Diane Colson

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In Laura Tucker’s All the Greys on Greene Street, Ollie, a gifted artist, is content living with her artist parents in a loft in New York City. But then her father leaves for France, accompanied by a woman whom Ollie and her mother playfully nickname “Vooley Voo.” One week later, the playfulness has vanished, and Ollie’s mother will not get out of bed. Ollie strives for normalcy as she attends school, hangs out with her two best guy friends and goes to visit Apollo, her father’s partner in his art restoration business. Due to her mother’s urgent, hushed phone conversations and a desperate man who appears at their door, it becomes apparent that a mystery surrounds Ollie’s father and his departure, which coincided with the disappearance of a valuable piece of art. This is a lot for 12-year-old Ollie to puzzle out, and she becomes fiercely protective of her mother and refuses to accept the truth of her mother’s depression.

There is a beguiling naturalness to Tucker’s depiction of Ollie and her troubles. Ollie is observant and reflective, allowing the reader full access to her emotional upheaval. Her best friends are genuine and loyal but clumsy in their attempts to help. Apollo is kind but distantly adult. Perhaps the most lovely element of the book is the infusion of art: Ollie’s art, rendered in pencil drawings, is sprinkled throughout the book, and there are discussions of art technique, art in museums and, most instructively, the provenance of art displaced by war.

All the Greys on Greene Street is a poignant and well-structured debut novel that’s sure to satisfy young readers.

All the Greys on Greene Street is a poignant and well-structured debut novel that’s sure to satisfy young readers.

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In The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James, author Ashley Herring Blake (Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World  ) once again sensitively explores the intense emotions of adolescence.

In the aftermath of her heart transplant, 12-year-old Sunny decides to seize this second chance at life with gusto. But Sunny never could have imagined the adventures this new heart would afford her. First, there’s the reappearance of her missing biological mother, Lena, who left Sunny in the care of Lena’s friend Kate eight years earlier. But Lena exhibits little of the vigilant love that pours from Kate, and many of Sunny’s big questions about Lena remain unanswered. Then there’s the heartache lingering from Sunny’s former best friend’s betrayal. But this particular problem may be assuaged by the arrival of Quinn, a bright girl who cheerfully signs on as Sunny’s new BFF. 

This leads to the third big issue in Sunny’s life: kissing. Sunny is keen to have her first kiss. The problem is, she doesn’t like any of the boys she knows. When she dreams of that first kiss, Sunny dreams of kissing a girl.

Sunny is deeply reflective on the pain of parental abandonment and the taboo surrounding same-sex attraction, and she expresses her thoughts through song lyrics that she scatters about town. Her journey of self-discovery is authentic, peppered with fear and daring, mistakes and triumphs. This is a lovely novel for young readers who are exploring their own sexual orientations, as it honestly examines both the social risks and the happy potential for self-acceptance and romance. 

In The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James, author Ashley Herring Blake (Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World  ) once again sensitively explores the intense emotions of adolescence.

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Twelve-year-old Nisha and her twin, Amil, know little about their mother, who died while giving birth. But Nisha yearns for her nonetheless, and at night, Nisha pours her feelings into her diary entries, which are written as letters to her mother. At first, she writes of daily events such as Amil’s etchings and their father’s long days working as a doctor. But it’s 1947, and India has just won its independence from Britain, and soon Nisha’s life will change in ways she never could have imagined.

India is about to be partitioned into two countries based on religion. India will be for Hindus, while Muslims will live in the new country known as Pakistan. Nisha’s home will be part of Pakistan, and because her father is Hindu, their small family must travel cross-country to India by foot. The toll of the arduous journey is most eloquently expressed through Amil’s physical deterioration rather than an impersonal accounting of miles and terrain, and this process is particularly wrenching for Nisha as her mother was Muslim. Nisha is by nature quiet and reflective, and her diary reveals her deep emotional attunement to her family.

Overall, the important historical and political events that drive The Night Diary are believably muted through the lens of a girl with little exposure to the larger world, making this uniquely personal story similar to other portrayals of young refugees such as Andrea Davis Pinkney’s The Red Pencil.

Overall, the important historical and political events that drive The Night Diary are believably muted through the lens of a girl with little exposure to the larger world, making this uniquely personal story similar to other portrayals of young refugees such as Andrea Davis Pinkney’s The Red Pencil.

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When Emily’s sister Holly died, she was buried with her beloved teddy bear, Bluey. Emily had entertained Holly throughout her short life with wonderful imaginings of Bluey’s adventures set in the fantasy world of Smockeroon. All of the stories about Bluey now seem lost to Emily—until the night something fantastic happens.

Emily discovers talking stuffed animals in Holly’s empty room and learns that they had once belonged to the son of Emily’s neighbor, a teen who died many years earlier. The toys speak of their world—the same world as Emily’s own imagined Smockeroon!—and describe it as a place where abandoned toys live and play with their deceased human owners. After hearing this, Emily becomes obsessed with the idea of connecting with Bluey in Smockeroon. She hopes that Bluey can connect her to Holly once again.

Emily’s interactions with the toys are charmingly portrayed. Even though 11-year-old Emily has just begun secondary school and is a bit old for toys, she is still child enough to thrill at their animated existence. British author Kate Saunders realistically portrays the arc of grief—from Emily’s initial unbearable longing to her reckless pursuit of Bluey—until she is finally willing to let the toys go. In an afterword, Saunders recounts the loss of her own son and the process of resurrecting his old toys through this novel. The Land of Neverendings is a sweet, funny story that will appeal to readers poised on the brink of separation from childhood toys, as well as those journeying through the grief process.

When Emily’s sister Holly died, she was buried with her beloved teddy bear, Bluey. Emily had entertained Holly throughout her short life with wonderful imaginings of Bluey’s adventures set in the fantasy world of Smockeroon. All of the stories about Bluey now seem lost to Emily, until the night something fantastic happens.

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When a girl is left on the steps of the Mostly Silent Monastery in Washington, D.C., wearing a shirt adorned with a picture of a bicycle, the practical Sister Wanda names her Bicycle.

Living with Sister Wanda and the mostly silent monks, 12-year-old Bicycle has found a contented existence, which reaches near perfection when she rescues a battered bicycle, lovingly dubs it Clunk and spends every spare moment cycling around town. Sister Wanda, worried that Bicycle has no friends, arranges for her to attend a friendship camp. Dismayed, Bicycle plots out a cross-country route to San Francisco to see her cycling idol, Zbig Sienkiewicz, and slips away on trusty Clunk.

Bicycle’s subsequent adventures have a modern fairy-tale charm. She and Clunk encounter a succession of quirky yet good-hearted characters, such as Griffin, a Civil War-era ghost, and the chef Marie Petitchou. Each chapter captures a snapshot of Americana: Bicycle leads a horse to the finish line at the Kentucky Derby, is mowed down by pigs on parade in Missouri and crosses the Continental Divide. Readers willing to suspend disbelief and roll with the silliness are rewarded with an enriched understanding of America’s vast landscapes and more than a couple easy-to-digest life lessons.

 

This article was originally published in the June 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

When a girl is left on the steps of the Mostly Silent Monastery in Washington, D.C., wearing a shirt adorned with a picture of a bicycle, the practical Sister Wanda names her Bicycle.

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Brodie is a very good dog. He loves his boy wholeheartedly and will defend him with his life. That’s actually exactly how Brodie suddenly finds himself in a dog’s version of heaven, a place with wide expanses of grass for endless running, rolling and playing with other happy dogs. This is a transitional world, the place where dogs chill after they have died in our world and before they are ready to go to the Forever place. But something’s not right here for Brodie. He’s not interested in moving on to Forever. He wants to go back to his boy.

Author Dan Gemeinhart vividly captures the physical sensations of a dog’s existence. Brody senses before he thinks; his narrative flows in visceral waves of experience. These sensory pleasures are no match for the emotional sturdiness of Brodie’s good heart. Although he has no memory of his own death, he knows that he left his boy in a dangerous situation. Despite being warned that Brodie could lose his soul forever if he returns to our earthly world, Brodie takes the plunge—accompanied by an affable pit bull and appropriately snarky cat—and discovers that there are new dangers he must face while navigating the world in a ghost body. Other ghostly, yet evil animals are eager to devour their fresh souls. And Brodie has only pieces of memory to lead him back to his boy. In the end, this story is a beautifully rendered homage to the bond between lonely children and their devoted pets.

Brodie is a very good dog. He loves his boy wholeheartedly and will defend him with his life. That’s actually exactly how Brodie suddenly finds himself in a dog’s version of heaven, a place with wide expanses of grass for endless running, rolling and playing with other happy dogs. This is a transitional world, the place where dogs chill after they have died in our world and before they are ready to go to the Forever place. But something’s not right here for Brodie. He’s not interested in moving on to Forever. He wants to go back to his boy.

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In Stanley Will Probably Be Fine, the new novel by Sally J. Pla, Stanley is fine, as long as he’s nestled in the reassuring quiet of his room with a stack of comics. Alas, he’s forced to leave his cocoon for the chaos of middle school, where his best friend, Joon, is distancing himself in favor of more adventurous friends. School is often too much sensory stimulation for Stanley, leading to humiliating breakdowns.

Then Stanley and Joon learn of a Trivia Quest to be held in downtown San Diego. Participants solve a series of clues using their comics expertise, and the winners earn VIP passes to Comics Fest, a dream come true for Stanley and Joon. Stanley, with his encyclopedic knowledge of comics, should be an ace partner—but only if he can brave the noise and crowds of the downtown scene.

Stanley is an engaging narrator, ruefully aware of the ways his personal challenges thwart his successful navigation of middle school. The Trivia Quest allows him to make tentative steps toward adapting, even as he would desperately love to hide in his room. Stanley’s friendship with a homeschooled girl, who is dealing with her own poignant circumstances, allows him to develop a kinship with another outlier.

Comics fans and young readers who experience the world more intensely than their peers will love this one.

 

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.

This article was originally published in the February 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

In Stanley Will Probably Be Fine, the new novel by Sally J. Pla, Stanley is fine, as long as he’s nestled in the reassuring quiet of his room with a stack of comics. Alas, he’s forced to leave his cocoon for the chaos of middle school, where his best friend, Joon, is distancing himself in favor of more adventurous friends. School is often too much sensory stimulation for Stanley, leading to humiliating breakdowns.

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BookPage Teen Top Pick, February 2018

Only Tareq, his little sister and his father are left after a bomb destroys their home and kills the rest of their close-knit family. In the wake of this unbearable loss, the three plan to leave Syria for the dream of asylum in Europe. The journey is terrible from the start, with desperate refugees packing into overcrowded camps in unsympathetic cities. From Turkey, Tareq decides their best chance is to cross the Aegean Sea, which requires giving all their money to unscrupulous smugglers. This arrangement, along with the dangers of the sea and hostile attacks by the Turkish Coast Guard, is enough to drain Tareq of his humanity. But when his family arrives in Greece, he makes the fortuitous acquaintance of an American volunteer, who encourages him with words from Mr. Rogers: “Look for the helpers.”

Destiny acts as the omniscient narrator of A Land of Permanent Goodbyes, granting insight into the hearts of the characters and a broader overview of the refugee experience. As author Atia Abawi artfully illustrates, refugees are created by circumstances that can happen anywhere. A perfect companion novel to Alan Gratz’s Refugee, this humanizing, often harrowing and sometimes transcendent novel fosters compassion and understanding.

 

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.

This article was originally published in the February 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Only Tareq, his little sister and his father are left after a bomb destroys their home and kills the rest of their close-knit family. In the wake of this unbearable loss, the three plan to leave Syria for the dream of asylum in Europe.

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Pronouns are confusing for Martin. So when the narrative of Hilary Reyl’s debut, Kids Like Us, begins in the second person, the reader immediately experiences some of the same disorientation that plagues Martin daily. As a teen with autism, Martin is deeply connected with his inner world. He’s currently attending a summer school while his mother directs a movie in the French countryside. Martin speaks French fluently—in part because his father is French, and also because Martin is obsessed with Marcel Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time. This fixation leads Martin to imbue his life in France with an exhilarating level of meaning. At school, Martin believes that he has met his own Gilberte, and gradually Martin develops a genuine relationship with the girl despite her neurotypical limitations.

Martin’s voice is original and completely immersive. Living in France intensifies his affinity for Proust, as everything—the madeleines, the hawthorn bushes, the French language itself—is laden with importance. It is here, far removed from the routine of his life back in Los Angeles, that he makes tremendous strides in recognizing the distinction between his internal absorption and the independent emotional experiences of the people around him. Reyl makes it clear that Martin’s motivation for change is his own quest for broader emotional understanding rather than a need to “fix” his autism.

Kids Like Us is a beautiful and insightful debut novel that’s reminiscent of the work of Francisco X. Stork.

 

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.

Pronouns are confusing for Martin. So when the narrative of Hilary Reyl’s debut, Kids Like Us, begins in the second person, the reader immediately experiences some of the same disorientation that plagues Martin daily.

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The timing could hardly be better. Readers looking for more Wonder Woman lore after the blockbuster summer movie will welcome Leigh Bardugo’s imaginative and witty interpretation.

In this coming-of-age novel, teenage Diana lives on the island of Themyscira, which is populated only by female Amazons. She is the daughter of Hippolyta, who created Diana from a clay pot. Diana is painfully aware that every other Amazon earned a place on the island through a noble mortal death and feels compelled to prove herself worthy. Her chance comes when she rescues a lone survivor from a ship explosion, a mixed-race teenage mortal named Alia Keralis.

Through an oracle, Diana discovers that Alia is a Warbringer, a descendent of Helen of Troy who is destined to bring absolute destruction. The only way to divert this tragedy is for Alia to bathe in “the spring where Helen rests” within the next two weeks. Diana accepts the quest. Alia, on the other hand, is wary of Diana’s formidable appearance and outlandish proposal. They arrive in New York, where Diana’s supermodel appearance, Amazonian strength and incongruous naivete form the basis for much of the 21st-century humor. Alia and Diana forge a bond of sisterhood that is tested as the two of them, along with Alia’s brother and her friends, make their way to Greece to locate Helen’s spring.

Fans of Bardugo’s Grisha series will be delighted with the action and romance in this story. Wonder Woman: Warbringer is the first novel in the highly anticipated DC Icons Series, which features popular superhero stories retold by bestselling authors.   

 

Diane Colson is a media specialist at a middle school in Gainesville, Florida.

The timing could hardly be better. Readers looking for more Wonder Woman lore after the blockbuster summer movie will welcome Leigh Bardugo’s imaginative and witty interpretation.
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In this companion to her 2009 novel, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, Kate Messner satisfyingly reaffirms her ability to hone in on the concerns of young readers.

Kirby Zigonski Jr. goes by Zig, just like his dad once did. Zig Senior is something of a high roller, and it’s always lots of fun when he’s around. Problem is, he hasn’t been around for over a year. Zig buries his disappointment in a preoccupation with electronics and strong friendships with two girl pals. But Zig’s foreboding that something is wrong proves accurate.

When Zig and his mom are evicted from their apartment, Zig discovers it’s because child support hasn’t been coming for several months. Even when they end up in a homeless shelter, Zig’s mom still isn’t talking about his father’s conspicuous absence, leaving Zig to become obsessed with discovering his whereabouts. This obsession manifests in a conviction that Zig Senior is behind numerous geocaches in the area, and Zig searches these out recklessly.

The characters here are believable, particularly as they are solidly portrayed through the lens of Zig’s middle school-aged sensibilities. Zig’s attempts to hide the shame of his family’s homelessness are realistically poignant. While readers may wonder why Zig’s mother chooses to keep the truth of Zig’s father a secret, it does permit Zig to imagine hopeful explanations, something with which many young readers will identify.

 

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.

In this companion to her 2009 novel, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, Kate Messner satisfyingly reaffirms her ability to hone in on the concerns of young readers.

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Dee Moreno’s way out from the confines of her miserable home life is a full academic scholarship to a prestigious Portland boarding school. When the scholarship funds are cut, Dee gets desperate enough to cut a deal with a demon. Or, daemon, as he prefers to be called. The general terms are one wish fulfilled in exchange for one body part, which, in Dee’s case, turns out to be her heart.

Actually, the agreement is a lease on her heart, to be returned after two years of service to the daemon. Thus Dee becomes the fourth member of the Deamon’s Portland Troop of Heartless, already comprised of no-nonsense Cora, physics genius Cal and James, a scruffily cute artist. Dee is quickly introduced to the drill: The deamon summons the heartless to enter “voids,” where their mission is to set off explosives and then race for the exit before the void implodes. Ironically, now that Dee is officially heartless, she begins having romantic feelings for James, who is patient and sweet with her reticence.

Emily Lloyd-Jones conjures a just-right balance of creepiness and pathos in her imaginative construct of demons and their interactions with human beings. The depiction of Dee’s family life could use more substance so that readers are able to empathize with her drastic decision. The characters, while diverse in terms of ethnicity and sexual orientation, are functional rather than fully developed. But readers looking for an interesting paranormal twist will enjoy this inventive story.

 

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.

Dee Moreno’s way out from the confines of her miserable home life is a full academic scholarship to a prestigious Portland boarding school. When the scholarship funds are cut, Dee gets desperate enough to cut a deal with a demon. Or, daemon, as he prefers to be called. The general terms are one wish fulfilled in exchange for one body part, which, in Dee’s case, turns out to be her heart.
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As the second volume in Kiersten White’s And I Darken series (a retelling of the Vlad the Impaler legend) begins, the ferocious Lada has fled the Ottoman Court with a band of warriors, determined to fulfill her destiny and secure the throne of Wallachia. Left behind is her brother, Radu, who is still yearning for the attentions of Sultan Mehmed, despite Mehmed’s unabated lust for Lada.

As part of his scheme to expand his empire, Mehmed sends Radu to Constantinople to gather intelligence for a planned invasion. Radu and his wife, Nazira—who has left behind her own same-sex lover—are thrust into a dangerous game of intrigue in the court of Constantine. Meanwhile, Lada’s bloodthirsty drive for power is tempered by unexpected affection for an ally. Nevertheless, she remains true to her dragon nature, outmatching her opponents through a merciless combination of cunning and brutality.

White skillfully interweaves the cultural and political norms of 15th-century Eastern Europe with contemporary empathy by switching up gender roles and maintaining a smoldering undercurrent of romantic tension.

The storylines of Lada and Radu do not directly intersect in this middle volume, which allows readers to bond with each sibling and their respective entourages. This installment is highly recommended for both teens and adults interested in alternative histories flush with imaginative twists.

 

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our Q&A with Kiersten White for Now I Rise.

This article was originally published in the July 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

As the second volume in Kiersten White’s And I Darken series (a retelling of the Vlad the Impaler legend) begins, the ferocious Lada has fled the Ottoman Court with a band of warriors, determined to fulfill her destiny and secure the throne of Wallachia. Left behind is her brother, Radu, who is still yearning for the attentions of Sultan Mehmed, despite Mehmed’s unabated lust for Lada.

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