A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Books for Middle School

Of A Feather

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Attention owl fans and lovers of middle school literature!  If you love owls and if you adore books where characters learn and become something more… Of a Feather is just the book for you.   

Affiliate links will be used in this review which as always, cost you nothing, but help me maintain this blog. 

of a feather

Of A Feather, the basic details

Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books published Dayna Lorentz’s book Of a Feather. Written for youth 10-12 years.  336 pages in length.  I am reviewing an ARC copy for Raincoast Books. 

Dayna Lorentz writes a careful story about a young lady caught in a foster care system.  A mom who struggles with being sad, and a gramma who can’t be trusted. An aunt with concerns of her own takes Reenie in and thus a story is born.  The aunt does Falconry… Reenie is hooked! This makes the first part of the book make a whole lot more sense when we are let into the internal thoughts of a young Great Horned Owl named Rufus.  Reenie, Rufus and Falconry and thus a story is born. 

I’ll let you in on a secret… it’s a good story.  

Just what do you get?

of a feather

I loved the chapter images.  Isn’t Rufus an adorable owl?   Reenie had her own chapter image as well.  Occasionally they would share a chapter as well.  🙂   There wasn’t a lot of art work in this tome, but those chapter images were great!

Well-developed characters…. we got to know Rufus through his internal dialogue.  A thinker, who was lacking in confidence, and not doing well living as a wild owl.

Reenie, a young lass with a troubled family life and then the child care system became involved.   Needing a safe place, in stepped her aunt.  

You’ll find Of a Feather to be an easy read, suitable for most middle schoolers. 

Should You Get It?

YES!   Go get this book Of a Feather you won’t regret it.

Do be alert that issues come up that some families really struggle and some aren’t very good for children.  So depending on your children this may or may not be a good read for them.  BUT nothing bad happens directly, it’s just alluded to. 

But the story of Rufus and Reenie and how they helped each other… is such a sweet, good story.  Seeing confidence grow in both was a wonderful thing to observe.  Trusting their own abilities, learning to trust those around them.  Fantastic. 

Alone in the Woods

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Are you looking for a classic middle school read?  One that takes in the angst of starting to grow up, and the stresses that can cause in friendships and families?   Alone in the Woods brings an element of danger, middle school angst, family love, and in the end, some resolution. 

Affiliate links will be used in this review, which as always, cost you nothing, but help support my blog. 

Alone in the woods

Alone in the Woods, basics

Written by Rebecca Behrens, Alone in the Woods tells the story of Jocelyn and Alex.  The first half of this middle school read switches back and forth between the girls perspectives much like in Teacher Griefer.  The last half of this good middle school read was a shared experience for the girls. Could they find a way to work together to survive being Alone in the Woods?   Jocelyn and Alex are friends but having trouble with that friendship.  They go on their yearly trip to the woods where they get separated from their families.  Can they work their way past their differences to get back to safe quarters and with their families again? 

Published by Sourcebooks young readers, this is a 320 page chapter with occasional full-page images.  Rebecca Behrens has written a fair number of upper elementary/middle school reads which you can check out.   You’ll find themes of survival, friendship, family, middle school, action and adventure all centred around the lives of two young ladies. 

I am reviewing an advanced readers copy for Raincoast Books. 

Finer Details

Many of the chapters were introduced with grey scale illustrations.   Not every chapter, I found them mostly scattered.   Simple illustrations that occasionally repeated but showed landscapes from the story. 

alone in the woods

Occasionally page dividers would be these little branches which I thought were very cute.  They suited the nature of the book wonderfully. 

The language was very suited to the audience of youth aged 8-12 years.  

You really get to know the main characters well.  You get to understand the hurt felt and the mistakes made by both girls.  

I found it ever so interesting that both girls were able to use their abilities to help them get out of their dire straits.  

My only quibble is that the cover doesn’t match the story.  In the story the girls were wearing bathing suits, on the cover they are wearing full outfits and good shoes.  

Should you get Alone in the Woods?

