Both books are so well done. Loved them both.
Misfits: The Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee with illustrations by Dan Santat
From the publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 2, 2024)
Olive Cobin Zang has . . . issues. And they mostly aren’t her fault. (No, really!) Though she often slips under the radar, problems have a knack for finding her. So, imagine her doubts when she’s suddenly dropped off at the strangest boarding school ever: a former castle turned prison that's now a “reforming arts school”!
But nothing could’ve prepared Olive for RASCH (not “rash”). There, she’s lumped with a team of other kids who never quite fit in, and discovers that the academy isn’t what it seems—and neither is she. In fact, RASCH is a cover for an elite group of misfits who fight crime . . . and Olive has arrived just in time.
Turns out that RASCH is in danger of closing, unless Olive’s class can stop the heist of the century. And as Olive falls in love with this wacky school, she realizes it’s up to her new team to save the only home that’s ever welcomed them.
This story is the best kind of ride. Creative characters, settings and plot bring plenty of adventure and mystery. There is a lot of fun in the extensive and odd training for the RASCH misfits. This book is pretty perfect from beginning to end (what else would you get from Lisa Yee and Dan Santat?) with plenty of fun and wacky events to keep you reading. There’s a lot of heart – especially when you find your home.
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
From the publisher: Disney Hyperion (January 31, 2023)
Simon O’Keeffe’s biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he’d do anything to forget: the one starring Simon as a famous survivor of gun violence at school.
Two years after the infamous event, twelve-year-old Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone—the only place in America where the internet is banned. Instead of talking about Simon, the astronomers who flock to the area are busy listening for signs of life in space. And when Simon makes a friend who’s determined to give the scientists what they’re looking for, he’ll finally have the chance to spin a new story for the world to tell.
Simon Sort of Says, the Newbery Honor-winning novel by Erin Bow, is a breathtaking testament to the lasting echoes of trauma, the redemptive power of humor, and the courage it takes to move forward without forgetting the past.
This story is impressive, tough, laugh out loud funny and extremely necessary. I’m so glad someone recommended it. I felt everything the character felt, and it all felt real. To get the perspective of a child in a school shooting was brave and painful. For those of us who have never experienced that kind of situation, the level of anxiety and PTSD was palpable. It gave understanding to something we see on TV but don’t know the inside story. There is a warning at the beginning for anyone that might be triggered.
There were also so many times I was laughing out loud and stopped to read it to my husband. This book is one I will keep, and the story will stay with me for a long time.
