Pick 6: Murder Mysteries

The world of fiction is full of mysteries and when those books are aimed at teens, they take on a decidedly murderous bent. Murder mysteries are full of intrigue and danger, making them rather thrilling to read. Here are six murder mysteries for teens published in the last six months.

6 new murder mysteries :

1. Black Chuck by Regan McDonell

2. White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig

3. Dead Weight by Terry Blas

4. Spectacle by Megan Rose Gedris

5. Blood Will Out by Jo Treggiani

6. The Ruinous Sweep by Tim Wynne-Jones

Non fiction book review - Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa by Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Mother Teresa was one of those figures that I never really knew much about. I mean, I knew that she worked with the poor in India, that she lived among them and had close contact with lepers. But that was it. This is a very shallow, simple biography of course, simple explanations and a few logical holes. Sill, I like this use of a real life example to express moral lessons to small children. Generosity and compassion are great concepts to instill in the very young. This series has the potential to provide small children with real, admirable heroes to model themselves after.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - The Benefits of Being an Octopus

Title: The Benefits of Being an Octopus
Author: Ann Braden
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Just Under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno
                      Hold Fast by Blue Balliet
Rating:

important, though imperfect

Summary (provided by publisher): Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Not that her mom seems to appreciate it. At least there's Lenny, her mom's boyfriend—they all get to live in his nice, clean trailer.
At school, Zoey tries to stay under the radar. Her only friend Fuchsia has her own issues, and since they're in an entirely different world than the rich kids, it's best if no one notices them.
Zoey thinks how much easier everything would be if she were an octopus: eight arms to do eight things at once. Incredible camouflage ability and steady, unblinking vision. Powerful protective defenses.
Unfortunately, she's not totally invisible, and one of her teachers forces her to join the debate club. Even though Zoey resists participating, debate ultimately leads her to see things in a new way: her mom’s relationship with Lenny, Fuchsia's situation, and her own place in this town of people who think they're better than her. Can Zoey find the courage to speak up, even if it means risking the most stable home she's ever had?
This moving debut novel explores the cultural divides around class and the gun debate through the eyes of one girl, living on the edges of society, trying to find her way forward.

My Opinion: We need stories of poverty. More importantly, we need to see stories not of sudden poverty, but of long term struggles, of poverty as a general way of life. We need to see it as an ongoing reality rather than a quick loss and desperation to escape. We need to see it in degrees. And that's what Braden gives us here. This is a family that has been functionally homeless, jumping between housing situations. They stay in an emotionally unhealthy place because it is physically stable and finding anything else requires too much financial commitment. Braden explores the demands on caregiving children, the complexities of an abusive home, the gun debate, and, to a small degree, our cultural relationship with foster care. Some of these plot elements didn't entirely land. The opinions in the student gun debate are overly simplified and dismissive. Fuchsia's sub plot, too, is overly simplistic. With it's high concept ideas I would hesitate to spring it on unsuspecting young readers, but in the right environment it could inspire some wonderful and thought-provoking follow-up conversations.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

In which I channel Bob Ross

I've developed the habit of buying cheap plaques at dollar stores and the like with the purpose of repainting the. I have vague plans to try selling them at my craft fair this year.

This is my first attempt:

before...

...and after

 I may have actually used the term happy little tree while I was painting. It's a bit pedestrian but it gives me hope that future efforts may be more artistic.

Picture books for everyone

The Wild Beast by Eric Walters

Small children enjoy explanatory stories like this one. I clearly remember enjoying How the Camel Got His Hump and The Elephant Child when I was small, and this tale is right in line with those. Even a small child understands that the "just so" of a just so story is not truth but a source of humor. For an older child, this book could be the starting point for any number of lessons in creation stories, conservation, even an art project.

More information: The Wild Beast releases September 25.

Non-fiction book review - Death Eaters

Death Eaters by Kelly Milner Halls

This is a classic case of using the gross or grim to get children to engage with the educational. Decomposition is disgusting. It's also fascinating and absolutely necessary. I have to give Halls a lot of credit. The exploration is clinical and straightforward. She doesn't dwell on the grosser details. She uses technical terms and lays out the process scientifically. One might complain ti's a bit too clinical. The vocabulary could be a bit challenging.
We meet a wide variety of scavengers and the stages at which they are likely to feed on a corpse. Educational and engaging.

More information: Death Eaters releases October 1.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - Big Words Small Stories: The Missing Donut

Title: The Missing Donut
Author: Judith Henderson
Genre: early chapter book
Similar books: Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
                      Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
Rating:

mediocre plot, but unique format

Summary (provided by publisher): Here's a collection of short stories with a twist. The five stories all feature the misadventures of a boy named Cris, who “likes things all in a row,” and his cat, Crat, who “likes to mix things up.” Running within each of these lighthearted stories is another story, this one about the Sprinkle Fairy, owner of a word factory in Sicily, “where the best words in the world come from.” The Sprinkle Fairy has a team of helpers, called the Sprinklers, who have slipped one of her big words (like, discombobulated) into each of the small stories. Luckily, the Sprinklers provide warnings right before the big words appear (“Big word coming!”) and include their pronunciations and meanings afterward. Then, a bonus story at the end --- “A Small Play on Big Words” --- uses all the big words together. Judith Henderson has created an innovative approach to an early reader that involves children in simple, fun-to-read stories, while using a clever, playful device to enrich their vocabularies at the same time. The quirky stories are funny, with storylines that build on each other. The appealing blend of deadpan and slapstick humor in the text is paired with multiple spot illustrations by T. L. McBeth on every page. The tone and accessibility are pitch-perfect for emerging readers. This title is part of a three-book series --- each book with its own character duo, but all starring the Sprinkle Fairy and her Sprinklers.

My opinion:  I never have much in the way of expectations when it comes to easy readers because the focus is more on vocabulary than storytelling. This one is fairly standard for plot, in that there isn't much of one. The stories are very simple. The format is outstanding. Each story has a low level vocabulary with a single multiple syllable word. There is ample notice that the complex word is coming, a pronunciation guide, a simple definition, and a good amount of context to understand it's use. Each story's plot is essentially just prolonged context for the larger word. It's not much of a pleasure read but as an educational tool, it's spot on.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.