Tag: friendship

cover of Right Back at You. Hanging from the O as if it is a key chain are a clock face set to ten:10, a single blue sneaker, a baseball glove, a gold Star of David, An @ symbol, and a red and white striped lollipop.
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Right Back at You

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Right Back at You (Scholastic Press, 2025) by Carolyn Mackler was so good and had a surprising ending. I enjoyed it immensely.

It’s 2023, and 12-year-old Mason’s parents have split up, plus he’s being bullied at school, partially about his dad leaving. Mason says his life, “sucks” and is the equivalent of a “black hole.” Told to write a letter about his troubles to someone, Mason chooses Albert Einstein. Embarrassed by what he wrote, Mason throws it in his closet, but when he decides to destroy it, the letter is missing. In it’s place is a letter from a girl named Talia who claims it’s 1987.

Talia is also 12 and has troubles of her own–her best friend ditching her and a boy at school teasing her about being Jewish. How did Mason get a letter in her closet?! Especially since he says he lives in New York and she lives in Pennsylvania…

The book is a National Jewish Book Award Finalist and a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book.

Carolyn writes both middle grade and young adult books. Read about the award-winning author here. And here’s an interview with Carolyn about this book.

cover of Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign (Fitzroy Books/Regal House, October 2025*) by Sara F. Shacter was so good it was a one-sitting read. Ask your libraries to order it. I mean it!

Georgia and her one friend Izzy are entering 6th grade and thrilled to be in Mr. C’s class. (They both love science which he teaches.) But when Izzy’s former friend, mean Nicole, tries to squeeze Georgia out, Georgia is so mad she does something mean back with unfortunate consequences. Will she lose Izzy now? And what will their other classmates think? Worse yet Mr. C is disappointed in her. What a horrible start to the school year that may mean Georgia doesn’t get her wish for the two of them to go to science camp together next summer.

I love how what they’re learning in class effects Georgia’s actions, and how class assignments help her to see others differently. We all want kids to have teachers like fun and inventive Mr. C. Georgia’s science themed t-shirts are great, too. I also like that this ISN’T the typical “mean girl” story.

This is the author’s first middle grade novel. Read about Sara here and check out her picture books here.

*I got to read an Advanced Reader Copy.

cover of You Make Me Sneeze!
Posted in PB, So Many Good Books

You Make Me Sneeze!

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Perfect Picture Book Friday

You Make Me Sneeze! (Astra Young Readers, 2024) by Sharon G. Flake and illustrated by Anna Raff is absolutely hilarious. And especially relatable to anyone with allergies. It’s also a companion book for You Are NOT a Cat.

Duck and Cat are best friends on a camping trip, but there’s a problem. Duck is allergic to Cat. He makes Duck’s beak itch and twitch, and “Achoo!”

With hilarious attempts to fix the problem, the book ends with a twist.

Read about the author here and check out Sharon’s other books here.

Look at a sampling of Anna’s illustrations here, read about her here, and see all her books here.

cover of
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Elephant in the Room

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

The Elephant in the Room (Rocky Pond Books, 2021) by Holly Goldberg Sloan is much more than an immigrant story or a story about autism or even a story about winning the lottery. Plus a real elephant. Told in multiple points of view, this story is a compelling read.

Sila was born in Oregon but her parents are Turkish citizens and something was wrong with her mother’s paperwork so after 15 years in America, her mother has to go back to Turkey. And it’s Sila’s fault. Living without her mother for the last eight months is the hardest thing Sila has ever known. Then she and her dad meet Gio, who won the lottery. And the three of them meet Veda, a circus elephant, whom Gio buys because of Sila. When Sila is assigned to be a partner to Mateo, she surprises herself by inviting him to meet Veda. Who knew this series of events would give hope to everyone involved.

Read about Holly here and check out her other books here.

cover of Swashby by the Sea
Posted in PB, So Many Good Books

Swashby and the Sea

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Perfect Picture Book Friday

Swashby and the Sea (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020) by Beth Ferry and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal is a delightfully warm story that can be read over and over. This story has such a sweet ending.

I love what it says about the sea and Swashby, “She knew him in and out, up and down, and better than anyone.” And I love the adorable illustrations.

Captain Swashby, now retired, is happy living by the sea. Until…neighbors show up. He keeps writing messages to them like “no trespassing” and the sea fiddles with each a bit like “sing.” Will Swashby learn to accept these intruders?

Beth Ferry is the author of Caveman Crush and has quite a number of other books–see them here. I need to check out some more. I like the unusual facts and the box format of her about page.

Author/illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal was born in Peru. You may have heard about her debut picture book, Alma and How She Got Her Name which was a 2019 Caldecott honor book. She’s also a 2018 Pura Belpré Medalist. Read her other awards here.