Book review - The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist

 

Titles: The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist

Author: Anders Sparring and Per Gustavsson

Genre: early chapter book/humor

Similar books: Good Crooks series by Mary Amato

                      Claude series by Alex T Smith

Rating:

 

silly fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Theo is good at most things. He can almost count to a thousand, knows several French words, and can operate the washing machine. But he can't lie or steal.
"You must try harder," says his mother sternly.
The Pincher Family love to steal things. It's what they are born for! When his parents leave to visit the diamond exhibition, Theo's heart sinks. After breaking Grandma out of prison (his little sister needs someone to read her bedtime story), Theo sees no alternative but to stop his parents stealing the diamond. His shout of "Stop! Police!" brings them only delight—Theo's lie has shown he is a true Pincher.

My opinion: It is worth noting that this book is a translation, though one might not guess it while reading. The only real indicator is the use of terms not common in the US. The English translation has a natural feel. The vocabulary is accessible and the plot is easy to follow. The humor is strong as well, with pun-based names that lend themselves to being read aloud and ridiculous events in equal measure. With appealing illustrations that support the text this is a solid choice for a young reader.

More information: The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist releases April 2.

Graphic novel spotlight - Nothing Special

 

Nothing Special by Katie Cook

If you like magical adventures and offbeat humor then this is the series or you. It starts with a fairly standard premise - a couple of teens discover they are not fully human and set out on a quest to find a missing parent. It dips into the quirky side when the are quickly accompanied by the ghost of a radish. And things get weirder from there. It doesn't take itself too seriously but remains true to it's premise the whole time. A fun and quick read, well worth the effort.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist by Anders Sparring - A boy in a family of thieves struggles to act like his parents expect while secretly wishing to be good. It's a quick and silly read.

What did you recently finish reading?

Ranger Academy by Maria Ingrande Mora - I was just a bit too old for Power Rangers when they were initially popular so I've never gotten into the fandom. If you're like me this is probably a good introduction since the protagonist is equally uninitiated. It does a solid job of world building and introducing unique characters.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaugnessy

Book review - In the Orbit of You

Title: In the Orbit of You

Author: Ashley Schumacher

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson

                      Some Other Now by Sarah Everett

Rating:

 

a surprising amount to chew on

Summary (provided by publisher): It's been years since Nova Evans last saw Sam. She was too young then to understand why he had to move away—and what it had to do with the cuts and bruises he got from home and never wanted to talk about. All she knew is that they promised to find each other when they were older, something she thought was impossible thanks to her and her mom moving around constantly. Until she bumps into Sam in her new school, and realizes he has clearly forgotten their childhood promise.
Sam Jordan has a plan for his life: accept his college football scholarship, date his girlfriend Abigail, and—most importantly—hide how much he wants to do something, anything other than The Plan™ his parents and coaches have set before him. It doesn't matter if sometimes he finds himself thinking about the new girl he met in the cafeteria, a girl who reminds him of a past that hurts to remember.
When a school-wide personality test reveals Nova and Sam to be each others' top matches—not only that, but a match of 99%, the highest in the school—they begin to remember why they were such close friends, all those years ago. As well as the myriad of reasons this new-yet-familiar, magnetic, sparkling thing between them will never, ever work out.

My opinion: Let's start with the obvious - this is a teen romance so the general thrust of the plot is going to be obvious. And it hangs on a lot of coincidence. Old friends who meet up again in their teens and are immediately entranced with one another. A personality test puts them on each other's radar. The reconnection forces them to address truths about their lives. And if that's all this book was it would be pretty eye-roll inducing. But it doesn't shy away from asking difficult questions and forcing characters to deal with the consequences of their decisions. It manages to achieve what a lot of romances aim for - more depth.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Graphic novel spotlight - Absolute Zeros

 

Absolute Zeros by Greg Smith and Michael Tanner

The central elements here are pretty standard ones: kids at a summer camp with conflicting personalities have to find a way to work together to save their camp from a more privileged rival.  Really, it's not doing much in terms of breaking new ground. The characters generally fall into expected types, especially the rivals. Really, though, that's okay. Because it's space camp. Rockets and drones and low gravity simulators are inherently appealing and provide a strong backdrop for those familiar themes. It's visually well designed with panels drawing our eye naturally down the page and balances text and action.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Non-fiction book review - The Enigma Girls

 

The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming

This book brings together some truly appealing elements to provide a compelling, straightforward read. We learn about the grand scope of the project to crack the Enigma codes and the importance of code breaking and secrecy for success in World War II.  Because of the sheer number of people involved it can be too much to understand, so Fleming has focused on a handful of specific figures to help provide focus. And because the central figures here are teenagers instead of the well-known names the text is more relatable for a young audience. The narrative is broken up with sections about ciphers and cryptography more generally. This is an easily understood book and one I highly recommend.  

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Underdogs of Upson Downs

 

Title: The Underdogs of Upson Downs

Author: Craig Silvey

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Wish by Barbara O'Connor

                     Underdog City by Chris Negron

Rating:

 

gentle and heart-filled

Summary (provided by pubisher): Annie Shearer lives in the country town of Upson Downs with her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The two share a very special bond.
After years evading capture, Runt is remarkably fast and agile, perfect for herding runaway sheep. But when a greedy local landowner puts her family's home at risk, Annie directs Runt's extraordinary talents toward a different pursuit--winning the Agility Course Grand Championship at the lucrative Krumpets Dog Show in London.
However, there is a curious catch: Runt will only obey Annie's commands if nobody else is watching.
With all eyes on them, Annie and Runt must beat the odds--and the fastest dogs in the world--to save her farm.

My opinion: There are many things to love about this book. Annie is a loner but not especially lonely. She's happy with her life and determined to maintain it unchanged. Her family is supportive and quirky. There is conflict in the plot but it tends towards the ridiculous. The "villain" reads like something out of a cartoon, closer to Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events than a real person, so the sense of danger and risk is low. It keeps the tone light-hearted. Silvey plays with reality, suggesting something akin to magic without ever fully committing to the supernatural. We could see this as a mystical connection or just good luck. Either way, the book is pleasant and surprisingly gentle with enough humor to keep us from taking it too seriously.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher - Teens who were best friends as small children are thrown back together by random chance and a school personality test.

What did you recently finish reading?

We are Mayhem by Beck Rourke-Mooney - While this is superficially a book about a teen finding her purpose in professional wrestling after loosing her dream of gymnastics, in practice it is more of a discourse about gender, societal expectations, and the lenses through which we view ourselves and others.

What do you think you'll read next?

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

Book review - Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal

 

Title: Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal

Author: Gretchen Schreiber

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

                      It's My Life by Stacie Ramey

Rating:

 

reasonable and realistic

Summary (provided by publisher): Ellie Haycock has always separated her life into sections: Ellie at home and Ellie at the hospital. At home, Ellie is a proud member of her high school’s speech and debate team alongside her best friend and her boyfriend. At the hospital, Ellie has a team of doctors and a mom who won’t stop posting about the details of her illness online. It’s not hard for Ellie to choose which of the two she prefers.
But this latest hospital stay is different. Ellie becomes close with a group of friends, including Ryan, a first-timer who’s still optimistic about the doctors that Ellie stopped trusting years ago. Despite their differences, she can’t seem to keep him out of her head. Ellie’s life has never been ordinary—but maybe this time it will be extraordinary.

My opinion: There's been an increase, recently, in books about characters with chronic illnesses. These books show us "sick" kids who are realistic and complex. They don't soldier bravely through and teach us a lesson about strength and dignity or whatever. They're kids. Ellie, in this book, is in many ways a normal teen. She cares about what her peers think. She wants to ignore distasteful things. She's self-centered and stubborn. She's also atypical. Her history informs her view of everything she encounters. Being chronically ill changes everything in her life. And that's the central struggle here, finding a balance between these two views. She isn't always a likable character but that's okay. It's very human. While the plot is predictable the characters and their interactions are dynamic enough to make for compelling reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

King of the skirts

I try to be thrifty, to avoid spending money unless necessary, and to reduce waste. This often means reusing things, including worn-out clothes. Take, for example, this shirt.
 

 

 

 While somewhat worn on the edges, there's still a lot of life left in this fabric. And since it was my dad's shirt and too big for me to wear as a top, I decided to turn it into a skirt. First step was to cut off the sleeves and collar.

Then I cut the top straight across to make the waistline. Since I believe all clothes should I have pockets, I wanted to add some here and the armholes are well situated for that. I used sleeves from an old t-shirt, the ends sewn shut, for pockets.

Once I had the pockets sewn in and the waistband hemmed it could have been finished but it was a little dull. So I decided to embroider a Godzilla type monster on it. Because why not.

 

The green tabs are belt loops to help with fit.

Book review - Finally Heard

 

Title: Finally Heard

Author: Kelly Yang

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: No Talking by Andrew Clements

                      Daisy Wormwood Changes the World by Melissa Hart

Rating:

 

a nice read

Summary (provided by publisher): When ten-year-old Lina Gao sees her mom’s video on social media take off, she’s captivated by the potential to be seen and heard! Maybe online she can finally find the confidence she craves. Whereas in real life she’s growing so fast, she feels like microwave popcorn, bursting out of her skin!
With the help of her two best friends, Carla and Finn, and her little sister, Millie, Lina sets off to go viral. Except there’s a lot more to social media than Lina ever imagined, like:
1. Seeing inside her classmates’ lives! Is she really the only person on the planet who doesn’t have a walk-in closet?
2. Group chats! Disappearing videos! What is everyone talking about in the secret chats? And how can she join?
3. A bazillion stories about what to eat, wear, and put on her face. Could they all be telling the truth? Everyone sounds so sure of what they’re saying!
As Lina descends deeper and deeper into social media, it will take all her strength to break free from the likes and find the courage to be her authentic self in this fast-paced world.

My opinion: Unsurprisingly, when a book addresses social media it's going to be a negative portrayal. Lina quickly descends into the dangers of living her life online. We aren't going to be especially surprised by the directions this book takes. But it certainly has some positives. For instance, there are several points in the book that discuss what is going on in our brains when we use social media and rely on our devices. Lina doesn't just fall victim to cyber-bullying - she sees how easy it is to engage in those behaviors from behind a screen. And it isn't just the kids. We see multiple adults engaging in unhealthy online behaviors as well as modeling better interactions both online and in person. While the ultimate conclusions are a bit idealized, overall this is a pleasant read that might encourage some deeper conversations with young readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Happy Pi day!

 For some reason, Pi day is one of those weird holidays that I find more amusing than annoying. And casting about this morning for something quick to work on, I decided to try a new design for catnip toys - a pie. This is the result.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

The Underdogs of Upson Downs by Craig Silvey - the tale of a girl and a dog and their effort to save the family farm. I've just started this one and it holds a lot of promise.

What did you recently finish reading?

These Bodies Between Us by Sarah Van Name - a slightly odd magical realism book about girls who learn to make themselves invisible.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines by Mo Netz

Book review - The Curse of Eelgrass Bog

 

Title: The Curse of Eelgrass Bog

Author: Mary Averling

Genre: fantasy

Similar books: The Stars of Whistling Ridge by Cindy Baldwin

                     The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray by E. Latimer

Rating:

 

a fun magical plot

Summary (provided by publisher): Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim).
But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in town. Lilou comes to Kess for help breaking a mysterious curse—and the only clue she has leads straight into the center of Eelgrass Bog.
Everyone knows the bog is full of witches, demons, and possibly worse, but Kess and Lilou are determined not to let that stop them. As they investigate the mystery and uncover long-buried secrets, Kess begins to realize that the curse might hit closer to home than she’d ever expected, and she’ll have to summon all her courage to find a way to break it before it’s too late. 

My opinion: The description of this book certainly sounds strange. And it is, if you only focus on the details. Somehow, though Averling manages to make shrunken heads and skeletons made of gold sound standard and common place. The descriptions of characters and settings are straightforward and have an air of normalcy. We get simple explanations for the existence of witches and curses and that simplicity makes them easy to accept. With a rapid pace and reveal of hidden plot elements, this is a quick and enjoyable read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - Call Me Al

 

Title: Call Me Al

Author: Wali Shah and Eric Walters

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Wishing Upon the Same Stars by Jacquetta Nammar Feldman

                      Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi

Rating:

 

a decent balance of elements

Summary (provided by publisher): Between the pressure from his immigrant parents to ace every class, his crush on Melissa, who lives in the rich area of town while he and his family live in a shabby apartment complex, and trying his best to fit in with his friends, he feels like he’s being pulled in too many different directions.
But harder still, Ali is becoming increasingly aware of the racism around him. Comments from his friends about Pakistani food or his skin color are passed off as jokes, but he doesn’t find them funny. And when Ramadan starts, Ali doesn’t tell anyone he’s fasting because it just seems easier. Luckily he finds solace in putting his feelings into words—and poems. But his father is dead set against him using art as a distraction when he’s got schoolwork and a future career as a doctor to focus on.
Ali’s world changes when he, his mom and his little brother are assaulted by some racist teens. Ali must come to terms with his roiling feelings about his place in the world, as a Pakistani immigrant, a Muslim and a teenager with his whole life ahead of him. With help from his grandfather, an inspiring teacher and his friend, Ali leans on his words for strength. And eventually he finds his true voice.

My opinion: The intent of this book is pretty straightforward, even from the beginning. It could easily become over-simplified and trite. But Shah and Walters do a solid job of blending in other elements to keep this from becoming just an exploration of casual racism. We look at both blatant racism and microaggressions, and all of the avenues they can come from. Blend in parental pressures and the impact of trauma and we have a more complex narrative at play. This is a quick and clear read that should facilitate some conversation with young readers.

More information: Call Me Al releases March 12

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

This Book is Banned by Raj Haldar

If you're looking for a way to discuss book banning with kids, this fun picture book is a solid starting point. The reasons for banning content explored in this book are silly, of course. Elementary aged kids will giggle along as the book bans all sorts of innocuous things, leaving very little to talk about. This allows you to talk about access to information and who gets to decide what's allowed in books in a relaxed and playful manner. While the messaging won't land with very small children, they'll still enjoy the playful illustrations and interactions with the text.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Cowl

 My stash-busting continues. I had a skein of sock yarn that I bought super-cheap somewhere. I actually have a ton of knitted socks so I decided to do something different with this one. I found this pattern for a sock yarn cowl/hood which can easily be used with any brand of sock yarn. 

 

long enough to pull up over the top of my head but not too bulky to leave around my neck

Of course, I finished it up as the weather is warming, but this might be nice for those spring days that still have a cold edge.

WWW Wednesdays return

 My recent blogiversary had me looking back and I rediscovered a prompt I gave up back in 2015: WWW Wednesdays. The idea here is to take a snapshot of your reading life by answering these three questions.

What are you currently reading?

The Mysterious Life of Dr. Barry by Lisa Williamson - a fictionalized account of the life of James Barry who was born Margaret Buckley and lived as a man in order to become a renowned surgeon in Great Britain in the 1800s.

What did you recently finish reading?

Call Me Al by Wali Shah - the story of a Pakistani youth in Canada coming face to face with prejudice and learning how to respond to it without hatred

What do you think you'll read next?

Strong Like You by T.L. Simpson

Book review - Kyra, Just for Today

 

Title: Kyra, Just for Today

Author: Sara Zarr

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros

                      Violets are Blue by Barbara Dee

Rating:

 

a sensitive, honest portrayal

Summary (provided by publisher): Krya has always felt like she’s a bit too much. Too tall. Too loud. Too earnest. But she’s okay with that, because she’s got her mom. Ever since Mom got sober about five years ago, she and Kyra have always been there for each other—something Kyra is thankful for every week when she attends her group meetings with other kids of alcoholics. When Mom is managing her cleaning business and Kyra is taking care of things at home, maybe, she thinks, she’s not too much. Maybe, she’s just enough.
Then seventh grade starts, and everything Kyra used to be able to count on feels unsure. Kyra’s best friend, Lu, is hanging out with eighth graders, and Mom is unusually distant. When Mom starts missing work, sleeping in, and forgetting things, Kyra doesn’t dare say “relapse." But soon not saying that word means not saying anything at all—to Lu or to her support group. And when Kyra suspects that her worst fears might be real, she starts to question whether being just enough is not enough at all.

My opinion: There are some books out there about kids dealing with the realization that their parent has a problem with addiction. This may be the first I've read where the parent is an acknowledged addict in recovery. It takes the standard narrative of a single mother and child struggling to get by on their own, the tight budget and extra responsibility on the child, and adds a new element. Kyra is a strong character and a realistic one. She's a middle grade kid. She takes on responsibilities and craves independence but remains desperate  for approval and love. She has fears that she doesn't know how to articulate. This all comes together in a narrative that is at times uncomfortable but ultimately affirming.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

A joyous, heart-breaking story. This book could have been an absolute disaster. It is filled with all kinds of weird events, happy accidents, wild coincidences. Basically, the plot is nearly impossible. But we swallow it easily because the characters are what matter. There is a strong cast of complex, believable characters. Each major character has some degree of growth, some truth they have to face. The pacing is strong with enough action to keep the reader engaged and enough emotion and reflection for it to matter. It reminded me somewhat of the book Big Rig by Louise Hawes. They share a lot of the same bones. It was well narrated with a pleasant voice. Overall, two thumbs up from me.

Pick 6: mental illness

 We are seeing an increasing number of books for young readers that include mental illness to some degree. Sometimes it directly affects the protagonist; others we see the impact that a family member's illness has on a character. Sometimes the diagnosis is central to the plot; others it merely informs how characters respond. All of these books affect how we think about mental illness in our own lives and facilitate conversation. Here are six books published in the past six months that include mental illness as a plot element.

6 books that feature mental illness:

1. Underdog City by Chris Negron
2. Swarm by Jennifer Lyle
3. Lost Kites and Other Treasures by Cathy Carr
4. Just Shy of Ordinary by A J Sass
5. You Owe Me One Universe by Chad Lucas
6. Drawing Deena by Hena Kahn