Total read in March thus far: 67
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Saturday, March 30, 2019
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 62
Friday, March 29, 2019
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Picture books for everyone
It's a story we've seen many times: an character seems like they aren't capable of doing something. In this case, we have a baby bird with a deformed wing. Generally these stories take the perspective that you can achieve anything if you try hard enough. Or, occasionally, that you might have to take a different approach but that you CAN do it. Gibb's story looks at the issue from a different perspective. No matter what Baby Bird tries, he simply cannot fly. His body is not capable of that task. Instead, he has to change his idea of what it means to be a bird. He has to change his entire world view. Baby's friend never tells him not to try. He helps and encourages Baby. And then he shows him another way to be a bird, how to work with his limitations instead of in spite of them. And that is a valuable message for a young audience.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 60
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Non fiction book review - Bad Boys of Fashion
Who doesn't love stories of people who defy society's roles, who forge their own path. For me this is especially true when it comes to the fashion industry. I love people who embrace their own ideas about clothing. It was a little surprising to me how much of the focus of this book was on the lives of the men featured. By which I mean, the focus was more on their lives and culture than on their influence on fashion. I might have liked to have seen more of that aspect, particularly how their influence of fashion continues in the modern day.
More information: Bad Boys of Fashion releases April 9.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 59
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Book review - How to Make Friends with the Dark
Author: Kathleen Glasgow
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L Davis
How to be Luminous by Harriet Reuter Hapgood
Rating:
 |
| a bit of a mixed bag |
Summary (provided by publisher): Here is what happens when your mother dies.
It's the brightest day of summer and it's dark outside. It's dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart.
That's how it feels for Tiger. It's always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger's mother dies. And now it's Tiger, alone.
Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.
My opinion: At first I figured I knew exactly where this book was headed. Sudden, unexpected grief and a life you don't know how to live. Some of the plot elements are exactly what you would expect. But in many ways Glasgow pushes her plot much further than other writers. Tiger, as the novel's title implies, embraces darkness. Her life is entirely out of control and she's fully disconnected from everything she's ever known. As such, she makes drastic decisions with long term consequences. In that way, this is a realistic plot. It's also uncomfortable and difficult to engage with. So I would exercise caution before recommending to the average reader.
More information: How to Make Friends with the Dark releases April 9.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Custom Judoon
I've wanted to make a Judoon figure for a while now and I finally found the right action figure to use for the body.
It wasn't too hard to trim the fins off of the shoulders of the figure and whittle down the head to expose the neck joint. The rhino had some natural seems in it's neck that were near perfect cutting lines. Once glued in place, the rhino's head even rotates.
The Judoon's suit is pretty simple, so painting was a quick job.
He is going to look great on my shelf with my custom Cyberman.
It wasn't too hard to trim the fins off of the shoulders of the figure and whittle down the head to expose the neck joint. The rhino had some natural seems in it's neck that were near perfect cutting lines. Once glued in place, the rhino's head even rotates.
The Judoon's suit is pretty simple, so painting was a quick job.
He is going to look great on my shelf with my custom Cyberman.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 50
Thursday, March 21, 2019
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 49
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Non fiction book review - Extreme Abilities
There's not much more interesting than people who can do things that seem impossible. The interest level is high here. We love to read about an oddity. The bulk of the text focuses on the science behind these abilities. Through these profiles, young readers will learn about the biology behind speed, flexibility, vital sign control, and more. There are even tips for increasing your own abilities, though these are always accompanied by a slew of health and safety warnings. This book ties sports and science together nicely. A solid choice for most middle grade readers.
More information: Extreme Abilities releases April 9.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 47
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Book review - Mr. Penguin and the Lost Treasure
Author: Alex T. Smith
Genre: early chapter book/comedy
Similar books: Didi Dodo, Future Spy by Tom Angleberger
Snazzy Cat Capers by Deanna Kent
Rating:
 |
| cute and fun |
Summary (provided by publisher): He has a dashing hat. He has a battered satchel. He has a packed lunch of fish finger sandwiches. Now he just needs an adventure! So when Boudicca Bones from the Museum of Extraordinary objects calls for help, Mr. Penguin swings into action. Can he and Colin the spider find the museum’s missing treasure before bandits do? Or is this the adventure Mr. Penguin should have never answered? This humorous page-turning story from Alex T. Smith, the author-illustrator of the popular Claude series, is sure to thrill young readers looking for a good adventure.
My opinion: A book from the creator of Claude? What's not to like. While Mr. Penguin lacks the off-the-wall humor of the Claude series, it's solidly plotted and has a strong sense of adventure. Mr. Penguin, Colin, and Boudicca face dangers and solve clues. It combines a hint of mystery with a hunt for treasure. Just enough danger to keep it exciting without ever becoming truly frightening for a child. I'll be interested to see what direction Smith takes this series.
More information: Mr. Penguin and the Lost Treasure releases April 1.
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 46
Monday, March 18, 2019
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 44
Assorted drawings
I've mined my sketch books and photos of scrap paper doodles for this collection of some of my favorite drawings.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 41
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Friday, March 15, 2019
Book review - Ivy and the Goblins
Author: Katherine Coville
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: The Spell Thief by Tom Percival
Clover's Luck by Kallie George
Rating:
 |
| simple and sweet |
Summary (provided by publisher): The quiet town of Broomsweep has just started to adjust to the dragon, pixies, and gryphon who decided to call Ivy's cottage home when a farmer proposes an unusual trade. In exchange for curing his goat of a bellyache, the farmer will give Ivy and her grandmother a mysterious egg. When the egg hatches to reveal a baby goblin, the creature creates such mayhem, even Grandmother doesn't know what to do. It's up to Ivy and a few of her magical friends to brave a dark forest and find the goblin's family. There's just one problem: Goblins can't STAND humans! Will Ivy's daring misson succeed?
My opinion: I didn't realize, going into this book, that it was part of a series. I hadn't read the previous book but that wasn't too much of a problem in this case. There were a few references to events of the first book but the plot largely stands on it's own. The plot is straightforward, without much nuance. Sentence construction is simple as well. So, it's easy for a young reader to follow but may become tiresome for older readers.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
What am I reading today?
Killer Style by Serah-Marie McMahon and Alison Matthews David
Total read in March thus far: 34
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Graphic novel spotlight - Haphaven
The central conceit here is a unique one - that superstitions in this dimension directly correlate to realities of life in another, more magical dimension. The protagonist must adhere to superstition in order to travel through Haphaven and save her mother. As she learns more about the world, she realizes that she needs to truly understand how tehse things work together in order to fix everything, not just her mother but her whole world and Haphaven too. The stories she's heard aren't enough. And I liked the line between natural magic and real superstitions with interference from magical beings and simple misbeliefs. The first third was sort of shallow but if you power through, the level of engagement improves.
Haphaven releases March 19.
Advanced Reader copy provided by NetGalley.
What am I reading today?
The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge
Total read in March thus far: 32
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Non fiction book review - The Woolly Monkey Mysteries
This book starts out on solid footing. Is there anything more appealing to a young audience than cute animals? But this is more than just an introduction to an animal. In fact, the life of the Woolly Monkey is only a secondary focus of this book. The primary focus is on ecology in general and how scientists have learned about the role of the Woolly Monkey in the rain forest. Markle takes us through the methods biologists use to study these animals and how keystone species affect an ecosystem. Pretty brilliant for a fairly short book.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Monday, March 11, 2019
Sympathy card
It has become my habit to make my own greeting cards, usually featuring some kind of quirky image and joke. The exception, of course, is sympathy cards. In that case, I prefer a simple image of nature and a saying or Bible verse.
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 27
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Friday, March 8, 2019
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 17
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Pick 6: Disabled characters
Fiction opens a door for the reader into life for other people. It helps us to understand the ways that we are all the same and the unique struggles some people face. Over the years I've tried to pay attention to the representation of various minority groups in youth fiction. The list I've curated this month includes protagonists with disabilities.
Six new books about disabled characters published in the past six months:
Six new books about disabled characters published in the past six months:
- The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher
- Last Pick by Jason Walz
- Love Like Sky by Leslie C Youngblood
- Sincerely, Harriet by Sarah Winifred Searle
- Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
- Squint by Chad Morris
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Non-fiction book review - Can You Crack the Code
At the surface, this book walks the reader through the difference between a code and a cipher. We are given, first, a very simple example of each and then are introduced to increasingly complex types of codes and ciphers with extra emphasis on the latter. That will be interesting to most middle grade readers all on it's own. Then Schwartz introduces cipher wheels and the Enigma machine. It's an important turning point. Enigma taught the world a lot about cryptography and code breaking. And the study of Enigma leads directly into modern encryption. While this is a basic introduction to the concept, it's clear and accessible. I'd recommend it not only to kids with and interest in codes but also to adults who want to start understanding encryption.
More information: Can You Crack the Code? releases March 26.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)