Book review - When the Rain Came

 

Title: When the Rain Came

Author: Matt Eicheldinger

Genre: dystopia

Age range: teen

Similar book: Rebel Darling by Valerie Best

Summary (provided by publisher): “If we stay here, if we keep wandering without a real plan, we won’t last. Maybe The Hill is dangerous. But maybe it’s not. It’s the only plan we have.”

Seventeen-year-old Aurora knows how to survive. Life in the foster system has taught her how to stay quiet, stay smart, and stay ready. But nothing could prepare her for this: a never-ending storm that swallows cities, drowns forests, and turns the world into a flooded wasteland.

Trapped in a collapsing house with her strict prepper foster parents, Aurora is forced to live by their rules just to stay alive. Until the day they disappear without a trace.

Alone. Abandoned. And running out of time.

All Aurora has is a waterlogged scrap of paper and a name: “The Hill.” 

With looters closing in and the floodwaters rising higher each day, she’s left with one impossible choice—stay and wait for the storm to take her, or risk everything on a journey through the drowned remains of the world, to a find a place that may or not exist.

It’s forward or nothing.

What I liked: The scenario here is strong and reasonably plausible. We have a character with enough information to stand a chance of survival and a background that makes her flexible and willing to take chances. The pacing is strong and there is enough action to propel the reader forward

What I didn't like: The characters aren't especially complex. The plot takes some logical leaps. This is clearly the first in a series so the ending isn't particularly satisfying. While the individual moments are engaging the plot overall isn't especially beleivable.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Pretty Close But Not the Same

 

Pretty Close But Not the Same by Meg Fleming

This book straddles the line between standard picture book and non-fiction. In the non-fiction column , it is not a story book. There is no true plot. It's a basic comparison of similar animals, pointing out simple ways that the two differ. In the picture book column, it is fairly playful. The focus is more on having fun than strict scientific classifications. The text rhymes. It's a book that would be fun to enjoy with preschoolers and the simple illustrations will appeal to that age range as well.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Bowtie hairpins

 When I made my bowtie bowtie, I had an idea that you could also use it as a hairbow. Then, looking at my scraps, I realized that I had pieces that could be turned into pasta-sized bowties. And at that size, they were perfect for hairpins.

Listen with me

 

Three Sisters by David Macinnis Gill

At first, I was pretty on board with this book. It is, to be clear, a fairly standard survival book. We have three sisters and their dad trapped on a mountain during a natural disaster, balancing survival and grief. Along the way we learn a fair amount about hiking, survival skills, and the science of volcanoes. The final chapters, though, go rather off the rails. We move beyond just being trapped on a mountain due to a closed trail and some injuries to literally having to outrun an eruption. It tends to take away from the emotional impact of the plot as the physical challenges become increasingly extreme. This is not a book for the squeamish, nor for the skeptical.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

The Song of the Bees by Tim Chapman - Sent to live with his grandmother in Wisconsin, a boy and his new friends investigate what is happening to local bees.

What did you recently finish reading?

Found Sound by Meg Wolitzer and Charlie Panek - A boy living in the shadow of his prodigy younger brother investigates a mystery with his summer neighbor.

What do you think you'll read next?

When the Rain Came by Matthew Eicheldinger

Graphic novel spotlight - Harper Sharp, Kid Detective

 

Harper Sharp Kid Detective by Jarrett Williams

When it comes to kid appropriate mysteries, picking a book can be a bit dicey. Some are too intense. Others don't have much in the way of stakes. The most successful mysteries often center around school. Missing items or mysterious vandalism are relatable and can feel, in the context of a child's social world, meaningful. And that is the approach this book takes. Harper investigates defacement of posters in his school. If it were just the mystery this would be an acceptable but probably forgettable book. Williams elevates the novel by incorporating a great deal of economics in the plot. As he investigates, Harper is also learning the ins and outs of running a business. With brightly colored, dynamic illustrations this is a fun read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Morbid Curiosities by S. Hati - A girl attending an elite science academy discovers there is more to the school, it's experiments, and the strange happenings in the surrounding communities.

What did you recently finish reading?

Auntie Q's Golden Claws Nail Salon by Van Hoang - After getting in trouble a girl is sent to work off her debt at her estranged aunt's nail salon.

What do you think you'll read next?

Harper Sharp, Kid Detective by Jarrett Williams

Book review - Eureka

 

Title: Eureka

Author: Victoria Chang

Genre: historical fiction/verse novel

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Summary (provided by publisher): The year is 1885. San Francisco is dangerous for Chinese immigrants like twelve-year-old Mei Mei. She must venture on her own, without her family or friends, to Eureka, California, where it is supposedly safe.

But 300 miles from home, Mei Mei misses her Ma Ma's kindness, helping out in her Ba Ba's store, and playing hide-and-seek with her best friend, Hua Hua. Despite her fear and the increasing violence against her community, she finds hope in an unexpected friend, the giant Redwood trees, and a new dream: learning how to read in English. As the world around her grows more scary, Mei Mei discovers her own power, as well as the joy of found family, the importance of courage, and the nature of freedom.

What I liked: Oftentimes a verse novel focuses only on a character's thoughts and emotions, leaving us with little action or setting. This book manages to balance description with reflection. The resulting text is sparse but meaningful. It is able to reflect dangers and cruelty without becoming exploitative.

What I didn't like: The problems and solutions are a bit over-simplified and the exploration is, necessarily, fairly shallow. This is the sort of book you might use in conjunction with other, more in depth, information about racial violence in the 1880s.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

Three Sisters by David Macinnis Gill

I've long been a fan of survival stories, so this book about sisters stranded on a mountain during a volcanic event sounds right up my alley. Let's give it a listen and see if it lives up to it's promise.

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Where Ella Went by Laurie Morrison - When their friend and soccer captain leaves town without warning, a group of middle schoolers dig into what happened and why she left.

What did you recently finish reading?

Penelope Positano Sees it All by Katie Cotugno - Penelope is finally allowed to get a dog. She doesn't know what her perfect dog will be, just that she'll know it when she sees it.

What do you think you'll read next?

Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis

Book review - Tested

 

Title: Tested

Author: Anna Monders

Genre: dystopia

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Summary (provided by publisher): For as long as Mikayla can remember, her future has been laid out for her. As an Elite in a world divided by genetic Elites, Defectives, and Expendables, she’ll live up to her stellar Genetic Report Card score of ninety-four by excelling academically, gaining acceptance into the Elite Scholars program, and eventually working for GenIn, the company that saved humanity after the catastrophic Great Dying.

All seems to be going as planned until a surprise assignment during Mikayla’s class changes everything. Soon, she’s reconnecting with a friend she thought she’d lost forever and—for the first time in her life—questioning the society she has put her trust in.

But if Mikayla isn’t the model citizen she always believed herself to be, then who is she?

What I liked: Monders doesn't fully follow the standard dystopian fiction pattern. Most authors would have the protagonist realizing that the system is flawed and then leading a revolution against it. That's not where this book goes. Instead it's a bit slower, more about Mikayla beginning to question the system and the narrative she's always heard about the importance of the division. This is a book more about small changes and beginning to think for yourself than about true revolution.

What I didn't like: The small revolution approach cuts both ways. While it's more realistic, it also is less compelling. There isn't the excitement of taking down a damaging system. And the realizations that Mikayla has about human value are equally small and nebulous. The book is trying to help us see that everyone has value but never truly shows that.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - A Tale of Plagues and Perfumes

 

Title: A Tale of Plagues and Perfumes

Author: Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski

Genre: fantasy

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Goat Magic by Kate Wheeler

Summary (provided by publisher): The last thing Nia wants is to be branded a "Sinsory." Where she comes from, that's just as deadly as the plagues that sweep through the land. That's why she keeps her unusually keen sense of smell a secret. Only two people in the city of Yerat know of her special abilities: her beloved Auntie and her best friend, Fox. But when the worst plague in a century hits their desert continent, all of that suddenly changes.

An invitation arrives in the shape of a jar of blackcurrant jam. Nia is asked to attend the Cloister, a select and secluded school for children with heightened senses. There she meets Scentiers, like her, but also Gazers, Whisper-Gatherers, and many more, whose sensory powers go far beyond what regular folk can smell, see, or hear.

It's there that Nia learns her nose knows far more than she ever dreamed . . . maybe enough to find the cure for the plague. Or even sniff out the sinister secrets hiding in the Cloister's walls.

What I liked: World building is the strongest feature of this book. Not only do we have a unique approach to magic - characters with specific sensory powers - but we also have distinctive settings. The individual elements work together well to create a complex plot where the setting plays vital roles. The characters are mostly believable.

What I didn't like: There are a fair number of leaps of logic and reliance on coincidence. And many of the twists are telegraphed pretty heavily far in advance of their eventual reveal. The magical elements will make this a hard sell for some.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Needlepoint

 It is one of my goals this year to use up some craft kits that I have had stored for months, even years. I just finished up this needlepoint kit that I was gifted some time ago, started, and promptly abandoned. 

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally - While on Spring Break with her best friend, a teen goes on a disastrous boat trip.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Tale of Plagues and Perfumes by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski - When her ability as a Scentier gets her invited to join the Cloister, Nia becomes involved in a race to stop a deadly plague.

What do you think you'll read next?

Tested by Anna Monders

Book review - Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away

 

Title: Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away

Author: Ciera Burch

Genre: realistic fiction/magical realism

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The School for Invisible Boys by Shaun David Hutchinson

Summary (provided by publisher): Seventh grade has just started, but Olivia Gray already knows this year is different. Her brother ignores her for his crush, and all her friends talk about is who likes who, something Olivia has never cared about—even when Robbie, the most popular boy in school, asks her to the fall formal. After unknowingly rejecting him, Olivia goes viral on the social app KruShh. As the chatter about Robbie and dating grows, Olivia starts to feel left out to the point of feeling invisible—literally.

Seen only by her new librarian and a friendly kid named Jules, Olivia flickers in and out of sight whenever the topic of romance comes up. As she begins to realize she might be asexual, Olivia struggles to actually use the label because of the negative perception behind it. All she wants is to be normal, but can she really fit in without disappearing completely?

What I liked: We are accustomed to books about middle grade simply focusing on fitting in. Certainly that is a strong element in this book. Olivia's behavior is largely driven by feeling like an outsider. But this isn't the only thing that makes her feel invisible. She Doesn't feel heard. And it's not just about the people that make her invisible. Even more, it's the people who make her seen, the places where she looks for answers. And the answers to her problems don't just come from others. This is very much a book about a kid needing to define herself and the struggles inherent in that.

What I didn't like: Like a lot of middle grade fiction, this book perhaps is a bit too positive. The overall message seems to be that most people will accept you if you give them a chance. And that simply isn't everyone's lived experience. Still, this book earns it's place in a conversation about gender, sexuality, and acceptance.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Curses and Other Buried Things

 

Title: Curses and Other Buried Things

Author: Caroline George

Genre: magical realism

Similar book: Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Age range: teen

Summary (provided by publisher): Blood holds all kinds of curses.

Seven generations of women in Susana Prather’s family have been lost to the Georgia swamp behind her house. The morning after her eighteenth birthday, she awakens soaked with water, with no memory of sleepwalking. No matter how she tries to stop it, she’s pulled from her safe bed night after night, haunted by her own family history and legacy. Now, the truth feels unavoidable: it’s only a matter of time before she loses her mind and the swamp becomes her grave.

Unless she can figure out how to break the curse.

When she isn’t sleepwalking, she’s dreaming of her great-great-great-great-grandmother, Suzanna Yawn, who set the curse in motion in 1855. Her ancestor’s life bears such similarity to her own that it might hold the key she seeks. Or it might only foretell tragedy.

As Susana seeks solutions in the past and the present, family members hold secrets tighter to their chests, friends grow distant, and old flames threaten to sputter and die. But Susana has something no one else has been able to seize: the unflagging belief that all curses can be broken and that love can help a new future begin.

What I liked: Most novels about curses center on breaking a curse. We get a brief introduction to how this character got cursed but the bulk of the plot focuses on the quest to gather rare ingredients or accomplish nearly impossible tasks. While that certainly plays a role in this book, George has allowed this plot to become something much more. This is a book as much about what it means to be or feel cursed and how the past is visited upon us as it is about breaking a specific curse. It is a plot as rooted in the characters' history as it is in the present. Thus the historical characters are as complex as the modern ones.

What I didn't like: The pacing is a bit slow at times. And this is a plot driven far more by emotion and internal motivation than it is by action. So if you're looking for a thrilling story this is not the right choice. But it does ask some interesting questions and gives the reader plenty to consider.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Breakout

 

Title: Breakout

Author: Christina Wyman

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: Love is in the Hair by Gemma Cary

Summary (provided by publisher): Ellis Starr likes learning about active volcanoes. She does not like having acne that resembles them. But it’s not just cosplaying as a pepperoni pizza that has Ellis on the verge of erupting. Her mom’s hot-and-cold moods have the two of them butting heads nonstop—especially now that her mom is dating for the first time since her parents’ separation. Then there’s Ellis’s best friend, Aggy, whose own life—and skin—seems perfect. And who could forget that Ellis still needs to decide on a research topic for a big school project.

With eighth grade proving to be every bit as pesky as a new pimple, Ellis’s only bright spot is the time she spends with her aunt Lydia, whose adorable puppy, Rocco, is a natural stress reliever. (And perhaps the perfect subject for her project.) Maybe this season of breakouts can lead to a breakthrough about what Ellis needs to truly feel good in her own skin.

What I liked: If this were just a book about a kid dealing with problem skin, that would be enough. It's a topic that gets mentioned in middle grade fiction but seldom takes center stage. But Wyman doesn't let the topic stand on it's own. Instead, Ellis's acne is her own central focus but many other issues feed into that plot. This isn't just a book about acne - it's about the complexities of being a middle schooler.

What I didn't like: As you might expect, there's a little bit of grossness to the descriptions. It's not an especially comfortable read but there's enough here for most low to middle income kids to find some common ground.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away by Ciera Burch - While her peers become obsessed with crushes and her once close brother grows distant, Olivia feels increasingly invisible

What did you recently finish reading?

Breakout by Christina Wyman - A girl navigates her problem skin, changing friendships, school pressure, and her parents.

What do you think you'll read next?

Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride

Bowtie

 I love a bowtie. 

Normally, I'm more of a fan of the sort you have to tie but when I spotted this one, I was inspired.

Here's my version, crafted from a scrap of t-shirt. I've added a strap and velcro to make it wearable, but you could also attach one to a headband or hairclip.

Latch Hook

 Did you ever make a latch hook kit? I had a couple as a kid and remember them fondly. So when I came across one in our craft supplies I decided to finish it. There were a few problems. The paper chart was missing so I had to interpret what was printed on the fabric best as I could (sometimes the printing is crooked). And the yarn we had wasn't sufficient. There wasn't enough orange and the brown and yellow were entirely missing (though weirdly there was a whole package of gray which never appears in the image). So I had to scavenge some other yarn from my stash to complete the project. And here's how it looks finished:

Of course, now I remember one other thing about doing these kits - I never know what to do with them when they're done. Attach it to a tote bag? Make a wall-hanging? What do you think?