The Undercover Book List by Colleen Nelson [MG Review]

The Undercover Book List by Colleen Nelson

Summary

He’s known as the class troublemaker. She’s known as the bookworm. But when every note they send is anonymous, identity is suddenly what they make it.

Between her father’s posting overseas and her best friend Sienna’s move to the other side of the country, seventh grade is looking lonely for Jane MacDonald. But Sienna has left her with one last trick: a hidden message in a library book—the perfect plot to start a secret club and find Jane a new book-loving friend.

Tyson Flamand has problems of his own. Since the fourth grade he’s had a reputation as a bad kid, and there’s no point fighting it when teachers always think the worst. So when he finds an anonymous note in the library looking for a nerdy new friend, he knows he’s the last person in the world it could be meant for. But something makes him answer it anyway, and Tyson finds himself pulled into a secret book club where being hidden may be the first step to being truly seen.

Goodreads

Review

At last, a middle grade book I read this month that isn’t a speculative fiction finalist for Cybils so I can review it before February 14 and get some more MG on the blog for January! A diversion from the kind MG that I prefer (that is, secondary world fantasy), I’m pleased January’s meeting of #MGLit Book Club motivated me to give this a shot. I found myself enamoured by the story, reading the book in a single sitting.

Jane and Tyson

This book focuses on two characters that don’t often star in novels. Jane is an avid reader and a key member of her school’s Kid Lit Quiz team. As Laurie @ Bit About Books notes, she’s also the friend who has been left behind – rather than the friend who’s moved and facing a new school situation. Tyson doesn’t consider himself a reader and spends too much school time joking around. The way these two develop a friendship through sharing notes and book recommendations was pretty heartwarming.

Tyson is surrounded by adults who have essentially pegged him as a lost cause when it comes to reading. Seeing him find books that he actually enjoys is so meaningful. There are a lot of kids who may see themselves reflected in these two. Jane and Tyson make this a book I’d recommend both to kids who love reading and kids who feel discouraged by the prospect.

Realistic Relationships

What stood out to me early on is how realistically student behaviour and classmate relationships are portrayed. This applies to all the characters, even minor ones, and is a strength that carries through the entire book. I love how the kids generally support each other. Examples include: No one bullying Jane for being into books. Tyson realizing his joking around isn’t always funny and pressing his other jokester friends to be better. A friendship developing naturally between Minju (who originally has a crush on Tyson’s brother) and Tyson (who secretly had a crush on Minju).

Additional Notes

There are a few different elements that keep the story alive and moving along. One I haven’t mentioned yet is that a significant part of the book involves Tyson becoming involved with the Kid Lit Quiz team when he knows Jane writes the notes but Jane doesn’t know he’s the one writing back. Whether the Kid Lit Quiz team will get enough members and a coach to actually participate in the competition is a key part of the plot. Jane’s family relationships with her grandparents and her father (currently stationed overseas) also add depth to the story.

I’ve written an entire post without mentioning the list itself??? (The list being the books Jane and Tyson recommend to each other.) Well, the list is great and diverse and full of titles that I’d call contemporary classics. There you go.

#MGLit Book Club

As I mentioned earlier, The Undercover Book List was the featured book for this month’s #MGLit book club. Last week I attended the Zoom meet up where Kathie @ Bit About Books moderated a Q&A session with Colleen. I enjoy hearing from (Canadian!) authors on how they craft their middle grade stories. For example, Colleen described how she selected titles for the book list and the many iterations of perpective that she tried out before settling on first person Jane and third person Tyson. Also, since I’ve stopped working in a public library, it is nice to hear other adults discussing their love for middle grade literature. For more info on this book club, check out the website. Next meeting is February 24. We’ll be hearing from Lee Edward Födi on his new middle grade fantasy Spell Sweeper.

The Bottom Line

At first glance a perfect story for those who love reading middle grade (kids and adults alike), The Undercover Book List has broad appeal as a story about opening up and finding new friends in middle school.

Further Reading

Author website
Reviews: Kathie @ Bit About Books, Laurie @ Bit About Books, Mary @ Canadian Review of Materials
Related: I have reviewed two of the books that appear on the undercover book list: The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson and Bloom by Kenneth Oppel (those are two more Canandian middle grade novels for you!)

What are your favourite books about book lovers?