The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell by @ValerieSherrard DCB @cormorantbooks #ireadcanadian #redmaple #forestofreading

The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell
Valerie Sherrard
DCB Cormorant Books

Valerie Sherrard's latest novel is one of this year's Red Maple Award nominees. She has created an entertaining story about a boy, named Derek, who finds himself invisible and infamous over the course of the novel. His fame and popularity are determined with the help of a single social media post. 
Valerie describes her characters so well that the reader can easily visualize them and relate to their personalities. I enjoyed the way Valerie described Derek's internal feelings about his rise in status at school so that the reader could see how different it is from his public persona.
It's a great read-aloud for middle-grade students as they begin to define their own presence and limits on social media. It would generate some valuable discussions around good decision making when creating your own digital footprint. Valerie explains the pitfalls of notoriety in a humorous and relatable manner.  

Sarah and the search for normal by @WesleyTKing @simonschuster @redmaple #forestofreading #ireadcanadian

Sarah and the Search for Normal
Wesley King
Simon and Schuster

Wesley King's latest novel is a prequel to his book OCDaniel. Both books address mental health issues and help to reduce the stigma of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and OCD. Not only does Sarah, the protagonist, struggles with mental health and she also faces the fear of not fitting in.  Readers will relate to this common elementary school fear.

Sarah gives her insight into what it's like for her to be in a special education class. This is a unique perspective that we don't see often in middle grade. The novel is a great read-aloud for grades 6+ as it will generate great discussion around mental health issues and feelings of belonging.

When Wesley describes Sarah's feelings it builds empathy in the reader. Wesley King manages to write a serious novel in a humorous and relatable way. He shows the spark and intelligence in Sarah even though she must overcome many obstacles to get through the day. Sarah is a likeable character and you are rooting for her throughout the book.