Kaleidoscope, by Brian Selznick

     From the author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, among other wonderfully written and illustrated books, comes Kaleidoscope, the new book by Brian Selznick. This book is a collection of short stories - very short, as in 2 or 3 pages each - connected by artwork that goes along with the book's title (a kaleidoscope is a tube that you look through at one end, rotate, and colored pieces tumble inside creating wonderful shapes and patterns and colors). The stories share common images, character names, and themes, but at the same time they are pretty loosely tied together. So much so that once I finished the last story I immediately re-read the first two stories, which made much more sense after finishing the book. The style is hard to explain, and hard to figure out until almost at the end of the book. But once you reach the end, I promise you, too, will re-start at the beginning. 

    I admit I didn't love the book at the start...giants and dragons and such aren't usually my thing (sometimes, but not usually). But after midpoint of this collection of stories I started to see them connected, and in very subtle ways (meaning the connections are not very obvious). And once they began to link together, Selznick's "voice" came through, and I truly hated to see the book end. This could have been 400 pages, instead of 200 pages, and it still may not have been enough.

    Give this book a try, and be patient with it! If it doesn't grab you right away, keep going anyway, because it will, and you'll be very glad you did. 4 paws and a wag for this gem!

Flight of the Puffin, by Ann Braden

     In Flight of the Puffin, the second book by author Braden, she tells the story of four different teens, living four very different lives, connected by a random idea that one of these young people has to create small index cards with hopeful messages on them and place them around town. One of the main characters, and narrators, Jack, is trying to save his small rural school from being closed down for the school board because the school does not offer gender-neutral bathrooms. Jack takes up the fight to save his school from having to change - out of love for his school and community - but his stand is seen as hatred and is quickly turned to something it isn't in the local press. Thanks to the random cards, and consequent conversations with others, Jack changes his mind. His empathy grows - his ability to put himself in someone else's shoes, so to speak.

    All four of the main characters are searching for their voices in this story, and the card idea is based on a real-life group called the Local Love Brigade. The ideas in this book would, alone, earn it 5 paws from me, but even though this is a truly important story, it wasn't written as strongly as the ideas it is sharing. So a good book, for sure, but the characters didn't stick with me after the final page (the message of empathy did, though, which I wagged at!). This book is getting a lot of good reviews, which it should, and I'm giving it one here, too! But 4 paws, not 5.

The List of Unspeakable Fears, by J. Kasper Kramer

     Essie O'Neill is afraid of many things - electric lights, cats, and the red door at the end of the hallway in her new home. She keeps a list of her fears under her mattress so she can add to it at any time. Sometimes, adding to her list helps her fears seem less scary...sometimes. And sometimes she can cross things of of her list...sometimes.

    This historical fiction book takes place in New York in the early 1900s in the midst of the typhoid epidemic - not terribly different from our current Covid pandemic -  and during a time of racism and anger towards immigrants. In the story, Essie's new stepfather is German, and in charge of a hospital treating people thought to carry very contagious diseases, such as typhoid fever. One of the characters of the book is Typhoid Mary, a real person who is thought to have spread typhoid as a carrier and a cook in New York City. Essie is also reeling from the death of her biological father, who had gotten sick and died as well, while under the care of Essie, who feels responsible for his death. Her stepfather, meanwhile, is dealing with severe loss of his own, a daughter that Essie "meets" in her new home on the quarantined island where she and her mother move when her mother remarries. Together, Essie's fears, disease, bigotry, a new family, a very strange cat and ghosts make for a pretty good page-turner!

    Some reviewers write that this book is a combination of Coraline and The War That Saved My Life, two very good books that I recommend to you! I don't know if I would go so far as to say this was as good as either of those, but the story and characters have stayed with me, which I always feel is a very good sign! 

    In the author's notes at the end of the book she describes how closely Essie's story resembles her own, especially in light of what we have lived through in the last two years of Covid quarantines, illnesses, deaths and strong feelings about all of it. Having that background information made The List of Unspeakable Fears seem a little like the author's personal therapy session. That isn't a terrible thing all together, but seemed a tad self-serving. In all, this is a good story, somewhat spooky and quirky, which I enjoyed, but also a bit easy to figure out, which I was a little disappointed in. I think 4 paws is a good way to balance those thoughts, so that is what I'll give this one. Worth your time, but I wonder what Kramer will write next.

Linked, by Gordon Korman

     Has anyone written more books for young adults and teens than Korman? If so, I'm not sure who that would be...he has over 70 titles, and so many of them are good it's tough to keep up! In fact, anytime someone asks me for a recommendation of a good book, especially a funny one, Korman is the first writer I recommend! His books aren't usually "literature", in the sense of being classics that will last forever, like The Giver, for example. But titles like Schooled, No More Dead Dogs and Restart are really good, worth reading more than once even. 

    Linked is Korman's latest, and has a really interesting plot. Someone at a middle school in Colorado is painting swastikas around school property, bringing up a racist past that the town either pretends never happened or wants to ignore. At the same time, main character Lincoln discovers his grandparents survived the Holocaust, and he decides he wants to learn more about his Jewish ancestry. Perhaps only Korman can infuse humor into such a story, but he can, and he does. The story is told from multiple points of view, something Korman also does a lot in his writing, and it works pretty well. One of the narrators is even a TikTok star (in the story), which adds to the humor (and the meanness as well). To counter the hateful images appearing at school, the student body decides to make a paper chain link, representing all the Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis - all 6 million of them.

    It's a really good and unique storyline. Korman is a really good writer with a lot of experience. This book is already getting a lot of good reviews. But...I don't think it's his best work. I didn't like the way he decided to end the story. It seemed too easy and not very believable. I think the good reviews are based on the important story line, and I don't disagree with that. If the Holocaust and Nazi Germany appeals to you, give this a try. It's a different take on that world event that still has relevance today. If you just want to read something funny by one of the best humor writers in YA books, choose one of the titles listed above instead. Or at least try one of those after you read this one. 

    I give this 3 paws and a wag, for the important story line. Not bad, by any means, but he's written better.

Fallout, by Steve Sheinkin

     My all-time favorite non-fiction author wrote a new book, a sort of follow-up to his Newbery Honor book Bomb (also an OBOB a few years back). Fallout tells the story of the Cold War, the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union (today's Russia, in large part) immediately following World War 2. In addition, Fallout describes the near-beginning of World War 3, that came within a few hours and decisions made in 1962. That may seem like a long time ago to you younger readers, but for an old pug like me, it wasn't that long ago.

    Given that we are currently (like, right now) experiencing an invasion by Russia of one of its former nations, Ukraine, the information that Sheinkin adds to this book is very, very timely. It isn't written as a warning about a nation like Russia, but more of a wake up call for a world still waist deep in nuclear weapons - any one of which would cause terrible damage to the entire world.

    As with Bomb, this book takes a few chapters to find its groove, especially given the numerous people involved in the story - national leaders, ambassadors, spies. But once Sheinkin finds a groove, watch out! You won't be able to put this book down! Recommended for anyone interested in history, national or world events, especially World War 2, the Cold War, and current events. 5 paws!

The Last Cuentista, by Donna Barba Higuera

     The latest Newbery Award winning book, and the second book by author Higuera, who lives here in the Pacific Northwest! The Last Cuentista, or last storyteller, is the story of Petra, a young girl who is one of the last remaining people on Earth who board a ship bound for 300 years into the future. As Earth faces its destruction, a few families have been chosen to populate a new world, 300 years away.  They are placed on board a spaceship, "frozen" in time to stop them from aging, and hoping to arrive at a new planet, Sagan, where they hope to begin again, minus all of the problems previously faced by Earthlings (such as war, poverty, greed, disease). 

    Along the journey into the future each person is infused with expansive knowledge about one or two different fields of study, such as biology, so that they can be experts in the new world and help people survive and thrive. At the same time, all memories of their life on Earth are erased...or supposed to be. Petra somehow retains her memories, including those of her grandmother, a storyteller, and consequently Petra is the only person who has memories of a past life and of planet Earth. When she is awakened on Sagan, she discovers that the new "rulers" are plotting a sinister plan of control, and Petra is one of the disposable ones who will be used to ensure the new planet is safe for those who have taken over.

    Part The Giver, part House of the Scorpion, The Last Cuentista is an interesting blend of dystopian fiction, science fiction and storytelling, in English and in Spanish. For me it was a complicated story in a lot of places which slowed down the flow overall. I admit dystopian fiction isn't usually my go-to genre, so that may have slowed me down a bit, too. If dystopian books are what you enjoy, this book may read more smoothly for you. But even so, I would say this is for a fairly mature middle school reader, not because of the content, but for the somewhat complicated storyline. If dystopian fiction is what you thrive on, give this a try! After all, it did win the Newbery, which is given to arguably the best book of the year, so someone liked it! 4 paws!

The Best At It, by Maulik Pancholy

     My last OBOB title for this season, and a first book by author Pancholy. The Best At It tells the story of 7th grader Rahul Kapoor, and Indian American living in Indiana and navigating middle school much like you are (or did!). He is really good at math, but afraid of the stereotypes that that brings with it. His skin is brown, unlike most of his White classmates, and that causes him stress, too. And, in addition to being in 7th grade and trying to survive middle school, he thinks he might be gay. 

    Pancholy weaves all of these elements together well, and with a lot of humor, but also a lot of realism. You'll find yourself thinking and feeling along with Rahul, and especially in the second half of the story I found myself really feeling for him and his circumstances. There were many places throughout the story where the author's "newness" to YA books comes through (he's not as polished as some other, more seasoned writers are), but nothing glaring or over-the-top obvious. 

    The themes in the story are important ones, and still some that are not written about as often as they should be, in my pug opinion. The Best At It won a Stonewall Honor Award, given by the American Library Association for books addressing themes of the LGBTQA+ community. That alone tells you that this book is worth your time. Overall, important, well written (but not amazing), and I expect we will see more books from Pancholy in the future! 4 paws!

King of the Screwups, by K.L. Going

     Many years ago I read a book called Fat Kid Rules the World, and I LOVED it! Written by K.L. Going, it had elements that spoke to me personally (music, bullying, acceptance)...it was like nothing I had ever read, and it is one of my all-time favorite teen/YA books, even to this day! So imagine my joy when I came across a copy of Fat Kid at a local bookstore, alongside another Going book I had never read before, King of the Screwups. Written in 2009, it isn't new, to be sure, but classic Going. Both of these books remind me a little of Catcher in the Rye, only more modern...teen characters, real world situations...but with twists that are not predictable, in believable language, and no one I have read gets into a person's head with more realism and connection than this author does.

    That said, Screwups is the story of Liam, a teenager who is forever trying to please his abusive father. He has a special connection to his mother, but she, too, is emotionally abused by her husband. Liam gets kicked out of his house and ends up living with his uncle, a glam rocking, cross-dressing dj. He spends every waking moment trying to not be popular in his new school and town, which goes wrong at every turn. A storyline that might wither under some other author's writing, but Going makes it a page turner, with great insights, realism, and connection to all of the main characters.

    If Fat Kid was not one of my all-time favorites, this would get a 5 paw rating. It's really good, but not Fat Kid good, so it gets 4 paws and a wag! A highly recommended book and author for anyone wanting to read realistic fiction written by a wonderful writer. Probably a bit strong for 6th graders, but mature 7th graders and up should love this!

Shadow School Book 1: Archimancy, by J. A. White

     What a fun book this is! Another of this season's OBOB books, this spooky ghost story stars Cordelia, and her friends Benji and Agnes. This trio are trying to solve the mystery of the ghosts who inhabit their middle school, but the story is not anywhere near that simple! Author White is responsible for the Thickety series, an equally scary series of books, none of which I've read yet...but that may change after reading Archimancy.

    This is a good mystery, not too easy to figure out but also not too hard so that you have no idea what's happening until some big reveal at the end. Definitely targeted to 6th and 7th graders more than 8th grade and above, which doesn't mean this book can't be enjoyed by anyone (even pugs!). But it doesn't have edgy romance scenes, or hints at violence or even super serious drama - not that those things are bad! But Archimancy is an easy, fun, mysterious ghost story that is fun to read, fast to finish, and luckily, the first in a series (so you can keep going with Cordelia and her crew)! Fans of The Graveyard Book would enjoy this one...4 paws!

A Good Kind of Trouble, by Lisa Moore Ramee

     Happy New Year, Readers! What better way to start a new year than with an OBOB book for this season! The second book by author Ramee but the first one I have read (the third one is coming this year!). A Good Kind of Trouble is the story of seventh grader Shayla, doing her best to navigate friends, family, school, and race. She has some successes but also her fair share of bumps along the way, as we all do (or did!). Ramee does a great job of creating Shayla's voice throughout the story, and the real intensity comes nearer the end of the book when Shayla's race and the Black Lives Matter movement finally face each other. It's well written and BLM is very well explained (to those of every race), and in fact this storyline is the best part of the book, I think. 

    Overall, Trouble is a good book, but not great. However, the Black Lives Matter aspect of the book is important - not only to read but also to put out in the conversations we have with each other. Ramee works this well into Shayla's character and the story, with a couple of "too easy" characters and situations worked in. But mostly, this is a solid book, and a good addition to this season's OBOB list! 3 paws and a wag!