Jennifer Bruer Kitchel

Christina Baker Kline’s adapts her bestselling Orphan Train for young readers with Orphan Train Girl. The main difference between the two versions, other than length, is the protagonist’s age: In the adult version, she’s an older teenager; in the new version, she’s in middle school.

Molly Ayers is a preteen struggling to fit into her latest foster home, and after stealing a book from the library, she must do 20 hours of community service. Molly’s assignment is to help Vivian Daly, who is nearing 100 years old, clean out her attic. Molly is sure that this old lady will not approve of her, but Vivian turns out to have more in common with Molly than she thought.

Kline reveals their often-parallel stories in alternating chapters. Molly’s are set in the current day and reveals her life as a half-Penobscot Native American finding her way without a tribe to guide her. Vivian’s story flashes back to her arrival in New York with her Irish family and follows her on her journey after she is orphaned by a fire. As Molly learns about Vivian’s story, she begins to find peace in her own situation.

Kline’s prose is fluid and draws readers into the characters, and each chapter’s cliffhanger ending keeps the pages turning. Part coming-of-age novel, part historical fiction, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers.

Jennifer Bruer Kitchel is the librarian for a Pre-K through eighth-level Catholic school.

These days, when discussing the subject of World War II in middle school classrooms, American teachers are sure to include the history of the Japanese internment camps in the United States and the result of the U.S. decision to use atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What might be missing is a book that examines the life of a “hibakusha”—a survivor of these bombings. With Caren Stelson’s new book, Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story, the void is more than adequately filled.

Sachiko Yasui was only 6 years old on August 9, 1945, when she lived with her family in Nagasaki. Stelson’s narrative gently takes readers through her whole life, offering exquisite little details but also keeping it simple. As a survivor, Sachiko now tours Japan giving talks on her history and her desire for peace. Stelson includes sidebars and insets that provide further history and rounds it all out with photos of the war and of Sachiko.

Wonderfully written, easy to read and highly informative, this book should be a must-have for every school library. It includes a glossary, endnotes, bibliography and index.

Jennifer Bruer Kitchel is the librarian for a Pre-K through 8th level Catholic school.

Children have a wealth of meaningful, important books from which to choose, but sometimes kids just need an insanely funny read. “Nothing too sad” is a request I have heard on many an occasion. Debut author Paul Gamble delivers on this request with The Ministry of SUITs.

Set in Northern Ireland, the story begins with Jack Pearse and his best friend, David, as their school bus is stopped by a bear in the road. Jack, always curious, gets out to see what’s going on. After fending off the bear with a wooden chair, Jack is invited by a mysterious man to join the Ministry of SUITs (Strange, Unusual, and Impossible Things). At first, Jack isn’t so sure about joining, but when a suspicious “supporter” of his school starts installing thick carpets on the floors and providing new uniforms that are exactly like their old ones, Jack figures it might be time to investigate.

Gamble packs in all the weird things you can think of: dinosaurs, pirates, dimensional time shifting and even Cthulhu. Oddball footnotes and excerpts from the Ministry handbook add to the overall inanity, making this the perfect laugh-out-loud read.

Jennifer Bruer Kitchel is the librarian for a Pre-K through 8th level Catholic school.

This article was originally published in the August 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Lisa Graff’s National Book Award nominated A Tangle of Knots was a delight, and the story continues in A Clatter of Jars. It may be surprising to readers to find that the main character is not the same, but as Graff so beautifully untied the “knots” in the earlier book, so does she bring all shards together in the new one.

It is five years after A Tangle of Knots, and the central characters are all present at Camp Atropos for Singular Talents. In this world, which is in all other respects like our own, people may be born with one unusual Talent. The abilities range from levitation of objects to being able to make the perfect cake for everyone you meet. The kids in Cabin Eight will discover that their Talents—or in some cases, their secrets—will soon be necessary to solve a mystery.

Graff’s writing is consistently excellent, and she once again deftly weaves each character’s story together until the denouement. Sometimes the reader can see where the disparate pieces will knock into each other, but sometimes not. It’s as if each character is a glass jar rattling against another until they all settle down. Graff’s prose and plot construction is as pleasing as ever, and A Clatter of Jars will appeal to a wide range of readers. 

Jennifer Bruer Kitchel is the librarian for a Pre-K through 8th level Catholic school.