AS GOOD AS DEAD by Holly Jackson Well, I did it. I completed the series, and I have to say that reading them made me incredibly sad. The plot thickens. The twists and turns abound. Jackson keeps you guessing until she gives the big reveal. So what makes me so sad about these books? It is because so much of the content is believable. Don't get me wrong. Teenagers aren't out murdering each other. BUT the partying, the raping, the sexting, the destruction of one person by another to make themselves feel powerful, the broken families, the drugs to cope, etc just tear my insides out. Obviously, this series is a concentrated amount of destructive behavior at once, but still, it's dark and rough. As Good As Dead opens with a PTSD-suffering Pip. The cases, the places justice fell through, the parts Pip played, the guilt, it's all coming back to haunt her. So she reaches out to a past enemy, the area drug supplier, because she can't cope with it all. Then weird symbols start showing up on her sidewalk, headless pigeons are on the front lawn, messages start appearing asking, "Who's gone to find you when you're gone?" Pip has caught the attention of a serial killer, and she's the next target. Oh, let me throw in here that anything you thought was wrapped up in the first two books wasn't! There's not a lot more that I can say here, so I don't spoil the book. I'm going to speak in broad strokes.. There is a lot more attention and detail given to the murder in As Good As Dead. The police are absolute idiots, and you can't trust the justice system. Some friendships are forever. We'll leave it there. If you read the acknowledgements in the back of the book, Jackson closes with a paragraph about her frustration with the criminal justice system and it's failings. She especially highlights the areas of rape and sexual assault and the anger she has felt when not believed. HEADS UP- Language continues to be an issue including F-bombs. Drug use is more prevalent. Abduction occurs. Murder is more detailed.

10 QUESTIONS EVERY TEEN SHOULD ASK (AND ANSWER) ABOUT CHRISTIANITY by Rebecca McLaughlin Rebecca McLaughlin doesn't shy away from the hard stuff that teens are questioning these days. She chooses 10 of the questions that are often debated where secular culture thinks Christianity falls flat on its face and answers them in a logical, well thought out method that we all can appreciate. Questions like "Isn't Christianity against Diversity, Can Jesus Be True for You but Not For Me, Hasn't Science Disproved Christianity, and Why Can't We Just Agree That Love is Love?" are covered. Like I said, the hard stuff. McLaughlin has a great way of making in-roads with teens. She uses familiar books and movies as quotes in each of her chapters. References to Harry Potter, Moana, Frozen, Lord of the Rings, Wreck-It Ralph are relatable and familiar to this generation. McLaughlin doesn't hide away at all. She admits to same sex attraction feelings from a young age. However, she chose to trust that Jesus' love was "better than the love any woman could give me." Today she is married to a wonderful man with two children. She says that there is a piece of her that still desires a relationship with a woman, but she gives that part over to Jesus with the claim that we all have unfulfilled longings that we say no to in order to say yes to Christ. This is a great book to sit down and go through together with your teen or each of you read separately and then sit down and have a discussion. It's one that may open doors to what your teen has already dealt with, is currently dealing with, or will be dealing with in our culture today. It may begin to allow communication to flow more easily between you about difficult topics. HEADS UP- She is a Harry Potter fan which will bother some. References are short. As stated above, Rebecca McLaughlin is same sex attracted but has chosen to marry a man and have children. The one area that I disagree with her on is her short section on the origin of the earth. She believes the origin began with a "big bang." The chapter is dedicated to Christianity is Science, and this is just a small part of it.

GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD by Holly Jackson Good Girls, Bad Blood contains significantly less content than its predecessor, but you'll still want to check out the HEADS UP section. Pip has sworn off mysteries. Honestly, the last one almost killed her, so she's made a promise to her parents that it's a one and done. That was until her friend Connor showed up at her door in a panic. Connor's twenty-four-year-old brother, Jamie, has disappeared, and the police can't help. Yeah, Jamie's disappeared before, but something about this time doesn't sit right. Pip attempts to honor her agreement with her parents about no more mysteries, but Connor has no where else to turn and the clock is ticking. What choice does she really have? There is no doubt that Good Girls, Bad Blood starts off a little more mellow than A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. There's still twists and turns that keep a reader guessing, but it's not quite the roller coaster ride the first book was. Still the storyline will keep you hooked and guessing the whole way through. There are still a few items to be aware of. HEADS UP- The first is language. The f-bomb is used multiple times along with a collection of other words. There is mention of a gay relationship. It is passing with no detail. There are some texts that imply sexual activity that doesn't happen. The last few chapters of this book do deal with a violent crime involving children. It does not give explicit details, but it may be troubling to some readers. Readers are stuck with weighing out justice in their minds at the end.

UP, UP, EVER UP! JUNKO TABEI A LIFE IN THE MOUNTAINS by Anita Yasuda. Illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. On September 22, 1939, JUNKO (Ishibashi) Tabei was born in the shadow of the mountains of Japan. From a young age, she longed to climb and explore the mountains. As a young adult, she attempted to join a mountaineering club, but most clubs were closed to females. Finally, she found one that allowed her to be a part, and she began scaling the heights she had so long admired. Little by little, she began to bring women together that had the same love for the mountains that she did. Her group of women set their sights on Mt. Everest and began to plan and prepare for a trip. (Very few men had climbed the tallest mountain in the world, and certainly, no women had.) This amazing story shares the journey that followed and the unexpected hardships that had to be overcome. Up, up, Ever Up is a beautiful story of perseverance and accomplishment and is worthy of reading!

A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER by Holly Jackson It's Pippa (Pip) Fitz-Amobi's senior year of high school and time to declare her Senior Capstone Project topic. Pip's not the typical run-of-the mill student, and her project proposal reflects that. Five years ago, the most popular girl in high school, Andie Bell, disappeared leaving copious amounts of blood behind in her abandoned vehicle's trunk. Even though her body was never found, it was ruled that she was murdered. A few days later her boyfriend's (Sal Singh) body is found in the woods with a text message on his phone confessing to Andie's murder. Pip always questioned if Sal really could have murdered Andie and has decided it's time to find out what really happened that night by way of her Capstone Project. Ultimately, Pip is a "good girl" looking for justice and restoration in her community. GGGTM is a read that will leave the reader hanging on by their thumbnails to try and find out what happened. Twists and turns abound as more and more clues and connections come to light. When Pip starts receiving threats to back off of her investigation, it is confirmed that there is someone out there that knows about what really went down the night Andie disappeared, and they might be willing to do just about anything to keep the truth hidden away. HEADS UP- GGGTM has about every thing you can imagine, but not necessarily in detail. Partying, drug use and trafficking, alcohol, sex (no in the room scenes - just references in multiple relationships), mention of use of the morning after pill, sexting, rape, language including f-bombs, violence (not gory), minor reference to a gay relationship. So here's the struggle that you have to decide. The truth is most of our teens are encountering the environment that this book is set in in their everyday life whether it's through school, work, etc. I graduated in 1994, and even then you knew who the partyers were, who was strung out on drugs, etc. It's just expanded. One could argue that a book like this is just the "normal life" they encounter everyday (minus the murder part) so why does it matter if they read about it as well, and that is a valid point. The two questions that a person must wrangle with then are, do I just accept this as "normal life" and is that what my entertainment life should look like as well? That, my friend, is your decision.

THE SUNFLOWER HOUR by Poppy Green. Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. Book 22 is out in the Sophie Mouse series, and it's about one of my favorite things - sunflowers! Sweet Sophie Mouse is back anticipating the blooming of a glorious patch of sunflowers. In true Sophie style she wants to spend it with her friends, so she plans a fantastic picnic. The problem? Her friends are all involved in their own plans. Sophie really struggles with feeling left out and plans on continuing ahead with a party for one. Then something super special happens, but you'll have to read the book for that! I will continue to sing the praises of the Sophie Mouse series. There isn't a series much dearer than this that addresses real feelings that kids often experience in their own lives. Author Poppy Green does a good job of sharing these feelings, and then showing how to move forward in a constructive and respectable way!

EL NINO by Pam Munoz Ryan. Illustrated by Joe Cepeda Most of us are familiar with the name Pam Munoz Ryan author of the fantastic books Echo, Esperanza Rising, Solimar, and many more. El Nino is her latest release to hit the shelves, and it does not disappoint. EL Nino is a book intermixed with reality and fantasy that leaves the reader deciding if the fantasy portion actually occurred to the main character or not.  Kai Sosa is mourning the loss of his sister, Cali, an extremely talented swimmer who had the possibility of the Olympics in her future. It doesn't make any sense that she drowned even if she was swimming in the ocean. Now, Kai is expected to fill Cali's shoes and carry on the family swimming dynasty. The only problem, he can't get his times up to where they should be, and he's feeling like he's failing Cali's memory. Beat down by his grief, he finds a book that Cali had checked out of the library multiple times about an underwater kingdom of mermaliens off of the coast of California where Kai and his family live. The mermaliens are mythical creatures who collect and store the tears people cry into the ocean. They honor the memory of grief and loss and keep the emotions locked away in their library. Their kingdom is now under siege by an enemy who wants to release the grief emotions back into the world overwhelming it. Kai is swept up in the crisis and beyond surprising is the fact that Cali is at the heart of it all. EL Nino is an extremely creative story dealing with loss and grief and how it can affect someone. HEADS UP- This book has light magic in it that is borderline superheroish. It is a little reminiscent of Wonder Woman with her power and background. Part way in, the book was feeling a bit cheesy to me. Then everything snapped into place, and it was actually quite moving.  El Nino touches on the warming of the ocean waters/climate change resulting in phenomenons like El Nino. It also mentions evolution - specifically that humans evolved from fish.

CANDLE ISLAND by Lauren Wolk This is a perfect read to wrap the summer up with whether as a read aloud or as a quiet read for your middle grader! Is it really any surprise that I put Lauren Wolk's name in the same sentence as TOP PICKS? If you are familiar with Echo Mountain, Wolf Hollow, My Own Lighting, etc, then you know what I am talking about. Lauren Wolk has a very realistic and earthy way about her writing. You can feel the setting, the natural surroundings, and you can feel the deep conflicts that are often stirring in the stories. They are relatable. Candle Island is no different. Lucretia and her mother have settled on Candle Island, Maine, a small island with a tiny population of residents that live their year round and an influx of problematic, wealthy, summer vacationers. Attempting to try and escape the memories and continuing nightmares from the death of Lucretia 's father from a car crash, they find themselves strung between the two groups since they are not vacationers but not proven enough to be considered residents. Roots on Candle Island run deep and long. It doesn't help that they've got a secret that they want to keep hidden. Lucretia's mother is a famous artist that doesn't want to be in the spotlight. Her work is highly sought after and is what's keeping the bills paid. By moving to Candle Island, they're hoping to keep a low profile. Thanks to a series of crimes, that may be more difficult than they planned. Candle Island is a wonderful story that highlights healing, the need for everyone to have a quiet space, and the art of true friendship. Beautifully written and highly recommended!

THE GIRL AND THE DRESS by Camille Andros. Illustrated by Julie Morstad My girls have all had favorite dresses that they loved to wear when they were younger. They were dresses of sweet softness and roomy enough that movement was not inhibited. Adventures were not shied away from despite the fact that they were clothed in a dress. That is the heart of this beautiful picture book. Once there was a girl from faraway Greece who wore a dress made by her mother. She loved the dress and the dress loved her. Day in and day out they followed the same routine, but they both long for an adventure that takes them out of the ordinary. That adventure comes when the family decides to immigrate to America. Upon arrival, the girl and her dress are unexpectedly separated. Both embark on journeys that lead them on their own adventure. However, a sweet twist at the end wraps this story up nicely. This story is a great example of personification as the dress takes on the human qualities of caring and longing for adventure. For some children, this will be extremely delightful. For others, it may be a stumbling block as they struggle mentally to allow the dress to have these traits and therefore lose the thread of the story. I found it to be a beautiful way to share a story. I have to add here a tribute to Julie Morstad and her gorgeous illustrations in The Dress and the Girl. They are captivating. I loved the liberal use of peach in the pictures that give a sense of sunrise on possibilities as this sweet girl and her dress set off on their adventures.

THE DEAD SEA SQUIRRLES: JINGLE SQUIRRLES (Book 9) by Mike Nawrocki The Dead Sea Squirrels are back with more great adventures! Merle and Pearl have been captured by Ruben who has taken them back to Jerusalem where the plan is for them to become the focal point of a petting zoo. However, Michael and his family haven't given up on finding them. The hunt is on, and it will take the family to the Holy Land just in time for Christmas. Interlaced with the continuing search for the squirrels is the Christmas story of Jesus' birth, and His love for mankind. As the family searches, it takes them to the historical spots from the Biblical account. I am constantly in awe of how this great series continues to bring kids face to face with the scriptures in fun and engaging ways! This is a series you will want to start at Book One with and not skip around.

OPPENHEIMER AND THE ATOMIC BOMB by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Adapted by Eric S. Singer. OPPENHEIMER AND THE ATOMIC BOMB ( YA ADAPTATION OF AMERICAN PROMETHEUS : THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER) by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Adapted by Eric S. Singer Rarely does a book grab me as intensely as OPPENHEIMER and the Atomic Bomb did which is why I'm adding it to my TOP PICKS LIST. Rarely do I walk away from a read wishing I could fully understand the political and emotional climate, the secret meetings, the motivations for decisions made, etc. it is impossible to unravel the "whys" without seeing directly into man's heart and mind. As I sit here and write this, I long for my grandparents, so I could ask them their thoughts on the Oppenheimer situation. (My maternal grandfather was a doctor during WWII stationed along the Panama Canal. My paternal grandmother was a secretary for the US military stationed in Germany just after WWII.) Anyway, to say this book is thought provoking would be to say that it rains in the Amazon Jungle during the rainy season. It's the understatement of the year. So, who was Oppenheimer? Oppenheimer is ultimately known for heading up the Manhatten Project as the lead physicist that brought about the completion of the atomic bomb. Growing up in a privileged background, it was clear that Oppenheimer was brilliant and consumed learning somewhat like a black hole. There was no quenching his pursuit. The biggest challenge was keeping him engaged and not bored. Through his teen and early adulthood years, he struggled with depression and did some very questionable/troubling things (see HEADS UP below). Thankfully, it appears that he got his feet under him in life and was able to move on in a more even keeled manner. What he was later able to complete as a result of his unbelievable grasp on physics is really amazing. Later, he understood what he helped to birth into the world and the consequences it would bring as a result. He advocated for a world sharing of the information to hopefully bring about the realization and shelving of the destruction that was possible as a result. This led to intense investigation into his personal life and the man that was once hailed as a hero was destroyed in the public's eye. So, here I find myself pondering and thinking of a nation who came out of WWII, who feared the spread of communism and world dominance, who desired to stay one step ahead of the enemies of that day, parents whose sole wish it was to keep their children and loved ones safe, and a man who created the weapon advocating for world sharing to hopefully keep us from all destroying each other who then lost his reputation and career as a result. Is it possible to share info with the dictators of the day then and the ones we hear of today? I struggle with that thought. But a man should not have been destroyed for his questions. My soul battles. HEADS UP- There is a small amount of language in quotes (4-5 words). No f-bombs. SPOILER ALERT As a child, Oppenheimer was made fun of because he was not athletic like other boys. He was stripped naked, his genitalia area painted green, and locked in an ice house. The book also mentions at one point he tried to poison a professor by an apple he injected with cyanide. There is a lot of debate as to whether or not this actually happened. He also attempted to choke a friend once. His friend was much stronger than he was and was able to throw him off pretty easily. It seems as though as time went on, Oppenheimer was able to wrestle through some of his mental issues, became more comfortable and confident with himself, and no longer a threat to those around him.  There will be lots to think about and discuss as you read through this book.

THE CARTOONISTS CLUB by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud  The CARTOONISTS CLUB is a fun read that teaches readers about the writing/art process of cartoons and graphic novels wrapped in the package of an enjoyable graphic novel story. Embedded are fun hints where to get inspiration for stories, how to narrow the story down, art supplies to use, a simple "book" you can make from paper to get started with, and lots more! The storyline shares the formation of the club. Some of the members are kids that are confident and ready to show their work, some are shy and hesitant about sharing, and some are downright hard on themselves. It works to draw out and build up kids that have an interest in this area but wrestle with the idea that they "aren't good enough." Overall, The CARTOONISTS CLUB is a great read that teaches along the way without being overbearing. If your kids are like mine, once they've read it, you'll start finding homemade comics lying around! HEADS UP- One of the members introduces themself with they/them pronouns. That is all that is said about it.