Non fiction book review - How to Draw and Write in Fountain Pen

How to Draw and Write in Fountain Pen by Ayano Usamura

Fountain pens seem like an anachronism but a little study proves that they are often used in art, especially comics and graphic design. So if you have any interest in those fields, knowledge of fountain pen use is useful. This book serves as a solid, basic introduction. Usamura provides a quick introduction to basic pen strokes followed by a generous number of simple examples of their use, both in drawing and lettering. These are quick little practice drawings to build up your skills for your own artistic endeavors in ink.

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Book review - The Secret of Shadow Lake

Title: The Secret of Shadow Lake
Author: Joe McGee
Genre: early chapter book
Similar books: The Spell Thief by Tom Percival
                      The Ghastly McNastys by Lyn Gardner
Rating:

simple entertainment, lacking that special something

Summary (provided by publisher): Norm is worried about fitting in at camp. Literally. He’s not just tall for a kid. He’s tall even for a bigfoot. Oliver, the only human at camp, has the opposite problem: he’s small enough that a strong wind might knock him over. With the help of their new friends, Hazel (a hyperactive jackalope) and Wisp (a boy fairy who has trouble flying), they’ll have to work together to earn their canoeing certification without disturbing the resident lake monster—or Barnaby Snoop, who will stop at nothing to capture Norm for his personal rare creature collection.

My opinion: I'm pretty accepting of oddities in a story. I consider myself pretty generous with my willing suspension of disbelief. This book tested that willingness. Even within the internal logic of the story there were things that didn't make sense to me, plot elements that seemed to only happen to conveniently move the plot along. I could be more forgiving of that if the villain storyline made more sense. His motivation is clear but his defeat is more the result of happenstance than real effort. Reminiscent of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Norm and his friends don't even realize they are under threat. So while this is cute and might entertain a young reader I doubt it will hold up to repeat readings.
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Comic pages

Last weekend they had a fall fest in one of the small towns nearby. In addition to my table in the craft fair, I had a piece in the art show. I decided to display the first two pages from my planned graphic novel.

 

Book review - AstroNuts: The Plant Planet

Title: The Plant Planet
Author: Jon Scieszka
Genre: sci-fi/humor
Similar books: Willy Makit in Space by Greg Trine
                      Space Penguins Galaxy Race by Lucy Courtenay
Rating:

kinda cute

Summary (provided by publisher): It’s happening—the end of the world is upon us. It’s time to look elsewhere to find a new home.
Enter the AstroNuts! Narrated by Planet Earth, this book is about four hybrid animals—LaserShark, AstroWolf, SmartHawk, and StinkBug—created by NNASA (Not-NASA) to explore other planets. The criteria:
1. Must be unoccupied.
2. Must support human life.
When the Nuts reach their first destination, The Plant Planet, it looks perfect. It’s lush with plant life, full of natural food, and seemingly uninhabited. But what if that plant life can think for itself? And what if it thinks it doesn’t like our Nuts?

My opinion: Scieszka was probably my introduction to absurdist humor early in my reading career so I've made it a point to read his books ever since. This one certainly has a solid base. We have these crazy animal astronauts, each with a central personality trait and a central flaw. The plot construction is simple and fairly predictable. This simplicity is not outweighed by the humor. I also found the message fairly heavy handed. Don't get me wrong - climate change is a serious probably. I didn't love being scolded by the planet in the narrative, though. Not only is it preachy, it takes the form of an intrusive narrator, detracting from the plot.
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Graphic Novel Spotlight - Superman of Smallville

Superman of Smallville by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani

Some time ago, I complained that the major comics companies weren't producing child friendly titles with familiar characters, that the rare limited run titles were so dumbed down that it was an insult to the characters. And then DC Comics introduced DC Zoom, an imprint specifically for young readers. These titles usually feature young versions of the heroes. This particular book is a young Clark Kent, just beginning to explore his role as Superman. His concerns are more than just those of the standard kid. He fights villains, faces killer robots. These conflicts are easily resolved and pose no real danger. This book isn't exactly what I wanted but it's a start. 

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Non fiction book review - Cryptid Creatures

Cryptid Creatures by Kelly Milner Halls

I find the approach to cryptids in this book refreshing. Halls is fairly scientific. The reader is presented with the history of the creature (generally in the form of eyewitness reports), any tangible evidence like tracks or photographs, and the likelihood of the creature being proven to exist. Through these profiles the reader learns about animal habitats and what is needed for scientific proof. While this book will have the most appeal for cryptid enthusiasts, there are elements the skeptic can enjoy as well.

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Book review - Charlie THorne and the Last Equation

Title: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Genre: action adventure
Similar books: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
                      Jack and the Geniuses by Bill Nye
Rating:

excitement with issues to ponder

Summary (provided by publisher): Charlie Thorne is a genius.
Charlie Thorne is a thief.
Charlie Thorne isn’t old enough to drive.
And now it’s up to her to save the world…
Decades ago, Albert Einstein devised an equation that could benefit all life on earth—or destroy it. Fearing what would happen if the equation fell into the wrong hands, he hid it.
But now, a diabolical group known as the Furies are closing in on its location. In desperation, a team of CIA agents drags Charlie into the hunt, needing her brilliance to find it first—even though this means placing her life in grave danger.
In a breakneck adventure that spans the globe, Charlie must crack a complex code created by Einstein himself, struggle to survive in a world where no one can be trusted, and fight to keep the last equation safe once and for all.

My opinion: The first thing that strikes me about this book is that Charlie is a kid. Yes, she's a genius who does impossible things. But she's ultimately unprepared for violence and terrorism. Being attacked leaves her in pain and in tears. Seeing death leads her to vomit. She mouths off to people and fails to think through her decisions. She's a teen and ultimately makes teen mistakes. Her adventure forces her to look at her life and the decisions she's making, to start considering responsibility and making decisions for more than just her own good. It's puberty on a macro scale. It asks the reader to consider, too, the implications of world altering technology and the responsibility of those who create it.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.