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THE DEEPEST BREATH

Name: THE DEEPEST BREATH
Author: Meg Grehan
ISBN: 978-0-358-35475-8

by Meg Grehan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 16, 2021

An endearing LGBTQ+ novel perfect for middle graders.

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An Irish import offers a glimpse into the life of an anxious preteen who learns to accept herself and all the things she doesn’t know.

Stevie, 11, knows a lot of things. She knows how old whales live to be, she knows that her dad lives far away (but it’s OK), and she knows Morse code is good for getting rid of nightmares. She likes knowing things; it makes her feel safe and in control. But there is one thing that Stevie doesn’t know: Why does she get this funny feeling, all “warm and squishy,” in her chest when she looks at her friend Chloe? Stevie is worried about these feelings and what her mum will think if she talks to her about them. So Stevie takes matters into her own hands to figure out what these feelings are and, maybe, how to make them a little less scary. This free-verse novel captures Stevie’s feelings of worry with its precise use of language and repetition, which allows readers to empathize with her: “Usually when I ask my mum / Questions / Big or small or silly or smart / She gives me / Answers / Big or small or silly or smart / She wraps them up and hands them over / Like little presents / … / But this time / I think she forgot / To put the words in.” Stevie’s crush on Chloe is very naïve and sweet, making this coming-out tale one that is suitable for and accessible to middle-grade readers. Though this book is short, its impact could make a difference to a child struggling with anxiety or coming out to a parent. Characters assume a White default.

An endearing LGBTQ+ novel perfect for middle graders. (Verse fiction. 8-10)

Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-358-35475-8

Page Count: 192

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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SAVING THE TEAM

From the Kicks series

by Alex Morgan ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2013

Wholesome? Yes. Proper hard work and teamwork values in place? Yes. Paint by numbers? Oh, yes.

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Olympic gold medalist Morgan runs down the celebrity-sports-fiction checklist in this series opener: New school? Check. New friends? Check. New boyfriend? Maybe! New soccer team? Check. Inspire said team to take on snooty archrival private school? Check.

Quickly shedding perfunctory initial reservations, Devin sails into seventh grade at Kentville Middle School, makes instant connections in class and at Kangaroos soccer tryouts. She meets requisite bully Mirabelle at the latter, then goes on to be elected team co-captain. After a disastrous start to the season, she helps her team’s members and even the less-than-rigorous coach land on the same winning page. Following a sleepover, a dance, team-building drills and exercises, pep rallies, minor problem-solving and motivational strategizing, Devin prods the Kangaroos into position to beat the haughty Pinewood Panthers in a climactic rematch while also schooling Mirabelle, who has jumped ship to join the rival team.

Wholesome? Yes. Proper hard work and teamwork values in place? Yes. Paint by numbers? Oh, yes. (soccer glossary) (Fiction. 8-10)

Pub Date: May 7, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4424-8570-9

Page Count: 176

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: March 26, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ESCAPE FROM BAXTERS' BARN

by Rebecca Bond ; illustrated by Rebecca Bond ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2015

Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to...

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A group of talking farm animals catches wind of the farm owner’s intention to burn the barn (with them in it) for insurance money and hatches a plan to flee.

Bond begins briskly—within the first 10 pages, barn cat Burdock has overheard Dewey Baxter’s nefarious plan, and by Page 17, all of the farm animals have been introduced and Burdock is sharing the terrifying news. Grady, Dewey’s (ever-so-slightly) more principled brother, refuses to go along, but instead of standing his ground, he simply disappears. This leaves the animals to fend for themselves. They do so by relying on their individual strengths and one another. Their talents and personalities match their species, bringing an element of realism to balance the fantasy elements. However, nothing can truly compensate for the bland horror of the premise. Not the growing sense of family among the animals, the serendipitous intervention of an unknown inhabitant of the barn, nor the convenient discovery of an alternate home. Meanwhile, Bond’s black-and-white drawings, justly compared to those of Garth Williams, amplify the sense of dissonance. Charming vignettes and single- and double-page illustrations create a pastoral world into which the threat of large-scale violence comes as a shock.

Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to ponder the awkward coincidences that propel the plot. (Animal fantasy. 8-10)