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The Kids Under the Stairs #2
Ben Y and the Ghost in the Machine
School and life have become much more difficult since Ben Y's older brother died, especially since the indefinable Ace seems determined to seek her out without clarifying what kind of relationship she wants; mostly Ben Y tries to cope with her situation by going to the chatroom and obsessively typing messages to her brother who is no longer there--but when she starts getting messages from the ghost in the machine (apparently) she finds that her deepest secrets are suddenly exposed.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 5, 2021
Ben Y, Benita Ybarra, come to you in the sequel of last years BenBee and the Teacher Griefer through the eyes of Ben Y’s story. Ben Y is grieving the loss of her older bother’s death and still tries to connect with him by sending him coded messages through a game that he invented. Ben Y starts finding herself in real time looking more towards this new kid, Ace, who seems to call all the attention to hisself by breaking the rules and somehow not caring at all what anyone thinks. Ben Y starts to make some serious changes to herself by trying to develop this outlook on life that Ace has, and then someone starts to respond to her through her thread with her brother - the thread where she has told everything to over the time she has lost her brother, all.her.secrets….
K.A. Holt is a big time favorite in the middle school world. I can’t wait to see their reaction to book 2. Holt created characters that are relatable and with middle school - that is HUGE.
K.A. Holt is a big time favorite in the middle school world. I can’t wait to see their reaction to book 2. Holt created characters that are relatable and with middle school - that is HUGE.
June 15, 2022
Ben Y does not make much sense if you haven't read the first book. It's written in the style of poetry rather than the traditional sense. However, if you were a fan of the first novel, this one will continue in its quality.
March 23, 2023
We first learn about Ben Y (formerly Benita) in the first book in The Kids Under the Stairs series, BENBEE, AND THE TEACHER GRIEFER. This is the type of series where it is pretty necessary to read the books in order. All the books in this series are written in a novel-in-verse format with illustrations as well, perfect for reluctant readers.
Ben Y, like her three other friends, BenBee, Jordan J, and Javier, have just spent their summer in a classroom under the stairs working to pass their Florida standardized test. Each of these four students struggles with reading and also has their own personal struggles at home. Ben Y, her sister, and their mom are grieving the unexpected death of Ben Y’s older brother in a car accident. Nothing at home is the same and Ben Y is having trouble finding a way to express herself and her frustrations.
The book begins with a new school year and the Sandbox players as part of their Typing Club are now tasked with writing the school newspaper. Ben Y’s grief expresses itself in destructive ways including skipping school, lashing out at her friends, and misunderstanding a possible new friendship with Ace. Ben Y turns to the Sandbox game and her former chat room with her brother to share her personal thoughts and feelings. Then, her brother starts to type back. It can’t be possible, but who could have hacked into their secret chat room that her brother created?
The second in The Kids Under the Stairs series is a bit heavier, literally and figuratively. There is a lot of heavy, emotional stuff going on with Ben Y, and could be hard for some readers including identity, grief, bullying, and anger. But, the book is also quite a bit thicker. In the first book in the series, the novel in verse is in two columns on each page, but in this second it is just one column per page, which has upped the page count considerably. When teachers and librarians are trying to reach out to reluctant readers, usually the first turn-off is a thick book. Even though the word count is MUCH LESS in a novel in verse, the page count still seems daunting. So, you’ll definitely want to hook the students with the first book in the series so they will HAVE to read the second and third.
Even though this novel has some hard themes, Ben Y finds a way to reach out to her mom and Ms. J and resolve some of the underlying issues she has with school, friendships, and life at home. Ben Y shows kids that talking about our feelings is important and bottling them up only results in reckless and harmful behaviors. I appreciate how the author shared Ben Y’s struggles with the readers as I felt they were realistic in today’s middle-school world, but I want to remind kids to be careful with any and all online conversations. Even though this one turned out to be appropriate and someone Ben Y could trust, I caution kids to reach out to an online conversation where the person on the other end may not be who they say.
Overall, The Kids Under the Stairs series is one I recommend for middle-grade readers, especially those who are resistant to reading “bigger books” and those who prefer video games over reading.
Ben Y, like her three other friends, BenBee, Jordan J, and Javier, have just spent their summer in a classroom under the stairs working to pass their Florida standardized test. Each of these four students struggles with reading and also has their own personal struggles at home. Ben Y, her sister, and their mom are grieving the unexpected death of Ben Y’s older brother in a car accident. Nothing at home is the same and Ben Y is having trouble finding a way to express herself and her frustrations.
The book begins with a new school year and the Sandbox players as part of their Typing Club are now tasked with writing the school newspaper. Ben Y’s grief expresses itself in destructive ways including skipping school, lashing out at her friends, and misunderstanding a possible new friendship with Ace. Ben Y turns to the Sandbox game and her former chat room with her brother to share her personal thoughts and feelings. Then, her brother starts to type back. It can’t be possible, but who could have hacked into their secret chat room that her brother created?
The second in The Kids Under the Stairs series is a bit heavier, literally and figuratively. There is a lot of heavy, emotional stuff going on with Ben Y, and could be hard for some readers including identity, grief, bullying, and anger. But, the book is also quite a bit thicker. In the first book in the series, the novel in verse is in two columns on each page, but in this second it is just one column per page, which has upped the page count considerably. When teachers and librarians are trying to reach out to reluctant readers, usually the first turn-off is a thick book. Even though the word count is MUCH LESS in a novel in verse, the page count still seems daunting. So, you’ll definitely want to hook the students with the first book in the series so they will HAVE to read the second and third.
Even though this novel has some hard themes, Ben Y finds a way to reach out to her mom and Ms. J and resolve some of the underlying issues she has with school, friendships, and life at home. Ben Y shows kids that talking about our feelings is important and bottling them up only results in reckless and harmful behaviors. I appreciate how the author shared Ben Y’s struggles with the readers as I felt they were realistic in today’s middle-school world, but I want to remind kids to be careful with any and all online conversations. Even though this one turned out to be appropriate and someone Ben Y could trust, I caution kids to reach out to an online conversation where the person on the other end may not be who they say.
Overall, The Kids Under the Stairs series is one I recommend for middle-grade readers, especially those who are resistant to reading “bigger books” and those who prefer video games over reading.
April 29, 2022
This is also in verse, and now Ben Y is exploring their pronouns, dying (dissolving) their hair, even as Mr. Mann, the mean school principal (is there any other kind?), promotes a stifling dress code and "Safe Space" where Ben Y and others feel anything but safe.
Ben Y idolizes the new, fashionable and super-confident Ace, who enters the afterschool Typing Club run by the venerable and much-loved librarian, Ms. J. If only Ace would notice Ben Y! But Ace's presence in their closed typing circle threatens the others in the group, most notably those who rely on Ben Y's best-friendship.
Then Ben Y's older, and very deceased, brother types back in the game chatroom created expressly for Ben Y, and they know something's not right. Because there is no such thing as ghosts.
Ben Y creates a tear-sheet, a one-page skewer of Mr. Mann, The Unauthorized Hart Times, and anonymously posts it around school. For a while, Ben Y is willing to hide behind Ace, let others think Ace created the funny caricatures and text about the unsafe "Safe Space."
Until they claim ownership and confront Mr. Mann, and then the battle lines are clearly drawn.
I won't spoil how it ends, or who's pretending to be Ben Y's brother, or what happens to Ms. J (hint: again).
Enjoy!
On a total side note, I did have a bone to pick with the layout of the text. This is no comment at all on the author or illustrator. The graphics and textual representations of game chat and texts were super well done and the illustrations hilarious.
But I loved how, in the first book, there were two, sometimes up to three columns of text per page. The pages were wider, too. The poems are only a few words per line, and the column layout and wider pages made for relatively fewer pages overall. In other words, the book didn't suffer from white space bloat and lots of excess pages, like so many other verse novels do.
Not so this one. By comparison, this is a heavy tome. It's 426 pages, even though I'm certain it's got far fewer words, overall, than Tristan Strong who punches through a comparable number of pages. But the text in this one is one column only, and the pages are not as wide. And the paper is heavy. I mean, hard-to-hold-up heavy.
I taught middle school and watched kids compare the widths of book spines during trips to the library. It made no difference if the total word count was lower. If the book looked huge and felt heavy, they'd choose a skinnier neighbor. Any skinnier neighbor. It's been a pet peeve of mine for a while now that verse books, in general, have so many pages they turn kids off on sight (on ereaders, too). The first BenBee book brilliantly solved that problem and I'd love to see the multi-column format come back.
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Ben Y idolizes the new, fashionable and super-confident Ace, who enters the afterschool Typing Club run by the venerable and much-loved librarian, Ms. J. If only Ace would notice Ben Y! But Ace's presence in their closed typing circle threatens the others in the group, most notably those who rely on Ben Y's best-friendship.
Then Ben Y's older, and very deceased, brother types back in the game chatroom created expressly for Ben Y, and they know something's not right. Because there is no such thing as ghosts.
Ben Y creates a tear-sheet, a one-page skewer of Mr. Mann, The Unauthorized Hart Times, and anonymously posts it around school. For a while, Ben Y is willing to hide behind Ace, let others think Ace created the funny caricatures and text about the unsafe "Safe Space."
Until they claim ownership and confront Mr. Mann, and then the battle lines are clearly drawn.
I won't spoil how it ends, or who's pretending to be Ben Y's brother, or what happens to Ms. J (hint: again).
Enjoy!
On a total side note, I did have a bone to pick with the layout of the text. This is no comment at all on the author or illustrator. The graphics and textual representations of game chat and texts were super well done and the illustrations hilarious.
But I loved how, in the first book, there were two, sometimes up to three columns of text per page. The pages were wider, too. The poems are only a few words per line, and the column layout and wider pages made for relatively fewer pages overall. In other words, the book didn't suffer from white space bloat and lots of excess pages, like so many other verse novels do.
Not so this one. By comparison, this is a heavy tome. It's 426 pages, even though I'm certain it's got far fewer words, overall, than Tristan Strong who punches through a comparable number of pages. But the text in this one is one column only, and the pages are not as wide. And the paper is heavy. I mean, hard-to-hold-up heavy.
I taught middle school and watched kids compare the widths of book spines during trips to the library. It made no difference if the total word count was lower. If the book looked huge and felt heavy, they'd choose a skinnier neighbor. Any skinnier neighbor. It's been a pet peeve of mine for a while now that verse books, in general, have so many pages they turn kids off on sight (on ereaders, too). The first BenBee book brilliantly solved that problem and I'd love to see the multi-column format come back.
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
August 3, 2021
Welcome back to The Kids Under the Stairs MG series.
💻
BenBee and the Teacher Griefer introduced us to Ben B, Jordan, Javier, and Benita Ybarra or Ben Y, as well as their teacher Mrs. J. Ben Y is grieving her older brother’s death in book 2. Ben Y likes to communicate with her brother through a game he invented, even though he’s not around to read the messages anymore. Suddenly there’s a new student on campus named Ace who just loves breaking all the rules. As Ben Y tries to be more like Ace, someone begins responding to her messages she’s writing to her brother. Will they expose her secrets and who is it?
💻
K. A. Holt always delivers with everything she puts out. My students can’t get enough of her free verse novels and loved book 1 in the series. This one is sure to be a hit as well. It hits on some great themes and students will love the game-style writing, as well as the message to be who you want and dress how you want. Ben Y and the Ghost in the Machine releases 9.28. Thank you Edelweiss for an advanced readers copy.
CW: death of a sibling
💻
BenBee and the Teacher Griefer introduced us to Ben B, Jordan, Javier, and Benita Ybarra or Ben Y, as well as their teacher Mrs. J. Ben Y is grieving her older brother’s death in book 2. Ben Y likes to communicate with her brother through a game he invented, even though he’s not around to read the messages anymore. Suddenly there’s a new student on campus named Ace who just loves breaking all the rules. As Ben Y tries to be more like Ace, someone begins responding to her messages she’s writing to her brother. Will they expose her secrets and who is it?
💻
K. A. Holt always delivers with everything she puts out. My students can’t get enough of her free verse novels and loved book 1 in the series. This one is sure to be a hit as well. It hits on some great themes and students will love the game-style writing, as well as the message to be who you want and dress how you want. Ben Y and the Ghost in the Machine releases 9.28. Thank you Edelweiss for an advanced readers copy.
CW: death of a sibling
Read
October 20, 2021Readers are now able to rejoin the Kids Under the Stairs in K. A. Holt's new release. Ms. J. is now in the library offering her kids a safe place to hang out as she continues the after school Newspaper Typing Club.
Ben Y is struggling at home and in school. At home memories of her older brother Benicio dominate everything. Ben Y hangs out in Benicio's old room and visits their secret hideout in the online game Sandbox to chat about current problems and remember how things used to be. At school Ben Y is taunted and teased by those who don't understand she just wants to be left alone.
Two new things threaten to derail Ben Y's fragile existence even more. There's a new kid named Ace. He makes Ben Y uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time, as if that's even possible. The other thing is Benicio's avatar is showing up in the chats in their secret place. It can't really be him or can it?
Holt's new novel is written in verse with chatroom conversations scattered throughout. Her take on divergent thinkers and learners makes Ben Y's continuing story a delight to read.
Ben Y is struggling at home and in school. At home memories of her older brother Benicio dominate everything. Ben Y hangs out in Benicio's old room and visits their secret hideout in the online game Sandbox to chat about current problems and remember how things used to be. At school Ben Y is taunted and teased by those who don't understand she just wants to be left alone.
Two new things threaten to derail Ben Y's fragile existence even more. There's a new kid named Ace. He makes Ben Y uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time, as if that's even possible. The other thing is Benicio's avatar is showing up in the chats in their secret place. It can't really be him or can it?
Holt's new novel is written in verse with chatroom conversations scattered throughout. Her take on divergent thinkers and learners makes Ben Y's continuing story a delight to read.
January 24, 2022
While still good, not as good as the first one. This one depends on book 1 rather than standing on its own and it doesn't really conclude. Ben gets to a good place emotionally with family and friends, but the bullying and vice-principal subplots remain unresolved. There was a lack of closure that made the ending a bit unsatisfying. Even if Mr. Mann or the bullies didn't change, because realistically they wouldn't pull a 180, a scene confronting them would have been narratively satisfying. We kind of get a Ben and Mr. Mann scene, but not in the ways I think it needed. I think there was enough material that we could have wrapped up the narrative arc for this story while still leaving enough material for books 3 and 4.
Book 1 jumped between the perspectives of all 4 kids, but this one stays just with Ben. This is probably to show how alone they feel, but I did miss the other kids' perspectives and narrative styles. Dyslexia is far less of a focus in this book, but the way it handles grief is really good.
Book 1 jumped between the perspectives of all 4 kids, but this one stays just with Ben. This is probably to show how alone they feel, but I did miss the other kids' perspectives and narrative styles. Dyslexia is far less of a focus in this book, but the way it handles grief is really good.
June 14, 2021
Another great addition to the "Kids Under the Stairs" series by K.A. Holt. Holt has been and continues to be one of my go to authors for my middle school library crowd of readers and nonreaders alike. She has appealing and relatable characters with solid "I've been there and I feel your pain" middle school plots. "The Kids Under the Stairs" series is particularly wonderful because it combines these literary elements with the lure of white space and illustration. AND it's a series...so it makes it comfortable for the students to easily relax into the familiar characters and setting. Finding your way through dress coding, identity issues, betrayal, and grief are all addressed well in "Ben Y and the Ghost in the Machine."
