Review of Spin, by Rebecca Caprara

Fantasy, Historical, Teen Fiction Review 0

Spin

by Rebecca Caprara

Atheneum, 2023. 393 pages.
Review written April 11, 2023, from a library book.

I did it again! I checked out a book from a list of young adult debut novels — but forgot to check the flap copy until I was halfway through the book. It turns out, it is not the author’s first book, only her first young adult book. So it is not, in fact, eligible for the Morris Award. (Those have to be the author’s first traditionally published book, period.) Although I don’t feel like I have time to read books that are not eligible, by that time I was fully invested and wanted to finish the story. So all’s well that ends well. I’m glad I got to read this book.

Spin is a novel in verse about Arachne, the mortal girl who was an expert weaver and got turned into a spider by Athena because she dared to boast that she was a better weaver than Athena — or that’s how the myth goes. In this book, Arachne gives us her real story.

It turns out that after many unanswered prayers, Arachne lost respect for the gods. And her mother told her stories of gods taking advantage of and raping human women. As Arachne practiced and built her skill, she dared to tell those stories in her tapestries.

So these aren’t simply verses about a mythical tale, but also a story of standing up to the patriarchy and daring to challenge those who oppressed the vulnerable. The writing is indeed poetry, weaving pictures with words.

rebeccacaprara.com

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Review of Honeybee Rescue, by Loree Griffin Burns, photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

Children's Nonfiction Review, Science, Starred Review 0

Honeybee Rescue

A Backyard Drama

by Loree Griffin Burns
photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

Charlesbridge, 2022. 40 pages.
Review written December 29, 2022, from a library book
Starred Review

Honeybee Rescue is a true story, simply told, of a beehive discovered in a place it shouldn’t be. So instead of killing the bees to clean out his old garage, the beekeeper called in Mr. Nelson, an expert in honeybee rescue.

The story shows the whole process with photographs and simple language. The author explains how bees swarm and form a new hive when their old one is getting crowded. Then they showed how Mr. Nelson used his gentle no-kill bee vacuum to remove the bees and then carefully use the honeycomb they’ve already made to put into frames for a new hive.

Especially amazing is that Mr. Nelson doesn’t wear any protective gear when working with the bees. He explains that if you’re gentle with bees, they’ll be gentle with you.

Of course, along the way, the reader learns all kinds of information about bees and how they make honey. The book is fascinating and beautiful and will leave kids curious about bees.

loreeburns.com
ellenharasimowicz.com
charlesbridge.com

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Review of Together We Burn, by Isabel Ibañez

Fantasy, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Together We Burn

by Isabel Ibañez

Wednesday Books (Macmillan), 2022. 354 pages.
Review written December 27, 2022, from a library book
Starred Review

Together We Burn is set in the fictional country of Hispalia, featuring a young lady named Zarela who dances flamenco in the dragon-fighting arena before her father, a Dragonador, fights the dragons. She is carrying on the tradition of her mother before her, who was killed a year earlier in dragon fire. Their family has owned the arena, the centerpiece of their town of Santivilla, for more than five hundred years.

But now someone wants to bring them to ruin. After the latest fight, some dragons were released, their wings unbound, to attack the people who came to their show. Her father is burned badly as he tries to help, and their family may well be ruined. And a few days later, the remaining dragon and their last dragon tamer are all killed in the caves below the arena.

But Zarela is determined. After giving all their funds to the dragon-fighting guild to pay fines and compensation to the victims, she has to sell treasures her mother left behind. She knows her father will disapprove, but she is determined that they will host another dragon fight. If she’ll never be able to find a dragonador to fight in their ring, well then, she’ll simply have to learn to fight dragons herself.

She hears of one place where she can purchase a dragon and someone to teach her. That potential teacher is young and arrogant and handsome, and it will take all Zarela’s determination to wear him down. He has sworn off dragon-fighting, but understands them like no one else. Even if he’ll agree to teach her, can she put aside her fear and conquer a dragon in the arena?

The writing in this book is lush and beautiful. But the beauty of the writing doesn’t stop us from quickly realizing what’s at stake, wondering how Zarela will possibly be able to save her family’s arena and her home.

Yes, it’s no surprise there’s an enemies-to-lovers plot. I somehow missed the transition there, where they switched from despising one another to not being able to keep their hands off each other, but I was able to go along with it. There’s a surprise twist toward the end with looming disaster, and I really did love the way they resolved Zarela’s need to put on a show with her growing understanding of dragons.

The fantasy world in this book was wonderfully imagined and stands out as something new, even for someone who’s read hundreds of young adult fantasy novels. A book about the world of bull-fighting — except with dragons.

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Review of The Lying Game, by Ruth Ware, read by Imogen Church

Audiobooks, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense 0

The Lying Game

by Ruth Ware
read by Imogen Church

Simon & Schuster Audio, 2017. 13 hours, 40 minutes.
Review written August 27, 2024, from a library eaudiobook.

I’m listening to too many Ruth Ware books too close together. I listened to my first one when I was on the Newbery committee reading only children’s books – and it was a perfect contrast. Now I confess I keep going because I’m a bit of a completist, and I know that I do enjoy her audiobooks. This one was still good, still got me listening avidly, full of tension – but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the others I’ve listened to.

The main obstacle? It’s hard for me to sympathize with liars. (Fictional liars cause so much trouble that could just be solved by telling the truth! Yes, this is a pet peeve.) Isa, the main character of this book, was part of a “lying game” with three other friends when she was away at boarding school. Kate was in charge of it, and awarded points if you fooled people, with different points for various levels of lying. But one of the big rules was that they didn’t lie to each other.

In the present, Isa gets a text from Kate, and she comes running – along with Thea and Fatima, back to Kate’s home on the coast next to the school. Isa brings her baby along, and lies to her partner and everybody else about why she’s visiting after fifteen years away. Supposedly, it’s to go to an alumni dinner at the school, but really it’s because the body the girls buried together has been found.

I always worry when the main character of a Ruth Ware book is in a happy relationship! Fortunately, Isa’s partner doesn’t die, but it’s definitely not smooth sailing. (See above about Lying.) And with Isa taking her baby everywhere, you’ve got to have great danger at the end of a thriller, and as feared, Isa’s baby is the one in danger.

But there’s twisty stuff going on finding out what happened fifteen years ago and who they can trust now and what part of the things even they thought about that body were truths and what part were lies. And can they keep the lies of the past from destroying their lives now?

ruthware.com

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Review of Leaves to My Knees, by Ellen Mayer, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell

Contemporary, Mathematical, Picture Book Review, Starred Review 0

Leaves to My Knees

by Ellen Mayer
illustrated by Nicole Tadgell

Star Bright Books, 2022. 32 pages.
Review written December 23, 2022, from my own copy, purchased via amazon.com
Starred Review

This is a very simple picture book about raking leaves — which intentionally incorporates early math concepts. I read it for the Mathical Book Prize, though first thought of it simply as a nice story for Autumn. There’s a note at the back to parents and caregivers about the mathematics of measurement you’ll find here — and yes, it uses all of those concepts in a natural way that adds to the story.

The story is simple and lovely. A girl named Camille is bundling up with her Daddy and toddler brother to rake leaves. She plans to rake a pile of leaves that’s up to her knees.

The pictures of the family raking are joyful and bright. Each family member has a rake appropriately sized for them and makes a matching pile. The raking sounds they make are swush, swish, and sweeeeee.

There are obstacles to Camille’s plan — twigs and acorns clog up the rake. Her little brother steals leaves from her pile. And the wind comes with a big whoosh. But Camille progressively makes a pile that comes to her ankles, to the tops of her boots, and finally up to her knees — perfect for jumping into!

The complete package is a sweet story that will get your preschooler thinking about comparing and measuring.

ellenmayerbooks.com

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Review of Grief in the Fourth Dimension, by Jennifer Yu

Audiobooks, Paranormal, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Grief in the Fourth Dimension

by Jennifer Yu
read by Tim Lounibos and Raechel Wong

Tantor Media, 2024. 8 hours, 46 minutes.
Review written November 26, 2024, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review

Grief in the Fourth Dimension features two dead teens in a white room. Kenny Zhou died months ago when his heart gave out unexpectedly, and Caroline Davison died in a car accident on a rainy day when she was in a hurry and the road was wet – and she got hit by a drunk driver.

Kenny doesn’t know how long he’s been in the room, but it responds to his wishes and thoughts. Furniture has appeared to make him comfortable and there’s a big-screen TV on the wall that shows him his parents and friends mourning at his funeral. Occasionally notes fall from the ceiling, responding to his thoughts.

And then Caroline shows up. It takes her a bit to realize she’s dead. But she quickly goes about making the room more comfortable. Although they went to the same high school, they never talked to each other. Now the TV begins showing her family and friends, too.

Kenny’s parents are worried that business in their restaurant has slumped after their son’s death. Caroline’s mother is looking for justice for the person who hit her daughter. Kenny’s best friend Iris hatches a scheme to do a memorial and fundraiser for his parents’ restaurant, and Caroline’s boyfriend and brother start spending time with each other. And Caroline and Kenny prove to have some things to work through themselves.

But then the two begin to discover limited ways they can reach out, to let their family and friends know they are watching – but with mixed results. They want to help them heal and move on and be happy.

And then it becomes clear that their deaths are much more closely entwined than either one realized, and the stakes become much higher. Can Caroline and Kenny help their loved ones make things right?

