Book review - Virtually Me

 

Title: Virtually Me

Author: Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Captain Superlative by J S Puller

                     Shine by J J Grabenstein

Rating: 

 

a decent approach to a familiar concept

Summary (provided by publisher): This school year, Bradley, Edelle, and Hunter will be wearing virtual-reality headsets and attending a three-dimensional, simulated school while interacting as avatars. Having a customized avatar is a bonus as some students want to hide behind a new identity.

Bradley is eager for a brand-new identity. A cool avatar will allow him to escape the bullies who have made fun of him for years and gives him a fresh start to make new friends on his own terms.

Edelle is forced to attend the virtual school by her mom who says she’s too obsessed with being at the top of the “Best-Looking Girls” list circulating at school. Even worse, Edelle’s mom insists she chooses a generic avatar. Mortified by how her avatar looks, Edelle registers under a new name so no one can identify her. But will she lose her prized social status if no one can recognize her?
Hunter is known for his popularity, charm, and his lustrous mane of hair, except with his recent diagnosis of alopecia, his hair has begun to fall out, even his eyebrows. VR school allows him to maintain his popularity—and the illusion of a full head of hair—even if it means hiding behind an avatar. He tells his friends that once his grades are back up, he’ll return to school in person. But he wonders how being isolated will affect his relationships.
As Bradley, Edelle, and Hunter get to know each other in their virtual environment, they realize that the school is not all fun and games and the simulated environment just brings different problems than an in-person school. Each student will see themselves and their world through a new lens as they learn about what true friendship means and the difference between fitting in and belonging.

My opinion: Middle school stories tend to focus on one of three things: popularity, becoming comfortable with your identity, and hiding a secret you think will mark you as too different. This book hits on all three while also giving us a sort of idealized school environment. It is the best possible version of virtual schooling and what we would wish for all of our kids. Now, given that the "issues" addressed by the plot we won't be surprised by most of the directions that the plot takes. The characters develop in pretty predictable ways and thus don't have much depth. Even so, there is enough novelty to the plot to keep the reader engaged. It's worth a look, especially if you have a young reader who needs some encouragement in the direction of considering the difference between public perception and a person's internal reality.

More information: Virtually Me releases February 7.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Small basket

 Just after Christmas I shared with you my first attempt at nalbinding. Today I bring you my first completed project - a little basket. I didn't work from a proper pattern, just made a loop that looked big enough (big enough for what - I have no idea) and worked it until it seemed a good size. This little basked is made from strips of old t-shirt. I'm not sure what I'll do with it exactly, though it happens to be almost perfectly sized for the glass dishes that I pack my lunches in, so it might become a microwave cozy.

Book review - Simon Sort of Says

 

Title: Simon Sort of Says

Author: Erin Bow

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Repairing the World by Linda Epstein

                     Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D Schmidt

Rating:

 

perfectly balanced

Summary (provided by publisher): Simon O’Keeffe’s biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he’d do anything to forget: the story in which he’s the only kid in his class who survived a school shooting.
Two years after the infamous event, twelve-year-old Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone—the only place in America where the internet is banned. Instead of talking about Simon, the astronomers who flock to the area are busy listening for signs of life in space. And when Simon makes a friend who’s determined to give the scientists what they’re looking for, he’ll finally have the chance to spin a new story for the world to tell.

My opinion: We'd expect this to be a real heavy story but it is surprisingly light hearted. The deep moments, where characters face their trauma or express their needs even though it's hard, are rare. Their scarcity makes them all the more impactful given that the bulk of the book is goat births, rampaging emus, a dog that helps himself to beer, and a plot to fake an alien signal. Tying the whole thing together is a cast of characters who feel real. Sure their interests are weirdly specific and obscure (like playing the sackbut) but their interactions are dynamic and their voices distinct and honest. The details are a bit intense (we are talking about the trauma of surviving a school shooting after all) so exercise caution but know that it's worth the read.

More information: Simon Sort of Says releases January 31

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Tidesong

 

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

At face value, this is a fairly standard magic story. We have a young witch who is frustrated by the slow methodical way she is expected to train. Her impatience causes trouble when a spell has unintended consequences involving a water dragon. Sophie learns magic and patience, etc. But it's also more than that. It's a tale of the expectation and disapproval of adults and how it influences a child's behavior. It is the way children can flourish if given the chance. And it is a collection of beautiful dynamic artwork on top of that. The marketing for this book compares it to the films of Studio Ghibli and the comparison is well earned.

 

Non-fiction book review - The Real History of Angel Island

 

The Real History of Angel Island by Carol Kim

I was much older than I care to admit before I realized that Angel Island as a thing and that the picture I had of immigration, of hopeful people waiting in a bright room to be admitted into the country, was a far cry from reality. Reading this book will give young readers a complete picture not only of Angel Island but also of the cruelties and discrimination of American immigration policy. The writing and vocabulary here are simple and easy to follow. Its probably a good idea to read this along with your child so you can discuss the policies, cultural norms, and racism that come along with the information.

Book review - Promise Boys

 

Title: Promise Boys

Author: Nick Brooks

Genre: mystery

Similar books: One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite

                     Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

Rating:

 

elements worth discussing

Summary (provided by publisher): The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are forced to follow the prestigious "program's" strict rules. Extreme discipline, they’ve been told, is what it takes to be college bound, to avoid the fates of many men in their neighborhoods. This, the Principal Moore Method, supposedly saves lives.
But when Moore ends up murdered and the cops come sniffing around, the trio emerges as the case's prime suspects. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. But is the true culprit hiding among them?

My opinion: There are certainly things that I like about this book. I like the way that it discusses perceptions. The messages are pretty obvious, of course. We're looking a lot at how Black teens, especially boys, are viewed by the world. And how treating teens like criminals encourages criminal behavior rather than discouraging it. We're looking at the corruption of power and how well intentioned ideas can turn out badly. But a lot of the messaging is pretty obvious and heavy handed. There is little in the way of nuance. Still, it raises enough interesting ideas to make it worth a read.

More information: Promise Boys releases January 31.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Cap-sleeved no more

 What do you do when you have the sleeves left over from a dress? You find a shirt with sleeves that you hate and do some surgery. I had these cool unicorn sleeves begging to be used and a mostly comfortable v-neck shirt with cap-sleeves that I kind of despised. It was a quick matter of clipping off the old sleeves leaving a half inch or so for seeming, pinning in the long sleeves, and sewing them down. The new sleeves were a tiny bit bigger around than the armholes, so I just cut down the side seem of the shirt an inch or so until the diameters matched.