A girl and her father living on a school bus is a unique set-up. This road trip journey holds a lot of promise, provided the characters are compelling. Let's listen and find out together.
Monday, February 19, 2024
Listen with me
Friday, February 16, 2024
Book review - Till Human Voices Wake Us
Author: Rebecca Roque
Genre: thriller
Similar books: The Good Girls by Claire Eliza Bartlett
Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Rating:
.JPG)
initially thrilling, though it may go too far
Summary (provided by publisher): Seventeen-year-old Cia lived in a house of secrets until she was five, when her father literally burned it all down. The price of his clandestine operation? Cia’s entire family, and her leg. So, when her best friend Alice says she has a secret too, Cia wants nothing to do with it—even if it could shed light on her family’s dark past. But Alice doesn’t let go so easily, especially when her search for answers might help find Noah, the boy who broke her heart before going missing two months ago.
But then the police find Alice’s body floating in the quarry.
Now Cia would give anything to know Alice’s secrets. Because Alice would never have jumped, no matter what the cops think. Desperate to figure out what happened to her friend, Cia picks up the threads of Alice’s investigation, plunging deep into a shadow world of augmented reality. As she untangles one web of lies after another, Cia finds herself pursued by an enemy that will pay any price to keep their secrets buried. But the girl who already lost everything isn’t about to back down now. Her only chance to avenge Alice lies in exposing an underground society preying on those they think no one will miss—but danger lies closer to home than she imagined.
My opinion: The set up here is a solid one. A girl rescued from a dark past finds that her history is tied up in a larger town secret. We've got murdered teens and a company involved with street kids. Cia is a strong character surrounded by interesting figures. We're never quite sure who can be trusted as evidence continually points in myriad directions. With a plot that is constantly twisting it's a compelling read. That plot, though, goes is some awfully strange directions and ultimately stretches the bounds of believability perhaps beyond the breaking point.
More information: Till Human Voices Wake Us releases February 27.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Book review - Bumps in the Night
Author: Amalie Howard
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Rating:
.JPG)
a solid read
Summary (provided by publisher): Darika “Rika” Lovelace is in trouble. The kind of trouble that sends her to her grandmother’s estate in Trinidad for the whole summer. But something about the island feels…different. As soon as she steps off the plane, strange things start happening!
Rika meets a group of kids called Minders, who seem to have elemental powers. Even worse, she can sense jumbies lurking in the shadows. Needless to say, she wants a ticket home. But when the Minders let slip that her long-lost mom is in danger, she knows she can’t leave.
Thrust into a magical adventure involving bloodcurdling monsters, a supernatural silk cotton tree, and an endless maze, Rika must defeat the fearsome jumbie king to save her family and new friends. But unless she learns to believe in herself, she’ll never beat him or escape his twisted maze.
My opinion: Its a familiar construct - a girl gets caught up in magic and has to save the world. And maybe if you read a lot of these books this one will fail to thrill. But if you judge it on it's own merits, it's a solid read. It captures the setting and folk lore well. The characters are decently complex for a middle grade audience. It's action oriented with just a hint of spookiness for horror fans.
More information: Bumps in the Night releases February 20.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Graphic novel spotlight - Zips Eeloo Make Hummus
You might not think that making a batch of hummus would make an interesting topic for a book but this one works surprisingly well. It's pretty basic - the characters stand at a counter and make hummus, detailing each step. There's a heavy dose of humor and the illustrations are quite expressive. It's a book that will be appealing for kids just starting to read independently.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Picture books for everyone - Rumi Poet of Joy and Love
Rumi is a relatively new figure to me. While I was familiar with the name and could perhaps have told you he was a poet, I didn't know much beyond that so this was an excellent introduction. While the text is aimed at a young audience, it remains informative. With charming illustrations reflecting the text, filled with patterns and details, its as lovely to look at as it is to read. It stands well on it's own but could also be used as a lead-in to reading some of the poetry in a group setting.
More information: Rumi Poet of Joy and Love releases March 5.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Monday, February 12, 2024
Non-fiction book review - Sick!
This book is going to be visually appealing to a certain kind of young reader. You look at the cover and it exudes "gross". This is no collection of stomach turning factoids, though. Montgomery digs into the details of animal diseases, how they affect humans, and what scientists have learned from them. The tone and vocabulary remain accessible for kids while not shying away from science. Parents and kids alike will learn from this text.
More information: Sick! releases February 20.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Friday, February 9, 2024
Book review - Dread Detention
Author: Jennifer Killick
Genre: horror
Similar books: Scarewaves by Trevor Henderson
Finch House by Ciera Burch
Rating:
.JPG)
the right level of scary
Summary (provided by publisher): When classmates Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school on a Saturday, they think things can’t get much worse. But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary.
What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keep humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute . . .? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together. But it’s no coincidence that they're all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge . . .
My opinion: Giant spiders are, of course, a bit of a believability stretch. Killick does a good job of explaining their existence without over-doing it. We get just enough to accept their existence and to keep the plot moving. There's a decent balance between action and character development for a middle grade novel. None of it goes very deep but it maintains the reader's interest. It's exciting and creepy without going over the top, so it's well suited to the average middle grade reader.
More information: Dread Detention releases February 13
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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