How to Stay Invisible by Maggie Rudd

How to Stay Invisible   by Maggie Rudd  230 Pages

Twelve-year-old Raymond Hurley has never had a place to call home. His freewheeling parents move their family from town to town, and they're living in a trailer in a brand-new state when one day they just up and abandon him. All alone with nothing but a duffel bag full of clothes and Rosie, his reliable pup, Raymond is forced to live in the woods behind his middle school. With a fishing pole in hand and a survival guide checked out from the library, Raymond scrapes by and doesn't tell anyone his secret. This isn't the first time he's had only himself to rely on. However, when winter days get colder and finding food becomes nearly impossible, Raymond makes new friends, including a curious coyote, in unexpected places. Soon he learns that his fate will depend on not just his wilderness skills, but also on the people and animals he chooses to trust. In her heartfelt debut novel, Maggie C. Rudd takes readers on a journey of survival that speaks to friendship, adventure, and the everyday wonders of nature. In middle school, blending in is easy, but sometimes the braver thing is being seen.

I read this because it is a Mark Twain nominee.  It was very sad but a reality for some children.  I am not sure children will understand the depth of the tragedy, and would think it is an adventure story.  I did not like the ending.  They introduced all of these different characters and then he didn't even get to go live with any of them...sorry spoiler!  It was a good book, but I definitely would want a different ending!

The Call Me No Sam! by Drew Daywalt

 They Call Me No Sam!   by Drew Daywalt  219 pages

Meet Sam: an insolent pug--and incidental hero--who will stop at nothing to protect his family! When scientists Elaine and Gary Peterson adopt Sam to keep their son, Justin, company in the midst of a top-secret research project, they never imagine the precocious pup will cause more harm than good. But from chewing up Elaine's hair dryer (the "brain-melting heat cannon") to his inability to be house-trained (who could resist the 'pooping rug'?), the Petersons aren't sure how much more they can take. And that's before Sam starts harassing Justin's crush (and potential new friend), Phoebe, who Sam is sure is an evil wizard out to harm Justin. But when a pair of crooks encroaches on the Peterson household in an attempt to steal their confidential findings, Sam's actions--never mind his reasoning for them--just may save the day.

This is an award nominee, and I think children will love this.  It is written from the dog's point of view. The dog thinks he is the human and the human is a naked monkey thing.  The humor is great, which I would expect from Drew Daywalt.  Short chapter book recommended for grades 3-4.

A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner

 

A Work in Progress   by Jarrett Lerner  361 pages

Will is the only round kid in a school full of string beans. So he hides in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, in the back row during class, and anywhere but the cafeteria during lunch. But shame isn't the only feeling that dominates Will's life. He's also got a crush on a girl named Jules who knows he doesn't have a chance with -- string beans only date string beans -- but he can't help wondering what if? Will's best shot at attracting Jules's attention is by slaying the Will Monster inside him by changing his eating habits and getting more exercise. But the results are either frustratingly slow or infuriatingly unsuccessful, and Will's shame begins to morph into self-loathing. As he resorts to increasingly drastic measures to transform his appearance, Will meets skateboarder Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress. 

Very fast read.  Addresses a topic that I know is important to teens, but very hard to read.  It shows how an overweight teen feels on the inside and how words DO hurt! 

One Kid's Trash by Jamie Sumner

One Kid's Trash by Jamie Sumner 225 pages Hugo is not happy about being dragged halfway across the state of Colorado just because his dad had a midlife crisis and decided to become a ski instructor. It'd be different if Hugo weren't so tiny, if girls didn't think he was adorable like a puppy in a purse and guys didn't call him 'leprechaun' and rub his head for luck. But here he is, the tiny new kid on his first day of middle school. When his fellow students discover his remarkable talent for garbology, the science of studying trash to tell you anything you could ever want to know about a person, Hugo becomes the cool kid for the first time in his life. But what happens when it all goes to his head? Great middle school book about bullying and trying to fit in at a new school. Hugo is small and tried to steer away from bullies, then he finds he has a hidden talent, garbology. When his world is turned upside down, he finds his true friends and to stand up for himself.

Lion of Mars By Jennifer Holm

Lion of Mars by Jennifer Holm 259 pages Bell is a kid raised on Mars who learns that he can't be held back by the fears of the grown-ups around him. Bell has spent his whole life - all eleven years of it - on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid - he loves cats, any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping. Like, why don't they have contact with anyone on the other Mars colonies? Why are they so isolated? When a virus breaks out and the grown-ups all fall ill, Bell and the other children are the only ones who can help. It's up to Bell - a regular kid in a very different world - to uncover the truth and save his family ... and possibly unite an entire planet. Mars may be a world far, far away, but in the hands of Jennifer L. Holm, beloved and bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish, it can't help but feel like home." -- ‡cProvided by publisher. I am not a fan of science fiction, but this book kept me intrigued and wanting to read more. The tie to a pandemic, truly made an impression. It was a very good fit for 4-6 graders.