Wednesday, August 21, 2024

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Night of the Living Head by  Hanna Alkaf - Alia's normal bad luck gets even worse when her family moves back to a remote village from Kuala Lampur. When her estranged sister returns home as well, things take a spooky turn. Could it be that her sister is not what she appears?

What did you recently finish reading?

10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston - When Olivia discovers she's lacking a PE credit to graduate she cooks up an elaborate scheme to earn the credit helping out at a golf tournament while keeping it secret from her overbearing parents. She'll need the help of her phone swapping cousins and a cute but off-limits boy to pull it off.

What do you think you'll read next?

Mysterious Ways by Wendy Wunder

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Listen with me

 

Nightmare in the Backyard by Jeff Strand

I've read a couple of Strand's books before and they're typically good for a solid, middle grade friendly scare. And a campout is a pretty standard setting for a spooky story, so I'm curious to see Strand's approach. Let's find out together.


Monday, August 19, 2024

Non-fiction book review - What Do We Eat?

 

What Do We Eat? by Meagan Clendenan

What people eat sounds like a simple topic but it's surprisingly complex and fascinating. For one thing, Clendenan isn't just looking at types of foods. This book explores agriculture, preserving food, culture, ceremonial and holiday foods, and trade. It is the ways that food play into multiple parts of our lives and are informed by relationships both individually and on a global scale. With art throughout breaking up the blocks of text, this is interesting to read and look at. Choose this book for kids who are interested in how people interact and culture.

More information: What Do We Eat? releases September 17.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Friday, August 16, 2024

Non-fiction book review - Finding the Clotilda

 

Finding the Clotilda by Anitra Butler-Ngugi

Africatown and the Clotilda were terms I'd heard but could not remember any details so I was primed for this book. The vocabulary is accessible and Butler-Ngugi lays out the information in a clear and concise manner. From this book we learn the whole story: the history of the Clotilda; the formation of Africatown; how racism destroyed the community that was built; how the Clotilda itself was found and verified; and how that discovery lead to the preservation of Africatown. A compelling read for fans of lesser known history.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Denim bowls

 Ever had a worn out pair of jeans and felt bad about throwing them away? There are many ways you can use that denim in crafting. For instance, my mother has been cutting jeans into strips and using crochet cotton to turn them into bowls like these:





Incidentally, these bowls and a few other designs are available on our Etsy shop.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

House of Thorns by Isabel Strychacz - Lia's family has been falling apart for five years, ever since her older sister vanished and they fled from their house. She's been trying to be perfect. But now the house is calling them back and it's secrets will be revealed.

What did you recently finish reading?

Something's Wrong With Micah by Jamison Hill - Micah has a mysterious illness that keeps him confined to a wheelchair. His friends don't understand. His doctors think it's all in his head. Only Evie understands and she's keeping secrets.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters by Joan Reardon

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Picture books for everyone - Swinging Into History

 

Swinging Into History by Karen L Swanson

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