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