Book review - Keeping Pace

 

Title: Keeping Pace

Author: Laurie Morrison

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros

                      Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera

Rating:

 

nice character arcs

Summary (provided by publisher): Grace has been working for years to beat her former friend Jonah Perkins’s GPA so she can be named top scholar of the eighth grade. But when Jonah beats her for the title, it feels like none of Grace’s academic accomplishments have really mattered. They weren’t enough to win—or to impress her dad. And then the wide, empty summer looms. With nothing planned and no more goals or checklists, she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be working toward.
Eager for something to occupy her days, Grace signs up for a half-marathon race that she and Jonah used to talk about running together. Jonah’s running it, too. Maybe if she can beat Jonah on race day, she’ll feel OK again. But as she begins training with Jonah and checking off a new list of summer goals, she starts to question what—and who—really matters to her. Is winning at all costs really worth it?

My opinion: This novel presents us with a pair of ambitious characters who think they know everything about each other - and they don't like it. So of course they learn that other people are complex and outward appearances aren't what they seem. The lessons here are pretty clear cut. But that's okay. The characters are strong. And the arcs they go through are believable. They come to the end of the book as slightly improved versions of themselves. Grace is still ambitious and driven. Jonah is still emotionally closed off and a little oblivious. They're just working on becoming better and that's all we can really ask of realistic characters. This could be classified as a sports book but isn't too weighed down with jargon requiring explanation. It can be understood and appreciated by most middle grade readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Vest

 I spotted this photo a while back and I became obsessed with this look. Its one I'd love to recreate but the vest eludes me.

 

I thought I'd try recreating it myself and came up with this vest.

 

Not quite the same but it will do for now.

WWW Wednesdays

What are you currently reading?

Maddie's Ghost by Carol Saller - A girl looks for evidence of her great-grandmother's innocence, following clues that seem to come from a supernatural source.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Undercover Book List by Collen Nelson - In an effort to make a new friend when her bestie moves away, a girl communicates anonymously via a note in a library book and makes an unexpected connection.

What do you think you'll read next?

Crash Landing by Li Charmaine Anne

Non-fiction book review - Three Summers

 

Three Summers by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

This is a compelling snapshot of Bosnia before the war. While there is some exploration of the rise of Slobodan Milosevic, this is not the main focus of the memoir. Instead it's a picture of being a girl, of dealing with grief and trying to figure out aspects of femininity that seem to come easily to others. It's forming close relationships with other girls and testing out boundaries. It's the limits and tenuous nature of life in a communist country. We get a strong picture of the culture of Bosnia, the historic relationship between Serbs and Muslims and how that became conflict. For the most part it's a lovely picture of relationships with just small glimpses into the conflict to come and what that meant for people. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Survival Scout: Tsunami

 

Survival Scout: Tsunami by Maxwell Eaton III

Extreme weather is a branch of science with high appeal for kids. And graphic novels add to that appeal. They allow the author to explain the science visually. This book adds a thin layer of "story" to the text but it's mostly a breakdown of the stages and causes of earthquakes and tsunamis. It conveys the danger and urgency of the situation without becoming overblown or fearmongering. There are plentiful safety and planning tips as well so this a a good one for parents to read with their children.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Racism

 Some topics can be hard to talk about, hard to get kids to understand and empathize with. But they're part of everyday experience and must be explored. Racism is one of those topics and a book can be a great tool for facilitating conversation. Here are six books published in the past six months that feature racism as a central element.

6 new books that address racism

1. Tagging Freedom by Rhonda Roumi
2. Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill
3. Ghost Roast by Shawnee Gibbs
4. One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
5. Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre
6. Call Me Al by Wali Shah
   

Book review - Coyote Lost and Found

 

Title: Coyote Lost and Found

Author: Dan Gemeinhart

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Ashes to Asheville by Sarah Dooley

                     Far From Fair by Elana K Arnold

Rating:

 

entertaining and heart-felt

Summary (provided by publisher): It's been almost a year since Coyote and her dad left the road behind and settled down in a small Oregon town. . . time spent grieving the loss of her mom and sisters and trying to fit in at school. But just as life is becoming a new version of normal, Coyote discovers a box containing her mom’s ashes. And she thinks she might finally be ready to say goodbye.
So Coyote and her dad gear up for an epic cross-country road trip to scatter the ashes at her mom’s chosen resting place. The only problem? Coyote has no idea where that resting place is—and the secret’s hidden in a book that Coyote mistakenly sold last year, somewhere in the country. Now, it’s up to Coyote to track down the treasured book . . . without her dad ever finding out that it’s lost.
It’s time to fire up their trusty bus, Yager, pick up some old friends, discover some new ones, and hit the road on another unforgettable adventure.

My opinion: Clearly, this is a sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. You could read and understand this book without knowledge of the other but the background sure helps. Given the set up - traveling cross country on a bus on a time sensitive quest when her father doesn't know all the details - this could easily be a rehash of the first book. But Gemeinhart introduces new elements and characters. Setting the book at the beginning of the pandemic is one of those twists. The world is changing just as Coyote is trying to figure out her place in the world, how to fit in with her peers, and coming to terms with her grief. As with the first book, the journey is funny and heart-breaking in equal measure, showing the reader how the world can be cruel and kind. A solid choice for any middle grade reader.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley