Book review - The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones

Title: The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Distance to Home by Jenn Bishop
                     Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
Rating: 

lovely

Summary (provided by publisher): My secret life is filled with psychic vampires, wheelchair zombies, chain-rattlin' ghosts, and a one-eyed cat. But they're nothing compared to my real-life stalker: a sixth-grade girl named Kandi Kain. . . .
 Lincoln Jones is always working on the latest story he's got going in his notebook. Those stories are his refuge. A place where the hero always prevails and the bad guy goes to jail. Real life is messy and complicated, so Lincoln sticks to fiction and keeps to himself. Which works fine until a nosy girl at his new school starts prying into his private business. She wants to know what he's writing, where he disappears to after school, and why he never talks to anybody. . . .
The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones is a terrifically funny and poignant story about a boy finding the courage to get to know the real characters all around him—and to let them know him.

My opinion: Fantastic writing here. I'm a big fan of Lincoln, the way his mind works. I was easily caught up in his story and his interactions with people, especially the "oldies" at Brookside. Clearly his obsession with his stories is a coping mechanism but it's not overdone. He's still a skilled writer and doesn't stop just because he determines to face reality. There are a lot of subtle secondary messages at play as well, mostly having to do with dignity. Most of the secondary characters are pretty basic but this is not uncommon in middle grade fiction. The biggest selling point for me is that it holds up to repeat reading. there's something more to discover and more importantly to discuss with each read. It would make a great book club selection.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Happy Halloween!

I'm not one for really scary stuff so apart from wearing costumes and getting candy, Halloween has never been a particularly big deal for me. I do enjoy carving pumpkins, though, and I've started experimenting with the form a little more recently. This is the Jack O'Lantern I designed this year. It's a bit more cutesy than my usual style (unicorns aren't exactly my favorite) but I loved the idea of the carrot horn.

Book review - The Case of Maker Mischief

Title: The Case of Maker Mischief
Author: Liam O'Donnell
Genre: Mystery
Similar books: The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg
                     The Ghost and Max Monroe by L.M. Falcone
Rating:

a nice little mystery

Summary (provided by publisher): Myron, the third-grade detective who loves logic, facts, and solving mysteries, gets the chance to crack another case when he finds out his classmate Jordan’s robot has been stolen. Jordan and tech-savvy Danielle, known as “Glitch,” had been working on it for weeks for the upcoming Maker Faire Robot Maze Challenge.
Together with his detective partner, the hyper-energetic Hajrah, Myron pins down two suspects: Sarah “Smasher” McGintley, the school bully, and Lionel Amar, another robot builder who was caught with Jordan and Glitch’s plans. But after investigating the case further, they find out the thief is someone entirely unexpected.
Myron’s unique perspective from the autism spectrum and his eye for detail make him a top-notch sleuth. Similarly, the other neurodiverse kids in his resource room demonstrate creative problem solving and unique talents that come in handy for the case.
Black-and-white spot illustrations accompany the text in this fun and accessible page-turner for independent readers. With a connection to STEAM and the maker movement, this book is an exciting next installment in the West Meadows Detectives series.

My opinion: Characterization in this novel is minimal but that can be excused by both the reading level (it skews towards early elementary) which leaves little room for character development and Myron's ASD. Given that the story is told largely from his perspective, it's not entirely unexpected that the narrative focuses more on facts, details, and cause and effect than in details of personality or interpersonal relationships. While this can lead to some disconnect between the reader and the story and this age level that's less of a hindrance than it would be for older readers. As a mystery, it's pretty solid. Plenty of clues, red herrings, and a logical progression of events. Additionally, this is the second book in a series. Even without reading the first book I was easily able to follow the plot and distinguish characters.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Pick 6: Horror

October means it's time for my annual list of horror stories. Who doesn't love a good scare in October? It's almost required to prepare for Halloween by scaring yourself silly. Here are six horror books published in the last six months.

6 new horror novels

1. The Curse of the Were-Hyena by Bruce Hale

2. Tales from the Haunted Mansion: the Fearsome Foursome by John Espito

3. The Hill by Karen Bass

4. The Monster in the Road is Me by J.P. Romney

5. And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

6. One Was Lost by Natalie Richards

Non-fiction book review - To Burp or Not to Burp

To Burp or Not to Burp by Dave Williams and Loredana Cunti

What better way to engage a kid with the sciences than through the weird and gross. Its not a new approach by any means but it still works. Lots of cool information in a relatively short book, enumerating the effects of low gravity on various bodily processes. We learn not only what happens to a belch, sweat, etc but why it happens. With photographs and illustrations illustrating the points it's a solid choice.

Not your typical stuffed bunny

Today's project is something I started a few weeks ago when my hands needed something to do that wasn't as messy as polymer clay (which is what I actually should have been doing).  I found the remains of a skein of yarn and decided to whip up the cyclops project from KnitWit by Kate Boyette, the source of one of the first crafts I posted about on this blog. Of course, because I was using scrap, I ran out of yarn before finishing but that allowed me to personalize my cyclops, making his arms and legs a different color. He doesn't look exactly like the original project, but I'm quite fond of Norris (I intended to name him Ogden, but the further I got the more he wanted to be called Norris).

Point of clarity - the bunny suit is original to the pattern. There are a handful of details particular to Norris

Picture books for everyone

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

In recent years there have been an increasing number of picture books that directly address the reader. This format works well with an older audience. It causes them to engage with the text differently. This book is an excellent example of that. It asks questions of the reader, poses hypotheticals. And it does all of this with a light-hearted plot and delightful illustrations.