The Dogs

by Allan Stratton

Cameron's mom lives in fear that her ex-husband will find them someday and cause them harm. Cameron was so young when they got divorced that he wonders if his mom is over-exaggerating his father's potential for violence. He's not allowed to see him or talk to him, and the older he gets, the more Cameron resents his mom, and the situation. After weeks of seeing a car parked in front of their home, she decides they need to move. Again. She rents an old farm house in the middle of nowhere. Their landlord is the creepy old man who lives one farm over. And then, Cameron begins to see the boy whenever he closes his eyes. Who is this boy in the coonskin cap, and what does he want with Cameron?

I absolutely loved this quiet little thriller! A middle grade mystery with a believable premise, some actual scary moments, and characters readers can connect with? Yes, please!

Hey, Kiddo

by Jarrett Krosoczka

This couldn't have been an easy book to write. Jarrett's childhood is truly tragic on so many levels. The image of him curled up asleep in front of his grandparents' bedroom door because he was afraid was absolutely heartbreaking. As is often the case in situations like this, the "good guys" in the child's life may not be what others would consider to be positive influences. His portrayal of his grandmother, while mostly flattering, also gives an honest depiction of her darker side that sort of explains why this family is what it is. Kroscoczka doesn't seem to pull any punches. It was a hard story for me to read, and as much as I try, I struggle with a graphic format and it dragged a bit at times. But this book isn't for me. It's for the kids (lots of them) who are living this way right now. It's for the ones who might think they don't have a chance to escape their circumstances. And I love that it's a story told in pictures, which might make the message a bit more accessible to some kids.

Thunderhead

by Neal Shusterman

Wow! It's very rare that a sequel measures up to the first in a series, and it almost NEVER surpasses it, but this one most definitely did. So much so that it almost feels like Scythe is truly just a set up so that he could tell this part of the story. I'll steer clear of plot summaries to avoid Scythe spoilers. I'll just say that if you liked Scythe even a little bit, you have to add this one to the list.