Pick 6: Mysteries

There's nothing like a good mystery. Whether you're six or sixty, we all enjoy going over clues and trying to guess the solution before the book's characters do. Here are six new mystery stories published in the last six months. The first half of the list is geared at a younger audience while the latter half is more teen oriented.

6 new mysteries

1. The Sandwich Thief by Andre Marais

2. The Lost Twin by Sophie Cleverly

3. Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter by Beth Fantaskey

4. Defender by Graham McNamee

5. Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

6. Girl Last Seen by Heather Anastasiu

Book review - Sword in the Stacks

WARNING: This book is a sequel. If you have not read The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand (see my review here) there may be spoilers ahead.

Title: The Ninja Librarians: Sword in the Stacks
Author: Jen Swann Downey
Genre: fantasy/adventure
Similar books: Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions by Sheila Grau
                     The Peddler's Road by Matthew Cody
Rating:

a solid sequel

Summary(provided by publisher): Now that Dorrie’s an apprentice, she has the power to save Petrarch’s Library—or destroy it
After stumbling upon the secret society of ninja librarians who transcend time and space, Dorrie and her brother have officially become apprentices. They are determined to help the Lybrarians find a missing key that could destroy their beloved fortress, Petrarch’s Library. On a training mission to 1912 England, Dorrie sees her chance. All she needs to do is get close to a lord with a connection to the Lybrarians’ enemy—the Stronghold. But if she arouses his suspicion, she could lead the Strongholders right to the very place she’s trying to save…and everyone she cares about.

My opinion: I like that this series features an adventurous girl and her sometimes lovesick brother rather than the other way around as we're used to seeing. Dorrie's a pretty cool, surprisingly realistic protagonist. She judges people too quickly, makes mistakes she's afraid to own up to, but in the end her sense of right and wrong prevails. This sequel has a pretty solid adventure plot. We've got time travel, a villain with a nefarious plan, and plenty of sneaking around. Some plot points could use more support, a stronger basis for conclusions and innovations. There are, at times, some significant leaps of logic and out-there notions of magic/technology that are not fully explained.
It is worth noting that I read the first book in this series more than two years ago, so I was not particularly confident in my recollection of that plot. This volume begins with a rehash of the first one that is nicely integrated into the narration, a natural recollection of past events. There is enough information that one need not read book one to have a solid understanding of this one.

More information: Sword in the Stacks releases July 7.
Advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley.

Llama trio

The craft I have to share with you today isn't particularly complex. I drew some llamas on waste card-stock that came in a package  with my new (to me) markers. Mostly I wanted to try out the markers, a bag of assorted scrap-booking markers I found at Goodwill for a dollar. I figured I could use them as bookmarks.

Then I remembered that I mostly read e-books. And I have dozens of bookmarks already in a box on my bookshelf for when I do read print. So for now the llamas are just decorating my bookshelf.

 

Book review - The Distance to Home

Title: The Distance to Home
Author: Jenn Bishop
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Dear Opl by Shelley Sackier
                     The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Rating:

lovely and heartbreaking

Summary(provided by publisher): For fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Rita Williams-Garcia, Jenn Bishop's heartwarming debut is a celebration of sisterhood and summertime, and of finding the courage to get back in the game.
Last summer, Quinnen was the star pitcher of her baseball team, the Panthers. They were headed for the championship, and her loudest supporter at every game was her best friend and older sister, Haley.
This summer, everything is different. Haley's death, at the end of last summer, has left Quinnen and her parents reeling. Without Haley in the stands, Quinnen doesn't want to play baseball. It seems like nothing can fill the Haley-sized hole in her world. The one glimmer of happiness comes from the Bandits, the local minor-league baseball team. For the first time, Quinnen and her family are hosting one of the players for the season. Without Haley, Quinnen's not sure it will be any fun, but soon she befriends a few players. With their help, can she make peace with the past and return to the pitcher's mound?

My opinion: If you're looking for a simple, warm-hearted sports story, this is not your book. Don't get me wrong: baseball plays a major role in the plot and the message is an affirming one. This is just more of an emotional wringer than most sports books. 
To my way of thinking, books about grief for the younger set must be carefully done to avoid becoming trite and minimizing the emotions of the target audience. This is one such careful portrayal. The best word I can think of for it is authentic. Quinnen's portrayal is very believable. She's confused by the changes in her older sister prior to her death, wants life to be as simple as it has always been.
While the major portion of the plot focuses on working through grief, baseball is a strong presence. Secondary messages include being a team player, focusing on the good of your team instead of yourself, and not judging others too quickly. 
What this all adds up to is a book that can be read and enjoyed both by fans of emotional journeys and of sports stories.

More information: The Distance to Home releases June 28.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Picture books for everyone

Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger

If you've never experienced this book do yourself a favor: go out and find a copy right now. Abiyoyo was one of my favorite episodes of Reading Rainbow. Magical, musical, and just the right amount of scary for young readers. If you can, get this with the audio. While any one can read Abiyoyo, no one reads it like Pete Seeger.

Book review - The Haunting of Falcon House

Title: The Haunting of Falcon House
Author: Eugene Yelchin
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett
                     The Swallow by Charis Cotter
Rating:

Nicely written but a tough sell

Summary(provided by publisher): A long undisturbed bedroom. A startling likeness. A mysterious friend.
When twelve-year-old Prince Lev Lvov goes to live with his aunt at Falcon House, he takes his rightful place as heir to the Lvov family estate. Prince Lev dreams of becoming a hero of Russia like his great ancestors. But he'll discover that dark secrets haunt this house. Prince Lev is the only one who can set them free-will he be the hero his family needs?

My opinion: It can be hard to sell kids on historical fiction, especially books like this one. Not only is the setting historical, it is foreign. Tsarist Russia can be difficult for adult readers to understand, much less middle graders. While the setting is well described, we don't get much in the way of explanation for the class system in Russia, the naming format, anything.  There are supernatural elements but they aren't spooky enough to make this a truly compelling read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by publisher.

Birthday cards

A few weeks ago, I posted about a card I had made for my nephew. Today I bring you two more Martha original birthday cards, one for my dad and one for my other nephew.

The inside of this one reads "Please wait while he wraps your cake and lights the candles on your present"