Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Graphic novel spotlight - Agents of SLAM

 

Agents of S.L.A.M. by Dave Scheidt

Of all the sports, wrestling is probably the most suited to the graphic novel format. It's already more action than planning and strategizing. And Scheidt doesn't rely only on wrestling action. He's taken a wrestling team and made it a team of international secret agents. So there is travel, exotic locales, and political intrigue. The plot keeps moving constantly but leaves room for reflection and emotional depth. It's solidly entertaining and empowers the young protagonist to become a vital part of the novel's resolution. It will entertain young readers and hold up to repeat reading. 


Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

Monday, April 25, 2022

Flamingo update

 You can find these lawn flamingos at Dollar Tree. They're pretty solid on their own but they are also perfect for customization. 

I've repainted flamingos before and had some colorshift paint on hand that I planned to use. Something about this particular bird, though, begged for something different. I decided to give it a base coat of black and spatter paint it with some neon paint.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Book review - Does My Body Offend You?

 

Title: Does My Body Offend You?

Author: Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

                     Go With the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann

Rating:

a good amount of complexity

Summary (provided by publisher): Malena Rosario is starting to believe that catastrophes come in threes. First, Hurricane MarĂ­a destroyed her home, taking her unbreakable spirit with it. Second, she and her mother are now stuck in Florida, which is nothing like her beloved Puerto Rico. And third, when she goes to school bra-less after a bad sunburn and is humiliated by the school administration into covering up, she feels like she has no choice but to comply.
Ruby McAllister has a reputation as her school's outspoken feminist rebel. But back in Seattle, she lived under her sister’s shadow. Now her sister is teaching in underprivileged communities, and she’s in a Florida high school, unsure of what to do with her future, or if she’s even capable making a difference in the world. So when Ruby notices the new girl is being forced to cover up her chest, she is not willing to keep quiet about it.
Neither Malena nor Ruby expected to be the leaders of the school's dress code rebellion. But the girls will have to face their own insecurities, biases, and privileges, and the ups and downs in their newfound friendship, if they want to stand up for their ideals and––ultimately––for themselves.

My opinion: Even if this were just a story of girls going up against their school's dress code, this would be a solid read. Dress codes have become the symbol for teens making measurable change in their worlds and the ways that systems can be inherently biased. If it were a straightforward dress code protest it would be ultimately forgettable. Cuevas and Marquardt have really elevated this story, though. In taking us through the growth of a grassroots movement we explore many kinds of bias, how we have a hard time seeing issues that don't directly affect us. Even more than that, they take on white saviorism,the importance of letting an affected population drive their own change. While the ultimate conclusions are predictable, the nuance in the journey makes this worth reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Monday, April 18, 2022

Upcycle bag

 We've been doing a clean-up recently. As a part of that effort, we were sorting through some old picture books. I came across a copy of Big Bird's Red Book. The cover was torn off and the rest of the book wasn't in much better shape. While the book was destined for the bin, I rescued the cover.

I started by protecting the cover with contact paper. Once it was sealed, I cut a piece of cardboard the same size and covered that with red duct tape. Then I made sides out of black duct tape. A strap from a worn-out water bottle sleeve finishes it off and turns this into a nice little bag.



Friday, April 15, 2022

Book review - A Duet for Home

 

Title: A Duet for Home

Author: Karina Yan Glaser

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Hold Fast by Blue Balliett

                      Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Rating:

a more complex picture of life in a shelter

Summary (provided by publisher): It's June’s first day at Huey House, and as if losing her home weren’t enough, she also can’t bring her cherished viola inside. Before the accident last year, her dad saved tip money for a year to buy her viola, and she’s not about to give it up now. Tyrell has been at Huey House for three years and gives June a glimpse of the good things about living there: friendship, hot meals, and a classical musician next door. Can he and June work together to oppose the government, or will families be forced out of Huey House before they are ready?

My opinion: There is a growing trend of books that explore the reality of life for unhoused families. We see the sense of shame and helplessness, the downward spiral and the struggle to regain any ground once it begins. The point of these books, of course, is to put a face on the unhoused, on people in shelters. I like that this one shows us a couple of families at different points in their journey. We have long term families and new arrivals. We see how all of the residents together form a sort of loose extended family. Sure they don' t always get along and often antagonize each other but they also look out for one another and work together when they can. Glaser also points out how policy is often focused entirely on statistics and budgets, forgetting about the personal and emotional toll to the people involved. Some of these elements were cut short but that makes sense given that this is intended for a middle grade audience. A solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Listen with Me - Bright Ruined Things

 

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe

The Tempest isn't my favorite of Shakespeare's plays but I am intrigued by the idea of setting it in the jazz era. Join me in what promises to be a complex world of magic and privilege.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Non-fiction book review - Animal BFFs

 

Animal BFFs by Sophie Corrigan

Symbiosis is one of those concepts that seems a bit magical when you first learn about it. The idea of vastly different animals working together for their shared benefit makes animals seem just a little bit more human so I can understand the appeal here. What I don't love is the construction. Corrigan presents us first with the cartoon version of the relationship: animals having sleepovers and giving each other makeovers, that sort of thing. It's cute at first but by the last example it's rather tiresome. I'd have preferred just the facts. I did like that Corrigan gives us examples of all three forms of symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Interesting, just a little annoying.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Book review - Stella Diaz to the Rescue

 

Title: Stella Diaz to the Rescue

Author: Angela Dominguez

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Alley & Rex by Joel N. Ross

                     Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson

Rating: 

nicely done
Summary (provided by publisher): It’s a new calendar year, and Stella is determined to make it her best one yet.
Not only are Stella and her family finally becoming U.S. citizens, but the Sea Musketeers are also presenting their plastics pledge to the school council. With her trusty schedule in hand, Stella is ready for anything!
But after life takes unexpected turns, Stella will have to fight to keep her perfect year on track.
Not to worry, because Stella Diaz is to the rescue! Right?


My opinion: There are some interesting elements at play here. At heart, it is a fairly standard elementary school narrative. We have the desire to belong; wanting to help others; jealousy about friends and power. It's the details that make the difference. It's Stella and her family becoming citizens and considering their relationship to their culture. And I like how Stella is a bit of a rigid character. She has these ideas about how things ill go, specific plans for helping and fixing everything. She has to learn to relax a little and adjust when things don't go according to plan. She also learns to listen, to be an ally instead of a savior. The ideas are addressed in a fairly straightforward way but that's appropriate for this age range.

Monday, April 11, 2022

Natural beauty care

 I have short hair, so I've always bought mousse to keep it tidy. Mousse is not without it's problems though. I find the scent overwhelming and I hate throwing away the empty cans. So this spring I decided to try something new. I've started making pomade out of beeswax, coconut oil, cornstarch, and essential oils. It works so much better than mousse ever did, even taming my cowlick sometimes! And with the scent combination of cinnamon, orange, and cedar it smells so nice I have caught myself occasionally sniffing my own hair. 

The pomade is the most recent addition to my homemade beauty/skin care collection. I also make this salve out of beeswax, lanolin, and peppermint and eucalyptus oils (both for their soothing qualities and for their ability to mask the rather pungent scent of lanolin). The salve is great for small scratches, chaffing, and badly chapped lips.

 

The thing I made that started me on the natural care path was this lip tint made from beeswax, coconut oil, and beet powder. It leaves your lips shiny, conditioned and evens out lip color in a pleasant way.



Friday, April 8, 2022

Book review - Wrecked

 

Title: Wrecked

Author: Heather Henson

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini

                      Burn Girl by Mandy Mikulencak

Rating:

stretches believability

Summary (provided by publisher): For as long as Miri can remember it’s been her and her dad, Poe, in Paradise—what Poe calls their home, hidden away from prying eyes in rural Kentucky. It’s not like Miri doesn’t know what her dad does or why people call him “the Wizard.” It’s not like she doesn’t know why Clay, her one friend and Poe’s right-hand man, patrols the grounds with a machine gun. It’s nothing new, but lately Paradise has started to feel more like a prison.
Enter Fen. The new kid in town could prove to be exactly the distraction Miri needs…but nothing is ever simple. Poe doesn’t take kindly to strangers. Fen’s DEA agent father is a little too interested in Miri’s family. And Clay isn’t satisfied with being just friends with Miri anymore. But what’s past is prologue—it’s what will follow that will wreck everything.

My opinion: I'm okay with the idea behind this book. A teen who grows up with a parent who manufactures/sells drugs is going to find that her perception of the world and of other people is profoundly affected by that reality. I think, though, that Henson tries too hard to make Poe an admirable or at least redeemable character. We get this hole other arc for him apart from his desire to keep their life isolated from prying eyes. The plot with the DEA stretched my willing suspension of disbelief almost to the breaking point. It pretends at being a deep exploration of character but instead treads largely familiar ground.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Graphic novel spotlight - Surviving the Wild

 


Surviving the Wild series by Remy Lai

A quick glance will tell you most of what you need to know about the plot of these books. Most books about juvenile animals are intended to do a couple of things: teach us facts about the animal species and teach us to empathize with the animal and thus to be more open to conservation/ecology efforts. This is done through subtle coding, slipping in the message with cute behavior. First we see Rainbow and Star interacting with their mothers, learning to survive their natural environments. Then they are threatened by fires, habitat loss, hunting, etc. It's a pretty basic formula. We learn from the afterward in each book that these stories are based on real situations. The factual basis will be appealing to adults, the simple illustrations appealing to very young readers. 



 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Non-fiction book review - Blast Off!

 

Blast Off! by Suzanne Slade

If you're looking for books about women who were essential to our scientific history, add this one to your list. Most of us haven't heard of Mary Sherman Morgan but  after this quick read we'll all understand just how essential she was to the success of the space program. We learn about her less traditional educational background and how her own confidence allowed her to overcome her limitations. The illustrations are heavily saturated in color and are a bit busy at times but overall this is a charming book worth the read.

More information: Blast Off! releases April 12

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Book review - Falling Short

 

Title: Falling Short

Author: Ernesto Cisneros

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

                      Athlete Vs Mathlete by W.C. Mack

Rating:

pleasant, if a bit predictable

Summary (provided by publisher): Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help.
This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team.
But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?

My opinion: I can appreciate what Cisneros is trying to accomplish here. W have to very different boys trying to find their place in middle school and in their families. Both have complex relationships with their fathers though for vastly different reasons. We have characters coming up against traditional masculinity and it's tendency towards toxicity. They also see different kinds of bullying. Solid choices there. The plot is a bit idealized, though. There is some complexity with the fathers worth reading and considering.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Monday, April 4, 2022

Shadow box

 In the past couple of years I got interested in vinyl records. I rather enjoy scouring resale shops and yard sales for interesting music. That's how I found some children's records in bright colors. While I'm not especially fond of the movie Dumbo, I found the bright yellow 45 of "When I See an Elephant Fly" with a little cartoon of Dumbo on the label charming and knew right away that it would make fun wall art. 

I couldn't find a cheap frame of the right size but I did find this boxy plaque at the dollar store. 


Since the back is hollow, I flipped it and painted the inside to make a sort of shadow box instead of a traditional frame.




Friday, April 1, 2022

Book review - Air

 

Title: Air

Author: Monica Roe

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

                      Roll With It by Jamie Sumner

Rating:

a solid read, all around

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide—and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can’t shake the feeling that her goals—and her choices—suddenly aren’t hers anymore. With the help of her best friends, Emmie makes a plan to get her dreams off the ground—and show her community what she wants, what she has to give, and how ready she is to do it on her own terms.

My opinion: Sometimes in middle grade books we see a character with a need and the community pulling together to make it a reality. We don't often see the other side of that equation, where a very showy donation is made and no consideration is made for the things that would genuinely improve their life. In this book there is no denying that Emmie will benefit from a better wheelchair. But what will improve her life, and the lives of others like her, more is better accessibility in the school and around town. Through this narrative Roe is encouraging us to fully see people, to truly listen to them and make sure they have what they need. This is seen in the primary plot, of course, but also in Emmie's interactions with her father and her friends. She has to confront her own preconceived notions as well as dealing with other people's perceptions of her. All around a solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley