WWW Wednesdays

What are you currently reading?
Disappear Home by Laura Hurwitz
After years at the commune Sweet Earth Farm, Shoshanna and her mother and sister are on the run from it's leader, Shoshanna's father Adam. In the relative safety of Southern California life seems like it's going to be good at last. The girls are thriving until their mother become paranoid that Adam is after them. Shoshanna must decide whether to continue to take care of her mother or put herself first.

I've only just started reading this one but I love the premise.

What did you recently finish reading?
Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler
Jessica has always been average. All of that changes one day in geography class when she starts to disappear. Soon she discovers that she can turn invisible at will. Where did this mysterious ability come from? With the help of her friends Izzy and Tom plus a few other kids who are showing signs of abilities of their own, Jessica is going to find out - and maybe even avert a disaster in the process.

There are a lot of different approaches to superpowers and this is certainly a unique one. This one relies on a "serum", the explanation for which is both vague and overly technical. Read this one not for the abilities but for the interactions between the kids. Middle grade books explore a lot of emotional growth and understanding. This is a solid addition to that effort.
 
What do you think you will read next?
Biggie by Derek E. Sullivan
Weight issues meet sports. We'll see how this one plays out.

Book Review - The G-Man Super Journal: Awesome Origins

Title: The G-Man Super Journal: Awesome Origins
Author: Chris Giarrusso
Genre: humor / superheroes
Similar books: the Big Nate series by Lincoln Pierce
                     Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung
Rating:

fun for young superhero fans

Summary: Michael G would like nothing more than to be a superhero like his idol, Captain Thunderman. Some of Michael's classmates have started to develop powers. Michael goes looking for a way to get powers of his own. Of course, if he gets his wish, what will he do with them?

My opinion: If the world of Diary of a Wimpy Kid had superheroes, the result would look something like this book. Character-wise, Michael reads more like Big Nate than Greg Heffley, more likely to get into accidental trouble than as a result of direct scheming. This is a fairly simple story and some of the plot points are rather weak. Still, I imagine this will go over well with young readers. Read it for entertainment rather than depth.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

The Great Owl Repaint Project

I have a well-known fondness for owls, particularly those that most would call kitschy. A couple of years ago I was given a box of such owls. They are a variety of styles and colors. A few of them are in kind of rough shape, which is what first made me think about painting them. It didn't take long for that idea to take hold. So, today I bring you the first installment in what I've come to think of as The Great Owl Repaint Project.

The Before:

I love the look of this owl, but as you can see the corners are pretty chipped.

The After:

I modeled the coloring of this owl after the Northern Saw Whet Owl

An afternoon with my nephews resulted in all nine owls being named and declared part of a family. I believe was one of the daughters. Her name is Clara.

Time Travel and TYCTTL

We had two big programs for kids at my library this week. Wednesday night we invited kids to time travel to ancient Egypt. Among other activities we made headdresses, played a game, wrote hieroglyphics, and made a mummy. 

Our "mummy" before being wrapped

Saturday we participated in Take Your Child to the Library Day. This is an initiative to get young families into libraries and for kids to get library cards (check out their website here). For us, this means storytimes, crafts, and plenty of decorations.
 

Working on crafts

A new library member!

Book review - Seeker

Title: Seeker
Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: The Riverman by Aaron Starmer
                     Alternity by Mari Mancusi

Rating:

Frustrating

Summary: Quin has been training to become a seeker since early childhood. Taking her oath will be the culmination of all her training, achieving her destiny. She sees it as her chance to do some good in the world. When she takes the oath, though, she discovers that being a seeker isn't at all what she expected. She and her friends, John and Shinobu, see their entire world torn apart in a moment. What can life hold for them now?

My Opinion: In a series it's necessary to parcel out information in bits and pieces in order to keep the tension at the appropriate level. As this is the first in a series, we learn about the nature of being a Seeker very slowly. Sometimes too slowly. There were moments while I was reading this book that I was so fed up with the level of confusion and withheld information that I nearly gave up on it. And the plot is a little messy. We're back and forth in time and location so much that I nearly lost track of what was going on. The characters are all over the map emotionally. They're inconsistent. It's a rocky start to a series that even the excellent premise may not be enough to save.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Dinosaur Boy

Hi friends! I'm pretty excited to be a stop on the virtual tour for Dinosaur Boy. If you've been following the tour, you know this book has been getting some pretty good buzz. Here's my review.

Title: Dinosaur Boy
Author: Cory Putnam Oakes
Genre: sci-fi
Similar books: Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka
                     The Mesmer Menace by Kersten Hamilton
Rating: 

Good fun

Summary: (provided by the publisher)

Everyone knows the dinosaur gene skips a generation. So it isn’t a complete surprise when Sawyer sprouts spikes and tails before the start of the fifth grade. After all, his grandfather was part stegosaurus.

Despite the Principal’s zero tolerance policy, Sawyer becomes a bully magnet, befriended only by Elliot a.ka.  “Gigantor,” and the weird new girl.

When the bullies start disappearing, Sawyer is relieved -until he discovers a secret about the principal that’s more shocking than Dino DNA. The bullies are in for a galactically horrible fate…and it’s up to Sawyer and his friends to rescue them.

My Opinion: This is certainly an original concept. Surprisingly, the explanation for dinosaur genes is easy to follow and accept. While Sawyer's dinosaur genetics are an integral part of the plot, they don't overwhelm the reader. Sawyer remains, at heart, an average kid making him and his friends believable, likeable characters. While the plot goes pretty far afield, it follows a logical progression. It also raises some interesting moral and ethical issues. Like the safety concerns surrounding a human dinosaur hybrid in a school, the rights of the individual versus the collective. An entertaining read for young readers, a good starting point for discussion with older kids.

If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, check out the excerpt provided by the publisher below.

“That Stupid T-Rex from Jersey”

“I just want you to know that I know. I know you’re eating them.”

“That’s crazy,” I told him. “You’re crazy. Why would I eat anybody?”

“Because you’re a monster,” Allan told me. “Just like that kid in Jersey. I knew from the very beginning that it was only a matter of time before you went all dinosaur--psycho on us.”

“Shut up,” I muttered. I was so angry my hands were shaking, but I hid them under the table so Allan wouldn’t see.

“Make me,” Allan suggested.

My hands started to shake harder. It wasn’t because I was nervous. It was because I was angry.

“Get out of here, Allan,” Elliot whispered loudly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Allan didn’t look at him. His squinty eyes, buried beneath his eyebrows, were focused squarely on me.

“Sawyer knows what I’m talking about. He’s a monster. He doesn’t belong in a school. I’m going to prove it, and when I do, they’ll put him somewhere safe. Like in a zoo. Or some lab. Just as soon as they recognize him for the freak he is.”

My hands were now shaking so hard that they were vibrating the table. I couldn’t control myself anymore. I shot to my feet and screamed right in his face:

“Shut up, Allan! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

At least, that’s what it sounded like in my head.

Out loud, it sounded like:

ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR!

It was the loudest sound I had ever heard in my life. And I couldn’t just hear it. I could feel it. It shook the entire cafeteria. The tables rattled uncontrollably, and people grabbed for their lunches while also trying to cover their ears. It was kind of like we were all standing really close to a bass speaker, only about a hundred times louder.

I shut my mouth. The sound stopped.

There were about two seconds of silence. Absolute, perfect silence, as all three--hundred--something people in the cafeteria stared at me without moving a muscle.

Then the screaming started.

Every kid in the cafeteria jumped to his or her feet, knocked over their chair, and scrambled for the exit doors. Only Sylvie and Elliot stayed in their seats. Allan, who had been knocked on his butt by my roar, made two failed attempts to get to his feet before he finally crawled away as fast as he could. He was soon lost in the crowd that was fighting to fit through the double doors that led to the quad.

In less time than I would have thought possible, Sylvie, Elliot, and I were alone in the cafeteria.

I collapsed into my chair before my knees could give way. Across the table, Elliot looked sheet--white and shaken.

Only Sylvie looked unaffected. She passed us each a Pixy Stix, and sat back in her chair with a contented smile on her face.

“Finally, some peace and quiet around here!”

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
The G-Man Super Journal: Awesome Origins by Chris Giarrusso
Michael G would like nothing more than to be a superhero like his idol, Captain Thunderman. Some of Michael's classmates have started to develop powers. Michael goes looking for a way to get powers of his own. Of course, if he gets his wish, what will he do with them?
Imagine Diary of a Wimpy Kid with superpowers and you've got a pretty good idea of what this book is like. It is pretty funny with great illustrations.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton
Quin has been training to become a seeker since early childhood. Taking her oath will be the culmination of all her training, achieving her destiny. She sees it as her chance to do some good in the world. When she takes the oath, though, she discovers that being a seeker isn't at all what she expected. She and her friends, John and Shinobu, see their entire world torn apart in a moment. What can life hold for them now?
This book takes us around the world, back and forth through time. It's a complicated set-up and situation. Complicated enough that it's not for everyone. Also, the start of a series, this is really only the beginning of the story. Don't expect a lot of resolution here.
 
What do you think you will read next?
The Secrets Between You and Me by Shana Norris
While teen romance isn't my typical pick, I'm trying to expand my reading life a little bit and the description of this one talks about family secrets which was enough intrigue to pique my interest.