Book review - The Mall

Title: The Mall
Author: Megan McCafferty
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig by Don Zolidis
                      Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner
Rating:

a great snapshot of the time

Summary (provided by publisher): The year is 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes and 90210 are, like, totally fresh. Cassie Worthy is psyched to spend the summer after graduation working at the Parkway Center Mall. In six weeks, she and her boyfriend head off to college in NYC to fulfill The Plan: higher education and happily ever after.
But you know what they say about the best laid plans...
Set entirely in a classic “monument to consumerism,” the novel follows Cassie as she finds friendship, love, and ultimately herself, in the most unexpected of places. Megan McCafferty, beloved New York Times bestselling author of the Jessica Darling series, takes readers on an epic trip back in time to The Mall.

My opinion: McCafferty really captures the essence of the early 1990's, in large part because she's set the entire plot within the mall. We see all of the specialty shops, the culture of the mall. Now, since the plot is essentially a treasure hunt it has an almost magical air. Really, though, that hunt is just a framework for the character development. It's a method by which Cassie explores the complexity of relationships, the ways people change for each other, and finding the balance between healthy compromise and staying true to yourself. It makes some interesting points about toxic masculinity but the characters are a little progressive for their time. While the attitudes are understandable now, they were far less common in 1991. It makes some interesting points about emotional maturity, though it's not likely to be my first choice.
More information: The Mall releases July 28.
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Book review - Starting from Seneca Falls

Title: Starting from Seneca Falls
Author: Karen Schwbach
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: A Time for Courage by Katherine Lasky
                     Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop
Rating:

Summary (provided by publisher): Bridie's life has been a series of wrongs. The potato famine in Ireland. Being sent to the poorhouse when her mother's new job in America didn't turn out the way they'd hoped. Becoming an orphan.
And then there's the latest wrong--having to work for a family so abusive that Bridie is afraid she won't survive. So she runs away to Seneca Falls, New York, which in 1848 is a bustling town full of possibility. There, she makes friends with Rose, a girl with her own list of wrongs, but with big dreams, too.
Rose helps Bridie get a job with the strangest lady she's ever met, Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Mrs. Stanton is planning a convention to talk about the rights of women. For Bridie and Rose, it's a new idea, that women and girls could have a voice. But they sure are sick of all the wrongs. Maybe it's time to fight for their rights! 

My opinion: The Seneca Falls Convention is a relatively well know event among history buffs, less so among the rest of us. Even if it's familiar, though, viewing it through teh eyes of children nearby is always an interesting premise. This particular book gives us two marginalized perspectives: a white domestic worker and a black school girl. Bridie comes from abject poverty and expects very little out of life. She figures all the future holds for her is hard work. She's never really seen any other possibility. It does not occur to her to consider what she might want out of life. Rose is filled with ambition. She wants to achieve great things but society tells her that her gender and her race will hold her back. The plot is pretty straightforward and not especially conflict driven. The ending is built on a lot of convenient coincidences and cuts off pretty short. Still an interesting exploration that could spark some decent conversations with young readers.
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Listen with me

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Well, this wasn't quite as silly as I was expecting. What it was, instead, was utterly compelling. Mia is an immigrant from China. She and her parents are living below the poverty line, working for a cruel and opportunistic boss. They are confronted with the class divide and prejudice on a regular basis. Yang is not satisfied with showing us a simple conflict. She deftly integrates larger cultural issues, leading to a pleasantly complex plot that remains accessible for a young audience. The narration is well timed, a little slower paced so a child listener can absorb what is being said, without talking down to the listener.

Non-fiction book review - Big Thinkers and Big Ideas

Big Thinkers and Big Ideas by Sharon Kaye

There are some ideas that we tend to think are too big for kids: politics, physics, philosophy, etc. So when I encounter kid's books on one of these topics, curiosity drives me to read it. And they have yet to disappoint me. This particular book gives us the bare bones introduction to a variety of philosophical approaches, major figures in the field, and both supporters and detractors. Finally, we get an idea to reflect upon. Kaye helps the reader explore each approach and find the philosophy that makes the most sense to each individual. Given that most of us get little to no education in philosophy, this entry level introduction is invaluable.
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Book review - A Sky Painted Gold

Title: A Sky Painted Gold
Author: Laura Wood
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill
                      Snow White: a graphic novel by Matt Phelan
Rating:

an interesting approach

Summary (provided by publisher): It is the summer of 1929. Lou Trevelyan is a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a writer. Then she meets the Cardew siblings: the bubbly Caitlin and her handsome, enigmatic brother, Robert. Lou is swept into their glittering whirlwind of moonlit parties, unrivaled glamour, and whispered secrets. As she falls deeper into the world of high society, Lou must find a way to stay true to herself . . . and her heart. 

My opinion: One need not be overly familiar with The Great Gatsby to recognize the parallels in this novel. We have a working class protagonist thrown into the complexities of privileged class neighbors, neighbors who seem to do nothing but have  parties. This novel has less casual racism than Gatsby but takes a much harder look at classism. And the examples we see come both from the Cardews and their friends and from Lou's family. As Lou becomes more entrenched in life on the Cardew estate we see the emptiness and casual decadence of their lifestyle. And Lou's involvement creates distance with her own family. She also begins to see how the parties and fun are a cover for real pain and preventing them from going after things they actually want. One thing Gatsby has over this book is the ending. Fitzgerald's final chapters are fairly tragic, pointing out the futility of living for pleasure. This book instead suggests that a happy ending is possible for everyone involved. It might be interesting to read these two books side by side and compare ideas and images.
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Custom shoes

I got a great deal on some slip on canvas shoes a while back. They're pretty comfortable but were a bit boring.

So, I gave them a quick face lift with some glow-in-the-dark fabric paint that I had lying around. Now they look as good as they feel.

 
 

Listen with me

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

The last couple of audio books I listened to were rather dense or serious, so I'm hopeful that this will be more of a lighthearted listen. I know it's fairly short, so expect to see the follow up post next week.

Non-fiction book review - Inventors

Inventors by Robert Winston

I've read a fair number of profile collections now and each one has it's own advantage. By focusing on a particular type of achievement, this book is able to feature a wide variety of people, from various places and time periods. They achieved a lot of different innovations, based on years of study or trial and error based on an immediate need. And because each profile is pretty short, focused entirely on the invention, it's a quick read, easily absorbed in a single sitting, even for young readers.
 
More information: Inventors releases July 7
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Book review - Seven Clues to Home

Title: Seven Clues to Home
Author: Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O'Shaughnessy
                      Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
Rating:

contemplative

Summary (provided by publisher): WHEN YOU'VE LOST WHAT MATTERS MOST,
HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK HOME?
Joy Fonseca is dreading her 13th birthday, dreading being reminded again about her best friend Lukas's senseless death on this day, one year ago -- and dreading the fact he may have heard what she accidentally blurted to him the night before. Or maybe she's more worried he didn't hear.
Either way, she's decided: she's going to finally open the first clue to their annual birthday scavenger hunt Lukas left for her the morning he died, hoping the rest of the clues are still out there. If they are, they might lead Joy to whatever last words Lukas wrote, and toward understanding how to grab onto the future that is meant to be hers.

My opinion: In many ways, this is a more polished descendant of those "too young to die" books for teens popular in the nineties. By presenting us with the fact of Lukas's death at the beginning, we know that any development of the relationship between them can't possibly end happily. The plot is fairly simple, focused only on Joy finding clues and Lukas hiding them. The true development in this book is emotional. We see how their relationship grew in complexity, the promise of what might have happened between them, and Joy coming to terms with the loss of her friend at a time when everything else was changing as well. This is a book for middle graders ready for more emotional complexity.
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Book review - Again Again

Title: Again Again
Author: e. lockhart
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
                      You by Charles Benoit
Rating:

"best book ever"

Summary (provided by publisher): If you could live your life again, what would you do differently?
After a near-fatal family catastrophe and an unexpected romantic upheaval, Adelaide Buchwald finds herself catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times--while finally confronting the secrets she keeps, her ideas about love, and the weird grandiosity of the human mind.
A raw, funny story that will surprise you over and over, Again Again gives us an indelible heroine grappling with the terrible and wonderful problem of loving other people.
 
My opinion: When I finished reading this book, the very first thing I wanted was to make someone else read it so I would have someone to discuss it with. I genuinely believe this is Lockhart's best, most innovative book. I reached the end and realized I didn't know which version of events had actually happened. I was expecting something like Groundhog Day, repeating events until you get it "right". The kind of story we see often.  This book, instead, gives us several versions of events, some subtly different, others vastly so. Each variation affects the rest of the narrative. And as we read the different versions we begin to see the difference between the happiest version and the one we most want, the one that feels most realistic. It's also noteworthy that most of the variations end less than perfectly There is no perfection, just experience that inform Adelaide's future choices, that open her up to other possibilities. As I finished the book I was asking which version of reality actually happened. And then I realized that it didn't matter. That the questions it prompted me to ask were the point. A must read and an excellent selection for book clubs.
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Graphic novel spotlight - Doodleville

Doodleville by Chad Sell
Doodleville is predicated on a truly clever idea. Drew loves to draw. She draws everything that inspires her without inhibition. And from the time that she is very young, her drawings travel off the page and into the real world. She doesn't see this as a problem though, as the plot progresses, she realizes that other people see her drawings differently. As she begins to experience doubt, to be influenced by other people's negativity, those emotions warp her drawing. While this general plot progression seems pretty straightforward, it's eventual resolution is far more subtle, relying not only on teamwork but the integration of free thinking and restraint. The result is a sweet and affirming story with plenty of potential to grow in future volumes.

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Non-fiction book review - We the People

We the People by Aura Lewis and Edan Sargent

Most of us learn very little about the Constitution in school. Additionally, many books about foundational documents are dense and full of complex political theory. And that's where books like this one step in. It walks us through the constitution, first the base articles and then the amendments. For each point we are shown the actual text, given a brief clarification of it's meaning, and some examples of the information in practice. Even more importantly, it presents us with questions to consider. The ultimate goal is to understand our rights and the structure of our government. This is a book I'd recommend to most anyone, kids or adults.

More information: We the People releases July 1.
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Book review - Curse of the Night Witch

Title: Curse of the Night Witch
Author: Alex Aster
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Silverworld by Diana Abu-Jaber
                      Changeling by William Ritter
Rating:

a solid introduction to a series

Summary (provided by publisher): On Emblem Island all are born knowing their fate. Their lifelines show the course of their life and an emblem dictates how they will spend it.
Twelve-year-old Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem, just like his mother. But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself. So, on the annual New Year's Eve celebration, where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted, Tor wishes for a different power.
The next morning Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin...the symbol of a curse that has shortened his lifeline, giving him only a week before an untimely death. There is only one way to break the curse, and it requires a trip to the notorious Night Witch.
With only his village's terrifying, ancient stories as a guide, and his two friends Engle and Melda by his side, Tor must travel across unpredictable Emblem Island, filled with wicked creatures he only knows through myths, in a race against his dwindling lifeline

My opinion: At first, this seems like every other fantasy adventure. It has all of the standard elements - an unlikely group is thrust into a journey, a quest that pits them against a series of incredible odds and unimaginable dangers. In it's details, it is has many similarities to Harry Potter, Tor standing in for Harry, Engle for Ron, and Melda for Hermione. They are traveling towards a confrontation with a legendary, mysterious villain. With that framework, it had the possibility of becoming incredibly derivative. It's the final confrontation that makes this one truly stand out. The reveal of the nature of the Night Witch and her role in the structure of Emblem Island not only sets this book apart, it sets up the ongoing plot of the series and lends a sociological complexity that most middle grade fantasy lacks. And the whole plot asks the reader not only to question our own role in society but also the role of legend and story. Well worth a read.
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Peg dolls continued

When I started painting my famous ladies peg dolls, I thought I might be able to come up with a couple dozen figures to highlight. The more I paint, though, the longer my list grows. I'm really enjoying learning about and sharing what I've learned about some truly inspiring women. This group includes: Ada Lovelace, Bessie Coleman, Caroline Herschel, Dolores Huerta, Frances Glessner-Lee, and Hypatia.