Freedom's Game

A little French orphanage in southern France isn't filled with much hope, but it is filled with one big secret; it's full of Jewish children in hiding in plain sight. It's 1942 and the war is in full swing. Twelve year olds, Elka and Ziggy have been on the run, moving from place to place trying to stay one step ahead of the Nazis. Hitler has taken over northern France and the children are scared that he is getting closer and closer. There isn't much in the way of food an blankets at the orphanage but the children have each other and they love their teachers. Well mostly. Ziggy is convinced that their new gym teacher is a spy, and Elka is convinced he is one of the good guys. When their new teacher wants to organize a sport competition, Elka can't wait to race; Ziggy on the other hand, has his reservations. Loosely based off of a true story; this tale of courage, friendship and faith is a great middle grade read.

Bree Boyd is a Legend

Admittedly, I've never read the first novel in this middle grade series, but that didn't impede my reading or understanding of this at all. Bree Boyd follows a young Black girl trying hard to make her father and family proud all while trying to be there for her friends, stay happy, and be true to herself. It's a story that everyone can relate to. To make matters worse though, Bree has started getting these weird tingles in her hand when she is upset or anxious. The tingles always proceed some kind of magical calamity and she has no idea how to control it or stop it. It keeps popping up at the most inopportune times though. And the pressure is only mounting as her father's political campaign takes shape, the spelling bee approaches, and her friends ask her for a big favor. What's a girl to do? Relatable and fun, this wholesome book is great for middle grade students. 

Katz Pajamas: The Holly Jolly Heist

This was the first book that I had read in the series. I'm not sure what order the books go in, but this might be the third? This is a cute, although overly punny, middle grade read. Katz Pajamas is a feline detective who has to work on his most unique case yet. A tiny little cat knocks on his office door and declares that Santa Claws has sent him to whisk Katz back to the North Pole to solve a mystery. According to the little elf cat, Santa's magic toy bag and the naughty and nice list have been taken! Katz Pajamas is honored to take the job and goes up north. He is overtaken with holiday cheer and happiness when he arrives. The North Pole is all he ever imagined and more. But now to find the culprit. This is a super quick read and kids will enjoy it. The formatting is a little unique, but it makes for quick reading. 

Dive

This was an exceptionally well done and thoughtful middle grade read. Dive follows Kass, a middle school student who has recently transferred to a private Catholic School so she can join their dive team. She's grateful for the opportunity, but she really misses her old run down public school, her best friend, and fitting in. She's an outsider, and a poor one at that. Her new classmates probably never have to hear their parents whisper arguing at night about money and worrying about business. Her parents own a restaurant and money is tight, she feels guilty that her parents are sacrificing so much to send her to a school she doesn't love. One day while waiting at the bus stop she meets, Miles. A high school drop out digging through the dumpster. The two form an unlikely friendship and soon he is showing her the ropes on scavenging and helping her realize, that there is someone always worse off then she is. Kass is convinced that no one will understand her relationship with Miles so she keeps him a secret and starts lying to her parents and skipping dive practice to hang out with him and dumpster dive. Sooner or later though, the truth will come out. Dive touches on a lot of timely topics and is a great read for kids! 

Young Man in a Hurry

I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but I found this memoir to be both braggy and with an agenda. On the whole, I still like the man and I can't deny the positive success he has had in California. I have no doubt he will be running for president. This book made me realize HOW connected Newsom is. To the Gettys, Pelosis, the tech giants, politicians, celebrities, etc. Even though he grew up with divorced parents and a mom who struggled to make ends meet, his family's legacies and friendships afforded him insane opportunities. From dining with royalty, partying with celebrities, studying polar bears in Alaska and so much more. This book feels like it was made just to silence his critics, to say, "Yes, I know all these people, they opened doors for me and helped me out, but I struggled as a kid! I didn't get where I got JUST because of my connections." And really, that is the crux of the book. As a reader you have to decide how much of Gavin Newsom's success came from his hard work and perseverance and how much came from the sphere that surrounded him. I do think it is a mix of both and I still admire him. I just got tired of all the name dropping. 

Smiling on the Inside

This was a sweet little memoir about practicing dentistry. Author, Sarah Akard Wilson, treats readers to stories about the day to day realities of cleaning teeth, shares funny stories about mishaps and misunderstandings, and pulls back the curtain on what really goes on in a dentist's office. Not quite a linear story, this memoir is more of a collection of short essays about different aspects of dentistry. It's humorous, eye opening, and intriguing. This book is very short and easy to read in one sitting. It's a fun glimpse into what really goes on at the dentist.

Orphanland

A little slow to get into, but worth the wait. This charming middle grade read is about a found family of misfits living in a small town Ohio orphanage. Most are truly orphans, but a few, like Kacey, have been abandoned by their parents. Primarily told through the eyes of eleven-year old, Willa, this story is one of friendships, the family you make, rising from the ashes, and of course there is a little mystery at the heart of it all. Willa discovers that Mercy (the manager of Southern Ohio Children's Home) is hard pressed for money and looking for a way to keep the orphanage running. That's when they discover that there is an old boys school practically in their back yard. It's neglected and falling apart and Mercy owns it. Will she sell it to make ends meet? What happened there and why will no one talk about it? Orphanland deals with a lot of meaty issues; opioid addiction, losing your parents, consent, injustice, losing your parents, gender identity and more. I was so impressed with how topics were respectfully discussed without being too preachy. Orphanland is a great book for kids to read and then start asking questions of their own. The cover and title is awful, if it were re-branded I think this book would go gangbusters!