WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

The Outsmarters by Deborah Ellis - A girl living with her grandmother starts a philosophy booth as a way to make money. As she interacts with customers she learns more about them and about herself.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Family of Killers by Bryce Moore - A boy searches for his missing father while fighting his own violent impulses. The search brings him into the path of a peculiar and unsettling family - the Benders.

What do you think you'll read next?

An Unlikely Pair by Bob Scott

Non-fiction book review - Myths of China

 

Myths of China by Xiaobing Wang

A collection of myths is always a compelling thing. These stories tell us a great deal about how a culture viewed the world. We see power structures, interactions, and values. This particular collection is told in clear, easily understood language. And as far as myths are concerned, these are not especially violent or agressive. They are stories that would be okay for a younger child to read without becoming overly upsetting. With pleasant, stylized illustrations this is an excellent addition to any collection of mythology books.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Jackson's Wilder Adventures

 

Jackson's Wilder Adventures by Sarah Davidson

Blend the dynamic of Calvin and Hobbes with the vibe of the Science Comics series and you'll get something like this book. Comprised of three shorter stories, each one follows the same pattern: Jackson encounters some difficulty and thinks it would be easier to be an animal. His thylacine pal then takes him on a magical journey to the wild to see animals in their natural habitat and learn how they live, a lesson that generally relates directly to his problem. Fun, accessible, and educational.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pocket chickens

 A while back I started collecting ends of yarn too small for use in regular projects, tying them together into a wild mish-mash of colors. I had the vague notion of using them to make ... something. Apparently something means chickens. These simple little chickens are knitted in a tube and are small enough to fit in a pocket.

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston - Lotus is thrilled to have the chance to attend the new arts focused school in her area. But protest is growing that the funding should have been sent to the local public school instead. Then Lotus's beloved afro begins to attract negative attention as well.

What did you recently finish reading?

So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky - A group of girls are excited for a school vacation at an isolated island cabin. Then one girl's boyfriend arrives along with a mysterious fog. Something on the island is very wrong and it doesn't want them to leave.

What do you think you'll read next?

Fowl Play by Kristin O'Donnell

Graphic novel spotlight - SCRAM

 

SCRAM by Rory Lucey

Most kids have dreamed of discovering something rare or new: Bigfoot, dinosaurs, treasure, or ghosts. That's the idea at the heart of this book. A trio of friends set out in search of magical beings. They do their research and armed with a collection of facts they search for clues. Therein lies one of the benefits of this book. THey learn how to research and fact-check. There's an underpinning of media literacy throughout the story. Overall, though, it's a fun story focused more on humor than anything else. It's somewhat reminiscent of the Bad Machinery series, though aimed at a slightly younger audience.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone - Every Here Has a There

 

Every Here Has a There by Margo Linn

For a non-fiction picture book to be appreciated by multiple age groups it has to serve a couple of functions. This book achieves that aim well. For small kids it functions as an opposite book. Up and Down. Empty and Full. Here and There. These concepts are stated plainly and well supported by simple illustrations. At the same time, the main body of the text walks us through the production and shipping of products internationally. It's a solid way to help kids question and understand where products in a store come from. A great way to help young readers understand a concept that we don't think much about.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Woe

 

Woe by Lucy Knisley

Having followed Knisley on social media for a while, I've long enjoyed her comics about cats, especially the early ones about the aging cat Linney. If this book had only been a collection of Linney comics that would have been okay with me. But she's taken it beyond that simple construct. She's woven a narrative and reflection about the nature of owning cats into the collection. With the last section a more melancholy reflection on aging and loss, this is a charming and heart-felt story of cats and family.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Riot Act

 

Title: Riot Act

Author: Sarah Lariviere

Genre: dystopia

Similar books: The Chaperone by M Hendrix

                      The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh

Rating:

believable and compelling

Summary (provided by publisher): In an alternate 1991, the authoritarian US government keeps tabs on everybody and everything. It censors which books can be read, what music can be listened to, and which plays can be performed.

When her best friend is killed by the authorities and her theater teacher disappears without a trace, Gigi decides to organize her fellow Champaign High School thespians to put on a production of Henry VI. But at what cost?

My opinion: Dystopian novels tend to focus all of their attention on action and high drama which makes for quick reads often lacking in depth. That is not the case here. The drama plays out in small ways, focusing more on characters and relationships than on larger societal issues. The problems of the culture certainly play into the plot but the focus is more on the people and what motivates them. The book is narrated by the dead friend referenced in the summary and his self-reflection can produce a sense of distance from the plot but overall it's an interesting read and worth reflecting upon.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

The Ghost Keeper by Johanna Taylor - Dorian can see ghosts and has made it his mission to help them move on. But now ghosts are telling him the Door to Death is locked and the key has gone missing.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber - A girl finds herself at a prestigious private school. With the future opening up in front of her she finds herself in the view of a secret society.

What do you think you'll read next?

Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield

Book review - Perry Homer Ruins Everything

 

Title: Perry Homer Ruins Everything

Author: Beth Vrabel

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

                      Far From Fair by Elana K Arnold

Rating:

mostly silly, with a little heart

Summary (provided by publisher): Perry Homer is bad news, just like the rest of his troublemaking family. His parents skip out on restaurant bills. Uncle Manny uses his legal training to get free stuff. Perry’s cousins use their coding skills to scam people. On a disastrous vacation to Lindsborg, “the nicest town in America,” Perry’s siblings steal their new favorite toys from local businesses and set the town’s whimsical Swedish decorations ablaze. The Homers are worthy of the nickname the local news gives them—the Bad Family—and they’re having a blast.
Perry thinks he could be good. His favorite teacher, Miss Penelope, recommended him for a scholarship at the prestigious Ithaca School, and it’s his chance to change things. He just has to get home from Lindsborg and show up for the interview.
Still, that’s easier said than done. After the Homers get kicked off their plane, Perry comes up with one last scheme to keep them pointed toward home. But can Perry really make it to Ithaca—or is it his fate to ruin everything?

My opinion: Start with a road trip. Add in a family of scammers with a son who wants to be better. It sounds like a recipe for a pretty nonsense, madcap story. And at the outset, that's what we get. Ridiculous cons and a family that never quits. Perry is initially sympathetic and then a little bit uptight. Our affection for him wanes. At about that point, though, Vrabel starts slipping in more serious notes, seeding the narrative with a more grounded reality that makes for much more compelling reading and ultimately a pleasant book.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

A Game Most Foul by Alison Gervais

A girl participating in a summer writing program in London gets caught up in the mysterious disappearance of her classmate and the strange behavior of her professor, Dr. Watson. A mystery, even one that hints at supernatural elements, is generally entertaining and a solid choice for an audio book. Let's find out if this one lives up to it's promise.

Book review - The Haunted States of America

Title: The Haunted States of America

Genre: horror/short stories

Similar books: Hide and Don't Seek by Annica Mrose Rissi

                      His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler

Rating: 

decent construct but not especially scary

Summary (provided by publisher): Every state has an urban legend that evokes fear and curiosity in equal parts, and we've chronicled all of these logic-defying horrors here in the Haunted States of America anthology.
From the Jersey Devil to La Llorona, each story included introduces a new chill inducing, stomach churning monster, spectre, or poltergeist certain to keep you up at night. A broad ranging collection of authors, including seasoned veterans and some first timers making a fright-tastic debut, have all united to unearth the scariest lore from each state in the US, as well as D.C. and Puerto Rico. Make sure to strap in for this spooky cross country tour, but be extra careful not to let any of these terrors follow you home.

My opinion: With fifty-two stories and authors in this collection, there are a wide variety of types of stories and styles. They're also all quite short. A little bit of introduction and what amounts to a jump scare or a moment of final dread. There isn't a lot of atmosphere and development to make for a truly spine-chilling read. The value here is in introducing some lesser known monsters which may lead readers to truly terrifying tales.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
 

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Crushed by Melanie Conklin - Sophie's had a hard time adjusting to returning to in-person school. That adjustment is made even more difficult by changes in her best friend who seems to be avoiding her and keeping secrets. With a crew of popular kids in the mix, Sophie doesn't know what to do and how to help.

What did you recently finish reading?

Girls Who Burn M K Pagano - Addie's sister died last summer in what police are calling an accident. But Addie doesn't believe it. And when her main suspect also ends up dead under similar circumstances Addie gets caught up in a world of secrets, privilege, and power dynamics that could spell disaster.

What do you think you'll read next?

Riot Act by Alyson Gerber

Book review - A Misfortune of Lake Monsters

 

Title: A Misfortune of Lake Monsters

Author: Nicole M Wolverton

Genre: horror

Similar books: Swarm by Jennifer D Lyle

                      Fractured Tide by Leslie Lutz

Rating:

 

doesn't quite live up to it's potential

Summary (provided by publisher): Lemon Ziegler wants to escape rural Devil’s Elbow, Pennsylvania to attend college—but that’s impossible now that she’s expected to impersonate the town’s lake monster for the rest of her life. Her family has been secretly keeping the tradition of Old Lucy, the famed (and very fake) monster of Lake Lokakoma, alive for generations, all to keep the tourists coming. Without Lemon, the town dies, and she can’t disappoint her grandparents . . . or tell her best friends about any of it. That includes Troy Ramirez, who has been covertly in love with Lemon for years, afraid to ruin their friendship by confessing his feelings. When a very real, and very hungry monster is discovered in the lake, secrets must fall by the wayside. Determined to stop the monster, Lemon and her best friends are the only thing standing between Devil’s Elbow and the monster out for blood.

My opinion: It's a classic monster movie set-up: something hungry is in the lake. This book adds a decent wrinkle, with the Ziegler family feeling the pressure to protect the legend of the lake monster for the sake of the town economy. A real monster presents a complication that forces Lemon to address her feelings for her friends and her future. It's a very real catalyst that helps to move the plot along. The monster plot itself heads in some rather strange directions, stretching my willing suspension of disbelief to its furthest limits. While Lemon's other issues add some interest, they don't get quite enough space to develop. The result is a slightly too violent, not exactly thrilling, read.

 Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

The Meadows by Stephanie Oakes - A girl gets the opportunity she's always dreamed of - entrance to one of the country's elite boarding schools. As time passes, though, she realizes that there is more going on at the school than was advertized.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Misfortune of Lake Monsters by Nicole Wolverton - Devil's Elbow is known for it's legend of a Lake Monster, a monster that Lemon's family has been faking for generations. But now that Lemon has taken over acting as the monster, she discovers there is something else in the lake. And it's hungry.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Haunted States of America

Graphic novel spotlight - Willa and Wade and the Way Up There

 

Willa and Wade and the Way Up There by Judith Henderson and Sara Sarhangpour

Willa and Wade is a simple, accessible graphic novel for young readers. The illustrations are uncluttered, making visual interpretation easier. The vocabulary is accessible, with any more complicated words explained by the characters. The plot is straight-forward, as Willa and Wade make different attempts to fly. Readers will enjoy their descriptions of sensations that approach flight, though the pair is forever seeking the full experience.

 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Picture books for everyone

 

The Reindeer Remainders by Katey Howes

 There has been an increase in books about math for kids in recent years, all attempting to make math fun and help kids engage with the topic. This book does a solid job of integrating simple division into a narrative as the reindeer attempt to divide their numbers into equal groups. It introduces the ideas of remainders in division and prime numbers while encouraging empathy and inclusivity. With charming illustrations and an easy to follow plot, this is a solid object lesson in division.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley