Book review - The Nameless City

Title: The Nameless City
Author: Faith Erin Hicks
Genre: graphic novel/adventure
Similar books: Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
                     Avatar: the Last Airbender by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko
Rating:

Summary(provided by publisher): Every nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands once again. The natives don't let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders.
Kaidu is one such outsider. He's a Dao born and bred--a member of the latest occupying nation. Rat is a native of the Nameless City. At first, she hates Kai for everything he stands for, but his love of his new home may be the one thing that can bring these two unlikely friends together. Let's hope so, because the fate of the Nameless City rests in their hands. 

My opinion: I'm very impressed by Hicks' range. I was enthralled by her mildly spooky but mostly real world in Friends With Boys. In this book, she handles an invented world just as deftly without oversimplification. There is a variety of cultures, a complex political situation with far reaching effects, poverty and changing world views, and the simplicity of friendship between kids on opposite sides of a situation. It reads like a fantasy book without magical elements. An excellent story in and of itself with plenty of room for growth, should Hicks write further volumes.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Preparing for spring

When we did a craft fair in March, we figured people would be looking ahead to Spring and gardening. With that in mind, I made some polymer clay garden pokes. My favorites are the snails with marbles for shells. I usually don't put a lot of thought into presentation at a craft fair, but we happened to have an empty plant pot and some packing foam lying around which made for the perfect display. 
 

Book review - The Executioner's Daughter

Title: The Executioner's Daughter
Author: Jane Hardstaff
Genre: historical fiction/horror
Similar books: Crispin: the Cross of Lead by Avi
                     Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
Rating:

Nicely written, but hard to recommend

Summary(provided by publisher): A child that is born to the river shall return to the river.
All her life, Moss has lived in the Tower of London with her father, who serves as the executioner for King Henry VIII. Prisoners condemned to death must face Pa and his axe—and Moss, who holds the basket that will catch their severed heads.
Twelve years you shall have. To love her. To hold her.
With the king sending more enemies to the block each day, Moss knows she can't bear to be the executioner's daughter any longer. She's desperate to see the outside world, especially the River Thames, which flows just beyond the Tower's walls. Even the chilling stories about the Riverwitch, who snatches children from the shore, won't stop her.
After that, the child belongs to me.
When Moss finally finds a way out of the Tower, she discovers the river holds more dangers than she imagined—including the Riverwitch's curse. The Riverwitch once helped Moss's family in exchange for a terrible bargain; now she expects Moss to pay the debt. 

My opinion: This is a rather lush historical novel. I like the depiction of the feudal system, it's simplicity and inequality, its joys and pains. Moss and her father don't have much. She meets serfs ho have even less, yet in their great poverty they find fun and generosity. These elements are fascinating to explore. The Riverwitch plot is lightly spooky and relatively easy to understand. While the ultimate resolution is a little predictable, the greater plot of understanding your family, your world, and your place in it better is a solid read and provides a great deal to discuss with middle grade readers. And therein lies the sticking point. This is an upper middle grade book, the age at which historical fiction, especially longish and description heavy, can be a tough sell. Not for casual readers but perhaps a good choice for strong readers, especially in a group setting.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Graphic Novel Spotlight: The Crogan Adventures

The Crogan's Adventures series by Chris Schweizer

Each of the three books in this series approaches a different moral concept, like loyalty or vengeance, and uses an historical tale to illustrate it. The stories start with a modern family having some sort of dilemma. The father tells a story from his family history with a broader example of the same issue. The first two books are less polished, but by book 3, Crogan's Loyalty, Schweizer's work truly shines. Book 3 explores the various loyalties that influence a person: loyalty to family, to government, to ideals. Sometimes these loyalties conflict with one another, the focus of this plot. 
In all three books, no simple conclusions are drawn. There are no easy answers provided, just concepts to consider. The exaggerated, cartoony nature of the illustrations balances out the more serious nature of the story, providing light-hearted moments. All told, these are entertaining and informative stories with a contemplative heart. A great supplement to historical curriculum as well.

Nonfiction book review - Faster, Higher, Smarter

Faster, Higher, Smarter by Simon Shapiro

This book works on two fronts. First, it appeals to sports-minded kids. As they are reading about feats of athleticism, they are seeing real life applications of science. Secondly, it appeals to science-minded kids, showing them that sports are more than just brute force. Books like this one bridge the divide between "brains" and "brawn" and everything in between. An admirable intent and the dynamic writing style in this one really succeeds. Even I, being inclined to neither science nor sports, enjoyed this one. Nicely done.

Book review - Far Out Fairy Tales

Title: Far Out Fairy Tales
Author: Joey Comeau, Louise Simonson, Sean Tulien, Otis Frampton
Genre: fantasy/sci-fi/graphic novel
Similar books: Fairy-Tale Comics edited by Chris Duffy
                     Babymouse by Jennifer Holm
Rating:

cute

Summary (provided by publisher): What do you get when classic fairy tales are twisted about, turned inside out, and reworked for the graphic novel format? Far Out Fairy Tales! Discover what Snow White would be like if she were raised by robots. Find out how Cinderella's story plays out when she walks the path of the ninja. Play along when three billy goats named Gruff get stuck inside a video game. Chase down the Big Bad Wolf with the help of a superpowered Red Riding Hood! Each fairy tale revision holds true to the spirit of the original while adding a modern twist to the classic tales we know and love. Experience fairy tales like never before in this innovative series of full-color comic books for kids!

My opinion: There is certainly no shortage of fairy tale retellings these days. This collection appeals to a rather young audience, mostly those just beginning to read independently. The settings in each story are unique, though the plots themselves are relatively standard. Motivations change slightly as well as resolutions, but at heart readers will recognize the pathways of these stories. The art is detailed and dynamic. It's a novelty but nothing groundbreaking. Very young readers will enjoy this, as plot familiarity will lend confidence. Older readers will be entertained by it once or twice and move on.

More information: Far Out Fairy Tales releases April 1.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGaley.

A quick skirt

Last week I set myself a goal to make a new skirt for Easter Sunday. Ideally, I wanted to buy a plain skirt at the thrift store that I would then embellish. Unfortunately, I didn't find such a skirt. What I did find was this sundress.

I'm not really a sundress sort of person and this dress is rather on the short side. But, with the sleeves removed just above the smocking, it became the perfect length for a skirt. I added an iron-on rhinestone embellishment. The skirt had two small stains but those were easily covered with some decorations. I figured birds fit in nicely with the tree I had already added.

The best way to add these birds would have been to embroider them. But this skirt is a jersey knit and you really need a stabilizer to embroider on a knit and I had no stabilizer on hand. These birds were drawn with fabric markers. In future, I'll probably redo them with embroidery.