Book review - Buried Beneath

 

Title: Buried Beneath

Author: Kelly Ann Hopkins

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey

                      Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton

Rating:

 

it has some problems

Summary (provided by publisher): On the outside, Shelly Frank lives a normal teenage life, balancing her gas station job and a budding new relationship with a boy from school. But on the inside, she’s harboring a dark secret: her mother is an extreme hoarder. Within the pristine, outer walls of their beautiful New Jersey home, Shelly and her mother are living amidst piles of collected trash from her mother’s disorder, and Shelly is at her breaking point.
By some miracle, Shelly is offered a chance to escape when she receives a plane ticket to Florida from her estranged father, but she’s met with a decision: should she flee this life of filth and seize the opportunity of a future in the Sunshine State? Or should she risk her own health and sanity by staying with her mother who is helpless without her? When Shelly becomes gravely sick from years of living in her mother’s nest, her decision is staring her in the face. She needs to save herself, but her mother is willing to do everything in her power to prevent that from happening.

My opinion: The base elements of this book are becoming standard: a single mother with a hoarding disorder and the daughter trying to live a "normal" life within the chaos. There are a few elements that make this one stand out from the crowd. For one, the hoarding doesn't have a distinct trigger. It's a part of a complex net of mental disorders that also means it is not easily resolved. Her mother can't seem to track reality. And that begins my trouble with this book. The mother character in particular has no consistent characterization. And the other people in Shelly's life are extremely idealized. Each plot element goes to an extreme. This makes the book increasingly difficult to accept. While I liked some parts of it, especially the conclusion, I found the overall package too much to swallow.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Small cards

 A bargain on a stack of small sized, brightly colored cardstock inspired me to try making some mini greeting cards. I draw full sized cards with colored pencil and focus on realistic images. In this smaller format I decided to try more cartoon type drawings.

 

My first attempt did not go well, prompting these mostly black images to cover up my mistakes.

Book review - Kind of Sort of Fine

 

Title: Kind of Sort of Fine

Author: Spencer Hall

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen

                      The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil

Rating:

 

better than I expected

Summary (provided by publisher): Senior year of high school is full of changes.
For Hayley Mills, these changes aren’t exactly welcome. All she wants is for everyone to forget about her very public breakdown and remember her as the overachiever she once was—and who she’s determined to be again. But it’s difficult to be seen as a go-getter when she’s forced into TV Production class with all the slackers like Lewis Holbrook.
For Lewis, though, this is going to be his year. After a summer spent binging 80s movies, he’s ready to upgrade from the role of self-described fat, funny sidekick to leading man of his own life—including getting the girl. The only thing standing in his way is, well, himself.
When the two are partnered up in class, neither is particularly thrilled. But then they start making mini documentaries about their classmates’ hidden talents, and suddenly Hayley is getting attention for something other than her breakdown, and Lewis isn’t just a background character anymore. It seems like they’re both finally getting what they want—except what happens when who you’ve become isn’t who you really are?

My opinion: Let's get one thing out of the way - this book is pretty predictable. Its ultimately a teen romance and thus can only end a couple of ways. Hall has successfully elevated the plot, though. Hayley and Lewis could follow simple character arcs - Hayley learning to loosen up and be okay with making mistakes, Lewis learning to take chances for things that he cares about. Instead they both make a fair amount of progress following their same old toxic patterns. They both seem like they are at the bottom at the book's opening but we eventually discover they have much farther to fall. They make huge mistakes in the name of fixing things. Their choices and relationships aren't simple. This standard plot isn't turned completely on its ear but it's tilted enough that we look at some new angles and examine behaviors through a different lens.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

Except Antarctica by Todd Sturgell

The premise here is fairly simple: the narrator tells us that turtles live on every continent but Antarctica. A contrary turtle sets out to prove that wrong. As it makes the journey south, it meets with a number of other animals which also are not found in Antarctica. Each animal joins in the journey out of curiosity, desire for company, a sense of adventure. The premise and it's eventual resolution is all a bit silly but should hit the right level of humor for elementary age kids. Each page also includes a couple of facts about an animal, giving it a small degree of educational value.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Mass Incarceration, Black Men, and the Fight for Justice

 

Mass Incarceration, Black Men, and the Fight for Justice by Cicely Lewis

We can be lead to believe by our history books that racism is over, that the Emancipation Proclamation immediately ended slavery. This book endeavors to show us otherwise. Lewis discusses the prison industrial complex and how Jim Crow laws contributed to the modern system. Now, all we get here is a very brief overview. This makes it accessible to reluctant readers but paints an incomplete picture. For instance, the only examples of Jim Crow laws we get are segregation in bus seating and schools. Even so, it encourages kids to think critically and question the corruption in our system which makes this inherently valuable.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Tips for Magicians

 

Title: Tips for Magicians

Author: Celesta Rimington

Genre: magical realism

Similar books: Savvy by Ingrid Law

                     A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Rating:

 

a solid exploration

Summary (provided by publisher): Harrison Boone used to sing. His mom was a famous soprano who performed in all the great theaters. But when she died unexpectedly last year, the music stopped for Harrison too. He finds comfort in practicing magic tricks to become a master magician.
If only Harrison knew the right magic to stop his dad from hitting the road for a new job and sending him to live with his aunt Maggie in an art village named Muse in the southern Utah desert. The residents of Muse believe in a magical entity that used to grant wishes to the winner of the town's annual art contest, but the muse hasn't been seen in years.
Can Harrison connect with his inner artist, find the missing muse, and win the wish that will give him back a normal life?

My opinion: At first I thought that magic would only be a metaphor in this book. We don't get far into this plot, though, before we realize that it is literal. It is a different portrayal of magic than we typically see. This isn't a person with powers. Magic is more of a force or a spirit. A thing with motivations and emotions. That personality, while not something fully explored, plays a vital role in the development of the plot. It becomes something of a metaphor for grief and depression. We see a wide variety of characters trying to cope with assorted forms of loss with varying degrees of success. We learn about the importance of expression, be that through art or through conversation, to deal with our problems. This is a solid use of magical realism to deal with every day issues. A solid read for the middle grade set.

More information: Tips for Magicians releases August 17.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Dog toys

I have quite a stash of brightly colored t-shirts, some that purchased for crafting and others that have been cycled out of my wardrobe. I've made skirts, baby clothes, and now dog toys. These toys are super easy to make. Cut your shirts into long strips maybe 1.5-2 inches wide. A gentle pull on these strips lets them curl into more of a cord.

 

Use four of these cords in a round stitch, like you might use when weaving a lanyard out plastic lacing.