Title: Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess
Author: Shari Green
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
Rating:
 |
| nicely done |
Summary (provided by publisher): Sixth grade is coming to an end, and so is life as Macy McMillan knows it. Already a “For Sale” sign mars the front lawn of her beloved house. Soon her mother will upend their perfect little family, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. To add insult to injury, what is Macy’s final sixth grade assignment? A genealogy project. Well, she’ll put it off—just like those wedding centerpieces she’s supposed to be making. Just when Macy’s mother ought to be understanding, she sends Macy next door to help eighty-six-year-old Iris Gillan, who is also getting ready to move—in her case into an assisted living facility. Iris can’t pack a single box on her own and, worse, she doesn’t know sign language. How is Macy supposed to understand her? But Iris has stories to tell, and she isn’t going to let Macy’s deafness stop her. Soon, through notes and books and cookies, a bond grows between them. And this friendship, odd and unexpected, may be just what Macy needs to face the changes in her life. Shari Green, author of Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles, writes this summer story with the lightest touch, spinning Macy out of her old life and into a new one full of warmth and promise for the future.
My opinion: Some stories are just made for the verse novel format. This is one of them. Pacing is tight and word choice is solid. Some verse novels get so caught up in artistry that the reader isn't clear on what is actually happening. That isn't the case here. I also appreciated that while Macy is deaf, its not the sum total of her character. She's your average middle grade girl who just happens to be deaf. She has social problems at school, struggles to connect with her future step family. Problems that are largely her own fault. She is not dismissed due to her handicap. Rather, she uses that as a reason to push others away. It may not be the first verse novel I'd hand to a young reader but I wouldn't hesitate to give it to a kid who's already read a couple.
More information: Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess releases May 15.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Bluffton by Matt Phelan
If you know one of those people who dismiss graphic novels as childish or just about superheroes, this is the book to convince them otherwise. In Bluffton, Phelan captures the joys of summer in childhood, the magic and dark corners of vaudeville, and the hard life of a turn-of-the-century child actor, namely Buster Keaton. This is presented with impeccable pacing and artistry. The color palette is slightly muted, adding to the nostalgic atmosphere of the book. It's worth reading this one just for the art. More than that, though, it's an engrossing story. Perhaps not one that young readers will clamor for but a book that one will appreciate more with each read.
Meatless? by Sarah Elton
Books about vegetarianism usually have an agenda. The author tries to convince you that vegetarianism is the only healthy, morally responsible choice to make. That's what I like about this book: Elton has no agenda. She only presents facts. Young readers will learn about types of vegetarianism and their roles in religion and throughout history. We learn the social and ecological impact of various diets as well as the various motivations behind making a diet switch. The goal here is merely information. The reader is encouraged to review these facts and then make his/her own decision.
More Information: Meatless? releases May 15.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Title: A Face Like Glass
Author: Frances Hardinge
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
Rating:
 |
| pleasant if a bit long |
Summary (provided by publisher): In the underground city of Caverna, the world’s most skilled craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare—wines that remove memories, cheeses that make you hallucinate, and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as they slit your throat. On the surface, the people of Caverna seem ordinary, except for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to express (or fake) joy, despair, or fear—at a steep price. Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. Neverfell's expressions are as varied and dynamic as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, except hers are entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed . . .
My opinion: The world of this novel is a particularly inventive, complex one. Hardinge has done an amazing job with the world-building. We are presented with myriad cultural rules and a complex political situation. Toss in a strange girl completely unprepared to navigate any of it, a pawn in a game she can't begin to understand, and its a recipe for a fascinating read. All of this world-building, though, means that the pacing is on the slow side, a situation compounded by the complexity of the characters. It must move slowly for the reader to follow the plot, but this can feel like it is dragging. It's a book that takes a fair amount of dedication.
More Information: A Face Like Glass releases May 9.
Adanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
I don't know about you, but sometimes an idea grabs hold of me and just won't let go. Today's craft started with this doodle:
Once I drew this hippo, I couldn't drop the idea of giving an animal wings. I didn't have any plastic or plush hippos around but I did find this anteater. A scrap of cardstock and some elastic string finished it off.
Reynaldo loves his new wings.
Title: Lemons
Author: Melissa Savage
Genre: historical/realistic fiction
Similar books: The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Soar by Tracy Edward Wymer
Rating:
 |
| a solid read |
Summary (provided by publisher): Fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Flora & Ulysses and Katherine Applegate’s Crenshaw will fall in love with this charming adventure story about a girl learning to accept her new life, her quirky detective neighbor, and their epic search for Bigfoot.
Lemonade Liberty Witt’s mama always told her: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But Lem can’t possibly make lemonade out of her new life in Willow Creek, California—the Bigfoot Capital of the World—where she’s forced to live with a grandfather she’s never met after her mother passes away.
Then she meets eleven-year-old Tobin Sky, the CEO of Bigfoot Detectives Inc., who is the sole Bigfoot investigator for their small town. After he invites Lem to be his assistant for the summer, they set out on an epic adventure to capture a shot of the elusive beast on film. But along the way, Lem and Tobin end up discovering more than they ever could have imagined. And Lem realizes that maybe she can make lemonade out of her new life after all.
My opinion: In some ways, this is a standard fish out of water story. Lem wishes for her old life back even as she begins to adjust to the new. The cryptid aspect gives it some freshness. It's historical in setting, and needs to be for the sake of certain plot elements, but doesn't feel particularly historical. This has two very different effects on the book. on the one hand, it gives it an air of universality. We don't get stock on the history elements so it's easier for modern readers to relate. On the other hand, because we sometimes forget that this is set in the late 60s, those historical elements that do come through can be a bit jarring. Or we find ourselves wondering why the characters don't, say, Google a subject. This can leave the reader feeling slightly off kilter. Still, it takes itself seriously and thus doesn't belittle the thoughts, emotions, and experiences of the reader.
More information: Lemons releases May 2.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
There
are many levels of science fiction, from mostly realistic with some mild
sci-fi elements to tales entirely set in a fictional world. While my
personal tastes lean more towards the former, I try to read novels that
fit all over the spectrum. Luckily, there are some really good sci-fi
novels being written for young people these days. Here are six sci-fi
novels, from beginning readers to teen novels, written in the last six
months.
6 new sci-fi novels:
1. Nowhere Near You by Leah Thomas
2. The Time Museum by Matthew Loux
3. Star Scouts by Mike Lawrence
4. The Castoffs by M.K. Reed
5. How to Tame a Triceratops by Will Dare
6. Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray
