Book review - Promise Boys

 

Title: Promise Boys

Author: Nick Brooks

Genre: mystery

Similar books: One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite

                     Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

Rating:

 

elements worth discussing

Summary (provided by publisher): The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are forced to follow the prestigious "program's" strict rules. Extreme discipline, they’ve been told, is what it takes to be college bound, to avoid the fates of many men in their neighborhoods. This, the Principal Moore Method, supposedly saves lives.
But when Moore ends up murdered and the cops come sniffing around, the trio emerges as the case's prime suspects. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. But is the true culprit hiding among them?

My opinion: There are certainly things that I like about this book. I like the way that it discusses perceptions. The messages are pretty obvious, of course. We're looking a lot at how Black teens, especially boys, are viewed by the world. And how treating teens like criminals encourages criminal behavior rather than discouraging it. We're looking at the corruption of power and how well intentioned ideas can turn out badly. But a lot of the messaging is pretty obvious and heavy handed. There is little in the way of nuance. Still, it raises enough interesting ideas to make it worth a read.

More information: Promise Boys releases January 31.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Cap-sleeved no more

 What do you do when you have the sleeves left over from a dress? You find a shirt with sleeves that you hate and do some surgery. I had these cool unicorn sleeves begging to be used and a mostly comfortable v-neck shirt with cap-sleeves that I kind of despised. It was a quick matter of clipping off the old sleeves leaving a half inch or so for seeming, pinning in the long sleeves, and sewing them down. The new sleeves were a tiny bit bigger around than the armholes, so I just cut down the side seem of the shirt an inch or so until the diameters matched. 

Book review - Jiu-Jitsu Girl

 

Title: Jiu-Jitsu Girl

Author: Jennifer Dutton

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas

                      Bump by Matt Wallace

Rating:

 

solid combination of elements

Summary (provided by publisher): What’s more terrifying than being forced into a coed combat wrestling martial art by your own mother? Sixth grade.
Angie Larson hates Jiu-Jitsu. Like many twelve-year-old girls, she fails to find the glamour in a martial art that embraces zero personal space and choking as an end goal. Seriously, people choke her, drip sweat on her face, and even wrap their legs around her neck. It’s the worst. Instead, she idolizes the seemingly perfect kids at her school who do “normal” activities like dance or soccer. But just when it seems like Angie is about to be accepted by them, her mom enrolls her in a Jiu-Jitsu tournament and begins a relationship with the sweatiest coach on the planet. And to make things more complicated, Angie develops a close friendship with a boy who is definitely not part of the “cool” crowd.
Angie must decide who she is while making some painful decisions both on and off the mat. Is she a dance girl, a soccer girl, a nothing girl . . . or a Jiu-Jitsu girl?

My opinion: At heart, this book is like a lot of novels for middle grade girls - an exploration of popularity and becoming the "right" kind of teen. Jiu-Jitsu aside, Angie's story is a familiar one. Given the chance to reinvent herself, she does everything in her power to ingratiate herself with the popular girls, to become one of their fringe members. So we get the obvious examples of the ways girls can be cruel to each other and the betrayal of your real friends in the name of popularity. It's the Jiu-Jitsu that makes the difference in this book. Yes, Angie hates it. She has valid complaints about being made to practice it. But it is also a vehicle to explore our relationship with our bodies. This is the age where girls become critical of their bodies and of other people. A large portion of this novel is devoted to Angie's increasing awareness of how bodies look. Jiu-Jitsu becomes, then, not only a method of learning to defend herself but also to appreciate what her body is capable of, to celebrate it's power. While the conclusion is entirely expected and there are some painfully embarrassing scenes, it's overall well worth reading.

More information: Jiu-Jitsu Girl releases January 24.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

Waiting on Mr. Sloth by Katy Hudson

No one likes waiting. And most children will relate to the idea of waiting for someone who seems to be taking an exceptionally long time. The text is straightforward and easy to follow. More than that, the illustrations deftly depict Sasha's growing frustration until she looses her cool. What follows is not only a lesson in patience but also an introduction to mindfulness as Mr. Sloth appreciates everything that is going on around him and Sasha acknowledges how much better experiences are when she is in the moment and with a friend. This book would work well one-on-one or in a larger group setting, especially if you followed it up with a little mindfulness practice of your own. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - The Untold Story of Sarah Keys Evans

 

The Untold Story of Sarah Keys Evans by Dr. Artika R Tyner

We tend to have the idea that the idea of bus boycotts started spontaneously with Rosa Parks. You don't have to do much research, though, to realize just how untrue that is. Like in this case. A full three years before the famous arrest, we encounter the story of Evans. If anyone had the right to demand a seat on a bus it was Evans, given her history of service. And as with Parks, she asked for her rights firmly but politely. This is a story that belongs in our Black history education, especially as it is easily understood by young readers. For older readers, it would be worth contrasting with Parks and Colvin to encourage a conversation about who deserves our attention and respect.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Famously Funny Parrott

 

Title: The Famously Funny Parrott

Author: Eric Daniel Weiner

Genre: humor/short stories

Similar books: Claude in the City by Alex T Smith

                     Sloth Sleuth by Cyndi Marko

Rating:

 

slightly offbeat fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Ride through Rubberwick in your Rolly Royce with Freddie and Peccary! This story collection is full of whimsical illustrations and laugh-out-loud adventures.
From solving problems like the mysterious knock-knocking door, to saving the day with a fresh batch of waffle batter, Freddie Parrott knows that he can always count on his loyal butler and best friend, Peccary.

My opinion: If P.G. Wodehouse had written about animals instead of adults the result might be this collection. Freddie is a bit scatterbrained with a wild sense of fashion, not unlike Bertie Wooster. Luckily his butler Peccary is there to keep him on track and remind him of details. There isn't a lot of complexity to these stories but they are a light-hearted bit of fun and would work well as a read-aloud in a classroom or as a family with a wider age-range of listeners since there's a little humor here for everyone.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Superteacher Project

 

Title: The Superteacher Project

Author: Gordon Korman

Genre: mild sci-fi

Similar books: Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

                      Shine by J.J. Grabenstein

Rating: 

 

fun with some thought behind it

 

Summary (provided by publisher): Oliver Zahn, spitball champion and self-declared rule-wrecker of Brightling Middle School, is not a fan of his new homeroom teacher, Mr. Aidact. The guy is sort of stiff, never cracks a smile, and refers to them as “pupils.” The worst part is he catches Oliver before he can pull any of his signature pranks! It’s time for Oliver and his best friend, Nathan, to show the new teacher who’s boss.
But as the weeks go by, they start to realize that Mr. Aidact is not what they expected. He has an uncanny ability to remember song lyrics or trivia. When the girls’ field hockey team needs a new coach, he suddenly turns out to be an expert. He never complains when other teachers unload work on him—even when it’s lunchroom duty and overseeing detention. Against all odds, Mr. Aidact starts to become the most popular teacher at Brightling.
Still, Oliver and Nathan know that something is fishy. They’re determined to get to the bottom of the mystery: What’s the deal with Mr. Aidact?

My opinion: While this isn't the most mind-blowing book, it's a solid read for the middle grade set. It does encourage us to think about the relationship between student and teacher and what makes a good educator. The pacing is pretty spot on, balancing action and moments of reflection. It has some interesting speculation about technology and our potential reaction to A.I. which might inspire discussion among young readers. It never digs too deeply into the messaging or into character development but this isn't terribly uncommon in middle grade fiction.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.