Book review - The Mystery of the Taj Mahal Treasure

 

Title: The Mystery of the Taj Mahal Treasure

Author: Raj Haldar

Genre: mystery

Similar books: Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Gins

                      The Eagle of Rome by Dan Metcalf

Rating:

 

fun and educational

Summary (provided by publisher):  Eddie and Molly-Jean are next door neighbors and best friends. One Saturday, Eddie's mom sends him up to the attic to get his great-grandpa's most prized possession (a book, of course). Eddie and Molly-Jean are suddenly transported to India where they must use their word knowledge to solve a mystery and help a new friend save his school.

My opinion: A novel is a great way to teach something. By integrating vocabulary and word origins into the plot we not only teach something in a semi-subtle way, they also suggest that learning is fun and useful. The plot is a bit contrived and doesn't always make a lot of logical sense, but logic isn't really the point. Even knowledge of words isn't the focus. The characters are rewarded for intellectual curiosity. They check their book often, looking up things they don't know.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Cat toys

 I don't have any cats. But I do have a lot of t-shirt scraps and, I like to think, a healthy dose of creativity so I got it into my head to make some cat toys to sell at craft fairs. And because they're pretty easy to make I thought I'd share the process step by step with you. 

1. Cut a circle from a scrap of t-shirt 4-6 inches in diameter. Cut some long strips of shirt about an inch wide and pull them until they curl into a cord. The cord will form your tentacles so cut them into 4 inch lengths. Pin several to your circle.

2. Stitch around the circle, basting the tentacles in place. Use that basting ring to gather the circle into a jellyfish shape.

3. Stuff the jellyfish with a little fiberfill and a scoop of catnip. Add a small circle of fabric in the opening and stitch it shut.

4. Thread a couple of pompoms onto a cord. Stitch one end to the jellyfish and tie the other end to a dowel.

Book review - The Undying Tower

 

Title: The Undying Tower

Author: Melissa Welliver

Genre: dystopia

Similar books: Escaping Eleven by Jerri Chisholm

                      Keystone by Katie Delhanty

Rating:

 

familiar concepts in an interesting combination

Summary (provided by publisher):Decades after the discovery that a small percentage of the population has stopped ageing, the Avalonia Zone is in crisis. From overpopulation to food shortages, the ‘Undying’ have been blamed for the state’s problems, banished to the fringes of society, and punished for every minor infraction.
When sixteen-year-old Sadie takes the fall for an attack by a rebel group, The Alchemists, she suddenly finds herself wrenched away from her quiet life and from her ailing father.
Armed with little help and even less knowledge, Sadie is thrust into a cold and cryptic ‘correctional facility’ – The Tower. Here she’ll have to rethink everything she’s been told about the Undying population in an attempt to save the life she knows, protect a group of unlikely friends, and give voice to the voiceless in a society on the brink of catastrophic upheaval.

My opinion: I approve, in general, of experimenting with dystopian fiction. Welliver has taken some familiar plot elements and combined them in an intriguing way. We don't get a lot of books that explore the potential downsides, culturally, to extended lifespans. We have the familiar: a character raised in relative privilege, adjacent to power, desperate to help her father and unwilling to recognize the negative aspects of her society. The world is, as we would expect, devastated by war and climate change. Some of the explanations for isolation and subjugation are hard to accept but this is the first in a series, so there is room for those ideas to be further developed. The characters, though, are a bit inconsistent and underdeveloped. There plot is a bit tiresome with some unnecessary complications and belaboring of motivations and certain plot points.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: horror

October means it's time for my annual list of horror stories. Who doesn't love a good scare in October? It's almost required to prepare for Halloween by scaring yourself silly. Here are six horror books published in the last six months.

6 new horror novels

1. The Ghoul Next Door by Cullen Bunn
2. The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink
   
3. Hide and Don't Seek by Anica Mros Rissi
   
4. The Smashed Man of Dread End by J. W. Ocker
   
5. White Smoke by Tiffany D Jackson
   
6. Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach
   

Non-fiction book review - Wonderful Women of the World

 

Wonderful Women of the World edited by Laurie Halse Anderson

From the start, I was on board with the idea of this book. I love profiles of influential women. I love graphic novels. A book that intersects the two is chef's kiss perfection. I like that each profile is approached differently by the author. Some are traditional narratives. Some are the author reflecting on the influence the historic woman has had on her own life. There's a profile in here for everyone. And to top it all off, I was thrilled to learn that profiles like these were a part of Wonder Woman comics from the beginning. A great addition to any collection.

Book review - Long Road to the Circus

 

Title: Long Road to the Circus

Author: Betsy Bird

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: On Snowden Mountain by Jeri Watts

                     Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Rating:

 

a sweet story

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Suzy Bowles is tired of summers filled with chores on her family farm in Burr Oak, Michigan, and desperate to see the world. When her wayward uncle moves back home to the farm, only to skip his chores every morning for mysterious reasons, Suzy decides to find out what he's up to once and for all. And that's when she meets legendary former circus queen Madame Marantette and her ostriches. Before long, Suzy finds herself caught-up in the fast-paced, hilarious world of ostrich riding, a rollicking adventure that just might be her ticket out of Burr Oak.

My opinion: Part of what makes this story successful is that it doesn't try to hard to present complete information. Most of the family are not characters. For the large list of names we meet, only a few are fleshed out. Most people are only briefly present. This allows the plot to focus almost completely on Suzy's experience with the ostriches. It's almost more of a vignette than a complete book. The plot is simple. And while the story lacks the heart or even the message of Charlotte's Web they share a sensibility.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Tristan Strong Keeps Punching

 

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia

 

I want to abandon my traditional book review format and address you directly. I know I've talked about Tristan Strong before (books one and two) but let me be clear. Percy Jackson may have kicked off the mythology craze but Tristan Strong is the one you should read. Mbalia has truly elevated the genre. He's exploring the strength of story in culture. And his villains are the embodiment of slavery and inter-generational racism. There are spirits and magical elements, certainly, but the story and link to culture are the ultimate drivers. Each character represents history, pain, struggle, triumph over oppression. Tristan himself is a symbol of the continued struggle for equality. This particular volume addresses redlining and the prison industrial complex, tying in the direct ties to slavery. It's not all seriousness either. There are genuinely light-hearted moments. Gumbaby makes me laugh pretty consistently. I'd encourage kids and adults alike to read and discuss this book.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.