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The poetry of Up, Up High is very readable, although I’d say the text is more poetic rather than poetry. Here’s an example from the thermosphere, when the poems are talking about the Northern Lights,

Waves of blue,
yellow,
and green
merge together like magic,
shimmering
and shifting
in a sea of color.

This language is beautiful to read and poetic in its approach to describing the view of the lights. Many other pages have similar poetic language in addition to the detailed sidebar with a smaller font that describes the science. Some pages have clear onomatopoeia for the different pages, like “FWOOSH!” for a meteor and “BOOM! CRACK!” for the layer with a thunderstorm to add to the excitement and poetic nature.

I love the very beginning where the language wonders “Where does the sky end and space begin?”, because that is exactly the question that started my journey in looking for books to teach about the concept of layers of the atmosphere. The book speaks directly to the reader as the imaginary rocket journey continues (“Up, / up / high / you go”) which draws the reader into the text. Beautiful illustrations round out the text, making this a fantastic option for learning about the atmospsheric layers.

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I learned from this longer picture book. Each layer of the atmosphere gets a page dedicated to explaining the layer. For example, the page for Troposphere names the layer, shows how far it extends, provides three sentences about it, and then provides a longer explanatory paragraph. Then, the subsequent pages show some unexpected things that have traveled high into the layer of the atmosphere. It shows that grasshoppers have flown as high as 45 meters into the sky, as well as numerous other animals and especially birds. Most pages have a detailed paragraph or two about the creature or item that has traveled that high.

It is a fantastic look at the progression from earth to space. In some respects I only wish it were a bit shorter in order to be a nicely illustrated book about the atmosphere that reads like a story. It is too long and informational to be called a story.

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As is often the case with these old books, there are many now derogatory terms (such as Eskimo rather than Inuit) in the book that don’t reflect modern sensibilities. There are also racist undertones and stereotypical white Saviorism. No matter that the book is about Arctic people, the authors still refer to their brown faces and uncultured lifestyles. A Siberian shaman wants to sacrifice Ood-le-uk in order to avenge their god and bring food to them. When Ood-le-uk travels to a Siberian marketplace, he is entranced by the church of the white man and learns of the loving God of Christianity, a concept that rescues him at times when his cross amulet is seen by others or he faces dire circumstances. In these subtle ways, the native ways of the people of the Arctic is reduced to uncultured stereotype while the Christian religion is triumphant. Even as Ood-le-uk travels yet more to reunite with his family, it is the Christian amulet that seems to guide him and bring curiosity and joy to his family.

Other than dated language and terms and the racist undertones and even despite them, I did like Ood-le-uk’s story. It was exciting at times as he escaped danger and used his resourcefulness to rescue himself from the icy wilderness. He and his friend fled robbers and witchcraft and navigated icy caves and frozen tundra. Unfortunately, as did many books from the era in which it was written, a lot of the story was “told” and not “shown.” Also, what would Inuit people feel about the characterizations and stereotype about their people in this book? Is “Ood-le-uk” even a real name?

But in the end, I did like reading the book. It is not a book I’d recommended to children today, but it is adventuresome. Ood-le-uk the Wanderer won a Newbery Honor in 1931. In comparison to some Newbery Honor books, it stands in the okay category.

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We know her third biggest secret from the first chapter, that is, that Fallon’s uncle sliced her face open with a knife when she was five. She has kept the fact that it was her uncle a secret from everyone except her friend Trent. It is only now that her uncle has died that she feels conflicted about telling others. She has spent her whole life since then healing and receiving surgeries to have a normal childhood, albeit with a scar across her face. It is all the more difficult to deal with the fact that her uncle did this since he is called “goof ball” or “G.B.” or “Geebie” by everyone else. Fallon has questioned how her “goof ball” uncle could be the one who hurt her so badly. Yet, with the encouragement of her friend Trent, she is beginning to see how she can maybe tell this big secret.

With Uncle Geebie’s funeral comes a series of other events that unfolds as Fallon comes to terms with her past. She wants to focus on hanging out with her friends Trent and Kaia and staring in the school musical, but she now finds herself unwittingly in the midst of her own healing process. Finally, Fallon finds common ground with someone else who understand what she’s been going through.

Her year hasn’t progressed as she expected, but it ends up being one with healing and understanding. Maybe now her scar is willing to reveal its secrets, just as with a little digging the bed of the river reveals its secrets. A Scar Like a River is a positive and real look at healing after trauma.

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The issues that the middle schoolers deal with are intense and real. The book mentions bulimia, m@sturbation, getting first periods, using tampons, death of pets, crushes, boob sizes, and first relationships. It introduces the difference between criticism and bullying. It addresses the conflict between groups of friends. Who will Luna choose to be with: her life-long friend Scott who is not “cool,” or the “cool” crowd?

To me, it felt like these kids were older than twelve. I mentioned the serious issues above. Would 12-year-olds admit these things to each other? Would 12-year-olds have swim class in school? That’s a small point, but it just felt like something older kids would have. Although I know the author wanted her to get her first period, other than that, it felt like all the kids were 14 and up given the discussions and relationships they had with each other. Or was I just that naive in seventh grade to not know the real issues my peers were dealing with?

The writing in The Moon Without Stars is phenomenal. The author manages to capture the middle school students perfectly. Each character’s mannerisms were unique. The narrator’s feelings are well drawn and not just “told.” I felt like I was back in middle school. The author’s writing was definitely the high point of this book for me. I was in awe of her talent.

I love how the author used the 7 in seventh grade as this image of a cliff one is jumping off. This is how the ups-and-downs of Luna’s story felt. Although there were some mature issues that seemed to be far above the middle grade age level, as a whole The Moon without Stars is a fantastic book that I greatly enjoyed reading, mostly for the amazing writing. It just blew me away.

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The novel was a quick read. There were some tough subjects addressed in the book, such as a Lebensborn, or maternity home for young girls who have become pregnant from Nazi men. It is a place where the Nazis hope to raise up a pure people. This concept is a bit much for the young reader. The writing, however, and the exciting plot elements felt appropriate for a younger reader. So although the main character is thirteen, it seems he is younger and the book reads easily, like it should be for younger readers. With the World War II setting seeming more appropriate for an older reader, I’m not sure who I’d recommend the book to.

With the help of Alice, a wealthy British girl hiding a horse in the barn, Lucas learns to accept that maybe he is brave. After all, being brave means doing things even while scared. A serious escape scene at the end of the book gives a delightful sense of peril and adventure. In the end, no one can doubt Lucas’ bravery, and this war story ends on a hopeful note.

Is it a stand-out book for the year? I’m not sure yet. I still question which audience The Lion’s Run is for.

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You Are Now Old Enough is about family secrets. When his Grandpa Henry dies, Roman realizes he has lost his chance to find out the secret to the mysterious Toe Beast, which is the story of Grandpa’s severed toe. How can he find out the truth of the story now that Grandpa is gone? He asks his parents with little success. He dare not ask his older brother, who treats him as an immature kid. Though a mysterious set of circumstances, Roman does learn the truth. Add in a bucket, an abandoned town, and a girl with some dogs, and you have a truly mysterious and bizarre story.

It’s hard to describe this book’s plot without giving up details, so I’ll turn to the writing. The novel is told through multiple perspectives. Roman’s story is told from his third person perspective. Then there is the writing in a notebook called “A Girl and Her Dogs,” and then the story is told from first person perspective for Roman, his mother, and a few other people. Somehow all the narrations fit together coherently. It makes sense! The writing is appropriate for a middle grade reader. Roman is twelve and although there is intrigue and bizarre story, nothing about the book is overly scary or written in a way to ostracize a young reader. Somehow, the author makes all the writing unique while still being equally accessible. He manages to give each voice a somewhat unique sound.

You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This is a fantasy novel. I don’t typically like fantasy, so I’ll be honest: As I began reading, I hoped it was realistic fiction and the “Toe Beast” could be explained. But that is not what this book it. Nevertheless, it read as a realistic fiction book. Despite the strangeness, the reader joined Roman in wondering did this really happen? Obviously, not. But it read as if it did. I really liked it, and that is saying something because it is so odd as a whole. Once a kid starts reading this, they won’t be able to stop, even if they, like me, find it quite strange.

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The best part is that each page has a slightly different illustration style. The child’s page looks like it’s been put together with a collage of different textures. Other pages are watercolor or paint. Many are illustration, pencil, markers, crayon, and oil pastel. It is well worthy of the Caldecott Honor.

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Some of the letters, such as I is for Indigenous and D is for Drum, represent a general concept for Native Americans, while other letters, like K is for Kachina and Kiva and U is Umiak, are related to a specific tradition. Overall, D Is for Drum works as either a read-aloud story or as a instructional book about the variety of Native American cultures today.

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