Merits of Mischief: The Bad Apple

Book: Merits of Mischief: The Bad Apple

Author: T.R. Burns

Publisher: Aladdin

Pages: 352

Grade Level: 4th and up

Rating: 3 Stars

In the first book of the Merits of Mischief series, Seamus Hinkle, a 12 year old kills his substitute teacher and is sent to Kilter Academy, what his parents believe is a reform school for troubled youth. However, Seamus quickly realizes that Kilter is a school where the more trouble you make the better student you are considered to be. Gold stars are viewed negatively, and the children of the school try to cause as much difficulty for their teachers as they possibly can. All Seamus wants to do is to improve his ways and go back home, but he soon realizes his mishaps make him a brilliant troublemaker. What is a boy to do?

What greater premise for a story than a boy who gets in trouble at school get sent to a school for troublemakers where the bigger the mess you make the better your student ranking? While I loved the basis of this book, I thought it had a strong beginning and ending with a very monotonous middle. I found some of Seamus’ classmates uninteresting and at points the story became dull. The plot picked up at the very end with the perfect cliffhanger for the second book in this series. Any child who has ever been reprimanded by a teacher in a classroom will be able to appreciate the story.  I would add it to a library collection but I do not think this book was particularly well written and hope the sequel is better than The Bad Apple. 

Tracks

 

Book: Tracks

Author: Diane Lee Wilson

Publisher: McElderry Books

Pages: 288

Grade Level: 5th and up

Rating: 3 Stars

Tracks is the story of a young Irish boy, Malachy Gormley, who leaves his family in New York to work on building the transcontinental railroad in California. Once he begins this adventure, he sees how different the Chinese immigrant workers are treated, and along with his horse, Blind Thomas, and his dog Brina, Malachy learns life lessons in hard work, honesty, and integrity.

I really wanted to love this book. I love historical fiction and this book is set in a time period not written about often, and the author does an excellent job of portraying the prejudices of the time and how hard building the railroad truly was. However, I felt that book was a little too detailed in the harsh winter and so much of the book was descriptive of scenery I was looking for more dialogue. Certain scenes really captured my attention, like when Malachy becomes a big gambler and has a personal debate whether or not to send his wages home to help his family or risk it all playing poker, but for the majority of the book I was bored. If a teacher is teaching about Chinese immigration in the United States and needs a supplementary text, I would suggest this book because you can capture the essence of the unfairness and how the Chinese were mistreated, and maybe the class would appreciate the book and relate to it better than I did. I felt Malachy was a weak character and remained a boy the entire journey instead of evolving into a stronger young adult, but then again, at a time when young boys were lying about their ages to help their families and enter the work force, maybe I expect more from Malachy when he was merely acting his age.

City of Orphans

Book: City of Orphans

Author: Avi

Illustrator: Greg Ruth

Publisher: Atheneum Books For Young Readers

Pages: 350

Grade Level: 5th and up

Rating: 5 Stars

At the end of the Nineteenth century, the streets of New York were flooded with Newsies, young boys selling the daily newspaper.  Maks, a thirteen year old boy sells his copies of The World to help support his immigrant family. He is in constant fear of being attacked by the Plug Uglies, a gang that harasses Newsies, which is how he meets Willa, a young girl who comes to aid Maks when he is assaulted. When Maks’ sister Emma is accused of stealing from a guest at the Waldorf hotel, Maks and Willa take on the case with the help of a sickly lawyer to save her from jail time. Avi recreates old New York with a complete sense of how poor and difficult tenement life was for immigrants.

I read this book right after I saw the Disney movie Newsies, which takes place around the same year with a similar premise focusing on the Newsies in Old New York. The two are perfect companions for any class learning the history of New York. Avi is an amazing writer of historical fiction, and truly transports the reader to the time and place he is writing about. If you have seen the movie, you MUST read this book! And if you have read the book, you will definitely enjoy the movie immensely!   

Stars In The Shadows

Book: Stars In The Shadows

Author: Charles R. Smith Jr.

Illustrator: Frank Morrison

Publisher: Atheneum Books For Young Readers

Pages: 112

Grade Level: 3^rd and up

Rating: 5 Stars

Before there were televisions, people would gather around the radio for entertainment. It is a concept foreign to any child today, and yet, one can feel as if they are having that experience when they read this book. Written in rhyme, this book reenacts the Negro League All-Star Game of 1934, a time when Major League Baseball did not allow black men on their teams. This book goes beyond the play-by-play of each inning, giving insight to what people are saying in the stands or conversations about the game at the local barber shop. The radio-style is complete with commercials from the time, and the illustrations make this book a complete home-run for any class discussion during Black History Month or a special April “Opening Day” baseball themed History lesson. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was entertained every inning, and since I had no prior knowledge of the game I was genuinely interested in who would win. I intend on sharing this book with every baseball fan I know. 

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am

Book: Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I am

Author: Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers

Pages: 160

Grade Level: 6^th-8^th

Rating: 5 Stars

Ben Bright, a smart, popular and talented senior in high school enlists in the army after his graduation, despite pleas from his family and closest friends. Shortly after he begins his training he is sent to Iraq where he is injured and suffers a traumatic brain injury. The book is broken up into three sections: Before, During, and After, and the focus of the book is on Ben’s rehabilitation and struggle to remember his past.

I was unable to put this book down and read the whole thing in a little over an hour. The emotions that were evoked from the family and friends throughout the book resonated with me even after I finished reading. This work of realistic fiction will have the reader glued to their seat and be rooting for Ben and his family the entire time. I would definitely recommend this book to middle schoolers, especially if they are discussing American Wars in their classes. Ben’s experience is extremely descriptive from injury through recovery and may be relatable to those who have friends or family members who have served in the Army in recent years. 

Heidi Heckelbeck Has A Secret

Book: Heidi Heckelbeck Has A Secret

Author: Wanda Coven

Illustrator: Priscilla Burris

Publisher: Little Simon (Simon and Schuster)

Pages: 128

Grade Level: 1^st-3^rd

Rating: 4 Stars

After being homeschooled, Heidi Heckelbeck is going to school for the first time. She immediately dislikes the second grade, but nothing upsets her more than being teased by Meanie Melanie. This book sets the stage for more Heidi Heckelbeck books, as Heidi’s secret is not revealed until the last chapter and is the perfect segue into the second book of the series. (There is a sneak peak to book #2 at the end of this book.) The book is for readers beginning chapter books or slightly older reluctant readers. Any child who has ever been bullied will be able to relate to Heidi’s experience and will look forward to her retaliation in the second book. The illustrations compliment the text and capture the characters’ emotions and actions nicely.

I gave this book 4 stars because there are so many books like this for girls already out there, but I am definitely intrigued to find out what happens next!

Captain Awesome To The Rescue!

Book: Captain Awesome To The Rescue!

Author: Stan Kirby

Illustrator: George O’Connor

Publisher: Little Simon (Simon and Schuster)

Pages: 128

Grade Level: 1^st-3^rd

Rating: 5 Stars

Captain Awesome to the Rescue by Stan Kirby is a delightful story of a second grader named Eugene who moves to a new town and has to adjust to his new school and make new friends. Luckily, he has a superhero alter-ego, Captain Awesome that saves his new surroundings from the evils of little sisters and sneaky classmates. This is the perfect book for children beginning to read chapter books or slightly older children who are reluctant readers. The book is fast-paced and has relatable characters in real life situations. Children will cheer for Eugene and love him both as himself and as Captain Awesome. The pictures compliment the text and add to the humor throughout the book. I would confidently recommend this book to children in the public library and I am looking forward to the second book in the series!