I’ve got to give a disclaimer: I don’t believe for a second that the afterlife will be like this for anyone. But it turns out to be a really fun way to tell a story about grief and about how many people are affected by one life. I was completely pulled into this novel from the start and able to grasp more nuances of the situations involved by looking at them from the eyes of Kenny and Caroline.

Oh, and while Caroline does miss her boyfriend, it was oddly refreshing to read a YA novel where kissing isn’t mentioned even once, let alone a novel about recently dead teens whose biggest regret isn’t that they wanted more sex. (Yes, I’ve read more than one novel like that. Not this one!)

A book about death that ends up being about life and about relationships.

byjenniferyu.com

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Review of Crimson Twill: Witch in the City, by Kallie George

Beginning Chapter Books, Children's Fiction Review 0

Crimson Twill

Witch in the City

by Kallie George
illustrated by Birgitta Sif

Candlewick Press, 2022. 54 pages.
Review written February 26, 2023, from a library book
2022 Cybils Winner, Early Chapter Books

Witch in the City begins a new early chapter book series about a young witch named Crimson Twill.

Crimson Twill was a little witch. But you might not know it. She didn’t look like a typical little witch. Instead of wearing pointy shoes, she wore gum boots. Instead of wearing a plain black dress, she wore a polka-dotted one. And instead of wearing a plain black hat, she wore one with a big bow, and the hat was crimson, just like her name.

Crimson Twill is on her way to Broomingdales with her mother, her first trip to the big city. As she looks for ways to spend her money, she finds some other out-of-place things and creatures and people. She has some gentle adventures and makes new friends.

It’s a promising introduction to a new series about a little witch who’s not like all the other witches.

kalliegeorge.com
candlewick.com

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Review of The Probability of Everything, by Sarah Everett

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

The Probability of Everything

by Sarah Everett

Clarion Books, 2023. 326 pages.
Review written January 13, 2024, from a library book.
Starred Review
2024 Mathical Honor Book, Ages 11-13

Kemi is eleven years old, and the world is ending in four days.

Or at least probably. There’s an asteroid heading toward earth, with an 84.7% chance of hitting us.

Kemi loves math and probability — especially the probability puzzles her Dad gives her. But now there’s an asteroid in the sky making everything purple. They have to leave their house in the “better” part of town and stay with her aunt and cousins. Kemi can’t believe her best friend is still going to school.

Kemi thinks about her family, including her new baby sister who won’t be born before the end of the world. She decides to make a time capsule to remember her family and everything they love most. But to find what her father will put in means doing his favorite things together with him.

And I can’t tell you what happens at the end of the book, but it did surprise me how things turned out. I liked the inclusion of the Monty Hall Problem in probability, the concise explanation, and the application that you should always pay attention to new information.

This book is about a girl coping with the end of the world by remembering what she and her family love most.

saraheverettbooks.com
harpercollinschildrens.com

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Review of You Are the Beloved, by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Christian, Nonfiction Review 0

You Are the Beloved
Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living

by Henri J. M. Nouwen
compiled and edited by Gabrielle Earnshaw

Convergent (Penguin Random House), 2017. 410 pages.
Review written January 6, 2022, from my own copy

You Are the Beloved is the book of daily readings that I used during my quiet times in 2021. They were selected from the writings of Henri Nouwen and are presented in bite-sized daily chunks.

The theme is well summed up by the title: You are the beloved. The meditations remind me that God loves me and help me think about how I should live my life in the light of that. They were a good way to start my days.

Paging through, here’s a passage I highlighted on January 14:

For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God. I have tried hard to follow the guidelines of the spiritual life – pray always, work for others, read the Scriptures – and to avoid the many temptations to dissipate myself. I have failed many times but always tried again, even when I was close to despair.

Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. The question is not “How am I to find God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?” The question is not “How am I to know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?” And, finally, the question is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?” God is looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home.

This book always left me with something to think about. I do recommend it as a nice way to add inspiring meditations to your year.

henrinouwen.org

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Review of What’s the Difference: Animals, by Susie Rae

Children's Nonfiction Review, Science 0

What’s the Difference

Animals

by Susie Rae

DK, 2022. 80 pages.
Review written 2/3/2023 from a library book.

I just think this book is cool. With DK’s clear photographic style, this book takes 28 pairs of animals that are often confused and shows you the differences between them.

Some examples:

Leopard or Jaguar?
Frog or Toad?
Crocodile or Alligator?
Dolphin or Porpoise?
Seal or Sea Lion?
Falcon or Hawk?
Rabbit or Hare?

It’s all laid out clearly, with photographs, plus fact bars on the side and other similar animals mentioned as well. I thought it was a lot of fun to read through.

My one quibble is that although the animals come from all over the world, many of the more common examples (like seagulls and frogs) used animals from Europe, since, after all, DK is based in England. But that was a minor quibble. Not everything has to be America-centric.

A fun book for everyone who likes animal facts.

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