“Spitting gold” Carmella Lowkis

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. ebook. Atria Books (Simon & Schuster). To be published May 14, 2024.

It was April of 1866 and, for the past two years, Sylvie thought her former life as a medium was behind her. She and her sister Charlotte had earned their living pretending to banish or raise ghosts for money, learning everything from their parents. After a con gone wrong cost them their business and almost landed them in prison, she married a rich older man who took her away from her drunken, abusive father and the life of poverty she’d led. Though she felt guilty about leaving Charlotte, she needed to save herself and agreed to his request that she leave the life of a medium behind her forever.

One rainy day Charlotte surprised her by showing up at her home begging for help as their father was dying, there was no money, and she needed Sylvie. A rich family was eager to dispel a ghost who had been haunting them and, if successful, the payout would help Charlotte and her father. Sylvie knew what her husband had forbidden her to do but her love for Charlotte overcame her reluctance. Unfortunately, she’d soon find out that ghosts, as well as the living, can be revengeful. The peaceful life she’d led for the past two years was about to forever change.

I LOVED this book! I voraciously read it from cover to cover, eager to see what would next befall the sisters. The author’s research into life in 1866 France for the rich and those living on the outskirts of acceptable society was eye-opening.

Highly recommended for Adults.

 I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

“The secret library” Kekla Magoon

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. ebook. Candlewick Press. (To be published May 7, 2024).

Delia is almost 12 years old and misses her grandfather terribly. After he died, her mother is more determined than ever that Delia learns to become a proper businesswoman to eventually take over the family business. Delia doesn’t want to sit behind a desk with boring business work. She wants to have adventures but, without her grandfather, feels stifled and lonely. At the reading of his will he left her a brown envelope that her mother promptly locked away for her 21st birthday. With cunning and skill Delia retrieves the envelope from her mother’s locked safe and finds a letter from him as well as a mysterious map.

The map takes her to an abandoned field which turns into a magnificent, secret library. Inside Delia is directed to shelves filled with secrets from people across the centuries. Whenever she chooses a book, she goes on adventures in different times and places where she learns about her family’s history. She sees her dad alive, years before her parents got married, and also gets to see a side of her mother that she’d never seen in the past.

As Delia learns more about her family’s past, she becomes troubled as well as elated and proud. Her family held onto a lot of secrets on their way to becoming the Peteharrngton’s. She’ll have to draw on that strength to become the girl she wants to be, in order to change her present into her past.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It would make an excellent Newbery winning title. That’s how good it is. Well done, Kekla. Well done.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

The night war” Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Rated 5 stars ARC. Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House). To be published April 9, 2024. 281 p. (Includes “Author’s note.”)

Miriam and her parents lived in Germany until forced to flee to Paris after Kristallnacht when she was eight years old. After living in cramped quarters for four years, food supplies were dwindling, and her father was forced to go into hiding. Soon afterwards she was separated from her mother when the French police rounded up everyone and sent them to the Velodrome d’Hiver for deportation. During the confusion Miriam’s neighbor urged her to save her two-year-old daughter Nora and flee to Switzerland. Unsure of what to do, Miriam took Nora and tried to mingle with the onlookers. After being spotted by a German soldier, they were rescued by a young nun.

In time, Miriam was sent to a convent school and separated from Nora. To survive she needed to forget her Jewishness, but her failure to protect Nora and escape to Switzerland haunted her waking moments. After Sister Dominique took her to visit the nearby castle of Chenonceau, things changed when she became involved in the Resistance and met the ghost of Catherine de Medici.

With the addition of a ghost, young readers learn about France’s history as well as its role in World War II.

Recommended for ages 11-14.

“Uprising” Jennifer A. Nielsen

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. Scholastic Press (Scholastic). 356 p. (Includes period photographs, and “Author’s note.”) To be published March 5, 2024.

Lidia Janina Durr Zakrzewski was born in Poland and, when Germany invaded Poland in 1939 to start World War II, she was 15 years old. She had always been a strong-willed child, her father’s favorite, and the bane of her mother’s existence. When he left home to fight for Poland, she was devastated. Within a short time the Nazis took away their house, her beloved piano, and the money her father had left them to survive. Lidia, her older brother, and her mother struggled to put food on the table and to keep a roof over their heads.

After Poland fell, the mistreatment of Jews became something Lidia saw on a regular basis. Forced to move to a squalid neighborhood, the bedroom window of their apartment overlooked the Warsaw Ghetto. There, she noticed Jews starving and being sent to concentration camps. Lidia did her best to sneak food into the Ghetto, knowing that being caught would mean instant death.

Lidia’s anger against the occupation of her country stoked a fire in her to join the Polish resistance. Her brother was a member but, despite his objections, she joined. She survived harrowing near-death experiences, multiple injuries, battles, and more in her determination to free Poland. “Uprising” is her story.

