This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger (author of Ordinary Grace and Cork O’Connor mysteries) is a new work of historical fiction that received a starred review from Library Journal and was a LibraryReads selection for September.  In an author’s note Krueger says, “I’ve poured the best of myself into this story … [as a key character says] ‘open yourself to every possibility, for there is nothing your heart can imagine that is not so.’”  Set in Minnesota in the summer of 1932, Krueger’s novel deals with themes of social justice, survival, and belonging. THIS TENDER LAND tells the story of four orphans, “impish” Odie (the narrator) and his older brother, mechanically minded Albert, plus their very strong Sioux friend Mose/Amdacha and little Emmy whom they all try to protect. Together, the four take a canoe on the Gilead River towards the Mississippi in the hopes of eventually finding family in Saint Louis. Along the way, they encounter cruelty and kindness, sickness and hunger, as well as joy through friendship and music. Booklist also recommends THIS TENDER LAND, saying “teens will enjoy this historical crossover novel of adventure, and identify with its young protagonist.” My only concern is the length – 464 pages is too long for a required read and only the more motivated students will select it as an independent choice. Those who do will find that the characters are appealing and their travels and adventures certainly pull readers through the story. Adults and book groups, particularly those who liked Where the Crawdads Sing, should definitely consider this heartland tale, too. Highly recommended.

Color Me In by Natasha Diaz

COLOR ME IN by Natasha Diaz is a new young adult novel and I am honestly having trouble deciding if I would recommend it or not. Some positives are the ideas that the main character, a high school sophomore named Nevaeh, is bi-racial and has a mixed religious heritage (Christianity and Judaism); plus, her main friend, Stevie, is very interested in the fine arts and is competing for a dance scholarship. These are the types of characters not often featured in realistic fiction for middle or high school students and we need to see more of them.  The biggest negative however, is that Nevaeh is not at all like-able.  As Stevie says to her, “It’s always about what you need and you want…. I had one shot to get into that program and you couldn’t even support me. I needed you, and you’re so full of yourself you couldn’t see it.” In addition, her parents are in the midst of divorcing and her Mom is almost totally checked out and depressed. Her Dad has suddenly (and manipulatively) decided that Nevaeh should be studying for a bat mitzvah even though she is much older than the traditional age. That provides a reason for her to develop a relationship with a young female rabbi (another positive aspect) who, however, also berates Nevaeh for her attitudes and actions: “I think you spend a lot of time complaining about what’s out of your control instead of considering and appreciating what you’ve got.”  School Library Journal suggests this debut book for grades 8 and up and I think that it would probably have more appeal for students in late middle school and very early high school although there is some casual alcohol and substance abuse.

All the Water in the World by Karen Raney

ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD by Karen Raney is a debut novel told through two voices, Maddy and her mom, Eve. Maddy is just sixteen and has cancer so both are coping with quite a bit. Eve is a single parent and Maddy has never met her dad, Antonio, which is also central to the story. Teens will like Maddy who is adventuresome, artistic and courageous with a variety of coping mechanisms. For example, she says, “I imagine wrapping myself in some big, thick, material until everything is muffled and distant. Then I imagine I am being observed by someone I can’t exactly picture, who knows everything I’m thinking and loves me anyway.  It makes me feel I can do all kinds of difficult things.” Due to all of the chemo treatments, she is home-schooled by a wise teacher: “if you go straight for an answer, you get something you already know. If you go the crooked way back, you have a chance of getting something more interesting.” With her teacher’s encouragement, Maddy gets involved in the environmental movement and that leads to time with Jack, another student who becomes her boyfriend and colleague on the campaign. When Maddy is down, she turns to her grandparents and mother for support. However, Eve comes off as very self-centered and Maddy has to worry about her, too. Maddy tries to choose independence and resilience, thinking, “Nowadays that was my motto: Keep going and see what happens.” This is a well-written and multi-layered, if sad, book. ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD received a starred review from Booklist.