Non-fiction book review - Put On Your Owl Eyes

Put On Your Owl Eyes by Devin Franklin

There is no shortage of kids books about exploring nature. Most focus on identifying animals or plants. That is certainly an element of this book. The larger focus, though, is on mindfulness. How do we identify animal tracks other than by making observations? It's about making a closer connection with your environment, even when its quite familiar. And that's worth celebrating.

More information: Put On Your Owl Eyes releases May 28.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Groovy!

I bought this action figure at the dollar store with the intention of giving him a squid head, but the squid proved surprisingly hard to attach.

Random inspiration struck one day and I decided to take it in a different direction.

First, I gave it a new neck joint with a bamboo skewer, straw, bead, and hot glue.

I formed his new head with Model Magic air dry clay, then finished it off with paint and wiggle eyes.

He's very happy to be Earthworm Jim

 
 

Book review - The Lovely and the Lost

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.

Non-fiction book review - Planet Fashion

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.

Carp kites

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.

 

Non-fiction book review - Art Masterclass

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.

Book review - Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers

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.