Middle School Transition Can Be Tough

It's no secret that moving from the safe confines of elementary school to the mean streets of middle school can be a difficult and even scary transition.  I'm always on the lookout for books that use this theme so the fifth graders in the Bailey Bubble can have a look at what is on the other side of elementary.  Hopefully by reading them they learn that it's not as bad as they imagine, but that it won't be easy either.  33 Minutes Until Morgan Sturtz Kicks My Butt by Todd Hasak-Lowy is a good one for my collection!

People change as they get older and friends grow apart.  Sometimes it's just a gradual parting of the ways and sometimes, as in the case of Sam Lewis and Morgan Sturtz, it's a more drastic event.  Sam and Morgan are best friends all through elementary.  They are inseparable, always together, and they make a great team.  When a new kid, Chris, moves to town trouble starts.   Chris is pretty much unsupervised and has everything a kid could want.  Morgan and Chris start spending a lot of time together, and Morgan begins to change.  As is the case with middle school, some boys grow and others wait a while.  Morgan grows and becomes the football star, Sam doesn't and becomes the mathlete star.

Eventually there is a time when they just don't see eye to eye, and instead of just going their own way, words are exchanged, and a note is passed accidentally with Sam mocking Morgan's lack of math ability.  The threat is made and the clock is started.  Each chapter is a time of day with a countdown to the butt-kicking.  Typical middle school hyjinx occurs, with food fights, popular kids and bullies.

In the end, the fight does take place and the boys are brought to the principal's office and that may be the real strength of this book.  Instead of wrapping it all up in a nice Brady Bunch ending, Todd Hasak-Lowy offers up alternative endings.  The reader isn't really sure which it is but they are all possible and realistic.  It's up to the reader to figure out which fits for them, great discussion starters.

The author does a wonderful job of describing middle school, it's personalities, teachers, atmosphere and students.  I'll be recommending this a fun informative summer read for my fifth graders.

The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.

I love when I find a book that I haven't heard of before and am drawn in by something, the cover art, the description on the cover, a great title or an interesting author bio. In this case the title, cover and bio drew me in. I had not seen this title anywhere or heard of it's author, Kate Messner, but when I read that she is a middle school teacher, I was ready to read.

I found The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. on the new book shelf at the local branch of my public library and the fall colors of the cover caught my eye. When I picked it up and read the flap I knew I was checking it out and taking it with me. The description includes a grandma who leaves her false teeth in the fridge, a father that drives a hearse, a monster science project and a middle school arch nemesis and I couldn't wait to read some details about each.

Turns out that Gianna is a student who really struggle with organization, we've all had them, heck, I probably was one of them! She has been assigned the dreaded leaf collection project, you know the one, collect 25 leaves, label them with their scientific name, common name and where they can be found, all presented in a creative and organized fashion.

Luckily for her she has a really good friend who happens to be a boy who is gifted and organized and helpful. Unluckily (is that a word?) for her she also has an arch nemesis, a mean girl who is trying to take her place at the sectional cross country meet. Gianna must finish the project on time, or the mean girl will take her place. The mean girl, Bianca, is that the perfect mean girl name or what? (sorry to any Biancas currently reading this) will stop at nothing to help Gianna fail, including completely destroying the project the week it's due.

In addition to the trials and tribulations of middle school Gianna is dealing with home issues too. Her family runs the town funeral home and occasionally her father takes her to school in the hearse, I personally think this would be pretty cool, but Gianna is mortified and it's only fodder for more harassment from Bianca.

Gianna's Italian grandmother lives with them and is beginning to show early signs of Alzheimer's. At one point in the story she wonders off and is missing for a significant amount of time. Gianna and her friends search the neighborhood in a fall thunderstorm to find her dangling her feet in the neighbor's pool totally confused. Kate Messner handles this issue beautifully. The story teaches what happens to an Alzheimer's patient, slowly slipping away, but also teaches to live in the moment, and enjoy the good times.

Gianna recognizes her organizational challenges and while they frustrate her, she has found positive outlets to help her cope with the frustration. She is a talented artist always creating and looking for the beauty in everything. Sometimes this works against her when she is distracted by creating something rather than focusing on her assignments, but she pulls through and even uses her talent to make a very unique leaf project that reflects who she is. Her artistic personality also is how she connects so closely with her grandmother, Nonna. Gianna is also a very gifted cross country runner and revels in running whenever she gets the chance.

Kate Messner tackles a lot of issues in this story, but she does it in a way that is not overwhelming or unbelievable. The pacing of the book and the memorable characters keep the story moving and don't let the reader get bogged down in the trials of life. I like this book a lot and I think most 4th and 5th graders will too.

More Reviews:
Book Nut
The Reading Zone
Jen Robinson's Book Page

From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between

The first novel from Elizabeth Atkinson caught my attention because of its colorful cover. What I read inside caught my attention too.

Alice Bunt is a tom boy who moves from the city life of Boston, to the suburbs and a big fancy mansion of a house built on a cul de sac that use to have trees and other natural things, called Hemlock Trail. She has a cat named Yaz after her favorite Red Sox player, and a dog named Einstein, supposedly the smartest pug puppy ever. She would rather play soccer and not worry about her clothes as long as she's comfortable. Her dad stays at home while her mom works in the city as the vice president of a large publishing company.

Zenithal Stevie Wonder Malinowski, Zen for short, is the boy who lives in the run down house just outside of the new development. He calls the street Alice lives on Hemlockless Trail since all of the trees have been removed. Zen would rather read fashion magazines, than dress stylishly or play any sport. Zen is the overweight outcast at school who lives with his grandma and decides he will give Alice advice on fashion, friendship, and walking so she will be popular at middle school.

The two have a like/hate relationship that is interesting to read. Zen keeps insisting that Alice follow his advice, and Alice keeps doing it, reluctantly. When school finally opens, Zen has created a middle school diva that quickly gets into the good graces of the popular crowd that Zen has selected, even though it is completely against everything Alice likes or believes. She struggles with the fact that the girls Zen has picked as her friends treat him horribly, and she doesn't do anything to stop them, for fear of losing them as "friends." The interesting thing is, Alice never feels like they are friends and wishes she could make friends with the shy girl, Rebecca, who seems more like her.

After a falling out with the beautiful people, Zen's hidden musical talents are revealed when Alice and Rebecca attend his new age church and hears him sing a solo. The girls are moved to talk him into singing in the school talent show with the hope that it will improve his standing in the school. Although he doesn't want to, Zen performs, and true to middle school form, finishes second to the popular kids even though everyone admits he is way more talented. In the end, it does help him gain a certain level of acceptance at the school, but, partly by choice, Zen will always be a bit on the outside looking in.

I like this book even though it was one that I considered abandoning several times. I was compelled to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I have to admit, Elizabeth Atkinson has created Zen in such a way that at times I felt awkward reading about him. He was that kid that is laughed about and felt sorry for at the same time. In the end, I liked him a lot. His willingness to be different and not care so much what others thought impressed me enough that I couldn't give up on him. I liked that Atkinson didn't let him give in and conform to the middle school pressure. Zen continued to express himself in his own unique way to the end. I'll be recommending this one to fifth graders getting ready to fight their own battles to find their place in middle school.

Another review here.