ICEBERG by Jennifer A. Nielsen -- an exciting adventure with a 12-year-old aspiring journalist

 

Why this book?

The story of the Titantic is always intriguing. I was drawn to the idea of a stowaway aboard the ship--and what an interesting character she turned out to be! Hazel’s dream of being a journalist was a great way to bring in bits of the history of what happened to the Titantic. There was also a storyline of Hazel collecting information to solve a mystery about some swindlers she came across on board. The friends Hazel makes give us different perspectives on life at the time of the Titantic. From a writer’s perspective, I think this would be a great read for anyone writing historical fiction. It’s a wonderful example of how to incorporate history into a compelling story!  

Connections: mysteries, the Titantic, journalism, adventure, icebergs

Activity Ideas:

Literacy: What are some of the clues Hazel collected about what was going to happen to the Titantic?

Discussion: Consider Mrs. Abelman’s statement: “We must live the best we can until we gracefully accept our fate.” Do you think Hazel had any regrets about any of her actions on the Titantic? Was there something she could have done differently?

STEM: Look up Morse Code and try to write a coded message to a friend. Tap it out and see if your friend can decode your message.

STEAM: Create a piece of art using a collage technique that contains a coded message.

STEM: Make a list of the things Hazel learned about icebergs. Write three question you have about icebergs. Do some research to see if you can find out the answers. Or research the question: What are some ways ships can avoid or be protected from colliding with icebergs?

Additional Resources: 

Also by Jennifer A. Nielsen and still one of my favourites is The False Prince (click here for my thoughts)

 Description from the publisher:   

Hazel Rothbury is traveling all alone from her home in England aboard the celebrated ship Titanic. Following the untimely death of her father, Hazel's mother is sending her to the US to work in a factory, so that she might send money back home to help her family make ends meet.

But Hazel harbors a secret dream: She wants to be a journalist, and she just knows that if she can write and sell a story about the Titanic's maiden voyage, she could earn enough money to support her family and not have to go to a sweatshop. When Hazel discovers that mother didn't send her with enough money for a ticket, she decides she must stow away onboard the storied ship.

With the help of a porter named Charlie and a sweet first-class passenger named Sylvia, Hazel explores the opulent ship in secret, but a haunting mystery quickly finds her. The danger only intensifies when calamity strikes, and readers will be caught up in the terror and suspense alongside Hazel as she fights to save her friends and herself.

 

Iceberg, written by Jennifer A. Nielsen was published by Scholastic Press in 2023.

 

 

To find more middle grade books to read, check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, organized by Greg Pattridge over at his blog.

 

NIKKI TESLA AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE BLING by Jess Keating and Lissy Marlin

Why this book?

It’s funny, it’s a mystery and it’s packed with action! I also love the way the main character Nikki relies on her friends to help her and how they all have their own special skills—and messy real life problems. Nikki has an interesting and temperamental pet ferret to add to the mix.

Connections: science, mysteries, friendships, STEM

Activity Ideas:

Literacy – Do some research to find out more about the real-life scientists that inspired the characters in book, such as Nikola Tesla, Charles Darwin and Michael Faraday. Create a poster or a short video to tell your friends more about them.

STEM: If you could invent anything, what would you invent? Draw a design for invention. Have one of your friends look at your design and ask questions about it. Do you need to revise your design? What materials would you need to build it?

Literacy/STEM: – If you found a ring with unknown powers, what tests would you try to figure out it’s capabilities?

Art: Imagine you’ve been shrunken to the size of a ferret or other small pet. What would you see? Create a piece of art to show what your classroom or room would look like from a tiny animal’s perspective.

Watch this video by Jess Keating to learn more about the books and the science behind them:

Find out more about this book by visiting the publisher’s webpage HERE.

Find out more about illustrator Lissy Marlin by visiting her webpage here.

Additional Resources:

Check out the other books in this series:

Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray (Elements of Genius #1)

Nikki Tesla and theTraitors of the Lost Spark (Elements of Genius #3)

 

Description from the publisher:   

"For a group of geniuses who are supposed to help people, we do an awful lot of stealing."

Nikki Tesla and the rest of the Genius Academy team have agreed to pilfer a completely priceless, totally lethal high-tech ring. Why? Because a mad scientist on a power trip plans to use it to do some serious damage. And because the very same mad scientist has kidnapped Mary Shelley. Mess with one genius, and you mess with them all.

But mostly they're planning the heist of the century so Nikki can get to know her long-lost father who claims he isn't the criminal mastermind she believes him to be. After all, if a little international thievery can protect the world from evil, it just might save Nikki's family.

Nikki Tesla and the Fellowship of the Bling (Elements of Genuis #2), written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Lissy Marlin was published by Scholastic Press in 2020.

 

To find more middle grade books to read, check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, organized by Greg Pattridge over at his blog.

 

ALICE FLECK’S RECIPES FOR DISASTER by Rachelle Delaney - a cooking-related middle grade mystery with lots of surprises

Why this book?

I’m a big fan of books that involve kids cooking and especially books with cooking competitions! I was hooked right from the beginning, since Alice didn’t want to be part of a Victorian-themed cooking show (what would her friends think?) Even worse, she was entered in this contest by her dad’s new girlfriend Hana, without being asked first. Lucky for us readers, Alice agrees to participate and we get to read about Alice and her historian dad working together to bake in the contest. There are even more plot twists when her favourite "Culinary Chronicles" cooking show is renamed "Culinary Combat" with a whole new approach. And then it becomes clear that someone is sabotaging the contestants! Alice meets some sweet new friends and they work together to solve the mystery of the saboteur, while she comes to terms with her dad’s new relationship, and discovers how to be herself.  

Jacket Art: Morgan Goble

Connections: reality shows, mysteries, cooking, friendships

Activity Ideas:

Literacy – Create your own “mystery” by choosing a popular recipe and inventing clues to reveal 4 or 5 of the ingredients. Can your friends guess your recipe?

Literacy/Drama – Design and film a commercial for “Culinary Combat” or another reality show you think would be interesting.

Art: Use your imagination and art materials to create your own version of “Peacock Pie.”

 

A bookformercial for the book by Tundra Books: 

 

Additional Resources:

Rachelle Delaney, the author, has lots of resources with her research materials on her website HERE.

A book club discussion guide from Kawartha Lakes Library can be found here.

Other cooking-related books students might enjoy:

The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz 

Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway

All Four Stars by Tara Dairman

Eliza Bing is (Not) a Big, Fat Quitter by Carmella Van Vleet

Description from the publisher:   

Alice Fleck's father is a culinary historian, and for as long as she can remember, she's been helping him recreate meals from the past — a hobby she prefers to keep secret from kids her age. But when her father's new girlfriend enters them into a cooking competition at a Victorian festival, Alice finds herself and her hobby thrust into the spotlight.
     And that's just the first of many surprises awaiting her. On arriving at the festival, Alice learns that she and her father are actually contestants on Culinary Combat, a new reality TV show hosted by Tom Truffleman, the most famous and fierce judge on TV! And to make matters worse, she begins to suspect that someone is at work behind the scenes, sabotaging the competition.
     It's up to Alice, with the help of a few new friends, to find the saboteur before the entire competition is ruined, all the while tackling some of the hardest cooking challenges of her life . . . for the whole world to see.

Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney was published by Tundra Books/Puffin Canada in 2021. Visit the publisher’s page to listen to an audio clip of the e-book version here.

 

To find more middle grade books to read, check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, organized by Greg Pattridge over at his blog.

HUMMINGBIRD by Natalie Lloyd – a story about magical wishes, friendship and hummingbirds

Happy February! I've had to take a bit of a blogging break, due to the demands of my teaching job, but I'm so excited to be getting back to doing more reading. Winter is such a great time to cozy up with a good book! 

Why this book?

I was excited to read this story, because I enjoy reading stories where characters need to cope with medical or physical challenges. It was interesting to learn about Olive’s bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta. I especially loved how Olive didn’t let her disability hold her back! Olive uses yoga breaths to help herself stay calm, which is a strategy I think many kids are learning to use as well.

Magical realism stories are so much fun, since the magical elements of the story—in this case a special wish--are embedded in everyday life. It was fun having Olive take us on the adventure of trying to solve the mystery of where to find the magical hummingbird, and I loved how Olive’s thoughts about what she wanted changed as she went along. For anyone who loves language, the little poems included at different places in the story are an added element to bring delight. I appreciated the author’s note at the end of the story and her word, “If there’s anything that birds—even teeny, little hummingbirds—can teach us, it’s that fragile creatures still get to fly.”

Connections: physical disabilities, school plays, friendship, magical wishes, yoga breathing, poetry, Emily Dickinson

Activity Ideas:

Social-Emotional Learning – Have a class discussion about strategies students might use to help themselves feel calm. Make a list of different strategies and experiment by trying different ones every day during a brief mindfulness period.

Literacy – Encourage students to make a list of words related to an event they have experienced, such as a dance, a hockey game, or being on stage. Once they have a list, they can try to create poetic sentences to capture the feelings they had when they experienced the event.

Literacy – Try this writing prompt: If you won a magical wish, what would you wish for? What might happen if you wish came true?

Watch the trailer: 

Author Natalie Lloyd reads Chapter 1:

Additional Resources:

Investigate hummingbirds with Audubon Adventures

Ideas for poetry lessons:  40 Inspiring Poetry Games and Activities for Kids and Teens by Jull Staake at WeAreTeachers.com

Description from the publisher:   

Twelve-year-old homeschooled Olive is tired of being seen as “fragile” just because she has osteogenesis imperfecta (otherwise known as brittle bone disease) so she’s thrilled when she finally convinces her parents to let her attend Macklemore Elementary. Olive can’t wait to go to a traditional school and make the friends she’s always longed for, until a disastrous first day dashes her hopes of ever fitting in.

Then Olive hears whispers about a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives near Macklemore. It’ll be the solution to all her problems! If she can find the bird and prove herself worthy, the creature will make her most desperate, secret wish come true.

When it becomes clear that she can’t solve the mystery on her own, Olive teams up with some unlikely allies who help her learn the truth about the bird. And on the way, she just might learn that our fragile places lead us to the most wonderful magic of all.

Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd was published by Scholastic Press in 2022. Visit the publisher's page here.

To find more middle grade books to read, check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, organized by Greg Pattridge over at his blog.

LIKE A DUCK by Deborah Kerbel

Why this book?

There were so many things to love about this book! Sarah, the main character lives with her mom and her duck, Webster, who is a registered therapy animal that helps Sarah when she feels stressed and anxious. Sarah has many worries, including how she’ll get through the unusual cooking camp her mom signed her up for as well as why her dad left when she was little.

I was really interested in the cooking camp—and a bit surprised to find it wasn’t quite what I expected. This book is about building relationships, coping with stressful situations and solving the mystery of what happens to Webster when he goes missing. 

 

Connections: family, friendship, anxiety, therapy animals, cooking

 

Activities for students:

Social Emotional Learning – Discuss different strategies for coping with stressful situations. Encourage students to write their ideas on cards to put in a basket in a “calming centre” where they can try each other’s ideas.

Literacy – A great activity could be for students to each make a list of 7 things people should know about their pet or about them. Posting them anonymously could make for a fun guessing game about who’s who.

Personal Journal – Reflect on times when you were forced to participate in something you didn’t want to do. What did you do? Is there something you could have done differently?

Reasoning Skills: List the pros and cons of having a duck for a pet.

Literacy & Problem-Solving: Brainstorm a list of ideas for what Webster might be doing while Sarah is searching for him. Provide materials for students to create a board game to show where Webster the duck might have gone.

More resources:

Discussion and Activity Guide from Scholastic

Description from the publisher:

For almost as long as she can remember, it’s been Sarah, her mom and her steadfast duck, Webster. Ten years ago, Sarah’s dad mysteriously left, and it feels more important than ever for her to find out why. But that is going to be harder than she expected.

When Sarah’s birthday plans get cancelled, she is sent to a camp where she doesn’t want to be. It couldn’t get any worse. And then it does. Will Sarah have to say another painful goodbye?

In a story about love, loss, unexpected friendship and finding out who you are, Like a Duck reminds us that family is what you make it . . . and sometimes what feels broken is actually imperfectly perfect.

 

Like a Duck by Deborah Kebel was published by Scholastic Canada.

You can also find more middle grade book selections at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, a blog review feature compiled by Greg Pattridge, listing middle grade books with contributions by enthusiastic middle grade book readers and book bloggers.

HAVEN JACOBS SAVES THE PLANET by Barbara Dee – a story about climate and eco-anxiety

Why this book?

I was interested in reading this story because of my own growing awareness about the impact we are having on our climate and environment. The anxiety that the main character, Haven, feels is something more and more people are becoming aware of and maybe are even experiencing. 

While this story might be seem a little intense for children already grappling with anxiety, it may also be helpful to show that they are not alone in their anxious feelings and behaviours. I’m really glad that this story showed me a window into the feelings that Haven was experiencing as well as showing her getting counseling help.

I really enjoy the realism of Barbara Dee's characters. Haven wasn’t a perfect student and I appreciated how she had an understanding teacher to encourage her to complete her work. Haven’s river project gave her a chance to use problem-solving skills, collect data and speak out about something important to her. I loved the message that small steps are important in bringing about change.

Connections: eco-anxiety, climate, environment, data collection

Activities for students:

Social-Emotional Learning – A lot of times we can feel anxious about things happening that are beyond are control. Encourage students to regularly practice mindfulness or calming strategies such as one of the many techniques in the book, Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey (Rodale Kids, 2017).

Literacy – After reading, students could discuss the climate problem and solutions Haven tried, or represent the information in a graphic organizer. 

Literacy & Art—Design a poster Haven might have created to advertise her project.

Math/Science—Explore a climate related issue such as pollution by considering trash around your school yard. For example, collect data to monitor the amount of trash collected weekly in your school yard. How could you increase awareness of the issue?

 

Description from the publisher: 

Twelve-year-old Haven Jacobs can’t stop thinking about the climate crisis. In fact, her anxiety about the state of the planet is starting to interfere with her schoolwork, her friendships, even her sleep. She can’t stop wondering why grownups aren’t even trying to solve the earth’s problem—and if there’s anything meaningful that she, as a seventh grader, can contribute.

When Haven’s social studies teacher urges her to find a specific, manageable way to make a difference to the planet, Haven focuses on the annual science class project at the local Belmont River, where her class will take samples of the water to analyze. Students have been doing the project for years, and her older brother tells her that his favorite part was studying and catching frogs.

But when Haven and her classmates get to the river, there’s no sign of frogs or other wildlife—but there is ample evidence of pollution. The only thing that’s changed by the river is the opening of Gemba, the new factory where Haven’s dad works. It doesn’t take much investigation before Haven is convinced Gemba is behind the slow pollution of the river.

She’s determined to expose Gemba and force them to clean up their act. But when it becomes clear taking action might put her dad’s job—and some friendships—in jeopardy, Haven must decide how far she’s willing to go.

Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee was published by Simon & Schuster in 2022.

SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS by Joanne Levy - a middle grade novel about being friends and not friends through times of grief and loss

Why this book?

In this story, Evie, a girl who says she doesn’t want any friends, develops a friendship with Oren, a boy whose parents were killed in car accident. Evie’s family owns a funeral home and she helps Oren explore some of his questions about dying. There are few sad moments, but funny ones too. I loved so many things about this book – I learned, I laughed, I cried and I wanted to read it again.

I especially loved the way this shows how kids can work through and learn to accept sad things in life with the help of friends. If you enjoy this book, also read Joanne Levy’s other recent book, The Sun Will Come Out. It’s another wonderful read!

Connections: family, friendship, death, funerals, Jewish traditions, paper quilling,

Activities:

Literacy & Sharing Experiences – Put up a large paper/bulletin board where students can add their thoughts and questions that arise from reading. Invite classmates to post answers from their experiences or research.

Literacy – Create an advice column! Make up three questions/issues that friends might have problems with. Write answers or swap with a friend so they can try to give helpful advice to solve the problems.

Personal Journal – Reflect on times when you were and were not a good friend. When thinking about times where you were not a good friend, think about what you might have done differently. Where might you need help from others to solve a friendship problem?

STEAM - Research paper quilling. Try to create an art project using the technique of paper quilling. Could you create a different cover for the novel?

Resources:

Discussion and Activity Guide 

Q & A with the author from the Orca Books blog

Lessons and activities about friendship from Teacher Planet

The Most Common Friendship Issues in the Classroom – We Are Teachers. Com

 

If students are experiencing grief or loss:

This website helps educators recognize grief and suggests ways to help support grieving children, including children who have experienced COVID-related loss

Children and grief resources from Scholastic

Resources from Winston’s Wish

Description from the publisher:

Evie Walman is not obsessed with death. She does think about it a lot, though, but only because her family runs a Jewish funeral home. At twelve, Evie already knows she’s going to be a funeral director when she grows up. So what if the kids at school call her “corpse girl” and say she smells like death? They’re just mean and don’t get how important it is to have someone take care of things when your world is falling apart.

 Evie loves dusting caskets, polishing pews, and vacuuming the chapel—and on funeral days, she dresses up and hands out tissues and offers her condolences to mourners. She doesn’t normally help her parents with the grieving families directly, until one day when they ask her to help with Oren, a boy who was in a horrific car accident that killed both his parents. Oren refuses to speak and Evie, who is nursing her own private grief, is determined to find a way to help him deal with his loss.

Sorry for Your Loss by Joanne Levy was published by Orca Books in 2021.

RED, WHITE AND WHOLE by Rajani LaRocca

 

Why read this book? 

The way the words are put together in this verse novel is so beautiful! If you like stories that make you feel a lot of emotion (and maybe learn a few things along the way), you’d enjoy this one. The main character in this story feels torn between the different sides of her life, and it made me think of different people in my own life who have moved from far away places to live in a completely different cultural environment. 

The emotions and challenges Reha faced when her mother developed cancer made me sad at times and I even cried, remembering my own mom. The words: “I have one life. That’s all any of us gets” especially resonated with me. I also enjoyed all the 80’s references, especially to the show Family Ties, which I watched when I was a kid.

Because this is a verse novel, reading the words goes fairly quickly (especially when you don’t want to put it down!). But I found this novel also encouraged me to think and reflect as I was reading. This is a book I’d definitely read again. In fact, I wanted to read it again right after I finished it!

Additional Resources: 

Visit Rajani LaRocca at her website and find a link to the novel's playlist

As a Book of the Month selection for the Anti-Defamation League, you can find their wonderful resource with activities related to the book themes, key words, discussion questions and extension activities.  For example, a literacy activity to choose one of the main characters in the book and create diary entries showing the character’s perspective. They also provide resources such as 6 Ways to Be an Ally 

Check out this interesting interview with Rajani LaRocca over at Reading Middle Grade.  https://readingmiddlegrade.com/rajani-larocca-red-white-whole-interview/

Colby Sharp has a wonderful conversation with Rajana LaRocca where she talks about how her personal experiences inspired her novel, how she got interested in writing and what she hopes for her novel.

Summary from the publisher:

Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays. But Reha’s parents don’t understand why she’s conflicted—they only notice when Reha doesn’t meet their strict expectations. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma. Although their names are linked—Reha means “star” and Punam means “moon”—they are a universe apart.

Then Reha finds out that her Amma is sick. Really sick.

Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though she can’t stomach the sight of blood, is determined to make her Amma well again. She’ll be the perfect daughter, if it means saving her Amma’s life.

Red, White and Whole by Rajani LaRocca was published by Quill Tree Books in 2021.

For more wonderful middle grade books, check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday over at Greg Pattridge's blog.