Remembering Kaylee Cooper by Christopher Francis

 

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Ghost Story
Source: I purchased a copy

I have to say I am really enjoying my summer selection of books.  Christopher Francis is a very talented author. His story about a young boy who is being followed by a young and annoying girl made my day today. Kaylee inadvertently trips Alex in the Cafeteria one day at school. This created a mess on him, his friends and landed him in the principal's office.  She follows him everywhere.  As the story goes on we are introduced to Daisy, the girl Alex has a crush on. He also is best friends with her step-brother Henry. Then we are introduced to the school Bully Damian and his side-kick Jared. Madelyn is a new girl in school. During Their Mythology class they are discussing urban legends. She tells them one about the house on screaming ridge. She tells them about the family that lived and died there.  This set a whole lot of things in motion. The fact that Alex almost drowned in the river has caused him to react differently to things.

This is a ghost story, but not the creepy, don't go in the house kind of story. This is the story of a ghost who doesn't realize they are a ghost. This is a story of those who have had contact in one form or another with ghosts or who have had near death experiences. This is one of those stories that will keep the reader reading from beginning to end. The characters are believable, the setting is well thought out. Christopher Francis is an author who definitely knows what he is doing.  I purchased his books in ebook format but will definitely be purchases paperback copies for my shelves this year.

The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown

Genre: Horror, Middle Grade, Mystery
Source: I purchased a copy

India Hill Brown has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I purchased this book after reading "The Girl In the Lake.  I love a good ghost story.  The difference between other ghost stories and the type that this author writes is the historical message.  Her characters are African American.  Her ghost stories came about because of an injustice. In the case of this story, Iris and her neighbor and best friend Daniel break the rules and go out the night of the first snow. To make matters worse they sneak into the forest across the street so their parents won't see them. What they end up finding while making snow angels is a grave of a young girl named Avery. Now Iris is being haunted. The grave is that of a young girl who was buried in a segregated cemetery. Avery doesn't want to be forgotten. That is why she is haunting Iris.  

If you think this is a long gone issue think again. Iris knows what it is like to be forgotten. She is the captain of her middle school's step team.  Her mom notices on the TV news her middle school and all the club captains being recognized. That is, all except her and her step team. It seems that they are always being forgotten. Emails just seem to get lost. I know for a lot of people who are white like me they often don't see the big deal in this. I do. I have never understood why people feel they should judge other's worth based on their skin color.  I am aware there are many African American Cemeteries that have been run down, forgotten about, or evern worse. bulldozed away to make room for other buildings.  I like the fact that this author isn't afraid to to address these issues. If there is one thing I hope her books do for the kids who read them is spur them into noticing these injustices and working toward a solution. I look forward to many more books by this author, and I look forward to putting them into the hands of my students. Awesome book!

The Girl in the White Van by April Henry

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Mystery
Source: I purchased a copy

I absolutely love this author’s books.  She takes young people and puts them in situations that are a nightmare in themselves.  Savannah is a young girl who is kidnapped. She is taken out to an old trailer where she finds Jenny. She is another kidnap victim and has been held for ten months. Savannah and Jenny are completely different. Savannah takes Kung Fu and so she fights back.  Jenny seems to have just given up until she meets Savannah.  As they try to escape knowing the danger the tension is brought to a whole new level. Just like in her book, “The Night She Disappeared” the author has given us a character in Savannah that is willing to fight back. This action keeps the story moving forward. I love how her characters are strong girls, or girls who find the strength to do what they didn’t know they could do. I had to wait until the summer to read this because my students handed it from one to the other.  I can make sure to get this book into the hands of my students.