Book review - How to Be True

 

Title: How to Be True

Author: Daisy May Johnson

Genre: adventure

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon

Summary (provided by publisher): Edie Berger is a prankster, the daughter of activists, and a revolutionary in her own right. Paris is Edie’s home and her favorite place in the world. But when her parents decide to travel the globe fighting for good causes, Edie is left in the care of Odette, her strict grandmother—and, ultimately, shipped off to boarding school in England.

A school trip finds Edie back in the streets of Paris, exploring with her friends and forced to confront the grandmother who sent her away. But is there more to Odette than Edie realizes? Featuring madcap adventures, pastries, macarons, an intrepid army of first-years, a secret underground network of nuns, a truly excellent art heist, and lots of bravery, this is a story about loving with your whole heart and standing up for what you believe in.

What I liked: For all of its rather ridiculous details, this book manages to stay fairly grounded. The messaging is wide ranging. It not only stresses the importance of staying true to yourself but also encourages understanding and empathy. The characters all have at least a little complexity to their motivations and even our hero makes poor choices from time to time. It is both fun and heart-felt.

What I didn't like: I don't typically care much for an intrusive narrator in children's fiction. If not handled correctly it can become a way of talking down to the reader. Johnson handles the narration well, keeping it accessible. There are a number of footnotes in each chapter. While these notes are primarily amusing some readers will find them more irritating.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

The Girl and the Robot by Oz Rodriquez - Mimi's been trying to fix everything since her Papi was deported. Then she finds a robot that seems to have crashed down from space.

What did you recently finish reading?

Drew LeClair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury - A cyberbully at school is the perfect distraction when Drew's mother leaves - for good this time.

What do you think you'll read next?

Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker by Heidi Heilig

Non-fiction book review - I'm a Dumbo Octopus

 

I'm a Dumbo Octopus by Anne Lambelet

I love a good informative graphic novel and this book fits that definition to a t. We are introduced to Grimpy, a dumbo octopus, who explains features common to cephalopods, telling the reader all about what makes each species amazing. These, though, are not features of Dumbo Octopi. So there is some plot here as Grimpy begins to feen like it isn't special and we get the expected messaging about how our differences are important and everyone has something to contribute. More importantly, Lambelet does not shy away from using correct scientific terms. Each word is explained in an easy to understand way. The result is a book that is both visually compelling and deeply informative.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Dino Poet

 

Title: Dino Poet

Author: Tom Angleberger

Genre: humor

Age range: upper elementary

Summary (provided by publisher): Get writing or get eaten! Dino Poet is on a mission: to write the first great poem—ever!

His lunch, a prehistoric frog, is also on a mission: to not get eaten! So when Frog tells Dino Poet that his poems stink, he decides lunch can wait . . . for now. The two set off into the wide, wild world, chasing life! Chasing poetry! Until a T-Rex starts chasing them.

What I liked: This is a great way to educate kids about poetry forms and to encourage creativity. As Dino Poet encounters different dinosaurs and situations Frog gives a quick introduction to a type of poem and encourages Dino to experiment. In the vein of Adventures in Cartooning, a little bit of plot prevents the information from becoming dull.

What I didn't like: The explanations of the forms are very brief, even incomplete. And the plot is quite thin as well. This isn't a book you're going to gain a lot from but it is entertaining.

More information: Dino Poet releases March 25

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Not Nothing

 

Title: Not Nothing

Author: Gayle Forman

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

Summary (provided by publisher): Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home where he’s bossed around by an annoying and self-important do-gooder named Maya-Jade. He hasn’t seen his mom in a year, his aunt and uncle don’t want him, and Shady Glen’s geriatric residents seem like zombies to him.

Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp—all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey’s door…and Josey begins to tell Alex his story.

As Alex comes back again and again to hear more, an unlikely bond grows between them. Soon a new possibility opens up for Alex: Can he rise to the occasion of his life, even if it means confronting the worst thing that he’s ever done?

What I liked: Alex, for all his faults, is a realistic, relatable character. Certainly he has made and continues to make bad choices. But we can see what lead him to those choices and his slowly developing desire to be better. With a complex cast of characters with at least a little nuance, this is a fast paced compelling read that puts a new spin on the ideas that we can learn from Holocaust stories.

What I didn't like: Alex and his issues are perhaps overly idealized, his problems too easily resolved. There are many elements that push the bounds of believability but it manages to remain at an acceptable level.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Nothing Bad Happens Here by Rachel Ekstrom Courage - When she finds a body on the beach in Nantucket, Lucia starts investigating as a way of escaping the crushing grief that followed her to the island.

What did you recently finish reading?

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman - A troubled kid is sent to volunteer at a nursing home for community service and makes a surprising connection with the residents.

What do you think you'll read next?

The Many Hauntings of the Manning Family by Lorien Lawrence

Book review - Green Jolene and the Neighborhood Swap

 

Title: Green Jolene and the Neighborhood Swap

Author: Wendy Mass

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Range: elementary

Similar book: Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lyla Lee

Summary (provided by publisher): It all began (as the best stories do) with a very stinky backpack!

Jolene wouldn’t have guessed that the first day of summer vacation would start with her trying to figure out if the squishy object smelling up her backpack was a half-eaten tuna sandwich or a six-month-old plum! (It was both!) While dumping old food in the trash and bringing out the recycling, Jolene sees the huge boxes of stuff her new neighbors got delivered. She realizes how many of her own belongings she doesn’t use anymore. 

