Title: Secret Coders
Author: Gene Luen Yang
Genre: graphic novel/sci-fi
Similar books: March Grand Prix by Kean Soo
How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me From Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel by Jennifer Brown
Rating:
 |
| pretty cool |
Summary: Hopper has just started school at Stately Academy and things are not going well. Her efforts to be accepted by the basketball players have fallen flat. She seems to get into trouble at every turn. And something strange is going on with creepy birds and mysterious numbers posted around campus. Hopper and her new (maybe) friend Nikhil are determined to find out what is really going on at Stately Academy.
My opinion: The plot of this graphic novel introduces kids to coding and programming. It is a very basic introduction, but by representing these concepts visually, with real world actions, a very abstract concept is made more easily understood. My favorite feature of this novel is the end of each chapter where the action pauses and encourages the reader to problem solve and work out the coding for what the characters are doing. I look forward to seeing how the plot develops with future volumes.
More information: Secret Coders releases September 29.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Hi friends. I wanted to let you know that my presence on this blog will be spotty for a while and is likely to stop entirely for a couple of weeks at the end of October and into the beginning of November. I am currently preparing for an out of state move, so my blogging time is limited and I will be without internet for at least a couple of weeks. I hope to return to blogging again full time towards the end of November.
Note: Beastly Bones is a sequel. See my review of the first book, Jackaby, here.
Title: Beastly Bones
Author: William Ritter
Genre: fantasy/mystery
Similar books: The Diviners by Libba Bray
The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
Rating:
 |
| A most excellent sequel |
Summary: Abigail Rook and her employer, the enigmatic Jackaby, set out to investigate the origin of a litter of shape-shifting kittens. Before long their investigation is complicated by mysterious murders that look like accidents, a missing fossil, and violent attacks from an unidentified monster. It will take both of their strengths, as well as the help of old and new friends alike, to solve this mystery.
My opinion: It is hard to believe this is only Ritter's second novel. The plot is cohesive and the characters well-developed. It's atmospheric while keeping the plot moving. Unlike some sequels, this doesn't suffer from any level of sophomore slump. It has it's own, complete and compelling plot while also setting up a larger conspiracy based plot to be played out in future volumes. And it amazes me how Ritter incorporates a wide variety of mythical creatures in a real world, historic setting. If you are a fan of Sherlock or Doctor Who (especially if you like both) check out the Jackaby series.
More information: Beastly Bones releases September 22.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas
I've read this book now to several groups of varying age and it never fails to entertain. Firstly, you have the subversion of the classic wolf/pig relationship. Secondly, the whole book is a study in escalation. Our heroes begin with a brick house and work their way up the spectrum of building supplies to concrete with razor wire and a state of the art security system. Of course, the pig can't blow down such materials with his breath so he works with a sledgehammer, pneumatic drill, even dynamite. These modern materials never fail to spark laughter in kids and adults alike. It maintains and old-fashioned tone making those sly, over the top lines all the more clever. Additionally, the illustrations are a detailed delight and it teaches a lesson in kindness and redemption.
Title: Human Body Theater
Author: Maris Wicks
I expected this book to be a quick overview of each organ and it's role in the human body. I was quite pleased, then, to see the level of detail it provides. Even as an adult I now have a much clearer understanding of how each body system works individually and in concert with the others to keep the body functioning. With the cartoony style, it is very visually appealing. We recently discovered that our library has very little in the way of anatomy books. This is the perfect book to remedy that problem.
More information: Human Body Theater releases October 6.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Title: The Thing About Jellyfish
Author: Ali Benjamin
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Circa Now by Amber McRee Turner
The Question of Miracles by Elana Arnold
Rating:
 |
| very nice |
Summary: After her best friend drowns, Suzy finds herself alone at school and trying to understand things. Her friend was a very good swimmer. Drowning just doesn't make sense to her. A trip to the aquarium introduces Suzy to a deadly species of jellyfish. Now she's on a mission: to learn all she can about jellyfish and prove that her friend's death wasn't a simple drowning.
My opinion: This book has all kinds of great science facts that might just inspire kids to do some research of their own. And apart from science, it's addressing a number of important topics. Yes, it's a story about grief but it's also about friendships changing in the middle school years as kids develop at different rates. Plus, there's this exploration of different forms of communication and how when we stop filling silence with chatter, we truly notice what is going on around us. It's not a fun read but thoughtful and well-researched.
More information: The Thing About Jellyfish releases September 22.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Title: Pieces of Why
Author: K.L. Going
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Zebra Forest by Adina Gewirtz
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen
Rating:
 |
| Rather excellent |
Summary: Tia has always taken joy in singing with her New Orleans youth choir. It is the bright spot of living with her overworked and emotionally distant mother in a bad neighborhood. Singing has always been her answer to the bad stuff. When a shooting happens outside the church where her choir practices, though, she feels as if she's lost her music. For the first time, she questions the realities of her life and learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison.
My opinion: We don't often think about the family members of the perpetrators of a crime. They, too, are victimized by their loved one's actions. That is part of the focus of this novel: the guilt and pain of a violent criminal's family. The other, almost larger, part is the idea that trauma can steal our passions from us. While this book isn't action heavy, it has plenty of exploration of our emotional worlds which become particularly complicated at puberty (as the main characters in this novel find themselves). While the situation in this novel is not one that most middle schoolers will find themselves in, the emotional situation is more universal.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
