Notecards

 Now that it's July, I realize that my fall craft fairs are much closer than I realized and it's time to get serious about building up my inventory. Here's a quartet of hand-drawn cards I'll be selling this fall.

Book review - The Stars of Whistling Ridge

 

Title: The Stars of Whistling Ridge

Author: Cindy Baldwin

Genre: magical realism

Similar books: The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

                      Quintessence by Jess Redman

Rating: 

 

a nice example of the genre

Summary (provided by publisher): Ivy Mae Bloom is almost thirteen years old, her name is almost a complete sentence, and her family’s RV is almost a home. That’s one too many “almosts” for Ivy. She desperately wants a place to put down roots, but it’s her mama’s job as a fallen star to tend the magic underpinning the world—a job that’s kept Ivy’s family living on the road since before Ivy was born.
After Ivy steals Mama's entire supply of wish jars in the hopes of finding a place to call home, disaster strands her family in Whistling Ridge, North Carolina, with Mama's star sisters. Ivy falls for Whistling Ridge immediately—she just needs to convince her parents to stay.
But something is draining the magic from the town, and the star sisters can't pinpoint it. Ivy and her new friends find a clue in Whistling Ridge's history that might explain the mysterious threat...but if Whistling Ridge’s magic is fixed, Mama will need to move on. Ivy is faced with an impossible decision: How can she help the star sisters lift the curse if it means losing her best chance at a forever home?

My opinion: Middle grade fiction is carving out a solid space for magical realism and this is a decent example of the type. While it is set in the real world and largely follows the rules of our world, there is also magic. Magic which follows rules but is also a bit inexplicable. We're dealing here largely with wishes. But making a wish isn't as simple as wanting something. Wishes have consequences. It is in these consequences that we find the major conflict of the plot. We are looking at wishing gone awry, the poisonous nature of selfishness and resentment. Baldwin is also taking a look at how stories change over time, influenced by perspective and natural prejudice. Over all, a pretty cool read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

Thukpa for All by Praba Ram and Sheela Preuitt

At the surface, this is a very simple story. Tsering is walking home, inviting the people he encounters to join him as his grandmother is making Thukpa. While it is never stated plainly, we easily gather from context that Tsering is blind. The people he passes gently aid him in his journey and he recognizes places and people by sound and smell. A power cut allows Tsering to show his strengths as his assistance means that the family is able to finish making the thukpa. There are several elements you could focus on depending on the age and skill of kids you read this with. Its a cultural experience; a celebration of different skills and strengths; a tale of collective work as everyone contributes to the thukpa.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book Review - Hollow Chest

 

Title: Hollow Chest

Author: Brita Sandstrom

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: Brilliant by Roddy Doyle

                      Stay Where You are and Then Leave by John Boyne

Rating:

 

lovely and thought-provoking

Summary (provided by publisher): Charlie has been having nightmares. Eyes watching him in the night, claws on his chest, holding him down. His dreams have been haunted for years, ever since German bombs rained down on London, taking his father’s life, taking his city’s spirit, taking his beloved brother, Theo, off to war in France.
Now Charlie is left to take care of his grandpa Fitz while his mother works, waiting for the day when Theo will come home. And with World War II nearly won, that day is almost here. Grandpa Fitz warns Charlie that soldiers sometimes come back missing a piece of themselves, but Charlie isn’t worried. Whatever Theo has lost, Charlie will help him find it.
When Theo finally does return, though, he is cold and distant. But Charlie refuses to accept that the brother he knew is gone, and soon, he discovers the reason for his brother’s change: war wolves. Terrifying ancient beasts who consume the hearts of those broken by grief.
The wolves have followed soldiers back home from the front. And if Charlie truly wants to save Theo, he’s going to have to find them and get his brother’s heart back. But can a heart that’s been eaten ever be replaced?

My opinion: Seldom do novels address mental illness in such a tangible way, portraying it as a thing that can be seen and battled. Giving it a face, like a pack of ravenous wolves, can make it easier for a child to understand even if they don't fully grasp the symbolism. It's tough to work your way through understanding symbolic characters. Sandstrom helps us out by giving the wolves blatant names: rage, regret, that sort of thing. We do get into the discussion of the role the individual wolves play in society, how they have changed, and the nature of their desires, which becomes a pretty high level of thinking. It's a well developed, important book but one I'd want to check in with a kid while they were reading. The base scenario and vocabulary are relatively simple but the concepts and emotions will be challenging for some.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Tote bag

 I've had this tote bag for a while, intending to decorate it. Every time I sit down to work on it though, I've been seized by doubts. Does that ever happen to you?

At long last, though, I picked a design. I decided to put Totoro on one side and the Moomins on the other. 

 

Listen with me

 

Baby and Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma

Making a video rental store the hook for a modern teen novel is a risky move, since that is something most teens have never experienced. In this case, though, I think it pays off. Because Posthuma works to create the world. We get a solid physical description of the store as well as the culture of the people who work there. They all have secrets that affect the way they interact with one another. Astute readers will guess Joel's secrets pretty early on but that works in the novel's favor as we question how his desire to keep them hidden will play out with other characters. While not always comfortable to read, the characters are compelling and keep us engaged.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Mythological Beings

Goblins, elves, unicorns. Is there anything more fun to speculate about than mythological creatures? I mean, Harry Potter got a whole school subject about them. Authors often incorporate them into their stories, even when they don't really explore magic. Here are six books featuring mythological beings published in the past six months.

Six new books with mythological beings

1. Secrets of Camp Whatever by Chris Grine
2. Otter Lagoon by Nancy Deas
3. In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
4. Sprite and the Gardener by Joe Whit
5. Monster Friends by Kaeti Vandorn
6. Loonicorns: Bleary Eye by ced