Book review - Leave it to Plum

 

Title: Leave it to Plum

Author: Matt Phelan

Genre: humor/early chapter book

Similar books: Sydney and Taylor by Jacqueline Davies

                     Horace and Bunwinkle by PJ Gardner

Rating:

 

a solid, cute read

Summary (provided by publisher): Young Plum is one of the peacock ambassadors for the Athensville Zoo. Every day the peacocks are allowed to wander freely among the zoo’s visitors, delighting and guiding kids and grown-ups alike. The peacocks are very proud of their responsibility; none so much as kind, curious Plum.
But Itch the ningbing—a type of very small marsupial—doesn’t understand why those birdbrains should get so much freedom while he’s all cooped up. So he plots and plots, sure that he will escape and become the zoo ambassador!

My opinion: The story here is an easy one to follow. The writing is sparse and efficient without becoming dull and is well supported by charming illustrations. And Plum is a charming character. He's irrepressible and enthusiastic, thinking outside the box. These traits make it easy for him to get into and out of trouble. This will be a solid choice for young readers fond of animal stories.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

Twice as Perfect by Louisa Onome

 This book promises to blend the pressures of immigrant parents and community with the regular pressures to excel in a western high school environment. The protagonist is trying to balance who she is at school with her home persona while also digging into family secrets. It promises to be an interesting read.

Non-fiction book review - Can You Believe It

 

Can You Believe It? by Joyce Grant

I can recall learning how to determine the legitimacy of a source in middle school, when we learned how to research a paper. We were taught some very rudimentary skills mostly relying on recognizable press names and a few "reliable" websites. With so many more sources for information now, these skills are far harder for kids (and adults) to learn. Grant does a solid job of educating the reader not just on how to check sources but also to recognize manipulation and bias in writing style. The writing is easy enough to understand without oversimplifying the concepts. While this book alone isn't enough to fight the tide of "fake news" and our inability to trust media sources, it's another tool to help.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Exactly Where You need to Be

 

Title: Exactly Where You Need to Be

Author: Amelia Diane Coombs

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: The Voice in My Head by Dana L Davis

                     In Real Life by Jessica Love

Rating:

 

predictable in a good way

Summary (provided by publisher): Florie’s OCD and her mother’s worrying have kept her from a lot of things, like having an after-school job and getting her driver’s license. And now that she’s graduated high school, while her best friend Kacey is headed off to Portland in the fall, Florie’s taking a parent-sanctioned gap year off before starting college. When the decision was made, Florie was on board, but now she can't ignore the growing itch to become the person she wants to be and venture outside the quaint, boring Washington town she grew up in.
Winning tickets to see her favorite true crime podcast’s live show in California gives her the opportunity to do just that, if only for a few days. So—unbeknownst to their parents—Kacey and Florie set off on a road trip to San Francisco. The only downside in Florie’s opinion? Sam, Kacey’s older brother and Florie’s forever crush, is their ride. The Samson Hodge, who Florie hasn’t seen since winter break, and who she’d prefer to never see again, if possible. But Florie is willing to put up with Sam if it means one last adventure with her best friend.
Making it to San Francisco and back to Washington without their parents catching on isn’t a given, but one thing is for sure: this trip will change everything.

My opinion: Stories about road trips tend to have one of two conclusions - the protagonist either changes their view of themself or of someone close to them. And when your protagonist has major struggles with mental illness and seems resigned to a quiet, restrained life, you can guess where the plot is headed. That predictability could make for dull reading if these weren't such charming characters. Florie's struggles with her OCD ring true. She is trying to challenge herself to try new things but also recognizes situations that are beyond her reach in the moment. She recognizes her limits. The plot, overall, follows extremely predictable pathways so this isn't a mind-blowing book. But it's a solidly engaging and pleasant book, a decent choice for a beach read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley 

Book bag

 Have you ever made a tote bag from an old t-shirt? I've seen many patterns for them but never actually made one myself. Recently, though, I found myself in need of one last thing to finish off a gift and since I had this old "I love books" shirt in my stash it seemed like a good time to give it a try.

As far as craft projects go, this is a fairly simple one. Start by sewing up the bottom of the shirt. I like to sew it inside out, so the seam is hidden. To strengthen the bottom, I double stitched the seam. I also added a pleat in both sides to make it a more natural fit for a stack of books.

 

 

Once the bottom is sewed up, the rest is just a matter of cutting. First cut the neckline square. Then cut the sides even. I like those to be a bit more square as well.

Book review - The Hike to Home

 

Title: The Hike to Home

Author: Jess Rinker

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: A Talent for Trouble by Natasha Farrant

                     Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Watson Hackl

Rating:

 

great characters, decent plot

Summary (provided by publisher): Lin Moser is not looking forward to this summer. After living on the road all her life, hiking mountains and traveling through the country in an RV with her house-flipping parents, she’s now stuck in Newbridge, New Jersey for their longest stay yet. With Mom away on a year-long naturalist assignment, Lin has resigned herself to having the most boring summer ever. But then she finds out about a local legend: an ancient ruined castle in the woods that no one has been able to find. Hiking to this castle would be like a quest. . . such an amazing quest that Mom might even come home, and they could adventure together the way they used to.
Determined to create her own adventure, Lin sets off on her biggest one yet—braving the wilderness with her two new friends, seeking the castle, and maybe discovering a new idea of home along the way.

My opinion: Rinker deftly combines what could be disparate and distancing plot elements: internet fame, the lack of understanding of peers, emotional distance from parents, and small town legends. A lesser book would make a mess of these elements but they fit neatly together in this one. Oddly enough, Lin's overestimation of her own wilderness and survival skills seems to be the glue that makes these elements work. Each time things fall a little more out of her control, she is also forced to face a larger issue. Some of the later plot elements push the bounds of my willing suspension of disbelief but I like the early chapters well enough to dismiss my later displeasure as more a matter of personal taste than a flaw in the writing.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

The Boy and the Mountain by Mario Bellini and Marianna Coppo

This book combines elements we don't often see in a picture book: hiking, perspective changes, and persistence in art. We are presented with a character who wants to show the majesty of the mountain. Each piece he attempts captures a part of the experience but not the whole thing. He doesn't get frustrated or give up. He doesn't criticize his abilities. He changes perspectives and tries again. While the messaging may be too deep for very young children, it's charming and visually appealing. Older kids may engage with the ideas about perspectives and the parts of a whole and may be encouraged to create their own art based on an element of a larger view. 

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.