Book review - Rule of Threes

 

Title: Rule of Threes

Author: Marcy Campbell

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Steering Toward Normal by Rebecca Petruck

                      Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth

Rating:

 

a nuanced plot with idealized characters

Summary (provided by publisher): How do you share a parent with a stranger?
Maggie’s accustomed to leading her life perfectly according to her own well-designed plans.
But when Maggie learns that she has a half-brother her own age who needs a place to stay, any semblance of a plan is shattered. Tony’s mom struggles with an addiction to opioids, and now she’s called upon Maggie’s dad—who’s also Tony’s dad—to take him in.
As Maggie struggles to reconcile her mom and dad’s almost-divorce, accept the Alzheimer’s afflicting her grandmother, and understand Tony’s own issues—ignorance is no longer an option. While Maggie can strive for—and even succeed in—a perfect design, when it comes to family, nothing is perfect, and tackling its complexities is only possible with an open heart.

My opinion: Discovering previously unknown family makes for an emotionally complex plot already. A half-sibling your own age is a truly stark betrayal. Maggie's life is in total disarray as she must redefine her family, deal with her grandmother's decline, and address the change in her friendships that comes with the middle grade years. Three issues, any of which can support a plot all on their own. It is, perhaps, too much for a middle grade book. No one issue is explored in any real depth. The characters are pretty idealized, naturally inclined towards kindness and consideration, very little of the general self-centeredness that typifies most preteens. It's not a subtle plot but might serve as a stepping stone for kids making the transition from the obvious plots of grade school fiction to more subtle and literary books.

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Pick 6: History

 I'm a fan of historical fiction for all ages, but especially for middle grade readers. I've always found historical fiction to be a good way to make a personal connection with a history lesson. It personalizes dry facts. Here are six historical fiction books, mostly for middle grade readers, published in the last six months.

6 New Historical novels

1. Stranger on the Home Front by Maya Chhabra
2. Just Like That by Gary D Schmidt
3. Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki
4. Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
5. Dawn Raid by Pauline Varlaga Smith
6. Incredible Doom by Matthew Bogart

Non-fiction book review - Mad for Ads

 

Mad for Ads by Erica Fyvie

Never have I read such a comprehensive breakdown of advertising. Fyvie takes us through the structure, methodology, and psychology of ads. We learn about the roles played by various members of advertising teams and technical terms for assorted parts of campaigns. None of this is explored in a great deal of depth but we do get a basic introduction to every aspect. This is an excellent resource for kids with an interest in business or wanting to understand the complex influence of advertising on our decision making. 

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Book review - My Contrary Mary

 

Title: My Contrary Mary

Author: Cynthia Hand, Brody Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Genre: alternate history

Similar books: Jackaby by William Ritter

                     Odd and True by Cat Winters

Rating:

 

fun and compelling

 

Summary (provided by publisher):Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?
Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.
Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn after the king meets a suspicious end. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis face a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll

My opinion: Most depictions of Mary Queen of Scots don't paint her in an especially positive light. Typically she's shown and ruthless, vindictive. I admire that this book shows all of the royalty as essentially political pawns, especially given their relative youth. This book does, of course, take liberties with the timeline. I mean, we have functional magic in the form of shapeshifters and potions both. There are real prophetic visions (though these are largely played for humor - one of my favorite parts). But these elements are integrated with the historical facts relatively well. The villain dynamic is fairly sharp here. Villains are primarily after power, though some personal prejudice certainly comes into play. While the plot is predictable the characters are dynamic enough to keep us engaged and make for compelling reading.

More information: My Contrary Mary releases June 22.

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Seasonal decor

 Like a lot of people, I've been feeling like my space needs a bit of a refresh. When I found a piece of white cardboard while cleaning out my craft supplies I figured I'd make some decorations to hang on the hooks I put up for garland at Christmas. I cut some simple cloud shapes. Then I used the scraps to make things you might see among the clouds: the sun, a blimp, and a dragon.

Book review - Jo Jo Makoons

 

Title: Jo Jo Makoons - The Used-To-Be Best Friend

Author: Dawn Quigley

Genre: humor/early chapter book

Similar books: Junie B Jones series by Barbara Park

                     Izzy in the Doghouse by Caroline Adderson 

Rating:

 

cute, though it may be trying too hard

Summary (provided by publisher): Jo Jo Makoons Azure is a spirited seven-year-old who moves through the world a little differently than anyone else on her Ojibwe reservation. It always seems like her mom, her kokum (grandma), and her teacher have a lot to learn—about how good Jo Jo is at cleaning up, what makes a good rhyme, and what it means to be friendly.
Even though Jo Jo loves her #1 best friend Mimi (who is a cat), she’s worried that she needs to figure out how to make more friends. Because Fern, her best friend at school, may not want to be friends anymore…

My opinion: There are definitely Junie B Jones vibes in this book. The base concept is very much the same: a young kid at school who consistently misunderstands or misinterprets things that people say. In this case, some of this can be attributed to cultural differences since Teacher is white and Jo Jo is Ojibwe. In fact, I wish the cultural comparison were a larger role instead of being a side element. This series suffers a little from comparison with the Junie B Jones monolith but with time and further volumes it will shine on it's own.

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Graphic Novel Spotlight - The Weirn Books

 

The Weirn Books series by Svetlana Chmakova

In many ways, the Weirn Books series follows standard middle grade plots. The central focus is on school and interaction with peers. Thus we have bullies, popularity, and wanting to gain attention. The surface details make this one stand out from the pack. Sure, it's a magical school. It's also a complex magical world with a lot of associated rules. Magic has a cost, consequences for every spell cast. There is also a horror element, with a creepy building in the woods and a local legend about missing kids, elements that we aren't surprised to learn are associated. The illustrations are fairly cartoony and expressive, keeping this from becoming too creepy for young readers. Just the right level of scary for upper elementary kids. While the plot is fairly predictable, the journey is compelling.

 

More Information: Be Wary of the Silent Woods releases June 16

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