Book review - Alice Eclair, Spy Extraordinaire

 

Title: Alice Eclair, Spy Extraordinaire - A Recipe for Trouble

Author: Sarah Todd Taylor

Genre: mystery

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: A Case of Grave Danger by Sophie Cleverly

Summary (provided by publisher): Baker by day, spy by night — Alice Éclair leads an exciting double life!
A mysterious message sends Alice on a mission aboard France's most glamorous train, the Sapphire Express . Alice must sneak on board posing as a pastry chef and discover which passenger is an enemy agent before they reach their final stop. But everyone on the train seems to be hiding something...
Armed with her whisk, her wits, and her will to succeed, Alice has a spy to catch.

What I liked: For a child spy, Alice is a suprisingly believable character. While she is exceptionally skilled, her reactions are appropriate for a child her age. She's not unflappable, unable to be manipulated. She's a kid, and a likeable one at that. The stakes are high without ever becoming too much for a young reader.

What I didn't like: The setting is war-time France. While that's interesting to me it might be a hard sell for a young reader. Still, Taylor handles it well and keeps us engaged.

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Non-fiction book review - Rebels, Robbers, and Radicals

 

Rebels, Robbers, and Radicals by Teri Kanefield

This book is more than just a simple break down of the contents of the Bill of Rights (as I had somewhat expected). Certainly each section presents us with the text of each amendment. More importantly, we are given examples of how each amendment has been interpreted throughout history. We see how Supreme Court cases and their decisions have influenced our understanding of our rights as they currently stand. This is a somewhat dense read but will go a long way to helping young readers understand their rights.

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Book review - Story Spinners

 

Title: Story Spinners    

Author: Cassandra Federman

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: young middle grade

Similar book: Stella and Marigold by Annie Barrows

Summary (provided by publisher): Big sister Kennedy and little sister Devon couldn’t be more different. Their shared room has a clear divide down the middle. On one, musical theater–loving Kennedy keeps things tidy. On the other, heavy metal fan Devon looks like she lives in an exploded toy store. When baby sister Eve moves in, her contribution is crying. Constant. Ear-piercing. Crying.

The added stress pushes the older girls to their breaking point, and they get into their biggest fight yet. In response, Mom and Dad crack down, seizing all beloved electronics until Kennedy and Devon can find a way to get along. Now stuck together with no distractions except Eve’s screaming, the two land on a desperate solution: tell Eve a bedtime story so epic that it puts her to sleep and gets her big sisters out of trouble.

Pizza aside, the only thing the girls have in common is their love of stories. But Kennedy’s fairy tales make Devon want to barf, and Devon’s nonsensical adventure stories make Kennedy want to tear her hair out. So they try to mash-up a story of true love, adventure, princesses, pirates, pirate-princesses, dragons, spiders, and…garbage trucks?

That’s a lot of story to spin. Will their hilarious fairy tale remix solidify their sisterly bond or break it forever after?

What I liked: Kennedy and Devon are distinct characters. And anyone who's ever had to share a space with a vastly different sibling will relate to this plot. While the girls' reactions are a bit extreme, the plot is well paced and mostly playful.

What I didn't like: The resolution of the difference between the sisters is perhaps oversimplified but it makes for a quick read. It doesn't dig deep into the issues or introduce many complications.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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). 

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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