Picture Books
A Couple of Boys and the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
James and Eamon go to stay with Eamon's grandparents for a whole week during the summer. They thrive as Eamon's grandparents spoil them, and they enjoy doing things that typical boys do during the summer.
Target Readers:
- Grandparents Who Spoil Fans: Pick this one for a Grandparents Day read or in anticipation of a summer stay with grandparents.
- Nostalgic Read Fans: Kids will probably relate to having grandparents with some eccentric hobbies (Grandpa in this story is obsessed with all things Antarctica; he was my favorite part of the story), and the fun they can get away with under just Grandma's eyes.
Mice and Beans by Pam Muñoz Ryan, ill. by Joe Cepeda
Rosa María spends a week getting ready for her granddaughter's birthday party to which everyone is invited...except mice. But as the week goes on readers will become aware that the mice are already at Rosa María's. Will they ruin the party, or will they save the day?
Target Readers:
- Fun Grandma Fans: Rosa María is a thoughtful and fun grandmother.
- Spanish Learners/Mexican Culture Studies: This provides a nice introduction to some Spanish vocabulary and Mexican traditions for birthdays.
- Mystery Fans: Kids can put their sleuthing caps on and try to figure out what the mice are up to the whole week, and practice making predictions of whether or not they are going to be trouble.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, ill. by Christian Robinson
Every Sunday after church CJ and his nanna board the bus to go help out at the soup kitchen. Along the way CJ complains about taking the bus and going to the kitchen, but encounters with some people - and the wisdom of his grandmother - help him change his mind and be grateful for the small blessings.
Target Readers:
- Sweet & Legacy-Leaving Grandma Fans: CJ’s nanna not only loves on him well, she gives him memorable examples of how to love others well by doing so with him. There's a lot in this story, from being thankful for the senses you have to seeing beauty where others don't. One thing’s for sure, CJ will never forget the lessons his nanna gives him.
Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brosgol
A grandmother wants some space so she can get a very important task accomplished, however, her grandkids are many and active. They are not making it easy to knit. She packs up and heads to the forest, only to find that bears are just as troublesome as grandchildren. It turns out, you have to go to some pretty extreme lengths to find a place to knit undisturbed.
Target Readers:
- Crusty on the Outside but Gooey in the Inside Grandmother Fans: Even though the title (and recurring phrase) may come off a little harsh at first, the grandmother has a very good and kind-hearted reason. I think we all know those older relatives who may appear gruff at first but have kind hearts.
- Humor Fans & Scifi Fans: This is extremely imaginative and quite funny, (especially the goats and the wormhole).
- Self-Care Learners: This book provides the perfect opportunity to talk about finding quiet space and respecting others who might need some.
My Grandpa by Marta Altés
A celebration of the relationship between a grandchild and grandpa, even if he is getting old.
Target Readers:
- Sweet Grandchild/Grandparent Relationship Fans: I love how the picture book explores the ways that both grandchild and grandpa benefit from their relationship, even though both have their flaws.
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
A boy goes through the garden his grandfather created, and eventually realizes the topiaries tell the story of his grandfather's life.
Target Readers:
- Connecting with Grandparents You Might Not Have Known Well Seekers: Many people never really get to know their grandparents, but like the boy in this book realizes, that doesn’t mean they can’t explore their legacy.
Lower Grade Fiction
Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy (Charlie & Mouse, #2) by Laurel Snyder, ill. by Emily Hughes
Charlie and Mouse's grandfather (dubbed Grumpy) comes to visit them and they have adventures together.
Target Readers:
- Grandparent Visit Fans: I love this celebration of a visit with a grandparent. It is perfect. The vocabulary is just right. The adventures are universal enough that most kids will find something they identify with, and the conversations sound incredibly authentic. (My favorites were the conversation about being medium vs big or small and Grumpy claiming he's just resting his eyes.) A wonderful, cozy beginning reader, charmingly illustrated, and the perfect read for Grandparents Day.
Graphic Novels
Where's Halmoni? by Julie Kim
Two kids arrive at Halmoni's house (grandma's house) but can't find her anywhere. They do find a strange door though, and traveling through it takes them to an old folklore version of Korea filled with a clever rabbit, some hungry goblins, a conniving tiger, and sly fox. Can they find Halmoni and make it out when everyone speaks only Korean...and really fast at that so they can hardly understand?
Target Readers:
- Mysterious Grandparent Fans: Halmoni may have some big secrets (see if readers can find evidence to support their theories of where grandma was).
- Korean Folklore Fans/Korean Language Practicers: I like that all of the folklore critters speak Korean and find it realistic that Korean American kids would be kind of lost in trying to follow them. Like the little girl, I was able to follow just enough of the Korean to figure out what's going on. (I can phonetically read Korean though I only speak a little.) But don't worry if you can't read Korean. The kids explain their guesses to each other and through that and illustrations you can easily figure out what's going on. There's also a translation of what all the characters say in the back along with a note on the roles these folklore characters traditionally play in Korean tales and what inspired the author/illustrator to create this. Definitely recommended if you are looking for a story with Korean folklore elements or something a little more exotic. And if you're learning Korean you can work on practicing reading it. (Also, if you're worried about the goblins, don't be. They are very friendly and there's nothing scary.)
- Graphic Novel Beginners: You can heavily debate whether this is a picture book or a graphic novel. It is both. But those just learning how the layout in a graphic novel works, will find this easy to navigate. The story is such that it should appeal to more than just lower grades, so if marketing it as a graphic novel gets more readers, go for it.
Sunny Side Up (Sunny, #1) by Jennifer L. Holm, ill. by Matthew Holm
Sunny has to go stay for a part of the summer with her Gramps in Florida. She isn't too thrilled with Gramps' idea of fun, or that he lives in a 55 & over neighborhood. But when she meets the son of the golf course's groundskeeper, she finally finds a friend. Buzz introduces her to comic books and ways to pass the time in the retirement village. In flashbacks, readers slowly find out what was going on back in Pennsylvania with Sunny's brother Dale and why Sunny was sent to Florida for part of the summer. Eventually, the summer provides insight and healing for a little girl desperately in need of it.
Target Readers:
- Realistic Grandpa Fans: Gramps does his best to help Sunny, but realistically, he has no clue what girls her age do for fun. They do bond over the summer despite her worries. The plight of a little girl stuck with a bunch of senior citizens in Florida is done in a funny but oh so realistic way. The trip to the cafeteria was hilarious.
- Recent Historical Fiction Fans: The setting for this is 1970s, which will be recognizable to many adults but an intro to the culture of their parents and grandparents for most of the target age group.
- Kids Going Through Tough Family Situations: A fun and sweet story that tackles a potentially heavy topic in a very delicate, respectful, and hopeful way. It will hopefully empower children in similar situations (dealing with a family member who is an addict) to know how to handle it in healthy ways. There's a note in the back from Jennifer and Matthew saying that this book is somewhat autobiographical for them, as they had a close family member who struggled with substance abuse when they were growing up. Even though the book deals with a heavy topic, much of it is humorous and upbeat.
Middle Grade Fiction
Fair Weather by Richard Peck
Rose lives on a typical Illinois farm of 1893. She, her older sister Lottie, and her younger brother Buster have heard about the fair happening in Chicago, but they never in their lives thought they'd see it themselves. But then Aunt Euterpe shocks the family by first of all sending a letter (a monumentous event in itself) and then announcing that she was going to take the children and Mama to the fair this summer. The letter includes four train tickets to Chicago. Now Rose knows Mama and she's bettin no one is going to Chicago, but she didn't reckon on two things. One, Mama isn't too keen on this Everett fellow courtin' Lottie (Mama thinks he's a drifter and a grifter), and two, Aunt Euterpe said something about gettin' the children a broader education in her letter. Of course, Mama is too much of a homebody to go herself, so she sends her ticket back to Aunt Euterpe. Granddad, though, has other plans. He has a hankerin' to see the fair himself, so he sneaks the ticket out of the mail and shocks the children by appearing on the train with them. Aunt Euterpe doesn't quite know what has hit her when her spunky father and three children older than she remembered show up in Chicago. One thing's for sure, none of them will ever be the same after their summer together seeing the sights the World's Fair has to offer.
