What are you currently reading?
The Girl and the Robot by Oz Rodriquez - Mimi's been trying to fix everything since her Papi was deported. Then she finds a robot that seems to have crashed down from space.
What did you recently finish reading?
Drew LeClair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury - A cyberbully at school is the perfect distraction when Drew's mother leaves - for good this time.
What do you think you'll read next?
Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker by Heidi Heilig
I love a good informative graphic novel and this book fits that definition to a t. We are introduced to Grimpy, a dumbo octopus, who explains features common to cephalopods, telling the reader all about what makes each species amazing. These, though, are not features of Dumbo Octopi. So there is some plot here as Grimpy begins to feen like it isn't special and we get the expected messaging about how our differences are important and everyone has something to contribute. More importantly, Lambelet does not shy away from using correct scientific terms. Each word is explained in an easy to understand way. The result is a book that is both visually compelling and deeply informative.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Author: Tom Angleberger
Genre: humor
Age range: upper elementary
Summary (provided by publisher): Get writing or get eaten! Dino Poet is on a mission: to write the first great poem—ever!
His lunch, a prehistoric frog, is also on a mission: to not get eaten! So when Frog tells Dino Poet that his poems stink, he decides lunch can wait . . . for now. The two set off into the wide, wild world, chasing life! Chasing poetry! Until a T-Rex starts chasing them.
What I liked: This is a great way to educate kids about poetry forms and to encourage creativity. As Dino Poet encounters different dinosaurs and situations Frog gives a quick introduction to a type of poem and encourages Dino to experiment. In the vein of Adventures in Cartooning, a little bit of plot prevents the information from becoming dull.
What I didn't like: The explanations of the forms are very brief, even incomplete. And the plot is quite thin as well. This isn't a book you're going to gain a lot from but it is entertaining.
More information: Dino Poet releases March 25
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Author: Gayle Forman
Genre: realistic fiction
Age range: middle grade
Similar book: The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
Summary (provided by publisher): Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home where he’s bossed around by an annoying and self-important do-gooder named Maya-Jade. He hasn’t seen his mom in a year, his aunt and uncle don’t want him, and Shady Glen’s geriatric residents seem like zombies to him.
Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp—all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey’s door…and Josey begins to tell Alex his story.
As Alex comes back again and again to hear more, an unlikely bond grows between them. Soon a new possibility opens up for Alex: Can he rise to the occasion of his life, even if it means confronting the worst thing that he’s ever done?
What I liked: Alex, for all his faults, is a realistic, relatable character. Certainly he has made and continues to make bad choices. But we can see what lead him to those choices and his slowly developing desire to be better. With a complex cast of characters with at least a little nuance, this is a fast paced compelling read that puts a new spin on the ideas that we can learn from Holocaust stories.
What I didn't like: Alex and his issues are perhaps overly idealized, his problems too easily resolved. There are many elements that push the bounds of believability but it manages to remain at an acceptable level.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
What are you currently reading?
Nothing Bad Happens Here by Rachel Ekstrom Courage - When she finds a body on the beach in Nantucket, Lucia starts investigating as a way of escaping the crushing grief that followed her to the island.
What did you recently finish reading?
Not Nothing by Gayle Forman - A troubled kid is sent to volunteer at a nursing home for community service and makes a surprising connection with the residents.
What do you think you'll read next?
The Many Hauntings of the Manning Family by Lorien Lawrence
Author: Wendy Mass
Genre: realistic fiction
Age Range: elementary
Similar book: Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lyla Lee
Summary (provided by publisher): It all began (as the best stories do) with a very stinky backpack!
Jolene wouldn’t have guessed that the first day of summer vacation would start with her trying to figure out if the squishy object smelling up her backpack was a half-eaten tuna sandwich or a six-month-old plum! (It was both!) While dumping old food in the trash and bringing out the recycling, Jolene sees the huge boxes of stuff her new neighbors got delivered. She realizes how many of her own belongings she doesn’t use anymore.
Horrified by the idea of contributing to overflowing landfills and trash-filled oceans, Jolene hatches a big plan to not only deal with her own stuff, but her whole neighborhood’s unwanted items as well. Of course, big plans never work out quite the way we think they will!
Clad in her favorite rain boots, Jolene is ready to save the world. Or, at least, to tackle her own neighborhood’s stuff and find some surprising new allies along the way.
What I liked: This is a very readable book. Jolene is a realistic character, simple in her presentation with an upbeat personality but with relatable problems. The narrative is easy to follow and well supported by illustrations that are worth seeking out in their own right. The earth friendly tips are easy to follow and are realistic for kids to enact. With a plot that includes more than just ecological concerns there's something in this book for everyone.
What I didn't like: Unsurprisingly, the ecological messaging is a bit heavy handed but doesn't go over the top. Jolene is an encouraging ambassador, not a harsh judge.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
This is a great look at number systems throughout the world and across history. We don't put a lot of thought into the concept of zero but it's surprisingly complex and absolutely essential. With cartoon-style illustrations supporting the text and adding small doses of humor this is equal parts entertaining and informative. While the appeal may be limited it's worth the effort.
More information: Zero! releases March 11.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