Lidia might be an unknown name to many but, after reading Nielsen’s carefully researched book and viewing the period photographs, she will not stay unknown. Lidia’s story deserves to be told, as her bravery saved the lives of hundreds of innocent people.

Highly recommended for ages 15 and older.

“Heroes: A novel of Pearl Harbor” Alan Gratz

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. Scholastic Press (Scholastic). 219 p. (Includes “The Arsenal of Democracy” comic, “Author’s note,” “About the story,” “Asian Americans in Comics”, and “The Legacy of Pearl Harbor.”) To be published February 6, 2024).

Thirteen-year-old Frank and his best friend Stanley shared a love for comic books, where they lived on the Pearl Harbor base in Hawaii where their dads worked. Frank was the writer, while Stanley made the storyline come alive with amazing drawings. At his father’s last posting Frank had a bad experience, which made him afraid of everything. Before he could do anything, he spent minutes thinking of things that could go wrong and forgot how to live his life. Fear coated everything he did.

Everything was peaceful until the morning of December 7, 1941, when hundreds of Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor. The boys had been on the Utah, visiting his sister’s boyfriend Brooks, when the attack began. The Utah was hit, and they had to abandon ship, but Frank was petrified with fear. Brooks had to shake him out of it and helped him escape, then disappeared. When he was found dead Frank blamed himself.

As he and Stanley frantically tried to reunite with their families Frank realized his best friend was now seen as the enemy because his mother was Japanese. Though Stanley was born in the United States everyone only saw his face and didn’t care that he was Japanese American. With America now at war, if Frank wanted to keep their friendship in the strange new world which they were both now part of, he would have to grow a backbone and overcome his fear of being afraid of everything.

Middle school readers will learn not only about the Pearl Harbor attack but what it was like to be Japanese American during a time of anti-Japanese sentiment in Hawaii and the rest of the country. Alan Gratz does an excellent job with his research and end notes to help his young readers learn more about this troubled period of history.

Highly recommended for ages 12 and older.

“Miss Morgan’s book brigade” Janet Skeslien Charles

Rated 3 stars *** ARC. ebook. Atria Books (Simon & Schuster). (Includes “Author’s Note.”) To be published April 30, 2024.

In 1917 Anne Morgan, daughter of millionaire financier J.P. Morgan, created an organization called “The Committee for Devastated France” (CARD). At that time most of France’s countryside laid in ruins during World War I, as German soldiers had devastated it. Though fighting was close by, Anne used the CARD organization and hundreds of volunteers to rebuild, offer employment, reopen schools, and open children’s libraries to give respite from their sorrow.

Anne recruited Jessie Carson from the New York Public Library to set up a lending library for children and adults. Jessie’s ideas of story time, open library shelves, children’s furniture, book mobiles, and a traveling library were considered radical, but she was persistent. “Miss Morgan’s book brigade” is her story.

Though I enjoyed learning how Jessie affected change in France’s libraries during World War One, I felt the voice of the modern NYPL researcher in a back-and-forth, past-to-the-present narrative was unnecessary. Jessie could easily carry the storyline without adding in the researcher’s romance and writing tribulations. I also found the numerous book phrases created from “the library of the mind” to be distracting.

Learning how Jessie created children’s libraries in a country that hadn’t had them before is a good reason to read the book, while the author’s expansive notes at the end give more information about the CARDs.

Recommended for Adults.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Amil and the after” Veera Hiranandani

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. Kokila (Penguin Random House). 244 p. (Includes “Glossary” and “Author’s note.”). To be published January 23, 2024.

In this sequel to “The night diary,” twelve-year-old Amil is having a hard time, as memories from the horrors of his family’s forced crossing from Pakistan to India threatens to overwhelm him. Though his family is both Hindu and Muslim, all Muslims were being forced to leave the place he’d called home for his entire life. Amil will never forget almost dying of thirst and the torturous voyage.

After their ordeal, his twin sister Nisha had been mute. Though she now speaks a little, she spends her time writing stories in her diary. For Amil, drawing seems to be the only thing that calms him so, whenever he has issues with his father, feels frustrated at school, or is lonely, he buries himself in illustrating his world and writing notes to his dead mother.

School is hard for Amil, as he finds it hard to concentrate. His two wishes are for a bicycle and for a best friend, but neither seem possible until he meets Vishal at school. Though thin and always hungry, Vishal is the first boy who wants to spend time with him. Amil is thrilled to have a friend but, when he finds out Vishal has been living in the street, is very sick, has no family members, and is posing as a Hindu to avoid violence aimed at Muslims, his eyes are opened to his own blessings. Amil finds ways to confront his own painful memories to make sure his friend lives to have his own.

Hiranandani’s descriptions of the 1947 partition of India and its effect on the previously tolerant population is eye-opening. Though Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus had gotten along well for over three hundred years, it was difficult to understand why people turn on each other in chillingly murderous ways.

Recommended for ages 14 and older.

“The night diary” Veera Hiranandani

Rated 5 stars ***** Dial (Penguin/Random House). 2018

Twelve-year-old Nisha and her twin brother Amil live with their father and grandmother in a small village in India. Their cook, Kazi, has been with them for many years, and Nisha feels a special closeness to him as she cooks by his side. Their mother died when they were born so, when Kazi gives her a diary, she writes to her mother expressing her hopes and fears since she has difficulty expressing herself verbally.

It’s 1947 and, after almost 200 years, Great Britain is giving India its freedom. Its new leaders decided to partition her into two parts, forcing Hindus to relocate to the new country of Pakistan. Though Nisha and her brother are half Muslim through their mother, all anyone sees is their Hindu side. Partitioning the country caused Sikhs, Muslims and Hindis to see each other differently. Now, instead of getting along like they’d done for generations, each is intent on murdering the other confusing Nisha “I guess we’re Hindu because Papa and Dadi are. But you’re still a part of me, Mama. Where does that part go?” (p. 21)

Fearful for their lives, the family is forced to leave Kazi and their home behind, setting out on foot to travel hundreds of miles to the border. Along the way they experience near dehydration and starvation, while being witness to acts of savagery including murder. Halfway through their harrowing journey she meets her mother’s brother for the first time and enjoys their time together. However when her father finds her and Amil talking to a neighbor girl, they’re forced to leave her uncle’s home to try and reach the border via train.

Based on the experiences of the author’s family, “The night diary” is vividly realistic while the hatred mentality of former neighbors is disturbing.

Recommended for ages 14 and older.

“Max in the house of spies: A tale of World War II” Adam Gidwitz

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. Dutton Children’s Books (Penguin Random House). 298 p. (Includes “How much of this story is real?” and “Annotated Bibliography.”) To be published February 27, 2024.

Eleven-year-old Max was a genius, upset with how the Nazis changed his life. On Kristallnacht they beat his father, took him to Sachsenhausen for three days, and closed his watchmaking business. His parents frantically searched for a way out of the country, but no one wanted Jews. When the opportunity arose for children to be evacuated to England, they sent Max. On the ferry ride there two tiny men appeared on his shoulders. Berg, a kobold, and Stein, a dybbuk, wanted to escape Germany and planned to pester him for a few hundred years. No one could hear or see them except Max, so he was sure they were an illusion. They weren’t.

In England Max lived for more than a year with the wealthy Montagu family. When he found out Uncle Ewen Montagu was a spy with the British Naval Intelligence he wanted to be recruited so he could go to Berlin and find his parents. Shortly afterwards he impressed Admiral Godfrey with his skills and was thrilled to be trained as a spy. Max is sure being reunited with his parents will be easy, but doesn’t realize spy work is more dangerous than he thinks.

Readers will learn much about World War II in England, as Max’s story is interspersed with information about The Blitz and individuals who were real-life spies. Berg and Stein usually disagree with almost all of Max’s decisions, so their competing interests, comments, and actions will keep readers in stitches.

I enjoyed the humor, and learned that Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond series, was in the British Naval Intelligence. However, as those of you who follow my blog know, I don’t like reading books in a series unless I have all of them in front of me. Though I was not happy with the open ending I am now vested in Max, Berg, and Stein (which sounds like a great law firm). I must know what happens next.

Adam Gidwitz please let me know when you plan on releasing the ARC for book #2 because I NEED to read it right now. You’ve hooked me and will hook your young readers too.

Highly recommended for ages 12 and older.

“The house on Biscayne Bay” Chanel Cleeton

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. ebook. Berkley (Penguin Random House). (Includes “Author’s Note.”) To be published April 9, 2024.

Henry Flagler had just built his railroad, and people were starting to trek down to Southern Florida. After twenty-two years of marriage Anne thought she knew her husband very well but was shocked when he presented her with “Marbrisa” by Biscayne Bay. She hated Florida on sight and couldn’t understand why he’d want to build a lavish 61 room home in the middle of nowhere. With the Great War over he believed Florida was going to be a huge tourist draw and was determined to build the biggest house in Miami as his legacy. Anna didn’t know that, because of him, Marbrisa would forever be associated with the events of one spine-chilling evening.

America was on the verge of war in 1941, and Carmen was on her way from Havana to join her sister Caroline in Florida after her parent’s deaths. Her older sister had married a rich American who bought a huge estate named “Marbrisa,” which was unwelcoming and foreboding. When Carmen found out animals were being killed and two women had been murdered there over the years, she was fearful. Within days her life was turned upside down and, as she tried to figure out who was behind the catastrophe, she didn’t know the killer had his eyes set on her.

This page-turning thriller told through Carmen and Anna’s alternating voices had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I was sure I knew who the murderer was but kept being foiled. The author did a great job keeping that identity hidden until the book’s final, gripping pages.

Highly recommended for Adults.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.