Tougas, Shelley. Laura Ingalls Is Ruining My Life.

Tougas, Shelley. Laura Ingalls Is Ruining My Life.  Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press  2018  296p     $16.99  ISBN 978-1-62672-418-1  elem/ms     Realistic Fiction  VG-BN     

Samantha has moved about six times in five years. When things get tough, her mother moves the family, looking for positive vibes. This time they end up in Walnut Grove, where her mother hopes to use the vibes from Laura Ingalls to help her write a best-selling book. On top of all the usual problems associated with a new town and school, Samantha has lost the twin connection with her brother. In an attempt to avoid the cafeteria, Samantha cheats on a reading test so she can stay in at lunchtime for extra help. Her astute teacher discovers this and begins to challenge Samantha. Her punishment for cheating is to work at the museum cataloguing artifacts. Samantha begins to enjoy the school, the town, the museum, and Laura Ingalls. But it all falls apart when Samantha misinterprets a conversation she overhears.
 

The novel features good descriptions of the challenges of entering a new school and trying to navigate the cliques and groups. There will be some catch for Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, but the real story is Samantha’s creative way of handling being the new kid. She learns much about herself during the six months the story covers. The novel is a very good choice for elementary and middle-school libraries. The story reads well even for those unfamiliar with Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. 

Summary: Samantha’s mother moves the family, again, this time to Walnut Grove, to channel the spirit of Laura Ingalls as she writes a book. Everything is new for Samantha -- new school, new friends, and new rules.  Grade 4-8 Grade 4-8   

Moving-Fiction                                           --Joan Theal

Smy, Pam. Thornhill.

Smy, Pam. Thornhill. Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press   2017   529p.  $19.99  ISBN 978-1-62672-654-3    ms      Graphic Novel            E-BN

Ella has just moved into a new home that overlooks the old, abandoned Thornhill Institute for orphans. Feeling lonely in a new environment, from her upper-floor bedroom window she sees a girl in the window of the institute and decides to explore the Thornhill property and home to find this new, mysterious, possible friend.

The story is told in alternating voices.  Mary, the girl in the window, tells her story, which takes place in a different time and is told through diary entries that  Ella finds. Ella’s story is told through eye-catching, wonderful illustrations. As the story unfolds, the girls’ lives are paralleled through different times. Mary is a lonely orphan in 1982 dealing with the fact that she has not been adopted as the institute closes and facing a bully.  Ella, living in 2017, is a lonely girl in a new town.

The story is delivered beautifully in contrasting formats that lead to the mystery, excitement, and poignancy of the plot. While the novel could be considered haunting, the manner in which it is written makes it more suspenseful and intriguing than horrifying. The writing is fanatstic and the illustrations are exquisite.

Summary: Lonely Ella has just moved into a new home that overlooks the old, abandoned Thornhill Institute for orphans, where she sees a girl in the window and explores the Thornhill property and institute to find the link between herself and the girl she seeks to befriend.                           

Orphans and Family Life-Fiction             --Virginia McGarvey

Smy, Pam Thornhill

Smy, Pam       Thornhill        Macmillan/ Roaring Brook Press     2017   529p   19.99  978-1-62672-654-3            ms       Graphic novel            E-BN            

Lonely Ella has just moved into a new home that overlooks the old, abandoned Thornhill Institute for orphans where she sees a girl in the window and explores the Thornhill property and institute to find the link between herself and the girl she seeks to befriend.       Ella has just moved into a new home that overlooks the old, abandoned Thornhill Institute for orphans. Feeling lonely in a new environment, from her upper floor bedroom window she sees a girl in the window of the institute and decides to explore the Thornhill property and home to find this new, mysterious, possible friend.

     Told in alternating voice, Mary, the girl in the window, tells her story which takes place in a different time and is told through diary entries that  Ella finds. Ella’s story is told through eye-catching, wonderful illustrations. As the story unfolds, the girls’ lives are paralleled through different times. Mary is a lonely orphan in 1982 dealing with not being adopted as the institute closes and facing a bully, and Ella living in 2017, is a lonely girl in a new town.

     The story is delivered beautifully in contrasting formats that lead to the mystery, excitement, and poignancy of the plot. While the novel could be considered haunting, the manner in which it is written makes it more suspenseful and intriguing than horrifying. The writing is fanatstic and the illustrations are exquisite.                                 McGarvey, Virginia          Orphans and family life- fiction

Greenberg, Jan & Sandra Jordan Meet Cindy Sherman

Greenberg, Jan & Sandra Jordan     Meet Cindy Sherman            Macmillan/ Roaring Brook Press     2017   64p     19.99  978-1-62672-520-1            ms/hs             E-BN   

A biography of the photographer who turned photography from a documentary medium into a creative, storytelling medium with her selfies before selfie was coined as a word. Many illustrations to show the diverse characters she created. Grades 7+            

When Cindy Sherman was little, she loved to experiment with make-up and clothing to create different characters that reflected her moods and society’s take of what it was to be female.  As her rebel nature asserted itself in college, her artistic photographs were not appreciated. Not to be deterred, she continued her experimentation with make-up and clothing and took photos of herself to post in an artistic community and later a gallery. Truly remarkable reproductions of her photos encourage the reader to tell a story based upon the character and background of the photo. Now acclaimed as a revolutionary artist who moved photography from documenting events and people into the realm of creative artistic expression, her photos sell for thousands of dollars reflecting the numerous awards she has been given.  All illustrations and quotes are meticulously sourced.                            McNicol(3),Lois          Photographers, Cindy Sherman

Spratt, R.A. Big Trouble. (Friday Barnes Mystery)

Spratt, R.A.  Big Trouble. (Friday Barnes Mystery)    Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press 2017  280p  $13.99  ISBN 978-1-62672-637-6 elem/ms     Mystery/Detective  VG-BN     

Friday Barnes is at it again. She must solve the disappearance of her mother while also dealing with a royal princess and a mysterious thief at her boarding school.  This is the third title about Friday Barnes. Friday’s father arrives at her boarding school to tell Friday that her mother has disappeared. What Friday finds out is that her mother left on a promotional trip before she was presented with the Nobel Prize. Typically, her father was oblivious of the world around him.
 

Returning to school, Friday finds that a princess is coming for a stay while she competes in a polo tournament. At the same time there is a thief running rampant at the school. Friday takes on the case. She is also troubled by some of the actions of the princess and her companion. There are several side stories involving mysteries that Friday solves, including the identification of the campus thief. 
 

The novel ends with an introduction to the next novel in the series.
 

Middle-grade girls will enjoy the crazy antics of the characters. There is a strong female protagonist with a supporting cast of quirky characters.  Enjoyable, fun read for grades 3-6.              

Summary: Friday Barnes is at it again. She must solve the disappearance of her mother while also dealing with a royal princess and a mysterious thief at her boarding school.     This is the third title about Friday Barnes.

Boarding school-Fiction,                                                                                             --Joan Theal