Book review - Leave it to Plum

 

Title: Leave it to Plum

Author: Matt Phelan

Genre: humor/early chapter book

Similar books: Sydney and Taylor by Jacqueline Davies

                     Horace and Bunwinkle by PJ Gardner

Rating:

 

a solid, cute read

Summary (provided by publisher): Young Plum is one of the peacock ambassadors for the Athensville Zoo. Every day the peacocks are allowed to wander freely among the zoo’s visitors, delighting and guiding kids and grown-ups alike. The peacocks are very proud of their responsibility; none so much as kind, curious Plum.
But Itch the ningbing—a type of very small marsupial—doesn’t understand why those birdbrains should get so much freedom while he’s all cooped up. So he plots and plots, sure that he will escape and become the zoo ambassador!

My opinion: The story here is an easy one to follow. The writing is sparse and efficient without becoming dull and is well supported by charming illustrations. And Plum is a charming character. He's irrepressible and enthusiastic, thinking outside the box. These traits make it easy for him to get into and out of trouble. This will be a solid choice for young readers fond of animal stories.

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Listen with me

 

Twice as Perfect by Louisa Onome

 This book promises to blend the pressures of immigrant parents and community with the regular pressures to excel in a western high school environment. The protagonist is trying to balance who she is at school with her home persona while also digging into family secrets. It promises to be an interesting read.

Non-fiction book review - Can You Believe It

 

Can You Believe It? by Joyce Grant

I can recall learning how to determine the legitimacy of a source in middle school, when we learned how to research a paper. We were taught some very rudimentary skills mostly relying on recognizable press names and a few "reliable" websites. With so many more sources for information now, these skills are far harder for kids (and adults) to learn. Grant does a solid job of educating the reader not just on how to check sources but also to recognize manipulation and bias in writing style. The writing is easy enough to understand without oversimplifying the concepts. While this book alone isn't enough to fight the tide of "fake news" and our inability to trust media sources, it's another tool to help.

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Book review - Exactly Where You need to Be

 

Title: Exactly Where You Need to Be

Author: Amelia Diane Coombs

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: The Voice in My Head by Dana L Davis

                     In Real Life by Jessica Love

Rating:

 

predictable in a good way

Summary (provided by publisher): Florie’s OCD and her mother’s worrying have kept her from a lot of things, like having an after-school job and getting her driver’s license. And now that she’s graduated high school, while her best friend Kacey is headed off to Portland in the fall, Florie’s taking a parent-sanctioned gap year off before starting college. When the decision was made, Florie was on board, but now she can't ignore the growing itch to become the person she wants to be and venture outside the quaint, boring Washington town she grew up in.
Winning tickets to see her favorite true crime podcast’s live show in California gives her the opportunity to do just that, if only for a few days. So—unbeknownst to their parents—Kacey and Florie set off on a road trip to San Francisco. The only downside in Florie’s opinion? Sam, Kacey’s older brother and Florie’s forever crush, is their ride. The Samson Hodge, who Florie hasn’t seen since winter break, and who she’d prefer to never see again, if possible. But Florie is willing to put up with Sam if it means one last adventure with her best friend.
Making it to San Francisco and back to Washington without their parents catching on isn’t a given, but one thing is for sure: this trip will change everything.

My opinion: Stories about road trips tend to have one of two conclusions - the protagonist either changes their view of themself or of someone close to them. And when your protagonist has major struggles with mental illness and seems resigned to a quiet, restrained life, you can guess where the plot is headed. That predictability could make for dull reading if these weren't such charming characters. Florie's struggles with her OCD ring true. She is trying to challenge herself to try new things but also recognizes situations that are beyond her reach in the moment. She recognizes her limits. The plot, overall, follows extremely predictable pathways so this isn't a mind-blowing book. But it's a solidly engaging and pleasant book, a decent choice for a beach read.

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Book bag

 Have you ever made a tote bag from an old t-shirt? I've seen many patterns for them but never actually made one myself. Recently, though, I found myself in need of one last thing to finish off a gift and since I had this old "I love books" shirt in my stash it seemed like a good time to give it a try.

As far as craft projects go, this is a fairly simple one. Start by sewing up the bottom of the shirt. I like to sew it inside out, so the seam is hidden. To strengthen the bottom, I double stitched the seam. I also added a pleat in both sides to make it a more natural fit for a stack of books.

 

 

Once the bottom is sewed up, the rest is just a matter of cutting. First cut the neckline square. Then cut the sides even. I like those to be a bit more square as well.

Book review - The Hike to Home

 

Title: The Hike to Home

Author: Jess Rinker

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: A Talent for Trouble by Natasha Farrant

                     Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Watson Hackl

Rating:

 

great characters, decent plot

Summary (provided by publisher): Lin Moser is not looking forward to this summer. After living on the road all her life, hiking mountains and traveling through the country in an RV with her house-flipping parents, she’s now stuck in Newbridge, New Jersey for their longest stay yet. With Mom away on a year-long naturalist assignment, Lin has resigned herself to having the most boring summer ever. But then she finds out about a local legend: an ancient ruined castle in the woods that no one has been able to find. Hiking to this castle would be like a quest. . . such an amazing quest that Mom might even come home, and they could adventure together the way they used to.
Determined to create her own adventure, Lin sets off on her biggest one yet—braving the wilderness with her two new friends, seeking the castle, and maybe discovering a new idea of home along the way.

My opinion: Rinker deftly combines what could be disparate and distancing plot elements: internet fame, the lack of understanding of peers, emotional distance from parents, and small town legends. A lesser book would make a mess of these elements but they fit neatly together in this one. Oddly enough, Lin's overestimation of her own wilderness and survival skills seems to be the glue that makes these elements work. Each time things fall a little more out of her control, she is also forced to face a larger issue. Some of the later plot elements push the bounds of my willing suspension of disbelief but I like the early chapters well enough to dismiss my later displeasure as more a matter of personal taste than a flaw in the writing.

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Picture books for everyone

 

The Boy and the Mountain by Mario Bellini and Marianna Coppo

This book combines elements we don't often see in a picture book: hiking, perspective changes, and persistence in art. We are presented with a character who wants to show the majesty of the mountain. Each piece he attempts captures a part of the experience but not the whole thing. He doesn't get frustrated or give up. He doesn't criticize his abilities. He changes perspectives and tries again. While the messaging may be too deep for very young children, it's charming and visually appealing. Older kids may engage with the ideas about perspectives and the parts of a whole and may be encouraged to create their own art based on an element of a larger view. 

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Non-fiction book review - The Wonders We Seek

 

The Wonders We Seek by Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz

I've made no secret of my fondness for profile collections. I love to read about figures left out of my history education and the impact they made on the world. And this collection provides us with a wide variety of influences: athletes, scientists, philosophers artists, political activists and more. The early section has a special focus on mathematics and the sharing of information, the structures on which many of our educational systems were built that would not be possible without Muslim influence. Some of these figures will be quite familiar to all readers (Muhammad Ali, Malala, and such) while others will probably be new but no less inspiring as a result. These profiles have enough detail to feel informative but not so much as to be overwhelming. A solid read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief

 

Title: Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief

Author: Maurice LeBlanc

Genre: mystery/humor

Similar books: Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C Bunce

                      The Baker Street Peculiars by Roger Langridge

Rating:

 

fun, if you sell it right

Summary (provided by publisher): In 1907, Author Maurice Leblanc released the first collection of stories recounting the adventures of Arsene Lupin, a charming thief and master of disguises. The character became quite popular, featured in 17 novels and 39 novellas, inspiring generations of charming anti-heroes to follow. This brand new edition of the first Arsene Lupin novel is beautifully illustrated by artist Vincent Mallie, capturing the joyful style of an animated feature as if created by renowned director Hayao Miyazaki (whose first directorial release was LUPIN THE 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro, which is filled with nods to Leblanc's classic character).
Collecting the first 9 novellas, this illustrated edition features dozens of black-and-white and full-color illustrations and plates including numerous two-page spreads that evoke the beauty and charm of a Studio Ghibli production.

My opinion: Convincing a young reader that an "old" book is worth their time can be a challenge. Kids don't necessarily want to fight against obscure vocabulary and long passages of flowery description. That may be less of a problem with this book. While it has a sort of old fashioned vibe, the language here was easy enough to follow while maintaining a sort of artfulness we don't always see in books for middle graders. The plots are a sort of cheeky nod at rascally behavior. Lupin is, after all, a thief. He steals from people who "deserve it" so we don't feel so bad at him tricking people all of the time. It fits a sort of intersection between Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Pimpernel - a character who gets away with daring crimes leaving behind tiny clues that only the sharpest investigator can puzzle out. If your young reader is a dedicated sort, this could be a fun selection.

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Rat-tailed radishes - a tale of curiosity and caution

 Since I moved this spring, I can have a garden and I was very excited at the prospect. I spent the end of winter pouring over seed catalogs and deciding what I would plant. I went with a few things I enjoy eating - like beets and kale - but I also wanted to have fun with it so I picked a few random things that struck my fancy. This is how my garden now includes ground cherries and rat-tailed radishes. That last one I picked mostly because the name was funny. 

Once we were safe to plant I sowed my seeds and eagerly awaited the growing plants. As we began to harvest the first crops, I didn't think too much about my rat-tails other than to check the plants occasionally. Then they flowered. A little background here: rat-tailed radishes are a seed pod, unlike the radishes most of us know. I began to realize that each of my plants, over 3 feet tall, was covered in dozens of flowers. And if each flower produces a pod...

I wasn't wrong. We are in the midst of the radish harvest now and it's a lot. My crafting time has largely been spent trying to keep up with the radishes on top of kale and zucchini. As more and more radishes collect in my refrigerator, I've been trying to come up with uses for them.

 

I have 3 bags full right no

 

In addition to chopping them into salads and sauteeing them, this weekend I tried 2 experiments, both of which I'm happy to say turned out pretty well. On the left, we have refrigerator pickled radishes, and the right are radish crisps (made in the dehydrator). I even made a little rat label for the crisps.

 So that's my cautionary tale. Before you plant random vegetables, do a little research and so you know what to expect from you plants. And then maybe don't plant every seed in the packet.

Pick 6: murder mysteries

 The world of fiction is full of mysteries and when those books are aimed at teens, they take on a decidedly murderous bent. Murder mysteries are full of intrigue and danger, making them rather thrilling to read. And some ask us to consider our relationships with each other and with society, so they can also be great for discussion. Here are six murder mysteries for teens published in the last six months.

Six new murder mysteries:

1. Cold by Mariko Tamaki
   
2. All the Best Liars by Amelia Kahaney
   
3. The Summer We Forgot by Caroline Gorge
4. Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed
5. Killing Time by Brenna Ehrlich
6. Summer's Edge by Dana Mele
   

Book review - The Name She Gave Me

 

Title: The Name She Gave Me

Author: Betty Culley

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: See No Color by Shannon Gibney

                      The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert

Rating:

 

emotionally complex

Summary (provided by publisher): Rynn was born with a hole in her heart—literally. Although it was fixed long ago, she still feels an emptiness there when she wonders about her birth family.
As her relationship with her adoptive mother fractures, Rynn finally decides she needs to know more about the rest of her family. Her search starts with a name, the only thing she has from her birth mother, and she quickly learns that she has a younger sister living in foster care in a nearby town. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good.
This powerful story uncovers both beautiful and heartbreaking truths and explores how challenging, yet healing, family can be.

My opinion: While we get a fair number of stories about adopted characters, it's not often that these stories explore the emotional turmoil that can come from being adopted - the conflict between loving the parents who chose them and the desire to know where they came from. Even rare is what Culley has given us here. Rynn's adoption is not ideal. Her relationship with her parents is tense at best. While she feels loved (at least by her father) she also feels inadequate. She can't live up to her mother's idea of what a child should be. Her journey is fraught and as much about self discovery and learning to rely on her own strength as it is about the love of a family. The driving force behind this story is almost entirely emotional and quite limited to Rynn's perspective, so it's not a story for everyone. But if you enjoy contemplation this may be a good choice for you.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Mini-cards

 Last year I bought some small pieces of brightly colored cardstock and decided to make some small format notecards out of them. I piloted just a few at a craft fair and was pleased enough with how they turned out that I thought I'd make some more. Here are three sets (I sell them in threes) that I made this weekend.

Book review - The Summer of June

 

Title: The Summer of June

Author: Jamie Sumner

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Living With Viola by Rosena Fung

                     Aster's Good, Right Things by Kate Gordon

Rating:

 

a sensitive, thoughtful read

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old June Delancey is kicking summer off with a bang. She shaves her head and sets two goals: she will beat her anxiety and be the lion she knows she can be, instead of the mouse everyone sees. And she and her single mama will own their power as fierce, independent females.
With the help of Homer Juarez, the poetry-citing soccer star who believes in June even when she doesn’t believe in herself, she starts a secret library garden and hatches a plan to make her dreams come true. But when her anxiety becomes too much, everything begins to fall apart. It’s going to take more than a haircut and some flowers to set things right. It’s going to take courage and friends and watermelon pie. Forget second chances. This is the summer of new beginnings.

My opinion: Clinical anxiety is overwhelming, and nearly impossible for the outsider to understand. That's what makes books like this one so important. In June we have a protagonist who has fully come to terms with her anxiety. She accepts the need for her therapist and finding the right medication. And she is determined to "beat" her illness. She's determined and pushes back against things that are hard for her. But the narrative is also realistic. Sometimes she fails. Sometimes the fight is too hard, her anxiety too overpowering, and she shuts down. There is no miracle cure, no perfect ally who will help her overcome. It's a constant battle to win as many days as she can and find comfort in the days that she can't. The plot is fairly simple, giving Sumner plenty of space to develop the characters into fully fleshed people with quirks and failings. A charming read for the introspective sort.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Enola Holmes

 

Enola Holmes by Serena Blasco

The Enola Holmes stories find the delicate balance required in middle grade mysteries between genuine stakes and a lack of gruesome details. Enola investigates actual crime: theft, kidnapping, smuggling, etc. Her life is at times threatened, making for an exciting read, but never goes over the top. Enola herself also finds a balance between doing things her own way and fitting into societal expectations. This is a series that will work well for readers who enjoy a more historical setting. This volume is comprised of three stories, each telling a complete mystery of it's own while also contributing to a larger series plot. The text works in concert with dynamic illustrations to tell a charming tale.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - In the Beautiful Country

 

Title: In the Beautiful Country

Author: Jane Kuo

Genre: realistic fiction/verse novel

Similar books: Front Desk by Kelly Yang

                     A Glasshouse of Stars by Shirley Marr

Rating:

 

gives the reader something to think about

Summary (provided by publisher): Anna can’t wait to move to the beautiful country—the Chinese name for America. Although she’s only ever known life in Taiwan, she can’t help but brag about the move to her family and friends.
But the beautiful country isn’t anything like Anna pictured. Her family can only afford a cramped apartment, she’s bullied at school, and she struggles to understand a new language. On top of that, the restaurant that her parents poured their savings into is barely staying afloat. The version of America that Anna is experiencing is nothing like she imagined. How will she be able to make the beautiful country her home?

My opinion: An immigrant story is a solid choice for a verse novel since a lot of the conflict is internal. This is a story of Anna trying to fit in, trying to make a life in a place she feels constantly off balance and discovering that reality isn't living up to her expectations. Kuo presents the reader with a hard view of the immigrant experience: the constant struggle to get my, harsh criticisms from random people, racism and ignorance, the limitations on opportunities. It's a quick read and doesn't get into deep depth but could work well in contrast to a more idealized story and could inspire discussion of the "American dream" and the notion of the US as the land of opportunities.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Wretched Waterpark

 

Title: Wretched Waterpark

Author: Kiersten White

Genre: mystery/humor

Similar books: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

                      The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Rating:

 

fun, and a bit off the beaten path

Summary (provided by publisher): Meet the Sinister-Winterbottoms: brave Theo, her timid twin, Alexander, and their older sister, Wil. They’re stuck for the summer with their Aunt Saffronia, who doesn’t know how often children need to eat and can’t use a smartphone, and whose feet never quite seem to touch the floor when she glides—er—walks.
When Aunt Saffronia suggests a week pass to the Fathoms of Fun Waterpark, they hastily agree. But the park is even stranger than Aunt Saffronia. The waterslides look like gray gargoyle tongues. The employees wear creepy black dresses and deliver ominous messages. An impossible figure is at the top of the slide tower, people are disappearing, and suspicious goo is seeping into the wave pool.
Something mysterious is happening at Fathoms of Fun, and it’s up to the twins to get to the bottom of it. The mystery, that is. NOT the wave pool. Definitely NOT the wave pool. But are Theo and Alexander out of their depth?

My opinion: White follows the pathway that Lemony Snicket laid, presenting the reader with odd scenarios that the characters largely accept as simply the way the world works. There is a larger mystery at play that is certain to be further revealed as the series progresses but this volume has a complete story all it's own. While that mystery/adventure is a fairly wild one, it never takes itself too seriously so we don't question the logic of events. While it lacks the pseudo-serious tone of Snicket's series, it has a charm all it's own. If your reader has worked through A Series of Unfortunate Events give Sinister Summer a try.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley