STAND ON THE SKY by Erin Bow – A bird, a girl, an adventure

Thanks so much to #KickButtKidLit for the chance to win this book! I really loved the writing and the story.  Didn’t want to put it down.

Description from the publisher:

She had always heard that the eagle chooses the eagle hunter. She wanted that. She wanted her eagle to come to her. To choose her.

It goes against all tradition for Aisulu to train an eagle, for among the Kazakh nomads, only men can fly them. But everything changes when Aisulu discovers that her brother, Serik, has been concealing a bad limp that risks not just his future as the family's leader, but his life too.

When her parents leave to seek a cure for Serik in a distant hospital, Aisulu finds herself living with her intimidating uncle and strange auntie — and secretly caring for an orphaned baby eagle. To save her brother and keep her family from having to leave their nomadic life behind forever, Aisulu must earn her eagle’s trust and fight for her right to soar. Along the way, she discovers that family are people who choose each other, home is a place you build, and hope is a thing with feathers. Erin Bow’s lyrical middle grade debut is perfect for fans of original animal-friendship stories like Pax and Because of Winn Dixie.

Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2019.

Why you want to read this book:

It’s a compelling story about the growing bond between a fiercely determined girl and an equally fierce eagle. It’s also a story about a family holding together in a time of crisis. I loved learning about eagles, about the Kazakh nomads, about a different way of life. Aisulu’s determination to help train the eagle and to help her brother made me root for her to succeed.

Opening:

There was no sign of Serik’s horse.

If you’re a writer…

You’ll want to read this to study how specific details can make setting and characters feel alive. The writing in this story is so lovely! Erin Bow gives us images and experiences for all of the senses. I was  impressed to learn about all the research that went into creating this book. She spent a summer living with a Kazakh eagle hunter and his family to make sure she got all the details right. This shows how important it is to do your research!

If you’re an educator…

This book will be a wonderful addition to your collection of stories with strong female characters. Set in a country I haven't read about before, this story shows how a family gets through their troubles. And how you can find friendship anywhere--even with a fierce and beautiful bird. I really loved Aisulu's determination and willingness to take risks. 

In a land where girls are supposed to have hearts made of milk, Aisulu had a heart made of sky.

Check out another review of this book from Quill & Quire.

https://quillandquire.com/review/stand-on-the-sky/

  

If you’re looking for another great list of middle grade books to read, check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday on Greg Pattridge's blog.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday – ONE AMAZING ELEPHANT by Linda Oatman High

If you're looking for a book to help cope with feelings of sadness or grief, this might be a good choice. I like animal stories, and I really liked the chance to think about a situation from the perspective of an elephant.

Description from the publisher:

A poignant middle grade animal story from talented author Linda Oatman High that will appeal to fans of Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan. In this heartwarming novel, a girl and an elephant face the same devastating loss—and slowly realize that they share the same powerful love.

Twelve-year-old Lily Pruitt loves her grandparents, but she doesn’t love the circus—and the circus is their life. She’s perfectly happy to stay with her father, away from her neglectful mother and her grandfather’s beloved elephant, Queenie Grace.

Then Grandpa Bill dies, and both Lily and Queenie Grace are devastated. When Lily travels to Florida for the funeral, she keeps her distance from the elephant. But the two are mourning the same man—and form a bond born of loss. And when Queenie Grace faces danger, Lily must come up with a plan to help save her friend.

One Amazing Elephant was written by Linda Oatman High and published by HarperCollins in 2017.

Why you want to read this book… 

It’s a touching, emotional story of a girl making friends with an elephant and learning to love each other in the face of their fears and sadness. I didn’t expect part of the story to be told from the elephant’s perspective, and it took me a little while to get used to it, but I thought it was an interesting way to tell the story. I feel so sad for Lily, having to cope with her grandfather’s death as well as the way her mother treated her. Along with Queenie Grace, I really liked Lily’s new friend Henry Jack, who stuck by her side when she needed someone.

“Don’t worry,” says my new friend, and his voice is like a warm, fuzzy blanket thrown over me when its cold.”

If you’re a writer… 

This is an interesting book to study if you’re considering writing from the perspective of an animal. The story is told using a first person point of view in present tense, which brings a feeling of immediacy to the story events. I admired the way the author created so much emotion though the rhythm of the language.

“I run and run, tears gushing down my cheeks, through the empty and quiet trailer park, not caring what anybody thinks or says or does.”

If you’re a teacher…

There are possibilities for class discussions about animal cruelty, animal emotions and how humans care for animals would capture student interest. This book might pair nicely with The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, another story written from an animal perspective.

Opening line:

“I’m finally riding the elephant, my grandpa Bill’s circus elephant, Queenie Grace, and it feels kind of like I’m riding the universe.”

Other info:

In an interview with Kathy Temean, Linda talks about the novel:

“It is my hope that ONE AMAZING ELEPHANT not only raises awareness about the plight of elephants not as lucky as Queenie Grace, but that it helps readers to get inside an elephant’s head.”

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday – THE WOLF KEEPERS by Elise Broach

If you like animal stories, this middle grade novel is a good choice! I didn't know what to expect when I opened it, but the story and characters were so interesting I read it straight through without stopping.

 Description from the publisher:

Twelve-year-old Lizzie Durango and her dad have always had a zoo to call their home. Lizzie spends her days watching the animals and taking note of their various behaviors. Though the zoo makes for a unique home, it's a hard place for Lizzie to make lasting friends. But all this changes one afternoon when she finds Tyler Briggs, a runaway who has secretly made the zoo his makeshift home.

The two become friends and, just as quickly, stumble into a covert investigation involving the zoo wolves who are suddenly dying. Little do they know, this mystery will draw them into a high-stakes historical adventure involving the legend of John Muir as they try to navigate safely while lost in Yosemite National Park.

The Wolf Keepers was written by Elise Broach and published by Henry Holt & Company in 2016.

Why you want to read this book… 

It’s full of secrets you’ll want to know more about – Tyler’s mysterious past, the problem of what’s happening to the wolves, and the location of a lost cabin. The two main settings of the zoo and Yosemite National Park really come alive through the author's details. In addition to being a mystery and an animal story, this was also partly a wilderness survival story! Lizzie was a kind and compassionate character and there's an interesting story line of her getting to know tough-on-the-outside Tyler. The drawings by Alice Ratterree scattered through the story add to the already vivid picture from the descriptive language.

“It seemed wrong somehow to assume that animals experienced the same emotions as humans, and even more wrong to believe that animal feelings only mattered if they could be understood in human terms.”

If you’re a writer… 

There’s a lot to learn from this book about using specific details, building characters with depth and emotion, and crafting a strong plot.  

 “They could no longer hear the wolves howling, but Lizzie was sharply tuned to every strange sound carrying through the trees…the rustle of pine needles, the snapping of twigs, the occasional chirp, trill, or hoot of some night creature.”

If you’re a teacher…

This would be a great book for a class read aloud. There are interesting possibilities for discussions about animal rights and conservation (should we keep animals in zoo?) as well as social issues (Tyler’s circumstances and his own comments about himself). An author’s note explains the ties to real historical events and people, and details about her research on wolves.   

Opening line:

“A few feet away, the wolf stared at Lizzie with pale silver eyes, ears pricking forward in sharp triangles.”

Other info:

You can read the first chapter at the publisher’s website.

On her website, Elise Broach talks about how her life and writing interact: “when you’re a writer, every part of your life eventually works its way into your books, whether you intend it to or not, so there are definitely bits and pieces of real life—and real people—in all of my stories.”

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday – HOW TO SPEAK DOLPHIN

I enjoyed reading this book – it gave me a lot to think about!

Description from Scholastic:

 

Lily loves her half-brother, Adam, but she has always struggled with him, too. He's definitely on the autism spectrum — though her step-father, Don, can barely bring himself to admit it — and caring for him has forced Lily to become as much mother as sister. All Lily wants is for her step-father to acknowledge that Adam has a real issue, that they need to find some kind of program that can help him. Then maybe she can have a life of her own.

Adam's always loved dolphins, so when Don, an oncologist, hears about a young dolphin with cancer, he offers to help. He brings Lily and Adam along, and Adam and the dolphin, Nori, bond instantly.

But though Lily sees how much Adam loves Nori, she also sees that the dolphin shouldn't spend the rest of her life in captivity, away from her family. Can Adam find real help somewhere else? And can Lily help Nori regain her freedom without betraying her family?

How to Speak Dolphin was written by Ginny Rorby and published by Scholastic in 2015.

My Take:

What I liked most about this book is that the characters were all individual, portrayed with flaws and struggles, and opinions about issues such as animal rights. Lily has an autistic brother and has made friends with Zoe, who is blind and very concerned about animal rights. There was a lot to think about while reading this book – especially about how to respect others and appreciate what’s special about them inside. It also made me think about the rights of animals and how we treat them.

The family situation in this story was portrayed in realistic way. Lily and Adam’s main caregiver was a step-father, and he was struggling with the challenges of an autistic child as well as what had happened to his family. It was so nice that the parent wasn’t portrayed as perfect or always understanding but as a person with weaknesses, feelings and opinions, even if I didn’t always agree with them.

For writers, this is a good book to study if you are writing a story with many different threads and lots of emotional weight. There are some sections from the dolphin’s perspective, too.

Opening Line:

“Born in a gush of blood, the dolphin calf’s initial sense of the world is tail first into water colder than her mother’s body.”

Quotes:

“Ain’t you blind?  “I am, but that means I only see what’s important about a person, not their physical self.”

“There can’t be too much love, but it has to be the letting-go kind.”

Other Info:

After reading this book, I’d like to find some of Ginny Rorby’s other novels, which include HURT GO HAPPY (about a deaf girl and a chimpanzee that is learning to sign), LOST IN THE RIVER OF GRASS (a young adult survival story in the Everglades) and THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE (about a girl working with rescue horses whose father has PTSD after returning from the war in Iraq).

Ginny Rorby lives in northern California. Here’s what she says about her writing on her website: “I write about our relationship with animals, and the natural world, to compensate for being human. I write for young people because each generation hands off to the next the responsibility for preserving what is left over from our destructive nature.”

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied

The main character in this story has a problem that I could relate to – anxiety about public-speaking—and she also lives in a zoo! That's definitely a fun and intriguing situation. I'm delighted to have discovered this book on the shelf in my local library.

Here’s the Amazon description:

Ana Wright's social life is now officially on the endangered list: she lives in a zoo (umm, elephant droppings!?), her best friend lives on the other side of the world, and the Sneerers are making junior high miserable. All Ana wants is to fade into the background.

Yeah, that's not going to happen.

Creature File for Ana Wright:

Species Name: Anaphyta Normalis

Kingdom: The Zoo, Junior High

Phylum: Girls Whose Best Friend Just Moved To New Zealand; Girls Who Are Forced To Live In A Zoo With Their Weirdo Parents And Twin Brother

Weight: Classified

Feeds On: Daydreams about Zackardia Perfecticus and wish cupcakes

Life Span: Soon to become extinct due to social awkwardness

How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating, Sourcebooks Jaberwocky, Naperville, Illinois, 2014.

My Take:

This book manages to be funny and touching at the same time. I enjoyed the animal facts and unique perspective from Ana, whose parents have moved their family to live in a research station inside the zoo. Although some of the characters seem familiar, like the crowd of “mean girls” that bully Ana or the sweet-but-annoying twin brother, Dax, I wanted to read on to see whether Ana solves her problem. Middle grade students will relate to feelings of awkwardness and anxiety and her friendship issues.  

Writers, this is a great example of a middle grade novel with a really strong main character voice.

Opening Line:

“Don’t. Freak. Out. It was the day before my twelfth half-birthday, and I was spending it holding the business end of a crocodile.”

Quotes:

“It felt so good to escape from the rest of the world and surround myself with quiet, safe books. Books didn’t expect anything of you, and they didn’t even care that you weren’t super confident like the rest of your crazy family.”

“If you add up a bunch of negatives, you’re going to get something even more negative. This is like starting off with getting bird poop on your shoulder, and then stepping in a puddle of muck while wearing your favorite shoes. “

“But you know what I’ve learned about bravery? It’s something you choose. And the more you choose it, the more it grows.”

Other Info:

Jess Keating is a writer with a degree in zoology

Her next book in the series is called How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel and came out in January. I’m going to be looking for it!

How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied has been nominated for the Red Maple Award.

Some thoughts for writers from Jess Keating’s website: “…there is no wasted writing. If it doesn’t get finished, it’s not wasted. If it doesn’t get published, it’s not wasted. Every single word, every single idea, every single chunk of random premise will make you a better writer. Because words, ideas, and premises are our life blood.”

For more, visit Jess Keating’s website.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday books? Visit Shannon Messenger’s blog for a list of bloggers reviewing great books today! Shannon is the founder of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and the author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Rain Reign

I’ve heard a lot about this book, so I’m glad I finally had a chance to read it. And it's a dog story! I love dog stories. I read this one as an e-book from my public library. 

Here’s the Amazon description:

Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She’s thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose’s obsessions, her rules, and the other things that make her different – not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father.

When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, the roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search.

Hearts will break and spirits will soar for this powerful story, brilliantly told from Rose’s point of view.

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan, 2014

My Take:

I’ve read several middle grade books about kids with autism now, but even so I still enjoyed this one. At the beginning, I was a tiny bit annoyed by Rose’s frequent homonym mentions, but I appreciated how they brought out her personality and drew the reader in to the way she thinks. I liked the fact that her father seemed to be struggling with how to interact with her too, and wasn’t portrayed as super-supportive or having all the answers. It was an emotional story and though sad in places, I was left feeling hopeful for Rose.

As a writer, I thought the ending was interesting. Everything wasn’t wrapped up to be neat and tidy with everything happily ever after. It left me wondering about the characters and what would happen next, not in a “setting up a sequel kind of way”, but in just thinking about what might happen.  

Opening Line:

“I am Rose Howard and my first name is a homonym.”

Quotes:

“On Mondays Mrs. Liebler chooses two kids from our class to be my Lunchroom Buddies for the week. She keeps a list of buddies so that everyone gets the same number of turns. Usually when she announces the buddies no one says anything.”

“All dogs have smart noses, but Rain’s must be especially smart.”

 “I can’t think. I put my hands over my ears and jump and up and down on my bed.”

Other Info:

Ann M. Martin lives in the Hudson Valley in New York state with her cats. She has been a children’s book author since 1983.

She is well-known for writing The Baby-sitters Club series.

On TeachingBooks.net, Ann M. Martin talks about how Rain Reign came to be.

For a list of her many published books, visit Ann M. Martin at the Scholastic website. You can learn more about Ann M. Martin on her Facebook page.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday books? Visit Shannon Messenger’s blog for a list of bloggers reviewing great books today! Shannon is the founder of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and the author of the middle grade novels, Keeper of the Lost Cities and Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2).

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Ice Dogs

I’ve been waiting for my library to get this book for a very long time! It was well worth the wait. I enjoyed this book so much I’ll probably buy a copy for myself.

Here's the description from Amazon:

Victoria Secord, a fourteen-year-old Alaskan dogsled racer, loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods is entirely up to her.

The author Terry Lynn Johnson is a musher herself, and her crackling writing puts readers at the reins as Victoria and Chris experience setbacks, mistakes, and small triumphs in their wilderness adventure.

Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson, Houghton Mifflin, 2014

My Take:

This book was fast-paced and the action kept me wondering whether Victoria would survive. I also liked the storyline that followed her growing friendship with the “city boy” and how the two of them learned to get along as the story developed. Even though Victoria is 14 and this is listed as YA, I think it’s a good read for older MG students, especially if they are interested in dogs or survival, with a touch of romance.

The author was so successful at bringing the setting to life using details and lovely language! As a writer, I’d read this again to study the language and how every word counts.

Opening Line:

“All eight of my dogs are stretched in front of me in pairs along the gangline.”

Quotes:

“I see the cloudless night sky lighting our campsite with the glow from the stars and half a moon.”

“My legs feel rooted to the trail and for an awful second, all I see is black.”

“The ice around us tinkles and creaks like glass.”

Other Info:

Terry Lynn Johnson lives in Northern Ontario, where she works as a Conservation Officer. Ice Dogs was inspired by a team of crazy huskies she used to have. 

In an interview with Natalie Aguirre at Literary Rambles, Terry says she doesn't like giving writing advice because her process is different every time. But she does give this tip: “…one thing I do each time is try to keep questions in the readers mind. Adding answers slowly throughout the story is one way of rewarding a reader.”

Terry Lynn Johnson’s first book, Dogsled Dreams, is about twelve-year old Rebecca and her goal of becoming a famous sled dog racer. I’m looking forward to reading it one day!

For more, visit Terry Lynn Johnson’s website. 

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday books? Author Shannon Messenger posts a weekly list of bloggers reviewing great middle grade books. Shannon is the founder of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and the author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: A Hundred Horses

When I visited the library as a child, I always looked for stories about horses, books like The Black Stallion or Misty of Chincoteague. I signed them out many times and read them over and over. So I'm always thrilled when I find a new horse story to read.

Today’s Pick: A Hundred Horses

by Sarah Lean

Katherine Tegen Books, 2014

From Amazon:

From the author of A Dog Called Homeless, winner of the Schneider Family Book Award, comes another gentle novel with a touch of magic about the power of friendship and the truth of belonging.

Nell isn't happy about spending her vacation on a farm, but when she meets a half-wild and mysterious girl named Angel, the two girls are tied in an adventure that may help Nell discover something special about herself—and the most special of a hundred horses.

Girls and horses are a classic pairing, and fans of favorites such as My Friend Flicka and Misty of Chincoteague are sure to love the heartwarming friendship story and adorable—magical—animals in A Hundred Horses.

My Take:

This was an interesting book about two very different girls developing  a friendship and rescuing a horse and its foal. A touch of mystery kept me reading. It was interesting to me to see the farm setting through the eyes of Nell, who’d grown up in a city and was experiencing a different lifestyle.  There were many layers to this story, such as Nell sorting out her relationships and feelings with her father and her mother.

As a writer, I especially enjoyed the language and phrasing in this story. Some of the dialogue seems so true, you feel like you are inside the main character’s head, e.g., “It always feels like this when you’re away from your mom and you don’t know anybody and you’re not sure what to expect.”  

I also admired some of the descriptions like “I hear the shuffle of the quilt on the bottom bunk” because they are small details that are so in the moment of what is happening.

Opening Line:

“Mom was late picking me up from drama club again.”

Quotes:

“I’d found something unexpected, something that made me feel brilliant inside. Now it was gone, and it left my stomach churning.”

“She stayed frozen, breathing loudly through her nose, her eyes blazing, my question hanging in the air like ice.”

“They are just bits and pieces until they all come together. Then they make something extraordinary, something alive.”

Other Info:

Sarah Lean lives in Dorset, England with her family and dog. She used to teach school before obtaining a Master’s degree in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of Winchester.

This book, A Hundred Horses is also published under the title A Horse for Angel (possibly the UK version).

On her website, she gives this advice to aspiring writers: “Expect to get it wrong, again and again. Practice is paramount, expect to learn, love learning.”

Other Books:

A Dog Called Homeless

The Forever Whale

Jack Pepper

Hero

For more, visit Sarah Lean’s website or follow her on Twitter: @SarahLean1

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday books? Visit Shannon Messenger’s blog for a list of bloggers reviewing great books today! Shannon is the founder of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and the author of the middle grade novels, Keeper of the Lost Cities and Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2).

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: It's NOT Just a Dog

I enjoy reading dog books, so when I heard about this one, I wanted to read it! Luckily, author Pam Torres sent me a copy to review and invited me to be part of her blog tour.

Today’s Pick:  It’s NOT Just a Dog

by Pam Torres

Legacy Media Press, 2014

From Amazon:

In the second book of the Project Madison series, things get complicated as Madison and Cooper try to navigate their new relationship. School has ended and they're spending more time together, blogging, working at the kennel, training dogs—including Lilly. When Jonah, the new neighbor who has moved into Paige's old house, begins to spend more time with Madison, Cooper isn't at all happy.

Jonah's uncle, a Native American, shares his knowledge about Madison's power to see and feel canine memories and emotions. The mysterious white wolf returns and fills her mind with dreams and more questions. Madison starts a dog-walking business and discovers Ben, a crotchety old man whose dog is skin and bones. When the kennel receives a dog that has been brutally injured, Madison is determined to find out what happened. She and Cooper realize they're going to need Jonah and Donald to bust this investigation wide open and save the dogs. But getting to the bottom of the mystery will threaten not only Madison, but everyone she loves.

My Take:

I liked the concept of a girl being able to read the emotions and memories of dogs, and how it connected to the Native American culture. This was a unique idea which I haven’t come across before in any middle grade books. There’s lots of info about dog behaviour and dog training in this story, too, which I enjoyed.

Madison expresses some of her reactions as #hashtags, and I wondered whether readers of middle grade fiction would relate (that may just be based on my personal experiences, since my own kids scorn Twitter). But Madison’s adventures and the problems she has to solve opened my eyes to some of the things that happen to animals. This book makes you think about animals and how they are treated.

Opening Line:

“On a sticky-hot Saturday, Henry, my stepdad, was driving me to the Second Chance Dog Shelter to help with a new litter of pups—this was out of the ordinary since the whole litter had been left in a bag on Netta’s doorstep.”

Quotes:

“I remembered what Jonah had said about the land and the animals all having spirits. He’d said animals were here to teach us, and I wanted the answers.”

[I love the idea of learning from animals! It makes me wonder what my dog has taught me!]

Other Info:

Pam Torres was born in Logan, Utah and spent most of her childhood in Prairie Village, Kansas. Besides playing Dorothy during tornado weather and digging Peter Pan-like underground forts she also played piano and ran cross-country.

Ten percent of the author’s proceeds from sales of this book go to the ASPCA®, animal shelters and other programs to benefit homeless or abused animals.

Anyone who emails (torres dot pam3 at gmail dot com) a JPG of a tween holding her book, will receive a personalized letter from Madison and signed by Lilly dog.

Check back on Thursday for an interview with author Pam Torres about her writing process!

Other books by this author:

Madison Morgan: When Dogs Blog

For more, visit Project Madison on Facebook. 

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday books? Visit Shannon Messenger’s blog for a list of bloggers reviewing great books today! Shannon is the founder of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and the author of the middle grade novels, Keeper of the Lost Cities and Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2).

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - The Metro Dogs of Moscow

Two members of my extended family have gotten new dogs recently and all the dog-meet-dog interactions are fun to watch. They definitely put me in the right mood for reading The Metro Dogs of Moscow, another one of the fiction nominees for the 2014 Silver Birch Award from the Ontario Library Association. 

Today’s Pick: The Metro Dogs of Moscow

by Rachelle Delaney

Penguin Group, 2013

From Amazon:

JR (short for Jack Russell) is an embassy dog. His human, George, works in embassies around the world and so they both travel. A lot. Now George is working at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. While George loves the globetrotting life, he doesn’t think JR needs any more excitement than hanging out at the park with the other embassy dogs.

JR, however, has had quite enough of leashes and perfectly manicured parks—not to mention the boring embassy dogs. Inspired by seeing a stray dog steal a coil of sausages, JR sneaks out of his apartment to do a little exploring on his own and soon meets up with the wily stray and some of his friends. This is the life: amazing city smells! Mouthwatering stuffed potatoes! And best of all, the freedom to travel on the Moscow subway.

But then JR's new friends mysteriously start to disappear. When an embassy dog goes missing as well, JR knows he must use everything he’s learned about his new home to solve the mystery of Moscow’s missing dogs.

My Take:

It’s always interesting to read stories that are narrated from a very different point of view—in the case, a dog’s perspective. JR was a fun character to tag along with on an adventure. I especially enjoyed the setting. I learned a little bit about Moscow and Russian food while reading this book. I haven’t read many middle grade books set in Russia before. I like the bits of humor the author sprinkled into the story.

As a writer, I thought the writing style captured JR’s doggy personality. The phrasing and word choice kept me anchored in the dog’s perspective.

Opening Line:

“The key turned in the lock.”

Quotes:

“Very Bad Things always happened—so fast he couldn’t stop them even if he wanted to. One second he’d be doing something innocent, like counting ceiling tiles, and the next second he’d be mauling the coffee table.”

“The Sit-and-Look-Cute.” Fyodor grinned. “It’s when you just sit there and bat your eyelashes until someone gives you food.”

“He blinked and yawned, stretching in the sunbeam that had made for the ideal Saturday morning nap.”

Other Info:

When she’s not writing novels, Rachelle Delaney enjoys adventures like tree climbing, trail running and snowshoeing.

On her website, Rachelle mentions that she was inspired to write this book after reading a newspaper story about stray dogs in Moscow that ride the subway. 

In an interview with Vikki VanSickle, Rachelle Delaney talks about how reading books as a child influenced her writing: “My favourite books were usually about animals, so yes, they’ve definitely inspired me.”

Rachelle Delaney's new adventure with JR and some of his dog friends, The Circus Dogs of Prague, is being released at the end of April.

Other books by this author include:

The Ship of Lost Souls

The Lost Souls of Island X

The Hunt for the Panther

For more, visit Rachelle Delaney’s website.

 If you’re interested in what I have to say about some of the other nominees for the 2014 Silver Birch Award, these are the ones I’ve read so far: Eldritch Manor by Kim Thompson, Nobody's Dog by Ria Voros, Ultra by David Carroll, The Curse of the Dream Witch by Allan Stratton, The Hypnotists by Gordon Korman, Record Breaker by Robin Stevenson, Yesterday’s Dead by Pat Bourke and Neil Flambe and the Tokyo Treasure by Kevin Sylvester. One more to go!

For more great middle grade reads, check out the list of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday links on author Shannon Messenger's blog!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Nobody's Dog

Today’s Pick: Nobody’s Dog by Ria Voros

From the Publisher:

For thirteen-year-old Jakob, the summer is looking pretty bleak. His only friend has moved away and no one else seems to have any time for him — except the girl who lives downstairs. But she's a little weird. Then again, so is Jakob. A few months ago, he was in a car accident that killed both his parents, and though he can't remember exactly what happened, he can't stop turning it over in his mind. No wonder people leave him alone.  

Then out of nowhere, a stray dog befriends Jakob. Together they begin to roam the city streets by night, discovering an exhilarating secret world where they can both taste a new kind of freedom. But as their nocturnal adventures take Jakob farther and farther away from the safety of home, the truth of that awful night begins to emerge.

Will he be strong enough to face it — and who will be there for him when he does?

My Take:

This was an emotional story filled with realistic characters. I could really connect with Jakob and how the dog helped him through his grief and sadness over losing his parents. I was rooting for Jakob to get through his difficulties and find out who he could care about and rely on. At the same time, I was glad that the book didn’t have a totally wrapped up ending with everything resolved. I had a sense that the characters live on and continue to work on their problems. I think both boys and girls would enjoy this book.

As a writer, I’d look at this novel again to see how the author created a strong first person voice for Jakob. Jakob's adventures with the dog kept the story from feeling too sad, but at the same time worked well to show how Jakob learned to deal with his feelings.

Opening Line:

“The car turns over three times. Hits the curb, goes up on its side like a stunt in a movie.”

Quotes:

“The dog trots back up the pier. I’ve never had so many questions for something that can’t answer me.”

“Suddenly the world seems like such an unfair place where everyone I care about ends up leaving.”

“I reach over and rub his ears and he grins at me. I’m connected to him in a way no one else is.”

 

Other Info:

Ria Voros lives in British Columbia in Canada. She decided she wanted to be a writer when she was little “because there wasn’t much else she liked to do as much as tell stories.”

According to Ria’s website, one of the best things about being a writer for her is: “Being inspired by new ideas for stories and seeing them come to life on the page.”

This book is nominated for the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading for 2014 in the Silver Birch (Fiction) category. 

Other Books by this Author Include:

The Opposite of Geek

For more info, visit Ria Voros’ website.

You can find more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday books by checking out Shannon Messenger’s blog! Shannon is the founder of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and the author of the middle grade novels, Keeper of the Lost Cities and Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2).

 

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: A Dog Called Homeless

Today’s Pick: A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean

Published by Katherine Tegen Books, 2012

From Amazon:

Praised by Newbery Medal–winning author Katherine Applegate as "graceful" and "miraculous," this Schneider Family Book Award–winning novel tells how one girl's friendship with a homeless dog mends a family's heart.

Cally Fisher knows she can see her dead mother, but the only other living soul who does is a mysterious wolfhound who always seems to be there when her mom appears. How can Cally convince anyone that her mom is still with the family, or persuade her dad that the huge silver-gray dog belongs with them?

With beautiful, spare writing and adorable animals, A Dog Called Homeless is perfect for readers of favorite middle-grade novels starring dogs, such as Because of Winn-Dixie and Shiloh.

My Take:

I really enjoyed this story, partly because I love stories with dogs in them. But this was much more than just a dog story. This story is about a girl learning to cope with the loss of her mother, trying to hold her family together, and finding her own voice. I loved the friendships Cally made with Jed, a homeless man, and Sam, a boy who is deaf and blind. I will definitely look for more books by this author! I read this one as an e-book from my local library.

I loved the way the author painted images with her words that connected to the feelings she created in the story. This was another story where every word counts.

Opening Line:

“Dad’s birthday, and I got up before anyone.”

Favourite quotes:

“Sometimes you just have to prove people wrong. Sometimes you just want someone to believe you’re more than they think you are.”

“Homeless smelled like a toy rabbit I had when I was little. I laid my head on him, forgot about the time.”

“I already knew then that Sam didn’t see things like we do, that the reason he leaned so close was that that was how the world talked to him—through his skin.”

Other Info:

Sarah Lean lives in Dorset in England with her family and dogs. She started writing when she was around ten years old, but she became a teacher before she started her writing career.

A Dog Called Homeless is her first published novel. On her website, Sarah Lean says, “Inspiration is everywhere, just like stories. For me, the key is to just look, just listen, wherever I am.”

She has this advice for writers: “Expect to get it wrong, again and again. Practice is paramount, expect to learn, love learning.”

Other Books by this Author:

The Forever Whale

A Horse for Angel

 

For more info, visit Sarah Lean’s website.

 

You can find more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday books by checking out Shannon Messenger’s blog! Shannon is the founder of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and the author of the middle grade novel, Keeper of the Lost Cities.