Since today is Halloween, it should come as no surprise that the "craft" I'm sharing is my jack-o-lantern. While most of my family went with traditional faces, I decided to try something different and turned mine into a hedgehog. If you turn it around, the back is full of holes as well for additional "spikes".
Author: Hannah Gold
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelley
A Possibility of Whales by Karen Rivers
Rating:
.JPG)
Summary (provided by publisher): When Rio is sent to live with a grandmother he barely knows in California, he feels completely alone. Then he makes a new friend on the foggy beach—a girl named Marina, who teaches him about the massive grey whales that migrate nearby.
As Rio grows to love the whales, he discovers that his mother loved them, too. He’s suddenly sure that if he can somehow find a way to connect her with these gentle giants – and especially with a particular whale named White Beak – she will get better and come to join him in California. But White Beak is missing—and Rio must embark on a desperate journey across the dangerous ocean to find her.
My opinion: The main plot here, of Rio's drive to find White Beak, is easy enough to follow. And the subtext of his journey adjusting to his new life and coming to understand his mother and grandmother better is pretty straightforward as well. I appreciate too that Gold resists the temptation to make Rio wise beyond his years. He is serious, to be certain, since he has been serving as a caregiver to his mother. But he is still a child. He engages in magical thinking and is only beginning to see adults as real, complex people who don't have all the answers. The whale plot stretches the imagination a bit more than I would like but the characters are strong enough to give this one my approval.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
In plot alone Stroud has presented us with a strong book. The world of this series is one devastated by climate change and some unnamed disaster. Cities are abandoned and lost to wilderness and floods. The remaining towns are insular and ruled by secretive cabals and strict standards of "purity". The spaces in between are the domain of monstrous man-eating animals and a sort of zombie. All elements that make for exciting reading and would be enough to make this a book easy to recommend. But Scarlett and Albert, the titular outlaws, are phenomenal. Both are keeping secrets and both add charm and quirks to the story. Scarlett is the bandit we love, who commits her crimes with cheek yet seeks to do good in the world when she sees the chance. Albert is a wide-eyed innocent who loves everything, bumbles endlessly, but is so effortlessly charming and guileless that we automatically cheer for him. A charming listen that will engage reluctant readers.
Sometimes we give small children books about how the lives of kids around the world aren't so different. Their school might look different, we say, but they still go to school. As those kids age, it's important to give them books like this one. Books that lay out reality a little more plainly and show them how some basic things that we take for granted in the west, like clean water and education, are not so accessible in other places. Camlot presents the reader with several cases where groups have had to defy authority to obtain education. Several reasons are presented - sexism, racism, and classism being the primary driving forces. A variety of cultures and time periods are presented as well. A solid choice for a social science collection.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Author: Bridget Farr
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain
Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard
Rating:
.JPG)
Summary (provided by publisher): Gut a fish. Rewire a truck. Survive the collapse of the US government. All lessons fifteen-year-old Lark has learned during “homeschool” with her conspiracy-theorist-Doomsday-prepping parents. If only she’d also learned the fundamentals of human biology or even how to read. When Lark gets her first period and realizes how much she doesn’t know, she ignores her fears of everything outside their rural Montana farm and secretly attends school for the first time.
At high school, Lark discovers the world is very different than she has been told, from the basics of the internet to government takeovers that never happened. Lark uncovers the holes in her parents’ beliefs and realizes that she must decide her own truth. But it won’t come without sacrifices.
My opinion: There are plenty of books out there about teens learning to question their parents' views. Many of these books take the approach that adults are ignorant and teens need space to find the truth. I don't think most people will think that Lark's parents got things "right" but Farr's approach is a bit more careful than the standard "you're wrong". Lark doesn't wholesale reject what she's been taught. It's more about the opportunity to ask questions, to explore the world for herself and come to her own conclusions. Her parents, rather than backwards fools stuck in their ways, are portrayed as lost and desperate people looking for answers, doing all that they can to protect their only child. They've gone to extremes, certainly, but they are complex people with clear motivations. There are some elements of the plot that are confusing or never fully explained, but there is enough positives to this book to make it worth a read.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
When I'm not sure what to draw on a notecard, my fallback is always birds. There's just so many out there, all so different looking, and they're generally well received when I take them to craft fairs. This weekend I drew an oriole and a house finch.
Author: Skyler Schrempp
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: Red Menace by Lois Ruby
The Journal of CJ Jackson by William Durbin
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher):When the skies dried up, Gloria thought it was temporary. When the dust storms rolled in, she thought they would pass. But now the bank man’s come to take the family farm, and Pa’s decided to up and move to California in search of work. They’ll pick fruit, he says, until they can save up enough money to buy land of their own again.
There are only three rules at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard:
No stealing product.
No drunkenness or gambling.
And absolutely no organizing.
Well, Gloria Mae Willard isn’t about to organize any peaches, no ma’am. She’s got more on her mind than that. Like the secret, all-boys baseball team she’s desperate to play for, if only they’d give her a chance. Or the way that wages keep going down. The way their company lodgings are dirty and smelly, and everyone seems intent on leaving her out of everything.
But Gloria has never been the type to wait around for permission. If the boys won’t let her play, she’ll find a way to make them. If the people around her are keeping secrets, then she’ll keep a few of her own. And if the boss men at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard say she can’t organize peaches, then by golly she’ll organize a whole ball game.
My opinion: This book provides a solid, compelling plot that does not shy away from harsh realities. Gloria's life is drastically changing. She's seen her family's way of life completely destroyed and her childhood has come to a premature end. We take a child already on the verge of realizing the complexities of life that come with adolescence and add in the cruelties of the Dust Bowl, of the death of a baby and a family thrown into abject poverty. She has the simple understanding of "fair" and "right" and is inclined to fight injustice every time she perceives it. She's learning why adults sometimes put up with indignity for the sake of a larger good. At the same time, she has a child's hopeful outlook and belief in the power of a baseball game. Not only does this book give the young reader a snapshot of the reality of life for people displaced by the Dust Bowl, it also encourages consideration of relative morality and the things worth fighting for.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
October means it's time for my annual list of horror stories. Who doesn't love a good scare in October? It's almost required to prepare for Halloween by scaring yourself silly. Here are six horror books published in the last six months.
Six new horror stories:
Author: Courtne Comrie
Genre: verse novel/realistic fiction
Similar books: Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro
All the Broken Pieces by Ann E Burg
Rating:
.JPG)
Summary (provided by publisher): Rain is keeping a big secret from everyone around her: She's sad. All the time. Rain struggles with her image and feels inferior to her best friend, Nara. Not even her all-star student-athlete big brother (and personal superhero), Xander, can help Rain with her dark thoughts and low self-esteem.
And when Xander becomes the victim of violence at a predominantly white university, Rain’s life and mind take a turn for the worse. But when her favorite teacher, Miss Walia, invites her to an after-school circle group, Rain finds the courage to help herself and her family heal.
Like the rain, she is both gentle and a force, finding strength to rise again.
My opinion: This is a solid plot to explore in the verse novel format. While plenty happens in the book, the primary driver of the plot is emotional growth and the acknowledgement of mental illness. We want, then, more time spent reflecting than in the details of action. Plus, the events of the book are pretty harrowing. Since we are never in the moment, since all of the events are filtered through the lens of Rain's reactions, we have a little distance to keep it from becoming too intense for young readers.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Author: Brook Lauren Davis
Genre: Mystery
Similar books: Killing Time by Brenna Ehrlich
The Violent Season by Sara Walters
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Roxie Clark has seen more dead bodies than your average seventeen-year-old. As a member of the supposedly-cursed Clark family, most of her ancestors have met tragic ends, including her own mother. Instead of fearing the curse, however, Roxie has combined her flair for performance and her gruesome family history into a successful ghost tour. But her tour never covers the most recent body she’s seen—her sister Skylar’s boyfriend, Colin Riley, found murdered in a cornfield.
A year after the murder, Roxie’s desperate to help Skylar find closure and start to heal. Instead, Skylar becomes fixated on finding the killer. As the sisters dig into what really happened, they discover that more than one person has been lying about that night. And the closer they get to the truth, the more Roxie starts to wonder if some scary stories might be better left untold.
My opinion: I liked this book rather more than I thought I would. It's more than just a murder mystery. It's an exploration of the ties between people, of the relationships we're born into and those we choose and the circumstances that strain relationships. The plot is not especially deep and some of the twists are predictable. But the characters are dynamic, deeply flawed and believable. Roxie is self-centered stubborn - in other words, a normal teenager. It may not hold up to repeat reads but for one off entertainment that leaves you with a couple of ideas to chew on, it's a solid choice.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
This book is a solid portrayal of a character living with anxiety in a way easily understood by a middle grade audience. By presenting the anxiety as a shadow person, someone who whispers terrible thoughts in the protagonist's ears, we can see how anxiety can be ever-present and at times overwhelming. Add in the interpersonal issues that come with the middle grade years, cultural shame and pressure, and perceived parental expectations and it makes for a solidly complex plot. While the narrative lacks a bit in cohesion the illustrations and plot are overall strong.
Smith's memoir tells the story behind a photo most of us have seen but know precious little about. The book is reminiscent of the March trilogy in visual style, structure, and intent. Smith tells the full truth of his story, both the good and the bad. There is no sensationalism here, no glossing over things we'd rather not talk about. It's a straightforward, honest narrative. It's a book I found quite engrossing and would not hesitate to read it again or to recommend it to others.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
This one promises a combination of action/adventure/heist with the pathos of sci-fi/dystopia. Secrets and outlaws on the run. Should make for a fun listen.
Do you have a Dollar Tree nearby? Have you seen these foam pumpkins?
I Cannot Draw a Horse by Charise Mericle Harper
This book is a part of a growing trend of stories where the author/narrator talks directly to the reader or a character in a way that suggests interaction. We are not simply hearing a story, we're engaging in a conversation. In this case, the narrator interacts with a simply drawn cat, the cat demanding a horse and the narrator suggesting other additions to the story. Horses, we are told, are hard to draw so here is a different thing. The scene becomes increasingly silly, the cat's demands for a horse increasingly strong. It's bound to elicit giggles from a young audience. And because the illustrations are quite simple, based on easily replicated shapes, it encourages slightly older kids to draw their own versions of the illustrations, to take more chances with their drawing.
More information: I Cannot Draw a Horse releases October 11.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Who among us has not heard, or even told someone, "all that processed food is poison". We say it confidently but do we have any clue why that might be? I know I've repeated it without question. And that's what lead me to this book. Zaidan breaks down the chemistry of our "natural" foods and of the ultra-processed types, of sun screen and spray tans, and all the other products we use regularly. He's attempting to understand how they work and what other affects they might have on the body (not to mention pointing out the flaws in the studies that have lead to the conclusions we repeat). And this is no off the cuff exploration. There's enough chemistry in the writing that I found myself floundering at times. Even so, it's worth the effort for the truly curious among us.
Author: Nick Lake
Genre: fantasy/mild horror
Similar books: This Appearing House by Ally Malinenko
Coraline by Neal Gaiman
Rating:
.JPG)
Summary (provided by publisher): Lily is used to hospitals—she’s spent more time in them than out of them thanks to her recent health issues. But when her mother goes into labor, her parents drop her off at her grandmother’s house and rush to the hospital without her. Lily doesn’t want the new baby to replace her and she certainly doesn’t want to be sick anymore.
Most frustrating of all, she forgot to pack Willo, her favorite toy. Under her grandma’s not-so-watchful supervision, Lily sneaks back home to get Willo. Expecting to find an empty house, she is surprised to find her parents there. But something isn’t right... They look just like her mom and dad until she gets closer and sees their coal black eyes. And they refuse to let her in—it’s their house now.
With the help of some surprising new friends that she meets in her garden, Lily is determined to beat these shadowy replacements and be reunited with her real parents. But is she strong enough to triumph?
My opinion: I can certainly understand what Lake is going for here. Many middle grade readers love a scary story. It's why books like the Goosebumps series persist. Lake is trying to give us the scare with something more. To go beyond a simple monster tale or a series of jump scares overcome by pluck and stubbornness. This book is trying to elevate. Lily has real problems between chronic illness and an underlying fear that she is no longer enough for her parents. It doesn't take much interpretation to understand that the creatures in her house, while 'real' monsters, are also a stand-in for her problems. They are the physical representation of her personal problems. That makes this book more emotionally complex, perhaps, but rather less scary. This is a book I'd recommend to a kid who wants to explore literary devices more than one looking for a scare.
I've been trying to catch up on some correspondence, so I made this pair of cards this weekend to send to some friends. Since it's October, I decided to make them fall themed.
