Book review - Does My Body Offend You?

 

Title: Does My Body Offend You?

Author: Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

                     Go With the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann

Rating:

 

a good amount of complexity

Summary (provided by publisher): Malena Rosario is starting to believe that catastrophes come in threes. First, Hurricane María destroyed her home, taking her unbreakable spirit with it. Second, she and her mother are now stuck in Florida, which is nothing like her beloved Puerto Rico. And third, when she goes to school bra-less after a bad sunburn and is humiliated by the school administration into covering up, she feels like she has no choice but to comply.
Ruby McAllister has a reputation as her school's outspoken feminist rebel. But back in Seattle, she lived under her sister’s shadow. Now her sister is teaching in underprivileged communities, and she’s in a Florida high school, unsure of what to do with her future, or if she’s even capable making a difference in the world. So when Ruby notices the new girl is being forced to cover up her chest, she is not willing to keep quiet about it.
Neither Malena nor Ruby expected to be the leaders of the school's dress code rebellion. But the girls will have to face their own insecurities, biases, and privileges, and the ups and downs in their newfound friendship, if they want to stand up for their ideals and––ultimately––for themselves.

My opinion: Even if this were just a story of girls going up against their school's dress code, this would be a solid read. Dress codes have become the symbol for teens making measurable change in their worlds and the ways that systems can be inherently biased. If it were a straightforward dress code protest it would be ultimately forgettable. Cuevas and Marquardt have really elevated this story, though. In taking us through the growth of a grassroots movement we explore many kinds of bias, how we have a hard time seeing issues that don't directly affect us. Even more than that, they take on white saviorism,the importance of letting an affected population drive their own change. While the ultimate conclusions are predictable, the nuance in the journey makes this worth reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Upcycle bag

 We've been doing a clean-up recently. As a part of that effort, we were sorting through some old picture books. I came across a copy of Big Bird's Red Book. The cover was torn off and the rest of the book wasn't in much better shape. While the book was destined for the bin, I rescued the cover.

I started by protecting the cover with contact paper. Once it was sealed, I cut a piece of cardboard the same size and covered that with red duct tape. Then I made sides out of black duct tape. A strap from a worn-out water bottle sleeve finishes it off and turns this into a nice little bag.

Book review - A Duet for Home

 

Title: A Duet for Home

Author: Karina Yan Glaser

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Hold Fast by Blue Balliett

                      Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Rating:

 

a more complex picture of life in a shelter

Summary (provided by publisher): It's June’s first day at Huey House, and as if losing her home weren’t enough, she also can’t bring her cherished viola inside. Before the accident last year, her dad saved tip money for a year to buy her viola, and she’s not about to give it up now. Tyrell has been at Huey House for three years and gives June a glimpse of the good things about living there: friendship, hot meals, and a classical musician next door. Can he and June work together to oppose the government, or will families be forced out of Huey House before they are ready?

My opinion: There is a growing trend of books that explore the reality of life for unhoused families. We see the sense of shame and helplessness, the downward spiral and the struggle to regain any ground once it begins. The point of these books, of course, is to put a face on the unhoused, on people in shelters. I like that this one shows us a couple of families at different points in their journey. We have long term families and new arrivals. We see how all of the residents together form a sort of loose extended family. Sure they don' t always get along and often antagonize each other but they also look out for one another and work together when they can. Glaser also points out how policy is often focused entirely on statistics and budgets, forgetting about the personal and emotional toll to the people involved. Some of these elements were cut short but that makes sense given that this is intended for a middle grade audience. A solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with Me - Bright Ruined Things

 

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe

The Tempest isn't my favorite of Shakespeare's plays but I am intrigued by the idea of setting it in the jazz era. Join me in what promises to be a complex world of magic and privilege.

Non-fiction book review - Animal BFFs

 

Animal BFFs by Sophie Corrigan

Symbiosis is one of those concepts that seems a bit magical when you first learn about it. The idea of vastly different animals working together for their shared benefit makes animals seem just a little bit more human so I can understand the appeal here. What I don't love is the construction. Corrigan presents us first with the cartoon version of the relationship: animals having sleepovers and giving each other makeovers, that sort of thing. It's cute at first but by the last example it's rather tiresome. I'd have preferred just the facts. I did like that Corrigan gives us examples of all three forms of symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Interesting, just a little annoying.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Stella Diaz to the Rescue

 

Title: Stella Diaz to the Rescue

Author: Angela Dominguez

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Alley & Rex by Joel N. Ross

                     Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson

Rating: 

 

nicely done

Summary (provided by publisher): It’s a new calendar year, and Stella is determined to make it her best one yet.
Not only are Stella and her family finally becoming U.S. citizens, but the Sea Musketeers are also presenting their plastics pledge to the school council. With her trusty schedule in hand, Stella is ready for anything!
But after life takes unexpected turns, Stella will have to fight to keep her perfect year on track.
Not to worry, because Stella Diaz is to the rescue! Right?

My opinion: There are some interesting elements at play here. At heart, it is a fairly standard elementary school narrative. We have the desire to belong; wanting to help others; jealousy about friends and power. It's the details that make the difference. It's Stella and her family becoming citizens and considering their relationship to their culture. And I like how Stella is a bit of a rigid character. She has these ideas about how things ill go, specific plans for helping and fixing everything. She has to learn to relax a little and adjust when things don't go according to plan. She also learns to listen, to be an ally instead of a savior. The ideas are addressed in a fairly straightforward way but that's appropriate for this age range.

Natural beauty care

 I have short hair, so I've always bought mousse to keep it tidy. Mousse is not without it's problems though. I find the scent overwhelming and I hate throwing away the empty cans. So this spring I decided to try something new. I've started making pomade out of beeswax, coconut oil, cornstarch, and essential oils. It works so much better than mousse ever did, even taming my cowlick sometimes! And with the scent combination of cinnamon, orange, and cedar it smells so nice I have caught myself occasionally sniffing my own hair. 

The pomade is the most recent addition to my homemade beauty/skin care collection. I also make this salve out of beeswax, lanolin, and peppermint and eucalyptus oils (both for their soothing qualities and for their ability to mask the rather pungent scent of lanolin). The salve is great for small scratches, chaffing, and badly chapped lips.

 

The thing I made that started me on the natural care path was this lip tint made from beeswax, coconut oil, and beet powder. It leaves your lips shiny, conditioned and evens out lip color in a pleasant way.