Non-fiction book review - Assassins' America

Assassins' America by Jessica Gunderson and Joe Tougas

There is no shortage of books about assassinations, particularly about Lincoln and Kennedy. You might think there was nothing else to write. This book laughs in the face of such an assertion. A fantastic approach. Gunderson and Tougas do several things right. We're given background on both president and assassin, childhood events that shaped the direction of their lives, the events of the shooting itself, and how life might have changed had the death not occurred. And it's not just wild speculation. The authors rely on primary sources, personal documents, that reflect the plans each president had for the country. Especially fascinating is the section on Garfield. A great choice for young history buffs nad those with an interest in government. 
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Stuck in the Stone Age

Title: Stuck in the Stone Age
Author: Geoff Rodkey
Genre: humor
Similar books: Spy Toys by Mark Powers
                      Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy by Gareth Wronski
Rating:

Doesn't quite live up to the promise

Summary (provided by publisher): Tom Edison (no, not that Tom Edison) is a hopeful janitor who dreams of becoming a scientist—and Dr. Morice is a shy scientist who dreams of making friends. When an accident at the lab sends them back in time to the stone age, Tom and Dr. Morice must work together to face down cavemen, saber-tooth tigers, and other B.C. hazards, with only one problem: Tom isn’t very good at science, and Dr. Morice isn’t very good with people.
A laugh-out-loud time-travel adventure, Stuck in the Stone Age is the first in a series of novels that double as an introduction to the basics of creative writing. With the help of Story Pirate Captain Rolo Vincent and the Story Creation Zone, kids can use this kid-generated sci-fi comedy as inspiration to create their OWN great stories!

My opinion: Let's be frank. This book is kind of foolish. The concept is, at best, odd. It breaks one of my cardinal rules of juvenile fiction, casting adults as main characters. It works, in a way, since said adults behave rather like children. They struggle with social issues, behave selfishly, have naive beliefs. The writing is a little funny and is over all harmless. I liked the idea of using a full novel to inspire kids to do their own writing, pointing out in the text what various writing concepts actually look like. The question is, will any young readers actually bother to read the informational section? Is the story compelling enough to inspire young writers?
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Wall art repaint

Post holiday clearance is a great source of crafting materials. I found this wall plaque in an after Christmas sale. I found the original design a little bland. A touch of paint makes it a nice all seasons decoration for my beige walls.

 

Pick 6 - Sci fi

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. Satellite by Nick Lake

2. Robots and Repeats by Gene Luen Yang

3. Uncanny by Sarah Fine

4. The Last Girl on Earth by Alexandra Blogier

5. Road to Eugenica by A. Rose

6. Stuck in the Stone Age by Geoff Rodkey

Non-fiction book review - Epic Cardboard Adventures

Epic Cardboard Adventures by Leslie Manlapig

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I fully applaud encouraging kids to explore their creativity with simple materials. Most of these projects can be made with cardboard, glue, tape, and paint. And they're more than just art projects. These are toys, props for make believe. Fantastic. On the other hand, we are given very specific, step by step directions. While I understand their necessity, there's no opportunity for personalization, nor even any encouragement to invent. I know that as a child I wouldn't have needed the book to suggest ways I could change a project but I've worked with enough kids to know that many do. They need someone to suggest that the reader needn't follow the directions exactly.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - Fum

Title: Fum
Author: Adam Rapp
Genre: realistic fiction/surrealism
Similar books: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
                      The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean Telt by Hisself by David Almond
Rating:

truly odd

Summary (provided by publisher): What is it like to be a giant? Meet Corinthia Bledsoe, a seven-foot tall high-school junior who can predict the future.
Over seven feet tall and with a newfound ability to sense future events, Corinthia Bledsoe is far more than just another Midwestern high-school junior; she’s a force of nature. When she predicts with terrifying accuracy the outcome of a tornado that will hit her high school, leaving a cow standing midcourt in the Lugo Memorial field house, Corinthia finds herself at the epicenter of another kind of storm entirely. And as things get stranger and stranger — both in her small town and her own home — lives start to intersect in ways even Corinthia can’t foresee.

My opinion: There's weird and then there's weird. I kept expecting clearer elements of magic. We have prophecy, of a sort. I was waiting for the acknowledgement of Corinthia as a seer or something. We have a number of odd happenings, but the town just sort of rolls with it. It's sort of surreal. And we don't get any clear answers. Her brother, what's actually happening to Corinithia, her mother's other life, the volunteer at the school. All of these sub-plots are happening but don't resolve or even tie into the main plot in any significant way. In the end, it's hard to draw any conclusions or take away any messages. Too weird for me.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Wilber is a snappy dresser

While shopping at a thrift store, I happened upon a plush camel with a strangely long and dangly neck and legs. As I examined the camel I realized it had, at one point, been a marionette. Since it was still in good shape I decided to buy it and make it a puppet once more. I haven't decided, yet, if it will be a marionette or a rod puppet. While I decided on the format, I've been developing him into a character. Wilber (short for Wilberforce) is going to have a rather extensive wardrobe, I suspect. To begin with, he has a monocle and a collar with a necktie. The monocle was made from a piece of plastic packaging, wire, and hot glue. His collar was the cuff of an old polo shirt, the tie a bit of a sock.