Give and Take by Elly Swartz

Give and Take by Elly Swartz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It all begins with the day her grandmother does not remember her anymore, Maggie, fearful that she won't remember things anymore, begins at home and school, with "special" boxes containing items she wants to remember- a baby binky, milk cartons, that attract ants, gum wrappers, her grandmother's gecko necklace...). No one is allowed to know about them and when her little brother or mother do---Maggie responds with white hot anger and yelling. Even more upsetting to Maggie is that her beloved all female trapshooting team is broken up. I love Elly Swartz books, they really deal so well with tough subjects, while treating her readers to great chapters of the characters lives and how they deal with many issues. I highly recommend this book and loved the chapters at the end that include information on topics middle grade readers will want to know more about.

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Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprar

Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I ached for Collin, mourning his mother's death, questioning just what is going on with his father becoming a hoarder, trying to avoid the 2 bullies in school, and just how awful it feels to keep all of his secrets. But Collin has a way to deal with some of the scary things in life and that happens to be his handy gold notebook with what to do in the event of catastrophic happenings like avalanche, riptides, halitosis, and more. But as his father continues to hoard, Collin feels he is losing him as much as he hates the HOARD taking over every inch of his house. His two best friends might be concerned too (as well as Liam's mom) but if Collin keeps silent, how can they help him deal? This is a must read for a middle grader readers and also teachers, counselors and nurses in the school system. I could not put this awesome book down, highly recommended!

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