eleanor and her family are from Sri Lanka & there is a boy who has Asperger's Syndrome. There is also some French sprinkled throughout the book. 

3. Although the father was absent and worked away from home, the families were overall happy. I really liked Ruby's relationship with her brothers and step mom.  There also wasn't any tragic deaths! Hooray! After reading so many sad middle grade books lately, I really appreciated this.

4. The friendship between Ruby and Eleanor is spectacular.
 It made me long for my childhood friends. 

Weaknesses 

It was on the slow side. There were also some plot holes in regards to Ruby's mom. Ruby's dream to ski, and Lance. I wish the author would have given more detail to these areas. It definitely left me with a lot of unanswered questions. 

Even though I appreciated Lance's character, I also was a little disappointed with his mysterious presence. I wish that books would make characters with Autism more present. It feels like they often fall into the background & I think they deserve more than that. 

These were just minor things though! 

I am sure my middle grade reader's will not analyze it in the way I have and will enjoy the story. 
I will be sure to recommend this one to tweens who enjoy realistic fiction. 

Overall, this was a fun read. I would recommend reading this one on a snowy day 
with a cup of hot coco. 



-Pamela

Breaking the Ice

Breaking the Ice 

By: Gail Nall 

The Story 

Kaitlin has devoted all of her time to ice skating. She hopes that someday she will become an Olympic Skater. So while competing in a local skating competition, Kaitlin fully expects to win. She had perfected all of the jumps and moves, and her routine was top notch. So when the judges give her one of the worst scores for the competition, Kaitlin confronts the judges in a fit of rage. During her confrontation, she accidentally knocks over the table full of medals for the winners.

After this scene, it is no surprise that her coach refuses to work with her and Kaitlin is kicked out of her posh skating club.

When no other club will take her, Kaitlin is left with no other choice but to join the skating club known as the “fall down club.” It is the only way she can keep skating, but the skating club isn't as bad as she thought it would be. She starts to make some new friends, and she learns how to pick herself back up.

Strengths 

I was fascinated by the ice skating competition world. There aren't hardly any books on ice skating or ice skaters in general. I can't wait to be able to hand this book to my tweens when they ask for a book like this. Its appeal is a huge plus for me. I do think it will mostly appeal to girls but it could appeal to some boys who like to skate as well.

The story itself was  interesting. I became invested in Kaitlin and I was rooting her on. I especially liked how she learned to embrace who she was and her emotions too all the while learning about what true friendship is. So many tweens really struggle with this. So this aspect could have some appeal to readers who aren't necessarily interested in ice skating.

Weaknesses 

I felt like Kaitlin perfected her routine a little too suddenly.   I think there could have been more of a progression here or an "ah ha" moment where the character learns to project her emotions into her routine. Even though the character has a moment where she accepts who she is, I think there needed to be more explanation in how she applied it to her routine.

Without this, it left me wondering how she got it all of a sudden. Since this was a big struggle in the book, I would have liked to have seen more of a resolution here.

Overall, this was a quick and fun read. It is one that I will have to keep on hand for my sports lovers.

-Pamela

Please note: This is just my thoughts on this book. This is  no way a reflection of  the committee or committee discussions.

Imaginary Boy

Imaginary Boy 

By: Mark Eldrich 

"We often need to go through scary and unpleasant things to find that which we need the most." 

The Story 

Eleven-year-old Benji Saintaubin dreams of becoming a hero like the ones in the books he reads while banished in the dark attic of his family home. But those heroes are all strong and handsome, not like Benji who uses a crutch and hides his disfigured face. When his father dies, leaving behind an unfinished story about an imaginary boy who must defeat a cruel and mighty dragon, Benji’s safe and secluded world is turned upside down.

After venturing out of the attic and onto the perilous streets of 19th century London, Benji finds himself separated from his mother in a frightening and unfamiliar world. Nearly trampled to death and sold into slavery, Benji comes to believe his father’s story may be more fact than fiction after his captor reveals a dragon-tail tattoo around his arm and plans that could destroy Benji. If he ever hopes to escape, be reunited with his mother and finish his father’s cryptic story, Benji must trust that a crippled boy can discover the unseen power needed to defeat a brutal and powerful dragon.

Provided by Goodreads 

Strengths 

The plot of this story is just brilliant. I think a lot of reviews fail to mention that this book
 is a mystery story.

The mystery is surrounding a mysterious creature that is killing large amounts of people on the streets of London. With a serial killer on the loose, the city is uneasy. When Benji's mom looses Benji in the city, Benji unintentionally gets thrown into the middle of this mystery & face to face with the killer. Benji must overcome the "dragon" and save the city.

I think many kids will enjoy trying to solve this mystery and rooting for Benji in the process. It has the kid appeal and the historical value to make it special.

This is the first well done middle grade book that I have read that details the horrible circumstances that people with disabilities endured in the 1900s.  It is done in a way that is appropriate for kids, but books like this are an asset to libraries and to kids. There just aren't many of them. 

Weaknesses 

I  love  the beginning of this book. It details the story that Benji's dad told him about dragons. 

I thought it was clever how the author wove this in, but I think it could be confusing to some middle grade readers. I think it could have worked out better as an introductory chapter instead. 

Overall though, I was really impressed with this book. I wasn't expecting to like it, but it is one that I want to buy and keep in my own collection. I can't wait to read more works by this author. 

What did you think? 

-Pamela 

Sweet Sounds: Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville

Goodreads Synopsis

Told in diary entries and other “documents,” this magical, modern-day comedy by the master of funny fantasy, Bruce Coville is a story filled with laugh-out-loud humor and heart.

Angus is a brownie. No, not the kind you eat! He’s a tiny magical creature that loves to do chores. Angus has just “inherited” a new human girl, Alex. To say that Alex is messy would be an understatement. She’s a total hurricane-like disaster—and she likes it that way, thankyouverymuch! Living with each other isn’t easy but Angus and Alex soon learn there is a curse that binds them. What’s worse, it threatens Alex’s family! Working together, Angus and Alex will set out to break the curse . . . without killing each other first . . . hopefully. 

Review

Alright folks! Here is the first of the many "Sweet Sounds" I promised you. Get ready to be inundated with audiobooks!

Strengths 

For some reason, this story reminds me of Beverly Cleary. Because Angus is so small. he faces many similar situations to Ralph S. Mouse. Add to this the fact that Alex carries Angus to school in her backpack, and we have a solid "Mouse on the Motorcycle" comparison. The Cleary comparison does not end here; however. This was my first Coville novel and he surprised me with the quality of writing he poured into this novel. Diary of a Mad Brownie is in the tradition of many of the classic middle grade novels from the sixties and seventies and a breath of fresh air after the slew of low-quality, debbie-downer, angsty, middle grade novels we have seen the past couple of years. 

On the audiobook, the story is told by multiple narrators.  Euan Morton is the primary reader who performs Angus' diary. The "supporting documents" are performed by several other narrators. I am unsure whether Euan Morton is a native Scotsman or not, but his Scottish accent is superb. The other narrators gave good performances as well, but I enjoyed listening to Euan the most. Angus' emotions, (especially anger), were delivered in an exceedingly believable fashion and added color and verve to the performance.

Weaknesses

Although, Euan Morton's accent is interesting and easy to listen to; unfortunately, his voices for other characters do not differ from Angus' as much as I would prefer.  In addition, if Alex has a speaking part in Angus' diary, that part is performed by Euan Morton; however, one the "supporting documents" is Alex's diary, which is performed by another narrator. This results in two voices, and; therefore, a disconnect for the character of Alex.  Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons of this delightful audiobook. If you are searching for a good holiday road trip audiobook children and adults alike can enjoy, this is the one!

What are middle grade audiobooks are you listening to right now? How many have adult, as well as kid appeal? Does that matter to you?

Merry Christmas,

Alyssa

Stella by Starlight

Stella by Starlight 

By: Sharon M. Draper 

"If you are afraid, then those who foster hatred will win." 

The Story 

Stella lives in the segregated South; in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to be exact about it. Some stores she can go into.Some stores she can't. Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn't bothered them for years. But one late night, later than she should ever be up, much less wandering around outside, Stella and her little brother see something they're never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of change to come, unwelcome change by any stretch of the imagination. As Stella's community - her world - is upended,her family decides to fight. 

Story provided by Goodreads 

Strengths 

This book gave a great depiction of segregation in the South. It details how different the schools were, differences in medical care, food, and the fear of the KKK. 

Ultimately, I just really appreciated hearing about the black experience, and I think that is what makes this book special. 

This book  reminds me a great deal of the the 1977 Newbery winner, 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. 



For this reason, I think that it is a book worth reading and passing along to friends. 

Weaknesses 

I wasn't pleased with the ending. I know realistic fiction books are only supposed to showcase a small bit of a character's life, but it felt like it ended suddenly.

For instance when Dr. Packard's daughter falls into the pond and almost dies. Stella saves her, but the chapter ends. It doesn't describe what happens next. As a reader, I felt like there was a lot of tension built up with Dr. Packard, and I expected something big to occur, but nothing ever happened. 

