Book review - Velda the Awesomest Viking

 

Title: Velda the Awesomest Viking and the Voyage of Deadly Doom

Author: David MacPhail

Genre: humor

Similar books: How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

                     The Jolley-Rogers series by Jonny Duddle

Rating:

 

good fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Oi, you snivelling pig-dogs! Are you ready for a Viking adventure?
Velda is a small girl with a big axe. The only problem is, everyone thinks she can't be a proper Viking because she's "just a little girl". PURLEASE! She sets sail with Freya, captain of the dragonship Valkyrie, and her notoriously ferocious crew for a life of awesome adventure (and very loud belching).
But when the Valkyrie and her crew are captured by the Queen of the Saxons, Velda is the only one who can free her friends. The small and mighty Viking must travel to the mysterious Islands of Deadly Doom, but there's just one problem, er, well more than one, actually -- she doesn't have a ship, a crew, or a clue how to get there...
Join Velda on her quest as she makes some unlikely new friends and takes on terrifying tasks, all while proving she's the awesomest Viking around.

My opinion: Given the set-up, most readers can probably predict where this book is headed. That's okay. A standard plot gives MacPhail room to include a lot of silly details that will appeal to the average kid's sense of humor. There is some gross humor but nothing over the top. It's also worth noting that the strongest, bravest, most valuable members of the crew are female. It's nice to see female characters who are bold and aggressive and ultimately positive.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Magic graphic novels

Spells, faeries, witches, giants. Magical elements seem to resonate with young readers and can make for really exciting reading. This is especially true when it comes to graphic novels. Strong illustrations add to the wonder of reading about magic. Here are six graphic novels published in the past six months that feature magic. 

6 new magic graphic novels

1. Sprite and the Gardener by Joe Whitt
2. Wynd: Flight of the Prince by James Tynion
3. The Okay Witch: The Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkeller
4. The Accursed Vampire by Madeline McGrane
5. Mel the Chosen by Rachell Aragano
6. The Weirn Books by Svetlana Chmakova 
   

Non-fiction book review - Volcano

 

Volcano by Mary M Cerullo

Volcanoes are a subject we often falsely believe to be simple. A crack in the earth that spews out lava and ash, right? Even a simple book like this will prove just how inaccurate that belief actually is. Here we learn about different volcano forms and classifications; the most active volcanoes; the reasons they form and the warning signs that they may erupt. The information is presented with enough detail to inform but not so much that we get bogged down in dry science. The text is accessible, vocabulary terms well explained. There's even a section on folklore and people's relationships with volcanoes. All of the information is well supported by photos and charts.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - In the Wild Light

 

Title: In the Wild Light

Author: Jeff Zentner

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost Kiss by Amy Noelle Parks

                     Paper Towns by John Green

Rating:

 

lovely

Summary (provided by publisher): Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen.
But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he would have to leave behind.

My opinion: At face value, this is a pretty simple story. Perhaps even predicable. For me, this does not matter. There's something about Zentner's writing style that makes me forgiving of apparent simplicity. For one thing, the characters are complex. Much of the page space is devoted not to events but to reflections. To Cash contemplating his history and his future. It's relative poverty and limited opportunities come face to face with privilege. We meet characters dealing with different prejudices and limitations. All together we have a plot that feels fairly inevitable and because the characters are realistic and nuanced we go along with them to that inevitable conclusion.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Hide and Don't Seek

 

Title: Hide and Don't Seek 

Author: Anica Mrose Rissi

Genre: horror/short stories

Similar books: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

                      The Fearsome Foursome by Amicus Arcane

Rating:

 

I get the appeal

Summary (provided by publisher):A game of hide-and-seek goes on far too long…
A look-alike doll makes itself right at home…
A school talent-show act leaves the audience aghast…
And a summer at camp takes a turn for the braaaains…
This collection of all-new spooky stories is sure to keep readers up past their bedtimes, looking over their shoulders to see what goes bump in the night.

My opinion: This style of book has enduring appeal. The short story format is an excellent one to introduce horror to young readers. They get the scare without having to invest days or weeks into reading the build up of character and complex rules to explain fear. This collection is more technology focused than the standard bearer of horror collections: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Still, we can see the relationship between them as well as the influence of "Black Mirror". Personally I don't find these stories especially scary but I can see where they might induce dread in a young reader.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

 

Graphic Novel Spotlight - Pax Samson

 

Pax Samson: The Cookout by Rashad Doucet

Superheroes are the standard when we're talking about graphic novels. Most people expect the standards: Superman, Spider-man, that sort of thing. These stories explore the pressures of the superhero life, the need to keep a secret identity, balancing personal lives. Stuff that isn't especially relatable for kids. That leads to books like Pax Samson, the story of a world with many superheroes. Our hero is learning how to be a hero, practicing and building up his abilities. He has other interests too and is allowed to explore them. He fights villains but also gathers rare ingredients for new recipes. Both of his interests are given equal value by the author and the characters. The plot also explores the history of this world and the effects of perspective. Enough nuance to make it good for discussion but not so much as to make it a difficult read.

 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Pando

 

Pando by Kate Allen Fox

I've had a minor obsession with Pando since I learned about it from a podcast a while back. I was eager to see how Fox would present the information. This is a fairly basic introduction to the organism and it's history, with an emphasis on preservation and the importance of ecology. If you're looking for a way to show kids that there is more to trees than they think, give Pando a look.

More information: Pando releases August 15. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley