Book review - Take Back the Block

 

Title: Take Back the Block

Author: Chrystal D Giles

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: That Girl Lucy Moon by Amy Timberlake

                      Pieces of Why by K. L. Going

Rating:

 

good for societal awareness

 

Summary (provided by publisher: Brand-new kicks, ripped denim shorts, Supreme tee--
Wes Henderson has the best style in sixth grade. That--and hanging out with his crew (his best friends since little-kid days) and playing video games--is what he wants to be thinking about at the start of the school year, not the protests his parents are always dragging him to.
But when a real estate developer makes an offer to buy Kensington Oaks, the neighborhood Wes has lived his whole life, everything changes. The grownups are supposed to have all the answers, but all they're doing is arguing. Even Wes's best friends are fighting. And some of them may be moving. Wes isn't about to give up the only home he's ever known. Wes has always been good at puzzles, and he knows there has to be a missing piece that will solve this puzzle and save the Oaks. But can he find it . . . before it's too late?

My opinion: Not enough books address gentrification at all, much less explain what it is in a way easily understood by a middle grade audience. Wes is a character whose parents want him to be socially aware and responsible. They want him to care about what's going on in the world. Like most kids, Wes doesn't see the point. Like most of us, he only really starts to care when things directly affect him. When he sees how gentrification affects his neighborhood he begins to understand the point of protesting. He see how a person can make a difference, how trying even when an action is futile says something to those in charge. Giles takes the exploration a step further by introducing us to two ends of the spectrum: a character whose family is benefiting from upward mobility but now faces increased social pressure and one whose world is falling apart, who faces bullying and violence at every turn. While the resolution rests on a few convenient turns, the ideas are worth discussing and the book on the whole is pleasant to read.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Cards

 Greeting cards are a great way to experiment with drawing techniques on the small scale. Here are three I drew this weekend.

Book review - Magic's Most Wanted

 

Title: Magic's Most Wanted

Author: Tyler Whitesides

Genre: fantasy

Similar books: Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw by Todd Calgi Gallicano

                      Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe

Rating:

 

well-plotted

Summary (provided by publisher): For Mason Mortimer Morrison, life isn’t so magical.
His dad was just sent to jail, his grades have been plummeting from meh to yikes, and, oh yeah, two officers from some organization called Magix just showed up to arrest him in the middle of fourth period.
Talk about bad luck.
Mason knows he’s innocent. But in order to clear his name, he’s going to need the help of a plucky Magix junior detective and a cantankerous talking bunny—and a little bit of magic.

My opinion: When a plot centers on magic, I feel very strongly that said magic needs to follow clear rules. If it has no bounds, then anything can happen and there are no real stakes for the characters. In the case of this book, a particular magical object can do just about anything but is limited to a single ability. And Whitesides never deviates from this rule, only takes advantage of built-in loopholes. Magic aside, this is a pretty standard adventure quest. We have a mismatched team thrown together by circumstance, working together for a single aim. There's a vast conspiracy years in the making. Basically, exactly what you would expect. It's pretty entertaining, though lacking in depth.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic Novel Spotlight - How to Treat Magical Beasts

 

How to Treat Magical Beasts by Kaziya

I read a fair amount of graphic novels, but there's always been a hole in my understanding of manga. I've struggled to find a series that speaks to me. But I've held firm in my belief that there is a book in every genre for every reader. And at last that belief has paid off. How To Treat Magical Beasts is the perfect series for me and I suspect for a lot of other readers as well. It takes place in a world where magic is slowly being replaced by technology. This is a theory of magic that I enjoy speculating over, that science causes a slow magical extinction. Ziska and her master are finding a way to use the two ideas together. With her magic weakened, Ziska must also apply concepts she has learned from science to treat wounded magical creatures. At the same time, her master is open to learning from her magical cures and applying some of her ideas to medicine. I love the idea that the two ideas can work together instead of canceling each other out. With expressive illustrations that pay attention to detail, this series is both fascinating to read and absorbing to look at.

 

Non-fiction book review - 13 Ways to Eat a Fly

 

13 Ways to Eat a Fly by Sue Heavenrich

Like many kid's books about science, this one relies a bit on the gross out factor for it's appeal. We get reference to fly guts, to rot, oozing and beheading. But that's not the central focus and doesn't go over the top. Instead, we get a baker's dozen creatures that consume flies and the methods by which they capture their prey. Additionally, each page features a different species of fly. It's a picture book format, so we get the additional appeal of dynamic illustrations. This does mean, though, that the information is limited. Don't read this book expecting to fully understand creatures that eat flies but it's a decent introduction to the concept. 

More information: 13 Ways to Eat a Fly releases February 16. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Million Dollar Race

 

Title: The Million Dollar Race

Author: Matthew Ross Smith

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Peak by Roland Smith

                      Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan

Rating:

 

mostly standard, with a little kookiness

Summary (provided by publisher): Grant Falloon isn’t just good at track; he’s close to breaking the world record 100-meter time for his age group. So when the mega-rich Babblemoney sneaker company announces an international competition to find the fastest kid in the world, he’s desperate to sign up.
But not so fast. Nothing’s ever that easy with the eccentric Falloon family. Turns out, his non-conformist parents never got him a legal birth certificate. He can’t race for the United States, so now if he wants to compete, he may just have to invent his own country.
And even if that crazy plan works, winning gold will mean knocking his best friend—and biggest competitor—Jay, out of the competition. As unexpected hurdles arise, Grant will have to ask not only if winning is possible, but what he’s willing to sacrifice for it.

My opinion: This book combines a couple of standard elements that we don't often see together: sports (and the prospect of competing against your best friend) and navigating your unusual family when you want to be "normal". Kids in middle school tend to feel like outsiders to begin with. Add in a family that actively rejects societal norms and that's the perfect set-up for a lesson in finding your place in the world. Smith goes beyond the expected lessons though. We see Grant's relationship with Jay stretched to the breaking point by competition, secrets, and fame. There's the pressures of that fame and discovering motivations of big companies. And an element of what the future looks like for modern kids, redefining success in the social media era. Add in some quirky details and I can see where this will appeal to a young reader.

Winter hats are the best

 I've wanted for a while now to make a hat from this book:

It's meant to have boning in it so it will stand up but since I didn't plan to use black yarn the boning seemed unnecessary. Instead, I used a variegated yarn. That makes it more of a traditional winter hat but I like the subtle nerdiness.