The Chronicles of Claudette series by Jorge Aguirre
At face value, these books are just simple stories about a girl who wants to be a hero. Sure, there's epic adventure with witches, monsters, death around every corner. Kids love that stuff. As they are reading this, though, they are absorbing far more than adventure. Giants Beware! is loaded with lessons about bravery, loyalty, and the notion that even good, well-intentioned adults aren't always right. Dragon's Beware! builds on these themes and adds in the importance of knowing your strengths and limitations. Each character's strengths are necessary and they must work together to find and defeat the evil.
What are you currently reading?
Dragons Beware! by Jorge Aguirre
Flush with her success with the Baby Toes Eating Giant, Claudette is certain that she has a bright future as an adventurer. Her new plan is to slay Azra, the dragon that ate her father's legs. Azra also took her father's magic sword, the only weapon capable of defeating the gargoyles that are plaguing the village. With Marie and Gaston by her side, Claudette is certain she has what it takes to defeat the dragon.
Kids love the adventure of these stories. Parents will enjoy the messages of believing in yourself and the complex nature of things we don't understand.
What did you recently finish reading?
Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt
Penelope's life has always been defined by privilege and protection. Her father is the head of a black market organ donation syndicate. Her autoimmune disorder has always meant that her parents keep a pretty close eye one her. She dreams of freedom, but freedom comes at a terrible cost. As her family is betrayed, Penelope must go on the run with no idea who to trust.
Organized crime is a pretty interesting topic, making this a fresh approach to the standard "star crossed lovers" type plot. The action is pretty constant and the characters are relatively likeable.
What do you think you will read next?
A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin
This story of "difficult" girls doing affecting change on the sly has potential.
Title: The Firebird Mystery
Author: Darrell Pitt
Genre: steampunk/mystery
Similar books: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Knightley and Son by Rohan Gavin
Rating:
.JPG) |
| kind of slow-paced |
Summary: Once an acrobat, Jack Mason has spent the last several years in a grim orphanage. Now he has a chance at a better life as the assistant to an "infirm gentleman." That man turns out to be Ignatius Doyle, eccentric and adventurous detective. When Doyle accepts the case of a missing man, he and Jack along with the missing man's daughter, Scarlet, set out on a dangerous mission that could change the course of the entire world.
My opinion: While the mystery aspect of this novel is pretty interesting, it moves slowly and has a tendency to get caught up in the minutae of a situation. As I read I tended to get so bogged down with details and explanations that I would lose track of the plot, a plot which didn't always transition well. It might be a nice choice for hardcore Sherlock Holmes fans.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
In preparation for a program this week I made these two crocheted beards. I used this free pattern from Mad Mim. It's super easy to follow and the beards work up really quickly. I can't wait to make people wear them.
Title: Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer
Author: Kelly Jones
Genre: fantasy/comedy
Similar books: Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Rating:
 |
| quirky fun |
Summary: Sophie doesn't know much about farm life when her family moves from Los Angeles to an inherited farm, but she's determined to learn. The farm doesn't look like much: broken tractor, overgrown fields, a barn full of junk. Things start looking up when Sophie finds a hen in the field - a hen that seems to have unusual abilities. More hens arrive and Sophie must learn to care for them with limited resources and protect them from someone determined to steal them.
My opinion: What fun! While this is an odd concept (super-powered chickens?!) it works better than you might expect as learning to care for the chickens helps Sophie deal with her feeling about moving and grief over her deceased grandmother. The mixed format letters, lists, and the like help as well. It is fast paced and peppered with great drawings that highlight major events.
More information: Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer releases May 12.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Books dealing with dystopias and the apocalypse are a fascinating exploration of human nature. Even though it seems like the dystopian trend is on the decline there are still a great deal of good novels in this genre on the market. Here are six dystopian novels published in the last six months.
6 new dystopian novels
1. Rat Runners by Oisin McGann
2. Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle
3. Breaking Sky by Cori McCarthy
4. Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill
5. Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos
6. Undertow by Michael Buckley
Given that Monday was Star Wars Day, I made two Star Wars crafts this week. These are quick and easy projects.
Princess Leia headphones
I've had my eye open for a good pair of headphones for a while specifically so I could do this project. All you need is: headphones, craft foam, yarn, and hot glue. Cut 2 circles of foam large enough to cover the ear part of the headphones and a long rectangle to cover the strap. Now cover these foam pieces with yarn. I glued the yarn in a spiral on the circle pieces and in rows on the rectangle. Glue the circles to the ends of the rectangle. I wanted to be able to remove the decoration so instead of gluing it directly to the headphones I made small foam strips that wrap around the headphones and hold the Leia hair in place.
 |
| Unassembled |
Lightsaber earrings
These are made out of Lite Brite pegs. I painted the rounded ends with silver model paint. After the paint dried I added the details with permanent marker and attached jump rings to the rounded ends with hot glue.
.JPG)
