Picture books for everyone

Greta and the Giants by Zoe Tucker

Greta Thunberg is an important example for modern kids. She shows us not only the importance of protecting the environment but also the power of the individual, even a child, to make a difference. Tucker walks us through how, even if something seems futile initially, if we can at least get one person's attention we've had a positive affect. If one person joins a protest and gains the attention of one person, it has a cumulative affect. And that's what we see in this little picture book. While the message is pretty heavy and serious, the illustrations are charming and magical. This would be a great book to use in a group setting to spark a discussion.

More information: Greta and the Giants releases November 19
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Fighting for the Forest

Fighting for the Forest by P. O'Connell Pearson

When you learn about the New Deal in school, you get maybe a paragraph about the Civilian Conservation Corps. I never had much curiosity about it, though. It seemed like a pretty straightforward subject. Pearson gives the reader the full context for the CCC: FDR's history with the outdoors and the power of manual labor; a basic introduction to the cause and impact of the Great Depression; the effects of long term poverty on physical health and on society at large; and the goals and impact of the CCC itself. The text is very accessible, the vocabulary reasonable for a middle grade audience.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - American Royals

Title: American Royals
Author: Katharine McGee
Genre: alternate history
Similar books: The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond
                      Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
Rating:

not as unique as I'd hoped

Summary (provided by publisher): What if America had a royal family? If you can't get enough of Harry and Meghan or Kate and William, meet American princesses Beatrice and Samantha. Crazy Rich Asians meets The Crown. Perfect for fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue and The Royal We!
Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown.
Two girls vying for the prince's heart.
This is the story of the American royals.
When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American.
As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.
The duty. The intrigue. The Crown. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee imagines an alternate version of the modern world, one where the glittering age of monarchies has not yet faded--and where love is still powerful enough to change the course of history.

My opinion: Alternate history can be a lot of fun. A really skilled author/historian can spin a complex world off of a simple change in our history. And that's what I thought we were getting here. It's a change of a small moment - George Washington becomes king instead of president. So we have a United States that is a monarchy. And It's fun to speculate how our world might have been altered by that change. The thing is, McGee doesn't really use that to full effect. Instead of considering how our society would be altered by being run by a king, the bulk of the plot is focused on love stories and duty to country. We have three couples not approved by society and the exploration of whether love will win over duty. The thing is, that plot could be told in any number of monarchies. There's not much uniquely American about the plot and no space given to a changed landscape. So the charm that I felt going into this book wore off quickly. It's possible that McGee will incorporate more of these elements in future volumes but this particular book was a disappointment.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Inktober

Throughout the month of October, much of my creative energy is funneled into craft fair prep and Inktober drawings. Since I try not to flood you with Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving, here's a shot of my full Inktober wall from this year.

 

Book review - Shine!

Title: Shine!
Author: J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Lost Boy's Gift by Kimberly Willis Holt
                      The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin
Rating:

a solid but predictable journey

Summary (provided by publisher): "Who do you want to be?" asks Mr. Van Deusen. "And not when you grow up. Right here, right now."
Shine on! might be the catchphrase of twelve-year-old Piper's hero--astronaut, astronomer, and television host Nellie Dumont Frisse--but Piper knows the truth: some people are born to shine, and she's just not one of them. That fact has never been clearer than now, since her dad's new job has landed them both at Chumley Prep, a posh private school where everyone seems to be the best at something and where Piper definitely doesn't fit in.
Bursting with humor, heart, science, possibilities, and big questions, Shine! is a story about finding your place in the universe--a story about figuring out who you are and who you want to be.

My opinion: If you're at all familiar with middle grade fiction, you'll likely be able to predict the final scenes of this book within the first couple of chapters. This means that the value of this story is the lessons the characters read along the way. The final lessons are obvious. The lessons about people being more than they appear, more than your first impressions, are in some ways more important. Even these lessons are fairly heavy handed, but this is often the case with middle grade fiction. More importantly, the characters all have at least a little complexity. They make wrong decisions but find ways to make it up to the people they've wronged. They regret bad choices and resolve to do better. While I might have liked a slightly more complex ending, the one we get is reasonable. It's not a mind blowing read, but a decently enjoyable one.
More information: Shine! releases November 5
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Non-fiction book review - The Great Shark Rescue

The Great Shark Rescue by Sandra Markle

If you're looking for a solid, accessible introduction to an animal and the ecological concerns surrounding it, Markle's books a a good place to start. Through the simple story of a pair of whale sharks in danger, Markle is able to introduce the reader to a wide variety of issues: the biology of sharks; how sea creatures get classified; how commercial fishing nets work; how scientists track and study sharks; how ocean species are affected by climate change; conservation efforts; the things we still don't know about this species. Each element is introduced and explored organically. 
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - Black Canary: Ignite

Title: Black Canary: Ignite
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: super hero
Similar books: Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia

                      Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki
Rating:

a fun little adventure

Summary (provided by publisher): Thirteen-year-old Dinah Lance knows exactly what she wants, who she is, and where she's going. First, she'll win the battle of the bands with her two best friends, then she'll join the Gotham City Junior Police Academy so she can solve crimes just like her dad. Who knows, her rock-star group of friends may even save the world, but first they'll need to agree on a band name. When a mysterious figure keeps getting in the way of Dinah's goals and threatens her friends and family, she'll learn more about herself, her mother's secret past, and navigating the various power chords of life.
With expressive and energetic art by Cara McGee to match the trademark attitude and spunk of Meg Cabot's characters and dialogue, this mother-daughter story embraces the highs and lows of growing up without growing out of what makes us unique. It's an inspirational song that encourages readers to find their own special voices to sing along with Black Canary!

My opinion: Black Canary is a superhero who doesn't get enough attention. All of the attention tends to be focused on the Superman/Batman world. While Black Canary exists in the same universe (the Joker is referenced several times in this book) those characters exist on the periphery. Dinah is able to establish herself as a hero of her own merits, to explore her powers without comparing to other heroes. And her powers are unique, sonic disruption through the power of her voice. This is not a perfect book. Characters get only a minimal amount of development and the plot can be a bit scattered. Still, it's a fun introduction to a character who deserves more attntion.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley