Book review - Root Magic

 

Title: Root Magic

Author: Eden Royce

Genre: fantasy

Similar books: Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

                      The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

Rating:

 

some cool elements

Summary (provided by publisher): It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven— and their uncle, Doc, tells them he’s going to train them in rootwork.
Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of their family for generations—especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her family’s true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirs…and not a moment too soon. Because when evil both natural and supernatural comes to show itself in town, it’s going to take every bit of the magic she has inside her to see her through.

My opinion: On the one hand, I'm a fan of fiction that explores underrepresented populations, especially their folklore and belief systems. We have some cook complexities, intermixing magic and social issues. With Black characters in the 60s, it should be no surprise that racism plays a major role in the plot. But Royce takes it a step further, exploring prejudices and social judgments within their own community. And the portrayal of rootwork goes beyond a few spells. There is the exploration of spirits and monsters and how root ties them back to their family history. It is power, both for good and for darkness. On the other hand, this book has an historical setting which can be a challenge for middle grade fiction. Additionally, the difference between monsters and evil doesn't get nearly enough exploration. In fact, the characters and their relationships are pretty surface level. The writing skews young, so the degree of depth is probably sufficient.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

Donut Worry by Christianne Jones

As a person who has struggled with anxiety, this book really spoke to me on multiple levels. Donut is worried about school. Her well meaning family and friends attempt to reassure her that there is nothing to worry about. But all of their reassurances only serve to make her feel worse. She sees them living a relatively carefree life and feels especially wrong. She starts to worry about why she can't stop worrying. Usually a kid's book about worry have a character showing the worrier why everything will be okay. So it was nice to see this book where Donut is validated. Cookie tells here to go ahead and worry. That what she's feeling is real and she is just going to have to find her own coping strategy for overwhelming worry. She tries a lot of standard methods in order to find the combination that works for her. The resolution is more about supporting the worrier rather than offering solutions. NO one can solve Donut's anxiety but Donut. While this book won't be relatable for everyone, the chronic worrier will find comfort in these pages.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - We are the Supremes

 

We are the Supremes by Zoe Tucker

I'm one of those people who never really put much thought into the individual members of a band, into their history or foundation. I mean, I love the Supremes but I never really thought about how they came to be or even who they were as individuals. And let's be honest - we aren't going to come away from this book with an in depth understanding of that history. This is essentially a picture book, so it's more of a general overview with a focus on life skills. Determination and hard work, that sort of thing. Still, a good addition to a picture book biography collection. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Stranger on the Home Front

 

Title: Stranger on the Home Front

Author: Maya Chhabra

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: Unstoppable Octobia May by Sharon G Flake

                     Starting from Seneca Falls by Karen Schwabach

Rating: 

 

interesting but stiff

Summary (provided by publisher): It’s 1916, and Europe is at war. Yet Margaret Singh, living an entire ocean away in California, is unaffected. Then the United States enters the war against Germany. Suddenly the entire country is up in arms against those who seem “un-American” or speak against the country’s ally, Great Britain. When Margaret’s father is arrested for his ties to the Ghadar Party, a group of Indian immigrants seeking to win India’s independence from Great Britain, Margaret’s own allegiances are called into question. But she was born in America and America itself fought to be freed from British rule. So what does it even mean to be American? 

My opinion: I'm a big fan of books that tell often overlooked parts of history. Personally, I'd heard a little about the Ghadar Party, but only a little and nothing about the plight of Indian immigrants in the US. Anything about this ignored history is worth reading at least once if only so we can be informed, understand the darker parts of our country's past. But it's not an especially deep or entertaining read. The characters are underdeveloped and the plot is only explored on a very surface level. Consider this an introduction, not a truly complex story.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Bookmark

I bought a planner in an effort to make myself more organized and productive this year. It has a nice little pocket and an elastic to keep it closed. The one thing it's lacking - a marker for the current week. Now, I have plenty of basic bookmarks around but who wants to stick with something basic? Instead, I used a scrap of teal cardboard left over from the frame I made a couple of weeks ago to make this astronaut dinosaur.

 

Book review - Just Our Luck

 

Title: Just Our Luck

Author: Julia Walton

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Paper Towns by John Green

                     Fat Boy vs the Cheerleaders by Geoff Herbach

Rating: 

 

surprisingly pleasant

Summary (provided by publisher): "Bad luck follows lies." That was the first rule for life that Leo's Greek grandmother, Yia Yia, gave him before she died. But Leo's anxiety just caused a fight at school, and though he didn't lie, he wasn't exactly honest about how it all went down--how he went down. Now Leo's father thinks a self-defense class is exactly what his son needs to "man up."
"Leave the Paros family alone." That was Yia Yia's second rule for life. But who does Leo see sitting at the front desk of the local gym? Evey Paros, whose family supposedly cursed Leo's with bad luck. Seeing that Leo is desperate to enroll in anything but self-defense class, Evey cuts him a deal: she'll secretly enroll him in hot yoga instead--for a price. But what could the brilliant, ruthless, forbidden Evey Paros want from Leo?

My opinion: The first thing I like about this book is Leo. He's not traditionally "masculine." He doesn't like sports or fighting. He knits and crochets to cope with his anxiety. And when he does get in a fight, the jock who punches him ends up his friend. Their conflict comes more from a mutual lack of understanding than any judgment or true bullying. They can be friends and have different interests. They can find each other frustrating or mildly annoying but still likeable. And that relationship with the jock parallels Leo's relationship with his father. Sure they are different but neither one makes much of an effort to find common ground. They make assumptions about each other rather than attempting to communicate. These side relationships are, to me, more compelling than the main plot of Leo and Evey and their revenge plot, which has a couple of hard to believe turns. Still, this is an entertaining read with some heart.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The June Boys by Court Stevens

The key difference between a mystery and a thriller: what we the readers know. Because the identity of the kidnapper is as much a question mark to us as it is to Thea, this book is firmly in the mystery category. Now, a good mystery should present us with an assortment of reasonable suspects. We should be constantly changing our minds about the criminal's identity. Personally, I had a guess pretty early on that didn't waver much and I was close to right. Honestly, the weakest part of this book was the supposed motivations for the various suspects. It does have it's strong points. Consider the investigation. Thea and Nick aren't succeeding where the police fail. We see the police and the FBI actively investigating at every turn. It's just that Thea and her friends are obsessing over details and find themselves privy to information that the authorities do not have. They only keep things to themselves until they are able to confirm it, and then they hand it over. Yes they are investigating but the ultimate responsibility always belongs to the authorities. That makes this plot less one of chasing after criminals and more of discovering secrets and questioning what you know about the people closest to you. This makes it more contemplative than the standard mystery. Stevens asks us to reflect upon the difference between fact and truth, between what we know and what we believe. This is compelling enough to keep us reading and leaves us with ideas to chew on after the fact.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley