Book review - A Kind of Spark

 

Title: A Kind of Spark

Author: Elle McNicoll

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan

                      The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh

Rating:

 

the right kind of complex

Summary (provided by publisher): Ever since Ms. Murphy told us about the witch trials that happened centuries ago right here in Juniper, I can’t stop thinking about them. Those people weren’t magic. They were like me. Different like me.
I’m autistic. I see things that others do not. I hear sounds that they can ignore. And sometimes I feel things all at once. I think about the witches, with no one to speak for them. Not everyone in our small town understands. But if I keep trying, maybe someone will. I won’t let the witches be forgotten. Because there is more to their story. Just like there is more to mine.

My opinion: I bet most of us have never considered the role that most accused witches played in their communities, the causes of their existing outsider status. That idea is at the center of this book and is used as the framework to consider the role of current outsiders. McNicoll is asking us to consider the difference between being accepted and being expected to fit in.These characters feel the need to assimilate to a degree without losing their true selves. At the same time, we're considering community responsibility. This is a place having to come to terms with the ugly parts of their history without covering it up. A solid read for our times though probably not one with a lot of staying power.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Inktober highlights

 For a couple of years now I've participated in Inktober on Instagram. Here are a few of my favorite drawings I've done this year.

Book review - The Ghost Tracks

 

Title: The Ghost Tracks

Author: Celso Hurtado

Genre: mystery/horror

Similar books: Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

                      This is Not a Ghost Story by Andrea Portes

Rating:

Summary (provided by publisher): Erasmo Cruz is from the wrong side of the tracks. His dad was a junkie who overdosed. His mom chose to run off rather than raise him. His only passion is the supernatural, and his only family is his grandmother, whose aches and pains, he soon learns, aren’t just from old age but from cancer.
Desperate to help his grandmother pay for treatment, Erasmo sets up shop as a paranormal investigator. After witnessing a series of inexplicable events, he must uncover the truth behind his clients' seemingly impossible claims. From hauntings to exorcisms, Erasmo soon finds that San Antonio is a much scarier place than even he knew.

My opinion: I'm not certain this book works as either a mystery or a horror story. While I can see what Hurtado is going for, exploring issues of belief and skepticism. Erasmo actually finds a decent balance between these two. He can keep a belief in the supernatural without following blindly while his friend follows stories whole-heartedly. My issue with the the plot on the whole is that it relies heavily on the physically horrific. We get an awful lot of disgusting detail: violence, gore, literal rot. It is, quite simply, gross more than it is frightening.

More information: The Ghost Tracks releases November 2.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

Beneath the Trees: The Autumn of Mister Grumpf

This book fits neatly into the transition between picture book and graphic novel. The story is easy to follow, like a picture book, but relies heavily on the images to convey information. The characters tell us as much through facial expressions and body posture as they do through dialogue. Even the grumpy badger, the titular Mister Grumpf, is a pleasure to follow. This is a book that kids reading independently can enjoy but also a decent one to read together.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - How the Wonders of the World Were Built

 

How the Wonders of the World Were Built by Ludmila Henkova

The wonders of the ancient world were something I learned about very briefly in school, mentioned in passing in a social studies class. We didn't learn about any of them in any depth at all apart from the pyramids. So I learned a fair amount from this book. Apart from the technology of the time, we get the context of the culture that created each wonder, the significance to the people, and the reason each was destroyed. Henkova is careful to give archeological and textual evidence for each fact provided. This book is a prime example of different disciplines coming together to explain ideas.  

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

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.