Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

 

Book Title: Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Author: Beverly Cleary
Book Series: Ramona Quimby series
Reading Level: middle-grade (3rd through 5th grade)
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Content Rating: G
Tidbit: Eight-year old Ramona Quimby is just trying to survive 3rd grade and do as well as she possibly can at the job she's been assigned in her family.

Third grade isn't for wimps! Just ask Ramona Quimby. When Ramona's father decides to quit his job and go back to school, some things in the Quimby household have to change. Ramona's biggest responsibility is getting along with 4 year old Willa Jean, the granddaughter of the woman who watches Ramona and her sister after school. It's not a job Ramona enjoys. She also doesn't enjoy the cheaper meat her mom prepares for meals; nor her new classmate, whom she refers to as Yard Ape. When Ramona overhears something her teacher says after an egg-fad gone wrong, Ramona is sure this will be the worst year ever. She'll soon learn, however, that there are bright spots on even the cloudy days. 

So I loved this book! I dont think I ever read it when I was young. But I'm glad my daughter did! There were a few parts that made me chuckle out loud. I loved seeing things from an 8 year old's perspective. True, I was 8 once. But that was a very long time ago, and I don't remember how things felt. It was good to be reminded that the things that are hard for my daughter right now may not be hard for me, but they ARE hard for her! I also could identify so well with Ramona's parents, now that I'm of that general age.

My daughter loved this book. She is continuing the series (though I know now that this is book 6... oops).

The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

 

Book Title: The Last Green Valley
Author: Mark Sullivan
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13, possibly R for war-time violence, Holocaust content, some language
Tidbit: The Martel family, seeking safety from the Russian Red Army, follows the Nazis from Ukraine amidst the final days of World War 2 and beyond.
Quote: "Can happiness be that easy? Finding little joys in the worst moments?" and "... in broken hearts and ruins, something always glows."

This is a book about miracles. 

It is based on the true story of the Martel family, German-Ukrainians who fled Ukraine as refugees at the end of World War 2 as the Soviet Red Army advanced. Having lived under Stalin's Communist rule prior to World War 2, Emil and Adeline Martel were determined never to do so again. So when the Nazis promised them protection if they followed with the Nazi retreat, they went, even though they did not believe in the Nazi cause. But when Berlin fell, they found themselves a people without a country living in less than ideal circumstances. The family would endure heartache, loss, and separation as they sought a better life in the West, hoping for a life of freedom in the last green valley of Adeline's dreams. 

This is a book about miracles. 

It is a book about great faith. 

And also a book about a crisis of faith. 

It is a book about despair. 

It is also a book about the indomitable spirit of hope. 

It put me on an emotional roller-coaster and tore at my mama heart. But then it also warmed my heart and drew my mind back to a book I reviewed a few weeks back titled Divine Signatures. I found myself wondering which parts actually happened and which were the fictionalized part, because miraculous is the only way to describe many of the things that happened (fortunately the author's note at the end answers some of this). And while the events may seem impossible, I believe they were possible; because I believe in a God of miracles. 

"Love life like it is a miracle every day, every moment, and dream in a way that helps others... "

 

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Book Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Reading Level: middle-grade and up (I'd recommend for upper-middle grade)
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Content Rating: PG (no language or other concerns, but the content is a bit more mature as it is a coming-of-age type novel)
Tidbit: In this coming-of-age story, 7th-grader Holling Hoodhood tries to navigate his life with his work-obsessed father, his on-the-sidelines mother, his flower-child sister, and his teacher Mrs. Baker, who he is pretty sure hates him; while also figuring out life during the political unrest of the Vietnam War and Civil Rights issues in America.
Fun Quote: "I never thought being in seventh grade would mean so many death threats."

This book was nowhere on my radar until I saw a popular bookstagrammer share her top 10 most recommended books. I'm SO glad I stumbled upon that post, because this book is an absolute gem! I'm almost 100% sure it'll make my top 10 list for this year. I loved it!

This coming-of-age story follows Holling Hoodhood, a 7th grader at Camillo Junior High on Long Island. It's the Fall of 1967, and between the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, there is a lot of turmoil. But Holling's more immediate concern is how he going to survive Mrs. Baker's class on Wednesday afternoons when he is the only student who has neither Catechism nor Hebrew Class. Holling is pretty sure she hates him for that. 

Meanwhile, at home, he is trying to navigate the "perfect house," built by his architect father who can build houses but not homes; his high school sister who wants peace and not war; and a mom who watches from the sidelines. Yet in the middle of all this, Holling will learn about love, friendship, forgiveness, miracles, hope, and Shakespeare.

I can't even explain how much I loved this book. I laughed out loud so many times. And I FELT so much.  If you haven't read it, it is 100% worth your time. No content concerns, but it feels more mature in terms of understanding and relatability, so I recommend for 12 and up.

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

 

Book Title:  Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Author: Patrick Radden Keefe
Audiobook Performer: Patrick Radden Keefe
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Content Rating: R (for language, drug use)
Tidbit: A shocking look into the Sackler family and the drug that made them their billions (OxyContin) and helped America fall into an opioid crisis.

"Of course, Oxycontin was stronger than morphine, that was a simple fact of chemistry, but one that the company would need to carefully obscure. After all, there were only so many cancer patients... The real jackpot was non-malignant pain." 

My husband is sick of hearing me talk about this book, I'm sure. But I could not believe it. It completely blew my mind. Just this morning I was telling my dad about it. Let me go ahead and warn that my review will not do this book justice. I've been pondering this for a day and I know I won't find the right words. So check out my stories for the reviews that motivated me to read this book. 

I'm pretty naive in a lot of ways about the drug world. But even I had heard of the opioid crisis in America before this book. Well, this book takes you into the history of the Sackler family, the family who started Purdue Pharma. And Purdue Pharma produced and marketed OxyContin/Oxycodone. And that drug was largely responsible for the crisis. 

Deceit, infidelity, narcissism, greed, power, corruption (including in governmental agencies)... it's all here in the pages of this book. It kind of reminded me of another book I read about the Stock Market Crash in the 1980s called Den of Thieves. 

At 18 hours, this audiobook was a commitment... but I say this honestly: it never dragged for me. I was riveted. If you already have strong feelings against Big Pharma, this book won't give you warm fuzzies. 

"If the true personality of oxycodone was misunderstood by America's doctors, [Purdue] would not correct that misunderstanding; instead, they would exploit it."

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

 

Book Title: Al Capone Does My Shirts
Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Book Series: Tales From Alcatraz (Book 1 of 4)
Reading Level: Middle-Grade (I'd recommend for upper)
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG
Tidbit:  Twelve-year old Moose Flanagan's family has just moved to Alcatraz Island where his dad is now a prison guard and electrician.  Moose will have to come to terms with all the growing up which will come along with the move.

"Now I understand. When you love someone, you have to try things even if they don't make sense to anyone else."

The Flanagan family has moved to Alcatraz Island, home (though not by choice) of the infamous Al Capone who is a resident of the prison. Moose Flanagan, whose father has taken on employment as a prison guard, is 12. He misses his old home and his old friends, and nothing about this new situation seems ideal. But it's 1935, good jobs are scarce, and Moose's parents are desperate to get his older sister Natalie (who loves lemon cake and counting things) into the Esther P. Marinoff school in San Francisco, a school that specializes in children with special needs. Though none of this is what Moose wants, he will learn that he can make new friends (even if one of them is the warden's daughter Piper, with whom Moose has a confusing relationship), and he'll learn a lot about love and what you might do for those you love. 

I love this book. I first read it when I was in library school, and the ending just gave me all the warm fuzzies. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story about a boy who comes to terms with being the younger brother of an autistic sister (though at the time the story is set, there was no term or diagnosis for Natalie's behaviors). 

We read this as a family read-aloud. My kids really enjoyed it, and I love that it gave us opportunities to talk about autism and how important it is for us to be loving and kind when others act differently. And the ending gave me just as many warm fuzzies this time as it did 15 years ago. 

That said, there are some mature themes in the book, which also led to some important conversations (like protecting our bodies and recognizing if someone is doing something wrong and what to do). And some puberty-related aspects of boyhood. I would definitely recommend parents be aware of the themes. And I would recommend for solo reading for 12+. I personally did some censoring while reading aloud to my 4 kids.

This is book 1 of the series of 4. I've read them all, but this one is my favorite.

InvestiGATORS Take the Plunge

 

Book: InvestiGATORS Take the Plunge
Series: InvestiGATORS (book 2 of 5 currently published + 1 announced)
Author: John Patrick Green
Reading Level: Middle-Grade
Genre: Graphick Novel
My Rating: 5/5 Stars!
Content Rating: G (potty humor present)
Tidbit: Mango and Brash are the InvestiGATORS, and they may or may not be responsible for some of the chaos in the city they've now been tasked with fixing.

I LOVE THIS SERIES! It makes me laugh! And I love all the allusions to other things that I'm certain go right over kids' heads, but hit their parents (like me) right on the target (Aisle of Dr. Morrow). And I love the way the end of each book leads you right into the next one. I'm so glad I have numbers 3 and 4 on my shelf already, and number 5 was just published! I need to get that one!

In this fun story, Mango and Brash inadvertently cause catastrophic Combinotron chaos. While being tasked with finding their nemesis Crackerdile in the sewers (using their cool plumber V.E.S.T.s), they will also have to figure out how to uncombine all the strange combinations which are cropping up following a city-wide flood!

Prior to picking up this series, I was totally not a fan of graphic novels. Kudos to Mr. Green for making a believer out of me!

If potty humor bugs you, be aware there is some of that in here.