Book review - Star Scouts

Title: Star Scouts
Author: Mike Lawrence
Genre: sci-fi
Similar books: Earthling by Mark Fearing
                     SPHDZ by Jon Scieszka
Rating:

a fun variation on a middle grade standard

Summary (provided by publisher): Avani is the new kid in town, and she’s not happy about it. Everyone in school thinks she’s weird, especially the girls in her Flower Scouts troop. Is it so weird to think scouting should be about fun and adventure, not about makeovers and boys, boys, boys?
But everything changes when Avani is “accidentally” abducted by a spunky alien named Mabel. Mabel is a scout too—a Star Scout. Collecting alien specimens (like Avani) goes with the territory, along with teleportation and jetpack racing. Avani might be weird, but in the Star Scouts she fits right in. If she can just survive Camp Andromeda, and keep her dad from discovering that she’s left planet Earth, she’s in for the adventure of a lifetime.

My opinion: Once you look beyond the surface, this is pretty standard middle grade fare. Being the new kid, coping with bullies, trying to find your strengths; these are all common topics for this age group. Setting the bulk of the plot in outer space is novel and lends a sort of universality to the plot. Avani is a solid character and her new troop is charming. The illustrations are appealing. The panels are detailed and complex without becoming busy.

More Information: Star Scouts releases March 21.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

King of the Jungle

Have you ever painted those little plaster figures that come in a six pack at the craft store? There is something oddly satisfying about them. I've had this little lion knocking around my craft room for a while now and this weekend seemed like the right time to finish him off.

Book review - Jack and the Geniuses at the Bottom of the World

Title: Jack and the Geniuses at the Bottom of the World
Author: Bill Nye and Gregory Mone
Genre: mystery/adventure
Similar books: Waylon! One Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker
                     Framed! by James Ponti
Rating:

clever

Summary(provided by publisher): In the series opener, Jack and the Geniuses: At The Bottom of The World, readers meet Jack and his foster siblings, Ava and Matt, who are orphans. But they’re not your typical kind of orphans—they’re geniuses. Well, Ava and Matt are, which sometimes makes life difficult for twelve-year-old Jack. Ava speaks multiple languages and builds robots for fun, and Matt is into astronomy and a whiz at math. As for Jack, it’s hard to stand out when he’s surrounded by geniuses all the time.
When the kids try to spy on Dr. Hank Witherspoon, one of the world’s leading scientists, they end up working for him in his incredible laboratory. Soon, Hank and the kids travel to Antarctica for a prestigious science competition, but they find that all is not as it seems: A fellow scientist has gone missing, and so has any trace of her research. Could someone be trying to use her findings to win the contest? It’s up to Jack, Ava, and Matt to find the missing scientist and discover who’s behind it all—before it’s too late.
Integrating real science facts with humor and suspense, and featuring an ensemble cast of loveable boy and girl characters, this uniquely engaging series is an irresistible chemical reaction for middle-grade readers. With easy-to-read language presented in a fun, motivating, and accessible way, this series opener is a great book for both inquisitive kids and reluctant readers. The book also includes information about the science discussed and used to solve the mystery, as well as a cool science project about density that kids can do at home or in the classroom.

My opinion: The cast of characters in this novel, while not particularly complex, is charming. Each character has a strength and a weakness that affects the plot. The pacing is solid. The scientific explanations are, in large part, well integrated into the narration. They flow naturally as the plot progresses, not pulling us out of the moment. There are a few weaknesses. There is a fair amount of unnecessary gross-out humor. And I was a little troubled by the way the other characters, even his de facto family, undervalued Jack. He seems to accept doing all of the grunt work as a natural result of being less smart than the others, as if he has less value for anything other than manual labor. I am hopeful, though,  that his position will strengthen as the series progresses. All in all, this is a solid start to a solidly entertaining and sneakily educational series.

More information: Jack and the Geniuses at the Bottom of the World releases April 4.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Graphic novel spotlight - Odd Duck

Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci and Sara Varon

A fusion picture book graphic novel, this book has a surprisingly broad audience. The main characters are self confident. They like what they like and care very little what others think. Castellucci and Varon really celebrate individuality and "oddness" in this little book. A great companion to David Shannon's A Bad Case of Stripes, Odd Duck presents a different perspective on being yourself and the desire to fit in. The art style is a bit on the quirky side but this really adds to the charm.

Non-fiction book review - Eyes and Spies

Eyes & Spies by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Issues of surveillance and digital privacy are certainly important for all of us to consider. We definitely want our young people thinking about these things, given how much of their lives are lived online. We want them to ask questions rather than blindly accepting invasions of their privacy as reality. While I'd have preferred more specific examples relevant to the lives of young teens, the topic is vital enough to make this automatically one that I recommend.
Additionally, there is a lot of visual appeal in the page design. The chapters are broken down into easily digested chunks.

Book review - Armstrong and Charlie

Title: Armstrong & Charlie
Author: Steven B. Frank
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: Night on Fire by Ronald Kidd
                     Paperboy by Vince Vawter
Rating:

could spark some great discussion

Summary(provided by publisher): Charlie isn’t looking forward to sixth grade. If he starts sixth grade, chances are he’ll finish it. And when he does, he’ll grow older than the brother he recently lost. Armstrong isn’t looking forward to sixth grade, either. When his parents sign him up for Opportunity Busing to a white school in the Hollywood Hills, all he wants to know is "What time in the morning will my alarm clock have the opportunity to ring?"  When these two land at the same desk, it's the Rules Boy next to the Rebel, a boy who lost a brother elbow-to-elbow with a boy who longs for one.
From September to June, arms will wrestle, fists will fly, and bottles will spin.  There'll be Ho Hos spiked with hot sauce, sleepovers, boy talk about girls, and a little guidance from the stars. 
Set in Los Angeles in the 1970s, Armstrong and Charlie is the hilarious, heartwarming tale of two boys from opposite worlds, Different, yet the same.

My opinion: There are, of course, dozens of books about racism and the civil rights movement for every age level. For the most part these books explore blatant, systemic racism. Frank has taken a more subtle approach. Given a school that is the subject of busing, we do get some obvious racism, students leaving the school, bullying. The bulk of the prejudice, though, is more subtle. Its based on assumptions and snamp judgements. Its the kind of prejudice we may not even realize is happening. Frank's characters question everything. Even open and accepting characters have moments of bias. It's a subtle, nuanced cast of characters. The issues in the novel are perhaps a bit too easily resolved, but it's an important addition to the conversation about racism, prejudice, and assumption.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

A very fancy bird

Back before Halloween, I spotted these crows at a local store. I was surprised by how well I liked them. Just not $13 worth.

 So when I found this foam crow at the dollar store I knew I'd found the perfect crafting opportunity. The problem was I didn't have the right fabric or paper to decorate my crow. So its been sitting in a bin ever since.

I finally got my crow decorated this weekend. The key was to forget the hat and collar from the original decoration and let her look however she wants. And this crow wanted a necklace and sparkly toenails.