All Aboard for Wild West Mysteries and Ghost Train Adventures

 

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 The Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling was the book pick for September for my Kidlit Reading Book Club. I'm so glad it was! This novel has a fun and engaging main character and is a cute contemporary mystery to boot.

Aven Green has always treated her disability as an opportunity to weave outlandish tales about how she lost her arms. In some she lost them in a wrestling match with an alligator, in others she lost them in a trapeze accident in the circus. But the truth is Aven was born without her arms. Instead, she has learned to do everything with her feet, an accepted fact for her classmates in Kansas since Aven has grown up with them. But then after her father loses his job and accepts a new one, Aven is faced with a new home, in a new town, in a new state. Granted her new home is a wild west theme park in Arizona, but starting school in the middle of her eighth grade year someplace where no one is familiar with her or her disability is still daunting and scary. 

I loved the way Aven faces her challenges in this novel. She doesn't sugarcoat them, and they certainly aren't easy at first. In fact, the way the author portrays Aven's fears is very realistic and relatable. It makes the reader want to keep turning the page to see how she will learn to adjust to her new school and home. At first, Aven copes by hiding away to eat her lunch. But eventually she finds her own way and a new set of friends both of whom face challenges of their own. Aven also stumbles across a mystery in the novel, one that involves the reclusive owner of Stagecoach Pass, the park where her parents work. 

Aven is able to make the true friends she does through her ability to look beyond a person's exterior to see who they truly are and she is able to ultimately solve the mystery of Stagecoach Pass with the help of those same individuals and the support of her parents. She does this using the determination being born without arms has given her because she's spent her whole life having to learn to do things most people take for granted a new way. It turns out that not having them has given her something unique in the face of adversity, resilience. 

This book was a true joy to read and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a middle grade reader (8-12 year-olds) who enjoys a good mystery and reading about characters that offer them a new perspective on life. Also, if they enjoy this book they will be pleased to learn that it is the first in a duology. 

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Meanwhile, on the supernatural track, bestselling author Kwame Mbalia has a new series coming out that starts with Jax Freeman and the Phantom Shriek. This novel is a non-stop action adventure, and the character of Jax leaps off the page from the very first chapter. Jax starts off telling us he has been sent away from home by his parents to go and live with his Gran and his Uncle Moe. Some unknown occurrence that Jax seems ashamed about has forced this move in the hopes it will give him a fresh start. But when he arrives in Chicago, his bags are lost, his uncle, who was supposed to meet him at Union Station, is not there, leaving Jax literally cold and alone in a train station late at night. His situation and the mystery of why he is there makes Jax an instantly relatable character. From there the fantasy world of learning about magic, connecting with his ancestors and learning the power of true friendship begins.

Jax encounters spirits both helpful and malevolent as he waits for his family to arrive and pick him up. He barely escapes one malevolent spirit who threatens to steal his skin. Later, in his new home, Freeman House, he encounters other strange occurrences, such as signage that changes in the messages and words of wisdom it imparts and rooms that appear where none were there before. At school, Jax thinks he is just another sixth grader until he reaches his enrichment class and learns that he's been placed in it because he is a summoner. Someone who can see spirits and utilize magic with the help of his ancestors.

Mbalia has created an imperfect character who admits he has done some stuff he wasn't proud of in the past and doesn't want to mess up again. But Jax is also brave and from personal experience has learned that you can't always take what you hear about others at face value. To atone for his past mistakes, Jax is determined to stand up to bullies, do his family name proud and prove that he isn't just another screw up. He also strives to bring about unity between the other summoner families. 

Mbalia has cleverly worked in a valuable message of looking below the surface to take time to truly get to know someone rather than allowing false information, rumor, or unconscious bias dictate impressions about people. A powerful and timely message for young people in today's society. He does this through his vivid character, Jax. I also enjoyed the bits of history of African Americans and other minorities that are sprinkled throughout the story as well. Those overlooked and underrepresented individuals and names woven into the narrative will hopefully give readers new insight into the history of America from a different perspective than they might be used to. All in all I would encourage anyone with younger readers in the middle grade reader age range to get this book when it comes out. It's a fun page-turner with a great message and it is the first in an exciting new series by Kwame Mbalia. I have to thank both NetGalley, Disney Hyperion and Freedom Fire for allowing me to read a free eARC in exchange for this honest review. Jax Freeman hits shelves on October 1, 2024.