Rutabaga's Reads 2023: Part 13

It’s not a competition, but I think middle-grade (MG) is winning. It’s almost year-end, but I’m back with the third MG compilation post of this year!

It’s Showtime, Kavi (July 1, 2023) by Varsha Bajaj.

   Parvati Pillai, illustrator.

Where her eight-year-old brother, Rishi, wants to be an aspiring doctor, diagnosing everything by ending it in –itis, Kavi Sharma has a passion for music and performing. Kavi and her best friends, Pari and Sophie, sign up to perform in their school’s revue. To participate, students must be in good academic standing, so it’s not a good sign when Kavi receives her first tardy ever (the day their mom returns to the workforce) and flunks a pop quiz in science class the following day because she didn’t do her homework (because she forgot her textbook at school). As Rishi would say, Kavi’s got a bad case of Broadwayitis. When Kavi wants to quit, Rishi wonders if she has quitteritis. When it all comes out in the open, and she knows it’s okay to ask for help, things turn around and scholaritis sets in. Kavi isn’t the most organized person, but she’s definitely determined. Her family’s behind her, including Scamper, their dog, and the show must go on!

            This is an illustrated middle-grade novel marketed for what I’d consider younger middle-grade readers. However, Girl of the Year (GOTY) 2023 Kavi is older than most of the characters at 12 years old (they’re typically around nine or ten). She’s American Girl’s first GOTY of South Asian descent, and I love the cultural flair the story has. Pillai’s illustrations are bold and colorful, but the ones featuring Indian dress are what pull me in the most. It also feels real, from the weight of juggling schoolwork with extra-curriculars and/or lessons to feeling so overwhelmed that quitting seems like the best option. The story flowed well and didn’t feel contrived. It has me wanting to eat samosas and Dadima’s cookies (dadima is your dad’s mother in Hindi), learn a Bollywood dance and own a sari.

Never After: The Broken Mirror (Dec. 6, 2022) by Melissa de la Cruz.

<This is the third novel in a series.>

Their loads are light as they trek to Snow Country, but only because Robin Hood and his band of thieves have stolen their possessions. Robin Hood robs from the poor to give to the rich. Yes, that’s correct. Filomena Jefferson-Cho, Jack the Giant Stalker, Alistair Bartholemew Barnaby (Ali Baba), Gretel the Cobbler’s Daughter, Byron Bessley (formerly Beast) and [Princess] Beatrice are off to Snow Country after a detour to aid Princess Jeanne of Northphalia by rescuing Lord Sharif (Riff) of Nottingham. They must also find her crown before King Richard (not a real king) can take her head and her crown. New lines of the prophecy state that “Only the League of Seven can save the lands” from the ogres. Who’s the League of Seven? Are they seven DWARVES (actually giants; it’s an acronym for Dwayne’s Army of Really Very Extra-Large Soldiers)? Are they seven swan brothers? Whoever they are, they must be fearless, and they are needed. Hortense’s Prince Charlie has been turned into a frog, the fairy Colette’s whereabouts are unknown, and word comes that the fairy, Zera (Scheherazade), has been captured by one conspiring with Olga (the ogre queen) and Cinderella (her evil ogre daughter). Filomena is also wrought with worry over her adoptive mom back home in North Pasadena, California, as she’s fallen sick, and the doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong with her. They make new friends along the way, namely, Rose Red (Rosie), daughter of Snow White/Colette. With the ogres and their evilness spread far and wide, perhaps even into the mortal world, how can Filomena and her friends save Never After?

            de la Cruz’s third fractured fairy tale in The Chronicles of Never After is another win. The story is engaging and delightful with high-spirited adventure and young heroes navigating feelings of helplessness and fear as they’re also trying to save a land they love. There’s magical enjoyment and emotional depth in this absorbing middle-grade fantasy. Real world and the fantasy world don’t collide so much as segue from one to the other, and the author has a knack for making it read seamlessly. It contains racially diverse characters with casual mentions of food and drink which may not be familiar to all readers, like when Hortense wants to drink dohwa-cha or peach blossom tea (a traditional Korean tea). Entertainment value is high, but it isn’t without intense scenes, as death does happen in Never After. It’s a land I’d love to visit, perhaps live in part-time, thus becoming biportal, but I’ll wait to visit until after Filomena and her friends defeat the ogres.

            P.S. This is a small thing, but the part that niggles at me are her poems. I didn’t like their flow. Like, I’m reading it in my head and get into a rhythm, a tempo, but the lines (verses) don’t match up. The poems are like puzzle pieces that should fit together but don’t quite.

            Book One: The Thirteenth Fairy

            Book Two: The Stolen Slippers

Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies (Feb. 7, 2023) by Stacey Lee.

<This is the first novel in a duology.>

Shenanigans arise for 12-year-old Winston Chu when he inadvertently halts a robbery and winds up with a broom and dustpan as a reward from Mr. Pang’s Whimsies, an oddities shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown that smells like popcorn. He might’ve first touched the KICK-ME BOOTS, FAR-SEEING EYEBALLS or the EGGS OF TRUTH. Even the HOVERING PIZZA SWAT (CAUTION: HOT) would’ve been far more significant than a broom. And dustpan. Feeling defeated, Winston takes his two-for-one “reward” to the home he shares with his crotchety older sister, Philippa, his “threenager” little sister, Coco, and their hard-working mom, Willa, single since their military-translator dad, Philip, was killed in a friendly fire incident in Iraq. It’s after the broom and dustpan return home with him that beloved possessions go missing, from Philippa’s Babar the Elephant to Lucky (Winston’s goldfish) and even his only soccer jersey. Coco’s different, too; she’s now Not-Coco. Winston only has five days to find the changeling Chang-Ah-Ling and switch them back. Winston won’t be alone. He has his soccer mates and friends: Maverick (Mav) McFee, Cassa Kowalski and Bijal (last name unmentioned). He might even have Dani Kim, the cute and talented niece of his cooking instructor, who wears a seemingly magical cocktail umbrella behind her ear. Answers may come from the cloud weaver and her husband, the cowherd, if they’re willing to work as a team. Warning: a dance-off seems imminent. Prepare to avoid the object’s sharp and poisonous needles. No pressure.

            East and west collide in this contemporary middle-grade novel that re-imagines a Chinese folktale full of magic, mayhem, a go-to boba shop and friendship. The tale has middle-school smart-mouthing, but it’s also heartfelt. Themes of family and friendship and working through grief help bind the cleverly-written, fast-paced, action-filled story. I appreciate that Lee has created a racially diverse cast (Bijal cues as South Asian, Mav has some Senegalese ancestry, Dani’s name hints as Korean and Cassa interprets as Caucasian). This adventure from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint is a win, and I look forward to more magical mischief and mirthful hijinks in the next installment. Look out for the Fire-Weiler and the Were-Bear. The mustache is up to mischief, but may come in handy, too. For anyone who ventures into this story, keep a weather eye open for all of those whimsically wicked objects!

            P.S. I could use a Brain Strainer. It will “seep stress away.”

            Also by Stacey Lee: Luck of the Titanic (YA)

Rutabaga's Reads 2023: Part 12

Thanks to my local library, I’m back with a second chapter books compilation post.

Miss Banks Pulls Lots of Pranks (Feb. 14, 2023) by Dan Gutman.

   Jim Paillot, illustrator.

*This is the first story in a series.*

At this weirdtastic school, A.J. is entering fourth grade. He wants to eat Oreos and continue summertime and has no interest in being like his classmate, Little Miss Know-It-All a.k.a. the Human Homework Machine. (Her name’s Andrea.) The Domebooks (“very advanced laptops”) seem cool, until their new teacher tells them they can’t play video games on them during school hours. Then there’s Miss Banks herself. She’s always pulling pranks on the class and A.J. feels especially picked on. Eventually, he declares, “This means war!” Will Miss Banks prevail as the ultimate prankster? Or can A.J. and his classmates one-up their fourth grade teacher?

            The first in the My Weirdtastic School series certainly makes being weird a fantastic thing. The practical jokes are tame, the mischief and mayhem youthfully silly. There’s the occasional moment that an adult can appreciate, like pranking the class with brownies that are actually cutouts of Es on brown-colored paper. But mostly, I found Miss Banks to be annoying, because her pranks are too many. While I won’t be reading anymore of any of these series, I do expect that these goofy little stories captivate many a young reader. I hope they find entertainment in them that I do not. I’m young-at-heart, but not young-at-heart enough for these books.

The School is Alive! (June 24, 2014) by Jack Chabert.

   Sam Ricks, illustrator.

*This is the first story in a series.*

There’s a new hall monitor at Eerie Elementary, and Sam Graves wants nothing to do with his orange hall monitor sash. But he isn’t any hall monitor, he’s the new protector of the school. The school is alive! It breathes – he’s felt it – and the school is a beast, a monster. It’s hungry for students! Mr. Nekobi, the old man who cares for the school, tells him these things, if Eerie Elementary’s first hall monitor is to be believed. And Sam believes Mr. Nekobi, but his best friends – Antonio and Lucy – do not. Not about the quicksand, nor the oak tree. Mr. Nekobi chose Sam, because the janitor is now too aged and weak to fight the school, and the school knows it. So Sam’s job is to make sure everyone gets to class on time, and he’s got to protect everyone from the school, too. How do you train to fight a school building?

            While I don’t plan to continue the series, this is a safe-scary choice for young readers who want horror without actual, can’t-fall-asleep scares. They can read this first in the Eerie Elementary series before graduating to Goosebumps by R.L. Stine. For a simple story, the plot and tamely ominous storyline flowed well, though any school assembling a successful theater production in a week’s time is ludicrous, especially when it’s Peter Pan, and it involves “flying” students. Still, the cartoonish sketch illustrations work well. The story has an overall gloomy vibe, but it remains playful. There is a lot of text on each page considering it’s a chapter book, but hopefully that won’t discourage would-be readers of the series.

The Triplets Get Charmed (June 1, 2021) by Laura Brown and Elly Kramer.

   Sarah Mensinga, illustrator.

*This is the first story in a series.*

Eight-year-old triplets Emmy, Clare and Giselle are actually found sisters. They were found by Dr. J.A., a veterinarian, when he was feeling lonesome caring for the animals of the forest by himself. Together with little brother, Zee, they’re readying to celebrate “Founding Day,” the day he found the triplets and they became a family. The girls were found alongside their young animal companions a.k.a. “mini’mals” – an eaglet called Soar, a bear cub called Claw and a wolf pup called Fluffy – and three trillium flower petals, the latter of which Dr. J.A. has saved for them. Dr. J.A. is off tending to Bruce the Moose while the triplets and Zee go off to seek strawberries for their trillium pancakes. When Zee’s in trouble, the trillium charms activate to form a glowing flower, giving the girls superpowers. How long will those powers last?

            The first in the Trillium Sisters series carries an upbeat tone, and the woodsy setting and animals are charming, but I found the story to lack substance. It suffers from the blandness that comes from characters not developed enough and a plot that should be happily magical but falls short. It’s an uncomplicated story that highlights family, which may suit beginning chapter book readers who want to read something cute and simple.

Rutabaga's Reads 2023: Part 11

Why do I find picture books so fascinating? Well, they’re quick to read, have pictures and are especially easy to check out, as I regularly help cover the Children’s Library. These five are all library checkouts.

Just Because (Sept. 12, 2023) by Matthew McConaughey.

    Renée Kurilla, illustrator. 

Life’s contradictions can be confusing enough when you’re an adult, so imagine how perplexing it can be from a child’s viewpoint! “Just because I forgive you, doesn’t mean that I still trust./There’s what you do, there’s what I do,/and yours is not my must.” From moments of kindness to hurt, achievement to catastrophe, from calmness to dramatics, things crystal clear to things clear as mud, this is a story of rhyming assertions for every age. Why? Just because.

            Academy Award-winning actor McConaughey’s picture book debut is expressive, youthfully bold and charming throughout. The rhyming text is complemented by Kurilla’s uncomplicated but graceful illustrations. If there’s any question, the illustrations make the text easy to interpret. Reading all of the contradictory messages is thought-provoking. The rhythm of the rhyme didn’t always seem to sync, and the messages don’t always land right, but McConaughey’s influence and celebrity will give this book a big reach.

            Author’s dedication highlight: “To my kids, your kids, and the kid in all of us. We’re all as young as we’re ever gonna be, so let’s just keep learning.” –McConaughey

Kimchi, Kimchi Every Day (Oct. 4, 2022) by Erica Kim.

“I eat KIMCHI every day. / I like KIMCHI every way!” The young girl (perhaps an illustrated iteration of the author/illustrator) featured in this story eats kimchi every day but also enjoys eating it. Readers get a literary taste of multiple ways kimchi can be enjoyed, from straight up kimchi to kimchi pancakes, kimchi fried rice to mixing it with ramyun. Kimchi is NEVER BLAND!

            I am a sucker for rhymes, but that isn’t the only reason I love this story. What shines through is the author/illustrator’s pride in her Korean roots and Korean food culture, focusing on this traditional Korean staple. Kim’s illustrations are vibrant and dimensional but not cluttered, the page spreads following a day-of-the-week format. I like how she features kimchi in different ways, showcasing that it truly is “never bland.” The pacing of the rhyming is excellent, the text is uncomplicated, and the young girl’s culinary buddy, a gray bunny, is adorable. The back matter includes a Kimchi Glossary, Kimchi Facts and ideas for adding kimchi to American staples such as hamburgers or hot dogs. Kimchi burger, anyone? Someone pass me a plate of kimchi fried rice, please!

Star Fishing (Feb. 22, 2022) by Sang-Keun Kim.

   Ginger Ly, translator.

A white-bunny-suited, un-gendered child is having one of those nights where sleep won’t come. The sleepless night turns marvelous when the child is reeled upward by Little Rabbit on a crescent moon. They’re joined by Crab, Fox, Big Bear and Little Bear. They continue to want to play and wonder if the rest of the world is sleeping … but it turns out that the “stars aren’t sleepy, either!” Fun is had and constellations are made until Little Rabbit sends each character home, finally slumbering peacefully.

            Kim is both the author and illustrator of this story. The book states that the illustrations consist of colored pencil, pastel, pen and digital art mediums. Having read Kim’s “Little Mole’s Wish” last year, I was pleased that my local library ordered this story, in which Kim’s illustrations are like a lullaby, the text (with spare dialogue) youthful and dreamlike. I love the muted illustrations, highlighted by the bright moon and stars. The pictures are luminous and the tale includes a bit of folklore, for those who’ve heard of the Korean moon rabbit. A gently sweeping picture book fit for every family with young children.

Whatever Comes Tomorrow (Mar. 7, 2023) by Rebecca Gardyn Levington.

   Mariona Cabassa, illustrator.

“Tomorrow may bring laughter, love, confusion, fear or fun / an angry, rainy hurricane or peaceful seaside sun.” Readers don’t always know what tomorrow will bring or what the future will hold, but this story in rhyming text acknowledges and reassures. It recognizes that it’s natural to have concerns and anxiety and uses positive prose to assure readers that they’ll make it through, because “…you’ve confronted fear before and reached the other side.”

            This picture book is amazing. It reminds kids that anxiety isn’t bad, even when it feels like it is, and empowers kids to manage it through a playful yet poignant story that features vibrant yet uncomplicated illustrations. The wisdom is gentle yet captivating. It’s a delight to read, and while I checked it out from the library, I wish I owned it. I’m no mental health expert (though I did study psychology as an undergrad), but this reads like a book that should be in all school counselor and therapist offices. It’s a beautiful story that tenderly showcases the importance of focusing on mental health (not only for kids, but adults, too). The back matter may be helpful for those wanting activity ideas to help manage worries by a licensed Child Development Specialist.

Yetis Are the Worst! (Nov. 22, 2022) by Alex Willan.

<This is part of a series.>

What is Gilbert the Goblin up to now? He’s going up and up the mountain (“still more mountain”), determined to find the legendary yeti. He is envious that others may view yetis as cooler and more mysterious than goblins like himself. His ascending journey takes him past snow formations he mistakes for yetis and even a snowboarding unicorn in a puffy coat. But strangely, Gilbert doesn’t see any yetis (readers, on the other hand ...). That will take an avalanche-fueled descent down the mountain!

            My first story in Willan’s The Worst! Series is an absolute delight. From the soft, snowy palette of Gilbert’s winter wonderland to the humorous prose and the engaging illustrations (also by Willan), it’s no wonder that these stories are entertaining for kids and adults alike. I like that the author/illustrator presents yetis as big, but not so imposing and intimidating as lore tends to represent them. Far from being THE WORST, these cryptids are friendly, fascinating and very un-mysterious. A giggle-worthy picture book that I’d be happy to own.

"Ink Blood Sister Scribe" by Emma Törzs

Ink Blood Sister Scribe (May 30, 2023) by Emma Törzs.

<This is a standalone novel.>

The Kalotay family guards ancient, rare books of magic. The magic in them is typically finite, not to be rechargeable, but they might do anything from spell a person invisible to allow someone to walk through walls or even to pass non-living objects through mirrors. Joanna has been tasked with maintaining the library’s wards after their dad is killed by, unbeknownst to them at the time, a vampire book. Meanwhile, Esther was told at age 18 that she must move every year on November 2^nd to protect her sister, so she’s normally done this every year for a decade. She tried to stay somewhere once and someone attacked. Now she’s decided to stay in Antarctica, but she notices the mirror magic. She has never been able to feel magic and therefore can’t read spells, can’t be affected by spells, and wards do not make her feel horribly ill, but she recognizes the blood on the corners of the mirrors. Is the person who killed Esther’s mother after her? Esther’s path diverges with Nicholas – an anemic Scribe who’s slowly bleeding to death with all the spells he’s written, but also cannot read – and Collins, Nicholas’ bodyguard. Nicholas looks expensive and smells expensive and has a posh English accent to go with his look. Collins is American, but due to his magical staff NDA, he can’t talk about many things, including his own life. Together, they will uncover secrets originating from their own parents and find a world of magic far more sinister than they could’ve imagined.

            I’m blown away by this debut, speculative fiction novel with its immersive-yet-contemporary world-building, rich tone, complex plot of twisty turns, engaging characters and straightforward system of magical books. It is spellbinding and has dark notes, but the story is balanced with threads of hope and humor. This astute and sophisticated fantasy novel lured me in straightaway, wrapping me in extraordinary enchantment. What an incredible, indelible novel!

            P.S. Beware of any vampire books. “A vampire is a fifteenth-century spell that protects activated books. It kicks in as soon as anyone attempts to add their blood to the spell in progress...”--Nicholas to Joanna, Esther and Collins (p.282)

The Positive Page-turner's Challenge: Take 18

The Positive Page-turner’s Challenge: Take 18

Look at that, we’re in the final month of 2023, but I’ve managed to compile enough personally purchased books to present a third Positive Page-turner’s Challenge for 2023 and my eighteenth overall. I’ve found 17 books to be my perfect number for setting up my little book photo shoots, so there are 17 books in this photo. At $5/book, I donated $85 to my local church. It went in this past Sunday’s offering plate, and I designated it to the General Fund, to be used as the church needs.

            “Delivering Hope Through Bars of Soap” is my motto when it comes to my unofficial Special Project for Haiti. If you refer to Take 16, you’ll discover that donating soap’s turned out to be a bigger help than I imagined. Recently, a box of soap I’d filled got sent with a trailer full of donations, including boxes of donated health kits, layette kits and three pallets of food. My box of bar soap came to 19.4 pounds.

            What compassion projects are you passionate about?

"Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens" by David Mitchell

Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England’s Kings and Queens (Oct. 3, 2023) by David Mitchell.

            Do you fancy yourself knowledgeable in the history of England’s kings and queens? Do you reflect on the reigns of Anglo-Saxon kings like Ceolwulf of Northumbria, Aethelwulf of Wessex or Aethelred, also of Wessex? Or do you prefer England’s first kings like Athelstan, Sweyn Forkbeard or Harthacnut? You were thinking about Henry VIII or Elizabeth I or Bloody Mary, weren’t you? “Unruly” will subject its readers to an exploration of England’s very earliest monarchs, one of whom certainly didn’t exist (King Arthur) to others that may not have actually existed (like Vortigern, Aescwine, Icel and Cerdic) to those who definitely did exist (like the line of Plantagenets). The history is bloody, gory, backstabbing and violent, which surprises no one. Also no surprise? That all of these rulers were a bunch of long-ago lucky people trying to rule a piece of the world where lines of conquer battled back-and-forth as each ruler vied for the most glory. The rulers were feared for good reason (lots of executions), but they’re a bunch of narcissists who display terrible self-control, engage heavily in uncivil wars and pretty much declare themselves divine. It’s a mess, and Mitchell isn’t letting England off the hook for any of it!

            Ridiculous history at its most regal! So opulent, so refined. Okay, mostly it’s bloody and violent with more than one king battling the runs before succumbing to dysentery. There is no king or (rare) queen that you want to root for. From the perspective of someone who’s not English (or British/Welsh/etc.) and is certainly no monarchist, this nonfiction novel is wildly amusing, cleverly written, irreverently glorious and knife sharp. Mitchell, an actor and comedian, is also, clearly, a skilled historian. Far from boring, Mitchell takes this vast swath of brutal history and makes it entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny even as it’s steeped in deep, historical knowledge. I mean, how can you not be drawn in by lines like, “Apart from seizing the throne and having his nephews murdered, Richard seems comparatively nice” (p. 340)? Mitchell breathes freshness into what might otherwise be dusty, super dated history with jocularity and erudition. It truly is a funny book that takes history seriously.

            P.S. I took many notes, too many to post, even in the Comments section. I would happily own this book (*library checkout*).

            P.P.S. “Unruly” ends with Elizabeth I’s reign in 1603. Mitchell has covered England’s medieval history. There’s been plenty of history between then and 2023, meaning I’d love a sequel. However, he says in the last couple pages, “...kings and queens become less dominant after 1603 – not immediately, but relatively swiftly. This book is about rulers and, by covering them, the political story of the age is more or less told.” (p. 402) So, perhaps I won’t hold out too much hope for a sequel.