Listen with me

 

Investi-Gators Collection by John Patrick Green

The idea of an audiobook for a graphic novel has always felt a bit counter-intuitive to me. If your story is told visually, if those visuals are essential to fully convey what is happening, then how can it work to tell it aurally? I've listened to a few now and have learned the keys. First is full cast. Each character needs a distinct voice so we can track what's happening. Second is sound effects. Action can be conveyed with sound. A car starting. The "whoosh" of a parachute or "splat" of a cake. And sometimes the dialogue is tweaked or narration is added to make action and other essential elements clear. This audio makes great use of it's narrator, telling us often what Mango and Brash are doing with humor and tongue firmly planted in cheek. It helps that in the original graphic novels are often break the fourth wall or reference the fact that they are comics. The audio follows these same patterns, with characters talking about the fact that this is an audiobook and colors not especially mattering. It's quite silly and playful. And utterly enjoyable. 

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Frankie D, Vegan Vampire

 

Title: Frankie D, Vegan Vampire

Authors: Sally and Brian Dutra

Genre: humor

Similar books: Maggie Sparks and the Alien Invasion by Esther Hernando

                     The Secret of Shadow Lake by Joe McGee

Rating:

 

cute and clever

Summary (provided by publisher): A new early chapter book series starring a lovable vampire who's just trying to fit in. Frankie D and his family have just moved from Transylvania, looking for a fresh start. Where Frankie is from, the school day began at midnight and ended at dawn. Now in America, Frankie and his family must adjust their sleep schedule, train to be out in the sun, and strictly adhere to a vegan, zero-blood diet. Not only that, Frankie has to navigate school as the “new kid” and keep his vampire identity secret from other humans. A tall order for a deathly pale, fanged fourth-grader with a three-legged wolf as a pet!

My opinion: How do you make vampires appropriate for young readers not looking for a scare? You make them vegans. The result is less of a monster story and more of a tale about learning to fit in when you're in a new place. There are some added elements as Frankie and his family have supernatural abilities and need to keep their vampiric nature a secret, but over all it's a story of a kid trying to make friends and be "normal". Without much drama and danger, it's accessible for even young readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

The Best Worst Summer by Elizabeth Eulberg - After moving to a new town and finding herself at a loose end, a girl discovers a time capsule mystery in her back yard and sets out to discover what happened to the friends who buried it.

What did you recently finish reading?

Not About a Boy by Myah Hollis - Being reunited with a sister she doesn't remember threatens to destroy the carefully built walls that keep Mel together.

What do you think you'll read next?

49 Miles Alone by Natalie D Richards

Book review - Vega's Piece of the Sky

 

Title: Vega's Piece of the Sky

Author: Jennifer Torres

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Out There by Seaerra Miller

                      The Thirteenth Circle by MarcyKate Connolly

Rating:

 

quick and pleasant

Summary (provided by publisher): The space rock is just the latest thing to land, uninvited, in Vega Lucero’s road-stop hometown. But when she discovers how much a chunk of the meteorite might be worth, she realizes it’s exactly the treasure she’s been hoping to find—and maybe a way to convince her mom not to sell the family store to big city developers to help pay for her grandpa Tata's medical expenses.
Determined to find more pieces of the sky somewhere in the perilous desert wilderness, stubbornly independent Vega must set aside her distrust of outsiders to team up with Jasper, a would-be rival—and her own tagalong cousin Mila—on an overnight adventure to find more meteorites before the professional hunters who have descended on Date City do. But along the way, she realizes that she's not the only one with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Jasper and Mila have secrets and worries of their own that has brought them on this journey.
Together, this ragtag group will battle against coyotes, a flood, and scorpions. But what they will ultimately discover is that no treasure is big enough to prevent unwelcome change. Only family and friends can help weather the unexpected that life brings.

My opinion: This book is well suited to middle graders. It reads reasonably quickly and is easy to follow. The characters are reasonably well developed and distinct. Each of the three perspective characters - Vega, Mila, and Jasper - has a clear motivation and flaw and these elements directly affect the plot as they trek through the desert in search of meteorite fragments. With a satisfying and realistic conclusion, this book may not be rocking any worlds but its a solid experience.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight: Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil

 

Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil by Lorian Merriman

Maelstrom is a Loki type figure. Raised to be an evil overlord, his approach to life is more trickster than true evil. When he finds himself in a company of "good guys" who are preparing to mount a revolution against his evil mother, he thinks of it as the most fun thing that could happen. He'll play with these folks, let them think that he's on their side, and turn at the last moment. The plot takes directions we would expect but that's okay. The characters are strong, providing pathos and levity in equal measure. This is a solid quest story with fight scenes and magic. The art style is cartoony without becoming overly silly. There's enough reflection to suit more serious-minded readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen With Me

 

InvestiGators Collection by John Patrick Green

The InvestiGators graphic novel series is a lot of silly fun and I'm curious to see how it is handled in the audio format. Let's give it a listen and find out.

Graphic novel spotlight - Night Stories

 

Night Stories by Liniers

This is a fantastic way to relay folk tales. The visuals are strong with lots of detailed line work. The collection is framed as a pair of siblings telling each other scary stories before bed. But it's noteworthy that "scary" is pretty loosely used here. Even small kids could read this without becoming overly frightened. So don't read this looking for spooks. But it's a solid expression of some cultural tales.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson - A girl with psychic powers she's learning to use, raised at a magical inn. A boy on the run from dangers he doesn't understand. The two come together as a magical threat rises against the entire world.

What did you recently finish reading?

Darkness and Demonsong by M R Fournet - When Marius fought monsters and rescued his mother from hell he thought his life would return to normal. But he's starting to realize that his mother came back wrong and he'll do anything to set things right.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Midnight Game by Cynthia Murphy

Book review - Stay Dead

 

Title: Stay Dead

Author: April Henry

Genre: thriller

Similar books: I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall

                     The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Rating:

 

solidly entertaining

Summary (provided by publisher): Sometimes, the only way to live is to make sure the world thinks you’re dead . . .
In the aftermath of a car accident that claimed the life of her senator father, sixteen-year-old Milan finds herself adrift, expelled from her third boarding school. Milan’s mother, who has assumed the senate seat, diverts her private plane to pick up her daughter. But on their way home, a bomb rips off a wing and the plane crashes in the mountains. In her final moments, Milan’s mother entrusts her with a key. She reveals it will unlock the evidence that so many people have already died for—including Milan’s father. The only way Milan can survive, her mom tells her, is to let everyone believe she died with the other passengers.
​Milan is forced to navigate a perilous descent in freezing conditions while outwitting everything from a drone to wild animals. With relentless assassins on her trail, she must untangle the web of deceit and save herself and countless others. Will she piece together the truth in time?

My opinion: Henry hits the pacing nearly perfectly with this book. Combining a survival story with a political thriller we see Milan up against nature and murderers in equal measure. While some of the plot elements are a bit heavy-handed, the constant movement and new questions raised keep the reader engaged. Its a book that might not hold up to multiple reads but for a vacation or weekend at the cabin this is a strong choice.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book reivew - Shift Happens

 

Shift Happens by J. Albert Mann

 Everybody works. It's a fact of our reality and something we don't think much about. But Mann digs in deep. From the first Europeans arriving in the colonies this book explores the evolution of work and worker's rights. The tone is very conversational to the point of dipping into slang so it will be engaging for young readers but not especially impressive for adults who may take a look along the way. Even so, the information relayed in this text is important enough to be worth reading.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Heiress Takes All

Title: Heiress Takes All

Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Aces Wild by Amanda DeWitt

                      Coin Heist by Elisa Ludwig

Rating:

 

righteous wickedness

Summary (provided by publisher): Seventeen-year-old Olivia Owens isn't thrilled that her dad's getting remarried...again. She's especially not thrilled that he cheated on her mom, kicked them out of their Rhode Island home, and cut Olivia out of her rightful inheritance.
But this former heiress has a plan for revenge. While hundreds of guests gather on the grounds of the gorgeous estate where she grew up, everyone will be thinking romance—not robbery. She’ll play the part of dutiful daughter, but in reality she’ll be redistributing millions from her father’s online accounts. She only needs the handwritten pass code he keeps in the estate's safe.
With the help of an eclectic crew of high school students and one former teacher, Olivia has plotted her mid-nuptial heist down to the second. But she didn't plan for an obnoxiously nosy wedding guest, an interfering ex-boyfriend intent on winning her back, greedy European cousins with their own agenda, or a vengeful second wife. When everything seems like it's going wrong, Olivia has to keep her eyes on what really matters: getting rich. And when she’s done, “something borrowed” will be the understatement of the year.

My opinion: A heist story is typically a very careful thing. While we love the story of detailed plans and sneaking around we're left with an important question - is it okay to cheer for a thief? So the author must justify the act and this book handles that dilemma well. Olivia's rationale for stealing from her father is well laid out, certainly, but there are frequent challenges to that reasoning. There are points where even she must question whether she is making the right choice, if it's okay to lead her crew into criminal territory. And there is a great deal of moral complexity. Not only does she have a conscience character reminding her that there are alternatives to revenge, she also questions her loyalty to both parents. While she resents her father, does she also seek his approval? With strong pacing and believable twists, this is a strong, entertaining read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Plain Jane and the Mermaid

 

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol

There are many stories about plucky young girls who go on adventures. Girls who are lovely but come from low class homes and wish to improve their circumstances. This is not one of those stories. Jane is a character who has never been enough. Too plain for her mother. Too female for her father. Too much of a dreamer for her peers. She doesn't have a lot of options in society. And with her home threatened by a predatory relative, she goes after the one thing she thinks can save her - marriage to an attractive but low income young man in town. This sends her on a reluctant quest with mermaids and witches and undersea societies. With dynamic illustrations and pleasantly complex characters this book is a delight to read and leaf through time and again.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Learning to Fall by Sally Engelfried - A girl spends the summer with her long absent father, learning to reconnect with him and an old passion for skateboarding.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko - Hank has always taken care of his little sister, covering for their mother's addiction and frequent absences. When he asks for help, though, it starts to feel like his life is out of control and all he can do is make mistakes.

What do you think you'll read next?

Rules for Camouflage by Kirstin Conn-Mills

Book review - The Lamplighter

 

Title: The Lamplighter

Author: Crystal J Bell

Genre: historical fiction/horror

Similar books: This Is Not a Ghost Story by Andrea Portes

                      Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Rating:

 

a slow burn

Summary (provided by publisher): It’s an honor to bring light to the dark.
The nineteenth-century whaling village of Warbler is famous for its lucky ship figureheads—and infamous for people disappearing into the nightly fog. In this murky locale, the lamplighter is synonymous with safety and protection, and it’s a position Temperance assumes when her father is found hanging from one of the lampposts. Though Tempe proves competent, the town is still hesitant to let a woman handle this responsibility.
When a girl disappears after two lamps go out, Tempe’s ability to provide for her mother and younger sister hangs in the balance. She scrambles for answers, hindered at every turn by the village authorities’ call for her removal. As more villagers vanish under her watch, Tempe discovers unsettling truths about the famous Warbler figureheads and her own beloved father. But her warnings of a monster are ignored, even by her own family. Now she must follow the light out of her own fog of despair, as she faces the choice to look the other way or risk speaking out and possibly dooming herself and her sister to be among the lost.

My opinion: Bell starts out on solid footing, giving us a clear picture of the world of Warbler and Tempe's precarious position. We quickly get the sense that something wrong and potentially evil is afoot which hooks the reader well. What follows is less nail-biting that we might hope as the threat is revealed to be less immediate and physical than it is existential. There is eventually a physical threat that is revealed in a moment that isn't shocking so much as it is the payoff of the slow build of unease and the sense of wrongness. With a final turn that is startling but satisfying, The Lamplighter is a read worth working through the ponderous first half.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Given the set-up, this book could easily have turned into a cliche. We have a pastor's daughter who's always been "good" floored by the return of her mother's cancer. She doubts her always-been-easy faith and in this state goes to work at a secular summer camp for kids who have difficult lives. This could have turned into utter rejection of organized religion and easy answers about relationships and grief. But it works hard to go deeper. It explores how relationships shift as people grow, how empathy is at the forefront and guides "goodness". While there are some obvious reveals later in the plot, the strong characters and genuine soul searching make up for perceived weaknesses.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6 - mystery

There's nothing like a good mystery for a beach read. Whether you're six or sixty, we all enjoy going over clues and trying to guess the solution before the book's characters do. Here are six new mystery stories published in the last six months.

Six new mysteries for kids and teens:

1. Till Human Voices Wake Us by Rebecca Roque
2. It All Started With a Lie by Denise Brown
3. The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso
4. The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
   
5. Dark Parts of the Universe by Samuel Miller
6. Have You Seen This Girl by Nita Tyndall
   

Book review - Dr. Z and Matty Take Telegraph

 

Title: Dr.  and Matty Take Telegraph

Author: Ari Rosenschein

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: One Night in a Thousand Years by Craig Cunningham

                      Crash Landing by Li Charmaine Anne

Rating:

 

doesn't dig too deep

Summary (provided by publisher): It’s the late ’90s—the final days before smartphones and the internet changed the teenage landscape forever. Zack and his mother have moved from Tempe to Berkeley for a fresh start, leaving behind Zack’s father after a painful divorce. A natural athlete, Zack makes the water polo team which equals social acceptance at his new school. Yet he’s more drawn to Matthias, a rebellious skater on the fringes, who introduces him to punk rock, record stores, and the legendary Telegraph Avenue.
As their friendship intensifies, Matthias’s behavior reminds Zack of his absent dad, driving a wedge between him and his mother. Complicating matters is Zaylee, a senior who boosts Zack’s confidence but makes him question his new buddy, Matthias. Faced with all these changes, Zack learns that when life gets messy, he might have to become his own best friend.

My opinion: It's a set-up we see sometimes in novels - a character takes a move to a new town as a chance for reinvention. It's less common for that character to be a teen boy. And to be fair, Zack doesn't set out to change; the change happens naturally as he adapts to circumstances. He stays open to new experiences which lead him to question things he's held to be true about himself. This allows for a plot that is introspective and thoughtful without digging very deep. Zack draws quick conclusions, not changes wrought through long struggles. While the book doesn't push too hard, it is reflective enough to make for a quiet, contemplative read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley - A girl plots a heist to punish the wealthy father who abandoned and cut her off and his new wife.

What did you recently finish reading?

Shift Happens by J Albert Mann - This non-fiction book explores the history of labor and unions in the US in a very readable, conversational tone.

What do you think you'll read next?

Night Stories by Liniers

Picture books for everyone - A Wild Windy Night

 

A Wild Windy Night by Yui Abe

Starting with a conversation between a child and mother, this is a wild adventure as the protagonist is blown about through imaginative landscapes. While he travels far, he returns to the safety of home and there is never any true sense of danger. Instead, with a plot reminiscent of In the Night Kitchen and illustrations not unlike the work of Tommie DePaola, this is a gentle adventure that will be soothing to the young and encourage creativity in older kids. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Anzu and the Realm of Darkness

 

Anzu and the Realm of Darkness by Mai K. Nguyen

If you're like me you probably have very little knowledge of Asian mythology. While this book won't tell you everything by any means, it does provide a picture into the world of Japanese myth. We meet a variety of spirits and get a glimpse of their abilities. Anzu is a solid character, dealing with grief and a desire to belong, unsure of who she even is anymore. We see these struggles reflected in characters in the spirit realm as well. With detailed illustrations that use color and light to the perfect degree this is a book that lends itself to frequent re-reading.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley