Pick 6: STEM

With the focus on STEM education these days, it's no surprise that this is beginning to be reflected in kids' fiction. Sci-fi books are taking a harder look at the science on which they base their plots. Even realistic fiction is including more focus on science. Here are six books published in the last six months that support STEM education.


6 New STEM novels

1. Oscar and the Amazing Gravity Repellent by Tina L. Peterson

2. The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

3. Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang

4. Life at the Speed of Us by Heather Sappenfield

5. High School Horror: Teen Frankenstein by Chandler Baker

6. Never Insult a Killer Zucchini by Elana Azose

Non-fiction book review - Tooth by Tooth

Tooth by Tooth by Sara Levine

Before reading this book, I expected one of two things: either a comparison of tooth types or some examples of animals of with unusual dentition. The reality is a nice blend of these ideas. Levine takes us through the purpose of each type of tooth and what various combinations of them mean in regards to what the animals eat. Most tooth grouping get multiple examples (not just beavers with large incisors, but mice, hamsters, and more). A nice introduction for kids interested in animals. 

And as a side note, can I just say how much it entertains me that the illustrator goes by the name T.S. Spookytooth.

Book review - Heart or Mind

Title: Heart or Mind
Author: Patrick Jones
Genre: romance/retelling
Similar books: Out of Nowhere by Maria Padian
                     Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper
Rating:

More troubling than enjoyable

Summary (provided by publisher): Do the crime, do the time behind bars. But once you've been in, it can be tough to stay out.
Tension between African Americans and Somalis at Rodney's high school erupts into a food fight that turns into a riot. In the midst of the violence, Rodney helps a Somali classmate to safety. Soon Rodney and Jawahir fall for each other. Against the pleas of their families and friends, they can't help but follow their hearts.
As groups on both sides of the fight harbor lingering resentment, Rodney and Jawahir are caught in the middle. Rodney is determined to avoid trouble, having served a previous stint at the County Home School. But in a world where hate seems to rule, can Rodney and Jawahir keep their flame of love alive? Or will their relationship ignite a fire that destroys all in its path?  

My opinion: Romeo and Juliet gets retold all the time. Once you recognize that base story, you know where the current plot is going. I really thought Jones was going to head in a more positive direction for a while there, once Rodney's friends begin to accept his relationship with Jawari. And the ending of this book is actually far more depressing than the original story. Shakespeare's characters die because of a misunderstanding and their deaths are displayed as a tragedy that brings understanding to their families. In Jones' story, they actually try to unite their groups in life and when they can't see a way to live peacefully in their community decide there is nowhere they will be accepted and so decide to kill themselves. Perhaps we're meant to view this as romantic. I found it heartless and short-sighted. I had some real problems with some of the plot points. The principal's plan to unite the school through a school dance? Jawari's decision to throw away her religious conviction (in spite of being portrayed as quite devout previously) for love, even going so far as to state explicitly "love was more important than her religion"? I find that very hard to believe. And the time frame is too brief. This level of devotion would be far more believable over a period of months rather than days.

More information: Heart or Mind releases March 1.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

They are Groot

Some time ago, I won a solar dancing flower as a prize at a party. Flowers...aren't really my thing.

My first thought was to drop it off at Goodwill. Then I saw Guardians of the Galaxy and realized that if I pried the flower head and ladybugs off, it had potential to be a really awesome Groot.

The biggest challenge with this remake was the material for the head. It needed to be lightweight, so it can still dance, but easily sculpted. Ideally, I wanted to do this with materials I had on hand. I actually ended up making two heads: one of wax and the other of styrofoam. The wax head looked awesome, but no matter how much wax I carved off our out of the center of the head it remained too heavy, constantly pulling the body to one side. Styrofoam, while yielding a less smooth finished product, is light enough to allow for movement. I painted the head, stem, and leaves with acrylic paint, inserted some bead eyes, and finished it off with acrylic sealer. While not a perfect replica, I'm fairly happy with the finished product.

The wax head. It looks a lot better in person

I decided to keep both heads. Maybe I'll stick the wax one somewhere.

Book review - The Sandwich Thief

Title: The Sandwich Thief
Author: Andre Marios
Genre: early chapter book/mystery
Similar books: The Magic Box by L. M. Falcone
                     The Case of the Stolen Sixpence by Holly Webb Rating:

kinda fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Marin loves the sandwiches his parents make for him—every day they're different and more delicious than the last. One morning, someone dares to steal his favorite sandwich: ham-cheddar-kale. Furious, Marin begins a fevered and famished investigation to unmask the thief. The days go by, the suspects multiply, and Marin's sandwiches continue to disappear. This droll, graphic caper is a funny school mystery exploring the high stakes of low blood sugar. The first in a series, the book's witty text and graphic illustrations make this funny school mystery perfect for early and advanced readers alike—and for anyone who's been the victim of lunchtime crime. 

My opinion: Positives for this one: It's a mystery for young kids that involves an actual crime, a genuine theft. Sure the stolen objects are sandwiches but its theft nonetheless. Little kid mysteries tend to fall into the missing object-misunderstanding vein. This is a nice change of pace. Marin makes a list of suspects and motivations, follows clues, and draws conclusions. Solid mystery elements. As a side benefit, it advocates the consumption of diverse "real" foods instead of the same-old-same-old processed fare. Negatives: the conclusion is odd. While having his mother create mysterious flavor balls to put in the trap sandwich makes it a non-imitatable stunt I can't help but wonder if there might have been a more believable solutions. Plenty of illustrations, though, supporting the text with a great range of facial expressions.

More information: The Sandwich Thief releases March 1.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Picture books for everyone

You Look Yummy! by Tatsuya Miyanishi

The illustration style of this book is highly stylized, some might say strange, but the content more than makes up for it. The beginning is phenomenal. The whimsical innocence of the child character is pretty funny. Young children will relate to his thought process; older ones will be as entertained by him as the adult reader. The ending is more melancholy, with the T-Rex letting go of his young charge. This may be confusing or unsettling for some young ones but a little reassurance from their adults will quickly allay any fears. Also, adult readers beware: be prepared to attempt pronunciation of (and probably have your pronuciation corrected by young dinosaur enthusiasts) Chilantaisaurus.

Non-fiction book review - Ballpark Eats

Ballpark Eats by Katrina Jorgensen

I like that this book has a wide range of information: facts about the parks, the foods, and baseball in general. I found the assortment of recipes a little odd. Some are fully from scratch (pickles, poutine, steak sandwiches) while others were combinations of convenience foods easily assembled by kids with little assistance (sweet sushi, Boston cream pies). Like most kids' cookbooks, it's hard to imagine the average reader cooking much if anything from this book. But, the appeal factor is high and the facts make this a book that can be perused and explored often.