The Big Score: A Review of Faker

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Faker
Gordon Korman
Scholastic
Age 8-12
July 2, 2024


Is Trey really defined by what his family does? Confidence man, liar, criminal… Faker? Living a high-end life funded by his father’s career as a con artist, Trey and his little sister are in on the game, to reel in families in a series of prep schools and wealthy communities. Settling into what could be their biggest score yet—the big kahuna—a fictional electric car start-up looking for investors, he begins to question it all. An influential middle school ethics teacher and his activist daughter open Trey’s eyes to the morality of the “family business” and a growing disillusionment with how it affects those around him.

In the authentically conflicted voice of an adolescent boy, Korman gives this realistic fiction tale a twist. What if this boy was a con trying to go straight? Then he adds all the middle school conflict that comes with friendships, family drama, and questioning parental authority. Is Dad right that no one is hurt when you take from the rich? Brisk plotting and snappy dialog mirror the pace of Trey’s quickly developing conscience. “I can’t believe I ever thought it was anything more than stealing” (p. 170). Trey matures throughout the narrative, getting involved to rehab a local park and discovering that a new friend is also part of a con artist family, efficiently driving the final action. In a conveniently tidy conclusion, he makes a dramatic decision—they all go straight, return the money, and build the stable home life Trey always wanted. A funny and fast-paced coming of age story for middle schooler readers that want a side of crime with their family drama.

Butler Bookshelf

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Thinking about taking up a new hobby over the summer? Maybe some of these books on cooking, baking, and food will inspire you to try to make a new or beloved recipe. In What’s Eating Jackie Oh?, Park explores what happens when identity, expectations, and passion intersect. Jackie feels most comfortable when she is cooking, freeing her from the expectations of her Korean American parents and from the violence and hate towards the Asian American community. She usually just cooks in her grandparents’ deli, but one day, she is invited to be a teen contestant on her favorite cooking show, Burn Off. As she cooks her way through each grueling and yummy challenge, she also starts to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. This funny yet thoughtful novel serves up an engaging, modern coming-of-age story that anyone a fan of cooking shows will love.

Bite by Bite: American History through Feasts, Foods, and Side Dishes
Written by Marc Aronson and Paul Freedman, contributions by Frederick Douglass Opie, Amanda Palacios, Tatum Willis, and David Zheng
Illustrated by Toni D. Chambers
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Available now

Cooking with the Sneetches
Written by Astrid Holm
Illustrated by Erik Doescher
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available now

Isabel in Bloom
Written by Mae Respicio
Published by Wendy Lamb Books
Available now

The Mochi Makers
Written and illustrated by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson
Published by Beach Lane Books
Available now

The Spice Box
Written by Meera Sriram
Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available now

What’s Eating Jackie Oh?
Written by Patricia Park
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
Available now

Superhero Volcanologists: A Review of Volcanoes

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Volcanoes

Nell Cross Beckerman
Illustrated by Kalen Chock
Scholastic Inc.
August 6, 2024
Grades PreK-3

“A rumble. A tremble. A grumble. Growing, growling, getting hot. When will it . . . pop?!” (p. 3-5). Beckerman uses intriguing storytelling to guide children on an adventure exploring wondrous volcanoes. Readers are led from the depths of the ocean floor to the Ring of Fire and all the way to volcanoes in deep space with Beckerman’s dynamic lyrical language. Volcano lava is destructive, but even more damaging are the tsunamis caused by burning rock rain falling from the sky. However, scientists discovered that underwater volcanoes seep mineral rich water allowing a world of life to exist deep in the ocean. Did life on Earth begin around underwater volcanoes? Nonfiction text on each page takes a deeper dive into the science of volcanoes and volcanologists.

The importance of science exploration is an apparent theme when volcanologists risk their safety taking samples trying to predict when volcanoes will erupt. Beckerman calls these risk-takers “superheroes.” Poetic language such as “an avalanche of ash,” “a plume of doom,” and “a cinder shotput” (p. 23) paint a vivid picture of nature’s wonders for the audience. Concept artist, Chock, paints gorgeous illustrations with subdued blues, purples, browns, and bright oranges, enticing the reader to read more about nature’s spectacular marvels. Each page contains exciting volcano dramatics to keep the reader turning the pages. Substantial back matter includes both author’s and illustrator’s notes, further reading, types of volcanic eruptions, more facts about volcanoes, and questions volcanologists are still trying to answer. 

Butler Bookshelf

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Now that school is almost out and assigned reading for the year is done, graphic novels are great options for those who want a bit more artwork in their books. This week, we are featuring some of our collections new graphic novels, like Next Stop by Debbie Fong. In Fong’s debut novel, middle schooler Pia faces some hardships at home—after her brother recently passed away, her family decides to move to a new town and try to start fresh. To get her mind off of her troubles, Pia goes on a bus tour with a family friend that stops at different, and wacky, roadside attractions along the way. This mix of a self-discovery road trip adventure, middle school humor, and difficult emotional journeys is a touching take on the tough yet wonderous middle grade years.

Check out more of our graphic novels below!

Curveball
Written by Pablo Cartaya
Illustrated by Miguel Díaz Rivas
Published by Disney Hyperion
Available now

Monti and Leo: A Newcomer in Pocketville
Written and illustrated by Sylvia Kantorovitz
Published by Walker Books
Available now

Next Stop
Written and illustrated by Debbie Fong
Published by RH Graphic
Available now

Hilo: Rise of the Cat
Written and illustrated by Judd Winick
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available now

Sweet Valley Twins: The Haunted House
Written by Nicole Andelfinger
Illustrated by Knack Whittle
Published by RH Graphic
Available now

Bloom Where You’re Planted: A review of Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden

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Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden
Christy Mandin
Scholastic/Orchard Books
July 2, 2024
Age 4-8

Garden Glen is basic: the homes look the same, the adults look the same, the gardens look the same. And they want to keep it that way. But when Millie Fleur La Fae and her family move to the Addams Family-esque house on the edge of town, things are bound to change. To make Garden Glen feel like home, she plants a truly peculiar garden—full of fanged fairy moss and grumpy gilliflower—and draws the ire of her neighbors who want to “mow it down!” With determination, creativity, an inclusive spirit, and some encouragement from Mom, she invites her young classmates to experience something a little different, but wonderfully weird. And little by little, builds a culture of acceptance in her new home.

In this sweet, silly, yet layered homage to individuality, Mandin proves that a lot of flare and a little bravery can make a big impact. Millie Fleur’s persistence and Mom’s wisdom about fear disguised as resistance offer an unambiguous message on what it takes to effect change. Met with everything from disdain to threats by adults, Millie Fleur finds her peers more open to something new. The full-color, sepia toned illustrations lend a retro feel that’s both appropriate to 1950s feel of the very proper town and the straight-laced character costuming. The “hand-drawn” style of the digital illustrations is deceptively simple, with expressive faces and moments of architectural precision that complement the layers of meaning in the story. An author’s note introduces some unique (though sadly un-fanged) plants that young gardeners can add to their own yard and background on the true poison garden that helped inspired the tale.

A charming, yet inspiring tale for the young change agents in your library.

Butler Bookshelf

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This week, we are featuring some of our newer picture books in our collection. In Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran’s Piper Chen Sings, Piper Chen is no stranger to singing. In fact, she sings all the time—riding her scooter to school, to her loyal stuffed animal audience, and even while her grandmother, Nǎi Nai, cooks. However, when her teacher asks if she wants to perform a solo for the school musical, Piper starts to feel butterflies in her stomach. Piper thinks she will be too nervous to perform, until Nǎi Nai says that she feels butterflies too! With the help of her grandmother, Piper finds the courage to embrace the butterflies and courageously sings at the musical. This heartfelt picture book’s lyrical text and wispy illustrations helps empower young readers to sing to their heart’s content!

Check out more of our picture books below!

The Boy Who Said Wow
Written by Todd Boss
Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh
Published by Beach Lane Books
Available now

Built to Last
Written by Minh Lê
Illustrated by Dan Santat
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available now

For Our Daughters
Written by Mel Nyoko
Illustrated by Joelle Avelino
Published by Random House Studio
Available now

Just Try It!
Written by Lily Rosenthal and Phil Rosenthal
Illustrated by Luke Flowers
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now

Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School: Based on a True Story
Written by Traci Huahn
Illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
Available now

Piper Chen Sings
Written by Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Published by Random House Studio
Available now

From Ancient Myth to Reality: A Review of The Crossbow of Destiny

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The Crossbow of Destiny
Written by Brandon Hoàng
Scholastic Press
Ages 8-12
Available August 6th, 2024

When Vietnamese American Freddie travels to Vietnam for the first time in almost 10 years to celebrate the career of her beloved archaeologist ông ngoại, or grandfather, she struggles to find her place within her family and her culture. Her family speaks English only to her, she can’t read Vietnamese, and she can barely remember the village where her family lives. Thankfully, she finds solace in seeing Ông Ngoại and her favorite cousin, Liên, who reminds her, “We’re cousins. Viet cousins. That’s like the strongest bond in the universe’” (p 231). At Ông Ngoại’s celebration, Freddie discovers that Ông Ngoại’s colleague, Nhất, is using him to find an ancient crossbow from a Vietnamese legend—and he is willing to kidnap for it. Freddie and Liên narrowly escape Nhất’s clutches after a mysterious boy on a motorcycle named Duy saves them, but Ông Ngoại is still missing. Suddenly, Freddie is re-living the legendary An Dương Vương folktale in modern-day Vietnam to find the magical crossbow before Nhất and his crew. With the help of Liên and their new ally Duy, Freddie learns more than she ever thought she could about her culture while also saving her ông ngoại.

By opening the novel with the Vietnamese legend set thousands of years ago, Hoàng foreshadows Freddie’s action-packed adventure while also introducing readers to cultural context of the characters and plot. The first half of the book focuses on strong characterization, centering Freddie’s identity struggles and familial bonds with Liên and her ông ngoại. The shift from a story of Vietnamese identity to a high-stakes mythical quest is not gradual, but searching for the crossbow ultimately builds Freddie’s confidence in her identity, which ties the two sections of this complex plotline together well. Early on, Hoàng centers Vietnamese identity—he uses Vietnamese phrases in dialogue and description and translates anything that is not discernable with context. This fluid yet bold writing style gives voice to readers familiar with Vietnamese language and culture while also welcoming readers who are less familiar into the world of Vietnamese legends, culture, and language. With powerful themes of self-confidence and perseverance, Hoàng’s middle grade novel is a beautiful combination of Vietnamese culture and an unexpected hero’s quest to save the world.

Butler Bookshelf

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This week’s Butler Bookshelf features fun fairy tale retellings, modern fairy tales, and alternative villain stories of fairy tales. For instance, Lauren DeStefano’s The Lost Ones is the second in her Dark Ascension villain-centered series in which readers meet Captain Hook, and his twin sister, as a teenager. Before he was Captain Hook, James was a modest teenager in a small village, seeking adventure, joy, and his place in the world. When his twin sister, Marlene, wishes themselves into a magical place called Never Land, the twins find themselves suddenly entwined in a war that pulls themselves further and further from each other and their home. This backstory to a central character from the beloved Peter Pan tells of the hardships Captain Hook, or James, faced in his youth, giving readers an alternative perspective to a well-known and widely told fairy tale.

Check out more adventure-filled alternative fairy tales below!

Beastly Beauty
Written by Jennifer Donnelly
Published by Scholastic Press
Available today!

Beyond the Isle of the Lost
Written by Melissa De La Cruz
Published by Disney-Hyperion
Available today!

The Day I Fell Into a Fairy Tale
Written by Ben Miller
Illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini
Published by Aladdin Books
Available now!

The Lost Ones
Written by Lauren DeStefano
Published by Disney Press
Available now!

Promchanted
Written by Morgan Matson
Published by Disney-Hyperion
Available now!

Releasing Your Inner Demons: A Review of The Deep Dark

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The Deep Dark
Molly Knox Ostertag
Scholastic Graphix
Available June 4, 2024
Ages 14 and up

Everyone has secrets. Reserved high school senior Magdalena Herrera’s secret has teeth. Mags is tied to her hometown by her dark secret and a tragic accident, but she is dreaming of a new beginning when she reconnects with her childhood friend, creative and effervescent Nessa. The secret snake-like monster named Laura is caged in the basement because the monster once killed a boy when it escaped Mags’s house. No one must ever know that the murderous monster is still living in the basement. Nessa takes care of Mags after she passes out at a party and a romance quickly ensues between the two friends. Hiding the monster from Nessa, caring for her sick abuela, working long shifts at the diner, and having feelings of grief, loneliness, and guilt from the boy’s death are some of the troubles Mags shoulders.

Dynamically dark paneling, deliberate pacing, and potent dialogue between the characters will captivate teen and adult readers alike. In an intense scene, Mags passes out and believes that she is going to die. Nessa begs her to stay alive, and Mags replies: “For like the first time ever…I really want to” (p. 427). This powerful scene depicts an important message of love and acceptance of ourselves, even the parts we (or society) do not like. The wild creature in Mag’s basement is representative of the troubles in the lives of the many LGBTQ+ characters in this graphic novel. In the end, Mags allows the beast to live in the house with her rather than be caged in the basement—a symbol of Mags accepting who she is and no longer hiding. Grayscale illustrations illuminate Mags’s present, while flashbacks to her childhood burst with shades of pale blue, green, and orange matching the setting of the California desert. The illustration style is noteworthy as it changes from light lines and shading for the characters’ happy moments to dark lines and shading to portray their strong feelings and inner turmoil. 

Butler Bookshelf

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With the nicer weather upon us, we are starting to spend more time outside. Parks are full of sports teams, families with a soccer ball, and groups of friends pitching a volleyball net. So, this week, we are showcasing some works in our collection that focus on sports. For instance, Charles R. Smith Jr.’s Hoop Queens 2 builds on his Sports Royalty poetry book series, honoring the best and most notable basketball players of the time with their own poem. Smith Jr.’s new book features influential and prominent icons of today’s women’s game with names such as A’ja Wilson, Sue Bird, Brittany Griner, and sisters Nneka & Chiney Ogwumike. With personalized poems for and action photographs of each player, Smith Jr. idolizes and honors both the sport and the incredible athletes that bring it to life.

Check out more books with and about sports below!

Field Day!
Written by Candice Ransom
Illustrated by Ashley Evans
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available now!

Hoop Queens 2
Written by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Published by Candlewick Press
Available May 7th, 2024!

La Mala Suerte me Sigue
Written by Ana Siqueira
Illustrated by Carlos Vélez Aguilera
Published by Charlesbridge
Available now!

Painting the Game
Written by Patricia MacLachlan
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Available now!

Two Wheels
Written by David Gibb
Illustrated by Brizida Magro
Published by Candlewick Press
Available May 7th, 2024!