Hooray!
More books for you!
Every Friday I recap what I’ve read during the week.
I post the picture of the book
that I took when I finished reading it,
and underneath, my thoughts.
This week I didn’t get A TON of reading done; I had two days of meetings. But I managed to finish some longer books, so all in all, good week.
OUTER SPACE BEDTIME RACE
By Rob Sanders, illustrated by Brian Won.
It’s bedtime, but not just for humans! Aliens on all the planets have nighttime rituals too! I loved the imaginative ways the aliens go to bed and all they do before they sleep. Each thing is specific to the planet, which makes it really fun. Rhyming picture books are hard to pull off, but the text flows smoothly for the most part. There are only a few spots where I felt it was a bit forced.
I loved the inclusion of Pluto, since it’s still a planet in my heart. And the illustrations are great: bright colors, a retro feel, matching the imaginative text. Good back matter with planet facts too.
THERE’S A LION IN MY CORNFLAKES
by Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Jim Fields
A boy warns you right at the start to not get excited if you see an offer for a free lion on a box of cornflakes. Then he proceeds to tell you the story of how he and his brother set out to get this free lion. They have to buy lots of cornflakes, and eat all of them. But just when they think they’ll get their lion, they realize that lots of other kids had the same idea. They wait and wait and wait and when they finally get something it isn’t a lion. Will they ever get their lion?What hilarity will ensue in the meantime? And is anything better than a free lion?
This is a funny story. I really liked that it felt like the boy was actually telling it to you: good voice! The illustrations are awesome too. There’s a lot of fun and goofy things to illustrate, and every page has something fun you can find on it. I really like the endpapers; they look like the stamps you have to collect for a free lion. I think my favorite page might involve a note that is taped to an alligator. Kids will like this outrageous story. Check it out!
THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH
by Chris Barton, illustrated by Don Tate
This is an amazing story about John Roy Lynch.
He was born a slave, and spent most of his early life as one until the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War came along.
During Reconstruction, he worked hard to be the voice of the people and moved his way up in the ranks of the government. He was the justice of the peace for Mississippi and at 24 years old was elected as a representative to the House of Representatives.
This is an amazing book. It weaves together the story of John Roy Lynch and the history of that time. I found John Roy’s story really inspiring, and now I want to know more about the Reconstruction era. I love the author and illustrator notes at the end, as well as the map and timeline.
The illustrations are in a light whimsical style which definitely helps because it draws young readers in, but doesn’t take away from the seriousness of the story and the history of that time. If you look closely at the illustrations you can learn even more about the time as well. I was drawn in from word one. A powerful and important book.
THE WRATH AND THE DAWN
By Renée Adhieh
16 year old Shahrzad, or Shazi has a plan. She volunteers to be the next bride for the 18 year old boy King of Rey. All the other girls that have married him have been killed the next morning; including her best friend Shiva. But Shazi is determined to live and exact her revenge by killing this boy-King, Khalid.
She survives the first night, then the next. She pried around the castle for secrets and learns more about Khalid, leading her to believe he may not be the monster she thought he was. And against her revenge focused mind, she starts to fall for him.
In the meantime, Shazi’s father delves into magic to try and save her. Others are threatened by Shazi and try to kill her, and her childhood friend Tariq plots his own revenge.
This book will pull you in and have you on the edge of your seat! You’ll learn so much stuff too; this is set in a world if never read about before. The descriptions are beautiful and you are right there with the characters.
Speaking of characters, they are complicated, real, relatable, and easy to cheer for. I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen for most of the story. And it’s a trilogy! Next one out in May! Can’t wait!
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: HUGE PAIN IN MY ***
By Adam Mansbach and Alan Zweibel
Franklin Isaac Saturday (who goes by Ike) is named after Benjamin Franklin, so when an extra credit opportunity comes up to write to a famous historical person, he writes to Ben. He tells him everything; about his Dad moving away and his Step Dad Dirk, his little sister Carolyn, his friend Ryan who is now popular, and his crush, Claire.
He steals an old timey stamp from his Step Dad’s collection (he really doesn’t like his Step Dad!) and seals the envelope and everything. Through a weird chain of events, he actually mails the letter. And weirder still, Benjamin Franklin writes him back!
Things start getting weird and good. Ike starts hanging out with Claire, who knows about this strange correspondence. Ike has to deal with many things: the changing tide of middle school friendships and more than friendships, his family, and whether or not to tell Benjamin Franklin things that could alter the future.
I loved Ike’s voice. He sounds exactly like a kid who is trying to figure everything out. He’s hilarious and a bit of a brat, but I like that he figures out more about himself as the book moves on. Benjamin Franklin’s letters are funny too, with some historical references and figures thrown in for good measure. Lots of great authentic words in his voice as well.
This one ends on sort of a cliffhanger; so I’m assuming it’s a series! I think upper middle grade readers, like just about to enter middle school and older would be the best fit for this fun book.
THE MINNOW
By Diane Sweeney
Tom’s family passed away in the Mother’s Day flood that rocked her town. She staying with a guy named Bill, but then leaves his house to stay with her good friend Jonah, who also lost his parents. The 15 and 16-year-old teens stay in the house themselves and prepare for the arrival of Tom’s baby, who, as she likes to say, is half Bill’s.
Jonah and Tom both have a grandparent; Tom has her Nana, Valerie, and Jonah has Jonathan, his Grandpa. Tom spends her time fishing, interacting with the local shopkeepers, and speaking to her baby, who she affectionately refers to as the Minnow. Minnow speaks back too. Tom can also talk to her grandpa Papa, who has been dead for 30 years.
Bill it turns out, is up to something shady. (Besides getting a minor pregnant). Jonah goes back to school and gets a crush on the new art teacher. Tom deals with the Minnow growing and growing up.
I loved the voice in this, but I felt like Tom was an unreliable narrator. I couldn’t quite believe right away that she was talking to ghosts/animals (she talks to a carp and a turtle) but eventually I believed it. She was also all over the place in her story; jumping from time to time and tense to tense sometimes. I couldn’t tell when she was dreaming (she said she was a few times) and when she wasn’t. The only thing I. Can think of is that this is a reflection of her still grieving mind?
I also loved the supporting characters: Papa, Nana, Jonah, James Wo, Jonathan, Hazel, The Minnow…almost more than Tom. She felt at times really disconnected from her world.
All this being said, it wasn’t like any YA book I’ve read before, so that was refreshing. An interesting book.
Have you read any of these?
I’d love to hear what you thought of them!
See you next Friday with more books!
Bye for now,
KE
P.S. Full disclosure: The links above go to Indiebound and are affiliate links. If you buy at Indiebound, I’ll get a little kick back. That would of course be nice, but really I’m happy to be linking to an Indie site 🙂
