Title: The Lovely and the Lost
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke
Too Shattered for Mending by Peter Brown Hoffmeister
Rating:
 |
| a bit of a mixed bag |
Summary (provided by publisher): Kira Bennett's earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Together with Cady's son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world's most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home.
But when Cady's estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child-one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months-the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected. As the search through 750,000 acres of unbridled wilderness intensifies, Kira becomes obsessed with finding the missing child. She knows all too well what it's like to be lost in the wilderness, fighting for survival, alone.
But this case isn't simple. There is more afoot than a single, missing girl, and Kira's memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.
My opinion: In a book like this one, where minors investigate a mystery, it's important to draw careful lines. Barnes handles this carefully. The teens are actively involved in searching for the missing child. As soon as it becomes clear that a crime has been committed, though, the teens are blocked from the investigation. They can do search and rescue because they are trained. They cannot interfere with the police. And the teens themselves are careful to stay out of the way of the police. Sure, they keep investigating but their investigation takes the form that any citizen could do. They talk to people, hunt through library records. Their training simply gives them different insight than other people. The mystery itself is thinly evidenced, the suspects vague at best. Compelling enough for a single read.
More information: The Lovely and the Lost releases May 7.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Planet Fashion by Natasha Slee
This book follows a consistent pattern. It takes a region/cultural group and time period and explores the fashion elements that defined the era. It looks at silhouettes and fabrics. The role of gender and politics. It's largely the "what" of a time period's fashion but there's a fair amount of exploration of "why". This includes not just the clothes but also the culture. Be it bicycles or disco, war or economic surplus, many things have an influence on fashion. Slee looks at a wide variety of locations as well. A fun look at history for young readers.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
There's something about the look of carp kites that I thoroughly enjoy. So I like to portray them whenever I can. In this case, for a card for an upcoming craft fair.
Art Masterclass with Claude Monet by Katie Cotton
Art Masterclass with Gustave Klimt by Lucy Brownridge
Most kids' books about art and artists take one of two approaches: 1) the life of the artist; 2) examples of the the artist's most famous works. Now, both of those things are present in these books but the larger focus is on elements of the artist's style. In both books, we are presented with a painting that exemplifies some element of the art style. Motion, shadow, shape, focus. We look at the element and then experiment with replicating the element. These books allow young artists to experiment and develop their own art styles as well as looking at the artists' work through a new lens.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Title: Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers
Author: Shauna M. Holyoak
Genre: mystery
Similar books: Charlie & Frog by Karen Kane
The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton
Rating:
 |
| a touch disappointing |
Summary(provided by publisher): When a string of dognappings grips her Denver neighborhood, Kazu Jones vows to track down the culprits. She can't stand to see more dogs go missing-especially once her neighbors' beloved pet is taken because of her gigantic mistake.
With the help of her gang-including her best friend and expert hacker, March; and her ginormous, socially anxious pup, Genki-Kazu uncovers evidence that suggests the dognapping ring is bigger than she ever imagined. But the more she digs, the more dangerous her investigation becomes. The dognappers are getting bolder, and Genki could be next...
My opinion: Mysteries for middle grade readers are tricky territory. These are kids old enough to handle a mystery about actual crime, elements of real danger. At the same time it has to be handled carefully. You don't want to glamorize risky behavior. You want the reader to question the kid's involvement when real crime is involved. Holyoak tries to do that. Kazu gets in trouble every time she investigates. When she puts herself and her friends in real danger they get in trouble with parents and police. That's commendable but Kazu is undeterred. She ends the book still running investigations, implying that she could get involved in another crime in future. The actual mystery is thinly evidenced and without enough reasonable suspects.
More information: Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers releases April 23.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
I'm playing with an idea for peg dolls to sell at craft fairs. I'd love to do a series of famous historical figures with a special focus on women. For a test case, I made Sojourner Truth.
Yasmina and the Potato Eaters by Wauter Mannaert
A little girl encounters mutant potatoes. This sounds like a strange concept for a graphic novel. It is translated from French. That likely raises red flags for a potential reader. In spite of those things, it's a charming story. The sci-fi elements are fairly minimal, to be honest, and take on more the flavor of a classic B-movie. Yasmina is more a story of appreciating food. This is a story of a little girl who loves to cook, who enjoys the process of putting fresh foods together in unique and appealing ways. She appreciates the way that a good meal brings people together. Mannaert brings up organics, processed foods, GMOs, and general ecology. I should note, too, that while the genetic manipulation in this book goes bad, Mannaert doesn't out and out vilify GMOs. Rather, he seems to urge caution and thoughtfulness.
Artistically, it's very stylized. There's a heavy use of contrast more common in European comics. And there are many near wordless passages, so the illustrations are used to their proper effect.
I was frustrated to find that Part 1 cuts off rather suddenly, with no resolution of any sort. Certainly give this series a read but do yourself a favor and wait until you can get both volumes at once.
More information: Part 1 is available now. Part 2 releases April 17.
Advanced Reader copy provided by NetGalley.
