Linked by Gordon Korman

 I have been a fan of Gordon Korman since he wrote "This Can't Be Happening at McDonald Hall" in 1978!  I was so excited to see that he had a book on the Red Maple list for 2022.

Linked is the story of a small town with a racist past that nobody wants to discuss.  When Michael finds a swastika spray painted at the school, he is worried everyone will think it is him who drew it.  But it remains a mystery as to who would draw it and why they would do that.  For Dana, it really hits close to home because she comes from the only Jewish family in town.  When more and more swastika's start to appear, the school chooses to combat hate with an act of love and bringing the school together instead of tearing them apart.  As people are trying to discover which of the students has been vandalizing the school, they start to learn about the history of their town and the connection with the Klu Klux Klan.  Both past and present experiences leave the town exploring their own bias and how racism plays out in everyday life.  

I thought that Linked was a great story, with so many entry points for discussions with kids.  I am looking forward to talking to students about it.  I also think it would make a great read aloud for a class.  

Birdspell by Valerie Sherrard

 I've read several Valerie Sherrard books (although I haven't reviewed all of them apparently!) and I was very excited to see that one of her books was on the Red Maple list for 2022.  I am working my way through all of these books so I can talk to kids about them.  

Birdspell is the story of Corbin who has been trying to hold it together for a very long time.  His mother suffers from bipoloar disorder which means she struggles with highs and lows.  In dealing with her mental health, his mother tends to not be able to hang onto jobs, apartments, furniture and food, this has led to  Corbin having to start over many, many times.  Corbin is resourceful, he knows how to find food, odd jobs and how best to help his mom stay calm and under control.  At his new school, he finds himself making a friend, something he has tried to avoid because it just leads to too many questions.  His friend Izelle tells Corbin she needs to get rid of her pet bird, and since Corbin has always wanted a bird, this seems perfect.  But when Corbin's mom starts to experience another one of her lows, and she loses her job, Corbin is worried not only about his future, but his new pet's future as well.  

I loved reading this story, Corbin's situation was just so sad, and yet he handled it all so well.  He reminded me of so many students who deal with issues at home, and yet are so good at keeping that side of their life hidden.  

One other note about reading YA books- I have always loved reading YA books, but have struggled to read actual books (as opposed to books on my Kindle) during the school year.  However, I've just discovered that I can use Cloud Library on my iPad (and phone) and borrow books from the public library.  This is amazing, since it means I can now have the actual book to share with kids, but read the book digitally.  I anticipate I will be able to read way more YA books now! 

 

Firefly by Philippa Dowding

 As I work my way through reading the Red Maple books this Winter Break, this was the first one I started to read.  

Firefly is the story of Fifi, aka Firefly who has just come to live with her Aunt Gayle after a traumatic event with her mom.  Aunt Gayle owns The Corseted Lady, a costume shop that hosts over 7 million pieces to choose from.  When Firefly has to start grade 9 at a school where she knows nobody, she decides to dress up in a different costume everyday- the options are unlimited.  But dressing up doesn't stop her from reliving the events that led up to moving in with Aunt Gayle.  Firefly needs to come to terms with her relationship with her mother while also learning about herself and meeting new friends and starting to trust others.  

I enjoyed this story.  Firefly's strength and determination reminds me so much of the students I come in contact with everyday, and it serves as a good reminder that we don't know what other people are dealing with.  

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen

I picked up this book before Christmas because it was on the list of Red Maple books. It sounded great with the review, but to be honest, the cover didn't grab me, so it just sat on my book shelf. I needed something to read the other night, and I knew I needed to read this one, so I decided to give it a go. Am I ever glad I did! Don't be fooled by the cover, this book is complex and deals with very serious issues. Henry K. Larsen is a 13 year old boy who is learning to deal with a very traumatic event. It is hard to go into many details, because one of the beautiful things about this book is the clever way Nielsen reveals details about Henry's past. Henry finds himself in a small town starting over again. He wants to just fly under the radar, but he finds that very challenging to do. He becomes friends with the boy nobody wants to be friends with and joins a group at school with other misfits. Slowly, Henry starts to heal from the event in his past, but while he is healing, he is forced to make some decisions about how to move forward. Henry is a great character. He has a great sense of humour and honesty as he learns to cope with his new reality. I think he is one of those characters that will stay with me for a long time. There are some mature themes in this book, I would still have it in my classroom- it is on the Red Maple list- but I would suggest teachers read it first before having it on their bookshelves. I really think many boys would enjoy reading it.

Testify by Valerie Sherrard

Testify is on the Red Maple list for this year. I have always loved Valerie Sherrard's books. It is so nice to read a Canadian author who sets her stories in the eastern part of Canada. Sherrard's characters always seem like real people, her female characters are not perfect, but they are very real. Testify is no different. The female characters in this story are pretty typical high school girls. They don't always do what their parents want them to do, but they are pretty good kids. The main character is Shana, she is a good kid who has a great group of girls she hangs around with. Her best friend is Carrie. When Carrie comes to her in trouble because she is afraid of her step father, Shana agrees to do something she knows is wrong for the greater good and Carrie is very grateful to her for helping her. But, just after this, Shana starts to realize that Carrie doesn't always tell the truth and suddenly Shana comes to understand that she may have been a pawn in Carrie's game to get rid of her stepfather. I really liked how in this story Shana has to grapple with not only her friends behaviour but also her own conscience. While this book deals with the issues of child abuse, it is handled in a very simple way that kids can understand. As I was reading this short book, I realized that this book would be great for girls who don't love to read. It dawned on me that while there are lots of books out there for reluctant boy readers (see any of the ORCA books), there aren't as many for girls. I believe this falls under that category. This book is easy to read, short, but has an exciting plot. I can think of many kids who would enjoy reading this book.

Crush, Candy, Corpse by Sylvia McNicoll

This is one of the Red Maple Nominees for 2013 and a new author for me. Sunny is a high school student who must complete volunteer hours in order to graduate from high school. She doesn't really know where she wants to volunteer, but she isn't too thrilled with the idea of going into the Retirement home and working on the Alzheimer's floor. But Sunny's true nature comes out when she starts getting to know the people living on the floor, she really starts to care about them. Some of the nursing home staff give her a tough time because she doesn't always follow the rules, but it is just because she wants to treat the older people with dignity and respect. Then Sunny meets Cole,the grandson of one of the patients. He starts talking about how his grandmother didn't want to live a life where she couldn't remember her loved ones and was dependent on people. A year later, Sunny is on trial for the murder of his grandmother. This story is a quick read. Sunny and Cole are neat characters who show such compassion for older people living with Alzheimer's. The story goes back and forth between the past and the present as different witnesses come forward at Sunny's trial. This is a great book for girls in grade 7 and 8.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

This book is currently on the Ontario Library Association Red Maple nominees. Jessica is in my Red Maple group and she was raving about this book (and series). She read all three books in one weekend and said that I HAD to read this series. I've ordered all three books in the series and started with book number one "The Summoning"
The Summoning starts out innocently enough by introducing us to Chloe Saunders, she is in high school and has some good friends, an absent father, a dead mother and a very committed aunt. One day at school Chloe has an episode that causes her to break down and be carried out of school in an ambulance. Now Chloe has been sent to Lyle House, a home for teens with mental illness.
As Chloe gets to know the other kids staying at Lyle House she learns a great deal about herself and that maybe she isn't mentally ill after all. Mysterious things happen to Chloe at Lyle House which causes her to explore episodes from her childhood. Chloe grows closer to some of the other kids and realizes that the kids at Lyle House aren't quite what they seem to be.
I did enjoy reading this book. It is obviously setting up for the next two in the series. I finished it late last night and didn't have the immediate desire to start the next one, but now I am looking forward to starting the next book: The Awakening.

Not Suitable for Family Viewing by Vicki Grant

This is another Red Maple selection for 2011. Not Suitable for Family Viewing is not a typical book that makes the list. Vicki Grant is a new author for me- and I really like her stuff. She reminds me a lot of Sarah Dessen- the characters are real girls who have real problems.

In this story, Robin is a 17 year old daughter of a very famous talk show host (think Oprah). Robin has been raised by her nanny/housekeeper and has a very distant relationship with her mother. When Robin finds a class ring and a couple of photographs that seem to indicate that her mother is not who she thinks she embarks on an adventure to discover the mystery behind her mother's past. What follows is Robin learning about herself in a small town in Nova Scotia. Robin meets some unusual characters who take her in and slowly they spin the story of what growing up in small town Nova Scotia was like.

I think lots of girls will like this book- there is romance and adventure. Robin seems have this perfect life that most girls would dream of- lots of money and a famous mother, yet she isn't happy. In her search for happiness she learns some important lessons. Anyone who likes Sarah Dessen books will love this book too!

Here's Vicki Grant's website: http://vickigrant.com/

Ghost Ride by Marina Cohen

I stopped by the school library last night on my way out the door and grabbed a few of the new Red Maple books (http://www.accessola.com/forest2011/redmaple/index1.html) and this morning I picked up Ghost Ride. It was a quick, spooky, exciting read. The main character is a typical teenage boy- surly, wanting independence and fighting his parents at every step.

When Sam's parents decide to leave Toronto and return to Sleepy Hollow where his dad grew up. Sam is less than pleased. He reacts in ways that most teens would when leaving behind everything familiar. Sam is leaving behind his best friend and he is worried that he won't fit in or find any friends. When Sam starts his first day of high school, he meets two boys who seem very cool- Cody and Javon. These boys are thrill seekers, they are constantly looking for the next dangerous stunt to post on their blog. Sam is immediately drawn to these boys, even though his instincts tell him they are trouble.

Cody and Javon invite Sam to their next prank and Sam believes this is his way into the cool crowd. As Sam defies his parents, he is left alone when the stunt goes very wrong. Sam's father starts acting very strange and Sam starts believing some of the ghost stories he hears around town. Sam is left alone to deal with his guilt and his fear.

I think this book will appeal to a lot of kids- the creepy factor is quite high- with lots of connections to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman. Sam is a very believable character, although I found myself a bit frustrated with how overly protective his parents were. Cody and Javon are two boys that I hope I never meet, teach or have my own two boys bring home!

Egghead by Caroline Pignat

One of my friends told me about this book- I ordered it, received it and read it within 3 days. I loved this book. It will be my next read aloud for sure!

This book was a Red Maple nominee a few years ago. I missed it while I was teaching primary, but I'm sure glad I found it.

It features Will Ried- a boy who is just different. Up until grade 8, his classmates have always accepted him, but now that he is in grade 9, his differences really stand out. Then there is Katie- she has always been Will's friend, but now it is difficult to be his friend and make other friends at school. Finally there is Shane- the bully we all remember from high school.

This story is about the bully, the bullied and the bystander. I can't wait to read it out loud to my class!

Lunch with Lenin by Deborah Ellis

I'm not usually a short story lover. I always want to know more about the characters and what happens next. I felt the same way here, but I still liked the book.

Deborah Ellis is such an amazing writer. She crafts such rich complex stories for young readers.

In Lunch with Lenin and other Stories, Ellis showcases children around the world and their interactions with drugs. It's so sad that kids everywhere are faced with both personal addiction and family members struggling with addiction.

Many of these stories show the devastating effect of drug abuse. Personally, I would use this book as a read aloud to give me time to discuss some of the situations because I am not sure how many kids would fully understand or grasp what is happening.

Having said this, I did enjoy reading this book.

After by Hazel Hutchins

This is another Red Maple book from 2010- and it is fabulous!

After is the story of what happens after two families are affected by a random shooting. The story unfolds through the words of two characters, who although they never meet, are held together by circumstance and emotion.

The first voice is Kate, a thirteen year old girl who is trying to live with the death of her 'perfect' older brother Josh. Her parents are growing apart and Kate doesn't know how to deal with the death of her brother or the way her family is dissolving. Kate moves to a new city and a new school and needs to learn to make new friends again. Her story is told through letters she writes to her best friend Amy back home. While Kate is trying to hide the fact that she had an older brother, she is also trying to deal with growing up and issues with that as well.

The second voice is Sam. A thirteen year old boy who is trying to live with the fact that his older brother shot and killed someone. He sees his mom and sister trying to deal with their grief, while he tries to hide the fact that his brother is a murderer. Sam also starts a new school, looking to escape from the looks and knowing glances that people who know about him constantly give him. Sam has a real fear that he will end up like his brother.

This book is so well written. I felt so bad for both Sam and Kate, I carried them with me for a while after reading the book. It really makes you think about how both the victim and perpetrator's family must try to move on after a tragic event.

So far this is my favourite Red Maple this year.

Leaving Fletchville by Rene Schmidt

This book is a Red Maple nominee for 2010. I pulled it off my shelf the other day when my 13 year old nephew asked me for a book to read. I quickly read it before I gave it to him and I'm glad I did.

Brandon is a boy in grade 7 who is tough. He comes from a good family, but he doesn't care about school or grades or being popular. He isn't stupid, but it is too much work to really care about all that stuff. What Brandon is really good at is watching and learning about people.

When Leon and his family move into his apartment building, Brandon is curious about them. First of all, they are the only black family in Kingsville, Ontario. Secondly, Leon works a lot, even though he is only 13 years old. Also, when Leon is picked on or teased for being black, instead of fighting back, he walks away. This makes Brandon even more curious because for him, fighting always comes first.

As Brandon gets to know Leon and his family, he learns about himself, what makes a family and whats really important in life.

I love the messages in this book, there are so many great teachable moments. I think this is a great book for boys, Brandon is very likeable and watching him deal with the different situations in the book kept me reading.