Middle Grade Review: It's All or Nothing, Vale

 

Vale used to be a champion fence; she might have been on her way to the Olympics. But a bike crash ruined her leg. Not she's desperately trying to make a comeback. But things aren't working out. Most days her leg really hurts. Some days she can push past the pain. She's not sure who she is without fencing. Will her life ever be the same again?

My Thoughts: Vale is working through the emotions of her accident; most importantly grief and anger. She wishes that life hadn't changed. I wanted to wrap her up in a hug as she struggled through her emotions. She worried about friendships, about the word disabled, and about family dramas. This novel in verse worked through my emotions; it was a powerful read.

Cover Thoughts: Powerful

Source: My Library

Why I Read this Book: The summary peaked my interest

Library Recommendation: A really great book for your school and public library 

Middle Grade Book Review: Something Like Home

 

Lauren goes to live with her aunt after her parents are required to enter rehab. They can't stop using drugs and neglecting Lauren. Lauren called the police and feels responsible for their time in rehab.

Lauren's aunt isn't the most welcoming. She just wants to go home, but that's not an option. Moving to her aunts means moving to a new school. It's not easy being the new girl in school. How is Lauren supposed to make friends when she's going to be back with her parents before too long?

When she finds a puppy who needs recusing, Lauren comes up with a plan. If she can train Sparrow to become a therapy dog, they can visit her parents. She misses them more than she can say. 

My Thoughts: A wonderful heart wrenching story about Lauren's family life. She feels heartbroken that she's responsible for splitting up her family. I love how she became a family with Sparrow. She trained him. Even though she rescues him, they saved each other. Because of Sparrow, Lauren makes a friend. Together, they train Sparrow to become a therapy dog. I wanted to wrap Lauren up in a hug. For me, the ending, was a little too good to be true, but it did wrap everything up nicely. 

Cover Thoughts: Adorable

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A great novel in verse for middle graders. 

* Nothing bad happens to the dog after it's rescued. 

Review: Iveliz Explains it All

 

How do you speak up when it feels like no one is listening? One girl takes on seventh grade while facing mental health challenges, and must find her voice to advocate for the help and understanding she deserves.

Listen up:
The end of elementary school?
Worst time of my life.
And the start of middle school?
I just wasn't quite right.
But this year?
YO VOY A MI.

Seventh grade is going to be Iveliz's year. She's going to make a new friend, help her abuela Mimi get settled after moving from Puerto Rico, and she is not going to get into any more trouble at school . . .

Except is that what happens? Of course not.

...summary from the publisher

My Thoughts: I read this book because it's a Newbery Honor Book. But I confess, it took me some time to get into it. And then I was hooked. I will say that I was confused about the father. Once I understood what was really happening, everything made sense. I loved the novel in verse - it is one of my favorite forms. I felt terrible for Ive; I just wanted to wrap her up in a big hug. There was so much going on in her brain. I loved the conversations about mental health - with her grandmother, with her friends, and with her therapist. This book gave me ALL the feels, I cried at the end.

This is one of my favorite parts of the book:

And I do love the set up - how it looks like a journal AND the illustrations on some of the pages.

Cover Thoughts: I understand it after reading it, but it doesn't do much for me

Source: My Library

Star Rating: 4.5 Stars (Mostly because I almost put it down)

Library Recommendations: A must have book for your library collection.