Non-fiction book review - This Land is My Land

This Land is My Land by Andy Warner and Sofie Louise Dam

If you're a fan of weird history facts, this is the book for you. Warner and Dam have collected stories of micronations and fringe societies. Each story is fairly short, easily digestible in short bursts. It's also very readable. Each story is a narrative, making it a collection of little stories. It's organized  thematically, based on how/why the community was founded and why it failed.  As a bonus, the whole thing is illustrated. A book I'd easily recommend.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Tiny peg dolls

With my summer craft fair fast approaching I've got some new projects in the works. These little peg people are part of a larger project I'll be revealing soon.

 

A trio of magificient ladies

A few weeks ago I posted about a Sojourner Truth peg doll I had made for an upcoming craft fair. This weekend I added to the collection with 3 more ladies: Sally Ride, Jane Goodall, and Mother Teresa. I'm pretty pleased with how the group is shaping up.

Book review - Planet Earth is Blue

Title: Planet Earth is Blue
Author: Nicole Panteleakos
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
                      Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
Rating:

compelling

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger--it's the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live TV in their classrooms. Nova and her big sister, Bridget, share a love of astronomy and the space program. They planned to watch the launch together. But Bridget has disappeared, and Nova is in a new foster home.
While foster families and teachers dismiss Nova as severely autistic and nonverbal, Bridget understands how intelligent and special Nova is, and all that she can't express. As the liftoff draws closer, Nova's new foster family and teachers begin to see her potential, and for the first time, she is making friends without Bridget. But every day, she's counting down to the launch, and to the moment when she'll see Bridget again. Because Bridget said, "No matter what, I'll be there. I promise."

My opinion: It's a wonderful, important thing, giving voice to marginalized characters. It's an awesome responsibility too, especially when you give voice to someone who has no voice of her own. We often wonder what goes on in the mind of a non-verbal person. Panteleakos suggests a complex and troubled inner dialogue, a tenuous grasp on reality and a frustration with a world that doesn't try to understand. Nova's story is hopeful and heartbreaking. For the reader familiar with the Challenger disaster, knowing what is coming, the ways Nova's hopes will be dashed, that things will end so terribly just when it is all turning out so well, is compelling. With an ending that speaking to the hope for better things to come, it's an all around solid read and joins the ranks of such books as Mockingbird and Wonder.

More information: Planet Earth is Blue releases May 14.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Pick 6: Series

There's something wonderful about finding a good series. A solid adventure with the promise of more to come. Especially for young or reluctant readers, if you can get someone started on a series you've guaranteed months of reading. With that in mind, here are six new books that are part of series.

6 series books published in the past 6 months

1. Escape from the Palace by Santa Montefiore
2. The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel
3. Didi Dodo, Future Spy: Recipe for Disaster by Tom Angleberger
4. Ivy and the Goblins by Katherine Coville
5. Mr. Penguin and the Lost Treasure by Alex T Smith
6. Suer Potato's Galactic Breakout by Artur Laperta

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