Horrified by the idea of contributing to overflowing landfills and trash-filled oceans, Jolene hatches a big plan to not only deal with her own stuff, but her whole neighborhood’s unwanted items as well. Of course, big plans never work out quite the way we think they will!  

Clad in her favorite rain boots, Jolene is ready to save the world. Or, at least, to tackle her own neighborhood’s stuff and find some surprising new allies along the way. 

What I liked: This is a very readable book. Jolene is a realistic character, simple in her presentation with an upbeat personality but with relatable problems. The narrative is easy to follow and well supported by illustrations that are worth seeking out in their own right. The earth friendly tips are easy to follow and are realistic for kids to enact. With a plot that includes more than just ecological concerns there's something in this book for everyone.

What I didn't like: Unsurprisingly, the ecological messaging is a bit heavy handed but doesn't go over the top. Jolene is an encouraging ambassador, not a harsh judge.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn't

 

Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn't by Sarah Albee

This is a great look at number systems throughout the world and across history. We don't put a lot of thought into the concept of zero but it's surprisingly complex and absolutely essential. With cartoon-style illustrations supporting the text and adding small doses of humor this is equal parts entertaining and informative. While the appeal may be limited it's worth the effort.

More information: Zero! releases March 11.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: series

 There's something wonderful about finding a good series. A solid adventure with the promise of more to come or beloved characters who we get to visit repeatedly. Especially for young or reluctant readers, if you can get someone started on a series you've guaranteed months of reading. With that in mind, here are six new books that are part of series.

Six new series books:

1. Pizza and Taco Best Christmas Ever by Stephen Shaskan
2. Squire Knight by Scott Chatler
3. Suri's Dragon by Jo Rioux
4. I am a Space Tiger by Jarod Rosello
5. Danger in the Dragon's Den by Megan Reyes
6. Prince and the Pawper by Stephanie Cooke

Book review - I am Made of Death

 

Title: I am Made of Death

Author: Kelly Andrew

Genre: horror

Age range: teen

Similar book: Beholder by Ryan La Sala

Summary (provided by publisher): Following the death of his father, Thomas Walsh had to grow up quickly, taking on odd-jobs to keep food on the table and help pay his gravely ill mother's medical bills. When he's offered a highly paid position as an interpreter for an heiress who exclusively signs, Thomas -- the hearing child of a Deaf adult -- jumps at the opportunity.

But the job is not without its challenges. Thomas is expected to accompany Vivienne wherever she goes, but from the start, she seems determined to shake him. To make matters worse, her parents keep her on an extremely short leash. She is not to go anywhere without express permission. She is not to deviate from her routine.

She is, most importantly, not to be out after dark.

A selective-mute, Vivienne Farrow hasn't said a word in years -- not since going missing in Red Rock Canyon when she was four years old. No one knows quite what happened to her out in the dark. They only know that the sound of her voice is now as deadly as a poison. Anyone who hears her speak suffers a horrible death.

Ever since that fatal family vacation, Vivienne has been desperately searching for a way to regain control of both her voice and her body. Because the face staring out of the mirror isn't hers. It's something with teeth.

Thankfully, Vivienne has a plan. She's finally found someone who claims to be able to perform a surgical exorcism. She just needs to find a way to get rid of Thomas first. But Thomas can't afford to walk away, nor is he willing to abandon the mysterious girl he's quickly falling for, no matter what dark powers threaten to swallow them both whole.

What I liked: A book like this one, with a possession that borders on body horror, the tendency can be to lean hard into the graphic violence. It becomes the largest source of horror. Andrew doesn't do that. If anything, the descriptions of the physical sensations and violence are overly tame. They are subdued to the point of becoming flat. If they were the only source of horror it would be dull. Instead, the focus becomes on the loss of control. And that's far more relatable than a simple gore-fest.

What I didn't like: For a horror novel, it can be a bit flat sometimes. And with complex machinations by shadowy organizations, it can be a bit hard to follow. At the resolution I wasn't entirely clear on what, exactly, had happened with each of these characters and their ultimate role in what happened to Vivienne.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Glitch Girl by Ranie Oet - A verse novel about a middle grade kid with ADHD struggling with gender identity and navigating social relationships.

What did you recently finish reading?

Zero! The Number that Almost Wasn't by Sarah Albee - A kid's guide to the numeral zero, it's development, and the impact it has on the world.

What do you think you'll read next?

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman

Non-fiction book review - Jella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams

 

Jella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams by Katherine Paterson

While it is described as a picture book biography, this book extends beyond the standard picture book length and contains a great deal more text on each page. It is perhaps better described as an illustrated biography. Exploring the nature of life in Germany during and after the war, the topic is a heavy one but Paterson handles it gently. This is a book easy for young readers to understand and celebrates not only the achievements of this one person but also the power of art to change lives. With nearly old-fashioned illustrations, this is a very readable narrative and should be a nice addition to a young history buff's collection.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

What Fell from the Sky by Adrianna Cuevas

When I selected this one I'd hoped that the combination of alien encounters and Cold War era Texas would allow Cuevas to explore some deeper themes and introduce some complexity to a fairly standard plot. I was not disappointed. We have the standard scenes of finding an alien and trying to figure out ways to communicate. And as is typical, the extraterrestrial is a stand-in for the character's sense of isolation, in this case in a racially stratified culture. While the messaging is rather heavy-handed the plot and characters are compelling enough to make this very readable.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley