“It was in the summer of the year when the relatives came. They came up from Virginia. They left when their grapes were nearly purple enough to pick, but not quite”. Thus begins a winsome and delightful story about families.

From a long drive down winding country roads, to the moment of arrival, to the hugging and eating and laughing and hugging, and finally to the early morning goodbye, The Relatives Came perfectly captures the universal feeling of what it means to be a family. Stephen Gammell’s expressive colored-pencil drawings bring the story to life and are a perfect complement to the relatively simple text. The images add such a depth to the story, expanding visually on the text to create vibrant and distinguishable characters. Cynthia Rylant’s ability to sting the heart with her writing can also be seen throughout. “But none of us thought about Virginia much. We were so busy hugging and eating and breathing together.” Anyone who has felt the ease, joy, and discomfort of extended family will smile at that sentence and the rest of this Caldecott Honor winning book!

Alistair Cleary doesn’t think his life is anything special. When he’s not at school, he’s playing video games with Charlie (a friend whom he wishes he could shake), or catching an early morning ride with Charlie’s big brother, Kyle (who has a bad reputation but a good listening ear). But Alistair’s entire world is shaken when Fiona Loomis appears on his doorstep, asking him to write her biography. Fiona lives next door, but it’s been years since Alistair has hung out with her, let alone talked to her. Alistair remembers that Fiona was always a little strange, but now he wonders if she just might be crazy. Fiona spins a tale about another world called Aquavania, where she and other children create stories that come to life, and a villain known as “The Riverman” is out to steal kids’ souls. Fiona believes she is next in line to lose her soul, and that The Riverman might even be in the solid world, looking for her. Of course, all of this sounds like nonsense to Alistair…until he begins to wonder if there is some truth to what Fiona says. What if Aquavania is another name for her home? What if The Riverman is a nickname for someone in her family, someone terrible? Determined to find the answers, Alistair agrees to hear more of Fiona’s story. Little does he know that Fiona’s story is about to change his own, forever.

I read this novel for the ECC Board’s summer book club and was immediately drawn to Alistair’s voice. Even though he’s twelve-years-old and is still figuring things out, he views the world with a writer’s objective viewpoint. Fiona’s character is compelling as well, because I can never predict how she’s going to interact with Alistair. I also really enjoyed the minor characters, Charlie and Kyle—they remind me of people I once knew in my childhood and their relationships with Alistair are very believable. The world of Aquavania is well crafted and Fiona’s stories about it are unique and engaging. Overall, I recommend this book to lovers of both literary and action-adventure middle grade. For the literary readers, the story offers a lot of interesting observations about the possibilities and limitations of imagination, and how we choose to share our own personal stories. The writing is beautiful and easy to follow. At the same time, the constant threat of The Riverman and Alistair’s ongoing search for the truth keeps adventure fans on their toes; and nothing, nothing will prepare readers for the action-packed cliffhanger ending (this book is the first in a planned series). So if you’re looking for a little bit of everything, or simply the unexpected, I highly recommend The Riverman by Aaron Starmer.

Oliver isn’t so excited about starting school – in fact, he’s having a hard time feeling brave about it. So he stops at a swamp on the way and picks and alligator to bring along…just in case. The alligator proves quite useful, gobbling up everyone and everything Oliver isn’t so sure about, from his teacher, to his classmates, to the entire classroom. Things aren’t so scary anymore…but Oliver soon realizes they aren’t so fun either!

Schmid’s illustrations are sparse but full of feeling, with each change in Oliver’s expression and slight blush to his cheeks adding a layer of thoughtfulness to this silly situation. The alligator himself bulges comically as he “munch munches” everything in sight, filling the page as he stuffs everyone inside. These playful illustrations will make even the most squeamish of readers quite comfortable with the idea of all the characters finding themselves deep in his belly. Schmid, also the author of Hugs from Pearl, offers a funny but meaningful story that will set children at ease about trying new things.

Jam Gallahue’s boyfriend, Reeve, is dead, and without him in her life nothing else matters. When her parents no longer know how to help her cope with her grief, Jam is sent to The Wooden Barn, a boarding school for “fragile” and traumatized students in middle-of-nowhere, Vermont. At first, Jam is miserable and misses Reeve more than ever. But when she is selected for Special Topics in English, an exclusive and mysterious class, things begin to change. The students are given special journals, and when Jam writes in hers she is transported to ‘Belzhar’—an alternate reality where Reeve is still alive, and Jam is still happy. But when the journal’s pages start to run out, Jam is forced to face a truth that she never knew existed.

Meg Wolitzer’s Sylvia-Plath-steeped Belzhar is intriguing, dark, and surprising. Jam’s journey, as well as those of her classmates, is heartbreaking and realistic. Wolitzer integrates magical elements seamlessly into the contemporary setting. This dream-like YA read is perfect for fans of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars.

Carl Hiaasen was on stage during this year’s BEA Children’s Author Breakfast to discuss Florida, road kill recipes, and his forthcoming foray into children’s literature, Skink — No Surrender. This mystery thriller centers on small-town-Florida teen Richard as he tracks down his wayward, runaway cousin, Malley. Malley’s sporadic and increasingly troubling phone calls give Richard a thin trail of breadcrumbs, which lead him across the state and deep into the Chockatwatchee River. The story, on its surface, bears more than passing resemblance to John Green’s ‘Paper Towns’, but where ‘Skink’ distinguishes itself from that—and really any other YA book you’re likely to encounter this year—is in its eponymous character, a drifter who goes by Skink. Skink literally bursts onto the scene early in the story and from then on effectively manages to steal the spotlight and the reader’s imagination.

Skink is a former Governor of Florida turned off-the-grid environmentalist; a hulking, hairy relic of the seventies, prone to fits of black-out violence. In spite of these moments, Skink lives a life on admirable, if eccentric, principles. He is a catalyst on the page, propelling Richard into trouble as often as he bails him out of it, and it is from Richard’s perspective—that of a bewildered outsider, the co-pilot kept at arm’s length—that the reader is able to grasp at clues about the motivations of this larger than life personality. Skink is a recurring character in Carl Hiaasen’s work and it is easy to see why. Although readers do not need to have read any other works featuring Skink, Skink — No Surrender just might compel readers to find out more about the ex-governor.