Book review - What Beauty There Is

 

Title: What Beauty There Is

Author: Cory Anderson

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Some Kind of Animal by Maria Romasco-Moore

                      Bad Call by Stephen Wallenfels

Rating: 

 

doesn't quite live up to its literary aspirations

Summary (provided by publisher): To understand the truth, you have to start at the beginning.
Winter in Idaho. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.
Living in harsh poverty, Jack Dahl is holding his breath. He and his younger brother have nothing—except each other. And now Jack faces a stark choice: lose his brother to foster care or find the drug money that sent his father to prison.
He chooses the money.
Ava Bardem lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father, a merciless man, has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one. Now Victor Bardem is stalking the same money as Jack. When he picks up on Jack’s trail, Ava must make her own wrenching choice: remain silent or speak, and help the brothers survive.
Choices. They come at a price.

My opinion: This is a story largely reminiscent of The Lovely Bones, though this one is a bit more pedestrian. We have poverty, drugs, and the constant struggle for survival. Jack's struggle to keep himself and his brother alive and out of the system, his dilemma about the drug money, would be enough to make this compelling. But Anderson adds in romantic entanglement, constant action, and some needlessly graphic gore. While the story was initially interesting, I found it tiresome as the book progressed and the criminals played a larger role in the plot. Criminals who were more parodies than complex characters.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Sweatshirt

 I found this crewneck sweatshirt on clearance, so I figured why not give it some personality. Digging through my craft supplies, I found some iron-on gemstones that seemed perfect.

Picture books for everyone

 

This Book Can Read Your Mind by Susannah Lloyd

Interactive picture books are a great way to get kids of a wide variety of ages engaging with the text. This one encourages a great deal of silliness. Starting with a simple suggestion, thinking of elephants, each page takes it a step further with the scientist warning us not to think of a thing that would make it sillier. Careful readers will note how the scientist becomes visibly flustered with each change. The illustrations are in a muted color palate, further softened by the lack of black outlines.

More information: This Book Can Read Your Mind releases April 20. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Where Does My Poo Go?

 

Where Does My Poo Go? by Jo Lindley

Let's be completely honest - most kids are going to pick this book because they are giggling about the word "poo". That being said, this is probably the most comprehensive explanation of wastewater treatment that I've ever encountered. Usually we're just told that waste is filtered out and the water is treated. Lindley gives us at least the basics of every step of the process. There's even mention of fat burgs and other problems in sewer and waste water treatment. It's worth noting that the text has a British air about it, so the details may not be entirely accurate for an American audience. Even so, it's pretty cool. It demystifies something of a taboo subject. 

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Book review - War and Millie McGonigle

 

Title: War and Millie McGonigle

Author: Karen Cushman

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest

                     Blue Skies by Anne Bustard

Rating:

 

a unique take on a familiar topic

 

Summary (provided by publisher): Millie McGonigle lives in sunny California, where her days are filled with beach and surf. It should be perfect--but times are tough. Hitler is attacking Europe and it looks like the United States may be going to war. Food is rationed and money is tight. And Millie's sickly little sister gets all the attention and couldn't be more of a pain if she tried. It's all Millie can do to stay calm and feel in control.
Still--there's sand beneath her feet. A new neighbor from the city, who has a lot to teach Millie. And surfer boy Rocky to admire--even if she doesn't have the guts to talk to him.
It's a time of sunshine, siblings, and stress. Will Millie be able to find her way in her family, and keep her balance as the the world around her loses its own?

My opinion: Often times, heroines in historical fiction are best described as "plucky". Not Millie. She is a consummate pessimist. She sees the inevitability of war, death all around her. SHe is, at times, selfish and a pain. She can't explain her outlook but with her parents constantly busy she has space to work through her obsessions on her own. She learns to value others, to engage with her family and recognize the struggles of her siblings. As an historical novel it's a bit of a hard sell for many middle grade readers and being introspective doesn't raise it's standing with that same age group. Kids willing to work their way through it, though, will find a wonderful edifying tale.

More information: War and Millie McGonigle releases April 6.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Tiny house

 Sometime in the fall I ordered one of those miniature house kits on Amazon. This is one of those kits where you assemble furnishings out of paper and cardstock and a little bit of balsa wood. My final product didn't come out quite square but was still a lot of fun. And I might just have to add some more personalized decor in the future.

 

You're also supposed to glue it all shut, but how else am I supposed to move that toy goat around unless I leave the wall detached...

Graphic Novel Spotlight - Astronaut Academy Splashdown

 

Astronaut Academy Splashdown by Dave Roman

From the first volume, Astronaut Academy has played with a unique format. The stories are told from the perspectives of a wide variety of characters. Some get only one short section. Other contribute throughout the book. Some short sections tie directly into the larger book plot. Many are seemingly unrelated, a brief non-sequitor that tells us about the world or some small element that will inform the eventual resolution. Always, though, these sections tell us a lot about the character and give us an idea to contemplate as we read. In this third volume, Roman deviates slightly from that structure. We still get multiple perspectives. This one, though, has a lot few non-sequitors, a lot less random information. Instead, he's drawn in conflicts from the first two books, looking at motivations and old resentments. Fewer robots and explosions, more confrontation of grief and unresolved trauma. It's more contemplative than the previous books but ultimately a pleasant way to close out the trilogy.

 

More Information: Astronaut Academy Splashdown releases April 6.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley