Book review - Wayward Creatures

 

Title: Wayward Creatures

Author: Dayna Lorentz

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: House Arrest by K.A Holt

                      Trash Mountain by Jane Yolen

Rating:  

 

well integrated elements and a clear theme

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Gabe doesn’t know where he belongs anymore. His family is caught up in their own lives and his friends barely have time for him now that they’re stars on the soccer team. In a desperate plea for attention to impress his friends after school, Gabe sets off fireworks in the woods near his house and causes a small forest fire that destroys several acres of land.
In the chaos of the destruction, a coyote named Rill—tired of her family and longing for adventure—finds herself far from home. Already on animal control’s watch for wandering into a backyard and snapping at a child, Rill crawls into a cave, where she nurses her wounds alone.
Gabe and Rill’s paths irrevocably cross when Gabe is tasked with cleaning up the forest through the court's restorative justice program. The damage to the land and both their lives is beyond what the two can imagine. But together, they discover that sometimes it only takes one friend to find the place where you belong.

My opinion: I don't always like books with animal characters. They can give the animals too much human personality. Lorentz has kept Rill fairly true to her animal reality. While she "talks" with other animals, most of her behavior is true to her species. and her story is mostly meant to reinforce the messaging we see in Gabe's plot, how a single bad decision made in a moment of frustration can send us down a spiral of bad behavior. And how when people see that "bad" thing, it colors all future interactions. It's compelling reading and is well balanced with ideas of true justice.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen

I've been trying, recently, to read more challenging books with a special focus on narratives that present a life experience different from my own. So my next listen is this book about Muslim teens and the online community.

Non-fiction book review - Jubilee

 

Jubilee the First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream by KT Johnston

I guess I've wondered in the past how horse therapy became a thing. I never would have guessed that the history went back so far. It's pretty cool to read about their appearance in the Olympics as well, breaking two barriers at once. This is a simple but inspiring story, suitable for young readers. The illustrations aren't terribly refined but they do support the text well. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Mermaid in the Millpond

 

Title: The Mermaid in the Millpond

Author: Lucy Strange

Genre: historical fiction/fantasy

Similar books: Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland

                     The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

Rating:

 

deceptively simple

Summary (provided by publisher): Bess has left the London workhouse behind for a job at a rural cotton mill. But life at the mill is hard and cruel– a far cry from the fresh start Bess hoped for. The only way to survive is to escape, but the mill is like a prison with no way out.
Meanwhile, rumours are spreading about a vicious creature that lurks in the millpond. Bess is sure it’s all nonsense, until one night she sees something stir in the murky water.
But is it really a monster that lives in the depths of the pond? Or a creature trapped and alone, just like Bess, desperate to escape …

My opinion: At first glance, this book is quick to read and easy to follow. The parallel between Bess's situation at the mill and the fate of the creature in the pond is an obvious one. Of course, being a simple metaphor means it's a solid choice for teaching young readers about symbolism. The language is sparse and efficient but the atmosphere it creates is strong. We get a clear picture of the reality of life for impoverished children forced into work. And the future that Bess is looking towards is a realistic one. She doesn't anticipate a life of leisure, of being rescued from toil. She simply wants a job where her life will be respected. This is the sort of book that could be read several times and that you may draw different things from each time.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Duct tape belt

 While cleaning out some craft supplies recently my mother found a rainbow belt buckle. Since I had a woven belt that needed repair I thought I could use it. Turns out, the buckle is far too narrow for the belt. But I don't give up easily. I made a new belt instead, using some colored duct tape. 

Book review - The Way I Say It

 

Title: The Way I Say It

Author: Nancy Tandon

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher

                      The Swag is in the Socks by Kelly J Baptist

Rating:

 

a solid read

Summary (provided by publisher): Rory still can't say his r's, but that's just the beginning of his troubles. First Rory's ex-best-friend Brent started hanging out with the mean lacrosse kids. But then, a terrible accident takes Brent out of school, and Rory struggles with how to feel.
Rory and his new speech teacher put their heads together on Rory's r's (as well as a serious love of hard rock and boxing legend Muhammad Ali), but nobody seems to be able to solve the problem of Rory's complicated feelings about Brent. Brent's accident left him with a brain injury and he's struggling. Should Rory stand up for his old friend at school--even after Brent failed to do the same for him?

My opinion: A few years ago, we saw an influx of books about kids who stutter. Tandon is doing the same here with speech impediments. Rory may have problems with speech but he is otherwise a regular middle schooler. He isn't morally superior. He's a typical kid, facing fear, social pressure, bullies, resentment, jealousy. He's constantly confronted with a kid who betrayed him. It's his conflict with Brent that really makes this book, a subtle exploration of justice and what a person "deserves". While some of the plot points are overly convenient, accelerated or portrayed in an unrealistic manner, it's overall pretty solid and teaching us a degree of compassion.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free by Alice Faye Duncan

Picture books are a great way to explain a concept or a bit of history to a young audience. In the case of this book, Duncan is doing more than just explaining the history of Juneteenth to the audience. While the exact bit of history that the holiday recognizes is certainly a part of the story, the larger part of the book is focused on Opal Lee herself and exploring the experience of freedom. It looks at protest and social movement, the efforts people go through to have struggle and history recognized. In that way Juneteenth becomes more than an historical event. It's a symbol of the desire for social change. This book that will grow with young readers, reaching them at different levels as their social awareness changes.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley