Davis, Danielle Zinnia and the Bees

Davis, Danielle           Zinnia and the Bees  Capstone Publishers 2017   240p   19.99  978-1-62370-867-2            elm/ms           Conflict           E-BN            

Zinnia, an 8th grader, loves to knit. She makes a  yarn bomb (like tea cozy) for the school mascot statue and gets into trouble. Her older brother goes missing, she attracts a hive of bees, and her summer is one she will never forget.  Gr. 4-8     

Zinnia is a master knitter. She makes yarn bombs (think tea cozies) for any object. When she cloaks the school mascot, a rattlesnake sculpture, in a full length yarn bomb as a last day of school prank, her punishment makes her feel like her world is closing in. Her older brother, 18 years old, disappears the next day without notice. After eating an ice cream to console herself over the loss of her brother she attracts a hive of honey bees that take up residence in her unruly, curly hair without causing her a single sting.  How to deal with this colony of bees who think her hair is their new hive, trying to find her brother, becoming friends with a boy visiting his uncle next door, and mending the fractured friendship with her girl friends keeps this novel humming along. Lots of laughs, plenty of puns about flowers and birds, and even a first person narrative by the scout of the bee colony provide the reader with an enjoyable read about friendship, family and growing up. A unique story featuring a girl whose character changes from being self-centered and anger at her brother and mother to one of being capable of understanding the fears, needs and wishes of others.                          McNicol,Lois          Friendship, Bees, Mystery

Rosenblatt, Darcey Lost Boys

Rosenblatt, Darcey    Lost Boys        Macmillan/ Henry Holt         2017   279p   16.99  978-1-62779-758-0            ms/jr  Conflict           E-BN            

When Reza’s best friend Ebi wants to enlist in the Iranian army, Reza finds himself reluctantly pulled into a nightmare from which he cannot return.  First rejected by his own mother who insists that he serve his country, then sent to the front to face the enemy, he survives to become a prisoner in an Iraqi camp where horrors abound.     

Expecting a Red Badge of Courage, the reader will be greeted by more of a Great Escape in this debut novel by Darcey Rosenblatt. This book has it all, and young readers will be horrified at first, then gratified, when they complete their reading.  Horrified covers a mother giving up her son to a war effort with the thought that he will be received by God and treated as a martyr should he die in battle and horrified covers readers’ emotions as they read of the atrocities experienced by Reza and the other 12-year olds in a prisoner of war camp in Iraq.  Reza suffers more than any child should, first with the loss of his father, then uncle, then his best friend Ebi.  For a large part of the book, Reza does not know if Ebi survived their first encounter, an absolutely astounding example of history that allowed boys to lead a battle without arms and to find themselves sacrificed to detonate the bombs before armed soldiers could attack.  Reza has two miracles that save him.  First, his love of music is with him throughout his imprisonment.  The other miracle is his teacher, an Irishman who introduces Reza to his “tar”, AKA guitar, which becomes Reza’s salvation in more ways than one.  The relationships that Reza builds over time help him survive the harshness of the camp.  Without them he would surely perish.  When Reza’s life is threatened by the evil guard, Abass, Reza knows he must leave.  In a harrowing escape, he finds a voice telling him how to proceed in this life, a voice comprised of everything he has learned from all the good people of this world.  What emotions the reader will experience!  What sorrow he/she will feel that there are young people in this world who do not have the freedom to grow up due to the politics and/or religious beliefs surrounding us.  Powerful and poignant, yet hopeful and uplifting.                                   Squaresky, Martha          

Reza joins Iranian army; taken as prisoner of war

Carter, Ally. See How They Run. (Embassy Row)

Carter, Ally.  See How They Run.  (Embassy Row)  Scholastic Press  2016  323p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-65484-5  ms/hs      Conflict  VG     

This book has been eagerly awaited by readers who were left on the brink of discovery in the first book of the Embassy Row series. For readers new to the series, the large cast of characters and past relationships that are not reprised will be confusing.  Grace, an insecure girl who believes she shot her mother, reunites with her friends on Embassy Row in a fictional seaside country. Once again, she gets involved in a mystery, this time regarding the murder of her brother’s visiting classmate from West Point.  The Embassy Row teens (of various nationalities) become the sleuths who attempt to solve his murder and clear a Russian teen’s name.  The mystery of Grace’s mother continues to escalate, as more is revealed about the society in which she was involved.  But there are no solid answers, only more tantalizing questions.  How many of the teens’ mothers have been part of the society, what is their purpose, and why has Grace’s family become assassination targets?  Hints of a potential romance take away from the political intrigue, action, and sense of mystery established in the first novel, but true to form, there is a shocker at the end that makes readers wonder what else is in store for Grace.  This is good beach reading, but the style is a little jerky, alternating between romance and action, with unsatisfying hints but no answers to questions that were raised in the first book.              

Summary: This is the sequel to All Fall Down that doesn’t work well as a stand-alone.  More questions arise than answers are given, which implies that a third in the Embassy Row series must be on the way.  The series is full of action and mystery involving political intrigue that fans in grades 7-12 will eagerly devour.

Mystery, Romance-Fiction, Political Intrigue               --Lois McNicol

Buffie, Margaret Winter Shadows

Buffie, Margaret Winter Shadows
Tundra Books 2010 336p 19.95
978-0-88776-968-9 ms/hs Girls survive difficult times & choices in different eras E-BN


In 1850, Beatrice must decide her future and in 2010, Cass must decide hers as well. They meet spiritually when Cass finds Beatrice’s broach and diary, begin to communicate, and help each other discover their true destinies. Margaret Buffie makes supernatural seem like realistic fiction in Winter Shadows. In the mid 1850s, Beatrice suffers the loss of her mother, watches her father remarry the impossibly insecure and frugal Ivy, and tries to find her way in the new household. In the present day, Cass suffers the same loss, watches her father remarry Jean, and does not try at all to find her way in the new household that includes a step sister who is an annoying brat. Instead, she wants to live with Aunt Blair, her mother’s twin, who offers her true motherly affection. When Cass finds a broche in the fireplace of her old house, her visions begin, and she sees Beatrice at various occasions, initially disconcerting, and later, accepting. Beatrice finds herself seeing glimpses of Cass at uncanny times as well, and the parallel stories develop until they become one story with a theme of following one’s heart and making the right choices for happiness. Beatrice must decide between marrying the Reverend Dalhousie who she does not love or recognizing that she truly loves Duncan Kilgour, a man who brings out the best in her and who promises her true affection. During one of their many communications via Beatrice’s diary, Cass prompts Beatrice to make the right choice for herself. Beatrice communicates the same to Cass but in another way. She reveals to her at the end of the novel that they are related, thus providing a legacy that seems just right as Cass decides to live with Aunt Blair but to accept her new stepmother’s role in her life. Buffie is an excellent storyteller, a poet who knows how to put language together that is both descriptive and compelling. Her choices of a Canadian setting and the Cree heritage enhance the story. Finally, Buffie never reveals to the reader how the visions occurred; she leaves that to the imagination of the reader, and the reader will not be disappointed.
Note! There is one spelling error on p. 253. “Most were retired Comany men.” > “Company men.”
Supernatural Squaresky, Martha

Abby Carnelia’s One & Only Magical Power

Pogue, David. Abby Carnelia’s One & Only Magical Power
Roaring Brook Press see Macmillan children's pub 2010 277p 15.99
978-1-59643-384-7 ms/jr Conflict E-BN


Abbey Carnelia was a typical sixth grader. During diner preparations, she discovered pulling on her ears would make a hard-boiled egg spin. Although the power was wimpy at best, Abbey wanted to discover what other powers she might possibly possess. After much discussion, her parents send her to camp where she meets others with a variety of magical abilities. Abbey was also selected to attend a “Special” camp for those kids who had unique powers. However, special gifts don’t always work out for the best. Abbey and her friends find themselves in a really weird situation. When they come to the realization that they have been setup as guineas pigs, they literally “hatch” an idea for an escape. Readers will frantically turn the pages as they urge the characters (Abbey, Ben, Ricky, and Eliza) to the end of the book.

This engaging and whimsical action book is an exciting adventure. It offers both realistic and suspenseful action in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters. The story is engaging and full of interesting details, the locations are believably described, and the characters are very three-dimensional. The author once again mixes adventure, intrigues, realistic surroundings, and a little stress into this very well done novel for young readers. Lastly, kudos to David for working himself into the novel (similar to how Clive Cussler puts himself somewhere in his novels) as the man who picks the kids up on a deserted road (as the drug company staff is running after them) and reports their experience to the world.
This is a very well written book that will relate well to many young readers. It is recommended as a basic book for any middle or elementary library. It would make an excellent selection for a basic books list for school libraries. McNeil(3), Linda magic, families, conflict

Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton

Stratton, Allan. Chanda’s Wars.
Harper Collins/Tempest, 2008, $18.99, 384p, 978-0-06-087264-9
Conflict-Fiction
Continuing the story of Chanda from the title Chanda’s Secrets, the African teen is now caring for her little brother and sister after her mother dies from AIDS in their fictional sub-Saharan country. She travels to her mother’s village to visit her family, including her grandparents and aunt who disavowed and turned away her mother when she was dying. Chanda doesn’t really want to go, but is going to make peace among the family. While she is there, her family arranges a marriage for this independent young woman. She flips out about this and runs off to the bush. Meanwhile, the rebels are invading the countryside, and kidnap her whole family, including her brother and sister. Her aunt is killed and her siblings are forced to become child soldiers. Chanda eventually teams up with the young man to whom she was to marry to rescue Soly and Iris, as well as his brother who was also kidnapped. The situations become frightening as they hunt the evil Mandiki and his rebel faction. Whereas Chanda’s Secrets focused on the problem of AIDS, this newer title focuses on the crisis of child soldiers when her siblings are kidnapped. Horrific situations make this a book best suited for grades 8 and above. Those who read the previous book will definitely want to read this title. TW