Review of The Owls Have Come To Take Us Away, by Ronald L. Smith

Children's Fiction Review, Science Fiction 0

The Owls Have Come To Take Us Away

by Ronald L. Smith

Clarion Books, 2019. 216 pages.
Review written October 27, 2019, from a library book

I love the title of this book, so nicely sinister. You might not want to give it to a kid prone to nightmares, or a kid prone to conspiracy theories.

This book tells the story of Simon, a 13-year-old who is obsessed by aliens – who then has encounters with aliens – or at least he thinks so. When they abduct him, what he remembers is looking into the eyes of an owl.

Simon does the right things and tells his parents – but they don’t believe him. They have him see a psychiatrist, who puts him on medication.

Simon lives on a military base, and his father is in the Air Force and especially skeptical of his story. But Simon meets some people who believe him, though their theories aren’t particularly comforting.

I did think that the book ended just when things got the most interesting.

One other objection is that Simon is writing a fantasy book – and we get to read the beginning chapters of this book. The author realistically shows us a book such as a 13-year-old would write – and I would rather not spend my time reading a fantasy tale written by a 13-year-old. It was a little bit hard to follow, too, so each time Simon gives us a new installment, he summarizes what went before. Each time that happened, I wished he’d summarized in the first place and not made us read the whole thing. The summaries worked just fine.

That said, the book still kept me reading. I’d like to hear what happens next, and not a hundred years in the future, either. But if the aliens are coming, I found it easy to believe this is what that would look like. Simon searched on the internet for insight on what was happening to him – I would not be surprised if a reader could replicate those searches.

strangeblackflowers.com
hmhco.com

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Review of Snapdragon, by Kat Leyh

Children's Fiction Review, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Starred Review 0

Snapdragon

by Kat Leyh

First Second, 2020. 224 pages.
Review written July 17, 2020, from a library book
Starred Review

Snapdragon is a girl who all the kids at school think is weird. She lives with her mom and her dog, Good Boy. When Good Boy goes missing, she looks at the house of the old witch, who’s rumored to eat pets. She does find Good Boy, and he’s been patched up after a car hit him.

The next day some boys are playing with the body of a dead possum and trying to gross out Snapdragon. But she finds the possum’s babies and goes to the witch’s house to get help taking care of them. It turns out the witch is a lady named Jacks who harvests roadkill and ends up selling their reticulated skeletons on the internet.

Snapdragon is fascinated by that and keeps coming for help with the possum babies and learning about the skeletons, and then it turns out that Jacks really is a witch. So now it’s time to learn about magic.

That summary doesn’t begin to convey the richness of the characters in this graphic novel. Jacks is not at all a stereotypical witch anymore than Snapdragon is a stereotypical outsider kid. Challenges come up, and even though magic comes into play, it feels like the challenges are dealt with realistically.

As a graphic novel, the book is short, but I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it.

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Source: This review is based on a book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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*Note* To try to catch up on posting reviews, I’m posting the oldest reviews I’ve written on my blog without making a page on my main website. They’re still good books!

Review of The First State of Being, by Erin Entrada Kelly

Children's Fiction Review, Science Fiction, Starred Review 0

The First State of Being

by Erin Entrada Kelly

Greenwillow Books, 2024. 253 pages.
Review written April 18, 2024, from a library book.
Starred Review

This book opens with a kid named Michael Rosario in August 1999, on his eleventh birthday, stealing canned peaches from a grocery store to save for his mother after the world ends with the Y2K bug.

Michael’s mom lost her job at that same grocery store because she’d called in to take care of him when he was sick. (His fault, obviously!) Now she works three part-time jobs and is almost never home. She pays an older teen named Gibby to watch him a few days a week.

But when Michael and Gibby go out of the apartment to feed the cats who hang out by the dumpster, they see a strange teen named Ridge wearing strange clothes. He talks strangely, using slang awkwardly, and asks weird questions like what the dumpster is for and what plastic is and what year is it?

The next time they see him, he tells them he’s from the future. And gives them convincing proof without telling them anything they’d be able to change.

And adventures follow. Ridge wasn’t actually supposed to use the Spatial Teleportation Module. His brother goaded him into it. But now that he’s here, he wants to see a mall. Michael wants to find out how he should prepare for Y2K – but Ridge doesn’t dare tell him anything that might change the future.

To be fair, I am the wrong audience for this book. I don’t actually believe that time travel is possible. I don’t believe in alternate universes. And I did computer programming before the year 2000, and my eyes are still rolling about the gloom and doom people were predicting as Y2K approached. (The whole day on January 1, 2000, I kept saying, “I knew it! I knew it wouldn’t be a problem.” Though I also knew that programmers were right to do lots of work fixing accounting programs and the like. But they did that, folks.) So I didn’t have much sympathy for poor anxious Michael. Though we got glimpses into the Spatial Teleportation Summary Book and the reader also knows that though the Millennium Bug caused widespread panic, that ultimately no disaster came to pass.

But Erin Entrada Kelly hits exactly the right note for a beginning time travel book. It ends with a very light touch of paradox, but the main story is about a group of relatable kids in an ordinary situation that turns out to be extraordinary. With a lesson thrown in about living in the present.

erinentradakelly.com

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Review of Louder than Hunger, by John Schu

Audiobooks, Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary, Starred Review 0

Louder than Hunger

by John Schu
read by Jeff Ebner

Listening Library, 2024. 3 hours, 43 minutes.
Review written April 5, 2024, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review

John Schu is a librarian whom a lot of us other librarians know and love. He’s a Mr. Rogers-like person whose big, kind heart shines. Once a school librarian, then he started working for I think it was Scholastic, going to schools around the country, pushing books. He’s written The Gift of Story about using books in schools, as well as two picture books, This Is a School, and This Is a Story. And now he’s written a middle grade novel in verse that will wring your heart.

The story is of Jake, a 13-year-old boy diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression, who gets put in an inpatient program. The author says at the back that Jake is a different person from him with different details, but their lives are parallel, and he spent time being treated for the same disorders Jake has.

The book is written in verse from Jake’s perspective. I started reading the book in print, before my eaudio hold came in. I like the print version, because the poems use type size and positioning of the words on the page. I finished by listening, because that was convenient when I was doing other things, but looked through the print book after I was done to again get the feel for Jake’s voice.

And Jake’s voice in print tells us about the Voice that haunts him. It tells him not to eat. It tells him he doesn’t deserve to take up space, to even exist. It tells him not to trust the doctors at Whispering Pines. It tells him it is all he needs.

The one place Jake truly feels loved is with his Grandma, and he has wonderful memories of watching musicals with her. But Grandma isn’t doing well….

However, that link to the things Jake truly loves is ultimately going to be the key to healing.

Jake’s journey feels completely genuine. He starts out trusting no one, feeling betrayed that his mother tricked him into going to Whispering Pines. He does better, then has setbacks. And all along, the Voice is working against him, saying he doesn’t need help.

When we find out about the relentless bullying in middle school that started his trouble, it just made me so sad, imagining the wonderful human being Jake is (like his creator) being beaten down so brutally.

This entire book rings true, because it’s based on the author’s own experiences and emotions. It’s heartbreaking, yet hope-filled, because little by little, Jake begins to allow others to help him learn how to tell the Voice to be quiet and actually believe that he is worthy of taking up space in the world.

John Schu has spent years talking up other people’s books. Now so many children’s authors are excited to talk up John Schu’s book. There’s a foreword from Kate DiCamillo. And of course every librarian who’s ever met him is excited about reading it. This book fully deserves all that attention, and I’m so happy that kids across the country are going to be reading it. For kids who can relate at all to Jake, may it bring them hope and healing. And for kids who might ever be tempted to bully someone like Jake, may it help them stop and think and learn a little empathy.

A beautiful book by a person with a big, kind heart.

johnschu.com

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Review of Pawcasso, by Remy Lai

Children's Fiction Review, Graphic Novel, Starred Review 0

Pawcasso

by Remy Lai

Henry Holt, 2021. 238 pages.
Review written July 29, 2021, from a library book
Starred Review

Pawcasso is Remy Lai’s third book that involves kids keeping a huge secret from the adults in their lives. I’m getting a little tired of that – but Pawcasso is so adorable, I loved the book anyway.

In this book, it’s the start of summer, and Jo’s been staying in her house all day. When she does go out, she sees a dog carrying a basket. The basket contains money and a shopping list and Jo watches the dog do the shopping for his owners.

But when the dog walks into a bookstore where a children’s art class is happening, the kids think Jo is the dog’s owner, and they want to paint the dog. Jo doesn’t get a chance to correct them – and starts walking with the dog to art class every week. She tells them his name is Pawcasso. And she gets paid with free books.

But then a mean man complains to the City Council about Pawcasso going around town without a leash, and he almost gets taken to the pound. Jo’s new friends are incensed. They start a pawtition that goes viral. And meanwhile, Jo is terrified of getting found out.

This engaging graphic novel is full of pictures of a truly adorable dog, with a story of a kid who falls for the dog and gets herself into a tight spot. It’s got all the ingredients of a book kids will love.

remylai.com
mackids.com

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*Note* To try to catch up on posting reviews, I’m posting the oldest reviews I’ve written on my blog without making a page on my main website. They’re still good books!

Review of Over the Moon, by Natalie Lloyd

Children's Fiction Review, Fantasy, Starred Review 0

Over the Moon

by Natalie Lloyd

Scholastic Press, 2019. 291 pages.
Starred Review
Review written December 5, 2019, from a library book

Here’s a delightful fantasy tale of a girl named Mallie Ramble who lives in a village on the mountain with her parents and her little brother. Her father has gone blind and mute from working in the mines, and so Mallie needs to go down the mountain and work as a maid in the valley. Even so, she can’t earn enough to keep the family out of debt. The Guardians say that her little brother Denver is going to have to work in the mines even though he’s only seven.

Older people in her village tell of a time before the Dust came when people of the village rode winged horses, Starbirds, and gathered starlight to weave into beautiful garments. But that was before Mallie was born. Now the Dust is thick over the village, bringing with it despair and anger and sadness.

When Mallie sees a brochure for brave and wiry young boys to volunteer for a dangerous task that will bring them riches – she thinks she’s found a way to pay her family’s debts and save Denver from having to work in the mines. Will it matter that she’s a girl and that one of her arms is shorter than the other?

This, in fact, leads to adventures beyond Mallie’s wildest dreams – but also requires great bravery.

This uplifting tale will help anyone rise above despair. The world-building is imaginative, the obstacles are big, and the triumphant finish is earned.

scholastic.com

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Review of The Size of the Truth, by Andrew Smith

Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary 0

The Size of the Truth

by Andrew Smith

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019. 266 pages.
Review written November 6, 2019, from a library book

When he was four years old, Sam Abernathy was trapped in a well for three days. He was playing Spud with his friend Karim, and an older boy, James Jenkins, threw the ball so high, Karim couldn’t catch it, and Sam stepped in the hole and fell. The whole town of Blue Sky, Texas, rallied to save him, and some people still wear their “Pray for Sam” t-shirts.

Now Sam is eleven years old, and his parents just had him skip two grades from sixth grade to eighth grade. As if it weren’t enough to be known in town as “Well Boy,” now he stands out for being the smallest kid in eighth grade. James Jenkins was held back and is also in eighth grade and his locker is next to Sam’s. Sam is convinced he looks like a murderer.

Sam’s father has big plans for Sam. He wants him to go to a magnet high school and get a scholarship to study physics. What Sam wants to do is become a chef. He experiments with dishes at Karim’s house.

The story is told with flashbacks from Sam’s three days in the well interspersed with what’s happening in eighth grade. Sam couldn’t remember what happened for a long time, and now his memories involve a talking armadillo named Bartleby who is very annoying, but shows Sam some interesting things down side tunnels. And at least Sam wasn’t alone!

The story is about truth and perception. And about parental expectations and learning to speak up. You can’t help but liking Sam, but also feeling sorry for him. I’m happy to report that Sam does learn ways to make things better for himself before the book is done. Here’s a bit from early in the book to give you a feel for Sam’s voice:

I have an idea for a reality television show.

The show follows an eleven-year-old boy named Sam Abernathy, who’s been jumped ahead during the first week of the school year, catapulted directly from sixth into eighth grade.

The show is called Figure It Out, Kid!

We are entirely uncertain whether or not the kid makes it out alive.

simonandschuster.com/kids

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Review of A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying, by Kelley Armstrong

Children's Fiction Review, Fantasy, Starred Review 0

A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying

by Kelley Armstrong

Puffin Canada (Penguin Random House), 2019. 280 pages.
Starred Review
Review written October 31, 2019, from a library book

At the beginning of this fantasy adventure, thirteen-year-old Rowan is complaining because she wishes she were destined to be the Royal Monster Hunter instead of the Queen. But because she was born two minutes before her twin brother Rhydd, she gets the throne and he gets the job of monster hunter – even though their aptitude is the opposite.

But when a battle with a gryphon – the same type of monster that killed their father – badly injures Rhydd so he’ll always walk with a limp, they can get the council to agree to a switch. However, if Rowan is to step into the Royal Monster Hunter position, she’s going to need to train quickly, because an uncle has his own children in mind for both positions.

This begins a quest to get training to fight monsters – and ends up being a story of being set upon by one monster after another.

I love the imaginative monsters the author has besetting this kingdom. There are things you’ve heard of like gryphons and firebirds and pegasi, but also warakins, manticores, and a jba-fofi (giant spider). Rowan even stumbles on a baby jackalope who decides to adopt her and thinks he is more ferocious than he is.

There’s also plenty of tension in this story. The gryphon battle at the beginning makes us understand how truly fearsome it is, and further creatures that come after Rowan or her companions have us wondering how she’ll manage to escape in one piece. More than once, the minute she escapes one disaster, a new peril attacks.

I do like the way the Royal Monster Hunters consider it a failure when they have to kill a monster. Their goal is to drive them back into the mountains. If they get a taste for livestock or endanger people, the monsters do need to be killed. But I like the way Rowan and her family consider every other option first.

This is a suspenseful tale about a girl fighting – literally – to prove herself and help her kingdom. And you’ll enjoy the characters and critters you’ll meet along the way.

kelleyarmstrong.com
penguinrandomhouse.ca

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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Review of Lalani of the Distant Sea, by Erin Entrada Kelly

Children's Fiction Review, Fantasy, Starred Review 0

Lalani of the Distant Sea

by Erin Entrada Kelly

Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins), 2019. 386 pages.
Starred Review
Review written October 18, 2019, from a library book

Lalani of the Distant Sea is an original fantasy tale with an island theme.

Lalani lives in a small island community tightly ruled by the menyoro. Everybody has their roles. They pray to the Mountain that it will not get angry with them.

Now there is a drought. Plants are drying up and everyone is thirsty.

Years ago, Lalani’s father and her best friend’s father both sailed away, trying to cross the Veiled Sea to reach the mythical island of Isa where good things grow. But their fathers never returned, and now Lalani and her mother live with her brutish Uncle Drum and his son Kul. They tell Lalani over and over that she is useless.

Lalani starts the trouble when she chases a Shek that goes to the mountain looking for grass. She meets a man with horns on his head and no eyes. He says he came from the island of Isa. He gives Lalani a wish.

But things go wrong with her wish, and more troubles come. Eventually, Lalani must decide if she is brave enough to try to go to Isa herself, even though no one has ever done so and returned.

This fantasy world is populated with magical creatures and nonmagical creatures that add to the exotic flavor of the world. I didn’t like how beaten down Lalani was during this story – but that made her adventure and triumph all the greater.

I do like the way some of the creatures are introduced in short second-person well-illustrated chapters. Here’s the beginning of one of those called “You Are a Weeping Loset.”

Imagine you are a weeping loset. You are tall and beautiful, but sorrowful. Your curved branches look like the shoulders of a crying woman, and your moss is gray and coarse. You are unhappy but can’t remember why. Perhaps you suffered a great loss hundreds of years ago, and only a lingering heartache remains.

You see all who pass. You’re a curious tree, because there is so little to do but stand and wait for something to happen. And now, something has! There is a girl. You’ve never seen her before. She smells hot and dry, like dust. She steps lightly, but purposefully, and she is afraid. You know this because your roots plunge into the earth, and everything that touches the ground settles onto them.

erinentradakelly.com
harpercollinschildrens.com

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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*Note* To try to catch up on posting reviews, I’m posting the oldest reviews I’ve written on my blog without making a page on my main website. They’re still good books!

Review of You Are Here: Connecting Flights, edited by Ellen Oh

Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary, Short Stories, Starred Review 0

You Are Here

Connecting Flights

edited by Ellen Oh
read by David Lee Huynh, Dana Wing Lau, Ramon de Ocampo, and Jeanne Syquia

Allida, 2023. 5 hours, 40 minutes.
Review written March 11, 2024, from a library eaudiobook
Starred Review

You Are Here: Connecting Flights is a collection of well-connected short stories written by various authors: Christina Soontornvat, Linda Sue Park, Meredith Ireland, Mike Chen, Susan Tan, Randy Ribay, Traci Chee, Mike Jung, Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Minh Le, and Ellen Oh. All the stories feature an Asian American kid temporarily stranded at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport during a ferocious thunderstorm, some with parents and family, and a few traveling unaccompanied.

The stories are nicely intertwined, with each kid having at least a little interaction with some of the other kids. The book begins with a boy mortified when his grandmother takes his grandfather’s remains through security. Everything works out, but they have to stop the line for a bit, which bothers people in a hurry.

Some of the kids are heading to Asian countries of their forebears, and some of them don’t feel great about that. Pretty much all the kids deal with some negative attitudes toward Asian Americans, and most of them come up with a good way of responding.

The kids, characters, and situations have lots of variety, because the authors have lots of variety. The variety included very different countries in their backgrounds, different appearances, different religions, and different traveling situations. For all the kids, the stories came together to give a sense of belonging, a feeling that they can deal with what life throws at them, and peace with where they’re going and where they’ll come home to.

I wish the audiobook and the book itself had put the author’s name under each chapter title, which instead was the name of the fictional kid featured. But perhaps they wanted to put the emphasis on the kids themselves. And I have to admit that the many authors did a fantastic job of telling a seamless story about many great characters. And it gave readers who are not Asian American a window into the microaggressions that our fellow Americans have to deal with. So besides reading an entertaining story with great characters, I learned a lot about empathy.

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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

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