Not quite a biography, this book walks us through the professional journey of an unfamiliar figure in sports history. It uses a narrative style to tell us the basics about who Toni Stone was, the challenges she faced, and how she went about achieving her dream. Through the story young readers will be introduced to the Negro Leagues and the challenges for women in sports. While not an in depth exploration, it is very readable and well put together.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Author: Natasha Deen
Genre: realistic fiction
Rating:
.JPG)
Summary (provided by publisher): Dalia Gopie is shorter than all her friends. Then she discovers that her favorite social media influencer is promoting a miracle fruit—one that guarantees to make anyone taller overnight! Is this online fad the real deal, or is the popular influencer selling a tall tale? With the help of other Cyber Sleuths—a network of mystery-solving kids—and legit online resources, Dalia uncovers the truth about this too-good-to-be-true product. Created in partnership with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), this action-packed chapter book is perfect for young readers and demonstrates valuable media literacy skills.
My opinion: You don't need to read very deeply to understand what this book is trying to teach. But that's okay. It makes the messaging easily grasped by young readers. It's a bit of a blunt object over the head in terms of teaching media literacy but it achieves that aim well.
The promotional material for this book compares it to the movie Night At The Museum and that's a pretty accurate description. One could also compare it to The Pagemaster, though that's a little more niche. We jump right into a world of magic and adventure around famous books. With a cast that includes a pair of mischievous kids and a band of vigilante librarians, it's exciting and inventive. With a wild plot it requires a solid willing suspension of disbelief and a little patience to fully understand what is going on. But a kid who enjoys Hatke's Mighty Jack or the Amulet series is primed for this one as well.
Author: Deborah Ellis
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Lost Kites and Other Treasures by Cathy Carr
The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh
Rating:
.JPG)
Summary (provided by publisher): Suspended from school and prone to rages, twelve-year-old Kate finds her own way to get on with her life, despite the messed-up adults around her. Her gran, for one, is stubborn and aloof — not unlike Kate herself, who has no friends, and who’s been expelled for “behavioral issues,” like the meltdowns she has had ever since her mom dumped her with her grandmother three years ago. Kate dreams that one day her mother will return for her. When that happens, they’ll need money, so Kate sets out to make some.
Gran nixes her idea to sell psychiatric advice like Lucy in Peanuts (“You’re not a psychiatrist. You’ll get sued.”), so Kate decides to open a philosophy booth to provide answers to life’s big and small questions. She soon learns that adults have plenty of problems and secrets of their own, including Gran. When she finds that her grandmother has been lying to her about her mother, the two have a huge fight, and Gran says she can’t wait for Kate to finish high school so she’ll be rid of her at last. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands and discovers that to get what she wants, she may have to reach out to some unexpected people, and find a way to lay down her own anger.
My opinion: There is a bit of an air of unreality to this story. The details sit just outside of what we would expect but that's less of a barrier than we might expect. It makes some resolutions a bit tidier than they ought to be in terms of facts. Emotionally, though, the journey is messy and complex. That's where this book shines. It gives us a cast of complex characters who have all made mistakes and need to find a way forward. While uncomfortable reading at times, the book overall is quick and worth the effort.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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
Author: Eden Royce
Genre: horror
Similar books: The Keeper by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Mothman's Curse by Christine Hayes
Rating:
.JPG)
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.
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
