Abbott, Tony. Summer Of Owen Todd.

Abbott, Tony.  Summer Of Owen Todd. Macmillan/Farrar Strauss  2017 217p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-374-30550-5  elem/ms  Realistic Fiction VG-BN        

Owen and Sean have been best friends forever and are looking forward to the end of their sixth-grade year and a summer of freedom. But Sean’s mother hires a twenty-something-year-old EMT and church friend named Paul to be Sean’s baby-sitter for the summer because Sean is a diabetic. When Sean confides in Owen that Paul has been doing things to him that just don’t feel right and are sexual in nature, he makes Owen promise not to tell another soul.
    

This well-written novel describes the abuse of an adolescent by an adult. While the plot is unsettling and includes painful themes, it is handled in a sensitive and delicate manner. While the scenes are not at all graphic, they are disturbing.
    

Despite the difficult content of the novel, Tony Abbott has interwoven the themes of friendship, the beautiful Cape Cod setting, family, and friends throughout it. Additionally, the story is told from the perspective of the friend and not the victim, and (spoiler alert), a true friend doing the right thing as a true friend should. The pain and fear that Owen experiences are also convincingly described from the point of view of a child that age.
    

Responsibly, Abbott has also supplied resources for readers experiencing abuse or those who may know someone in that situation.  He advises adolescents with questions to seek advice from parents and counselors as well as other recommended resources. However, this information is provided in the author’s note, and maybe it would have been better if it had been included directly at the end of the story.

The novel is recommended for any upper-elementary or middle-school library. It describes the unfortunate abuse of a child in an empathetic manner, and is a story that demands discussion.

Summary: Owen and Sean have been best friends forever, and when Sean tells Owen, and no one else, what his baby-sitter is doing to him, he makes Owen promise not to tell anyone else.  The baby-sitter is a twenty-something-year-old hired by his mother because Sean is a diabetic.

Child abuse - Fiction                              --Virginia McGarvey

Best, Cari. In the Country of Queens.

Best, Cari. In the Country of Queens. Macmillan/Farrar Strauss     2017 211p $16.99   ISBN 978-0-374-37052-7  elem/ms  Realistic Fiction  VG      

Eleven-year-old Shirley has never been able to speak up for herself. Not to her mother, described as being such a force that Shirley calls her Hurricane Anna, nor to her teacher, who has falsely accused her of plagiarism. One day, Shirley finds out that her father is not really “in absentia” but dead. Since she has always been shy and sensitive, and Anna has always been so controlling, she understands why she hasn’t been told the truth, and she vows to change. With the help of her friends, grandmother, cousin Phillie, and her storybook heroine Pippi Longstocking, she finds the courage to use her voice.

This is a well-written coming-of-age novel that will appeal to adolescents, especially those who experience shyness. It is the story of Shirley’s self-discovery and determination to make changes. The plot is fun and engaging, and readers will root for Shirley on her quest to change herself. The story is set in the 1960’s, and it accurately references the items, culture, and events of that time period.  This book is recommended for any elementary or middle-school library and will appeal to adolescents.  

Summary: Eleven-year-old Shirley has never spoken up for herself -- to her mother Hurricane Anna, to her teacher, or to anyone -- about her dreams, and she decides over the summer before junior high to find her voice.       

Coming of Age-Fiction                         --Virginia McGarvey

Burns, Catherine Lloyd. The Half-True Lies of Cricket Cohen.

Burns, Catherine Lloyd.  The Half-True Lies of Cricket Cohen.  MacMillan/Farrar Strauss  2017  246p.  $16.99  elem/ms  ISBN 978-0-374-30041-8  Conflict  VG-BN

This is a realistic picaresque of sorts, the story of an 11-year-old girl who has a big imagination and lives in New York City with her parents and grandmother. Cricket is an individual, always imagining scenarios and making up adventures, avoiding doing her school work, and out-of-sync with her demanding mother. One weekend she stays with her grandmother while her parents are off on an errand, and through a series of misadventures, she helps her family to face a fact they have been denying, namely, her grandmother's developing dementia. The book is well written and will hold the interest of readers who really like realistic fiction, fiction about family relationships, and great characters. It does get a little bit long in places, especially toward the beginning, before Cricket's big adventure with her grandmother. It could probably use a little more editing in this early section of the story, but by the end it is quite a satisfying read.

It will particularly resonate with kids who are familiar with New York City! Recommended for ages 8-13 or so.

Summary: This is the story of a quirky, imaginative 11-year-old girl living in New York City with her family, whose expectations she has a very hard time living up to. The character is compelling and will win fans.

Families-Fiction                                                                   --Carol Kennedy

Slater, Dashka. The 57 Bus.

Slater, Dashka. The 57 Bus. Macmillan/Farrar Strauss  2017  300p.  $17.99  ISBN 978-1-374-30323-5  hs  Nonfiction  E-BN           

Sasha is agender, a term referring to people who do not identify as either male or female. Born as a boy named Luke, Sasha picked their own name, loves wearing skirts and has found a wonderful group of friends at their private high school. Notice the use of “their” instead of “he” or “she”: Sasha prefers these pronouns. Richard is a 16-year-old African-American boy whose mother had him at the age of 14, who has been locked up once for fighting, but who has a good heart and wants to do better. When Sasha falls asleep on the bus and Richard’s friend suggests lighting their skirt on fire, Richard does it, thinking it will be a harmless prank causing no real damage. Subsequently, when Sasha needs several surgeries and Richard is incarcerated, the story may seem to be over.

But it is not over, for this book goes into detail about the types of people Richard and Sasha are. Their background stories at the beginning will lead readers on a journey that is much different from simply hearing that “a black kid set a white boy in a skirt on fire on a bus”. Because this is a true story, the ending is no secret, but getting to know Richard and Sasha through short chapters that touch on many aspects of their lives and of the case will make readers look at the world differently. Slater has written something that will inspire readers to stop judging, to forgive, and to hope.

Summary: The 57 Bus is the true story of an agender teen whose skirt was set on fire on an Oakland public bus.

            
Gender identify, hate crimes, law                                     --Erin Daly

Slater, Dashka The 57 Bus

Slater, Dashka            The 57 Bus    Macmillan/Farrar Strauss    2017   300p   17.99  978-1-374-30323-5            hs                    E-BN   

The true story of an agender teen whose skirt is set on fire on an Oakland public bus. Sasha is agender, meaning they do not identify as either male or female. Born as a boy named Luke, Sasha picked their own name, loves wearing skirts and found a wonderful group of friends at their private high school. Notice the use of “their” instead of “he” or “she”: Sasha prefers these pronouns. Richard is a 16 year old African American boy whose mother had him at 14, has been locked up once for fighting, but has a good heart and wants to do better. When Sasha falls asleep on the bus and Richard’s friend suggest lighting their skirt on fire, Richard does it, thinking it will be a harmless prank causing no real damage. When Sasha needs several surgeries and Richard is incarcerated, the story may seem to be over. But this book goes into the detail of the type of people Richard and Sasha are. Their background stories at the beginning will lead readers on a journey that will be much different than simply hearing “a black kid set a white boy in a skirt on fire on a bus”. Because this is a true story, the ending is no secret, but getting to know Richard and Sasha in short chapters that touch on so many aspects of their lives and the case will make readers look at the world differently. Slater has written something that will inspire readers to stop judging, to forgive and to hope.
Daley, Erin            Gender identify, hate crimes, law