Review: Breaking News by Frank Morelli

Today's book comes from an author, whose work I've read before...or at least, one of them. While his book, On the Way to Birdland , was intended for the young adult audience with deep thoughts and experiences, today's book heads into middle grade territory with a bit of mystery, journalism, and forming friendships. Since this author does have his own style, I was glad when I was offered an ARC copy of this one.

Now, let's see if it was as good as I suspected it might be.

BREAKING NEWS

by Frank Morelli

Fitzroy Books

Middle Grade Mystery

ages 8 to 12

176 pages

COMING...

APRIL 28th!!!

Things don’t usually come to a screeching halt at the RAT, also known as Ridgewood Arts & Technical School, Ridgewood City’s most prestigious progressive institution. But that’s what happens when Headmistress Hardaway interrupts class and announces, “A scandal has rocked the fundraising committee!” Everyone’s a suspect and Hunter Jackson, student council special investigator, vows to root out the student who’s heartless enough to steal donation money or die a death of a thousand forensic notes trying. He’s not alone. Ridgewood Roar news editor, Anthony Ravello, and the rogue, indie-press pioneer, Liberty Lennon, plan to do some journalistic digging of their own in a race against each other to scoop the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to their faithful readers...or at least their versions of it. With the truth getting murkier by the day, all students at the RAT can do is gobble up news bytes and wash them down with locker-side gossip as they try to unmask the classmate responsible for the missing funds.

GOODREADS  /   B&N   /   BOOK DEPOSITORY   /   AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Mystery mixes with school drama, journalistic misuse, and odd forming friendships to create an exciting read, which keeps those brain-gears turning until the last page.

Anthony is an editor for Roar, the school newspaper, and knows there are ill-feelings among the newspapers ranks. When a teacher announces that a $1000 has gone missing from a fundraiser, of course, he's ready to report. What he doesn't expect is for Liberty, a girl who had some running in with the main editor, to start up her own indie-paper and report things as she sees it. As new clues pop up and tensions between clubs soar, the rivalry between the two grows. 

The author has done a marvelous job at crafting a gripping, well-woven tale, which hits on several important themes and leaves food for thought. The tale isn't written in a traditional form, but follows the articles, notes, and happenings of the two editors and an investigative reporter. This switch between notes, recordings, personal thoughts, and articles gives an original atmosphere and delivers exactly the information needed at the right time. But it also does so much more than that.

I was surprised how well the characters are done. Each one involved gains quite a bit of depth and personality. As the mud-slinging starts, it's clear that the two editors are letting emotions dribble in more and more. The thoughts behind each ones' behaviors are understandable, and yet, it's clear that each one is making some mistakes. Add that with the mystery, and there's quite a bit going on.

There are several messages wrapped up in these pages. One, is how friendship can be formed under even the most unexpected circumstances. There's also the lesson of controlling tempers and watching words. Then, there's the problem of the editors using the papers to push their own views...which does get out of control. But none of this comes across as preachy. Rather, every moment lets emotions rolls, while the reader tries to figure out who might be behind the missing money. It's definitely an engaging ready, which doesn't leave any time for boredom, and keeps the tale flowing until the very end.

And here he is..

Frank Morelli is the author of the young adult novels On the Way to Birdland (2021) and No Sad Songs (2018), a YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominee and winner of an American Fiction Award for best coming of age story. Morelli's fiction and essays have appeared in various publications including The Saturday Evening Post, Cobalt Review, Philadelphia Stories, and Highlights Magazine.

Review: On the Way to Birdland by Frank Morelli

 Happy Monday! I'm starting off the week with a book, which runs in a slightly different direction than most I present here on Bookworm for Kids. This one is for young adults and not only touches upon the world of Jazz music but slides into the direction of philosophy and the deep thoughts of a teenager in a journey, which has him learning more about the world around him, others, and himself. It's deep and leaves food for thought.

But I'm going to zip my lip now, and just let you read further yourself!

ON THE WAY TO BIRDLAND

by Frank Morelli

Fish Out of Water Books

Young Adult Contemporary

300 pages

Self-proclaimed teenage philosopher Cordell Wheaton lives in a sleepy, southern town where nothing ever happens; not since his hero, jazz musician John Coltrane, left some seventy years earlier to “follow the sound.” Cordy’s life has been unraveling since the night his father and his brother, Travis, exploded on each other. The night Travis’s addiction transformed him from budding musician into something entirely different. The night Travis took his saxophone and disappeared. When Cordy’s father falls ill, the sixteen-year-old vows to reunite the Wheaton family. He embarks on a modern-day odyssey with forty bucks in his pocket and a dream to find his brother and convince him to be Travis again—by taking him to a show at Birdland Jazz Club in New York City, and reminding him of the common bonds they share with their legendary hero. Cordy’s journey is soon haunted by ghostly visions, traumatic dreams, and disembodied voices that echo through his mind. He starts to wonder if the voices are those of the fates, guiding him toward his destiny—or if he’s losing his grip on reality. 

BOOK DEPOSITORY   /    GOODREADS   /    B&N    /     AMAZON

BOOK BLINK

                                          * gets very close and personal with the main character

                                          * packed with emotion and heart

                                          * deep characters, in general

                                          * journey of self-discovery and growth

                                                   

MY TIDBITS

Digging deep into the soul and emotions of the main character, this book takes a journey which leads to more than might be first expected.

Cordell's life has been unsettled since his brother, Travis, left him and his father alone. Cordell isn't sure how to regain balance, and his father isn't exactly helpful in the matter. But one thing is for sure, Cordell has not lost is love for music. When his father falls ill and everything in Cordell's life seems to unravel, he decides it's time to bring Travis back. But that's not an easy task, especially when Cordell doesn't have much backing to start with. When he does find Travis, he, of course, doesn't want to return. But the struggle to convince his brother to come back isn't the only problem Cordell faces, he's beginning to wonder if he himself might be slipping into a bad place.

This is not the type of read I usually dive into, but I do love taking a jaunt into new directions, at times. This book is deep and digs into all sorts of questions about family, purpose, and finding ones place in life...and with themselves. I did appreciate that this one centers around Jazz, a very original direction especially for this age group. It also addresses some very tough family circumstances, something many teens have to deal with in some form or another. There is a lot readers can sympathize with, and it does open them up for thought.

The writing style is a very, personal one, which allows the reader not only to accompany Cordell on his journey, but has him almost speaking to the reader directly and allowing them to know his exact thoughts and feelings the entire way through. Despite this very up-close approach, the author doesn't allow the other characters to fall by the wayside but gives them depth and purpose. Most are more than intriguing to meet and leave their own impact.

Readers who love to dig deeper into the world around them, thought process, discovering more to life or simply enjoy tons of character depth are going to appreciate this one quite a bit. 

And here he is...

Frank Morelli is the author of the young adult novel, No Sad Songs (2018), a 2019 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominee and winner of an American Fiction Award for best coming of age story. His fiction and essays have appeared in numerous publications including The Saturday Evening Post, Cobalt Review, Philadelphia Stories, Boog City and Jersey Devil Press. You can connect with him on Twitter @frankmoewriter or on his author site (frankmorelliwrites.com).