All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

This book made me squirm. Not because it is scary, but because of my empathy for the main character Imogene. Imogene's parents have regular jobs, but are seasonal characters in a Renaissance Faire. The moment is exciting for Imogene. She has been home schooled, and now, will go to public middle school. The faire is starting soon, and now Imogene for the first time, gets to be a full character in this year's faire. Exciting times! So one would think.

Imogene now has to navigate the academic and social norms of middle school. Daunting for any 6th grader, but especially one who has never attended school. How will she handle the academic load? Studying for exams? Making up missed work? How will she navigate her friendships between the social girls, the "nerds", as well as boys? How will she manage all of this, while devoting most of her spare time with the faire? Then there is her little bother, her parents, and other adults at the faire? How she does this, you'll have to read the book, but discovering how she handled all of this made me squirm with the memory of all the awkwardness that is middle school!

This is a fun graphic novel. The artwork is humorus and simple, while the text moves you through the story smoothly. There is a lot that middle schoolers will relate to here. Ties in especially well with the 7th grade history curriculum.
Marks Book Picks Score: 4

Reading Level: 3.4 • Interest Level: 4-7 • AR Points: 3 • Lexile: GN460L  
Publisher: Dial • Pages: 247 • Copyright: 2017 • ISBN: 978-0-525-42999-9 • Available in Perma-Bound binding.

Squirm by Carl Hiaasen

Squirm is another environmental/animal book by Carl Hiassen that holds up well with the other books he has written for young readers. As with his other books, there is a focus on an animal; this time snakes. But, the true center of this, and Hiassen's other books are people and their relationships. In Squirm we are introduced to Billy who has a fascination with snakes, and has become an expert amateur handler. Billy lives with his mother and sister, Belinda. Billy's mother has a fascination with bald eagles, a fascination so extreme that she will uproot Billy and his sister to follow them, wherever they nest. Billy and Belinda have difficulty making lasting relationships because they move so much. They both hope the most recent move is their last. Billy's parents are divorced, and he doesn't know his father. He does know that a support check comes monthly like clockwork. Billy's father is a mystery that he wants to solve. Billy's mother is so secretive in regards to his father that he thinks that his father must be an FBI or CIA agent. His curiosity drives him to dig in his mother's trash to see if he can find some return address on a envelope used to send the support payment. He finally finds one. It is an address in Montana. He decides he is going to the Montana address and uses his savings to buy a plane ticket. When he gets there, he discovers a woman, a teen-aged girl, but not his father. What he does find is something more mysterious than he could imagine, leading to an adventure that will take him deep into the Montana forest.

This is a  typical, fun and adventurous Hiassen read that will hold readers to the climatic ending. For upper elementary and  middle school students. Excellent for tying into environmental studies and animal conservation units. This book goes on sale on September 25, 2018, but can be pre-ordered now.
Mark's Book Picks Rating: 4

Reading Level: 3.0 • Interest Level: 3-6 • AR Points: NA • Lexile: 740L  
Publisher: Knopf • 276 Pages • Copyright: 2018 • ISBN: 978-0-385-75297-8 • Available in Perma-Bound binding.