WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

When We Go Missing by April Henry - When the police seem disinterested in the photo card she found of pictures of girls, it's up to Willow and her fellow animal shelter volunteer to find out what is going on.

What did you recently finish reading?

Roll for Initiative by Jaime Formato - Riley is struggling to live her life without her older brother helping her out until a new D&D crew helps her find her feet.

What do you think you'll read next?

Rebels Robbers and Radicals by Teri Kanefield

Book review - Billions to Burn

 

Title: Billions to Burn

Author: Taylor Banks

Genre: adventure

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Zeus Jones is just about the only person in the world who believes in his grandfather’s stories about the Harlem Renaissance. To be fair, they are a bit far-fetched. After all, what are the chances that there was a renowned magazine called Burn! whose headquarters literally burned down, destroying almost every single copy? And who would believe that a secret page was actually hidden amongst the ashes, said to be the key to unlocking a lost fortune? No one, that’s who. 

But when Zeus accidentally stumbles upon the secret page on the same day that his grandfather disappears without a trace, he finally has proof that his grandfather’s stories are more than just stories—they’re real. And now he knows that the secret page is more than just a secret page—it’s a treasure map, leading to a prize beyond all imagining. 

Follow the map, find the treasure, save his grandfather. Seems simple enough. But as Zeus and his friends work to solve the riddles of the map, long-buried secrets about the Harlem Renaissance, Black history, and Zeus’s own family are unraveled. And what’s more, they aren’t the only ones intent on seizing this prize. . .

What I liked: Banks deftly blends adventure and puzzle solving with elements of Black history, both positive and negative. As the characters work through the puzzles they discuss often overlooked people and events, moments of both tragedy and triumph. They address systemic racism and kinds of privilege in equal measure. This is not only an exciting story, it is an important one for discussion.

What I didn't like: The plot is often over the top, especially as regards the more villainous characters. And while the central characters are reasonably complex, many of the others are rather flat. If you're big into puzzle stories this is a decent choice but it won't suit everyone.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol

With a premise like this one - a kid finds a magic wishing mail slot in his new apartment - you're going to need to be prepared for some strangeness. I can't say as I was expecting this one to take quite the direction that it did. Without getting into spoiler territory I'll just say that you need to be prepared for some pretty unique plot points. For all it's strangeness, though, this is a pretty enjoyable read. The characters are strong, their desires understandable and compelling. Brosgol builds a world that we can relate to and get swallowed up by. 

As an audio, the narration is pleasant enough. The voice work can be a little irritating, but as long as you break it up in smaller chunks the squeaky voice never becomes overwhelming.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Everything You Know About Bugs (and Other Tiny Creatures) is Wrong

 

Everything You Know About Bugs (and Other Tiny Creatures) is Wrong by Dr. Nick Crumpton

Start with a super eye-catching cover/title combination and the inherent interest kids have in bugs and you're building on pretty strong footing. The writing bears up to that selling point as well. With lots of facts about insects that don't shy away from scientific detail (be prepared for scientific names) there's plenty here for young science lovers to enjoy. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Weird Sad and Silent by Alison McGhee - After escaping from her mom's violent ex-boyfriend, Daisy has gotten good at being invisible to bullies. But a new boy at school is shaking things up.

What did you recently finish reading?

Red and Me by Terry Lee Caruthers - Marlene wants nothing more than to own the abandoned dog wandering around her town.

What do you think you'll read next?

Billions to Burn by Taylor Banks

Third time is acceptable

 I learned to knit in college and spent a couple of years satisfied with small projects - hats and mittens, that sort of thing. And then I decided to try a sweater. After all, isn't that the pinacle of knitting? That experience taught me a couple of things: 1. I hate seaming a garment and especially setting in sleeves. 2. It's okay to enjoy small things. I resolved at that point to stick to small projects from that point.

Fast forward to now. I got this idea for a sweater, using a variegated yarn in a colorwork pattern. It was ridiculous and felt like a lot of work. And it would not leave me alone. Not only did I want to do a colorwork pattern, I wanted to invent my own chart. I started it right after Christmas. And when I got it done it was wrong. I had to take out the whole top and try again. When I had it nearly finished I discovered a major error and had to rip out the top for a second time. It's finally done. The fit isn't quite right but I refuse to redo it again. And this may well be the last sweater I ever make. Still, it matches my imagination pretty well.

Book review - Maeve Mulvaney Has Had Enough

 

Title: Maeve Mulvaney Has Had Enough

Author: Kelly Mangan

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston

Summary (provided by publisher): Fourteen-year-old Maeve feels more at home in the pages of her comics and sketchbook than she does in "Nowhereville" (her maybe-not-so-nice nickname for the small Florida town where her family just moved). In the comic-book version of her life, she's a brave superhero who always bests the bad guys. In reality? Not so much. 

When a bully at her new school makes her life miserable over her weight (and a sexist teacher defends him), Maeve isn’t sure what to do. Her mom thinks she should just cheer up, brush it off, and stay positive. But then Maeve hears from other misfit eighth graders who are also being picked on, and she decides that enough is enough.

Drawing inspiration from her comics, Maeve creates a feminist superhero club, hoping she and her new friends can inspire meaningful change in their community. But it turns out, fighting back without becoming the bully yourself is harder than it seems…

What I liked: Maeve's issues are complex. While she is largely victimized, she does bear some responsibility for things that happen to her. And the actions she takes aren't always admirable. Even when she makes the wrong choice, though, we can see what lead her to those actions. And the adults in her life are not blameless. There is the suggestion that empathy and social responsibility are lifelong processes.

What I didn't like: Some of the situations are a bit too extreme, the offenses so egregious as to be hard to believe. While these movements are few and far between, they don't go unnoticed.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

The Trouble With Heroes by Kate Messner - A troubled boy must hike a series of mountains to make up for an act of vandalism.

What did you recently finish reading?

Everything You Know about Bugs (and Other Tiny Creatures) is Wrong by Dr Nick Crumpton - Myths about insects are debunked

What do you think you'll read next?

How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persica

Listen with me

 

Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol

I've enjoyed Brosgol's graphic novels, so when I found she had written a regular novel about a boy with a magic mail slot I figured that would be worth a listen. Let's give it a try.

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Our Big Table by Lisa Voisard - A simple exploration of 150 different foods.

What did you recently finish reading?

Tig by Heather Smith - After their mother abandoned them Tig and Peter lived alone for months. Now they're in the care of their uncle and are struggling to adjust.

What do you think you'll read next?

Maeve Mulvaney Has Had Enough by Kelly Mangan

Non-fiction book review - Jellyfish Scientist

 

Jellyfish Scientist by Michelle Cusolito

I love a picture book biography as a way of introducing a figure. This is probably all going to be new information for most readers. Personally, I had never heard of Maude Delap and she's now top of my list of people to learn more about. This book does more than just tell us about the scientist, though. Through a surprisingly brief text with accessible vocabulary we learn not just about Delap but the process she used for studying jellyfish. So we get history, biology, and a breakdown of the scientific method all in one charming book.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Ghost Town

 

Ghost Town by Eric Colossal

Plenty of graphic novels are just one thing - funny, exciting, heart-felt, scary. It's what we expect. With Ghost Town, though, Colossal had managed to combine all four of those elements into a single narrative in a way that feels natural and understandable. With a solid cast of characters and illustrations that convey complex emotions, this is a book that is fun to read and leaves the reader with some ideas to consider. While the plot certainly stretches the bounds of believability it never pushes the ideas too far and doesn't attempt to over-explain. While this won't be everyone's cup of tea, it's a fun experience if you're willing to give it a chance.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

An Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shah - An Iranian American teen living in Arizona navigates relationships, family, and the immediate aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center.

What did you recently finish reading?

Rainbow Fair by Diana Ma - Sophie's school holds a Rainbow Fair, celebrating the cultural backgrounds of the students. Sophie's always been in the Chinese booth but her teacher just found out she's Muslim and students can only work one booth. 

What do you think you'll read next?

Ghost Town by Eric Colossal

Book review - The Pecan Sheller

 

Title: The Pecan Sheller

Author: Lupe Ruiz-Flores

Genre: historical fiction

Age range: upper middle grade

Similar book: Rima's Rebellion by Margarita Engle

Summary (provided by publisher): In 1930s San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra dreams of going to college and becoming a writer.

But with her beloved father dead, two younger siblings to care for, and with a stepmother struggling to make ends meet, Petra has to drop out of school to shell pecans at a factory. Hoping it's only temporary, she tries not to despair over the grueling work conditions. But after the unhealthy environment leads to tragedy and workers' already low wages are cut, Petra knows things need to change. She and her coworkers go on strike for higher wages and safer conditions, risking everything they have for the hope of a better future.

What I liked: There's a clear progression of Petra's relationships both with her stepmother and with her job. We see how circumstance and the impetuous nature of youth drive her towards protest and also gain a clear understanding of the reluctance and situations that keep people in and unfair environment.

What I didn't like: The narrative is a bit too sparse at times, stating plainly what could be conveyed through "showing". We are never living the situation with the characters but are always quite aware that we are reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - A Day at the Beach

 

Title: A Day at the Beach

Author: Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: You are Here edited by Ellen Oh

Summary (provided by publisher): Here’s what’s so cool about the beach. Kids are everywhere! Kids you know, kids you want to know. Wandering from one blanket to another, from one family to another. Somebody’s mom reads a fat summer novel. Somebody’s dad snores with an iPad on his chest. Babies cry. Girls laugh. Frisbee players whoop! Kites in the perfect blue sky.  

Some kids bodysurf. Some don’t even like the water. They build sand cities for their friends and sand jails for the grown-ups, and when the tide comes in everything gets washed away. 

There’s the other world, where all kids hear is tomorrow, next week, next year. And then there’s the beach, where everything is right now! 

Why can’t every day be a day at the beach?

What I liked: With Schmidt and Koertge behind the narrative you know you're headed for tight, carefully chosen prose and emotional depth. This book is more of a collection of connected vignettes than a regular narrative so we never follow a character for long, but each moment is well explained and has its own impact over all.

What I didn't like: Since each vignette is quite short, there are moments when we are definitely left wanting more, storylines that are woefully incomplete.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Verse novels

 It's April and that means it's poetry month. What better way to celebrate than by reading a couple of verse novels. Time to reread Love That Dog. Or, maybe try a new one. Here are six verse novels for kids or teens published in the past six months.

Six new verse novels:

1. Radiant by Vaunda Michaux Nelson
2. Safe Harbor by Padme Venkatraman
3. Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan
4. It's All or Nothing Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arango
5. (S)kin by Ibi Zoboi
6. Glitch Girl by Rainie Oet

Non-fiction book review - Rise and Fall

 

Rise and Fall by Peter Allen

When we learn ancient history in school, we tend to learn very little. We get a few broad strokes on the "most important" civilizations, their contributions, and what came after them. This book is far more complete than anything I (at least) learned in grade school. Not only does it include exploration of a broad range of civilizations, many of which are often completely ignored by text books, but it looks both at the contributions and likely causes of their eventual collapse. If you have even a passing interest in history, this is a solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Glitter Gets Everywhere by Yvette Clark - After her mother's death from cancer, Kitty and her family move from London to New York.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Day at the Beach by Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge - A collection of loosely connected vignettes of the experiences of kids at a beach.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Pecan Sheller by Lupe Ruiz-Flores

Non-fiction book review - Rabbitology

 

Rabbitology by Ilaria Demonti

Who doesn't love a rabbit? If your kid is a bunny enthusiast, this is a solid introduction to rabbit biology. It is a fairly complete encyclopedia including taxonomy, breeds, diet, and a comparison to hares and other lagomorphs. The illustrations are charming and included on every page (though in some cases photos may have been clearer). 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - How to Be True

 

Title: How to Be True

Author: Daisy May Johnson

Genre: adventure

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon

Summary (provided by publisher): Edie Berger is a prankster, the daughter of activists, and a revolutionary in her own right. Paris is Edie’s home and her favorite place in the world. But when her parents decide to travel the globe fighting for good causes, Edie is left in the care of Odette, her strict grandmother—and, ultimately, shipped off to boarding school in England.

A school trip finds Edie back in the streets of Paris, exploring with her friends and forced to confront the grandmother who sent her away. But is there more to Odette than Edie realizes? Featuring madcap adventures, pastries, macarons, an intrepid army of first-years, a secret underground network of nuns, a truly excellent art heist, and lots of bravery, this is a story about loving with your whole heart and standing up for what you believe in.

What I liked: For all of its rather ridiculous details, this book manages to stay fairly grounded. The messaging is wide ranging. It not only stresses the importance of staying true to yourself but also encourages understanding and empathy. The characters all have at least a little complexity to their motivations and even our hero makes poor choices from time to time. It is both fun and heart-felt.

What I didn't like: I don't typically care much for an intrusive narrator in children's fiction. If not handled correctly it can become a way of talking down to the reader. Johnson handles the narration well, keeping it accessible. There are a number of footnotes in each chapter. While these notes are primarily amusing some readers will find them more irritating.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

The Girl and the Robot by Oz Rodriquez - Mimi's been trying to fix everything since her Papi was deported. Then she finds a robot that seems to have crashed down from space.

What did you recently finish reading?

Drew LeClair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury - A cyberbully at school is the perfect distraction when Drew's mother leaves - for good this time.

What do you think you'll read next?

Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker by Heidi Heilig

Non-fiction book review - I'm a Dumbo Octopus

 

I'm a Dumbo Octopus by Anne Lambelet

I love a good informative graphic novel and this book fits that definition to a t. We are introduced to Grimpy, a dumbo octopus, who explains features common to cephalopods, telling the reader all about what makes each species amazing. These, though, are not features of Dumbo Octopi. So there is some plot here as Grimpy begins to feen like it isn't special and we get the expected messaging about how our differences are important and everyone has something to contribute. More importantly, Lambelet does not shy away from using correct scientific terms. Each word is explained in an easy to understand way. The result is a book that is both visually compelling and deeply informative.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Dino Poet

 

Title: Dino Poet

Author: Tom Angleberger

Genre: humor

Age range: upper elementary

Summary (provided by publisher): Get writing or get eaten! Dino Poet is on a mission: to write the first great poem—ever!

His lunch, a prehistoric frog, is also on a mission: to not get eaten! So when Frog tells Dino Poet that his poems stink, he decides lunch can wait . . . for now. The two set off into the wide, wild world, chasing life! Chasing poetry! Until a T-Rex starts chasing them.

What I liked: This is a great way to educate kids about poetry forms and to encourage creativity. As Dino Poet encounters different dinosaurs and situations Frog gives a quick introduction to a type of poem and encourages Dino to experiment. In the vein of Adventures in Cartooning, a little bit of plot prevents the information from becoming dull.

What I didn't like: The explanations of the forms are very brief, even incomplete. And the plot is quite thin as well. This isn't a book you're going to gain a lot from but it is entertaining.

More information: Dino Poet releases March 25

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Not Nothing

 

Title: Not Nothing

Author: Gayle Forman

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

Summary (provided by publisher): Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home where he’s bossed around by an annoying and self-important do-gooder named Maya-Jade. He hasn’t seen his mom in a year, his aunt and uncle don’t want him, and Shady Glen’s geriatric residents seem like zombies to him.

Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp—all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey’s door…and Josey begins to tell Alex his story.

As Alex comes back again and again to hear more, an unlikely bond grows between them. Soon a new possibility opens up for Alex: Can he rise to the occasion of his life, even if it means confronting the worst thing that he’s ever done?

What I liked: Alex, for all his faults, is a realistic, relatable character. Certainly he has made and continues to make bad choices. But we can see what lead him to those choices and his slowly developing desire to be better. With a complex cast of characters with at least a little nuance, this is a fast paced compelling read that puts a new spin on the ideas that we can learn from Holocaust stories.

What I didn't like: Alex and his issues are perhaps overly idealized, his problems too easily resolved. There are many elements that push the bounds of believability but it manages to remain at an acceptable level.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Nothing Bad Happens Here by Rachel Ekstrom Courage - When she finds a body on the beach in Nantucket, Lucia starts investigating as a way of escaping the crushing grief that followed her to the island.

What did you recently finish reading?

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman - A troubled kid is sent to volunteer at a nursing home for community service and makes a surprising connection with the residents.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Many Hauntings of the Manning Family by Lorien Lawrence

Book review - Green Jolene and the Neighborhood Swap

 

Title: Green Jolene and the Neighborhood Swap

Author: Wendy Mass

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Range: elementary

Similar book: Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lyla Lee

Summary (provided by publisher): It all began (as the best stories do) with a very stinky backpack!

Jolene wouldn’t have guessed that the first day of summer vacation would start with her trying to figure out if the squishy object smelling up her backpack was a half-eaten tuna sandwich or a six-month-old plum! (It was both!) While dumping old food in the trash and bringing out the recycling, Jolene sees the huge boxes of stuff her new neighbors got delivered. She realizes how many of her own belongings she doesn’t use anymore. 

Horrified by the idea of contributing to overflowing landfills and trash-filled oceans, Jolene hatches a big plan to not only deal with her own stuff, but her whole neighborhood’s unwanted items as well. Of course, big plans never work out quite the way we think they will!  

Clad in her favorite rain boots, Jolene is ready to save the world. Or, at least, to tackle her own neighborhood’s stuff and find some surprising new allies along the way. 

What I liked: This is a very readable book. Jolene is a realistic character, simple in her presentation with an upbeat personality but with relatable problems. The narrative is easy to follow and well supported by illustrations that are worth seeking out in their own right. The earth friendly tips are easy to follow and are realistic for kids to enact. With a plot that includes more than just ecological concerns there's something in this book for everyone.

What I didn't like: Unsurprisingly, the ecological messaging is a bit heavy handed but doesn't go over the top. Jolene is an encouraging ambassador, not a harsh judge.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn't

 

Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn't by Sarah Albee

This is a great look at number systems throughout the world and across history. We don't put a lot of thought into the concept of zero but it's surprisingly complex and absolutely essential. With cartoon-style illustrations supporting the text and adding small doses of humor this is equal parts entertaining and informative. While the appeal may be limited it's worth the effort.

More information: Zero! releases March 11.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: series

 There's something wonderful about finding a good series. A solid adventure with the promise of more to come or beloved characters who we get to visit repeatedly. Especially for young or reluctant readers, if you can get someone started on a series you've guaranteed months of reading. With that in mind, here are six new books that are part of series.

Six new series books:

1. Pizza and Taco Best Christmas Ever by Stephen Shaskan
2. Squire Knight by Scott Chatler
3. Suri's Dragon by Jo Rioux
4. I am a Space Tiger by Jarod Rosello
5. Danger in the Dragon's Den by Megan Reyes
6. Prince and the Pawper by Stephanie Cooke

Book review - I am Made of Death

 

Title: I am Made of Death

Author: Kelly Andrew

Genre: horror

Age range: teen

Similar book: Beholder by Ryan La Sala

Summary (provided by publisher): Following the death of his father, Thomas Walsh had to grow up quickly, taking on odd-jobs to keep food on the table and help pay his gravely ill mother's medical bills. When he's offered a highly paid position as an interpreter for an heiress who exclusively signs, Thomas -- the hearing child of a Deaf adult -- jumps at the opportunity.

But the job is not without its challenges. Thomas is expected to accompany Vivienne wherever she goes, but from the start, she seems determined to shake him. To make matters worse, her parents keep her on an extremely short leash. She is not to go anywhere without express permission. She is not to deviate from her routine.

She is, most importantly, not to be out after dark.

A selective-mute, Vivienne Farrow hasn't said a word in years -- not since going missing in Red Rock Canyon when she was four years old. No one knows quite what happened to her out in the dark. They only know that the sound of her voice is now as deadly as a poison. Anyone who hears her speak suffers a horrible death.

Ever since that fatal family vacation, Vivienne has been desperately searching for a way to regain control of both her voice and her body. Because the face staring out of the mirror isn't hers. It's something with teeth.

Thankfully, Vivienne has a plan. She's finally found someone who claims to be able to perform a surgical exorcism. She just needs to find a way to get rid of Thomas first. But Thomas can't afford to walk away, nor is he willing to abandon the mysterious girl he's quickly falling for, no matter what dark powers threaten to swallow them both whole.

What I liked: A book like this one, with a possession that borders on body horror, the tendency can be to lean hard into the graphic violence. It becomes the largest source of horror. Andrew doesn't do that. If anything, the descriptions of the physical sensations and violence are overly tame. They are subdued to the point of becoming flat. If they were the only source of horror it would be dull. Instead, the focus becomes on the loss of control. And that's far more relatable than a simple gore-fest.

What I didn't like: For a horror novel, it can be a bit flat sometimes. And with complex machinations by shadowy organizations, it can be a bit hard to follow. At the resolution I wasn't entirely clear on what, exactly, had happened with each of these characters and their ultimate role in what happened to Vivienne.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Glitch Girl by Ranie Oet - A verse novel about a middle grade kid with ADHD struggling with gender identity and navigating social relationships.

What did you recently finish reading?

Zero! The Number that Almost Wasn't by Sarah Albee - A kid's guide to the numeral zero, it's development, and the impact it has on the world.

What do you think you'll read next?