October 4, 2022
3.5 stars (would probably be a higher rating if I had read book 1 previously to give context for this one)
Ben Y is struggling at middle school this year. She is constantly mis-named and called out for dress code infractions by her principal. But to make matters worse, she starts getting messages from the account that belonged to her dead brother.
This novel in verse is a sequel that will be confusing to the reader if they have not read the previous book as it references other people and events without full disclosure. It does capture authentic middle school feelings of both invisibility and unfair practice as well as struggling with grief and loss.
Give this to students who are looking for intense realistic fiction dealing with themes of loss and friendship.
Ben Y is struggling at middle school this year. She is constantly mis-named and called out for dress code infractions by her principal. But to make matters worse, she starts getting messages from the account that belonged to her dead brother.
This novel in verse is a sequel that will be confusing to the reader if they have not read the previous book as it references other people and events without full disclosure. It does capture authentic middle school feelings of both invisibility and unfair practice as well as struggling with grief and loss.
Give this to students who are looking for intense realistic fiction dealing with themes of loss and friendship.
July 2, 2021
I have grown to love The Kids Under the Stairs. There is something about these kids that draws me in each time. Their personal struggles, what brings them together, a teacher that truly understands them and watches out for them, all of the story lines are just fantastic.
In this "episode" Ben Y is dealing with the loss of his brother, figuring who they want to be, friendships and so much more. I love the introduction of Ace and how kids would really handle that and how dealing with grief makes not only you feel, but how it impacts those around you.
K.A. Holt is an incredible middl grade writer who understands and writes this age really well.
In this "episode" Ben Y is dealing with the loss of his brother, figuring who they want to be, friendships and so much more. I love the introduction of Ace and how kids would really handle that and how dealing with grief makes not only you feel, but how it impacts those around you.
K.A. Holt is an incredible middl grade writer who understands and writes this age really well.
January 31, 2025
Pretty solid, for the genre/audience! (I’m old. I don’t love novels in verse. Don’t love middle grade. Don’t love video games. I’m about as opposite of the audience as you can get. But it was still sweet and enjoyable!) The themes in this one are so important and for a certain audience of young kids? They NEED this book in their hands. They’re not going to find a safer place than inside these pages. I do think it ultimately felt incomplete. I’m not sure I understood the Ms. J/Mr. Mann dynamic and her suspension (*and*, it coming after the “relocation” as a result of her behavior in Book One?) was realistic. I don’t know, my brain was still expecting 50 more pages after that “conclusion”.
February 13, 2022
I don't normally even read sequels, because I figure if my students like the first one, they'll continue, so I don't need to be able to recommend the second. But I enjoyed Benbee so much I decided to read this one, and it was just as good. I can only hope to be as good a librarian as the one in this book.
November 8, 2023
So fabulous! Like the first in the series, the format is captivating. Free verse mixed with stream of consciousness and game chat make this novel interesting and accessible for young readers today. It's also such a great reminder that many of our kids are struggling with heavy burdens that we may not know anything about. Love books that evoke both laughs and tears!
January 19, 2022
Why are KA Holt's books so good? This second book in the series continued the spirit of Ben Bee, but gave us a wonderful view inside Ben Y's life. Grief, change, and developing identity are all great themes throughout. I hope we get the rest of the students in the class under the stairs!
February 16, 2022
"You can't cram
booming thunder
back into the clouds
once it lets loose."
Ben Y (instead of Benita)
Ben B
Jordan
Javier - artist
Ace
Esme
Older brother Benicio - inventor of Sandbox
Ms. J.
Mr. Mann - VP - DRESS CODE!
booming thunder
back into the clouds
once it lets loose."
Ben Y (instead of Benita)
Ben B
Jordan
Javier - artist
Ace
Esme
Older brother Benicio - inventor of Sandbox
Ms. J.
Mr. Mann - VP - DRESS CODE!
January 23, 2022
I loved the kids under the stairs and this 2nd in the series brings back Ben Y, Ben B, Jordan and Javier as the divergent learners and friends who is led by the greatest teacher in the world, Ms J and the new after school club, Newspaper Typing Room which accomplishes 2 things- playing in the Sandbox and now because of the heinous principal---they have to write newspaper articles. While all of this is going on, Ben Y (Benita) misses her dead brother, Benicio, desperately--they were very close and used Sandbox (Benicio's invention) to talk, fight, argue, and remember. The bullying still continues and there is a new weird kid, Ace that Ben Y has mixed feelings about. This book is as strong as the first, using text messages and emojis, and her awesome novel in verse! A must read!
August 29, 2022
You need to read the first book in the series to completely understand this one, but it’s very well done and the style is super captivating for middle grade readers.
January 7, 2023
Great, just like the first one! Divergent thinkers for the win!
January 15, 2023
It was fun to visit the kids under the stairs again and to hear primarily from Ben Y this time! Full of heart, Ben Y is trying to find their place in the world, dealing with old friends, possible new friends, and maybe a ghost. Hope to keep hearing from the kids under the stairs!
August 12, 2023
What a hidden gem of a series! I adore this books, I'm excited to read the next in the series.
March 5, 2025
I really like K.A. Holt! This is not my favorite book by her, but I think my middle school students will enjoy it!
Read
October 2, 2025Good book but I haven't read the previous books and some context is lost
October 1, 2021
In last year’s BenBee and the Teacher Griefer, readers were introduced to “the kids under the stairs”—Ben B, Jordan, Javier, and Benita Ybarra, or Ben Y as she refers to herself—and their summer school teacher, Ms. J. In this sequel, the story focuses on Ben Y who is still grieving her older brother Benicio’s death a year before. We learn that Benacio was the creator of Sandman, the video game in which the four misfits became friends with each other and their teacher (whom they taught the game). It is also this game though which Ben Y and her brother communicated when he moved away to expand the market for his corporate backers.
SCHOOL
Who chooses
Who decides
Who is cool
And who is weird
And who is dumb
And who is smart
And who fits here
And who fits there
And what is right
And what is wrong? (214)
School is tough. The kids, other than her three new friends, are unkind, and the Vice Principal, Mr. Mann, is a bully, but there is a new student, Ace, who is not afraid to stand up to him and doesn’t appear to care what the other kids think. In fact she is called Dress Code for constantly breaking the dress code and earning detentions and Mr. Mann’s anger—and Ben Y’s admiration.
And sometimes
you see someone
or meet someone
and you hear al little
*ping*
in your heart,
and you know,
just like that,
this is someone
who’s like you,
boom. (77)
When Ben Y accidentally over-processes her hair in an attempt to be more like Ace and has to shave her head, the bullying increases.
“and maybe
just maybe
the safety
of being the same
is better than
the danger
of being you.” (119)
Even realizing he is dead, Ben Y retreats into game-chat conversations with her brother, and when it appears that someone is answering her as SB10BEN, she tries to solves the mystery; however, when she discovers the answer, she is not quite sure how she feels about the imposter.
At the same time Ben Y becomes so obsessed with finding out how Mr. Mann, adolescent defender of human rights, has become the bully he now is and with ruining his reputation and while also trying to understand her ambivalent feelings for Ace, that she forgets her three good friends. “It feels really bad to feel invisible to the person you thought could see you the best of any other person in the world.” – Jordan (358)
In a year filled with grieving family members, complicated relationships, looking for “safe places,” and somewhat of an identity crisis, Ben Y learns the value of friendship and that “everything is better with a confetti cannon.” – Ms J, Sandbox player.
Many readers will see themselves—and others may learn some empathy for their peers who feel they may not fit in but may need to—in K.A. Holt’s newest free verse and game-talk novel.
SCHOOL
Who chooses
Who decides
Who is cool
And who is weird
And who is dumb
And who is smart
And who fits here
And who fits there
And what is right
And what is wrong? (214)
School is tough. The kids, other than her three new friends, are unkind, and the Vice Principal, Mr. Mann, is a bully, but there is a new student, Ace, who is not afraid to stand up to him and doesn’t appear to care what the other kids think. In fact she is called Dress Code for constantly breaking the dress code and earning detentions and Mr. Mann’s anger—and Ben Y’s admiration.
And sometimes
you see someone
or meet someone
and you hear al little
*ping*
in your heart,
and you know,
just like that,
this is someone
who’s like you,
boom. (77)
When Ben Y accidentally over-processes her hair in an attempt to be more like Ace and has to shave her head, the bullying increases.
“and maybe
just maybe
the safety
of being the same
is better than
the danger
of being you.” (119)
Even realizing he is dead, Ben Y retreats into game-chat conversations with her brother, and when it appears that someone is answering her as SB10BEN, she tries to solves the mystery; however, when she discovers the answer, she is not quite sure how she feels about the imposter.
At the same time Ben Y becomes so obsessed with finding out how Mr. Mann, adolescent defender of human rights, has become the bully he now is and with ruining his reputation and while also trying to understand her ambivalent feelings for Ace, that she forgets her three good friends. “It feels really bad to feel invisible to the person you thought could see you the best of any other person in the world.” – Jordan (358)
In a year filled with grieving family members, complicated relationships, looking for “safe places,” and somewhat of an identity crisis, Ben Y learns the value of friendship and that “everything is better with a confetti cannon.” – Ms J, Sandbox player.
Many readers will see themselves—and others may learn some empathy for their peers who feel they may not fit in but may need to—in K.A. Holt’s newest free verse and game-talk novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2023
Middle grade realistic fiction, novel in verse. This book is the second in a series, sequel to BenBee and the Teacher Griefer, and is more enjoyable if you have read the first book. Ben Y, Ben B, Jordan J, and Javier are back at school after their summer school experience where they all bonded. Their vice principal Mr. Mann is a bit on the rampage, especially towards a new student Ace who sees no reason to follow the school dress code. Ben Y sees a bit of themself in Ace, and gradually Ace latches onto the rest of the crew. But Ben Y is still grieving Benicio, the brother who created the Sandbox game and has since passed. The family is trying to get by, with sister Esme and their Mom also grieving. Ben Y looks back to old Sandbox chats to read Benicio's words of comfort and advice. The 4 kids (now 5 with Ace) are in the newspaper typing club with Ms. J. While they have printed newspapers, the time has been mainly spent playing Sandbox and spending time together. But Mr. Mann has a new idea for the newspaper and insists it features an administrative profile of him and discusses the new zero tolerance policy. As the kids in the club feel bullied by some of the students and targeted by Mr. Mann, they have to walk a line between writing their articles and truly expressing themselves.
This book is told mostly in verse, but also has several chat transcripts. As such, it reads much faster than the size of the book implies. I love this group of students and seeing how much Ms. J goes to bat for them. It was interesting to read of Ben Y's search for identity, after having already shortened their birth name Benita to Ben, they decide to go by Mx. instead of Ms. (the vice principal routinely calls students Mr. or Ms. with their last name). Note: While no label is given to Ben Y and pronouns are not addressed, I used the pronouns they/them based on that expressed preference for Mx.
This book is told mostly in verse, but also has several chat transcripts. As such, it reads much faster than the size of the book implies. I love this group of students and seeing how much Ms. J goes to bat for them. It was interesting to read of Ben Y's search for identity, after having already shortened their birth name Benita to Ben, they decide to go by Mx. instead of Ms. (the vice principal routinely calls students Mr. or Ms. with their last name). Note: While no label is given to Ben Y and pronouns are not addressed, I used the pronouns they/them based on that expressed preference for Mx.
November 28, 2021
This is the second book in the The Kids Under the Stairs series. The first book was from Ben B’s point of view and now this is from Ben Y’s point of view. I love Holt’s novel-in-verse style–it adds such a lyrical element to the story. And her style mixed with the relatable stories that Holt tells (this one is about Ben mourning the loss of her brother while also figuring out their identity, place in school, and friendship) equals really great reads!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews