I'm so far behind, you guys. It's ridiculous. So, while I still have a short stack of really excellent books that will get full review treatment, these books (ranging from okay to very good) get briefer consideration. Better than nothing, right?
Space Dumplins
by Craig Thompson features a trio of young misfits on an adventure in
deep space. I liked the story well enough, but the artwork is what
really sells this book. Recommended for graphic novel fans.
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
Sunny Side Up
by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm describes Sunny's adventures at her
grandfather's retirement complex while she comes to terms with some of
the serious things that have happened in her family over the past year.
This gently realistic story will appeal to readers who enjoy Raina
Telgemeier's books.
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
Moonpenny Island
by Tricia Springstubb is the story of Flor and the tiny island where
she lives. When Flor's best friend is sent away to school on the
mainland, Flor discovers various secrets about her friend, her family,
her island, and herself. This is a sweet and well-written story, and I'd
recommend it to readers who enjoy realistic juvenile fiction focusing
on friendship and family issues, as well as anyone who likes to keep an
eye on possible award contenders, as I imagine this book will crop up in
discussions of noteworthy titles this fall.
(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)
Enchantment Lake
by Margi Preus is a mystery set on a remote lake shore. Quirky
characters abound as 17-year-old Francie (who isn't a detective, but
played one on TV once) tries to discover if someone really is bumping
off members of her great-aunts' neighborhood. This fun story will appeal
to readers who enjoy (or are nostalgic for) Nancy Drew and her ilk.
(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)
Forget-Me-Not Summer
by Leila Howland is the story of three California sisters spending part
of their summer vacation on Cape Cod. For me, this book didn't quite
measure up to other tales of summer and sisterhood (the most obvious
comparison is
The Penderwicks,
and nothing's going to measure up to that, I'm afraid). I found the
characters annoying -- Marigold was too snotty, Zinnia was too needy,
and Lily was too bratty for any of them to engage my sympathies. That's
not to say that this book didn't have its pleasant moments, and I think
kids who can't get enough of this sort of gentle, realistic family story
will gobble it up -- but it just wasn't the book for me.
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
A Night Divided
by Jennifer Nielsen is a suspenseful story of a family divided by the
Berlin Wall. Gerta's father and one of her brothers were on the western
side of Berlin the night the wall went up, and now she, her mother, and
her other brother are trapped in a restrictive regime where any neighbor
or co-worker might be reporting to the authorities. Gerta would do
anything to be reunited with her father, but if she and her family are
caught trying to escape, it could cost them their lives. I've read
several of this author's fantasy books, and was curious how she would do
in a different genre. The results are excellent: this is a fascinating,
gripping read that will definitely appeal to fans of historical fiction
as well as fans of Nielsen's earlier works.
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
Dumplin'
by Julie Murphy is a tale of beauty pageants and body image, among
other things. Willowdean has always been okay with her plus-size figure,
but a secret romance with a co-worker has shaken her self-confidence.
She doesn't want her size to hold her back from living her life, so she
decides to make a statement by entering the local beatuty pageant -- the
one that her mother won as a teen, and has been involved in organizing
pretty much ever since. What Willowdean doesn't expect is that other
nontraditional pageant contestants will rally around her. She also
doesn't expect the pageant to come between her and her long-time best
friend. Though it contains more strong language than I generally
appreciate, this is a great YA read with complex characters, plenty of
humor, and a solid plot -- recommended.
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli is a prequel to
Fourth Grade Rats.
In this book, Suds tries to be the best student in the class and win
his teacher's approval, but he finds that being good is harder than he
expected. I'm sure this book will be enjoyed by its target audience,
though there's not much depth here for the adult reader.
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill
by Megan Frazer Blakemore is a juvenile historical novel. Hazel is the
daughter of the town's graveyard caretakers, and a bit of a quirky
outsider. She's convinced that there are Communist spies somewhere in
their small town -- maybe right under her nose! But when she befriends
Samuel, a newcomer who may be the only kid in town even odder than
Hazel, she learns that compassion and friendship may be more important
than being right about everything. I enjoyed this read, though I'm not
sure how well some parts of the story will work for young readers with
no prior knowledge of the McCarthy era. For kids, this may be one of
those books best suited to a classroom setting.
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
Winterling
by Sarah Prineas is the first book in a juvenile fantasy trilogy.
Jennifer, who has always felt as if she doesn't fit in, is drawn through
a portal to the land of Faerie, where her parents disappeared years
ago, and where an evil queen rules in place of the true Lady of the
realm. Something about this book just didn't click, for me -- I think
the characterization could be stronger. I wanted to like it, but I
probably won't continue with this series.
(Reviewed from my personally purchased copy.)
Crimson Bound
by Rosamund Hodge is an imaginative retelling of "Little Red Riding
Hood." Rachelle stepped off the path, and now she must pay the price.
Her aunt had been training her to be a woodwife, but now Rachelle is
Bloodbound, one of the king's trained killers, doomed to eventually join
the heartless Forestborn. But until then, she works as hard as she can
to fend off the Destroyer. That mission is thrown off track, however,
when the king assigns her to be a bodyguard to one of his sons. I really
liked
Cruel Beauty,
Hodge's first book, but I didn't like this one quite as much. Part of
it could be that I've never loved Red Riding Hood, part of it could be
that there was a lot of religious weirdness in this story that just
didn't work for me, and part of it could be that I didn't find the love
triangle very convincing or appealing. That makes it sound like I really
hated this book, and I didn't -- I think that other readers might enjoy
it more than I did, but I still read the whole thing in a couple of
days. It's not a favorite, but I'll still be keeping an eye out for
other fairy tale retellings by this author.
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
Paperboy
by Vince Vawter is the story of a shy, stuttering boy who makes new
friends -- and enemies -- when he takes over a friend's paper route for a
month during one hot Memphis summer. I listened to the audiobook, which
was well done, though this book is not the fast-moving sort that makes
for an exciting listen. Still, it kept me engaged with its excellent
atmosphere and depth of characterization. I can see why the Newbery
committee deemed it worthy of an honor.
(Reviewed from an e-audiobook borrowed through my library system.)
The Tapper Twins Go to War (With Each Other)
by Geoff Rodkey is a funny tale of sibling rivalry and an escalating
practical joke war. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was
well done by a team of voice actors, which made it easy to differentiate
between characters. I can see this as a good choice for family
listening, on a long car trip, for example.
(Reviewed from an e-audiobook borrowed through my library system.)
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
by Jenny Han is a fun romance that starts out with an embarrassing
mishap. When Lara Jean wrote those letters to her former crushes, she
never intended for them to be read by anyone but herself. When the
letters are somehow mailed out, chaos ensues. This is a nice, light, and fluffy
YA romance, but the best part of the book is the relationship between the
three sisters.
(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)
