Thank you to Netgalley for providing with a free ebook copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Description:
Jordan, Drew, Liam, Maury, and their friends from Riverdale Academy Day School are heading out on a school trip to Paris. As an aspiring artist himself, Jordan can’t wait to see all the amazing art in the famous City of Lights.
But when their trusted faculty guides are replaced at the last minute, the school trip takes an unexpected–and hilarious–turn. Especially when trying to find their way around a foreign city ends up being almost as tricky as navigating the same friendships, fears, and differences that they struggle with at home.
Will Jordan and his friends embrace being exposed to a new language, unfamiliar food, and a different culture? Or will they all end up feeling like the “new kid”?
My Thoughts
Usually when the first book in a series is as unique as The New Kid, the rest of the series can be a dissapppointment because it doesn’t feel as fresh. But this series keeps getting better. I would recommend reading them in order, so that you know the characters and their relationships.
The kids at Riverdale Academy Day School don’t go on run-of-the-mill field trips. They go places like Paris, Alaska and the Civil Rights Trail. Jordan is in the group that goes to Paris. In this new setting, the kids discover things about each other they never knew.
It is tough to find books with the silliness kids love while also making them think. Craft openly says he writes books he wished he had as a kid, and kids today are grateful to have them. School Trip is filled with puns and dad jokes that had me laughing out loud. But, it also addresses head-on the issues POC face. I loved that the kids had a natural, open dialogue about their feelings.
As their name implies, Jaundice and Kale Bland live boring lives. They rarely leave the house, eat oatmeal everyday, never wear color and their favorite book is a dictionary. Then one day, they’re dragged out of their boring lives and drawn into adventure when a band of female pirates kidnaps them.
My Thoughts:
I love the use of language in this book. They’re are vocabulary words at the beginning of each chapter. It’s filled with puns, irony and wit. This was a very quick read, but it’s a book you want to read over and over because you’ll pick up on new things with each reading.
After years of being teased for her lisp, Daisy hates the spotlight. Her brother Sorrel (known as Squirrel) is the opposite. He dreams of being a YouTube superstar. But, Daisy’s parents have strictly forbidden their son with Downs Syndrome from any social media, fearing cyberbullying. Daisy doesn’t agree with them. Squirrel could really use an ego boost. His girlfriend broke up with him and the Special Olympics have been canceled.
So, when Daisy’s social studies teacher gives an assignment to change the world, Daisy decides she will make Squirrel’s dreams come true. She pairs with her former bully, Miguel, to help Squirrel become a star and save the Special Olympics. Along the way she discovers not only can people change, they can change the world.
My Thoughts:
I received an ARC ebook of this book for a tbr books and beyond tour. I thought it was the exact direction middle grade books should be going. There is lots of representation for different cultures, abilities and LGBTQ+, but that’s not really what it’s about. It’s just telling the story of making a difference with characters who happen to be diverse.
Mia Tang and her parents are Chinese immigrants. But, living in America isn’t the dream they imagined. Her parents have a job managing a motel. It’s all they can do to keep up with the cleaning, so Mia runs the front desk. She turns out to be really good at the job. Mia has a gift for making connections with the guests, and solving problems. Nevertheless, Mr. Yao, the horrid refuses to pay them fairly or even take precautions for their safety. It seems they’re trapped in a terrible situation, until Mia finds out about an essay contest with a motel as a prize.
My thoughts:
I love Mia as a protagonist. She calls out all the unfairness and prejudices that her family faces while still maintaining the optimism of a child. When she sees an injustice she finds a way to solve it. I also found some of her misunderstandings due to language or her age, entertaining. Overall, it’s an entertaining read which also addresses deeper themes.
Robot Dreams is a graphic novel with few words. When a dog orders a robot in the mail, they become fast friends. Then, a trip to the beach leaves Robot rusty. Dog doesn’t know how to fix his robot friend, and ends up abandoning him on the beach. Dog tries to replace his robot friend, but no one is the same. Meanwhile Robot is daydreaming about better places while he is left lying on the beach.
My Thoughts:
As a reading teacher, I normally wouldn’t recommend a book with so few words. But this book lends itself to a lot of meaningful discussion, while also appealing to kids with it’s playful characters. This book could really work for any age. Young children would enjoy the fun animal characters, while older kids would pick up on the bigger themes about friendship and loss.
I’m so excited to participate in my first Book Tour with TBR And Beyond Tours and to help spread the word about this wonderful book!
Book Info:
Daisy Woodworm Changes the World by Melissa Hart
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publishing Date: November 8, 2022
Synopsis:
When her social studies teacher assigns each student a project to change the world for the better along with an oral report, Daisy fears the class bully—who calls her Woodworm— will make fun of her lisp. Still, she decides to help Sorrel fulfill his dream of becoming a YouTube fashion celebrity despite their parents’ refusal to allow him on social media.
With the help of her best friend Poppy, and Miguel—the most popular boy in school and her former enemy—Daisy launches Sorrel’s publicity campaign. But catastrophe strikes when her parents discover him online along with hateful comments from a cyberbully.
If Daisy has any hope of changing the world, she’ll have to regain her family’s trust and face her fears of public speaking to find her own unique and powerful voice.
My review
We need more books like Daisy Woodworm Changes the World. It has such a positive message about how everyone can make a difference. It doesn’t have to be a huge change that affects the entire world, but can be something as simple as helping someone else achieve their goals. There’s also an emphasis on working together.
I also loved the way diverse characters were represented in this book. The book features characters from different racial backgrounds, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ parents. But, that’s just part of who the characters are, not the focus of the plot. It was nice to see a diverse community that felt natural.
My rating: 5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Favorite Quotes
“But any etymologist worth her microscope would tell you people-like insects-went through metamorphosis all the time.”
“I hated that, how you could be going about your business, and then you caught sight of yourself-not just your reflection, but your eyes-and it was like meeting upwith your conscience, or something. Creepy.”
“…if you know what your goal is, and you know to ask for help in a way that makes people care, it doesn’t matter how young you are. You really can change the world.”
“If you want to change the world…cross-pollination is key!”
I’m an Oregon-based author, journalist, and instructor for the MFA in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University. My essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, Real Simple, Orion, High Country News, The Rumpus, Brevity, Woman’s Day, The Advocate, Parents, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Hemispheres, and numerous other publications.
I’m the author of The Media Adventurer’s Handbook: Decoding Persuasion in Everyday News, Ads, and More (World Citizen Comics, 2023), Daisy Woodworm Changes the World (Jolly Fish, 2022), Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens(Sasquatch, 2019), the award-winning middle-grade novel Avenging the Owl(Sky Pony, 2016), the memoir Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family (Lyons, 2007), and the memoir Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood(Seal, 2005).
I’m a contributing editor at The Writer Magazine, and I teach frequently at writing conferences, libraries, universities, and bookstores. I grew up near Los Angeles with my younger brother, who has Down syndrome. I live in Eugene with my husband and teen daughter, where I love to run and hike long-distance, cross country ski, kayak, cycle, cook, and roam the Pacific Northwest as an amateur naturalist.
Bod is a living boy being raised by ghosts. There are many dangers living in graveyard. There’s the Sleer and a desert of ghouls just to name a few. But, the real world is even more dangerous for Bod. That’s where Jack is, the man who killed Bod’s parents.
My Thoughts
I love how Gaiman can create books with such dark premises so funny. This is a perfect example. Here’s a book that opens with the murder of a child’s parents, yet it’s filled with love and humor.
“With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I’m delivering,” announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he’s got mad beats, too, that tell his family’s story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood.
Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story’s heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family. – Goodreads
My Thoughts
I only read this book because it was added to a novel unit we were teaching in eighth grade. It was not something I would have picked to read. I’m not a fan of novels in verse and don’t really like basketball. Therefore, I was shocked by how much I loved this book. The poems were engaging and unique. Even though Josh’s experiences are very different from mine, the struggles we all go through during adolescence are relatable. I’m so glad I read it.
When troublemaker Donovan Curtis pulls a prank that goes too far, it looks like he’ll be facing serious consequences. Then his paperwork is confused with students with a genius IQ. He ends up being placed in the Academy of Scholastic Distinction. It’s the perfect alibi, as long as he convince a group of geniuses that he’s one of them.
My Thoughts:
This is the classic Korman formula:
1.) Due to unusual circumstances a kid ends up with a group of other kids they would usually never associate with at school.
2.) Chaos insues.
3.) They find a passion project, that is somehow threatened
4.) They overcome the thread and everyone learns a lesson.
I am not saying this as a criticism. The formula works. Korman’s books are funny and appeal to both kids and adults. I love that his books are popular with kids who do not like to read.
Hanna is a half-Asian girl living in California during the 1880’s. At a time of extreme prejudice against Chinese people her simple dreams are nearly impossible: graduating from school, becoming a dressmaker and making a friend. As the story progresses, Hanna finds ways to fight for what she wants.
My Thoughts:
If you’re a regular reader, you know that I love Laura Ingalls Wilder. But, even as a young white girl in the 1980’s I recognized how insensitively Native Americans were portrayed in the novels. Park gives readers a more realistic view of pioneer life, while still paying homage to Wilder. Hanna faces prejudice ranging unintentional microaggressions to legalized racism. At the beginning of the novel, she is very timid. I love the way she finds ways to quietly stand up for herself. Rather than focusing on a major historical protest or legal case that promoted change, Prairie Lotus small ways change individuals hearts and the power of friendship.
