I'll be back soon

Hi all!

I intended to keep to my regular posting schedule but my craft fair is in a couple of weeks and I'm SUPER far behind. So, I'm going to take a blogging break. I'll be back as soon as I'm caught up, no later than November 10. 

Thanks for sticking with me.

Custom plaque

In my quest to make unique plaques for my craft fair, I've discovered a lot of unique shapes. If you can find the underlying shape, you can find a lot of promise under a sometimes tacky decoration. This particular plaque isn't bad in it's original form, though I'm not a fan of the cardboard banner attached to the front. It's shape presented some unique challenges in coming up with a new design.
 

Book review - The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Title: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
Author: Kiersten White
Genre: retelling/horror
Similar books: Henry Franks by Peter Adam Salomon
                      This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

Rating:

early promise doesn't pan out

Summary (provided by publisher): Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.
Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.
But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness. 

My opinion: Initially, I was on board with this version of the Frankenstein story. It's a unique approach. Usually, retellings either modernize the story (Teen Frankenstein) or take us through the depths of Victor's thoughts and motivations, making him a more sympathetic character (This Dark Endeavor). It was nice, then, to get a new perspective. It's a darker exploration, to be certain. White's version makes Victor something of a sociopath, a budding serial killer. It's Elizabeth's motivations and desperation that make it compelling. Which is why I feel like it starts to fall apart around the mid point. At this point Elizabeth's position is more secure. Yes, her relative comfort allows her to view Victor's actions more objectively and thus brings us to the final confrontations. But it also allows the plot to devolve from tight psychological exploration to more sensational violence and degradation. Had it kept the interest up through the whole length I'd give it my whole-hearted endorsement. Instead, I suggest going in with managed expectations.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Pick 6: horror

October means it's time for my annual list of horror stories. Who doesn't love a good scare in October? It's almost required to prepare for Halloween by scaring yourself silly. Here are six horror books published in the last six months.

6 new horror novels

1. A Graveyard Visible by Steve Conoby

2. Animus by Antoine Revoy

3. The House in Poplar Wood by K. E. Ormsbee

4. Scream Site by Justina Ireland

5. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

6. Fraternity by Juan Diaz Canales

Non fiction book review - The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid

The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid by Dylan Thomas and Rosemary Mosco

I'm a big fan of the quirky and weird, especially when it comes to trivia. Info about a volcano within a volcano? Sign me up! This book introduces young readers to wonders of the world, be they naturally occurring or human constructions. It's built around a great structure too. Each wonder is paired with a similar attraction on another continent. Thus the reader sees not only what makes each place unique, but also the things that tie them together. This is the sort of book you can leaf through repeatedly, finding new things every time.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Wooden owls

I'm a fan of craft kits, especially these little wooden decorations. You're supposed to color them but I find the ink tends to run. I prefer paint. 
 

Picture books for everyone

Sir Simon Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson

Sir Simon takes the idea of ghosts and turns it slightly onto it's ear. He's a pleasant character, in that he does not wish those he haunts any actual harm. He's doing a job. Some parts he enjoys; others are more of a chore. Add into the mix an enthusiastic child. A child who finds the idea of ghosts thrilling. Simon, as we might expect tricks the boy into doing his chores. The resulting role reversal serves to teach young readers about strengths, seeing the world from a new perspective, and empathy. The plot is simple enough for young readers to follow, inventive enough for older kids to enjoy. Most importantly, the illustrations add context, emotion, and a dose of cheeky humor to the tale. 
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - The Vast Wonder of the World

The Vast Wonder of the World by Melina Mangal

Most of us get only a limited view of black history in school. Even during Black History Month we get stories of Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, and maybe George Washington Carver. We get abolition and the Civil Rights Movement, ignoring contributions in literally every other field. Mathematics. Business. Music. Art. Science. THat's where books like this one come in. If the public school system fails us then people like Mangal will take up the task. I'd never heart of Just. He achieved amazing discoveries with a microscope that was barely better than a hand lens. And Mangal doesn't hesitate to tell the reader the way that American society dismissed this amazing scientist doe to his race. Better to acknowledge the prejudice so that we can learn from it.

More information: The Vast Wonder of the World releases November 1.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - Property of the Rebel Librarian

Title: Property of the Rebel Librarian
Author: Allison Varnes
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Ban This Book by Alan Gratz
                      I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora
Rating:

not my favorite

Summary (provided by publisher): When twelve-year-old June Harper's parents discover what they deem an inappropriate library book, they take strict parenting to a whole new level. And everything June loves about Dogwood Middle School unravels: librarian Ms. Bradshaw is suspended, an author appearance is canceled, the library is gutted, and all books on the premises must have administrative approval.
But June can't give up books . . . and she realizes she doesn't have to when she spies a Little Free Library on her walk to school. As the rules become stricter at school and at home, June keeps turning the pages of the banned books that continue to appear in the little library. It's a delicious secret . . . and one she can't keep to herself. June starts a banned book library of her own in an abandoned locker at school. The risks grow alongside her library's popularity, and a movement begins at Dogwood Middle--a movement that, if exposed, could destroy her. But if it's powerful enough, maybe it can save Ms. Bradshaw and all that she represents: the freedom to read.
Equal parts fun and empowering, this novel explores censorship, freedom of speech, and activism. For any kid who doesn't believe one person can effect change...and for all the kids who already know they can!

My opinion: Conversations about censorship in any form, and specifically the right to read, are important. This is particularly true for middle graders who are just beginning to realize that they have rights and that they can take action when those rights are being restricted, that even kids can take action when life is unfair. Any book that starts that conversation is worth reading. That being said, this wouldn't be my first pick. I found the events too extreme, the time frame unrealistic. We go from a complaint about a single book to the complete gutting of the library in a matter of days. Suspension for possession of a book is an extreme punishment and is enacted overnight. It isn't believable. Now, the intent is sound. I just think other books get the message across better.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Note cards

I started hand drawing note cards for a craft fair last fall and kind of got bitten by the colored pencil bug. I've got another craft fair coming up in just over a month so I've been working on some new designs. Here are a few early attempts.