Book review - Grave Mistakes

 

Title: Grave Mistakes

Author: Kitty Curran

Genre: mystery

Similar books: What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young

                      Brick Dust and Bones by M R F

Rating:

 

a decent start to a series

Summary (provided by publisher): Molly Dade has big problems. She’s got an important violin audition coming up, she’s been paired with her nemesis for a group project, and she’s struggling to hide a life-or-death secret from…well, from everyone. It wasn’t long ago that the Dades were just a regular Maine family living in their reportedly haunted house in the local cemetery. But then Molly’s mom and twin brother Marty were killed in a freak accident. And Molly, her older brother Timothy, and her father became the town’s newest bereaved family.
Except Mom and Marty are still very much present. No one knows why, but Mom is now a ghost and Marty is a poltergeist. Oh, and there’s also Molly’s younger sister Dyandra, who is a zombie.
Keeping all this supernatural stuff a secret from everyone is hard work, especially when the dead (undead?) members of the family still want to participate in things like the Parent Teacher Association meetings or come to the (very public, very potentially embarrassing) school concert.
When Dad’s new cemetery assistant seems to know the Dade family secret, Molly and Marty worry about the future of their family. And when Marty begins to regain his memories of the explosion that killed him and Mom, the twins realize that the situation might be even more grave than they thought. Someone might be after the Dade family—but who? And why?

My opinion: For a book that starts with a family that is half dead, this book is surprisingly silly. It doesn't take itself overly seriously. There is a mystery, sure, but the bulk of the plot is more about rivalries with school peers and the fear of being an outsider than it is about mysterious deaths. The primary plot is fairly straightforward and doesn't dig too deeply into characters. There is certainly a sense that something larger is going on in the town so there's room for this to grow into a more complex series.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry

 

Title: The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry

Author: Chad Morris & Shelly Brown

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli

                     That Girl Lucy Moon by Amy Timberlake

Rating:

 

a solid read 

Summary (provided by publisher): Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives in a cabin with her family deep in the wild woods. Living off the grid is usually exciting, like the time she chased off three growling raccoons with a tree branch and some acorns, or when she thought she glimpsed the legendary Bigfoot. But her happy life in the wild ends abruptly when her younger brother gets sick, and the family moves to the city to be closer to the hospital.
Juniper and her older sister are sent to live with cousins they hardly know and attend a public school for the first time, which is harder to navigate than the wild woods ever were. Juniper feels like a wolf cub separated from her pack.
When Juniper notices that her cousin, Alayna, is being bullied by so-called friends, she’s ready to fight back like the wild geese do when protecting their goslings, but her cousin tells her to stay out of it; she doesn’t want Juniper making things worse.
As the hospital bills for her brother start piling up, Juniper knows they’ll need to be paid before the family can go back to the woods, so she decides to make enough money to help out. With Alayna’s support, Juniper starts posting videos filled with her wisdom from the woods, hoping to get a following. But what if it doesn’t work? What if the bills never get paid? Not going home to the wild is Juniper’s worst nightmare. But while she’s stuck in the city, she might as well make the most of it, like sticking up for her cousin, for starters.

My opinion: At face value, this is a pretty standard fish-out-of-water story. Juniper is used to a very specific way of life and doesn't fit in to regular society. The more she stands out, the more it drives a wedge between her and her cousin. They don't understand each other. These are basic elements of many middle grade books. It invites discussion about what it means to fit in, about individuality and conformity. What sets this one apart is it's exploration of the driving force behind isolation. It doesn't just tell us that Juniper's family lives in the woods, it looks at why they isolate. It doesn't just tell us that Juniper doesn't fit in because she's never had a peer group. It looks at why she never attempts to connect with her new peers. While there are some moments that strain believability, overall this is a solid read that could spark discussion with a middle grade group.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - A Miscellany of Mischief and Magic

 

A Miscellany of Mischief and Magic by Tom Adams

Many kids go  through a phase of obsession with illusionists and/or pranks. So this book is going to hit right in that sweet spot for a wide audience. It is separated into three main topics: magicians, con artists, and hoaxes/pranks. It should be noted that all three sections have an air of admiration, which can be troubling when it comes to cons. Each section has multiple examples, both of noteworthy figures and famous incidents. There are also a few "do it yourself" sections of card tricks, simple illusions, and good natured pranks that are easy enough for a kid to try.

More information: A Miscellany of Mischief and Magic releases September 5. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

This is a surprisingly innocent, gentle story. It doesn't shy away from reality. It speaks plainly about the death of assorted animals (without going into unnecessary detail - so nothing gross). Overall, though, this is a simple story about survival and the power of kindness. This is the perfect choice for your youngster who is perhaps a bit sensitive.

Book review - Guardians of Dawn: Zhara

 

Title: Guardians of Dawn: Zhara

Author: S. Jae-Jones

Genre: fantasy

Similar books: Cinder by Marissa Meyer 

                     Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell 

Rating:

 

pleasantly complex

Summary (provided by publisher): Magic flickers. Love flames. Chaos reigns.
Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called an abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before.
Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about—appeasing her stepmother’s cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control—without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.
In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.

My opinion: The Cinderella influences on this plot are clear but it's not a strict retelling. Rather, it's a framework that the author uses to build a unique world and plot. We are deeply exploring magic, demons, and the spirit world, the ideas of balance and the cost for making changes. There are clear and consistent rules for how magic works and for it's role in society. There are a lot of complications, all of which serve to further the plot. The characters, too, are complex and nuanced. This is the beginning of a series with a lot of room to grow and continue to impress.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

This book has been described as Hatchet with robots and I have to say that concept intrigues me. While this isn't my normal genre, let's give it a listen together.

Book review - Where the Lockwood Grows

 

Title: Where the Lockwood Grows

Author: Olivia A Cole

Genre: dystopia

Similar books: The Last Beekeeper by Pablo Cartaya

                      The List by Patricia Fforde

Rating:

 

a solid read

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Erie has never lived life fully in the sunlight. After destructive wildfires wreaked havoc on the world around her, the government came up with a plan—engineer a plant that cannot burn. Thus, the fire-resistant lockwood was born. The lockwood protects Erie and her hometown of Prine, but it grows incredibly fast and must be cut back every morning. Only the town’s youngest and smallest citizens can fit between the branches and tame the plant. Citizens just like Erie.
But one evening, Erie uncovers a shocking secret that leads her to question the rules of Prine. Alongside her older sister, Hurona, she’ll journey from the only home she’s known and realize that the world is much more complicated than she'd ever imagined. Packed with surprising twists and a cast of courageous characters, this gripping novel encourages readers to stand up for justice and challenge the status quo.

My opinion: The future of dystopian fiction appears to be in middle grade and I am here for it. Cole's book presents us with a future dealing with ecological disaster. We have a world falling apart and characters trying to figure out how to live in it while others take advantage of the chaos to conceal oppression. A savvy reader will suss out what is going on in this book pretty quickly, but that isn't a big barrier. The book is as much about a family trying to find their way forward, to heal the brokenness between them, as it is about revealing what is being done to the town.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley