海角大神

Three terrific new novels for young readers

Nothing signals spring better than a newly-published crop of books. These three novels for middle-grade readers (ages 8-14), feature interesting young narrators and strong, unique stories.

听When 11-year-old Claire and her older sister Abigail return to their family鈥檚 cottage this summer, things are different. They鈥檝e always kayaked on the lake and whiled away long days with friends; now they have a new step-mom and a baby brother on the way. The memories of their mother, who died here, are strong and sweet, but everything they care about is changing, especially in Claire鈥檚 eyes. From shopping trips with Abigail to adding her own touches to the cabin, her stepmother is replacing their mom.

To make matters much worse, her sister not only discovers boys, they鈥檝e discovered her. Told in stunning, clever, and often funny verse by three narrators,听When My Sister Started Kissing by Helen Frost is beautiful to look at and delightful to read as both poetry and story. Claire鈥檚 stanzas are particularly charming, innocent yet smart: 鈥淲hen did my sister learn this whole new talking-to-boys voice? She sounds like she got a part in a play and this is the first practice.鈥�

An afterword, 鈥淣otes on Form,鈥� explains the various poetic forms, from quatrains to the clever acrostics in the voice of the lake. Frost, whose previous books have won acclaim and awards, seamlessly weaves together three characters to tell this coming-of-age story. "When My Sister Started Kissing" will appeal to girls and boys, their parents, teachers and anyone who appreciates a touching and heartwarming tale of family unraveling and coming back together.

National Book Award winner Kimberley Willis Holt creates books full of heart, populated with characters full of spunk. Thirteen-year-old Stevie Grace, the narrator of Holt鈥檚 newest novel, Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel, has plenty of both. When tragedy in the form of an accident involving their family鈥檚 farm stand takes the lives of both parents, Stevie boards a bus alone, headed to her estranged grandfather鈥檚 run-down motel. Although secrecy about her mom and her grandfather鈥檚 reticence to share keep Stevie in the dark, the Texas Sunrise Motel is home to funny, odd, loving characters 鈥� some of whom knew her mom 鈥� and they soon adore her.

An eccentric older woman homeschools Stevie and helps her understand her grandfather. An eighth-grader, who might just have a crush on her, even cousins she never knew she had, all give her reasons to stay in Texas. This multi-faceted story is about dealing with grief, about families and their stories, and how one girl鈥檚 determination to make the best of a life she didn鈥檛 ask for. This novel not only teaches an invaluable lesson, it鈥檚 truly fun to read. 听

When was the last time you read a book narrated by a space-obsessed kid who names his dog Carl Sagan? Or a story told entirely via a spray-painted 鈥淕olden iPod鈥� recording device? This is the beauty, the hilarity, and the poignancy of See You In the Cosmos, a debut novel by Jack Cheng, a young writer who manages so much in 320 pages.

Convinced there is life in space, 11-year-old Alex Petroski plans to share every facet of his world by sending voices of his human and four-legged encounters into the universe. He鈥檒l blast his Golden iPod off at a rocket festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On his own, he鈥檒l travel from his home in suburban Colorado. Or that鈥檚 Alex鈥檚 intention.

Early hints reveal that all is not perfect in his unusual world 鈥� if his mom isn鈥檛 lying on the sofa watching her shows, she has 鈥渜uiet days she鈥檒l need fresh air so she鈥檒l go for a walk.鈥� And some readers might argue that the author plays reckless with expectations of 11-year-old behavior. But the distinct voice of this young science whiz and the cast of characters 鈥� older siblings, his mostly-adult friends, and traveling companions 鈥� make this unique novel鈥檚 journey one totally worth taking.

听