Alone in the Woods is a good story about a friendship gone awry and how two girls figured out a way through to the other side.  Friendships change as one grows up and sometimes, with some work, they can be salvaged.  I was thrilled to see these two girls put the work into salvaging their relationship.

If you are looking for a middle school read with a good dose of encouragement to keep trying when friendships are hard and that has a well-done adventure as part of it.  Get this book.  If you want to see girls using their own skills, even in occasionally an unlikely manner… Get this book.   It’s not a hard or complicated read, but should be enjoyable by most upper elementary and middle school students. 

They Threw Us Away

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I was very divided about reviewing this book.  One of the things I love about Raincoast is that if they send me a book I don’t love, I don’t have to review it.  I was very intrigued by the title “They Threw us Away” with the picture of a bedraggled teddy bear on the cover.  I was immediately wondering why they would do with a book about a thrown-away teddy.    

Much of the story I liked, I skipped the bit of it, and then the ending left me feeling… concerned?  I’m not sure that’s the right word.   I had dreams that night which I’d rather have not had…. with angry teddy bears… not fun. 

But let me give you my review and you can make up your own mind.  🙂 

Affiliate links will be used in this review, as always, no cost to you but does help support my blog. 

They Threw Us Away

They Threw Us Away, the details

They Threw Us Away is the first book of a three-part series called “The Teddies Saga”.   Published by Henry Holt & Co. you will find it running at 256 pages.  Geared toward youth 10-14 years old.   I received a hardcover copy with a fly.  It comes in a kindle version as well.  Authored by Daniel Kraus and illustrated by Rovina Cai.

The Finer Details

From the Cover

Buddy wakes up in the middle of a garbage dump, filled with a certain awareness: he’s a teddy bear; he spent time at a Store waiting for his future to begin; and he is meant for the loving arms of a child. Now he knows one more thing: Something has gone terribly wrong.

Soon he finds other discarded teddies–Horace, Sugar, Sunny, and Reginald. Though they aren’t sure how their luck soured, they all agree that they need to get back to the Store if they’re ever to fulfill their destinies. So, they embark on a perilous trek across the dump and into the outer world. With ravenous rats, screeching gulls, and a menacing world in front of them, the teddies will need to overcome insurmountable challenges to find their way home.

Black and white images are scattered throughout.  The running of rats, the movement of teddies, the darkness of garbage dump seagulls, it’s all there in greyscale. 

The font is a bit small but not difficult to read.  

The characters feel real.  From the bubbly kinda out of it Sugar, to the thoughtful Reginald, the protective Sunny and fearful Horace.  Buddy seemed a natural leader.  They met some good and not so good characters along the way and learned their own history. 

Should you Get it?

So I think if you are a fan of Lord of the Flies, or Where the World Ends, you would probably enjoy this read.  I am not.    I don’t like books, where children are in essence, are sorted pitted against each other. 

The writing is at a higher level so I would recommend it for children probably at least 12 years old.   They Threw Us Away is a dark read.  Suffering fills the pages, but the teddies work together to find solutions.  They had to learn to listen to each other in order to reach their end objective… Find a child, find themselves a home. 

Chance – Escape from the Holocaust

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My son did a year long study of World War 2 last year, he learned so much.  Throughout that year, and continuing, we’ve been reading WW2 books together.  I was delighted to see Chance: Escape from the Holocaust.  What a quietly done memorial of a horrible time in Uri Shulevitz’s life.  Difficult questions, difficult time he lived through, this book done in picture and word.   A thoughtful look back. 

Affiliate links will be used in this review. 

Chance Escape from the holocaust review

The Basic Details

I received these Memories of a Refugee childhood from Raincoast Books for my review.  Chance – Escape from the Holocaust, written by Uri Shulevitz is a picture and prose book published by Farrar Straus Giroux.  

It’s a heavy book, written from the perspective of a child, covering 8 years of his life as a Polish refugee living in Russia and various European countries. 

Written by Uri Shulevitz who is a Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author.  These are his memories.   This book is written for children 8-14 years old.  The language and style suits this age group well. 

Learning more about Chance

Uri conveys his message in a number of ways.  Photos, comic strips, prose, and illustrations are used.  Mostly we get to read, of his hunger, the struggle to survive, the difficulties his parents faced, and the encouragement to draw he received. 

Chance Escape from the holocaust

I’m not going to say it’s an easy read.  Hard things happen with refugees.  Politics get involved which can make it easier or harder for the refugees who are at the mercy of how the wind blows.  They have no permanent home and a hard time finding work.   This makes for hunger, illness, death, being taken advantage of, and more.  It’s not an easy life and Mr. Shulevitz helps his readers understand that reality. 

The artwork tended toward darkness.   This was not an easy time in Uri’s history and everything in the tale conveys the difficulty of these years.  BUT you also find moments of light and encouragement.  Moments when you can see glimpses of the artist he will become, and the constant support he received from his parents.  The love of family was evident throughout.

Should you get it?

Yes.  Chance – Escape from the Holocaust, opened up an area of WW2 that I had not previously studied.  I was unaware of Polish refugees fleeing to Russia and what their reception was. 

Sensitive readers might need to have their parents alongside to help them process the difficulties that Uri and his family faced.  

How to use?   Just to read and have a better knowledge base, as part of your WW2 studies, in understanding the plight of refugees, to get a better understanding of a good artist/illustrator, and to observe the growth of an artist, even in difficult times. 

The Nightmare Thief

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Nicole Lespereance has put together a book that honestly.. I’m going to give you a mixed review on.  The Nightmare Thief gave me the willies when I started reading but I found myself compelled to read on until I saw a good solution coming about.  I’ve learned to do this with books so I don’t get bad dreams!  Mind…I am easily put on edge by books and this one did a good job of doing that for me, yet… it contained good themes and for the right reader would be an excellent fit.   Affiliate links will be used. 

the nightmare thief

Themes I Liked

I loved the quirkiness of the parrot, the family connectedness, the love of family, the willingness to reconnect with old friends, and the alertness to potential danger in people.  LOVED those aspects.   I loved the determination of Maren (the female protoganist) to solve her problem and not be beaten by a very creepy antagonist.    Those aspects, for the right reader, make this a very doable middle school reader.  

Sourcebooks is the publisher of Nicole Lespereance’s read, The Nightmare Thief.  Running at 288 pages, the intended audience are children 8-14 years old, though I see it better for youth 10+.  I am reviewing an advanced readers copy for Raincoast. 

What Do you Get?

A novel!  That’s what you get!  🙂   Yes I know, stop being silly. 

But seriously, in The Nightmare Thief, you’ll find the characters are well-protrayed.  With a very creepy villain who couldn’t let go of her past and clung to her hurt.   Who gave the protagonist a reason to rethink some of her thoughts.  Our protagonist has a love of family and developed a willingness to reconnect with old friends (letting go of the hurt).

sample page, the nightmare thief

Very little art work grace the pages.  It gives a great image of what a dream packet might look like eh?

Such an interesting concept presented.  Using dreams both to heal and to be a weapon.  Could you imagine such a thing?  And the nasty villain had such a unique way of delivering them.  NOPE.. no spoilers in this post! 

Should you get?

As I said when I started this review, a mixed opinion.  

I don’t get why people read books to scare them. I definitely wouldn’t understand someone wanting to buy a scary dream.  Not my thing.  

But I do get that people like to read and do and live with some fright in their lives.  I suppose it’s good to get the old heart pumping eh?  

With that in mind, I would say older elementary students through middle school just might enjoy reading The Nightmare Thief.  Enjoy a creepy villain, be delighted by a girl discovering her courage, and using her skills. 

BenBee and the Teacher Griefer

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One of the things I talk about on my blog frequently is how our perspective changes what we take away from a situation.   Our perspective helps us to see the good, or helps us understand another viewpoint, or teaches us something new.  Perspective matters.   In BenBee and the Teacher Griefer we get to see the perspective of four distinctly different youths and their summer school experience.   Affiliate links will be used in this review. 

BenBee and the Teacher Griefer

The Basic Details

K. A. Holt in conjunction with Chronicle Books brings us a 344 page non-fiction read for youth aged 8-12.   One youth identifies as other than their birth gender.  Three boys, one girl, each having issues affecting their ability to learn easily within the school system.   Summer school has been deemed the answer.  BenBee and the Teacher Griefer is part of The Kids under the Stairs series featuring Ben Bellows. 

K. A. Holt also wrote KnockOut, another book I reviewed.    Reviewed for Raincoast books I received an Advanced Readers Copy. 

BenBee and the Teacher Griefer, what you get

Each chapter goes through the four different perspectives of each of the youth involved in the under the stairs summer school class.  Four youth, one teacher, one goal, learn to read.   How will they reach that objective?

Enter in Sandbox.  A game all four youth like to play.  Enter a deal with their teacher.  Can they find a way to make it work?  You’ll have to read this intriguing book yourself!  🙂 

Four Students: BenB, BenY, JordanJ and Javier.  Each with their own style of communicating, through poetry, prose, or pictures.  Each with their own home situations, learning challenges, and needs.  

Through each student, despite how they communicate, the story progresses.  

I loved how the book starts and ends with a report card.  You can see their challenges, and through their conversation, by the end, see how their divergencies helped each. 

Even as they played Sandbox, and got their teacher to play, we saw their growth as individuals.   

Should you get it?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading BenBee and the Teacher Griefer.  I loved reading the inner thoughts of the youth and then seeing their interaction with each other and their teacher.   Ms. J was just what these youth needed, and they are just what she needed. 

By the end, we saw how divergency can be something to celebrate, and therefore be turned into a strength.  With that difference, we see self-esteem levels rise dramatically for each of these marginalized children.  Well done by  K. A. Holt. 

Other Books by K. A. Hold

Me and The World

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I don’t know about you but I like looking at well-done infographics.  They can convey so much information in an engaging format.   Me and the World is filled with really good infographic that tell kids all about this wonderful world we live in. Bright colours and facts that interest children fill the pages.  Come on, let me tell you all about it.  Amazon Affiliate links will be used in this review. 

Me and the World

Reviewing Me and The World

Put together by Mireia Trius, Me and The World: and infographic exploration, is published by Chronicle Kids.   Raincoast Books sent me a lovely hardcover book which is oversized quite needfully so since it’s jam-packed with information.  

Hosted by Lucia from Spain, we are walked through 25 infographic areas highlighting different aspects of the world we live in.  You’ll discover the most popular pets, favourite names, bestselling books, traffic patterns and so much more. 

Each page contains lots of colour and illustrations which are done by Joana Casals.  I loved the broad use of hue and shade and valued the scope the images covered.  There is so much to look for and be inspired by on most of the pages.  Other pages were more statistical in nature, containing rows of people or different shaded circles. The statistics given in the infographic style are enlightening and help us see the world more completely. 

I was admittedly surprised by some of the topics covered such as the most visited museums and playground games.  I expected topics such as, and received, popular sports, most famous cities, food and traffic.  So the variety of topics was excellent.   

The font is perfect for sitting down and reading.  The style is consistent throughout.  Sometimes for my old eyes, the font was a bit small, but for the middle schoolers this is intended for, it’s just fine.  🙂 

How to Use Me and the World

Me and the World would be an excellent resource in a homeschool room.  For use as conversation starters, story starters, writing prompts, as an addition to learning about the world, cultural studies and so much more. 

I can well see a family using it as.. see all the options for studying the world’s people, what area would you want to know about? 

Should you get it?

YES!  Me and the World: An infographic exploration shows us how we as people are the same and yet different, within our cultural differences.   Seeing who can eat pork, and who can’t.  Learning how many other people play your favourite sport or speak your language.  It’s so fascinating to see our similarities as well as our differences.