It is possible that that author did it this way to portray the uncertainty and anxiety that members of the black community felt toward KKK members, but I felt like it needed something more to wrap up the loose ends. I would have loved to have seen an epilogue detailing Stella's journey and fight to become a writer & maybe even a showcase of the Civil Rights movement.  

I fell in love with this book, and wanted more. Can this be a series Ms. Draper, please? :) 



What did you think of this book? 

-Pamela

Last in a Line of Rebels

Last in a Long Line of Rebels

By: Lisa Lewis Tyre 

Release Date: September 29,2015

Pages: 288

Audience: Grades 4 and up

"Racism can be very subtle sometimes, Lou. It's not always something you can put your finger on. It might mean being harder on the black players and more aggressive in helping the white ones get a place on a college team. It doesn't help that we don't have a large black population here. It makes it lot harder to prove patterns." 

The Story 

Twelve-year old Lou's class always has fantastic stories about what they did for their summer vacations, but Lou's family doesn't have the money to afford a cruise or other fancy vacations. Even though her family doesn't have a lot of money, Lou is determined to make this year different. She is going to have a great summer. To make sure she has a memorable vacation, Lou reaches out for a divine intervention and prays that God will provide her with a memorable summer.

Her prayer is answered, but not in the way that Lou hoped. She overhears her parents talking about how her family house is in danger of being taken by the city! If that wasn't enough, a family friend named Isaac was also denied a scholarship due to racism. 

To save the house, Lou teams up with her friends. Since Lou's home is one of the oldest in the city, the friends set out to  uncover the history of the home to try and make it a historical site. As they group uncovers more information about the home, they uncover a historical mystery within Lou's family. Lou’s great-great-great grandfather was a murder suspect & was accused of stealing gold in the Civil War. If Lou can find the gold, it could be the key to saving her house! Told in flashbacks between Lou’s great-great-great grandmother and Lou, this story shows how racial tensions are much the same as they were in the Civil War.

Strengths 

With the flashbacks between Lou and her ancestors, this book reminded me a great deal of the book Holes by Louis Sacher. It was faced paced and I know the mystery / treasure hunt would appeal to both boys and girls.

It also introduces racial issues in a way that kids will understand & think about. I really appreciated this aspect, and I think it will be a great talking point to discuss.

Weaknesses 

Since the book introduces racial issues, I wish there was an African-American perspective. Instead, it only portrays the white view. To me, it was incomplete without this other perspective. It describes what the character Isaac does after he is denied the scholarship, but it didn’t describe why. As a result, I felt like the book was lacking.

I was also disappointed with the description of the house.

Being that the house was a big subject of the book, I felt like there needed to be more detail to match its importance.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. Since I live in Missouri, I can see this book being really important to kids to understand what is going on at Mizzou and other colleges around the county.

I can see it on many state award lists, and I look forward to reading more of the author’s works.



What did you think of this book? 

- Pamela

Molly Pepper and the Night Train

Molly Pepper & the Night Train

by: Courtney King Walker

“Wishes should be made of the impossible, the outrageous, the unbelievable…"

Release date: March 13, 2015

Pages: 245

Age Range: 8 & up

The Story

Twelve-year-old Molly Pepper opens her mailbox and finds an invitation to a night of adventure on the Night Railroad. Molly’s dad is a police officer, and Molly knows that when things sound too good to be true, they usually are. Surely the Night Train couldn’t be real, but when Molly has a fight with her dad, she decides to go to seek it out with her friend Noah. Following a set of clues, Noah and Molly make it to the Night Train, but when the Night Train stops at Bells Bluff the site of the infamous prison, Molly quickly finds out why she was invited.  In order to get home, Molly must solve the mystery surrounding the train & learn about family, friendship,
and letting go.

Strengths

This is a hidden gem. One can easily get caught up in Noah & Molly’s adventure. The author Courtney Walker captures so much in this story. I was impressed by the depth of what this short 200 page book covers. Without giving anything away, its main theme is accepting death. I know this sounds very dark, but the author does it in a way that makes the book more of a mystery / adventure story. Each chapter leaves off on a cliff hanger. It is one that I feel comfortable giving to some of my reluctant readers.

Weaknesses
The only issue I really had with this book was that I think that the character Tom Flaky could be more developed.  The story would have been stronger with more of his backstory that would give this character a stronger presence. For his significance in the book, I was disappointed that there was not more about him, but I am still excited to share this book with my peers & tweens. I think this would be a fun mother daughter book!

Have you read it? 

-Pamela