Anglerfish

I've got a couple of larger craft projects in the works but none of them are ready today. So, in the meantime, here's another page from my sketch book, the result of my brief obsession with the strange appearance of anglerfish.

 

Book review - The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

Title: The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
Author: Stacy McAnulty
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee
                      OCDaniel by Wesley King
Rating:

delightful

Summary (provided by publisher):  Middle school is the one problem Lucy Callahan can't solve in this middle-grade novel perfect for fans of The Fourteenth Goldfish, Rain Reign, and Counting by 7s.
Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn't remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills, and ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12 years old, she's technically ready for college. She just has to pass 1 more test--middle school!
Lucy's grandma insists: Go to middle school for 1 year. Make 1 friend. Join 1 activity. And read 1 book (that's not a math textbook!). Lucy's not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade. She has everything she needs at home, where nobody can make fun of her rigid routines or her superpowered brain. The equation of Lucy's life has already been solved. Unless there's been a miscalculation?

My opinion: This book was a genuine joy to read. Such a delight, in fact, that a small part of me wished I could play hooky from work so I could finish reading it. Is it a bit predictable? Perhaps, but no more so than any other middle grade novel. And Lucy is such a strong character that this is worth reading just for her emotional journey. It is pleasant to enter her world, to see her change and grow, to see possibilityg and hurt and friendship develop. And I appreciated the open ending. The point isn't that her future is all planned out but that she's open to new ideas. I'd easily recommend this to most middle grade readers.

More Information: The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl releases May 1.
Advanced Reader Copy provide by NetGalley.

Books on screen

I Am Number Four

For the most part, the events of this movie mirror the book fairly well. We see much of the same progression of hiding to confrontation. The big difference comes with characters. While their names and relationships are largely the same, their essential beings are different. John and Henri don't have the friend/father relationship we see in the book. There's more rebellion, more antagonism. John's classmates are vastly different in character than we see in the book. Not worse, necessarily, just different.

The big question is, which version is better? To be honest, neither version is amazing. The book gives us more context for the conflict between the Loriens and the Mogadorians, more detail of Lorien culture and hints about future events. The movie, on the other hand, moves a few events around and actually provides a more logical structure for events. Both have their merits.

Book review - Chasing Helicity

Title: Chasing Helicity
Author: Ginger Zee
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
                      Hideout by Watt Key
Rating:

a little frustrating

Summary (provided by publisher): Helicity is well aware that her name is unusual - kind of like Helicity herself. The word Helicity means to spin, and for as long as she can remember, Helicity has been fascinated by the weather. The weather is Helicity's escape from her own reality - may that be school, her father's strict discipline, or her brother's imminent departure for college where he's all set to play football.
One fateful day, Helicity and her horse head out on a long ride to take a break from life at home. Even with her vast experience with weather, Helicity is unprepared for the elements she faces. The choices Helicity makes before, during, and after that storm will have a lasting effect on her family and her future.

My opinion: I have a couple of persistent complaints about this book. 
1) There's not much detail. We get brief overviews of events and then they're almost brushed aside. The town is devastated by a tornado. We get a few scenes of the aftereffects and then everyone moves on. 
2) Helicity is refered to as being from "West Michigan" rather than a specific town. Normally, I'm okay with this sort of vagueness but then we're told about her trip to Muskegon to ride the ferry. It is frustrating to get specificity in a minor detail but vagueness in the primary setting.
3)The plot is sort of arbitrary and cuts off suddenly. While this is clearly meant to leave events open for sequels, no part of the plot is resolved at the end of this book. Additionally, some of the over-arcing elements are obvious.

More information: Chasing Helicity releases April 24.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Calvin and Hobbes

My first experience with fandom was reading the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes as a child. While I couldn't have articulated it at the time, there was something about that strip that really spoke to me. I remain a fan to this day. And since there is no official merchandise, I made my own.

And what are Calvin and Hobbes without their time machine/transmogrifier/duplicator. 

Book review - The Secret Science of Magic

Title: The Secret Science of Magic
Author: Melissa Keil
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
                      Not Now, Not Ever by Lily Anderson
Rating:

Like a John Green B-side

Summary (provided by publisher): Meet Sophia: former child prodigy and 17-year-old math mastermind. She's been having panic attacks since she learned that after high school, former prodigies either cure cancer or go crazy. It's a lot of pressure. So Sophia doesn't have the patience for games right now. She especially doesn't have the patience to figure out why all these mysterious playing cards keep turning up inside her textbooks. Meet Joshua: highly intelligent, cheerfully unambitious, and an amateur magician. He's Sophia's classmate, and he's admired her for as long as he can remember. He thinks the time is perfect to tell Sophia how he feels. He doesn't know how wrong he is ...

My opinion: I was fully prepared for this to be just another teen romance. The elements are all there: closed of genius has her world expanded by a charismatic outsider. And if that's all this was I'd quickly write it off as empty entertainment. It's so much more, the romantic element becomes something of a subplot. We have two outsiders trying to find their place in the world, their purpose, their people. We have an attempt to "fix" an anxious person which, importantly, fails. Secret keeping and self-centeredness that nearly destroys long term relationships. There's a lot going on in the background which can make the narrative a bit scattered. In all, though, it's an engaging read well worth your time.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic Novel Spotlight - Peter & Ernesto

Peter & Ernesto: a tale of Two Sloths by Graham Annable

Imagine Frog and Toad or Ernie and Bert were sloths and you have decent grasp of the thrust of this book. A pair of friends who are essentially quite different, yet their differences make their friendship stronger. Not only that, but their different perspectives mean that even though they travel to the same places they have different experiences. The story is easily understood with a clear plot and accessible vocabulary. It's transparent enough for very young readers to understand but with enough subtleties for older readers to appreciate. It's not a terribly complex book but a delight to read.

More information: Peter & Ernesto releases April 10.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley