Graphic novel spotlight - The Bodyguard Unit

 

The Bodyguard Unit by Clement Xavier

Most of us know next to nothing about Jujitsu as a discipline. Or about the history of martial arts in the West. Or about the suffrage movement apart from the little we are taught in school. Those ideas combine in this book. Here we learn about a couple that started out simply wanting to teach Jujitsu, especially wanting to teach women a few basic skills to protect themselves. They became enmeshed in the suffrage movement at a time in Britain where the conflict was becoming especially violent. The nature of the plot, being driven by fight scenes, lends itself well to the graphic novel format. It does not shy away from stark images and neither side of the conflict is painted in an especially positive light. This is a solid choice for supplementing an existing history lesson plan about the suffrage movement.

 

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Book review - All You Have to Do

 

Title: All You Have to Do

Author: Autumn Allen

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman by Kristen R Lee

                     Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

Rating:

 

thought provoking

Summary (provided by publisher): In ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, two Black young men attend prestigious schools nearly thirty years apart, and yet both navigate similar forms of insidious racism.
In April 1968, in the wake of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, Kevin joins a protest that shuts down his Ivy League campus...
In September 1995, amidst controversy over the Million Man March, Gibran challenges the “See No Color” hypocrisy of his prestigious New England prep school...
As the two students, whose lives overlap in powerful ways, risk losing the opportunities their parents worked hard to provide, they move closer to discovering who they want to be instead of accepting as fact who society and family tell them they are.

My opinion: I like the way this book blends two tough political and racial climates. We see how these two young men struggle to be accepted at their schools, to prove to their white peers that admission is not the same thing as belonging. Their is a lot of discussion of being seen, heard, acknowledged. The writing moves quickly and keeps us engaged and eagerly advancing through the plot. Which is almost a shame, because these are concepts that are worthy of thought, of lingering and contemplating. I could easily see using this book with a group of modern teens to spark discussion of the current approaches to race and how events in the news (MLK's death, the Million Man March, BLM protests) affect how we approach questions of racial inequality.

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Non-fiction book review - An Atlas of Afterlives

 

An Atlas of Afterlives by Emily Hawkins

It can be hard to discuss what a group thinks happens after we die without getting too deep into tenets of faith and deities but Hawkins handles this well. For each belief system we get a little about the people who follow(ed) that belief, what their afterlife looked like, and who would end up there. It is perhaps a niche area of interest but understanding a people's views on death tell us a lot about how they live. Additionally, the sections are well illustrated and artistic, making this a book worth reading and simply leafing through. 

More information: An Atlas of Afterlives releases September 26

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Book review - Grave Mistakes

 

Title: Grave Mistakes

Author: Kitty Curran

Genre: mystery

Similar books: What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young

                      Brick Dust and Bones by M R F

Rating:

 

a decent start to a series

Summary (provided by publisher): Molly Dade has big problems. She’s got an important violin audition coming up, she’s been paired with her nemesis for a group project, and she’s struggling to hide a life-or-death secret from…well, from everyone. It wasn’t long ago that the Dades were just a regular Maine family living in their reportedly haunted house in the local cemetery. But then Molly’s mom and twin brother Marty were killed in a freak accident. And Molly, her older brother Timothy, and her father became the town’s newest bereaved family.
Except Mom and Marty are still very much present. No one knows why, but Mom is now a ghost and Marty is a poltergeist. Oh, and there’s also Molly’s younger sister Dyandra, who is a zombie.
Keeping all this supernatural stuff a secret from everyone is hard work, especially when the dead (undead?) members of the family still want to participate in things like the Parent Teacher Association meetings or come to the (very public, very potentially embarrassing) school concert.
When Dad’s new cemetery assistant seems to know the Dade family secret, Molly and Marty worry about the future of their family. And when Marty begins to regain his memories of the explosion that killed him and Mom, the twins realize that the situation might be even more grave than they thought. Someone might be after the Dade family—but who? And why?

My opinion: For a book that starts with a family that is half dead, this book is surprisingly silly. It doesn't take itself overly seriously. There is a mystery, sure, but the bulk of the plot is more about rivalries with school peers and the fear of being an outsider than it is about mysterious deaths. The primary plot is fairly straightforward and doesn't dig too deeply into characters. There is certainly a sense that something larger is going on in the town so there's room for this to grow into a more complex series.

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Book review - The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry

 

Title: The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry

Author: Chad Morris & Shelly Brown

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli

                     That Girl Lucy Moon by Amy Timberlake

Rating:

 

a solid read 

Summary (provided by publisher): Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives in a cabin with her family deep in the wild woods. Living off the grid is usually exciting, like the time she chased off three growling raccoons with a tree branch and some acorns, or when she thought she glimpsed the legendary Bigfoot. But her happy life in the wild ends abruptly when her younger brother gets sick, and the family moves to the city to be closer to the hospital.
Juniper and her older sister are sent to live with cousins they hardly know and attend a public school for the first time, which is harder to navigate than the wild woods ever were. Juniper feels like a wolf cub separated from her pack.
When Juniper notices that her cousin, Alayna, is being bullied by so-called friends, she’s ready to fight back like the wild geese do when protecting their goslings, but her cousin tells her to stay out of it; she doesn’t want Juniper making things worse.
As the hospital bills for her brother start piling up, Juniper knows they’ll need to be paid before the family can go back to the woods, so she decides to make enough money to help out. With Alayna’s support, Juniper starts posting videos filled with her wisdom from the woods, hoping to get a following. But what if it doesn’t work? What if the bills never get paid? Not going home to the wild is Juniper’s worst nightmare. But while she’s stuck in the city, she might as well make the most of it, like sticking up for her cousin, for starters.

My opinion: At face value, this is a pretty standard fish-out-of-water story. Juniper is used to a very specific way of life and doesn't fit in to regular society. The more she stands out, the more it drives a wedge between her and her cousin. They don't understand each other. These are basic elements of many middle grade books. It invites discussion about what it means to fit in, about individuality and conformity. What sets this one apart is it's exploration of the driving force behind isolation. It doesn't just tell us that Juniper's family lives in the woods, it looks at why they isolate. It doesn't just tell us that Juniper doesn't fit in because she's never had a peer group. It looks at why she never attempts to connect with her new peers. While there are some moments that strain believability, overall this is a solid read that could spark discussion with a middle grade group.

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Non-fiction book review - A Miscellany of Mischief and Magic

 

A Miscellany of Mischief and Magic by Tom Adams

Many kids go  through a phase of obsession with illusionists and/or pranks. So this book is going to hit right in that sweet spot for a wide audience. It is separated into three main topics: magicians, con artists, and hoaxes/pranks. It should be noted that all three sections have an air of admiration, which can be troubling when it comes to cons. Each section has multiple examples, both of noteworthy figures and famous incidents. There are also a few "do it yourself" sections of card tricks, simple illusions, and good natured pranks that are easy enough for a kid to try.

More information: A Miscellany of Mischief and Magic releases September 5. 

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Listen with me

 

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

This is a surprisingly innocent, gentle story. It doesn't shy away from reality. It speaks plainly about the death of assorted animals (without going into unnecessary detail - so nothing gross). Overall, though, this is a simple story about survival and the power of kindness. This is the perfect choice for your youngster who is perhaps a bit sensitive.

Book review - Guardians of Dawn: Zhara

 

Title: Guardians of Dawn: Zhara

Author: S. Jae-Jones

Genre: fantasy

Similar books: Cinder by Marissa Meyer 

                     Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell 

Rating:

 

pleasantly complex

Summary (provided by publisher): Magic flickers. Love flames. Chaos reigns.
Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called an abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before.
Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about—appeasing her stepmother’s cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control—without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.
In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.

My opinion: The Cinderella influences on this plot are clear but it's not a strict retelling. Rather, it's a framework that the author uses to build a unique world and plot. We are deeply exploring magic, demons, and the spirit world, the ideas of balance and the cost for making changes. There are clear and consistent rules for how magic works and for it's role in society. There are a lot of complications, all of which serve to further the plot. The characters, too, are complex and nuanced. This is the beginning of a series with a lot of room to grow and continue to impress.

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Listen with me

 

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

This book has been described as Hatchet with robots and I have to say that concept intrigues me. While this isn't my normal genre, let's give it a listen together.

Book review - Where the Lockwood Grows

 

Title: Where the Lockwood Grows

Author: Olivia A Cole

Genre: dystopia

Similar books: The Last Beekeeper by Pablo Cartaya

                      The List by Patricia Fforde

Rating:

 

a solid read

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Erie has never lived life fully in the sunlight. After destructive wildfires wreaked havoc on the world around her, the government came up with a plan—engineer a plant that cannot burn. Thus, the fire-resistant lockwood was born. The lockwood protects Erie and her hometown of Prine, but it grows incredibly fast and must be cut back every morning. Only the town’s youngest and smallest citizens can fit between the branches and tame the plant. Citizens just like Erie.
But one evening, Erie uncovers a shocking secret that leads her to question the rules of Prine. Alongside her older sister, Hurona, she’ll journey from the only home she’s known and realize that the world is much more complicated than she'd ever imagined. Packed with surprising twists and a cast of courageous characters, this gripping novel encourages readers to stand up for justice and challenge the status quo.

My opinion: The future of dystopian fiction appears to be in middle grade and I am here for it. Cole's book presents us with a future dealing with ecological disaster. We have a world falling apart and characters trying to figure out how to live in it while others take advantage of the chaos to conceal oppression. A savvy reader will suss out what is going on in this book pretty quickly, but that isn't a big barrier. The book is as much about a family trying to find their way forward, to heal the brokenness between them, as it is about revealing what is being done to the town.

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Book review - Holly Horror

 

Title: Holly Horror

Author: Michelle Jabes Corpora

Genre: horror

Similar books: White Smoke by Tiffany D Jackson

                      Whispering Pines by Heidi Lang

Rating:

plot doesn't live up to the spooky imagery

Summary (provided by publisher): After her parents' painful divorce, Evie Archer hopes that moving to Ravenglass, Massachusetts, is the fresh start that her family needs. But Evie quickly realizes that her new home—known by locals as the Horror House—carries its own dark past after learning about Holly Hobbie, who mysteriously vanished in her bedroom one night.
But traces of Holly linger in the Horror House and slowly begin to take over Evie's life. A strange shadow follows her everywhere she goes, and Evie starts to lose sight of what's real and what isn't the more she learns about The Lost Girl.
Can Evie find out what happened the night of Holly's disappearance? Or is history doomed to repeat itself in the Horror House?

My opinion: There's no denying that the cover art for this book is creepy. A skeletal head in a prairie bonnet is a spooky image, especially when early scenes involve that head turning to look at people. The book doesn't live up to that promise, though. The plot on the whole is a pretty standard one and doesn't push much in the way of boundaries. Characters follow fairly expected patterns of behavior. The ending leaves a fair amount to be desired as well. While it's clearly setting up for a sequel, it doesn't do enough to resolve it's plot.

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Picture books for everyone

 

The Incredible Hotel by Kate Davies

At heart, this book tells a fairly standard story of a young person being undervalued because of their youth. It carries, then, messaging about how every person contributes to the whole and the importance of treating people with respect. The details won't be familiar to most. The average child has no experience with the inner working of a fancy hotel so it gives us a sense of peeking behind the curtain. The individual details are unique and the illustrations are wonderful, expressive and dynamic.

More information: The Incredible Hotel releases September 5.

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Book review - The Lost Library

 

Title: The Lost Library

Authors: Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee

                     Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Rating:

 

a charming love letter to books and small towns

Summary (provided by publisher): When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change.
Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.

My opinion: Reading this book as an adult, the final twists seem pretty clear relatively early on. These secrets are well seeded in the first half of the plot. But that's okay. This is not really a mystery. Not beyond the surface elements. This is a story about kids at a point of transition, about examining the larger world for the first time, fearing the future but recognizing it's inevitability. Its about trauma and the things that break us. And the things that make us whole again. It is populated by compelling, complex characters who are believable. It's a charming, quick read that holds up to repeats.

More information: The Lost Library releases August 29 

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Graphic novel spotlight: Eerie Tales from the School of Screams

 

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable

Most of us go through a stage in our middle grade years where we devour horror stories. It's the reason for the consistent popularity of books like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or the Goosebumps series. This book fits neatly into that niche. As you might guess from the cover illustration it balances out the creepiness of the stories with a humorous cartoon style for the illustrations. The bulk of the book is a series of short stories, tales told by kids in the larger context of a creepy plot. None of it is terribly frightening, probably just enough to induce a shiver in a young reader. Don't expect this one to give your readers nightmares, just a bit of entertainment.

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Book review - I'll Tell You No Lies

 

Title: I'll Tell You No Lies

Author: Amanda McCrina

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

                      Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Rating:

 

too scattered

Summary (provided by publisher): New York, 1955. Eighteen-year-old Shelby Blaine and her father, an Air Force intelligence officer, have just been wrenched away from their old life in West Germany to New York’s Griffiss Air Force Base, where he has been summoned to lead the interrogation of an escaped Soviet pilot. Still in shock from the car accident that killed her mother barely a month earlier, Shelby struggles with her grief, an emotionally distant father, and having to start over in a new home.
Then a chance meeting with Maksym, the would-be defector, spirals into a deadly entanglement, as the pilot’s cover story is picked apart and he attempts to escape his military and intelligence handlers—with Shelby caught in the middle. The more she learns of Maksym’s secrets, including his detention at Auschwitz during the war, the more she becomes willing to help him. But as the stakes become more dangerous, Shelby begins to question everything she has been told, even by her fugitive friend. Allies turn into enemies, and the truth is muddled by lies. Can she trust a traitor with her life, or will it be the last mistake she ever makes?

My opinion: This book starts with a solid premise - a girl already on the outside crossing paths with a defector and potential spy trying to find out the truth. It asks solid questions about where our loyalties lie and what things influence us. Not to mention shedding light on life inside of the USSR during the Cold War era. These were the elements that drew me in. The reality was far less compelling, mostly because it was too hard to follow. I can certainly understand how the lies inherent in the world of military intelligence would complicate every interaction. But a single conversation in this book asserts wildly different "truths". We have no time to rest in a story, to accept it and start believing it, before a character tells us that it is all lies. Nothing can be trusted and it changes so quickly that we don't form attachments to anyone or any thing. Without any consistency it's too hard to engage with the plot and characters.

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Non-fiction book review - Stuff Kids Should Know

 

Stuff Kids Should Know by Josh Clark, Chuck Bryant, and Nils Parker

If you're at all familiar with the podcast "Stuff You Should Know" then you have a pretty good idea of what you'll find in this book. In their typical humorous and conversational tone Clark and Bryant dig into the history of everyday items and events. The topics are all over the place but remain appropriate for a young audience. The vocabulary is careful and well explained but never talks down to it's intended audience. This is a great assortment of random information that will inform and entertain.

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Book Review - The International House of Dereliction

 

Title: The International House of Dereliction

Author: Jacqueline Davies

Genre: supernatural

Similar books: Ghosts, Toast, and other Hazards by Susan Tan

                     Almost There, Almost Not by Linda Urban

Rating:

 

A pleasant read

Summary (provided by publisher): Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.
She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things?
But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it's the perfect new repair job!
As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been watching, and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business.
Will Alice be able to unravel the mysteries of the House and find her forever home . . . before it’s too late?

My opinion: It may seem odd at first, but there is certainly a place in middle grade fiction for books about ghosts that aren't scary. Her quest to help ghosts is a chance for Alice to act independently, to problem solve and discover her limits, but also to recognize when something is too big for a ten-year-old to handle on her own. This book presents us with four distinct reasons a person might become a ghost. It gives us rules for ghosts - where they can go, how much they can interact with the physical world, and how much they can remember. The quest has a clear set-up, a time frame limitation, and a solid complication. As one would expect from a ghost story, the messaging is primarily about living without regrets, finding a home, and being honest about your needs. It conveys these messages clearly but with finesse. An overall pleasant and engaging read.

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Pick 6: mythological beings

Goblins, elves, unicorns. Is there anything more fun to speculate about than mythological creatures? I mean, Harry Potter got a whole school subject about them. Authors often incorporate them into their stories, even when they don't really explore magic. Here are six books featuring mythological beings published in the past six months.

Six new books with mythological beings

1. Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam
2. Squire and Knight by Scott Chandler
3. The Unicorn Legacy by Kid Toussaint and Veronica Alvarez
4. Brick Dust and Bones by M R Fournet
5. Cat's Cradle: the Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux
6. The Bawk-ness Monster by Natalie Riess
   

Book review - Brick Dust and Bones

 

Title: Brick Dust and Bones

Author: M.R. Fournet

Genre: fantasy/horror

Similar books: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

                     Jackaby by William Ritter*

Rating:

 

solid world building and spooky atmosphere

Summary (provided by publisher): Marius Grey hunts Monsters. He's not supposed to. He's only twelve and his job as a Cemetery Boy is to look after the ghosts in his family's graveyard. He should be tending these ghosts and–of course–going to school to learn how to live between worlds without getting into trouble.
But, Marius has an expensive goal. He wants to bring his mother back from the dead, and that takes a LOT of mystic coins, which means a LOT of Monster Hunting, and his mother’s window to return is closing.
If he wants her back, Marius is going to have to go after bigger and meaner monsters, decide if a certain flesh-eating mermaid is a friend or foe, and avoid meddling Demons and teachers along the way. Can Marius navigate New Orleans’s gritty monster bounty-hunting market, or will he have to say goodbye to his mother forever?

My opinion: The world building here is pretty ingenious. It's a sort of magical realism. The setting is our own world just with magical elements. A sort of magical shadow culture that the uninitiated can't perceive. So there is no need to waste time with huge amounts of culture and history, just a little bit of lore. The main thing that needs explaining is Monster Hunting and that is naturally integrated into the plot. While we don't understand everything Marius does in the moment we get explanation soon enough. It's action oriented and his time constraints drive the plot forward. The characters aren't especially deep but that's not uncommon for a middle grade novel. Especially in a book that, as with this one, feels primed for a sequel. The Louisiana setting is strong and the monsters are used to full effect. Especially impressive is the use of lesser known monsters - things like boo hags and rougarous. It has scary moments but isn't a total fright fest so it shouldn't be too much for young readers.

*Jackaby is probably appropriate for an older audience than this one, but the child who enjoys this one will grow into the other series.

Non-fiction book review - Astonishing and Extinct Professions

 

Astonishing and Extinct Professions by Markus Rottmann

The construct for this book is a solid one. Rottmann introduces us to the basics of a job, it's role in society, and the technological or sociological influences that lead to it's decline. While there isn't a great deal of depth to any of these descriptions, we do get more than just a handful of factoids. It might not be the most compelling book that a kid will read but is a curiosity that can easily be enjoyed in bits and pieces. For both fans of history and those who find it "boring".

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Well hello again!

 Hi friends. I guess I sort of disappeared on you for a while there.

It seems I let life get away from me. But I'm back now and excited about some changes I'll bringing to this space soon. Thanks for sticking with me and reading. I hope you're as excited to talk books as I am.