Book review - The Maypop Kidnapping

Title: The Maypop Kidnapping
Author: C. M. Surrisi
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
                     Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Rating:

solid

Summary(provided by publisher):A mystery has washed ashore at the coastal town of Maiden Rock. Quinnie Boyd's teacher, Ms. Stillford, hasn't shown up on the first day of school—or the day after that. Quinnie thinks it's a kidnapping case. Her mom, the town sheriff, doesn't believe her, but Quinnie's going to follow her instincts—even if she has to tiptoe around her mom to do it.
Quinnie's investigation will take her through a damp marsh, a lobster pound, and more of Maine's messiest places. On the way, she'll have help from her glamorous new neighbor, Mariella from New York, whether Quinnie wants it or not. As the girls hunt for clues around Maiden Rock, they'll encounter a swarm of cats, two nuns with a speeding habit, and a group of tattooed rocker-types who've been pigging out on lobster fries at the town café. And if Quinnie's hunch is right, the search may lead them right into danger .

My Opinion: The first thing to note is that the intended audience for this novel is middle grade. I'd go so far as to say young middle grade. Therefore, some simplicity in the plot and predictability are not unexpected. As a mystery, it follows investigative procedure fairly well. Quinnie looks at suspects, explores motives, and hunts for evidence. There is equal focus given to the mystery and exploring relationships, both with her mother and the new girl next door. This personalizes the story and gives the reader more to reflect upon. I could see this working well as a book club selection as there is plenty to discuss.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Craft foam menagerie

I signed up to do a craft fair soon and then realized that a large percentage of what I usually take to fairs is Christmas themed. Preparing for this next craft fair has taken an extra dose of creativity. 

Remembering how much I enjoyed making my Harry Potter puppet, I thought a few animal puppets made in the same manner might be a good idea.

Book review - The Genius factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat

Title: How to Capture and Invisible Cat
Author: Paul Tobin
Genre: sci-fi/humor
Similar books: How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me from Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel by Jennifer Brown
                     Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell
Rating:

quirky and entertaining

Summary (provided by publisher): Every Friday the 13th, 6th grade genius and inventor extraordinaire Nate Bannister does three not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. This time, he taught a caterpillar math, mailed a love letter, and super-sized his cat Proton before turning him invisible.
As Nate and his new (well, only) friend Delphine race to stop Proton from crushing everyone and everything in town, they come face-to-face with Sir Jakob Maculte (the twenty-seventh lord of Mayberry Castle and leader of the nefarious Red Death Tea Society). Known for its criminal activity, killer tactics, and impressive tea brewing skills, the Red Death Tea Society will do anything to get in their way.
Nate and Delphine must pull out every mind-blowing gadget, half-perfected invention, and unproven but theoretically sound strategy they've got up their sleeves in order to survive to see Saturday the 14th!
Eisner winner Paul Tobin's extraordinarily madcap middle grade debut features black and white illustrations from film talent Thierry Lafontaine and is the first of five novels in the series.

My opinion: First of all, the plot of this novel is entirely ridiculous. A study in the absurd. What redeems it is the fact that it knows it is absurd. Tobin plays with the plot, escalating the ridiculous to the point that it becomes humorous instead of tiresome and unbelievable. It's almost a spoof while maintaining a (mostly) logical plot. This is not the best book you'll ever read. It relies a little too heavily on coincidence and toilet humor for my taste. Some will find the odd narration style, the unusual phrasing and occasional repetition annoying rather than humorous. Not for everyone but hose who enjoy the quirky and offbeat will likely get a kick out of this one.

More information: How to Capture and Invisible Cat releases March 1.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

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.