Book review - The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist

 

Titles: The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist

Author: Anders Sparring and Per Gustavsson

Genre: early chapter book/humor

Similar books: Good Crooks series by Mary Amato

                      Claude series by Alex T Smith

Rating:

 

silly fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Theo is good at most things. He can almost count to a thousand, knows several French words, and can operate the washing machine. But he can't lie or steal.
"You must try harder," says his mother sternly.
The Pincher Family love to steal things. It's what they are born for! When his parents leave to visit the diamond exhibition, Theo's heart sinks. After breaking Grandma out of prison (his little sister needs someone to read her bedtime story), Theo sees no alternative but to stop his parents stealing the diamond. His shout of "Stop! Police!" brings them only delight—Theo's lie has shown he is a true Pincher.

My opinion: It is worth noting that this book is a translation, though one might not guess it while reading. The only real indicator is the use of terms not common in the US. The English translation has a natural feel. The vocabulary is accessible and the plot is easy to follow. The humor is strong as well, with pun-based names that lend themselves to being read aloud and ridiculous events in equal measure. With appealing illustrations that support the text this is a solid choice for a young reader.

More information: The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist releases April 2.

Graphic novel spotlight - Nothing Special

 

Nothing Special by Katie Cook

If you like magical adventures and offbeat humor then this is the series or you. It starts with a fairly standard premise - a couple of teens discover they are not fully human and set out on a quest to find a missing parent. It dips into the quirky side when the are quickly accompanied by the ghost of a radish. And things get weirder from there. It doesn't take itself too seriously but remains true to it's premise the whole time. A fun and quick read, well worth the effort.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist by Anders Sparring - A boy in a family of thieves struggles to act like his parents expect while secretly wishing to be good. It's a quick and silly read.

What did you recently finish reading?

Ranger Academy by Maria Ingrande Mora - I was just a bit too old for Power Rangers when they were initially popular so I've never gotten into the fandom. If you're like me this is probably a good introduction since the protagonist is equally uninitiated. It does a solid job of world building and introducing unique characters.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaugnessy

Book review - In the Orbit of You

Title: In the Orbit of You

Author: Ashley Schumacher

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson

                      Some Other Now by Sarah Everett

Rating:

 

a surprising amount to chew on

Summary (provided by publisher): It's been years since Nova Evans last saw Sam. She was too young then to understand why he had to move away—and what it had to do with the cuts and bruises he got from home and never wanted to talk about. All she knew is that they promised to find each other when they were older, something she thought was impossible thanks to her and her mom moving around constantly. Until she bumps into Sam in her new school, and realizes he has clearly forgotten their childhood promise.
Sam Jordan has a plan for his life: accept his college football scholarship, date his girlfriend Abigail, and—most importantly—hide how much he wants to do something, anything other than The Plan™ his parents and coaches have set before him. It doesn't matter if sometimes he finds himself thinking about the new girl he met in the cafeteria, a girl who reminds him of a past that hurts to remember.
When a school-wide personality test reveals Nova and Sam to be each others' top matches—not only that, but a match of 99%, the highest in the school—they begin to remember why they were such close friends, all those years ago. As well as the myriad of reasons this new-yet-familiar, magnetic, sparkling thing between them will never, ever work out.

My opinion: Let's start with the obvious - this is a teen romance so the general thrust of the plot is going to be obvious. And it hangs on a lot of coincidence. Old friends who meet up again in their teens and are immediately entranced with one another. A personality test puts them on each other's radar. The reconnection forces them to address truths about their lives. And if that's all this book was it would be pretty eye-roll inducing. But it doesn't shy away from asking difficult questions and forcing characters to deal with the consequences of their decisions. It manages to achieve what a lot of romances aim for - more depth.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Graphic novel spotlight - Absolute Zeros

 

Absolute Zeros by Greg Smith and Michael Tanner

The central elements here are pretty standard ones: kids at a summer camp with conflicting personalities have to find a way to work together to save their camp from a more privileged rival.  Really, it's not doing much in terms of breaking new ground. The characters generally fall into expected types, especially the rivals. Really, though, that's okay. Because it's space camp. Rockets and drones and low gravity simulators are inherently appealing and provide a strong backdrop for those familiar themes. It's visually well designed with panels drawing our eye naturally down the page and balances text and action.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Non-fiction book review - The Enigma Girls

 

The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming

This book brings together some truly appealing elements to provide a compelling, straightforward read. We learn about the grand scope of the project to crack the Enigma codes and the importance of code breaking and secrecy for success in World War II.  Because of the sheer number of people involved it can be too much to understand, so Fleming has focused on a handful of specific figures to help provide focus. And because the central figures here are teenagers instead of the well-known names the text is more relatable for a young audience. The narrative is broken up with sections about ciphers and cryptography more generally. This is an easily understood book and one I highly recommend.  

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Underdogs of Upson Downs

 

Title: The Underdogs of Upson Downs

Author: Craig Silvey

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Wish by Barbara O'Connor

                     Underdog City by Chris Negron

Rating:

 

gentle and heart-filled

Summary (provided by pubisher): Annie Shearer lives in the country town of Upson Downs with her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The two share a very special bond.
After years evading capture, Runt is remarkably fast and agile, perfect for herding runaway sheep. But when a greedy local landowner puts her family's home at risk, Annie directs Runt's extraordinary talents toward a different pursuit--winning the Agility Course Grand Championship at the lucrative Krumpets Dog Show in London.
However, there is a curious catch: Runt will only obey Annie's commands if nobody else is watching.
With all eyes on them, Annie and Runt must beat the odds--and the fastest dogs in the world--to save her farm.

My opinion: There are many things to love about this book. Annie is a loner but not especially lonely. She's happy with her life and determined to maintain it unchanged. Her family is supportive and quirky. There is conflict in the plot but it tends towards the ridiculous. The "villain" reads like something out of a cartoon, closer to Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events than a real person, so the sense of danger and risk is low. It keeps the tone light-hearted. Silvey plays with reality, suggesting something akin to magic without ever fully committing to the supernatural. We could see this as a mystical connection or just good luck. Either way, the book is pleasant and surprisingly gentle with enough humor to keep us from taking it too seriously.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley