I think what I like best about sock puppets is that there is no end of ways that you can personalize them. With this duo I decided to go pretty basic. They are just people, though I did give the guy a bow tie and goatee and the lady a necklace and earrings.
Author: Katrina Moore
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Jo Jo Makoons series by Dawn Quigley
Cookie Chronicles series by Matthew Swanson
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Summary (provided by publisher): Bessie Lee might be the teeniest in her first-grade class, but with the tap-tap-tap of her wand, some glitter, and a little magic . . . she’s going to dazzle the crowds to win the school talent show.
But when a trick goes disastrously wrong, Rufus, the class hamster, disappears!
Can Bessie find a way to bring him back in time? Or is Rufus truly gone forever?
Teeny Houdini, also known as Bessie Lee, is an overly excited, mischievous first grader who bounces off the walls—and off the page—with her volume, enthusiasm, and grand ideas, which are just too big for her tiny frame. Bessie’s multigenerational Chinese American family is the warm center of the stories, from exasperated but loving big sister Bailey to the always encouraging and understanding Gramma.
My opinion: Teeny Houdini follows in the tradition of Junie B Jones and Ramona: a quirky, well meaning kid who doesn't always think things through, often misunderstood by family and peers. Her tendency to act on instinct often gets her in trouble but her good heart means things always work out in the end. The story is clear and easy to follow and the characters are pleasant and believable.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
One of the best things about fiction is the way that it opens up your world to perspectives you wouldn't otherwise understand. It's even better when a single book gives you multiple perspectives at once. Here are six book published in the past six months that are presented from more than one perspective.
6 new multiple perspective narratives
Personally, I've always had problems visualizing scale. Telling me that an animal weighs up to a ton means very little. I do much better with comparative size and I know that is true of small children as well. It's much easier to imagine the size of an animal when we can see the size of it's paw print compared to a human hand. Pair that comparison with a paragraph of basic information on the animal and you have a solid book for young readers.
Author: Gary Paulsen
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: The Wolf's Boy by Susan Williams Beckhorn
Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean
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Summary (provided by publisher): This stunning novel from the survival story master, set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, does for the ocean what Hatchet does for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person’s battle to stay alive against the odds, where the high seas meet a coastal wilderness.
When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to “the heartbeat of the ocean . . . the pulse of the sea.” With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.
My opinion: Knowing that this is one of Paulsen's final books puts extra pressure on this narrative. We want it to be perfect. Of course it isn't but it is a solid read. While the heavily historic setting makes it a harder sell for some middle grade readers, it is very atmospheric. And it's about more than just the drive for survival. Leif spends much of his journey reflecting on his place in the world and what it means to truly live. For a kid into survival stories, this is worth a read. And for the adult who grew up on Hatchet, this book is a nicely contemplative bookend to Paulsen's career.
I spotted this image on Pinterest recently and it inspired me to try a painting of my own, especially since Calcifer was my favorite part of "Howl's Moving Castle".
I painted the background first, swirling together red and yellow until it had a sort of fiery vibe. Once the back was dry I added Calcifer with black. Then I outlined him and added the quote with gold paint marker. The subtlety of the marker means the gold is only visible when the light is right, a feature I find I rather enjoy.
Author: Sheena Kamal
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Bruised by Tanya Boteju
Home Home by Lisa Allen-Agostini
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Summary (provided by publisher): Love and violence. In some families they're bound up together, dysfunctional and poisonous, passed from generation to generation like eye color or a quirk of smile. Trisha's trying to break the chain, channeling her violent impulses into Muay Thai kickboxing, an unlikely sport for a slightly built girl of Trinidadian descent. Her father comes and goes as he pleases, his presence adding a layer of tension to the Toronto east-end townhouse that Trisha and her mom call home, every punch he lands on her mother carving itself indelibly into Trisha's mind. Until the night he wanders out drunk in front of the car Trisha is driving, practicing on her learner's permit, her mother in the passenger seat. Her father is killed, and her mother seems strangely at peace. Lighter, somehow. Trisha doesn't know exactly what happened that night, but she's afraid it's going to happen again. Her mom has a new man in her life and the patterns, they are repeating.
My opinion: I certainly can approve of what Kamal is examining here. Trisha has a complex relationship with violence. She's grown up with random violence with a the random appearance of her father in her life, abusing her mother. There's also the use of mild violence in her culture, slaps and smacks that are considered affection as much as they are correction. And then there's her practice of Muay Thai, finding her fulfillment in intentional violence. This occupies the bulk of the bulk of the book and most of our attention. Its those remaining sections that give me pause. Because outside of violence we get hints of something supernatural going on. The final reveals and ultimate resolution are chaotic at best and were somewhat difficult to parse out.
Advanced reader Copy provided by NetGalley
