New realistic fiction for middle grades
We just finished up our first book fair with Follett and I'm really happy we did it. The set up and break down were super easy, the cash register was easy and the teachers, parents, and kids commented on the quality of the book choices. So, in my way of thinking, it was a big win!
I've also gotten to read some terrific new realistic fiction. The first one is called "Ruby in the Sky" by Jeanne Zulik Ferruolo. It's about Ruby who is 12. She and her mom have just moved back to the small town in New Hampshire where her mother grew up. They are looking for their next forever home. They've been moving a lot since they lost Ruby's dad (and the explanation for that comes pretty late in the book, so I don't want to spoil it for you!). They moved back to this small town to be close to family, a cousin, who has offered to help. Ruby and her mom have been living in Florida, and so New Hampshire in the winter time is a pretty big change. Ruby is coping by hiding and hoping no one notices her before they can go back to Washington, DC. Ruby's mom is struggling to find a job and at her first waitressing job, she gets into a bit of a problem that results in her arrest. At school, Ruby meets a boy named Ahmad who lives with his uncle. They are refugees from Syria. Then Ruby meets a lady who lives in a shack on the edge of their property. The old lady appears to be homeless, but there's a big story behind that too. This is a complicated story, but in the best possible way. There are terrific themes of family, friendship, persistence, and doing the right thing and what that looks like. I think the kids are going to love this one. It would make an excellent read aloud for developing classroom community for grades 4-8. It came out in February 2019, so look for it!
I've also gotten to read some terrific new realistic fiction. The first one is called "Ruby in the Sky" by Jeanne Zulik Ferruolo. It's about Ruby who is 12. She and her mom have just moved back to the small town in New Hampshire where her mother grew up. They are looking for their next forever home. They've been moving a lot since they lost Ruby's dad (and the explanation for that comes pretty late in the book, so I don't want to spoil it for you!). They moved back to this small town to be close to family, a cousin, who has offered to help. Ruby and her mom have been living in Florida, and so New Hampshire in the winter time is a pretty big change. Ruby is coping by hiding and hoping no one notices her before they can go back to Washington, DC. Ruby's mom is struggling to find a job and at her first waitressing job, she gets into a bit of a problem that results in her arrest. At school, Ruby meets a boy named Ahmad who lives with his uncle. They are refugees from Syria. Then Ruby meets a lady who lives in a shack on the edge of their property. The old lady appears to be homeless, but there's a big story behind that too. This is a complicated story, but in the best possible way. There are terrific themes of family, friendship, persistence, and doing the right thing and what that looks like. I think the kids are going to love this one. It would make an excellent read aloud for developing classroom community for grades 4-8. It came out in February 2019, so look for it!
The second one is called "Maybe a Mermaid" by Josephine Cameron. It's about Anthoni (who was named after her grandfather) who lives with her mom, who sells honey and bee based beauty products. Her mom is a big goal setter and lives by positive mantras. She sets a goal to win a new car and does and then sets another goal, to get to spend the summer at a resort where she used to go when she was a girl. Anthoni is hoping to reconnect with a friend that also summers there. Inevitably, things don't work out the way either of them planned. The friends they planned to connect with don't always seem to be trustworthy and some of the other people at the resort are quirky or maybe just plain strange. This one also had a little bit of a mystery and a fun part about vaudeville, which might get some kids interested in researching that. There were also big themes of friendship and family and persistence, which I thought were great. I think kids are going to like Anthoni a lot. I know I did!
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