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

Kladstrup, Kristin. The Nutcracker Mice.

Kladstrup, Kristin. The Nutcracker Mice. Candlewick Press     2017 316p $17.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-8519-5  elem/ms  Fantasy  VG-BN       

Taking the story of The Nutcracker in a new direction, this is a delightful story. Behind the walls of Saint Petersburg’s famous theater there lives a community of mice who perform the classic ballets while humans perform on stage. Young Esmeralda has finally earned the role of Clara in the ballet but is dismayed to learn that mice are portrayed as villains in the ballet. With help from her brother, she slightly rewrites the story, putting mice in a more favorable light.  Another issue with the mice is that their audience is dwindling.  Mice would rather watch the costumed humans than the bare mouse ballet.  Esmeralda is befriended by Irina, daughter of the chief custodian and costume mother. Irina understands that the theater mice are special and lets Esmeralda use her doll costumes to outfit the mice cast and save the production.
This is an inventive way to tell the story of The Nutcracker to a middle-grade audience. This story involves friendship, compassion, adventure and excitement. Both boys and girls can enjoy this story  because there are daring escapes, thrilling escapades, and suspense.
    

Summary: Story of The Nutcracker performed by mice living in the walls of the opera house in St. Petersburg in the 1800’s. Very cute story of mouse ballerinas and their passion for dance.  Grades 3-7

Mice-Fiction, Ballet-Fiction                                                               --Joan Theal

Koch, Falynn. Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield.

Koch, Falynn. Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield. Macmillan/First Second  2018  122p $12.99  ISBN 978-1-62672-752-6  elem/ms Nonfiction  VG-BN       

This is a beautifully illustrated and tastefully formatted book in which readers will learn about the various organisms that underlie the complexities of infections, diseases, immunity, and the ability humans must have to contain and treat diseases. This well-written book would make an excellent addition to any elementary or middle-school library.    

Summary: A great introduction to plagues and the worlds of disease and immunities in comic-book form. Readers will enjoy having a well-researched science book in graphic form.   

Disease                                                  --Linda McNeil

Agrimbau, Diego. Leonardo Da Vinci.

Agrimbau, Diego. Leonardo Da Vinci. Calkins Creek (Boyd's Mills)  2018  112p.  $31.99           ISBN 978-1-5157-9163-8            elem/ms       Graphic Nonfiction           VG-BNS       

This title calls itself an unofficial biography.  In graphic-novel format, it takes Leonardo from childhood through his life.  He serves as an apprentice to Verrocchio but he dreams of creating his own paintings. He uses cadavers to study anatomy.  As his sponsors change, he moves from Florence to Milan to Venice and back to Florence.  His technique and his search for perfection cause him to spend years on an individual painting.  His disappointments as well as his achievements are discussed.

This story is written as if Leonardo is talking about his life to his apprentice Salai.  This conceit allows the story to proceed forward and backwards in time, rather than following a straight line of progression.  Leonardo expressed his regrets over unfinished works and failed projects.

The illustrations are integral to the story.  It is easy to follow the action, and the drawings clearly show the story. The choice of colors evokes a pensive mood, or at the least, a mood of times past.  The text is clear, with good contrast to the background.  The book also includes a timeline, some historic background, a glossary, discussion questions and writing prompts.  The discussion of  the portrayal of Leonardo in movies mostly addresses the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is superfluous.  The index is rudimentary, as are the suggestions for reading more about Leonardo. 
 

This title gives readers a general outline of the life of Leonardo da Vinci in a readily accessible format.  Reluctant readers are more likely to pick up a graphic novel than a wordy tome.  The information is presented in sufficient detail to give a good picture of his life.  Grades 4-8.           

The series is Encounter: Narrative Nonfiction Stories, and within it the subseries is Graphic Lives.  It includes four titles: Anne Frank, Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis and Leonardo da Vinci.  They are good introductory biographies for grades 4-8.      

Summary: Graphic biography of Leonardo da Vinci that describes his development from an apprentice to a master painter and sculptor and also covers some of his many other interests in science and engineering.  Grades 4-8.      

Leonardo da Vinci, Biography                              --Joan Theal