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman

Non-fiction book review - Jella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams

 

Jella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams by Katherine Paterson

While it is described as a picture book biography, this book extends beyond the standard picture book length and contains a great deal more text on each page. It is perhaps better described as an illustrated biography. Exploring the nature of life in Germany during and after the war, the topic is a heavy one but Paterson handles it gently. This is a book easy for young readers to understand and celebrates not only the achievements of this one person but also the power of art to change lives. With nearly old-fashioned illustrations, this is a very readable narrative and should be a nice addition to a young history buff's collection.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

What Fell from the Sky by Adrianna Cuevas

When I selected this one I'd hoped that the combination of alien encounters and Cold War era Texas would allow Cuevas to explore some deeper themes and introduce some complexity to a fairly standard plot. I was not disappointed. We have the standard scenes of finding an alien and trying to figure out ways to communicate. And as is typical, the extraterrestrial is a stand-in for the character's sense of isolation, in this case in a racially stratified culture. While the messaging is rather heavy-handed the plot and characters are compelling enough to make this very readable.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Maple syrup

 I live on a sixty-some acre property that includes a fair number of maple trees. So we have occasionally tapped the trees and made maple syrup. The sap is running now so this week we cooked up our first batch for the year. Here's the result of cooking down the first run sap.

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

We Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso - Legend has it anyone who trespasses on the abandoned Fairport Village resort is cursed to die, cursed by the former owner after she murdered her own son. Two teens have died already and Eden's senior class just held a party at the ruins.

What did you recently finish reading?

Down Came the Rain by Jennifer Mathieu - Two teens struggle with climate anxiety in the wake of a devastating hurricane.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Strongest Heart by Saadia Faruqi

Non-fiction book review - The Deadliest Big Cat

 

The Deadliest: Big Cat by Eleanor Spicer Rice

If you want to capture the attention of young readers there are a couple of key phrases that you can use: weird, gross, deadly. And the construction here is solid. First we learn about the big cats - how they're defined, where they're found, that sort of thing. Once we have a basic introduction we look at what might make them deadly. Then we look at how many human/cat encounters there are on average and the rate of fatality. It lays out all of the metrics and a clear calculation for why one might be considered deadlier than another. In spite of this, the focus is definitely on education and conservation rather than any sort of fear mongering. While the illustrations are perhaps a bit simplistic, they add to the appeal overall.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Underwood Tapes

 

Title: The Underwood Tapes

Author: Amanda Dewitt

Genre: mild sci-fi

Age range: teen

Similar book: Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson

Summary (provided by publisher): Thirty years ago, Grace’s mom left her hometown of Hermitage, Florida and never looked back—which is exactly why Grace thinks it’s the safest place to spend her summer now. Since her mom died in a car crash, Grace has been desperate to get away from the memories and reminders of her loss. Spending the summer transcribing cassette tapes for the Hermitage Historical Society might be boring, but boring is just what Grace needs.

Until she hears the voice of Jake Underwood—the boy who first recorded the cassette tapes back in 1992. When Grace realizes he can hear anything she records, despite thirty years of time between them, they strike up an impossible conversation through the tapes.

But the past isn’t any simpler than the present, and a mystery has haunted Hermitage through the generations. In the 1970’s, a hurricane made landfall and resulted in the tragic death of Jake’s uncle Charley. In a town as suffocatingly small as Hermitage, it’s impossible not to notice how no one talks about that storm, or Charley, and as the mystery unfurls, Grace can’t help but realize a worse truth: No one talks about Jake either. 

What I liked: Time travel(ish) narratives can be a tricky thing to maneuver. Discovering you have a way to communicate with the past always introduces the question: can you change what has already happened? Dewitt's handling of this question is stellar. Without the conversational nature of the tapes this would be a standard true crime investigation, with Grace digging into the town's secrets. Giving her an interactive link to the past humanizes the victims, reminds us that the people involved were real, not just names on a screen. And I feel like the ultimate conclusion is realistic as well.

What I didn't like: The tension isn't always consistent. This is less a mystery than it is a story of a relationship. While Grace and Jake are reasonably complex, the other characters leave a little something to be desired.

Advanced Reader Copy provided b NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - The Greatest Stuff on Earth

 The Greatest Stuff on Earth by Steve Tomecek

When  I was a kid we were fascinated by the book The Way Things Work which broke down the mechanics of all sorts of inventions. This is in many ways the literary grandchild of that book. Only it doesn't stop at inventions. Or mechanics. This is the deep science of a lot of things. The selection of topics feels a bit random but does amount to a fair amount of scientific understanding. It's a book you can pick up in fits and starts and always learn something new.

More information: The Greatest Stuff on Earth releases March 4.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Bea Mullins Takes a Shot by Emily Deibert - After a bad experience on a basketball team, Bea vows never to play team sports again. But when circumstances for her to look into sports, she finds herself thrown onto a hockey team.

What did you recently finish reading?

Racing the Clouds by Sydney Dunlap - A car accident changed everything for Sage and opened the door to meeting her grandparents for the first time. Now she's uncovering secrets and finding out what happened to her family.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Quiet Unravelling of Eve Ellaway by Melanie Hooyenga

Listen With Me

 

What Fell From the Sky by Adrianna Cuevas

Stories about kids finding and helping aliens can be interesting. Add in a setting of Cold War era Texas and we could have a real winner. Let's give it a listen and find out.

Book review - Werewolf Hamlet

 

Title: Werewolf Hamlet

Author: Kerry Madden-Lunsford

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Summary (provided by publisher): 10-year-old Angus is unique. He quotes Shakespeare and wants to stage a Werewolf Hamlet play for his 5th grade legacy project. Angus's 17-year-old brother, Liam, is like a werewolf now—Angus never knows if he'll be nice or mean or when he'll sneak out to get drunk or worse.

Meanwhile, tension continues to build for Liam's family in Los Angeles. Mom and Dad are going to default on the mortgage. Older sister Hannah is fed up and ready to move herself to Maine, and little sister Sidney doesn't really get what's happening. Then Liam goes missing, and Angus decides he has to find him.

A realistic, heartfelt look at the complexities of family relationships and struggles. Along with Angus's loveable charm, sense of humor, and desire to stage his original play, Werewolf Hamlet is sure to win its audience—on and off the page—over.

What I liked: The topics discussed in this book are pretty heavy. The family is losing their house and the relationships are increasingly tense. It becomes apparent pretty quickly that big brother Liam has a substance abuse problem. That could make for a pretty dreary read. But Madden-Lunsford manages to make the bulk of the plot fairly light-hearted without ever making light of the serious issues. It allows the characters to address what is happening without making the book too intense.

What I didn't like: While the relatively light text is mostly beneficial it does tend to make the plot feel almost silly and unrealistic at times. It's a fine balance that is mostly positive but can be a bit eye-roll inducing on occasion.

More information: Werewolf Hamlet releases February 18.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Cards

I decided I wanted to make Valentine's Day cards this year. I had some cards I'd made some errors on, so they seemed like the perfect base for some fun cards. I figured I'd just draw over the old designs. Because the cards I have are nice vibrant colors I thought I'd make them Pokemon themed. And that's where things went a bit off the rails. It seems I am incapable of being sincere when writing the sentiment on the card and I wanted these to be clever. So the result isn't exactly Valentines themed. Like, at all. But they are fun.

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

(S)kin by Ibi Zoboi - A verse novel about two girls with vastly different lives, pulled together by forces they don't understand and deep family secrets.

What did you recently finish reading?

Ruby Finley vs the Interstellar Invasion by K Tempest Bradford - Ruby finds a strange bug in her yard that seems to cut it's way out of her room through the window screen. When she posts about it online, strange men appear in her neighborhood.

What do you think you'll read next?

Werewolf Hamlet by Kerry Madden-Lunsford

Non-fiction book review - Akeem Keeps Bees

 

Akeem Keeps Bees by Kamal R Bell

I qualify this book as non-fiction because, while there is a sort of narrative framework to the text, the primary focus is on sharing information about the process of bee-keeping. We walk through a year on a farm and learn about bees along the way. And the information extends beyond just the basics of types of bees and the structure of a hive. We learn about pollination, bee lifecycles, and observable behaviors like swarming and bearding. The information is surprisingly complete and easy to understand. A strong introduction to beekeeping appropriate for a young audience.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic Novel spotlight: The Snips

 

The Snips: A Bad Buzz Day by Raul the Third

If you like a graphic novel that is a bit off beat, you may enjoy the Snips. It takes the standard middle grade team dynamic - a cast of characters with unique abilities, all necessary to complete a job - and applies that to fighting crime through hair styling. It is, simply put, the best kind of strange. It absolutely does not take itself seriously. The illustration style is reminiscent of early cartoons and the color palette is slightly muted so it never becomes overwhelming. There's no serious takeaway here, just a simple entertaining story.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: ghosts

 Culturally, we have something of an obsession with ghosts. Sometimes it's a malicious haunting. Others, it's a spirit imparting wisdom to the living. These stories run the gamut from scary to funny and appeal to a wide ranging audience. Here are six books featuring ghosts published in the past six months.

Six new books featuring ghosts:

1. Jasmine is Haunted by Mark Oshiro
2. Taxi Ghost by Sophie Escabasse
3. The Hysterical Girls of St Bernadettes by Hanna Alkoff
4. Heebie Jeebies by Matthew Erman
5. The Keeper of the Key by Nicole Willso
6. Honeysuckle and Bones by Trisha Tobias

Non-fiction book review - Seeds of Discovery

 

Seeds of Discovery by Lori Alexander

The science of corn doesn't exactly sound thrilling. And if that's all this book was it would be a hard sell indeed. McClintock's story, though, is about much more than just corn. It's a story of determination, of defying societal and familial expectations. Even more than that, it's a story of finding the thing that thrills you and pursuing it. McClintock seems to have found real thrills in examining the heredity of corn. And through it, advanced our knowledge of DNA. Alexander tells the story in a traditional narrative fashion with asides explaining the science at the time and how it has advanced over time. The fact that corn is central here may still make it a bit of a hard sell but this book is absolutely worth the effort.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Freaks by Brett Riley - Bullied teens find themselves with superhuman abilities, on the hunt for creatures that have accidentally entered our world.

What did you recently finish reading?

It's Watching by Lindsey Currie - While researching a story for the school paper three kids get the attention of a ghost. Now they have a very short time to figure out what the ghost wants.

What do you think you'll read next?

Wicked Darlings by Jordyn Taylor

Book review - The Secret of Moonrise Manor

 

Title: The Secret of Moonrise Manor

Author: Stephanie Bearce

Genre: mystery

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C Bunce

Summary (provided by publisher): Raven Gallows lives in a funeral home and is determined to become a famous detective. Her first case is one close to home—find the truth surrounding her mother’s puzzling death six years ago. 

When a mummified man is discovered behind a wall at the Moonrise Manor Hotel, Raven is shocked to see that the body is clutching her mother’s gold and silver locket.  

Raven gathers her friends—Cosmina Wilde, who thinks she can talk to ghosts; Miles Farnsworth, who works at the haunted hotel; and Eric Wong, who possesses unparalleled computer skills—and sets out to learn the identity of the mummy. As they follow the clues, they discover more than they bargained for, including a stash of stolen art and a legend of a secret society. 

What I liked: It can be difficult to create a kid friendly mystery with meaningful stakes. After all, murders and crime can be too intense for some kids. But this book handles it well. After all, the central elements of this plot are a major art theft and a hidden corpse. By carefully avoiding any unnecessarily grim details we get a mystery with meaning without becoming gross or overly intense. 

What I didn't like: I wouldn't call it a negative, exactly, but there are some elements of the book that are perhaps too open ended. It doesn't decide, with any certainty, whether ghosts are even real much less secret societies and the truths about Raven's mother's death. This is the first book in a series so if you're wanting closure, don't start on this one yet.

More information: The Secret of Moonrise Manor releases February 5.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Everything We Never Had

 

Title: Everything We Never Had

Author: Randy Ribay

Age range: teen

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar book: Age 16 by Rosena Fung

Summary (provided by publisher): Watsonville, 1930. Francisco Maghabol barely ekes out a living in the fields of California. As he spends what little money he earns at dance halls and faces increasing violence from white men in town, Francisco wonders if he should’ve never left the Philippines.

Stockton, 1965. Between school days full of prejudice from white students and teachers and night shifts working at his aunt’s restaurant, Emil refuses to follow in the footsteps of his labor organizer father, Francisco. He’s going to make it in this country no matter what or who he has to leave behind.

Denver, 1983. Chris is determined to prove that his overbearing father, Emil, can’t control him. However, when a missed assignment on “ancestral history” sends Chris off the football team and into the library, he discovers a desire to know more about Filipino history―even if his father dismisses his interest as unamerican and unimportant.

Philadelphia, 2020. Enzo struggles to keep his anxiety in check as a global pandemic breaks out and his abrasive grandfather moves in. While tensions are high between his dad and his lolo, Enzo’s daily walks with Lolo Emil have him wondering if maybe he can help bridge their decades-long rift.

What I liked: We have four generations of men in this narrative. Four time periods and sets of challenges. Each generation influences the ones to come. And they all make mistakes. No single character is portrayed as fully wrong or fully innocent. They are human and have understandable motivations. Even as we see characters making choices that we know will harm themselves or others we can see why they make them.

What I didn't like: There's very little negative about this book. It is perhaps a bit long and slow paced for some readers but overall it's worth the effort.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley