Monday, March 18, 2024

The Observologist: A Handbook for Mounting Very Small Scientific Expeditions by Giselle Clarkson

What worked:

The author speaks directly to young readers in a light-hearted voice as she shares facts about tiny, common creatures. This technique helps to create a connection between the book and young readers. They’ll like that the book suggests they look down by their feet (maybe even lie on the ground), be curious and patient, and flip over rocks and wet logs. The topics are organized into four groups based on where they can be found. Kids can look in Damp Corners (slugs, fungi, and lice), around Pavement (ants, lichen, and worms), in Weedy Patches (bees, caterpillars, and wasps), and Behind the Curtains (cockroaches, moths, and spiders). Other random information is described that readers might not think about. They can learn how to safely move a spider, how to save a moth from drowning, or how to recognize insects by their sounds. The final pages include an index where readers can locate specific topics.

Color sketches, comics, and diagrams help young readers visualize the information being shared. An illustration of a fruit fly shows its “striking red eyes” and “handsomely tiger striped abdomen” as the fly says its elderly granny is “twenty days old”. Other diagrams point out body parts found on ants and earthworms. Kids can also see how millipedes and centipedes differ and how to tell apart common wasps and honey bees. A short comic strip depicts how a spider traps its prey. Many young readers like gross things so how about including drawings of different bird poop to tell which birds made them? One page displays the droppings from worms, roaches, and spiders while a variety of tiny eggs are shown on another. Everyone knows spiders have eight eyes but readers can see different possibilities of their pattern. The “hand-written” captions accompanying every illustration are very informative without being overly serious.

What didn’t work as well:

Some readers might not appreciate all of the topics or the more serious information but it’s better to be thorough than leave interesting things out. If you don’t like reading about slimy, creepy things then my recommendation is to deal with it! This is a fun book to read.

The final verdict:

I just realized this could be a good book for bathroom reading in addition to an entertaining resource for school. The casual voice of the narrator makes the information easy to read and enjoyable. Overall, I highly recommend you give this book a shot!

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Cloudlanders by Christopher Mackie

What worked:

Magical lightstone lifts the land of Bastion up into the skies and the leaking magic reveals creatures and characters of all kinds. This prepares readers for the appearance of many strange, unexpected things. The seven-foot mushroom called Kurt, the fairy made of gemstone named Flicker, an invisible boy named Boy, and a magical Auger are only a few of the magical beings. A giant, talking wolf named Lycan can morph into any kind of creature, including a human, and he becomes a prominent character. All technology has been banished from the kingdom so the appearance of a crashing aeroplane raises quite a stir. All of these imaginative qualities help to build an entertaining plot.

While the characters are trying to survive their various predicaments, some questions are raised that create a mystery to solve. Bastion was forced to escape into the atmosphere because of the Wavewrecker down on the planet and it will never forget that this piece of land escaped it. Its agents have infiltrated Bastion and they’re trying to undermine the citizens and release the lightstone. One of these Tidekins is covertly introduced as an innocent character so readers will need to figure out which one is up to no good. A strange boy crashes onto Bastion and his emergence from nowhere is full of intrigue. He can’t talk and has mechanical body parts which makes his arrival unexplainable and concerning. It seems there’s an imminent, catastrophic threat to the kingdom that the characters and readers will need to figure out before it’s too late. Palatin Flint is married to the queen but citizens are leery and fearful when he comes to their towns. No one knows about a terrible thing he did in the past but the issue resurfaces in the later parts of the book.

The author focuses on different characters in alternating chapters which allows the story to jump between settings. These chapters mainly follow Aliana and her brother Garrett. Aliana is an adventurous risk-taker and she joins the story as a bounty hunter searching for Lycan. The exchanges between these two characters add a touch of humor to the story as they become partners in rescuing a young girl. Garrett is a thinker who loves to research and discover new artifacts from society before the Lift. While Aliana is out exploring different areas across Bastion, Garrett’s chapters are located in the city of Floatania. Other chapters follow Kurt as he tries to keep the aeroplane pilot safe from Paladin Flint.

What didn’t work as well:

Flicker is a main part of the story early on but then she inexplicably leaves Kurt in a time of need. Readers are left to wonder why for most of the book until she returns with a compelling revelation. Also, leaving the settings after some chapters break the momentum developed at those points in the story. The changes help build anticipation but they stop the flow of emotions that were being created.

The final verdict:

I wouldn’t describe this book as “laugh-out-loud” as the synopsis says. The author has created innovative conflicts with memorable characters and that is always a model for successful books. Overall, this book will be enjoyed by lovers of speculative fiction and I recommend you give it a shot.

Friday, March 15, 2024

The Climate Diaries (The Academy 1) by Aaron Arsenault

What worked:

The topic focuses on climate change and the opposing views that are debating the issue. Jax is the main character and he’s recruited by CAT, a secret world organization combating the causes and effects of climate change. Short chapters mixed in share the view that any atmospheric changes are natural and humans are overreacting to normal weather patterns. Efforts to improve pollution and global warming will cost trillions of dollars and people will lose jobs that are dependent on fossil fuels. Their attitude is that we shouldn’t thank businesses that have given us everyday fuel sources and plastics by forcing them to close due to environmental concerns. The book blends information about climate change throughout the plot so readers will learn something while being entertained. The mid-term project for the recruits is to find a way to decrease methane emissions in cow farts!

The introduction of CAT, the Climate Action Taskforce, to the story makes it sound like a CIA operation. Agents dressed in black suits and dark glasses arrive at Jax’s home and present him with a choice between going to juvenile detention or attending the Academy. He’ll be trained there to become a CAT agent. The agents show up in a solar-powered, bulletproof, amphibious car with an exoskeleton made from tungsten. Academy candidates are flown in a windowless drone to an unidentified location, somewhere in the world. The secrecy and high tech of CAT are reminiscent of a covert government agency. There are clues provided about the Academy director that will make readers think he’s a shady character.

Jax is an intriguing character due to his diverse attitudes toward saving the environment and intolerance for bullies. He’s a genius but he doesn’t play well with others! Another recruit named Grace may be more interesting though. She has a superior, condescending attitude and immediately begins calling Jax, August, and Kylie nerds because of their knowledge and excitement about the environment. Grace says she attended the Academy the previous year but it’s clear she didn’t stay for the whole thing. She interrupts the counselor whenever he mentions her past participation so Jax realizes she’s hiding something. It doesn’t help that Grace is chosen captain over him so Jax is determined to prove himself superior to her at any cost. Their ongoing feud will keep readers wondering how bad it will get.

What didn’t work as well:

Jax is a difficult protagonist to root for. He’s arrogant and self-centered, and he doesn’t like being shown up by anyone else. He gets pleasure from antagonizing the people he targets. Jax doesn’t do well with rules and limits and he quickly gets offended or annoyed by authority. While his behavior and attitude make him difficult to like, these qualities help the plot’s conflict grow and increase the tension. Hopefully, the events at the end of the book will cause Jax to change his combative ways in the sequel.

The final verdict:

The cow fart methane problem is real; there was a story about it on my local news program this morning! The author skillfully includes facts about the climate crisis without making it annoying or overwhelming for readers. Jax’s personality is hard to tolerate but it certainly helps keep readers interested. I highly recommend you give it a shot! Can’t wait for the sequel.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The Spider's Lair (Stitch Head 4) by Guy Bass

What worked:

Stick Head is the main character and his greatest quality is helping others. The mismatched creatures living together in a castle care for and support one another as a family of oddities. Stitch Head cleans up all of the messes that result from the doctor’s other creations so he automatically decides to help a human named Arabella escape from an orphanage. Stick Head realizes he doesn’t look completely human so he must maintain a disguise while going undercover. Ivo, a small, slender creature with one arm, will be even more difficult to hide so he pretends to be a doll. Pox, a monkey-bat, and the Creature, a huge three-armed monstrosity, want to help but hiding their appearances is impossible. The gothic illustrations accompanying the narrative artfully help readers visualize the various, unique characters.

Arabella is a curious character as she’s quite contrary and doesn’t need a reason to give someone a quick kick. She even has kicking shoes! While she’s the character who needs to be rescued, she’s not a big part of the action once the plot moves to the orphanage. Initially, Stick Head can’t find her anywhere. The behavior of the other orphans is unexpected as the plot transitions to a sort of mystery with Stitch Head trying to find an explanation. Stitch Head suspects the creepy, watchful professor can see through his disguise but the woman running the place is constantly singing a song about the wonderfulness of being an orphan. Hidden passages are found behind the orphanage walls with one of them leading to the lair of a giant spider!

Not surprisingly, the story includes levity arising from the creations, dialogue, and events. The Creature calls the orphanage the AWFULAGE with some of his loudly spoken words printed in all capital letters. Many of the chapters begin with Mad Musings from crazy Professor Erasmus Erasmus like “Science without madness is like a castle without monsters.” The song Madame Venin repeatedly sings is titled “It’s Not So Awful Being an Orphan” with lines describing a father being a bother and a mother being a nag.

What didn’t work as well:

It would be nice to know more about the creations and their origins, especially Stitch Head. The line between creations and humans isn’t clear except that the creations were made, not born. Stitch Head doesn’t need to eat, but he does in this story, and a couple of comments bring up the question of creation life spans. Stitch Head gets banged around a bit and takes some tumbles but it doesn’t seem to hurt him too badly. I may be the only one with these questions and perhaps more clarity can be gained by reading the previous three books in the series.

The final verdict:

This book is the fourth in the Stitch Head series but it can be read independently. It’s a charming story of friendship with a creative quest to bring everything together. Overall, it’s a fun read and I recommend you give it a shot.

Monday, March 11, 2024

The Day I Fell Into a Fairy Tale by Ben Miller

What worked:

The book’s cover shows Lana smiling as she tumbles through a portal but it’s not a happy experience in the book. The story is darker than that as Lana is pushed into the portal by a creepy little man at Grimm’s supermarket. Fairy tales are fun to read but many of them are filled with dark, evil characters doing dark, evil things. The witch wanting to eat Hansel and Gretel and another witch wanting to kill Snow White are two examples. This book centers on the tale of Sleeping Beauty, with references to a couple of more, as Lana finds herself dropped into a castle where everyone has fallen asleep for 100 years. The little man at Grimm’s warns Lana that the stories in a book are scarier than she might expect which ensures she’ll read it. Everything is going as the little man plans.

The plot touches on the inevitable transition from childhood to becoming an adult. Lana misses playing with her older brother as he’s always in his bedroom studying something. Harrison understands the importance of being successful in school so he doesn’t have time for childish games. Perhaps this also mutes a youthful imagination as he scoffs at Lana’s tales of traveling through a portal into a fairy tale. Lana doesn’t understand why her brother is becoming more serious and she wants them to go back to their times of playing in the backyard. Middle-grade years are a time of change that can be difficult for young boys and girls and for their siblings too.

The book includes occasional chapters that share a version of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. These sections are written with a different font that notifies readers the story has been interrupted by the fairy tale. This information prepares readers for what’s about to occur or to provide the setting characters are about to enter. Later on, the fairy tale takes a twist as Sleeping Beauty and the prince have twins that they name Hansel and Gretel. The portal that transitions the story into the make-believe world is found in various candy displays around Grimm’s. It’s presented as a tunnel slide into the fairy tale that characters can climb back up to return home. All kids can relate to tumbling down a slide!

What didn’t work as well:

The appearance of Grimm’s supermarket happens overnight and the town readily accepts this magical event. It’s unclear if the citizens have been enchanted by the little man but their obsession with the “bargains” they find inside seems to have a mystical angle. Do the townspeople know the store is a result of magic?

The final verdict:

This book will appeal to lovers of fairy tales and adventures in a new world. The relationship between Lana and Harrison is enjoyable as they try to rediscover the close bond they once had. Overall, the story is entertaining and I recommend you give it a shot.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

The Taste of Storm and Brine (A Talisman Series Novella Vol. 5.5) by Brett Salter

What worked:

The story revisits ocean dragons that were first introduced earlier in the Talisman Series. The characters this time are four scouts who guard the waters north, south, east, and west of the Den from unwanted visitors or invaders. The opening pages find Starboard chasing down an elusive Garm until he realizes he’s now outnumbered. The action scene is reminiscent of battles found in previous books. Much of the plot involves the impending Garm invasion and the mixed feelings among the ocean dragons about humans. Some dragons don’t want anything to do with them since humans can’t be trusted. Others have visions of humans and dragons reuniting to fight the Garms as they once did long ago.

Humor is incorporated throughout the book, mostly from the dragons’ personalities. Starboard likes to talk like a pirate as he says, “Tis a situation most foul, indeed.” Driftwood likes surfers so he likes to say “dude”, says humans were “flaking” on dragons, and dreams of surfing “gnarly bangers” and “ten-foot curlers”. Tampa uses incorrect names for the other dragons but Starboard’s not sure if it’s intentional or if she simply doesn’t care. Bismark is a self-centered braggart who annoys the other scouts. The narrator also adds some amusing aside comments directed to readers.

What didn’t work as well:

Driftwood comes across a fishing boat leaking oil everywhere and it’s farther from shore than he’s ever seen humans before. Even the humans on board are anxious about their excursion into these waters. Later in the book, the dragons encounter the humans again but there aren’t any concerns about the oil spill or questions about why the ship was in the waters over Oceania. Readers are left to wonder why Driftwood is no longer alarmed and why the boat showed up in the first place.

The final verdict:

The plot moves swiftly and the book can be completed in one sitting if a motivated reader chooses to. For readers who’ve not read any of the other books, this one offers an excellent taste of the author’s writing style and the tense relationships between dragons, Garms, and humans. I recommend you give this book a shot.

Friday, March 8, 2024

Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time by PJ Davis

What worked:

The author adds a creative twist to an apocalyptic plot by making a connection to familiar human experiences. Everyone zones out at times or gets a sense of déjà vu. Sneezing and yawns happen every day. The plot suggests these common events are evidence of time (life force) being stolen from individuals. Boggarts collect the stolen time and deposit it into a vault, hidden in the dimension of Nemesis; Nemesis is a place, not a person. Once enough life force has been accumulated, Abaddon will lead an army of goblins, trolls, and all kinds of other monsters in an invasion of Earth and start an Armageddon.

Max is the main character and he’s an awkward seventh grader who’s often picked on for his unusual habits of daydreaming, dozing, and drooling in class. He’s the one who has a personal connection to the plot and decides he needs to destroy the vault. Max is able to manifest a special ability by calming his mind and seeing his surroundings in new ways. He has two close friends to support him. Derek adds levity to the narrative as he’s impulsive, always hungry, and he’s often complaining about the danger they’re putting themselves in. Max calls Sam the group’s voice of reason as she’s very intelligent and excels at analyzing tricky situations. Together, they form a trio of fun, relatable characters that are commonly found in middle-grade novels.

The plot includes a bit of mystery as the characters and readers don’t fully understand everything that’s happening. Max finds a book written in Latin and he’ll need to decode the dead language to unlock secrets about the strange feelings he’s been having. There aren’t any instructions on how to enter another dimension and scholarly adults have failed to uncover the way. How are three kids supposed to succeed? In addition, Max’s father supposedly died in an explosion but hints are dropped that this may not be the truth. Max’s main motivation to take on the quest is to pursue the possibility that his father may still be alive.

What didn’t work as well:

The story references science theories that may have some basis in reality. I have no idea. The references to theta waves and calculus equations will surely sail over the heads of most young readers. Mentioning Benedictine monks and the Renaissance will not have any meaning to them. However, most readers should be able get the gist of why the author includes these descriptions and still fully enjoy the story.

The final verdict:

The basic format of the story will be familiar to lovers of middle-grade books although it’s unique to find a main character who taps into his abilities by calming his mind and emotions. Overall, it’s an exciting, action-packed adventure and I recommend you give it a shot.