Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

David Small's life was filled with silence, half-truths, secrets, and darkness. At 14, he entered the hospital to have a growth removed from his neck; he left without his vocal cords and not knowing he had cancer. His mother lived a double life, his father carried around terrible guilt relating to David's cancer, his grandmother ended up in an institution. It's amazing to think about all of the information conveyed through this book; if it had been a book written with words instead of images, it would have been quite an overwhelming read. Stitches, as it stands, is an engrossing tale of Small's life, the kind where I found myself, with eyes wide, wondering what new revelation would come in the next pages.

The book was initially marketed as a book for adults, but then started getting recognition as a title that would hold interest for teens (perhaps the most controversially as one of the finalists of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature).


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Read it with:
I Never Liked You by Chester Brown
It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken by Seth
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person by Miriam Engleberg
Epileptic by David B.

Yummy by Lucy Cousins

Readers beware: dangerous creatures are found in the pages of Lucy Cousins' collection of folk and fairy tales. The images might be big and colourful, but all the better to show off things like gleaming teeth and sharp claws. The text is simple, which lets the pictures take centre stage. Definitely worth taking a closer look at.

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Read it with:
Tomie DePaola's Favorite Nursery Tales by Tomie DePaola
My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie
Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney
The Kingfisher Book of Nursery Tales by Vivian French
Arnold Lobel's Book of Mother Goose by Arnold Lobel

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Minli lives with her parents in the Village of Fruitless Mountain; everything there is dirty, muddy, and brown. She and her parents have little money and little rice to live on, but she loves hearing the stories of legends that her father tells her. Then, one day, after conferring with a goldfish, Minli decides to head out to change her family's fortune. Along the way she meets many different creatures, including a helpful dragon, a pair of twins, a boy who lives with a buffalo, a dangerous tiger, and talking fish.

This book had been on my To Be Read pile for a long time (since before the Newbery winners were announced), but I just never managed to actually pick it up. By the end of the first chapter, though, I was hooked. I was so into Minli's story and eager to read about her journey. The book, physically, is also beautiful; the pages are thick, the print is easy to read, and the illustrations are rich. I loved the way that Grace Lin danced on the line between the story and the story's legends; it was like a puzzle, watching all of the pieces coming in to fit together perfectly. This was a highly enjoyable book that celebrates love, family, friendship, creativity, and hope.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was a Newbery Honor Book for 2010.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Jack and the Beanstalk by E. Nesbit
Tales from China by Cyril Birch
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

The Manny Files by Christian Burch

Keats Dalinger is the only boy in a family of four siblings - his oldest sister is practically perfect in every way, the next oldest is a sophisticated fashion plate, and the baby is wild - and prefers to be naked. He feels a bit invisible, and things aren't going that well at school. But then, one day, The Manny shows up. He's a male nanny, and he's there to turn the Dalinger house around. His mantra is "be interesting," and with The Manny around, life will never be dull.

This book is simply delightful. I loved Keats Dalinger and was so unbelievably happy that The Manny came into his life. There's just so much about this book to be enthusiastic about: Keats, the manny, the relationship between the Dalinger siblings, Keats' stories about his school experiences. It's a funny book that also has parts that are quite sad and touching, particularly relating to the kids' grandmother. I loved the ending of the book almost as much as Keats' did, and am really happy to see that there's a sequel, Hit the Road, Manny.

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Read it with:
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Bettina Valentino and the Picasso Club by Niki Daly
Little Darlings by Sam Llewellyn
Eloise by Kay Thompson

If the Witness Lied by Caroline B. Cooney

The Fountain family isn't even really a family anymore; the three oldest siblings have scattered away, abandoning each other when they needed each other most. Everything started when their mother decided to carry her fourth child to term rather than accept chemotherapy for aggressive cancer. It became a case with national attention, and when she died shortly after giving birth, the media framed it as a baby killing its mother. A few years later, the baby killed again - this time, his father, by accidentally releasing the parking brake in their car. Their father was crushed and died instantly. The siblings knew it was Tris, the baby, who did it because there was a witness, a witness who called Tris a killer. But when the siblings reconnect, they discover there's a chance that the witness lied. And if the witness lied...then maybe everything would have been different.

It was really nice to read a plot-driven novel; I don't tend to read a lot of those. I also wanted to read more Caroline B. Cooney, so when I saw that this book was nominated for an Edgar award, I thought it would be a good one to pick up. I enjoyed this book; it kept me turning the pages with increasing speed as it built toward the end. I was interested in the family dynamic, but I'm glad that it didn't delve into the guilt any more than it did; it would have felt out of place.

The book felt it like would be a really great TV movie (and I love TV movies, so that's not a slam), but a TV movie of the week like they did in the 90s, with, like, Mark-Paul Goselaar, Candace Cameron, Tori Spelling, and some little moppet playing the siblings, and Meredith Baxter-Birney or someone playing their aunt. That would have been awesome.

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Read it with:
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
Reality Check by Peter Abrahams
Jane in Bloom by Deborah A. Lytton
Stranger with my Face by Lois Duncan

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

Young Aubrey is still trying to process the death of her father and her sister when her mother takes off and disappears without a word. She sets out to take care of herself, but is discovered by her grandmother, who quickly takes Aubrey home with her. Aubrey starts writing letters to deal with her grief, hoping that her mother will return to take her back home. I loved the relationship between Aubrey and her grandmother as well as between Aubrey and her new friend Bridget. The last third of the book just about broke me, but in the best way possible.


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Read it with:
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton
The Everafter by Amy Huntley

Frindle by Andrew Clements

When Nick decides to replace the word 'pen' with the word 'frindle,' it seems like he's bitten off more than he can chew! It started as a way to match wits with his language-loving teacher, but before long it's a national phenomenon. As with many of Clements' other books, the kids are spirited and enterprising and the adults are well-meaning and multi-dimensional. It's an fun look at the fluidity of language and the power of a grass-roots campaign.


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Read it with:
No Talking by Andrew Clements
The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman
Freaky Monday by Mary Rodgers
Thesaurus Rex by Laya Steinberg

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe

Harold (a dog) and Chester (a cat) live with the Monroe family. They have a good life there, and everything is going smoothly. Then one day, while out to see the movie Dracula, the family comes across a rabbit. They bring him home, name him Bunnicula (he has a bit of black fur that looks like a cape), and it's not long before strange things start happening. Bunnicula sleeps all day and is awake at night. He can get in and out of his own cage. The vegetables are turning white...and they have marks in them that look a bit like fangs...


I wasn't sure whether or not I had read this when I was younger. I had a vague memory of owning a paperback copy, and of white vegetables. I picked it up again to read it, to see if I remembered anything. The white vegetables were there, but there was so much that I didn't remember: the humour, the playful language, Chester's obsession, and the family's reaction. I'm surprised that it hasn't been re-released with a Twilight-ish tie-in cover: "Imagine if Edward Cullen had a pet bunny - who was also a vampire!" Are librarians recommending this to the youngest readers clamouring for Twilight? I don't know; I do know that this is a book that is a delight to read.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Marley: A Dog Like No Other by Josh Grogan
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Howliday Inn by James Howe

Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem by Mac Barnett

Billy's parents warned him: if he didn't do his homework, clean his room, or finish his dinner, they would get him a blue whale. Billy didn't do his homework, he didn't clean his room, and he didn't finish his dinner. So one day a blue whale shows up on the Twitters' front step - and it's up to Billy to take care of him. Along the way, Billy (and the reader) learn a lot of details about blue whales, including why they don't really make good pets. The illustrations are hilarious because they're so straightforward, and the text balances story and facts.

On a different note, I had to read the title several times before I got the words right - I kept reading it as "Billy Twitters ABOUT his blue whale problem." Which it is not.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Redwoods by Jason Chin
Moonshot by Brian Floca
Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo by William Joyce
Psst! by Adam Rex

Crash Into Me by Albert Borris

Frank, Owen, Jin-ae and Audrey know each other from an online community; they have shared the stories of how they tried to commit suicide. They decide that they want to take a cross-country trip to visit the suicide places of celebrities - ending with their own suicides in Death Valley. But once they're out on the road, they realize that it might not be so easy to stick to the plan.

I've read a lot of really great reviews of this book, but I'm not sure that I had the same reaction. I found it hard to care about any of the characters or whether they would actually go through with their suicide pact. (I was particularly perplexed by the brief mention to Jin-ae - a lesbian - having heterosexual sex on the trip. This, to me, came out of nowhere and was really unnecessary.) Owen was by far my favourite character, I think because we spent so much time with him. Maybe I just wasn't committed to the book, or maybe I've been reading too many books with similar dark themes - maybe I'm just burned out on this type of book. I think I would have responded better to a short story of some kind, but since the book is about the journey, that probably wouldn't have worked (and it really isn't a long story as it is). I did appreciate how Albert Borris was able to convey the claustrophobic atmosphere of the car and the journey as well as the compassionate, knowledgeable tone that he writes with. I also really liked the message board conversations that alternate with the real-time narrative; I love the idea of how anonymity can help create open, honest discussions, and how you can be friends with someone you've never met in person.
Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman

Dodger for President by Jordan Sonnenblick

Willie, Lizzie, and Dodger are back - and this time, Willie's running for class president. How did that happen? That's what Willie would like to know! Dodger went to school disguised at Willie (thanks to a magic potion), and then one thing led to another, and Willie finds himself in the middle of an election he can't back out of. Lots of magical scenarios and chimpish plans are quick to follow, and Willie's just trying to keep everything under control - especially with his little sister Amy snooping around!

Fans of Dodger and Me will likely enjoy this book. I think I liked it about the same or a bit more than the first book, if only because there isn't the same drama about whether or not Willie will keep Dodger (it's sort of like watching a pilot of a TV show). I liked Willie and Lizzie's relationship, I liked Willie and Amy's relationship, and I liked the sympathetic depiction of the class bully. I was not a huge fan of the ending (or the lack of ending, which seems to be a trend in the series), but I would be up for reading more about this trio's adventures.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick
LaRue for Mayor by Mark Teague
I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb
The Frandidate by Jim Benton
Standing for Socks by Elissa Brent Weissman

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon

All the World, written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee, is a beautiful picture book with a wonderful message. This is just a book that makes you feel great when you read it - you want to read it again, and you want to share it with everyone. This book is a celebration of community, of family, of big things and small things, of waking up in the morning. The illustrations are...I want to say delicious, I'm not sure why, because I didn't literally eat them. But Marla Frazee is one of my favourite illustrators, and I can't wait to explore more from Liz Garton Scanlon.


Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Red Sings from the Treetops by Joyce Sidman
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Sixteen people are mysteriously invited to live in the mysterious Sunset Tower building, in the shadow of the mysterious home of the Mysterious Sam Westing. Before long, Mr. Westing dies, and his heirs (mostly the people who live in this building) are drawn into a mysterious puzzle/contest to see who will inherit the Westing estate. What are people's connections to Mr. Westing? Why did he die? How can they figure out their clues? Who will win the millions?

I had this book as a child, but I can't remember if I read it or not. I had a feeling that I had - I was able to puzzle through the main mystery of the clues, but I forgot all of the subsequent details. I enjoyed many of the characters, particularly Turtle Wexler and her sister Angela, the Theodorakis brothers, and Flora Baumbach. I love playing with the ideas of identity, responsibility, greed, and guilt, and those are some of the major themes in this book.

Reading this book was part of my own project to read more middle grade fiction. So look for more reviews of 'vintage' books to come!

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Valerie was the one who started the Hate List - a list of people that were mean to her, or who represented those that made her life hell. But it was her boyfriend, Nick, who walked into school one day with a gun and started shooting the people on that list. Several people died and many more were injured, including Valerie, who Nick shot before turning the gun on himself. Many people see Valerie as responsible for the shooting and think she should be punished; even Valerie isn't sure what to think, not anymore.

This was a very difficult book to read. The descriptions of high school cruelty and shooting violence are both graphically, but not extraneously, present; I admit I had dreams while reading this that involved guns and getting shot. It's a hard book to read in different ways - it makes you think about every time you've said things like "I could kill her for this," or "One day he will know what this feels like." Nick is never portrayed as a caricature of a high school terrorist; Valerie has to struggle with having loved (and still loving) someone who could make such a terrible choice - as well as reconcile her own role in what happened. This was a strong book that I was compelled to keep reading; it was hard to believe that this was Jennifer Brown's debut novel.

Find it on Amazon.

Read it with:
Hey Nostradamus by Douglas Coupland
19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult
After by Amy Efaw
Lockdown by Diane Tullson

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

Madison Stanton is dead. Maybe. She doesn't think she's alive, she doesn't think she has a body, and she doesn't know where she is. All she knows is that there are objects in front of her, and when she approaches them, they transport her back to moments in her life. These objects represent things that she lost: keys, a sweater, jewelry. Why is she seeing these objects? What do these moments represent? Can she change the past? And if she does that...can she change the future?

I mostly picked this book up because of its striking cover (and because it was on the shortlist of nominees for William C. Morris YA Debut Award. I liked the premise of going back to moments in your life, especially as Madison (and the reader) learned more about the 'rules' of where she was. I seem to be reading a lot of fiction lately about teens and death, teens and mortality, teens and the afterlife. I'm not sure if this reflects on me (or a reading phase that I'm going through), or if there really are a number of books out there on this topic.

Find it on Amazon.

Read it with:
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
Red Plaid Shirt by Diane Schoemperlen