Book Review - Hollow Chest

 

Title: Hollow Chest

Author: Brita Sandstrom

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: Brilliant by Roddy Doyle

                      Stay Where You are and Then Leave by John Boyne

Rating:

 

lovely and thought-provoking

Summary (provided by publisher): Charlie has been having nightmares. Eyes watching him in the night, claws on his chest, holding him down. His dreams have been haunted for years, ever since German bombs rained down on London, taking his father’s life, taking his city’s spirit, taking his beloved brother, Theo, off to war in France.
Now Charlie is left to take care of his grandpa Fitz while his mother works, waiting for the day when Theo will come home. And with World War II nearly won, that day is almost here. Grandpa Fitz warns Charlie that soldiers sometimes come back missing a piece of themselves, but Charlie isn’t worried. Whatever Theo has lost, Charlie will help him find it.
When Theo finally does return, though, he is cold and distant. But Charlie refuses to accept that the brother he knew is gone, and soon, he discovers the reason for his brother’s change: war wolves. Terrifying ancient beasts who consume the hearts of those broken by grief.
The wolves have followed soldiers back home from the front. And if Charlie truly wants to save Theo, he’s going to have to find them and get his brother’s heart back. But can a heart that’s been eaten ever be replaced?

My opinion: Seldom do novels address mental illness in such a tangible way, portraying it as a thing that can be seen and battled. Giving it a face, like a pack of ravenous wolves, can make it easier for a child to understand even if they don't fully grasp the symbolism. It's tough to work your way through understanding symbolic characters. Sandstrom helps us out by giving the wolves blatant names: rage, regret, that sort of thing. We do get into the discussion of the role the individual wolves play in society, how they have changed, and the nature of their desires, which becomes a pretty high level of thinking. It's a well developed, important book but one I'd want to check in with a kid while they were reading. The base scenario and vocabulary are relatively simple but the concepts and emotions will be challenging for some.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Tote bag

 I've had this tote bag for a while, intending to decorate it. Every time I sit down to work on it though, I've been seized by doubts. Does that ever happen to you?

At long last, though, I picked a design. I decided to put Totoro on one side and the Moomins on the other. 

 

Listen with me

 

Baby and Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma

Making a video rental store the hook for a modern teen novel is a risky move, since that is something most teens have never experienced. In this case, though, I think it pays off. Because Posthuma works to create the world. We get a solid physical description of the store as well as the culture of the people who work there. They all have secrets that affect the way they interact with one another. Astute readers will guess Joel's secrets pretty early on but that works in the novel's favor as we question how his desire to keep them hidden will play out with other characters. While not always comfortable to read, the characters are compelling and keep us engaged.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Mythological Beings

Goblins, elves, unicorns. Is there anything more fun to speculate about than mythological creatures? I mean, Harry Potter got a whole school subject about them. Authors often incorporate them into their stories, even when they don't really explore magic. Here are six books featuring mythological beings published in the past six months.

Six new books with mythological beings

1. Secrets of Camp Whatever by Chris Grine
2. Otter Lagoon by Nancy Deas
3. In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
4. Sprite and the Gardener by Joe Whit
5. Monster Friends by Kaeti Vandorn
6. Loonicorns: Bleary Eye by ced
   

Book review - What Comes Next

 

Title: What Comes Next

Author: Rob Buyea

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Tips for Magicians by Celesta Rimington

                      Things You Can't Say by Jenn Bishop

Rating:

 

not my favorite

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Thea and her family are moving to a new town for a fresh start--her parents' bright idea. To Thea, it feels like running away. She lost her best friend, Charlie, in a tragic accident, and in the painful aftermath, she has gone mute. Her two younger sisters, however, are excited about moving, especially after their dad promises that the family will get a rescue puppy. This doesn't change Thea's mind, though, until Jack-Jack bounds into her life and makes it clear that he is no ordinary dog. As she bonds with Jack-Jack, and as the dog's mischievous ways steer her toward someone she can confide in, Thea opens up to the possibility of new friendships and forgiveness, and comes to believe in what cannot be fully explained.

My opinion: There's this method that authors use to parcel out information, where they hint at something, talk around it, for multiple chapters before finally telling us in a clear way what happened. That can be effective in the short term but when it is the main source of tension in the plot it can feel manipulative. A dog as a device for dealing with grief is a solid plot element but that dog having almost mystical abilities didn't really do much for me.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Father's Day paint

 I have one of those dads who is really difficult to shop for. He has very plain tastes, doesn't really collect anything. His current hobby is watching his bee hive. That's right - sitting in a chair and watching the bees fly in and out of their hive. I can't explain what interests him, but it led me to make him this custom t-shirt.

Of course, a t-shirt isn't much of of a gift but that was really more of a token. His real gift was a project we'd talked about a couple of weeks ago. My parents have a spring horse that they keep for the kids they babysit. It gets a lot of use and thus has been looking a bit worn recently.

 

we'd taken to calling it "Old Paint"

I gave it a good scrub to clear of the mud, moss, and any loose paint. For the new paint, I used Rust-oleum multi-surface spray paint. Once the paint has cured for a full 24 hours, it will get a layer of clear coat spray.

 

I wanted to call this new version "Wet Paint" but I've been outvoted

 

Book review - Ham Helsing

 

Title: Ham Helsing Vampire Hunger

Author: Rich Moyer

Genre: fantasy/comedy/graphic novel

Similar books: Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess

                      Cucumber Quest by D.G. Gigi

Rating:

 

good fun

Summary (provided by publisher): Ham Helsing is the descendant of a long line of adventurers and monster hunters--who don't often live to rest on their laurels. Ham has always been the odd pig out, preferring to paint or write poetry instead of inventing dangerous (dumb) new ways to catch dangerous creatures.
His brother Chad was the daredevil carrying on the family legacy of leaping before looking, but after his death, it's down to Ham. Reluctantly, he sets out on his first assignment, to hunt a vampire. But Ham soon learns that people aren't always what they seem and that you need a good team around you to help save your bacon!

My opinion: The plot of this book is fairly predictable, but that's honestly not much of a problem. Even if we know where the book is headed the journey is pretty fun. The jokes are usually based on the lowest common denominator, but that makes it pretty accessible for a middle grade audience. And you don't need much beyond a basic understanding of vampire lore to understand the ideas on which the book is based. A quick glance at the illustrations will make it clear that this is not intended to be taken seriously. The large heads and small limbs of the characters are indicative of the humorous nature of the plot. And it is pretty silly. There is some simple messaging about the assumptions we make about others based on stories we hear growing up and the destructive nature of pride. Mostly just a lot of fun with an entertaining cast of characters.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen With Me

 

Baby and Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma

This book promises personal secrets (the summary includes the phrases "The Bad Thing That Happened" and "What Was Wrong With Him" in capitals like that for emphasis) and the backdrop of small town life in the 90s. I expect good things from this one.

Book review - Oddity

 

Title: Oddity

Author: Eli Brown

Genre: fantasy/alternate history

Similar books: The League of Seven by Alan Gratz

                     Uncrashable Dakota by Andy Marino

Rating:

 

an exciting read

Summary (provided by publisher): The daughter of a murdered physician vows to protect the magical Oddity he left behind in an alternate nineteenth century where a failed Louisiana Purchase has locked a young Unified States into conflict with France.
It’s the early 1800s, and Clover travels the impoverished borderlands of the Unified States with her father, a physician. See to the body before you, he teaches her, but Clover can’t help becoming distracted by bigger things, including the coming war between the US and France, ignited by a failed Louisiana Purchase, and the terrifying vermin, cobbled together from dead animals and spare parts, who patrol the woods. Most of all, she is consumed with interest for Oddities, ordinary objects with extraordinary abilities, such as a Teapot that makes endless amounts of tea and an Ice Hook that freezes everything it touches. Clover’s father has always disapproved of Oddities, but when he is murdered, Clover embarks on a perilous mission to protect the one secret Oddity he left behind. And as she uncovers the truth about her parents and her past, Clover emerges as a powerful agent of history. Here is an action-filled American fantasy of alternate history to rival the great British fantasies in ideas and scope.

My opinion: Oddity is a story that jumps right in with action and never quits. We are introduced to a wide variety of characters, each with a unique flaw that influences the plot. Some characters overcome their flaws, others embrace them. The moral issues that the characters confront are more subtle than we often see in middle grade fiction. I might have liked to have explored the oddities themselves, their nature and source, a bit more but there's room for a sequel that could achieve this end. The story is exciting enough to keep us reading through to the end with enough thought and heart that it has the potential to spark conversation after reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Fly puppet

 I'm in the process of developing some puppets to sell at craft fairs. While I come up with the right designs, I've been playing with other ideas including the sock puppet I made this weekend of a housefly. My favorite part is the sequins on top of metallic paint for the eyes.

Book review - Happily for Now

 

Title: Happily for Now

Author: Kelly Murphy

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Under the Bottle Bridge by Jessica Lawson

                     The Perfect Place by Teresa Harris

Rating:

 

heartfelt

Summary (provided by publisher): Fiona may have problems, but she's no damsel in distress. She'd rather be the one wielding the wand in the story: she wants to be the fairy godperson. So when her mom sends her off to stay with relatives in a place called Cold Hope for the summer, Fiona decides it's time to start training for the role.
And wow, do these people need help! Aunt Becky's bakery is failing, Great-uncle Timothy draws but never speaks, and Great-Aunt Alta is the gloomiest, doomiest woman she's ever met.
But helping people in the real world isn't as easy as it sounds in fairy tales. Change is messy. What if she's actually making things worse?
Still, with practice (and some deep breaths), Fiona will discover that sometimes messy is okay. Sometimes things do get worse before they get better. And sometimes trying to help fix other people's problems can help you work on your own...

My opinion: Jones has combined an interesting group of elements here. We don't often see a book for a young audience like this with a parent battling addiction. That detail, while a relatively minor plot element, does a lot to inform Fiona's character. It is the reason behind her anxiety and need for control, her dislike for yelling and her compulsive need to help. I like the emphasis on setting boundaries, empowering children to say "I don't like that" or "this is the right thing for me". While the adult characters are fairly one dimensional, the kids are complex. A solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Loonicorns

 

Loonicorns: Bleary-Eye by Ced, Waltch, and Gorobei

Loonicorns is built on a really fun concept. Typically stories with unicorns have them all beautiful and skilled. They're all special. In the world of Loonicorns, each creature is declared "pretty" or "ugly" in youth, judged on standards of body conformity and behavior. Pretties have an idealized life, given the best jobs. Uglies do all of the hard work. Throw in a mysterious girl from another dimension and a disease that is turning all of the pretties into zombies and you've got a world ripe to acknowledge prejudice. The plot is well paced and threaded through with off-beat humor. Nothing especially surprising but a lot of fun to read.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - That's No Dino

 

That's No Dino by Helaine Becker

There's certainly no shortage of dinosaur books out there for kids, ranging from simple picture and name combinations to complex explorations of each species. This may well be the first I've encountered with a central focus on defining dinosaurs. While that could be achieved with a simple paragraph, Becker knows that isn't going to reach anyone. Instead she takes each qualifier, and shows us a creature that proves the rule. Thus, we have a couple of animals that resemble or have been listed as dinosaurs but which don't meet the classification requirements. It's not afraid to use scientific terms, though anything with any complexity is carefully defined. A solid choice for young dinosaur enthusiasts.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - D-39

 

Title: D-39

Author: Irene Latham

Genre: dystopia

Similar books: Parched by Melanie Crowder

                     The Last Wild by Piers Torday

Rating:

 

mostly fun with a stab at emotional complexity

Summary (provided by publisher): In a future United States, civil war is devastating a country on its last legs. On one side: the Patriots. On the other: President Vex's corrupt government. In the middle: everybody else, just trying to survive. The war is going from bad to worse, but out in the sparsely populated Worselands, twelve-year-old Klynt Tovis doesn't see much of it.
Instead, Klynt spends most of her long summer days bored, or restoring artifacts in her Museum of Fond Memories. Real pet dogs are a thing of the past: after they were found to be carriers of a sickness the government ordered them all killed. But one day an incredible antique shows up at the farm: a D-39 robodog, "Real as a dog can be!" Klynt is overjoyed, but the good luck doesn't last. When the war makes its way into the empty Worselands, she and D-39 find themselves thrown into an epic journey for survival and hope.
Through the twists and turns of this riveting read, Irene Latham deftly shows how kindness can appear in unexpected places during uncertain times.

My opinion: While technically this is a verse novel, in large part it reads as a traditional narrative, just broken up into little chunks of thought. Snapshots, really. The first section is fairly positive, showing us how Klynt and the others live. It's just life as they know it. It takes a fairly sharp turn at the halfway point, becoming more of a survival story. Those early chapters get us engaged. The later chapters give the narrative meaning. It's a bleaker world than we typically see in middle grade fiction but that makes it more compelling. The unique vocabulary is a touch confusing at first but a dedicated reader will quickly make sense of it.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - That Thing About Bollywood

 

Title: That Thing About Bollywood

Author: Supriya Kelkar

Genre: magical realism

Similar books: The Magic of Melwick Orchard by Rebecca Caprara

                      Mira in the Present Tense by Sita Brahmachari

Rating: 

 

well balanced

Summary (provided by publisher): Bollywood takes over in this contemporary, magical middle grade novel about an Indian American girl whose world turns upside down when she involuntarily starts bursting into glamorous song-and-dance routines during everyday life.
You know how in Bollywood when people are in love, they sing and dance from the mountaintops? Eleven-year-old Sonali wonders if they do the same when they’re breaking up. The truth is, Sonali’s parents don’t get along, and it looks like they might be separating.
Sonali’s little brother, Ronak, is not taking the news well, constantly crying. Sonali would never do that. It’s embarrassing to let out so many feelings, to show the world how not okay you are. But then something strange happens, something magical, maybe. When Sonali gets upset during a field trip, she can’t bury her feelings like usual—instead, she suddenly bursts into a Bollywood song-and-dance routine about why she’s upset!
The next morning, much to her dismay, Sonali’s reality has shifted. Things seem brighter, almost too bright. Her parents have had Bollywood makeovers. Her friends are also breaking out into song and dance. And somehow, everyone is acting as if this is totally normal.
Sonali knows something has gone wrong, and she suspects it has something to do with her own mismanaged emotions. Can she figure it out before it’s too late?

My opinion: I've read a plot like this one before, where inexplicable magic takes control of a character's life, but this is the first time I've seen it for a middle grade audience. It's unique in it's approach to Sonali's parent's separation as well. Typically in middle grade novels when parents separate the protagonist is desperate to bring them back together. Sonali, though, is relieved. She's ready for her life to find it's new normal and sees the intrusion of what she calls "Bollywood-itis" as a barrier to that change. The nuance comes when Sonali finally addresses her emotions. We see situations where we can be relieved and yet still grieve, happiness and anger all at once. Kelkar really demolishes the notion that emotion is weakness. These ideas might be a little heavy for some middle graders but the zaniness of the Bollywood changes add a lot of light moments.

More information: That Thing About Bollywood releases July 1.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

Arnold the Super-ish Hero by Heather Tekavec

Superhero stories are pretty much always a win with young readers. In this case, we have a character with no powers. A character who has always just been an assistant but finds himself in a position to help when the "real" heroes are busy. The evil he fights is nothing big. He finds his niche in small problems. The suggestion is, of course, that we all can help, that no one is too weak or too small. And Arnold isn't perfect. He sometimes bumbles his way into a solution. A great choice for a kid who aspires to be super.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book reivew - The Good Germ Hotel

 

The Good Germ Hotel by Kim Sung-hwa

The microbiome has become a subject of fascination for me so I was super excited to read this book. It does a solid job of explaining the role of microbes through the body with a primary focus on gut flora. We take the full journey of eating to elimination, learning the vital part bacteria play in breaking down and drawing nutrients from our food. There are plenty of easy to understand parallels and the tone is quite conversational. The illustrations feel a bit dated and cheesy but the information is strong. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Ophie's Ghosts

 

Title: Ophie's Ghosts

Author: Justina Ireland

Genre: historical fiction

Similar books: Root Magic by Eden Royce

                     Unstoppable Octobia May by Sharon Flake

Rating:

 

hits all the right notes

Summary (provided by publisher): Ophelia Harrison used to live in a small house in the Georgia countryside. But that was before the night in November 1922, and the cruel act that took her home and her father from her. Which was the same night that Ophie learned she can see ghosts.
Now Ophie and her mother are living in Pittsburgh with relatives they barely know. In the hopes of earning enough money to get their own place, Mama has gotten Ophie a job as a maid in the same old manor house where she works.
Daffodil Manor, like the wealthy Caruthers family who owns it, is haunted by memories and prejudices of the past—and, as Ophie discovers, ghosts as well. Ghosts who have their own loves and hatreds and desires, ghosts who have wronged others and ghosts who have themselves been wronged. And as Ophie forms a friendship with one spirit whose life ended suddenly and unjustly, she wonders if she might be able to help—even as she comes to realize that Daffodil Manor may hold more secrets than she bargained for.

My opinion: The general direction of this plot is pretty obvious from early on, but that's okay. In spite of predictability, the characters and atmosphere are well enough developed to make for a compelling read. We have a family broken by tragedy, held down by poverty and cruelty. Their situation is directly contrasted by the family they work for, a privileged family with no close ties. There's no affection at Daffodil manor, just carefully orchestrated roles. Even more importantly for a modern reader, the racism Ophie encounters isn't all in-you-face white-supremacy. She meets with a lot of micro-aggression, subtle slights that make her uncomfortable but for which she has no defenses. This provides a lot of opportunity for discussion with young readers. There are short chapters written from the perspective of the city, houses, the trolley, that take us out of the flow of the narrative but this is ultimately a minor annoyance rather than a real problem.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley