October 2019 - Page 3 of 3 - The Neverending TBR

BONUS REVIEW: The Class by Frances O’Roark Dowell

Posted on October 8, 2019October 5, 2019 by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Antheneum in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Mrs. Herrera’s class of 6th graders is an eclectic group of students. She has popular kids, and jocks and nice kids and brainy kids. Ellie is one of the new kids. She’s a writer – an observer – a spy. And when something happens in the class, her observations are a foundation for the rest of the story.

This is an unusual book. There are a ton of perspectives in this. Twenty different kids chime in to tell the story. It was hard at times to keep track of everyone. Then it took half the book for the class-impacting event to happen. And when it did, it felt small to me. It didn’t have a very big punch.

From the description I thought this would be 20 perspectives on the same moment/day/event where each subsequent story would fill in what really happened. [I was expecting something like the first part of the amazing book, The Candymakers, where each of the four characters tells their version of the A part of the story before moving back to the main character’s perspective for the wrap up of the book. It’s part of what makes The Candymakers so brilliant.] Instead, this was one story arc, and each kid told part of it as it moved along.

This format and story didn’t work for me. I struggled to stay engaged. I didn’t know the characters well enough to have them drive me from page to page through the story. And then there wasn’t a lot of action or punch to the “event” to drive me on either. I struggled to stick with this. I won’t be posting a rating for this one.

When it comes to multiple perspective stories, I prefer a Rob Buyea story or something like The Reckless Club. I think those are stronger examples of the format – fewer characters and higher stakes.

Other readers have found this delightful, so if the premise sounds interesting to you, check it out. It wasn’t a good fit for me.

REVIEW: Friend or Fiction? by Abby Cooper

Posted on October 8, 2019October 3, 2019 by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Charlesbridge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Life was weird in Tiveda, Colorado. It was a small town, and no one every stayed there long. People there were generally passing through on their way somewhere else. For Jade, Tiveda was extra weird because her family was sticking around. That wasn’t the plan at first, but her dad’s been way too sick to move away, find new doctors, etc. And while she stays, her friends tend to come and go.

Until Zoe.

Zoe is a character Jade created. Jade’s a writer. And she writes stories about a fictional Jade and her best friend Zoe. All of the stories fit in a notebook that Jade takes everywhere so she always has Zoe with her. She can add to their adventures any time, which comes in handy when you don’t have a best friend at school any more. And Jade’s dad loves to hear any new Zoe story she writes.

When a kid named Clue takes Jade’s notebook for a “project,” she is beside herself. What dose she even do without Zoe? But the project seems to be a success because Zoe – Jade’s made up Zoe – has come to life, and she’s is living across the street from Jade and going to her school!

Review

This was great. There’s a touch of magic to the story that brings Zoe to life. But the rest is a realistic story about friendship, family and writing. And it all comes together so well.

I loved the revelations Jade encounters in the last part of the book – about her brother, about Zoe, about the kids at school, about storytelling, and about herself. There’s so much here, and it’s all so rich. Jade grows and changes so much from the start of the novel to the end. It’s a fantastic journey.

This would be great for classroom reading or a book group. This fits in the “older middle grade” category, for kids 10 and up. There are tons of friendship pieces to talk about, but so much more – cancer, grief, isolation, family. There are great pieces about writing and writers in this, too, that could have classroom connections. The fact that Jade is a writer, that she connects with a teacher at school who encourages her writing, and her dad’s enthusiasm about her stories – those were some of my favorite parts of the book. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: October 8, 2019

Posted on October 7, 2019October 4, 2019 by Jaymie

Here’s a look at some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Cats Are a Liquid – Teaches about qualities of a liquid – and qualities of cats who can sometimes behave like a liquid. Includes instructions for making oobleck.
The Favorite Book – How do your favorite things become your favorites? I have fallen in love with this book just from the sample pages I have seen. I’ll be hunting this one down this week to see it all in person.
Jon Klassen’s Hat Box – All three Hat books (I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, We Found a Hat) in one box set. If you have enjoyed the books but never purchased them for yourself, this is a great way to get all three.
Stretchy McHandsome – An orange stray leaves his large family to go on an adventure where he discovers something he’s been missing. This looks darling! – orange cats are my favorite.
Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom – Part of the People Who Shaped Our World series. A Chinese woman, born in an era when Chinese girls usually didn’t get to go to school, who went on to be called the “Queen of Physics.”
Frank and Bean – A hotdog named Frank is enjoying some alone time to experience nature and write. Then he meets the outgoing – and noisy – Bean.
Geeky F@b 5: DOGgone CATastrophe (Graphic Novel) – Volume 3 in the Geeky F@b 5 collection. The girls band together to help local animals when the shelter is damaged in a tornado.
Grumplets and Pests – Book 7 in the Zoey and Sassafras series. When Zoey notices that all of their magical friends are grumpy day after day, she decides to discover why.
Micah’s Super Vlog: To Sketch a Thief AND Just Chill – Books 3 and 4 in this series based on an animated web show. In one story, the kids are tempted to turn on one another when many of their possessions come up missing. In the other, a new kid at school seems to be hiding something.
Ra the Mighty: The Great Tomb Robbery – Book 2 in the Ra the Mighty series. Ra the cat and Khepri the dung beetle are sleuthing again when a tomb is robbed and a friend looks guilty. I got a HUGE kick out of the first book. You can read my review here.
Undersea Mystery Club: Problem at the Playground – First in a new series starring a mermaid and a narwhal who are out to solve the mystery of some broken equipment at the new playground.
Suffragette: The Battle for Equality – A nonfiction chapter book on the Suffrage movement.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Best At It – A middle school boy who is struggling with anxiety and bullying gets advice to find one thing and become the best at it. He’s not sure what his one thing should be, but he’s willing to give it a try. If you are looking for middle grade fiction starring LGBTQ+ characters, check this one out.
The Class (Older Middle Grade) – One story told from the perspective of the 20 kids in the class. I’ll be reviewing this one later this week.
Friend or Fiction (Older Middle Grade) – When her dad gets sick, Jade starts writing stories in a notebook about herself and a perfect new best friend named Zoe. But after a classmate gets a hold of her notebook and does an experiment with it, fictional Zoe becomes Jade’s real-life neighbor and friend. I’ll be reviewing this later this week, too.
The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted – From Christian publisher Thomas Nelson. A regular kid prophesied to end an ancient war is swept away to the secret Hadley Academy even though he seems to have no extraordinary gifts.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Illustrated – The illustrated version of the fourth Harry Potter book has a whopping 464 pages – over 100 more than the last book.
Hazel’s Theory of Evolution – A teen who is struggling with questions about how her 8th grade year at school will go and who is worried about one of her mom’s pregnancy after two miscarriages finds her usual move of finding answers in old encyclopedias not sufficient for these kinds of questions.
How to Rob a Bank (Older Middle Grade) – When a boy trying to impress a girl ends up burning down her house instead, he thinks only the grandest gestures can make up for it – like robbing a bank to help pay for a new house. This sounds bizarre, which means it’s going to be a must read.
Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat: The Spacedog Cometh – Book 3 in the Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat series. While Klawde is dealing with a space dog that’s come to Earth to bring him to justice, Klawde’s human friend Raj is dealing with his own out of town guest whose plans may lead to endless embarrassment.
Lily’s Story – Book 7 in the Puppy Tale series. The runt of a litter – and the only girl – might find her size is an advantage in discovering her purpose.
Look Both Ways (Older Middle Grade) – The latest from the great Jason Reynolds. A story told in ten blocks on the trip home from school. The format for this sounds fascinating – I can’t wait to see it in person.
Marvel Rising: Heroes of the Round Table (Graphic Novel) – Collects the first five comics in the Marvel Rising line.
Rescue on the River – Book 24 in the Imagination Station series that’s like Magic Tree House with a faith-spin, from Focus on the Family. This is the final book in an arc about Civil War America.
Revenge of Magic: The Last Dragon – Book 2 in the series. An ancient evil is looking for the last dragon, and Fort and his mysterious new roommate are having dreams about it. I have book one on my TBR shelves.
The Unicorn Whisperer (Comics collection) – Book 10 in the fun Phoebe and her Unicorn series. The sample pages I have seen are a hoot!
Black Women in Science – History of Black women in science. This is available for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription right now.
Harry Potter: Exploring Hogwarts: An Illustrated Guide – An illustrated guide to Hogwarts with movie photos and details from the movies.
Raina’s Mini Posters AND My Smile Diary – Two gift books from Raina Telgemeier, author of Smile and her latest graphic novel, Guts. Trust me, if you know a 10-12 year old girl (and many who are younger and older), she likely is very familiar with these books. The mini posters include things from the graphic novels that can be hung at home or in a locker (material from Guts is not included). The diary includes blank and bordered pages with a dot-grid for writing space.
The Who Was History of the World – A timeline of the world, referencing the various figures highlighted in the Who Was series.
The Athena Protocol – The Athena Protocol is an elite spy organization enacting justice around the world. When an operative is dismissed for going too far she starts investigating a trafficking ring on her own with no backup, while trying to avoid her former teammates who have been told to take her down. I already have this on hold at the library.
The Grace Year – A Lord of the Flies-like tale of teen girls released into the wild for their 16th year to rid them of the “magic” that drives men and boys to lust. Each of the girls know she is to be married at the end of the year – if she survives. A dark but interesting plot.
I Know You Remember – When Ruthie returns after three years away she discovers her best friend, Zahra, disappeared a few days before her return. Ruthie digs into Zahra’s life and all the ways she has changed over the last three years in search of clues to what happened.
In the Hall with the Knife – Book one in a new series based on the board game, Clue. A storm leaves a group of students and their headmaster trapped at their elite prep school. When the headmaster is killed, everyone there had a motive for the crime. Love the premise of this.
The Library of Lost Things – A teen hides from the realities of her life – like her mother’s compulsive shopping and hoarding – in books. But a new property manager for their apartment and a new boy she meets through her book store job could shake up her precariously perched life.
Rogue Heart – Book 2 in the Rebel Seoul series. In 2201 a telepath waitress/lounge singer stays under the radar just the way she likes it. But when she has the chance to expose those who experiment on others like what happened to her, she finds herself using her powers to aid a rebellion. This seems to center on different characters than in book one.
Enough Is Enough: How Students Can Join the Fight for Gun Safety – A young activists handbook. Includes look at the history of the Second Amendment, the NRA and guns in America.
Harry Potter Film Vault: Volume 3 Horcruxes and the Deathy Hallows AND Volume 4 Hogwarts Students – A collection of books about the Harry Potter films. CAUTION – Some readers have noted that this material has been released before in other Harry Potter Vault books. This may be more re-packaging than actual new content.

Books for Adults

Baking Me Crazy (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in the Donner Bakery series. A nice guy who takes on the best friend role for a woman he loves because that’s what she needed at the time watches his chance at love start to slip away when she starts dating a new guy.
The Bodies in the Library (Hardcover) – First in the new First Edition Library Mystery series. A young woman lands the job as curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling’s First Edition Library in Bath, England. And one of her first events there – an Agatha Christie fan fiction writer’s group – ends in murder.
The Books of the Dead (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Death in Paris mystery series. Two Americans are called in to sleuth again after one of them finds a body at the French national library.
Faker (Trade Paperback) – A sweet, easy-going woman has to fake being tough as nails to survive in her job at a power-tool company staffed mostly by men. When she has to do a charity project with one of the worst co-workers – a grouchy, hostile man – the two start to see each other in a new light.
How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (Hardcover) – Book one in the new Thorne Chronicles science fiction series. A princess who expects to take her father’s throne some day finds her world turned upside down when her mother has a son at last, her father is assassinated, and she is betrothed to a prince from another world. This is described as “The Princess Bride meets Princess Leia” and I am here for it! I will be reviewing this one later this month.
Sharpest Sting (Trade Paperback) – Book 18 in the Elemental Assassin series. Gin, aka “the Spider,” is looking forward to her friend’s wedding when she learns an old enemy is back in town, and she is set on a quest that will leave her stung by betrayal. I read the first book in the series this summer and found it captivating. The author for this series writes the Crown of Shard series including my top book of 2018, Kill the Queen.
Star Trek: TNG – Collateral Damage (Trade Paperback) – The past returns to haunt Captain Jean-Luc Picard and he is called to earth to face charges of treason. With Worf left to command the Enterprise, he and the crew are drawn into a hunt for “pirates” whose motives may not be as evil as they have been led to believe. I have this on my list for this week.
The Widow of Rose House (Trade Paperback) – A woman who fled her abusive husband – and took harassment from the press for it – is now free to return to New York because the man is dead. She’s going to restore an old mansion, but rumors of ghosts and hauntings are not helping her quest for a new start. When a professor offers to help her dig into the secrets of the house, she is reluctant, but truly needs his help.
Wish List (How to Be the Best Da** Faery Godmother in the World (Or Die Trying)) (e-book) – Book 2 in the series, sequel to Wishful Thinking. Saffron is put in charge of a task force to bring down the trolls, and she sees it as a chance to make a name for herself. Available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Diagnosis Female: How Medical Bias Endangers Women’s Health (Hardcover) – Examines flaws in the medical field around serving women, including cases where symptoms are determined to be “all in her head” when causes cannot be quickly ascertained. Includes suggestions for women of how to get their needs met and also for the medical community to correct their biases.
Miracles and Other Reasonable Things (Hardcover) – The latest from Sarah Bessey, author of Jesus Feminist, which is on my TBR pile. A memoir of her faith journey before and after a devastating car accident that changed everything.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Books from Marvel Publishing

Posted on October 5, 2019September 25, 2019 by Jaymie

Last month we looked at books from DC Comics and DC Publishing. This month I want to do the same for Marvel. I don’t get the same feel from the Marvel collection as I do from DC. Surprisingly, I prefer DC’s books to Marvel’s, which is the opposite of how I feel about their movies. Let’s take a look at what Marvel has for us in the world of publishing (not including graphic novel collections of comic books).

Board Books/Picture Books

Marvel Alpha Block is an alphabet board book with die cut pages. As the Marvel movies have exploded in popularity, Marvel has published a number of picture books, including Little Golden Books for most of the main characters. Baby Groot makes a great character for picture books. I especially loved Spider-Man Swings Through Europe which debuted this summer as the latest Spider-Man movie was released. (Rating: ♥♥♥♥ ) There are also inspirational books and collections that show multiple characters and tells readers about them.

Leveled Readers and Early Chapter Books

Most of the Marvel movies have released along side leveled readers for kids. There’s usually a “Meet the Team” title that introduces the characters as well as some that include adventures based on the movies. There have also been some early chapter books like these from the Super Hero Adventures line. I couldn’t find any recent releases in these categories.

Middle Grade Novels

Marvel usually publishes a “Junior Novel” for all of the movies (like the one for Thor Ragnarok pictured above – I couldn’t find one for Spider-Man Far From Home). These usually mirror the beginnings of the movies, but stop before giving the whole movie plot away. They have also published novelizations of the movies. You can now get the whole “First Ten Years” collection in a box set. Otherwise, their middle grade books play close to the movies but usually more by filling-in-backstory or with a sideways shift.

In Black Panther: Young Prince, we get a childhood story for T’Challa. (♥♥♥♥) In the Cosmic Quest duology, the Collector and the Grand Master square off in a bit of sibling rivalry as they also retell the stories of the Infinity Stones. Peter and Ned’s Ultimate Travel Journal is styled like a pass-around journal for the characters from Spider-Man Far from Home. The Pirate Angel, the Talking Tree, and Captain Rabbit stars Thor, Groot and Rocket as they head to Nidavellir in Endgame, and Groot reads Rocket’s journal about a previous adventure. Marvel released two Unbeatable Squirrel Girl books in 2017 and 2018. You can read my review of Squirrel Meets World here. (♥♥♥♥♥) Starforce on the Rise tells the story of Captain Marvel when she was fighting with the Kree in Starforce before her adventures in the 2019 movie.

Teen and Young Adult Novels

While DC has been actively cultivating their Teen/YA market, Marvel hasn’t done as well there. There were two books in the Black Widow series (published in 2015 and 2016). I enjoyed the first one, Forever Red (♥♥♥♥), but didn’t read the second. Higher, Further, Faster tells the story of Carol Danvers before she ever meets the Kree. (♥♥♥♥½) The Gauntlet is an Iron Man story from 2016 for the middle grade/middle school crowd that seems to stand in a timeline outside the MCU. (♥♥♥½) Loki: Where Mischief Lies just released this fall. You can read my full review here. (♥♥♥½). Jason Reynolds gave us a Miles Morales story before the animated Into the Spiderverse released last year to critical acclaim. You can read my review here. (♥♥♥♥) Thanos: Titan Consumed is an original novel telling the origin story of Thanos.

Adult Novels and Other Books

Marvel has done a far better job than DC on novels for adults. They have a line of novelizations of some of their top comic/graphic novel story lines that are a lot of fun for prose readers. Avengers: Everybody Wants to Rule the World is a novel about many Marvel characters but doesn’t tie specifically into the MCU or a specific comic book series. Avengers: Infinty is a Thanos story, but separate from the one in the MCU. Captain Marvel: Liberation Run is an original Marvel story starring Captain Marvel. Civil War is a novelization of the comic series as is Planet Hulk. You can read my Planet Hulk review here. (♥♥♥♥♥) Spider-Man Hostile Takeover is actually a prequel to the Spider-Man PS4 game. Thanos: Death Sentence is an original Marvel novel. X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga is a novelization of the comics storyline. Marvel also does a fantastic job with their Art of books for each movie in the MCU.

Coming Soon from Marvel

While DC has been shouting from the rooftops about their publishing plans for kids and teens for the next year, Marvel has a much quieter list. These are the ones I was able to find. Black Widow gets to star in a Little Golden Book. (January 2020) Captain Marvel will star in a Flerken story for middle grade readers. (March 2020) Shuri will kick off an upper middle grade series (May 2020). The as-yet untitled Unstoppable Wasp book for teens (staring Nadia Van Dyne from the Unstoppable Wasp comic series) will release in May as well. And I found reference to a book called Orientation which will be the first in an illustrated middle grade series called Avengers Assembly, which is currently scheduled to release in August of 2020.