Review: All's Faire in Middle School

All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Imogene has grown up with a rather unconventional lifestyle. Her parents are part of the local Renaissance Faire; her mother has a shop to sell her crafts, her father performs as a knight in the jousting match, and this year Imogene is finally going to be allowed to start playing the role of squire. But that's not the only change in Imogene's life. This year, after being homeschooled all her life, she is going to start middle school, and middle school is definitely a place where you don't want to be different.

Imogene struggles to learn the rules in this strange new environment, and finds herself a bit lost. Her attempts to fit in backfire, and she ends up hurting a friend, as well as her little brother, as things spiral out of control. Will her family and friends ever forgive her? And will she ever find her place in this strange new world called middle school?

I really liked Jamieson's previous book, Roller Girl, but I think I liked this one even more. They are both excellent books that deal with angst of tweendom, but I think I related to Imogene's experience a little more. Not that I grew up in a Renaissance Faire, but I do know what it's like growing up poor, not having the "right" brands of clothes and shoes, and having trouble fitting in and feeling like an outsider. Jamieson captures those feelings perfectly. While cliques and snobs abound even in adulthood, nothing is quite as bad as middle school.

As I have mentioned before, while I recognize the value of graphic novels, they really aren't my thing and I don't read them very often. But if one is really well done, I can get past the format and really enjoy them, and this is definitely one of those. I think any middle-schooler could relate to this story, and I would recommend it to any of them, but especially those who like graphic novels, or are open to trying them. I wish more parents and teachers would recognize the value of graphic novels and not discourage kids from reading them, especially since they are such a great way to reach reluctant readers or those who are more visually oriented. Fans of Roller Girl, El Deafo, and Raina Telgemeier's books will love All's Faire in Middle School as well.

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Review: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clayton Byrd's parents were never married, but have a cordial relationship and his father is a part of his life. But Clayton is closer to his grandfather, who he calls "Cool Papa", and the two share a strong bond, strengthened by their mutal love of the blues. However, one evening Cool Papa dies unexpectedly, and Clayton's grief is compounded by the fact that his mother seems to be trying to erase his very existence due to resentment lingering from her childhood.

I had a hard time deciding how to rate this book, as I did not enjoy it nearly as much as the author's previous trilogy about the Gaither sisters. But I decided that was more because I was not really the right audience for this book, and I did not identify with the main character, an only child dealing with a significant loss, as I did with Delphine being the oldest child with siblings and all the sibling bickering, plus I preferred the longer story covering a whole summer, as opposed to mainly one day.

The final factor that interferred with my enjoyment of the story was how much I disliked Clayton's mother. I found her to be extremely selfish, self-centered, and childish, putting her need to nurse her childhood hurts and resentment and punish her father's memory over her child's needs, and her actions made me very angry on Clayton's behalf. The relationship between Clayton and Cool Papa was very special and touching, and it was sad that Clayton's mother was so jealous of it and tried to erase Clayton's memory of it, rather that appreciating it and helping Clayton grieve and remember. But, it is realistic as the death of a family member often brings out the worst in people and causes family infighting.

I do think this book is well-written, and the characters pretty well-developed, although in fairness you only see one side of Clayton's mother and just a glimpse of his father. This book would have a lot of appeal to reluctant readers as it is shorter and less intimidating, and they get to have an adventure along with Clayton. I would recommend this to readers who prefer more realistic fiction, and might be looking for something with a little adventure, maybe some vicarious rebellion, or are struggling with loss and/or complex family dynamics. And having a well-written book featuring diverse characters is always a plus.

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