Book review - Air

 

Title: Air

Author: Monica Roe

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

                      Roll With It by Jamie Sumner

Rating:

 

a solid read, all around

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide—and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can’t shake the feeling that her goals—and her choices—suddenly aren’t hers anymore. With the help of her best friends, Emmie makes a plan to get her dreams off the ground—and show her community what she wants, what she has to give, and how ready she is to do it on her own terms.

My opinion: Sometimes in middle grade books we see a character with a need and the community pulling together to make it a reality. We don't often see the other side of that equation, where a very showy donation is made and no consideration is made for the things that would genuinely improve their life. In this book there is no denying that Emmie will benefit from a better wheelchair. But what will improve her life, and the lives of others like her, more is better accessibility in the school and around town. Through this narrative Roe is encouraging us to fully see people, to truly listen to them and make sure they have what they need. This is seen in the primary plot, of course, but also in Emmie's interactions with her father and her friends. She has to confront her own preconceived notions as well as dealing with other people's perceptions of her. All around a solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

The Gardener of Alcatraz by Emma Bland Smith

Picture books seldom address prison at all, much less alternative theories of incarceration and rehabilitation. In telling the story of Elliot Michener, though, Smith has done exactly that. We see both the healing power of nature and the positive affects of finding purpose and fulfillment in a person's life. The narrative is easy enough to follow and is accompanied by cheerful and expressive illustrations. The underlying messages are a bit deeper and give an older child ideas of social justice and the implications of the carceral system to reflect upon

More information: The Gardener of Alcatraz releases April 5. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

March 31 check-in

Open on my shelf today:

A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser

The Road to Epoli by Ben Costa and James Parks

The Storyteller by Kathryn Williams

Total read in March: 46

Non-fiction book review - Atlas of Extinct Animals

 

Atlas of Extinct Animals by Radek Maly

This is one I recommend consuming in small bits. It's not especially dense or heavy with technical language. It's more that the nature of the subject is prone to making it a bit repetitive. We are introduced to an animal and how it was specially suited to a feature of the environment or without many natural predators. Typically it all goes wrong when humans are introduced. People hunt, farm, or introduce competition to the environment, ultimately leading to the extinction A few of these animals were done in by climate change or other natural disaster. There's certainly appeal here, especially for a kid with an interest in the sciences.

More information: Atlas of Extinct Animals releases April 26.

March 30 check-in

 Open on my shelf today:

Skycircus by Peter Bunzl

Dennis the Menace Volume 1 by Al Wiseman and Fred Toole

The Storyteller by Kathryn Williams

Total read in March: 44

 

Book review - Any Sign of Life

 

Title: Any Sign of Life

Author: Rae Carson

Genre: sci-fi/post-apocalypse

Similar books: Landscape With Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson

                     The Road to Winter by Mark Smith

Rating:

 

has some believability issues

Summary (provided by publisher): Paige Miller is determined to take her basketball team to the state championship, maybe even beyond. But as March Madness heats up, Paige falls deathly ill. Days later, she wakes up attached to an IV and learns that the whole world has perished. Everyone she loves, and all of her dreams for the future—they’re gone.
But Paige is a warrior. She pushes through her fear and her grief and gets through each day scrounging for food, for shelter, for safety. As she struggles with her new reality, Paige learns that the apocalypse did not happen by accident. And that there are worse things than being alone.

My opinion: It's a scenario we've seen before: waking up to find that the world has changed. As a concept it has some flaws. While Carson addresses some of these with enough detail as to provide plausibility without trying too hard, other elements never fully make sense. The plot is solidly paced but relies a bit too much on gruesome detail for atmosphere. Ultimately, it's not an especially compelling story as no secrets are revealed in later chapters. Once Paige figures out what is going on, where the disease came from, there are no new reveals, just slogging through to a new stasis with no emotional exploration.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

March 29 check-in

 Open on my shelf today:

Skycircus by Peter Bunzl

Dennis the Menace Volume 1 by Al Wiseman and Fred Toole

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Tiffany Brooks

Total read in March: 43