Target Readers:
- Spunky Grandparent Fans: Buster and Granddad steal the show in this book with their crazy antics. Peck also has a spunky Grandmother character in his other books. It makes me wonder what his own grandparents were like?
- Chicago History Fans/Historical Fiction Fans/Country Kids Meet the City Fans/Quick Read Fans: When it comes right down to it, there really isn't a whole lot to this story other than some backwoods country kids, an overly-timid woman who has buried herself in grief, and a spunky, old man enjoying the sights of the World's Fair. But at the same time, Peck does do an awful lot in a mere 139 pages. I picked this up because I had just finished The Devil in the White City and what better time to read this fictional book than when all the historical facts of the World's Fair of 1893 are fresh in my mind? Peck's information on the Fair lined up with what I had just read, and this book brings some of the finer details of the fair to life as it portrays it from the perspective of a country girl. The little things that Peck threw in to build the characters a little more were nice touches, and he added a nice dose of comedy along the way. And it is a fairly quick read, always a perk for reluctant readers.
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
Ellie's mom shows up at home with a strange teenager in tow. Wait, make that maybe a stranger, because the new guy who walks in the door dresses like her grandfather, talks like her grandfather, and definitely argues with her mom just like her grandfather...but this guy's only 13 or 14. Sure enough, it turns out her scientist grandfather has discovered a way to reverse aging and tested it on himself. Thus, the teenage, acne-plagued version of her grandpa who has to stay with them now because he looks underage. And he has to go to school, because he was arrested trying to get into his lab and the police know Ellie's mom took custody of him. Since she's a drama teacher, it would look really bad if she let a teenager under her care avoid school, so Grandpa is enrolled as Melvin, Ellie's cousin. Between being disgusted with the curriculum at her school, berating her mother's choice of profession, and bemoaning the plague of zits, Ellie's grandfather is hatching a plot to get his research out of the lab. The Nobel prize is practically his, but without his lab notes and further tests no one will take him seriously (case in point, the security guard at the lab who called the police on him). Ellie finds hanging out with her grandfather to have all sorts of unexpected adventures, surprises, and revelations.
Target Readers:
- Crazy Grandparent/Grandchild Situations Fans: Ellie is a very likable heroine. She feels so normal, which is quite a relief and another rarity in middle grade. Melvin is quite the character, and his antics in the body of a young teen come off frequently as quite humorous (like when he grills Ellie's mom's boyfriend). It is such an imaginative situation to have normal Ellie faced with a teen version of her grandfather. What would your grandparents be like with their same brains transplanted into a teen body?
- Scifi Fans/Quick Read Fans: There really aren't that many middle grade books about anti-aging science experiments, so for many kids this will read as an extremely unique book. And of course, the way the book makes science come alive for middle grade readers is priceless, especially in that it asks some really hard questions about future ramifications of science experiments and discoveries. This book is guaranteed to entertain, and it just might get some kids thinking about big ethical concepts too. (Oh, and it's a pretty fast read, another win for kids.)
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
Micah Tuttle has grown up hearing about Grandpa Ephraim's amazing childhood encounters with the magical Circus Mirandus. Those many years ago, Grandpa was promised a miracle by the Lightbender of the Circus. Now, as his lungs are threatening to give out on him, he's ready to claim his miracle. Micah with his new friend Jenny is bound and determined that Grandpa is going to get his miracle, but Great-Aunt Gertrude seems dead set against magic (or fun, or letting him near Grandpa, or just about anything else that normal kids do). Micah believes all his Grandpa's tales, but are they really true? And if there really is a Circus Mirandus, can the Lightbender deliver on his promised miracle before it is too late?
Target Readers:
- Tender Grandparent Goodbye Fans: This story is bittersweet. I felt for Micah coming to terms with his beloved Grandpa's death.
- Fantasy Fans/Circus Fans: The concept of the magical circus that keeps hope and magic alive is fun.
Alcatraz Smedry series by Brandon Sanderson
The Smedry family is gifted with talents most people wouldn’t want. But in their own inimitable ways, they manage to use their talents for good in their ongoing battle with the Librarians who wish to keep humanity in the dark about the truth. Alcatraz is the youngest in the family and until recently had no clue about any of the Smedry talents or the unseen battles going on in the world. He just thought things had a bad habit of breaking around him. Now he knows, that's his talent. Alcatraz’s grandfather is one of the main people in charge of training Alcatraz in the family business of saving the world. His talent? Arriving late.
Target Readers:
- Wacky Grandparent Fans: Grandpa Smedry is an utterly unforgettable character for the kinds of wacky things he does and the adventures he gets into with Alcatraz.
- Humor Fans/Fantasy Fans: This series is hilarious. If you want a good laugh, give Alcatraz a try along with Sanderson’s fun breaking all writing rules.
The Eye of Midnight by Andrew Brumbach
Cousins William and Maxine have been sent to stay with their grandfather, Colonel Battersea, for the summer of 1929. Neither of them is sure what to expect, but they definitely didn't foresee Grandfather getting kidnapped by a secret society upon their arrival in New York City. Or meeting a strange courier from oversees with an artifact that secret society obviously wants very badly. They'll go places and see things they wouldn't have dreamed happened outside of books, and they'll learn more about themselves, their family heritage, and each other in the process.
Target Readers:
- Epic Grandparent Fans: Colonel Battersea just might be the most adventurous grandfather around. He’s like Indiana Jones in grandparent form.
- Exciting Read Fans/1920s Historical Fiction Fans: The cover of this doesn't do it full justice. There's 1920s mob fights, swashbuckling feats, discovery of secret tunnels in forgotten graveyards, family secrets, and loads of adventure. It's a high octane secret sleuthing in New York City just before the stock market crashed. True to the times, the police aren't very helpful (they were notoriously corrupt during this time period and owned by the mob bosses), and the kids have a hard time getting any help from adults so they have to do things on their own with the help of Nura, the 12 year old courier from Turkey. The author did a fantastic job with his historical research. The characters sound authentically old fashioned in their speech, especial their use of 1920s slang and Turkish terms (for those not up on 1920s slang or Turkish there's a helpful glossary in the back of the book). That said, the action does get a bit realistically lethal at times (in my opinion, the kids probably would've needed therapy after this adventure) but Brumbach kept the description of wounds to a minimum and the kids conveniently got inside a bathroom during a gang shoot out so they didn't see anything. It's nothing kids couldn't see by flipping channels on TV, but adults be forewarned to guide any sensitive middle grade readers. There's some unresolved threads at the end of this, so I fully expect a sequel which will take the kids and Colonel Battersea adventuring overseas. Hand this to kids who like spy stories and high octane adventures.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Hmmm, the less you know about this one going in the better. Suffice it to say, it’s about a girl now living with her grandparents after her mother has left and her path to healing.
Target Readers:
- Loving Grandparent Fans: Salamanca’s grandparents are just what she needs during this hard time in her life.
- Contemporary Fiction Fans/Books with a Twist Fans: The reason I’m not telling you a whole lot about this story is the twist that comes. The story is touching, and the writing is excellent.
The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
Before her Mama passed, she showed Emma the special Book of Days. In it are recorded all the women in their family, dubbed the Wildflowers, who have had the Destiny Dream. Emma will know the Destiny Dream when she has it because it always starts with the girl or woman standing in a field of blue flowers and then it will show them some symbol that will guide them to the path for the future. Some of the Wildflowers were Civil War heroes, some were musicians like Mama, some were suffragists, and others were journalists. When Emma finally has her dream, she thinks what she sees means she is supposed to find the legendary treasure of the Conductor to save her family’s home/café from the developmental dreams of Warren Steele. Legend says those of pure heart can hear the ghost of the Conductor, follow his song, and will be led to his treasure hidden somewhere in hills of Blackbird Hollow. But the legend also comes with a warning, those who seek the treasure without a pure heart often are driven mad by the search and eventually disappear, never to be heard from again. Emma has heard the song of the Conductor drifting out of the graveyard in her backyard. She knows her motives are pure, she just wants to save her family’s café so that she and Granny Blue and her brother Topher don’t have to leave. Yes, home is filled with sad memories of Mama’s illness, and Emma often wakes with the hard task of facing the Big Empty. But there are also so many good memories here. Memories of jamboree nights at the café when the entire town turns up to sample Boneyard Brew cocoa and dance away their troubles. Memories of adventures with her best friend Cody Belle, baking muffins with Topher, giving tours of the cemetery, and riding the hills on Granny Blue’s motorcycle. With the help of Cody Belle and newly returned Earl Chance - who doesn’t talk but is still a good friend - Emma is determined to face any ghosts in Blackbird Hollow necessary to hunt down the treasure.
Target Readers:
- Cool Grandma Fans: Emma’s Granny Blue is a motorcycle riding lady who can be tough or loving in the blink of an eye depending on what is called for.
- Touching Story Fans/Light Fantasy Fans/Mystery Fans: Emma’s quest to find the treasure is filled with so many beautiful moments, from solid friendship to evaluation of true worth to dealing with grief well to homey café moments you can practically smell.
Young Adult Fiction
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
It's early 1945 in East Prussia. The Nazis occupy most of the land, but they are slowly crumbling and the Russians are pushing in from the East. And there's a host of people who have been displaced from their homes by the war moving towards the shore of the Baltic Sea in hopes they can escape before the Russians arrive. One of the biggest ships waiting at Gotenhafen for refugees and evacuating German forces is the former cruise ship, Wilhelm Gustloff. Readers experience this harrowing time through the voices of four young adults: Florian, the German, who may or may not be on a special mission from one of Hitler's top men. Joanna, a Lithuanian nurse who seeks to help those around her and assuage the guilt of something she did in her efforts to survive. Emilia, a Polish teenager who has lost everything to the war. And Alfred, a German soldier assigned to prepare the Wilhelm Gustloff for it's rescue journey. Florian, Emilia, Joanna, a giant woman named Eva, a blind young woman named Ingrid, an old cobbler the group calls the Shoe Poet, and a young boy who wandered out of the woods form a rag-tag group as chance encounters bring them together on the road to Gotenhafen. Through them, readers experience all the joys and horrors of the life of refugees trying to make it to safety. Meanwhile, Alfred is using his amazing brain to figure out ways to evade work and write imaginary letters to his sweetheart. All of them meet at Gotenhafen, where most of them board the Wilhelm Gustloff and watch their salvation turn into what seems to be doom.
Target Readers:
- Adopted & Unintentional Grandparent Fans: Sometimes there are people who come into your life who feel like a grandparent even if there is no blood connection. The Shoe Poet in this story was one of those kinds of grandparents for the teens around him. He's a philosophical and wise man, who shares his wisdom through his knowledge of shoes and feet. He's quirky, but he frequently reminds the group about the little joys in life and how to love. He's the grandpa many of them need at that moment.
- WWII Fans/Refugee Fans/Bittersweet Story Fans: This book has appeared in many Brainstorms for good reason. It is an amazing story, superbly told with many important points.
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