Pick 6: mythological beings

Goblins, elves, unicorns. Is there anything more fun to speculate about than mythological creatures? I mean, Harry Potter got a whole school subject about them. Authors often incorporate them into their stories, even when they don't really explore magic. Here are six books featuring mythological beings published in the past six months.

Six new books with mythological beings

1. Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam
2. Squire and Knight by Scott Chandler
3. The Unicorn Legacy by Kid Toussaint and Veronica Alvarez
4. Brick Dust and Bones by M R Fournet
5. Cat's Cradle: the Mole King's Lair by Jo Rioux
6. The Bawk-ness Monster by Natalie Riess
   

Book review - Brick Dust and Bones

 

Title: Brick Dust and Bones

Author: M.R. Fournet

Genre: fantasy/horror

Similar books: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

                     Jackaby by William Ritter*

Rating:

 

solid world building and spooky atmosphere

Summary (provided by publisher): Marius Grey hunts Monsters. He's not supposed to. He's only twelve and his job as a Cemetery Boy is to look after the ghosts in his family's graveyard. He should be tending these ghosts and–of course–going to school to learn how to live between worlds without getting into trouble.
But, Marius has an expensive goal. He wants to bring his mother back from the dead, and that takes a LOT of mystic coins, which means a LOT of Monster Hunting, and his mother’s window to return is closing.
If he wants her back, Marius is going to have to go after bigger and meaner monsters, decide if a certain flesh-eating mermaid is a friend or foe, and avoid meddling Demons and teachers along the way. Can Marius navigate New Orleans’s gritty monster bounty-hunting market, or will he have to say goodbye to his mother forever?

My opinion: The world building here is pretty ingenious. It's a sort of magical realism. The setting is our own world just with magical elements. A sort of magical shadow culture that the uninitiated can't perceive. So there is no need to waste time with huge amounts of culture and history, just a little bit of lore. The main thing that needs explaining is Monster Hunting and that is naturally integrated into the plot. While we don't understand everything Marius does in the moment we get explanation soon enough. It's action oriented and his time constraints drive the plot forward. The characters aren't especially deep but that's not uncommon for a middle grade novel. Especially in a book that, as with this one, feels primed for a sequel. The Louisiana setting is strong and the monsters are used to full effect. Especially impressive is the use of lesser known monsters - things like boo hags and rougarous. It has scary moments but isn't a total fright fest so it shouldn't be too much for young readers.

*Jackaby is probably appropriate for an older audience than this one, but the child who enjoys this one will grow into the other series.

Non-fiction book review - Astonishing and Extinct Professions

 

Astonishing and Extinct Professions by Markus Rottmann

The construct for this book is a solid one. Rottmann introduces us to the basics of a job, it's role in society, and the technological or sociological influences that lead to it's decline. While there isn't a great deal of depth to any of these descriptions, we do get more than just a handful of factoids. It might not be the most compelling book that a kid will read but is a curiosity that can easily be enjoyed in bits and pieces. For both fans of history and those who find it "boring".

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Well hello again!

 Hi friends. I guess I sort of disappeared on you for a while there.

It seems I let life get away from me. But I'm back now and excited about some changes I'll bringing to this space soon. Thanks for sticking with me and reading. I hope you're as excited to talk books as I am.

Graphic novel spotlight: Family Style

 

Family Style by Thien Pham

Family Style is not a traditional memoir. It does not follow a true narrative arc. Instead, it is a series of vignettes, moments from Pham's life that can be represented by a particular food. The moments themselves are of different sorts. Some are momentous - the first days of a family in a refugee camp or their arrival in the United states. Others are small and common place - going to the bowling alley with friends and a crush. But in all of them a particular food plays an important role not just in the facts of the memory but in their emotional thrust. Food represents fear, comfort, acceptance, shame, desire. And the foods themselves are explored - tastes, textures, cultural importance and influence. The panel design is deliberate, the choice of moment spot on. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Sock pig

 We know a toddler who is obsessed with pigs and I had an idea to make her a little plush pig. Wanting something both squishy and resilient I thought I'd make it from a sock.

 

these were the best options - we decided on the bright stripes 

Since it was a knee sock, I cut of the leg just above the heel and set it aside for another project. Then I stuffed it and sewed it shut. The foot ended up a bit too long so I ended up cutting off the toe as well, gathering that shut.

Since I had a small scrap that I'd cut off of the toe, I cut it in half and used it to make the ears. Then I made some knots to pull in depressions for the eyes that I finished with fabric paint.

 

a simple, chubby little piggie

Book review - How to Stay Invisible

 

Title: How to Stay Invisible

Author: Maggie C Rudd

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

                      The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones by Wendelin Van Draanen

Rating:

 

a careful balancing act

Summary (provided by publisher): Being alone is something Raymond is used to.
Twelve-year-old Raymond Hurley has never had a place to call home. His free-wheeling parents move their family from town to town, and he’s living in a trailer in a brand-new state when one day, they just up and abandon him. All alone with nothing but a duffle bag full of clothes and his reliable pup, Rosie, he is forced to live in the woods behind his middle school.
With a fishing pole in hand and survival guide checked out from the library, Raymond scrapes by and doesn’t tell anyone his secret. This isn’t the first time he’s had to rely on himself. However, when winter days get colder and finding food becomes nearly impossible, Raymond makes new friends, including a curious coyote, in unexpected places. Soon, he learns that his fate will depend not just on his wilderness skills, but on the people and animals he chooses to trust.

My opinion: In the grand tradition of books like Hatchet, this novel presents us with a character forced to survive on his own. With scraps of knowledge he does his best to build a life and his successes will appeal to young would-be survivalists. We see Raymond building a shelter, collecting food, and taking care of basic hygiene needs. Because not only is he surviving, he's doing his best to keep his situation a secret. Rudd is careful to show Raymond making mistakes, benefiting from the kindness of people around him. He survives, sure, but isn't truly doing it on his own. While the overall thrust of the book follows a familiar pattern of recently unhoused characters - shame and fear in the shock of the new situation; a successful rhythm that makes the situation feel sustainable; a health crisis that forces the truth to be revealed - there are hints and questions from people in his life all along the way.

More information: How to Stay Invisible releases June 27.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley