Crafty Christmas Countdown: 23

 Today's market stall is the music stand. I had considered making a little drum or something to go with this one but when I got out my peg dolls I spotted Emmet Otter and I knew he was perfect. I suspect he's looking for a guitar.

Crafty Christmas Countdown: 24

 I'm doing something a little different for my crafty countdown this year. Between work demands and the desire to reduce clutter and waste, 24 distinct crafts seemed a bit much. So I've decided to go a little simpler and do variations on the same thing for each day. I'm making a little Christmas market. Each stall is made from half a cardboard tube with details drawn on. I'll probably be adding some extra little surprises along the way. 

Today's stall is knitwear. If you've been to a holiday craft sale you've seen a couple of booths selling hats and mittens and things. There's nothing quite so cozy as a hand knit stocking cap. For extra fun I've made a little ball of some of my rabbit fur yarn that tucks inside.

Are everyone's chickens this weird?

 In addition to my rabbits I have 18 (currently) chickens. The most recent set I purchased were six Wyandottes. Since I had some experience with chickens already I figured I knew what to expect from these ladies, all of whom I named after hobbits. 

They let me know pretty early on that I shouldn't underestimate them.

When I attempted to move them between pens, one got out and managed to lodge herself in a cement block.

After I got them moved, I had a pair that escaped the pen regularly. Merry and Pippin were determined to wander, though they've always been happy to return to the hutch at night. It's been over a year and Pippin, in particular, regularly takes herself for walks.

Merry and Pippin, chilling near the bee hive

Pippin found a roost on this tree branch

Now, their hutch has a fairly nice egg box set up that they refuse to use. They never roost or lay eggs in the box. These girls prefer to nest under it. I've looked in the hutch and not seen any hens, just the lone rooster strutting around. All six hens crowd together under the boxes.

It's a little blurry but you can just about see a hen on the right

Non-fiction book review - Defeated

 

Defeated by Martin Gitlin

Let's be real - politics aren't a huge selling point for young readers. Most of us don't have a great deal of interest in modern politics, much less historical. And candidates who lost aren't especially compelling reading. For the average person this is going to be a brief curiosity. While the text is quite readable the interest level is low so it's best absorbed in short bursts - read a single profile and put it down for a while. If you have a particular interest in the political system and how it has changed this makes for a solid resource as we explore shifts in political parties and the particulars of how our voting system has shifted.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe - A privileged teen is kidnapped by a man who causes him to question the world as he knows it.

What did you recently finish reading?

Defeated by Martin Gitlin - Gitlin walks us through the candidates who lost each presidential election since our country's founding.

What do you think you'll read next?

Agent Cupcake by Mel Hilario

Book review - Scarlet Morning

 

Title: Scarlet Morning

Author: ND Stevenson

Genre: adventure

Age range: middle grade

Summary (provided by publisher): Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents for fifteen boring years in the colorless town of Caveat. Their lives are a drudge of salt, trash, pirate stories, and what-ifs . . . until one very stormy night, when Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their door. They cut a deal with the captain: Chase can take their most prized possession, a mysterious book, but only if she takes them, too. After all, if their parents aren’t coming, Viola and Wilmur might as well have a grand adventure to find them.

Setting sail into the treacherous and beautiful world beyond Caveat, the two inseparable friends must uncover the facts behind legend—and the key to saving all of Dickerson’s Sea from obliteration—before the truth tears them apart.

What I liked: Stevenson's signature wry humor comes across nicely in this all text novel. We have a complex world with rules that we don't always understand but the intricacies are slowly laid out in a way that feels natural to the plot. The emotions are understated but realistic and the humor never gets in the way of the heart of the story.

What I didn't like: It's a bit slow to start. While the characters become more complex and complete as the book progresses, they are fairly basic in the early chapters. It feels like it takes a bit too long for the novel to find it's footing, like it doesn't initially take itself seriously enough.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

Incredibly Penelope by Lauren Myracle

I somehow missed, in selecting this book, that it was a modern retelling of A Little Princess, a fact that will make the whole thing make a lot more sense while you're reading. In the modern landscape, the scenario is a pretty big stretch. While Myracle handles the material well it remains a rather unbelievable premise. And the resolution is a bit too neat and tidy. There is some solid reflection on the ways we treat people and how mistreatment can be a reflection of one's own biases and negative self-image. Characters are strong. If you like a bit of magical thinking and endless optimism, this is a solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley