Listen with me

 

Three Sisters by David Macinnis Gill

I've long been a fan of survival stories, so this book about sisters stranded on a mountain during a volcanic event sounds right up my alley. Let's give it a listen and see if it lives up to it's promise.

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Where Ella Went by Laurie Morrison - When their friend and soccer captain leaves town without warning, a group of middle schoolers dig into what happened and why she left.

What did you recently finish reading?

Penelope Positano Sees it All by Katie Cotugno - Penelope is finally allowed to get a dog. She doesn't know what her perfect dog will be, just that she'll know it when she sees it.

What do you think you'll read next?

Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis

Book review - Tested

 

Title: Tested

Author: Anna Monders

Genre: dystopia

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Summary (provided by publisher): For as long as Mikayla can remember, her future has been laid out for her. As an Elite in a world divided by genetic Elites, Defectives, and Expendables, she’ll live up to her stellar Genetic Report Card score of ninety-four by excelling academically, gaining acceptance into the Elite Scholars program, and eventually working for GenIn, the company that saved humanity after the catastrophic Great Dying.

All seems to be going as planned until a surprise assignment during Mikayla’s class changes everything. Soon, she’s reconnecting with a friend she thought she’d lost forever and—for the first time in her life—questioning the society she has put her trust in.

But if Mikayla isn’t the model citizen she always believed herself to be, then who is she?

What I liked: Monders doesn't fully follow the standard dystopian fiction pattern. Most authors would have the protagonist realizing that the system is flawed and then leading a revolution against it. That's not where this book goes. Instead it's a bit slower, more about Mikayla beginning to question the system and the narrative she's always heard about the importance of the division. This is a book more about small changes and beginning to think for yourself than about true revolution.

What I didn't like: The small revolution approach cuts both ways. While it's more realistic, it also is less compelling. There isn't the excitement of taking down a damaging system. And the realizations that Mikayla has about human value are equally small and nebulous. The book is trying to help us see that everyone has value but never truly shows that.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - A Tale of Plagues and Perfumes

 

Title: A Tale of Plagues and Perfumes

Author: Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski

Genre: fantasy

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Goat Magic by Kate Wheeler

Summary (provided by publisher): The last thing Nia wants is to be branded a "Sinsory." Where she comes from, that's just as deadly as the plagues that sweep through the land. That's why she keeps her unusually keen sense of smell a secret. Only two people in the city of Yerat know of her special abilities: her beloved Auntie and her best friend, Fox. But when the worst plague in a century hits their desert continent, all of that suddenly changes.

An invitation arrives in the shape of a jar of blackcurrant jam. Nia is asked to attend the Cloister, a select and secluded school for children with heightened senses. There she meets Scentiers, like her, but also Gazers, Whisper-Gatherers, and many more, whose sensory powers go far beyond what regular folk can smell, see, or hear.

It's there that Nia learns her nose knows far more than she ever dreamed . . . maybe enough to find the cure for the plague. Or even sniff out the sinister secrets hiding in the Cloister's walls.

What I liked: World building is the strongest feature of this book. Not only do we have a unique approach to magic - characters with specific sensory powers - but we also have distinctive settings. The individual elements work together well to create a complex plot where the setting plays vital roles. The characters are mostly believable.

What I didn't like: There are a fair number of leaps of logic and reliance on coincidence. And many of the twists are telegraphed pretty heavily far in advance of their eventual reveal. The magical elements will make this a hard sell for some.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Needlepoint

 It is one of my goals this year to use up some craft kits that I have had stored for months, even years. I just finished up this needlepoint kit that I was gifted some time ago, started, and promptly abandoned. 

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally - While on Spring Break with her best friend, a teen goes on a disastrous boat trip.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Tale of Plagues and Perfumes by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski - When her ability as a Scentier gets her invited to join the Cloister, Nia becomes involved in a race to stop a deadly plague.

What do you think you'll read next?

Tested by Anna Monders

Book review - Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away

 

Title: Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away

Author: Ciera Burch

Genre: realistic fiction/magical realism

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The School for Invisible Boys by Shaun David Hutchinson

Summary (provided by publisher): Seventh grade has just started, but Olivia Gray already knows this year is different. Her brother ignores her for his crush, and all her friends talk about is who likes who, something Olivia has never cared about—even when Robbie, the most popular boy in school, asks her to the fall formal. After unknowingly rejecting him, Olivia goes viral on the social app KruShh. As the chatter about Robbie and dating grows, Olivia starts to feel left out to the point of feeling invisible—literally.

Seen only by her new librarian and a friendly kid named Jules, Olivia flickers in and out of sight whenever the topic of romance comes up. As she begins to realize she might be asexual, Olivia struggles to actually use the label because of the negative perception behind it. All she wants is to be normal, but can she really fit in without disappearing completely?

What I liked: We are accustomed to books about middle grade simply focusing on fitting in. Certainly that is a strong element in this book. Olivia's behavior is largely driven by feeling like an outsider. But this isn't the only thing that makes her feel invisible. She Doesn't feel heard. And it's not just about the people that make her invisible. Even more, it's the people who make her seen, the places where she looks for answers. And the answers to her problems don't just come from others. This is very much a book about a kid needing to define herself and the struggles inherent in that.

What I didn't like: Like a lot of middle grade fiction, this book perhaps is a bit too positive. The overall message seems to be that most people will accept you if you give them a chance. And that simply isn't everyone's lived experience. Still, this book earns it's place in a conversation about gender, sexuality, and acceptance.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Curses and Other Buried Things

 

Title: Curses and Other Buried Things

Author: Caroline George

Genre: magical realism

Similar book: Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Age range: teen

Summary (provided by publisher): Blood holds all kinds of curses.

Seven generations of women in Susana Prather’s family have been lost to the Georgia swamp behind her house. The morning after her eighteenth birthday, she awakens soaked with water, with no memory of sleepwalking. No matter how she tries to stop it, she’s pulled from her safe bed night after night, haunted by her own family history and legacy. Now, the truth feels unavoidable: it’s only a matter of time before she loses her mind and the swamp becomes her grave.

Unless she can figure out how to break the curse.

When she isn’t sleepwalking, she’s dreaming of her great-great-great-great-grandmother, Suzanna Yawn, who set the curse in motion in 1855. Her ancestor’s life bears such similarity to her own that it might hold the key she seeks. Or it might only foretell tragedy.

As Susana seeks solutions in the past and the present, family members hold secrets tighter to their chests, friends grow distant, and old flames threaten to sputter and die. But Susana has something no one else has been able to seize: the unflagging belief that all curses can be broken and that love can help a new future begin.

What I liked: Most novels about curses center on breaking a curse. We get a brief introduction to how this character got cursed but the bulk of the plot focuses on the quest to gather rare ingredients or accomplish nearly impossible tasks. While that certainly plays a role in this book, George has allowed this plot to become something much more. This is a book as much about what it means to be or feel cursed and how the past is visited upon us as it is about breaking a specific curse. It is a plot as rooted in the characters' history as it is in the present. Thus the historical characters are as complex as the modern ones.

What I didn't like: The pacing is a bit slow at times. And this is a plot driven far more by emotion and internal motivation than it is by action. So if you're looking for a thrilling story this is not the right choice. But it does ask some interesting questions and gives the reader plenty to consider.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Breakout

 

Title: Breakout

Author: Christina Wyman

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Love is in the Hair by Gemma Cary

Summary (provided by publisher): Ellis Starr likes learning about active volcanoes. She does not like having acne that resembles them. But it’s not just cosplaying as a pepperoni pizza that has Ellis on the verge of erupting. Her mom’s hot-and-cold moods have the two of them butting heads nonstop—especially now that her mom is dating for the first time since her parents’ separation. Then there’s Ellis’s best friend, Aggy, whose own life—and skin—seems perfect. And who could forget that Ellis still needs to decide on a research topic for a big school project.

With eighth grade proving to be every bit as pesky as a new pimple, Ellis’s only bright spot is the time she spends with her aunt Lydia, whose adorable puppy, Rocco, is a natural stress reliever. (And perhaps the perfect subject for her project.) Maybe this season of breakouts can lead to a breakthrough about what Ellis needs to truly feel good in her own skin.

What I liked: If this were just a book about a kid dealing with problem skin, that would be enough. It's a topic that gets mentioned in middle grade fiction but seldom takes center stage. But Wyman doesn't let the topic stand on it's own. Instead, Ellis's acne is her own central focus but many other issues feed into that plot. This isn't just a book about acne - it's about the complexities of being a middle schooler.

What I didn't like: As you might expect, there's a little bit of grossness to the descriptions. It's not an especially comfortable read but there's enough here for most low to middle income kids to find some common ground.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away by Ciera Burch - While her peers become obsessed with crushes and her once close brother grows distant, Olivia feels increasingly invisible

What did you recently finish reading?

Breakout by Christina Wyman - A girl navigates her problem skin, changing friendships, school pressure, and her parents.

What do you think you'll read next?

Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride

Bowtie

 I love a bowtie. 

Normally, I'm more of a fan of the sort you have to tie but when I spotted this one, I was inspired.

Here's my version, crafted from a scrap of t-shirt. I've added a strap and velcro to make it wearable, but you could also attach one to a headband or hairclip.

Latch Hook

 Did you ever make a latch hook kit? I had a couple as a kid and remember them fondly. So when I came across one in our craft supplies I decided to finish it. There were a few problems. The paper chart was missing so I had to interpret what was printed on the fabric best as I could (sometimes the printing is crooked). And the yarn we had wasn't sufficient. There wasn't enough orange and the brown and yellow were entirely missing (though weirdly there was a whole package of gray which never appears in the image). So I had to scavenge some other yarn from my stash to complete the project. And here's how it looks finished:

Of course, now I remember one other thing about doing these kits - I never know what to do with them when they're done. Attach it to a tote bag? Make a wall-hanging? What do you think?

Listen with Me

 

Some of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi

At first, this book is pretty much exactly what I expected. We have three kids from different backgrounds, kids who either never interact or don't get along, thrown together by a natural disaster. Each kid comes into the situation with fears and motivations, aspects of their life that no one else knows about. Unsurprisingly, their journey to safety brings their secrets into the light and forces them to confront their fears. There's a point late in the novel where this has happened, where each kid has faced their fear and the group has reached safety. A lesser author would wrap up the novel there. Not Faruqi. Instead we get several more chapters as the characters continue to confront their pasts and deal with the way their lives have changed. It doesn't rest in simple solutions but shows us characters continuing to struggle and work towards change. This is no simple survival story. Absolutely a book worth reading, sharing, and discussing.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Lies We Tell About the Stars

 

Title: Lies We Tell About the Stars

Author: Susie Nadler

Genre: realistic fiction

age range: teen

Similar books: Looking For Alaska by John Green

                    Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Summary (provided by publisher): Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?

As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.

But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.

When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off.

What I liked: This is more than just a book about the hunt for a missing person. In many ways, looking for Nicky is secondary to the plot of Celeste's avoidance of pretty much everything in her life. So this isn't a quest novel in the traditional sense. It is very much a tale of internal growth. As such, Celeste is a strong, dynamic character. She's quite often not likeable but she's relatable.

What I didn't like: The plot takes some slightly fantastic turns, points that stretch the bounds of believability a bit. It never goes too far though. And there is an element of privilege that the book briefly recognizes but never fully comes to terms with.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

Some of Us are Brave by Saadia Faruqi

This tale of kids surviving in Houston during the floods of Hurricane Harvey promises both physical and emotional turmoil. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Magic of Someday Soon

 

Title: The Magic of Someday Soon

Author: Michelle Lee

Genre: realistic fiction/magical realism

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Stars of Whistling Ridge by Cindy Baldwin

Summary (provided by publisher): Zoe longs to one day put down roots. Since her dad’s death, twelve-year-old Zoe September has drifted from place to place with her artist mother, the Up-cycle Magician. Then a new art project for her mom brings them to Maravel, Florida—her dad’s hometown. In Maravel, she discovers a delicious, enchanting secret among the sweet brews of her grandmother’s tea shop. But how will Zoe ever leave when her mom wants to get back on the road?

Teddy dreams of the day she can save her past. Twelve-year-old Teddy Martin has a mission: restore her great-grandparents’ legacy, Fossil Gardens, a theme park of artistic recreations of prehistoric animals. Desperate to rescue the last remaining sculptures, Teddy enlists the Up-cycle Magician’s help before they disappear forever. But with sinkholes threatening to swallow the decaying fossils, is Teddy in over her head?

Never underestimate the magic of someday soon. Things bubble and steam between Zoe and Teddy when they team up. But in working together to save Fossil Gardens, the girls discover something even more special—the possibility of your deepest wishes coming true in unexpected ways and a friendship that feels like home.

What I liked: Both Zoe and Teddy are strong characters, outside of the typical depiction of young girls. There's no boy-crazy or image obsessed characters here. These are girls struggling with their place in the world, with figuring out who they are. And their emotions are strong enough to make for quite compelling reading

What I didn't like: There's not much I don't like about this book. There are perhaps uncomfortable moments in the plot but they are never without purpose. Each moment is chosen to further the plot and it's emotional impact.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Lies We Tell About the Stars by Susie Nadler - A teen searches for her missing best friend who disappeared during an earthquake.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Magic of Someday Soon by Michelle Lee - A girl always on the move with her artist mother and one desperate to hold onto the world as she knows it work together to save a pair of crumbling statues.

What do you think you'll read next?

Here for a Good Time by Kim Spencer

Godzilla

 I spotted this image while scrolling one day and was immediately inspired. I really wanted to make a plush Godzilla of my own. As luck would have it, I also had some fleece pajama pants that were wearing out that begged to be turned into something fun. I love the combination of the monstrous Godzilla with the playfulness of the reindeer fleece. And I was able to make the arms and legs jointed.

Book review - When Tomorrow Burns

 

Title: When Tomorrow Burns

Author: Tae Keller

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd

Summary (provided by publisher): Once there was a tree. For two hundred years, there was a tree. There was a tree. There was a tree. Until the tree fell in a forest--and then there was a book.

When best friends Nomi, Vi, and Arthur were younger, they discovered a book of prophecies. It was so very comforting to know what was coming. But as the kids grew older, they forgot about the book.

Until the final prophecy started coming true.

Now, as seventh grade tests their friendship and wildfires threaten Seattle, the final prophecy promises fire and destruction. Nomi tries everything to prevent calamity. The only problem? She needs help...but Vi's acting strange and Arthur stopped talking to her.

Vi can't tell Nomi, but she's been texting the coolest boy in school, and it's going well--until that boy makes an unexpected request, and she must decide who she wants to be.

Meanwhile, Arthur joined the cross-country team, but he can't outrun the real reason he ended his friendship with Nomi. The best he can do is try to hide it.

As the prophecy escalates, past and present intersect, fate and friendship collide, and secrets spread like wildfire. Together, Nomi, Vi, and Arthur must face the future...even, and especially when it's so uncertain.

What I liked: We're dealing with an excellent cast of characters here. The primary characters, of course, but secondary characters as well. Each one has a distinct, often complex, motivation and approach. While not always likeable, they are realistic. And while this isn't always a comfortable read, the messaging is important without being heavy-handed.

What I didn't like: There are brief scenes from the past that introduce the perspective of trees. While these moments add to the whole narrative, they break up the pacing in a way that can become tiresome.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

When Tomorrow Burns by Tae Keller - Three kids hunt for a book of prophecy in hopes of stopping what could be the end of the world.

What did you recently finish reading?

Paradise Coast by Suzanne Young - In the wake of a storm and increasing unrest, a deeply stratified resort town must confront the secrets of it's past.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Magic of Someday Soon by Michelle Lee