Graphic Novel Spotlight - Monkey King and the World of Myths

 

The Monster and the Maze by Maple Lam

There's something appealing about a trickster. Anansi. Loki. And Monkey King. They give us the opportunity to cheer for borderline wicked behavior. We get to see them misbehave but sometimes redeem themselves and usually get their comeuppance.  This book introduces the reader to not only Monkey King but a world in which all mythologies exist simultaneously. Monkey King is on a mission to get the gods to see him, a beast, as valuable and powerful. Along the way he crosses paths with all sorts of mythological beings. His mischief both helps and harms his quest. The simplicity of the story and the art makes this easy for young readers to follow and stay engaged.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Picture books for everyone - The Little Regent

 

The Little Regent by Yewande Daniel-Ayoade

This is a situation that we see sometimes in fiction - a child or someone else unexpected and atypical suddenly thrown into a leadership position. Usually it's played for laughs but ultimately comes to the conclusion that the unconventional leadership style is to everyone's benefit. That is somewhat the situation here, but in larger part our protagonist is following the example of her father. She leads with compassion, recognizing problems and finding practical ways to help. That's the strongest benefit of this book. It teaches children how to lead by example, how to affect practical change. With charming, dynamic illustrations that use rich colors this is a book worth reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass - A young woman in Tobago trying to hold onto life running a hotel while her best friend readies to leave the country and and her ex-boyfriend, now an international pop star, is back in town.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Kill Factor by Ben Oliver - A mash up of dystopian fiction, teen convicts, and influencer culture.

What do you think you'll read next?

War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson

Book review - Maddie's Ghost

 

Title: Maddie's Ghost

Author: Carol Fisher Saller

Genre: mystery

Similar books: A Case of Grave Danger by Sophie Cleverly

                      The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

Rating:

 

a pleasant mystery

Summary (provided by publisher): She was the first baby born at the new millennium, and a local TV station wants an interview. But when the reporter uncovers the dark history of Lainie's great-grandmother Maddie, who was executed for murder, the interview takes an alarming turn.
Determined to clear her ancestor's name, Lainie and her two best friends embark on a thrilling race against time. Following clues left by Madeleine herself, they unravel a shocking mystery that has been buried for decades.

My opinion: Saller has done a clever thing here, having her character investigate an historic murder. We get the importance of a murder mystery without the danger and direct threat. It matters for the characters. They are motivated to find the truth. But there is no danger to them. This one does suffer a little from emotional disconnect. The characters have little development. But it plays with the idea of ghosts in an intriguing way. Not a book that everyone will enjoy but one that will likely find an audience in a particular subset of middle grade readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso

 In many ways, this book is an example of what has become standard in a teen thriller. We have: a missing teen; friendships that largely exist in the summer; the power imbalance of the wealthy in a coastal town; a tenuous romance that is affected by grief; secrets that run deep in a community. It's not treading a lot of new ground or pushing boundaries, but sometimes that's okay. We don't always need a thriller to challenge us, just to entertain us. And this book is entertaining. It keeps a strong pace and balances revelations with emotional interest. Characters are strong enough to be engaging though not terribly deep. While some of the events push the bounds of beleivability, it doesn't go too far. This isn't a book bound to be a classic but it is entertaining.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Keeping Pace

 

Title: Keeping Pace

Author: Laurie Morrison

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros

                      Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera

Rating:

 

nice character arcs

Summary (provided by publisher): Grace has been working for years to beat her former friend Jonah Perkins’s GPA so she can be named top scholar of the eighth grade. But when Jonah beats her for the title, it feels like none of Grace’s academic accomplishments have really mattered. They weren’t enough to win—or to impress her dad. And then the wide, empty summer looms. With nothing planned and no more goals or checklists, she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be working toward.
Eager for something to occupy her days, Grace signs up for a half-marathon race that she and Jonah used to talk about running together. Jonah’s running it, too. Maybe if she can beat Jonah on race day, she’ll feel OK again. But as she begins training with Jonah and checking off a new list of summer goals, she starts to question what—and who—really matters to her. Is winning at all costs really worth it?

My opinion: This novel presents us with a pair of ambitious characters who think they know everything about each other - and they don't like it. So of course they learn that other people are complex and outward appearances aren't what they seem. The lessons here are pretty clear cut. But that's okay. The characters are strong. And the arcs they go through are believable. They come to the end of the book as slightly improved versions of themselves. Grace is still ambitious and driven. Jonah is still emotionally closed off and a little oblivious. They're just working on becoming better and that's all we can really ask of realistic characters. This could be classified as a sports book but isn't too weighed down with jargon requiring explanation. It can be understood and appreciated by most middle grade readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Vest

 I spotted this photo a while back and I became obsessed with this look. Its one I'd love to recreate but the vest eludes me.

 

I thought I'd try recreating it myself and came up with this vest.

 

Not quite the same but it will do for now.