WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

The Other Ones by Fran Hart - Sal has never cared much about living in a house rumored to be haunted. Not until he meets new boy Pax who will shake up his entire world and bring family secrets to light.

What did you recently finish reading?

Anyone But You by Kim Askew - Gigi's family has been feuding with the Montes for years and she's had enough. Then, the night of her special birthday dinner that is also intended to pull the family restaurant back to viability, she meets a boy who captures her attention and her heart. A boy who turns out to be Roman Monte.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Rule of Three by Heather Murphy Caps

Book review - The Creepening of Dogwood House

 

Title: The Creepening of Dogwood House

Author: Eden Royce

Genre: horror

Similar books: The Keeper by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

                      Mothman's Curse by Christine Hayes

Rating:

solid elements

Summary (provided by publisher): At night, Roddie still dreams of sitting at his mother’s feet while she braids his Afro down. But that’s a memory from before. Before his mom died in a tragic accident. Before he was taken in by an aunt he barely knows. Before his aunt brought him to Dogwood House, the creepiest place Roddie has ever seen. It was his family’s home for over a hundred years. Now the house—abandoned and rotting, draped in Spanish moss that reminds him too much of hair—is his home too.

Aunt Angie has returned to South Carolina to take care of Roddie and reconnect with their family’s hoodoo roots. Roddie, however, can’t help but feel lost. His mom had never told him anything about hoodoo, Dogwood House, or their family. And as they set about fixing the house up, Roddie discovers that there is even more his mother never said. Like why she left home when she was seventeen, never to return. Or why she insisted Aunt Angie always wear her hair in locs. Or what she knew of the strange secrets hidden deep within Dogwood House—secrets that have awoken again, and are reaching out to Roddie…

My opinion: The set-up could have made this a total cliche of a book - a grieving child moves to the old abandoned home where creepy things start happening. It could have been a standard haunted house with adults who don't believe what the isolated child is telling them. Royce takes a different approach, with Roddie and his aunt both slowly learning more about hoodoo and their family history, those thruths helping them unravel what is happening in the house and to keep it from happening again. It's not the most frightening book for middle grade readers but it is interesting.

Listen with me

 

A Game Most Foul by Alison Gervais

At the outset this is a pretty standard teen mystery. A girl on her own for the summer, studying abroad, who gets caught up in the disappearance of a classmate. But that basic format quickly twists in odd directions as the characters learn that their professor isn't simply named Dr. John Watson - he is the Dr. Watson. As Jules and her friends uncover the truth, we get some solid character development and setting descriptions. The clues for the mystery are integrated naturally into the plot, if a bit heavy-handed. The ultimate reveal, though it makes sense in the world of the book, is oddly unsatisfying and leaves too many questions unanswered. There is no strong emotional release and the tension simply falls apart. In the end, I found it a bit disappointing.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

The Outsmarters by Deborah Ellis - A girl living with her grandmother starts a philosophy booth as a way to make money. As she interacts with customers she learns more about them and about herself.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Family of Killers by Bryce Moore - A boy searches for his missing father while fighting his own violent impulses. The search brings him into the path of a peculiar and unsettling family - the Benders.

What do you think you'll read next?

An Unlikely Pair by Bob Scott

Non-fiction book review - Myths of China

 

Myths of China by Xiaobing Wang

A collection of myths is always a compelling thing. These stories tell us a great deal about how a culture viewed the world. We see power structures, interactions, and values. This particular collection is told in clear, easily understood language. And as far as myths are concerned, these are not especially violent or agressive. They are stories that would be okay for a younger child to read without becoming overly upsetting. With pleasant, stylized illustrations this is an excellent addition to any collection of mythology books.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Jackson's Wilder Adventures

 

Jackson's Wilder Adventures by Sarah Davidson

Blend the dynamic of Calvin and Hobbes with the vibe of the Science Comics series and you'll get something like this book. Comprised of three shorter stories, each one follows the same pattern: Jackson encounters some difficulty and thinks it would be easier to be an animal. His thylacine pal then takes him on a magical journey to the wild to see animals in their natural habitat and learn how they live, a lesson that generally relates directly to his problem. Fun, accessible, and educational.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pocket chickens

 A while back I started collecting ends of yarn too small for use in regular projects, tying them together into a wild mish-mash of colors. I had the vague notion of using them to make ... something. Apparently something means chickens. These simple little chickens are knitted in a tube and are small enough to fit in a pocket.