Book review - The School Between Winter and Fairyland

 

Title: The School Between Winter and Fairyland

Author: Heather Fawcett

Genre: fantasy

Similar books: Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur

                      The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

Rating:

 

largely expected but still pleasant

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Autumn Malog is a servant at the enchanting Inglenook School, where young magicians study to become the king’s future monster-hunters. Along with her Gran and three too many older brothers, she works as a beastkeeper, tending to Inglenook’s menagerie of terrifying monsters.
But when she isn’t mucking out the wyvern stalls or coaxing the resident boggart to behave, Autumn searches for clues about her twin brother’s mysterious disappearance. Everyone else thinks he was devoured by the feared Hollow Dragon, but Autumn is convinced she’s heard—and glimpsed—him calling to her from within the castle walls. But who will believe a lowly servant?
So when Cai Morrigan, the “Chosen One” prophesied to one day destroy the Hollow Dragon, comes to her for help, Autumn agrees on one condition: Together, they’ll search for her brother and uncover the dark truth at the heart of enchanting Inglenook School once and for all.

My opinion: We have a fair number of common elements here. There's a magical boarding school; a stratified society; a prophecy that will change the course of the entire world. We also have vastly different characters thrown together, each working to their own end. Fawcett devotes a fair amount of space to the nature and personality of assorted magical creatures, almost as much as is devoted to the actual plot. Now, the exploration of the class divide is more subtle than we typically see in middle grade fiction. We simply see the realities of their lives and are left to draw our own conclusions. The foreshadowing doesn't pay off the way we would expect and the messaging may be a bit too subtle for many readers. Entertaining but not engrossing.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

So Many Beginnings by Bethany C Morrow

I wouldn't say that Little Women is my favorite book, but I was briefly obsessed with it so I'm often intrigued by retellings of the idea. I look forward to seeing how Morrow handles this particular version.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Heist Age

 

Title: The Heist Age

Author: Doug Paleo

Genre: humor/graphic novel

Similar books: Investigators by John Green

                      Didi Dodo series by Tom Angleberger

Rating:

 

silly but fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Dinotown is under attack! In this adventure, the Dinomighties face new icy villains led by Bully Mammoth. This colossal meanie will stop at nothing to ​get his grubby tusks on the world's most valuable painting: the Dino Lisa . . . even if it means putting a deep freeze on Dinotown. How will the Dinomighties heat things up in order to outsmart and ice out Bully and his big bad crew of furry doofs and manage to save their hometown along with the most precious piece of art in the whole wide world?

My opinion: A funny story with dinosaur secret agents? Talk about a guaranteed win with the average kid. Obviously, we're not meant to take this very seriously, which is a good thing since the plot logic is a bit thin. But it's easy to follow, easily read by a newly independent reader, and not too obnoxious for a parent reading along.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Beast Boy Loves Raven

Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven by Kami Garcia 

This is the third team up between Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo exploring the world of the Teen Titans. While these are stories that have been examined in comics in the past, this version is strongly character driven, as much about Beast Boy and Raven as people as it is about their powers. While they battle evil and seek out the source of their powers, they also struggle just to be teenagers and figure out their place in the world. Each character has had a book of their own and this volume brings them together, with the promise of more of our favorite Titans to come. While most comics focus on Robin and Starfire as the central duo, I appreciate the focus largely on Raven in this series. Beast Boy becomes a support and foil for the more serious Raven. The story is strong and the art even stronger. If you have any appreciation for standard comics, give this series a look. 

 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley 

Non-fiction book review - Animals to the Rescue

 

Animals to the Rescue by Sandra Markle

I was rather obsessed with helper animal stories in upper elementary school, so I can see the appeal of this book. And there are certainly unusual stories here. Like using elephants for earthquake recovery. I'd not heard of that before. I foresee this one going over quite well with young audiences.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

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.