Book Review - Hollow Chest

 

Title: Hollow Chest

Author: Brita Sandstrom

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: Brilliant by Roddy Doyle

                      Stay Where You are and Then Leave by John Boyne

Rating:

 

lovely and thought-provoking

Summary (provided by publisher): Charlie has been having nightmares. Eyes watching him in the night, claws on his chest, holding him down. His dreams have been haunted for years, ever since German bombs rained down on London, taking his father’s life, taking his city’s spirit, taking his beloved brother, Theo, off to war in France.
Now Charlie is left to take care of his grandpa Fitz while his mother works, waiting for the day when Theo will come home. And with World War II nearly won, that day is almost here. Grandpa Fitz warns Charlie that soldiers sometimes come back missing a piece of themselves, but Charlie isn’t worried. Whatever Theo has lost, Charlie will help him find it.
When Theo finally does return, though, he is cold and distant. But Charlie refuses to accept that the brother he knew is gone, and soon, he discovers the reason for his brother’s change: war wolves. Terrifying ancient beasts who consume the hearts of those broken by grief.
The wolves have followed soldiers back home from the front. And if Charlie truly wants to save Theo, he’s going to have to find them and get his brother’s heart back. But can a heart that’s been eaten ever be replaced?

My opinion: Seldom do novels address mental illness in such a tangible way, portraying it as a thing that can be seen and battled. Giving it a face, like a pack of ravenous wolves, can make it easier for a child to understand even if they don't fully grasp the symbolism. It's tough to work your way through understanding symbolic characters. Sandstrom helps us out by giving the wolves blatant names: rage, regret, that sort of thing. We do get into the discussion of the role the individual wolves play in society, how they have changed, and the nature of their desires, which becomes a pretty high level of thinking. It's a well developed, important book but one I'd want to check in with a kid while they were reading. The base scenario and vocabulary are relatively simple but the concepts and emotions will be challenging for some.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Tote bag

 I've had this tote bag for a while, intending to decorate it. Every time I sit down to work on it though, I've been seized by doubts. Does that ever happen to you?

At long last, though, I picked a design. I decided to put Totoro on one side and the Moomins on the other. 

 

Listen with me

 

Baby and Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma

Making a video rental store the hook for a modern teen novel is a risky move, since that is something most teens have never experienced. In this case, though, I think it pays off. Because Posthuma works to create the world. We get a solid physical description of the store as well as the culture of the people who work there. They all have secrets that affect the way they interact with one another. Astute readers will guess Joel's secrets pretty early on but that works in the novel's favor as we question how his desire to keep them hidden will play out with other characters. While not always comfortable to read, the characters are compelling and keep us engaged.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Mythological Beings

Goblins, elves, unicorns. Is there anything more fun to speculate about than mythological creatures? I mean, Harry Potter got a whole school subject about them. Authors often incorporate them into their stories, even when they don't really explore magic. Here are six books featuring mythological beings published in the past six months.

Six new books with mythological beings

1. Secrets of Camp Whatever by Chris Grine
2. Otter Lagoon by Nancy Deas
3. In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
4. Sprite and the Gardener by Joe Whit
5. Monster Friends by Kaeti Vandorn
6. Loonicorns: Bleary Eye by ced
   

Book review - What Comes Next

 

Title: What Comes Next

Author: Rob Buyea

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Tips for Magicians by Celesta Rimington

                      Things You Can't Say by Jenn Bishop

Rating:

 

not my favorite

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Thea and her family are moving to a new town for a fresh start--her parents' bright idea. To Thea, it feels like running away. She lost her best friend, Charlie, in a tragic accident, and in the painful aftermath, she has gone mute. Her two younger sisters, however, are excited about moving, especially after their dad promises that the family will get a rescue puppy. This doesn't change Thea's mind, though, until Jack-Jack bounds into her life and makes it clear that he is no ordinary dog. As she bonds with Jack-Jack, and as the dog's mischievous ways steer her toward someone she can confide in, Thea opens up to the possibility of new friendships and forgiveness, and comes to believe in what cannot be fully explained.

My opinion: There's this method that authors use to parcel out information, where they hint at something, talk around it, for multiple chapters before finally telling us in a clear way what happened. That can be effective in the short term but when it is the main source of tension in the plot it can feel manipulative. A dog as a device for dealing with grief is a solid plot element but that dog having almost mystical abilities didn't really do much for me.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Father's Day paint

 I have one of those dads who is really difficult to shop for. He has very plain tastes, doesn't really collect anything. His current hobby is watching his bee hive. That's right - sitting in a chair and watching the bees fly in and out of their hive. I can't explain what interests him, but it led me to make him this custom t-shirt.

Of course, a t-shirt isn't much of of a gift but that was really more of a token. His real gift was a project we'd talked about a couple of weeks ago. My parents have a spring horse that they keep for the kids they babysit. It gets a lot of use and thus has been looking a bit worn recently.

 

we'd taken to calling it "Old Paint"

I gave it a good scrub to clear of the mud, moss, and any loose paint. For the new paint, I used Rust-oleum multi-surface spray paint. Once the paint has cured for a full 24 hours, it will get a layer of clear coat spray.

 

I wanted to call this new version "Wet Paint" but I've been outvoted

 

Book review - Ham Helsing

 

Title: Ham Helsing Vampire Hunger

Author: Rich Moyer

Genre: fantasy/comedy/graphic novel

Similar books: Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess

                      Cucumber Quest by D.G. Gigi

Rating:

 

good fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Ham Helsing is the descendant of a long line of adventurers and monster hunters--who don't often live to rest on their laurels. Ham has always been the odd pig out, preferring to paint or write poetry instead of inventing dangerous (dumb) new ways to catch dangerous creatures.
His brother Chad was the daredevil carrying on the family legacy of leaping before looking, but after his death, it's down to Ham. Reluctantly, he sets out on his first assignment, to hunt a vampire. But Ham soon learns that people aren't always what they seem and that you need a good team around you to help save your bacon!

My opinion: The plot of this book is fairly predictable, but that's honestly not much of a problem. Even if we know where the book is headed the journey is pretty fun. The jokes are usually based on the lowest common denominator, but that makes it pretty accessible for a middle grade audience. And you don't need much beyond a basic understanding of vampire lore to understand the ideas on which the book is based. A quick glance at the illustrations will make it clear that this is not intended to be taken seriously. The large heads and small limbs of the characters are indicative of the humorous nature of the plot. And it is pretty silly. There is some simple messaging about the assumptions we make about others based on stories we hear growing up and the destructive nature of pride. Mostly just a lot of fun with an entertaining cast of characters.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley