Picture Books
Just Another Ordinary Day by Rod Clement
A little girl narrates her ordinary daily activities.
Fantastical School: I guarantee you’ve never seen a school quite like the one this girl attends. I think I’d like to visit.
Target Readers:
- Those Who Appreciate the Way Words & Illustrations Work Together: This sounds like a pretty basic story, but the illustrations will surprise readers with an unexpected alarm clock (man with a gong), going down to breakfast (straps on wings and flies), off road vehicle (elephant), new classmate (alien girl), librarian (pirate), and pet kitty (lion).
- Readers Learning to Appreciate Other Cultures: This is a great book to help kids start thinking about ways their “boring” ordinary day may seem exotic to someone in a different culture and vice versa.
- Humor Fans: If you’re looking for a quick, fun read this is a great fit.
- Fantasy Fans: Another good pick if you’re looking for a quick read for a fantasy fan.
The Problem with Pelly (1st Graders from Mars) by Shana Corey, ill. by Mark Teague
Pelly gets teased at school for her fluffernobbin. All the other kids have tentacles on their head. Pelly decides to try and be like the others, but a visit from an opera star helps Pelly realize it's better to be herself, and it is ok to be different.
Fantastical School: It’s school on Mars!
Target Readers:
- Anyone Who Has Felt Like They Don’t Fit In: All kids will deal with this issue at some point or other. This book offers a great conversation opener for kids about differences and teasing.
- Readers Practicing Using Semantics: There’s some made up Martian vocabulary in here (which you probably figured out from the summary). It provides a good opportunity for young readers to practice using context clues to figure out the meaning of an unknown word. They’ll probably do so without even realizing it.
- Science Fiction Fans: A school on Mars provides plenty of elements to keep scifi fans satisfied.
Graphic Novels
Babymouse Dragonslayer (Babymouse, #11) by Jennifer L. Holm, ill. by Matthew Holm
Babymouse fails her math test and her teacher offers her an unusual makeup option - joining the mathlete team. Babymouse isn't sure about this. She doesn't feel like she is very good at math or has much to contribute. The team really wants to win the Golden Slide Rule back from the Owlgorithms but is Babymouse the prophesied one or will she doom them all?
Fantastical School: Babymouse’s school is full of all kinds of animals, features all the typical school personalities, and has a locker that seriously has it in for Babymouse.
Target Readers:
- Fantasy Fans: This Babymouse incorporated some of my favorite fantasy stories in Babymouse's daydreams, Narnia and Lord of the Rings (also, nods to epic fantasy tomes that double as door stops...if only they all came with their own dollies like Babymouse's)!
- Those Who Feel Like Math Is a Horrifying Beast: Many will agree with Babymouse's sentiments of math feeling like a horrifying dragon, but the book does a fantastic job of encouraging readers like Babymouse to persevere and maybe they'll find math isn't so bad. Great message and cleverly executed, and because of that we'll forgive the bad puns.
- Graphic Novel Fans: Babymouse is a nice long series for graphic novel fans. She’s fun and usually learns important things in her humorous adventures.
- Reluctant Readers: Graphic novels are so hard to resist even the most hardened anti-reader will sneak a peek and next thing find themselves finishing the book.
Curse of the Were-Wiener (Dragonbreath, #3) by Ursula Vernon
Before she came up with Hamster Princess, Ursula Vernon wrote this series of books that features Danny Dragonbreath, a little dragon who can’t quite breathe fire, has access to the BEST bus system in the world (it even goes back in time and to fantasy locations), and the books are half graphic novel half text pages. In this book Danny’s best friend Wendell is bitten by a were-weiner from Transylvania during school lunch. Danny and Wendell must destroy the alpha wurst with the help of a sentient potato salad (that made an appearance in book 1 of the series) and its rat minions before Wendell and other school mates are completely transformed and in the thrall of the alpha wurst.
Fantastical School: Everyone complains about school cafeteria food, but Danny’s cafeteria takes horrible cafeteria food to a new level.
Target Readers:
- Humor Fans: This is the funniest and least scary were-creature story you're going to find out there. Vernon's writing, illustrations, and comedic touches are brilliant. Danny and Wendell are as funny as can be.
- Dragon Fans: Despite his inability to breathe fire, Danny is still an entertaining dragon to follow around.
- Reluctant Readers: Danny Dragonbreath is so great for reluctant readers. There’s a high percentage of illustrations/graphic novel sections. When there is just text, it is a larger font than normal (perfect for kids who don’t like to read due to eye problems), and the topics covered are super engaging.
Middle Grade Fiction
Insert Coin to Continue by John David Anderson
Bryan Biggins is so sure that there's a secret level at the end of the Sovereign of Darkness video game he is playing it through for the 10th time (ok, and he kinda likes video games too). At the end of the 10th win, it does do something new...but then it proceeds to fry the computer. He goes to bed frustrated. But when he wakes up the next morning, things are seriously weird. He has to put a coin in a slot over his alarm clock to get out of bed, when he looks in the mirror his clothes have blue video game-type writing beside them dubbing them video game garb type names like "Breeches of Enduring Stiffness," he gets points for drinking his orange juice and his mother notices nothing strange. The day just continues to get more and more weird. His best friend, Oz, can't see the weird messages and thinks he might be going crazy. The middle school bully of course chooses today to come down hard on him. His classes are epically strange...and Bryan can't wait to finish this day of middle school video game style. Hey, he'll be happy to just survive!
Fantastical School: Anderson got to be very creative with all the different classes and parts of Bryan's day and how they could incorporate video game elements. Crossing the road feels much like Frogger, geometry becomes an epic white board race to solve the problems before the figures drop off the bottom of the board, science becomes a quest to find an escapee lab mouse in the boiler room, PE is a dodgeball war game, but my absolute favorite was English where Romeo & Juliet becomes a role playing game you have to choose at each step how to continue the play and manages to incorporate a ninja, a dragon and a zombie horde (best version of Romeo & Juliet ever!).
Target Readers:
- Gamers: For anyone who loves gaming or who’s ever wished their life was a video game (though that may or may not change after reading this).
- Science Fiction/High Action Fans/Humor Fans: The pages in this just fly by as Bryan figures out how to survive this weird day. Lots of fun with an otherwise typical middle school day.
- Reluctant Readers: Definitely recommended for middle schoolers who are reluctant readers.
Upside-Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins
Nory is trying her best to get her magic right so she can attend the prestigious school her father oversees. But during the exams, her magic goes all crazy and her cute little kitten turns into a weird mixture of creatures. She soon finds herself shipped off to live with her aunt and attend a special program for kids with upside-down magic. The other kids in her class have magical issues just as bad, if not worse, than hers (at least she doesn't turn into a rock or constantly float). Nory is determined to get her magic under control and normal. But is normal what she really, truly wants?
Fantastical School: A school for kids with special needs (or perhaps superpowers?) magic-style.
Target Readers:
- Light-Hearted Fantasy/Humor Fans: This is a super fun magical school fantasy for middle grades. Yes, it's a bit predictable, but the wacky magical oopsies are fun, Nory's aunt is a hoot, and the lessons Nory and her friends learn are great.
- Kids Who Feel Like Oddballs: Nory learns some very important lessons about how being different isn’t always bad, even if you’re different in ways others may say means you’re “broken” somehow. A “disability” may turn out to help you save the day.
Young Adult Fiction
Pivot Point by Kasie West
Addie's parents have dropped a huge bombshell on her; they are suddenly and inexplicably getting a divorce in the middle of her junior year of high school. Her dad is not just moving out of the house, he is moving outside of the compound and several hours away. And her parents are making her decide who she will live with, of course they fully expect her to do a Search before making this life changing decision. Addie calls for backup support - in the form of her best friend Laila - and with Laila's help decides to search 6 weeks into the future down either path to see which choice is better. Oh. Did I mention that Addie and her parents and everyone else on the Compound aren't quite normal? Everyone who lives there has some kind of mind power. Addie's dad can tell whenever anyone is lying. Addie's mom can Persuade people really well. Laila can Erase people's memories, and Addie, when faced with an either/or decision, can search and see into her own future down either path. Of course, the Compound is tippy top secret stuff, and it's a huge deal to consider living out in the real world with her Dad. From the time Addie enters the Search, the chapters alternate between each possible future. One in which she stays with her Mom, decides that if her parents are going through a divorce she should try to live true to literature and do some semi-rebellious things to get her opinion about the state of affairs across, continues to get to hang out with Laila all the time, and starts to get noticed by the star quarterback (even though he is definitely not her type). In the other possible future, she moves to Dallas with her Dad, has to adjust to living like Norms (who have decidedly less sophisticated technology) and make sure she doesn't let anything about her extra powers or the Compound slip, has to make all new friends including a cute former quarterback, and try to figure out who she is when not defined by her powers. Both futures seem equally good until close to the end of the 6 week search, when a mystery building in the Compound is going to affect Addie drastically regardless of which future she chooses. The outcomes aren't exactly the same, but neither is good and Addie's choice gets infinitely more difficult.
Fantastical School: Imagine going to a school where everyone has some kind of mental power. Things are definitely interesting.
Target Readers:
- Contemporary Fiction Fans: No, this isn’t technically contemporary fiction but there are frequently times while reading this book that you forget there is anything abnormal about Addie or her world. She comes off as incredibly realistic, and the majority of her problems are things any real teen faces at some time: loneliness, questions of identity, feeling torn between two worlds, and petty teen misunderstandings.
- World Building Fans: I think that contemporary feel is a credit to West's world building. She has done it so effectively yet subtly that it feels entirely comfortable and primarily fades into the background to provide plot support but never usurps the story (which is often the case when people with superpowers are involved, their powers and strange world are the primary focus with tiny things happening thrown in every now and then).
- Mystery Fans: The mystery that slowly builds in both paths is done well. It also doesn't take over Addie's story, but it certainly piqued my curiosity.
- Light Scifi/Superhero Fans: This will appeal to those who like reading about people with super abilities. It’s also a nice light intro to scifi.
- Those Who Like a Mental Workout While Reading/Any YA Fan: You do need a certain amount of focus to be able to switch between story line paths every chapter for most of the book and keep track of which path you’re on. I originally thought this would dissuade many readers, but the teens at our school LOVE this book and even students who aren’t the strongest readers have told me this is one of their favorites. It just goes to prove you shouldn’t underestimate readers when they are really into the story.
Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney
Lady Victoria Mansfield, known as Tory to her friends, is a perfectly respectable young lady from a perfectly respectable family. So it is a huge shock when she wakes one morning to find herself floating above her bed evidently on her own magical power. Tory immediately resolves to work hard to repress this ability. If it got out that she was a mage, it would scandalize her family and her own reputation would suffer irreparable damage. It's all right for the lower classes to have such base talents, but the aristocracy never stoops to such lows. Tory's best laid plans go out the window, or rather, over a cliff when her little nephew is in peril and the best solution is to save him with her magic. Though the relief of her brother and his wife is palpable, the rest of the family makes it clear Tory is no longer welcome and packs her off to Lackland Academy to be "fixed" of her magic. Tory arrives at Lackland to find that some of the other students would rather embrace their magical abilities than learn how to suppress them and have formed a group working to actually develop their magical abilities in the event they are needed in the war against Napoleon brewing on the horizon (somewhat literally since the school is quite close to Dover and France can be seen across the Channel). Of course, training in magic is decidedly frowned upon at a school that is supposed to cure lords and ladies of such things, so Tory and her friends must be ever vigilant and secrecy is tantamount. During one meeting, would-be discoverers try to raid the tunnels the group meets in and Tory is caught in a dead end. She is sure she'll never get to practice magic again, but suddenly a mirror appears in front of her and after touching it she finds herself in Lackland over a hundred years later, during WWII. Tory explores the future a few days with the help of descendants of some of her magical friends and then returns to her own time, but just days later Nick comes through the mirror from the future begging for Tory and her friends to come help with the retreat from Dunkirk. Unsure if they are up to the task, Tory and about 4 other friends go through the mirror and decide to see what they can do to help.
Fantastical Schools: A Regency boarding school for magical lords and ladies that feels like it is run by Dickens’ characters but with secret passages underneath and clandestine lessons on magic to help save the kingdom.
Target Readers:
- Time Travel Fans/Regency Fans/WWII Fans: There’s a core group of students at our school who can’t get enough time travel in their lives. This book and its two sequels are regularly devoured by such students, much to their delight. Personally, it hit two time periods sweet spots for me. I quite enjoy books set in Regency England or WWII, and this had BOTH. I liked how Putney worked the actual facts of the events of Dunkirk in, and often attributed them to the work of Tory and her friends.
- Strong Character Fans: Tory is a great heroine to traipse around with. She feels very real as she wrestles with whether to embrace her magic or not, weighing the costs and getting reconciled to the fact her life has changed forever. Lots of the secondary characters also gain surprising depth and manage to avoid falling into stereotypical.
- Clean Romance Fans: There’s a romance that builds between Tory and one of the guys in the boys’ side of the school.
- Fantasy Boarding School Fans: If you know a reader who can’t get enough of fantasy boarding schools, hand this one to them.
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