 4 stars
Sometimes the creepiest tales are the ones meant for children… this is one of those, but with a soft enough edge to keep things light and cozy. Save this one for the fall season! Spooky vibes: ★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★★ Ollie's life is something she is deciding Not Thinking About. Things have happened. Ollie's of the opinion that if she doesn't look too closely at the details, things will be manageable. Or at least, more manageable. Then a weird woman by Ollie' favorite spot by the lake tries to throw away a book—one of Ollie's most favorite and precious types of items—and Ollie can't let her do it. She steals the book from the crying, upset woman and runs away with it. The fact that the woman's rambling about darkness and evil... Eh. Ollie's not looking too closely at the details. But maybe Ollie should have looked at the details. As she finds herself diving into the book's story about Beth, two brothers, and an unnatural series of events, Ollie's starting to see some odd parallels between the book's setting and her hometown. And the next day, Ollie's class takes a field trip to a local farm. Where things get terrifying. Fast. Now it's up to Ollie and a few friends to save the day and escape before it's too late... Small Spaces is a book that I have had on my radar for a longgggg time. Definitely since its debut in 2018. It's spooky? Check. It's about the fall time and involves scary scarecrows? Check. It's written by Katherine Arden? CHECK. Don't ask me why I waited so long to pick this one up. I have no answers, and now it's one of those books that I wish I'd read earlier. But hey, we're here now! And it was just as a good as I'd hoped it would be. This falls into that wonderful category of middle grade reads that feels like its meant for all ages. Both suitable for its age group (8-12 years old, I believe) and the rest of us older people, Small Spaces has that quality of atmosphere and timelessness that will likely make it a perennial classic in the realm of Halloween reading. I know I will be recommending it broadly! Make sure to leave room on your autumnal TBR pile for this one... and watch out for the smiling man :)
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 4 stars
A fantasy for the budding environmental scientists out there. Lots of fun! Concepts: ★★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★★ Characters: ★★★ I wondered when we'd start to see climate-focused middle grade reads saturate the shelves. The Tiltersmith joins the wave of budding stories both fantastical and contemporary centered on our environment—and it managed to do that while ALSO being fun. A delicate balance to walk. It's supposed to be spring in New York, but as March 21 rolls around the streets are still covered in ice and snow. Winter's not letting up. For four kids in the city, this stinks on multiple levels. As I curled up with this story, it was early April, supposedly spring on the calendar—the winter vibes out my window begged to differ. The snow on my ground felt like a personal grounding to this tale. I, like our protagonist's teacher Mr. Ross, immediately jumped to climate change as an answer for my snow woes. But for Edward, Brigit, Feenix, and Danton, four classmates with a lot of smarts, they think something else is afoot and they're determined to prove it in their own unique ways. (Edward, the scientist covered in experiments, was a personal favorite of mine to read.) And when someone "off" with the name Superintendent Tiltersmith shows up, the foursome are in for a wild, wild ride involving magic, science, and the planet. Y'all, I thought this story was so precious. It's not every day that you read a tale for young readers with a distinctly environmental twist—unless there's a ton and I'm just living under a rock, which is possible—and The Tiltersmith incorporated those elements in such a blatant and yet endearing way. As an adult, I found some portions to be a bit on the nose, but I had to keep reminding myself that this was meant for younger audiences who might need the more heavy-handed approach. A fun and engaging read to share with the young scientists and explorers in your life! Thank you to Algonquin Books for Young Readers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.  4.5 stars
A mirror looking back at us with a kinder, hopeful light. This feels like the most relevant of fairy tales and the kind of story I'd love to hear told around the coffee table on a lazy afternoon. Concept: ★★★★★ Pacing: ★★★ Sense of storytelling: ★★★★★ What does it mean to be a neighbor? This story is about an Ogress. (But maybe she's not who you think she is.) This story is about a Dragon. (And maybe he's exactly who you think he is.) This story is also about a town fallen on hard times, where trust and kindness are steadily withering away with each hotter season, and the town's livelihood is dying a slow death as a result. This story is also about a group of orphans, who are able to look at the world with the clear-eyed gaze that only the most honest of children can use. The Ogress and the Orphans is a parable for our times—as lofty as that sounds. Timely, yet timeless. About us and yet not about us. For us adults reading this, this story is going to be a lancing of the boil (whether you're ready for it or feel that way is up to you, but it definitely was such for me). We've experienced so much ugly in these past few years, and our souls are tired. We wonder if there is any hope for the younger generations in this reality where facts are apparently subjective and the concept of kindness toward those around you seems like an alien concept. What hope can we have when those in power try harder and harder to focus a polarity in the culture in order to inflate their egos and bank vaults? How can we record these thoughts and spit them back as something useful and fostering of growth? Kelly Barnhill's Ogress and the Orphans is one such answer. Barnhill wrote this novel during the last few years and that shows—if you're an American, you can see the players behind their fairy tales masks. Her thesis question of "What is a neighbor?" is clearly playing with concepts that have been bullied and broken and abused in the political and social arena for years now. But even for the rest of us, and especially for the children, this fable exists to grow love and foster kindness. I normally read harsher things, darker things, so maybe my review will be an odd duck for those who follow me for those other books. However, despite this novel's length—it was a bit long, and for an adult it will feel like something shorter that was drawn out for younger minds--I think it's worth a try. Especially if you're in need of something light amidst all of this darkness. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.  4 stars
Ticking clocks, German folklore, and classic storytelling with a self-aware edge...this was a delight. Concepts: ★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★ Characters: ★★★★ Y'all, I have been enjoying the heck out of Algonquin's middle grade line of novels these past few years. There is something about the niche of fantasy middle grade coming out of this publishing hosue that I just really, really enjoy. They tend to have that extra something, that extra oomph of world building mixed with lyrical folktale-esque writing structure, and they tend to have writer's humor mixed in with the narrative. I love it every time. The Counterclockwise Heart was no exception. In this tale we have Alphonsus, a prince with a ticking clock where is heart is supposed to be. Raised by his adoptive mother, the empress of the land, he's told to hide his clock heart from the world and to ignore the prophecy that was attached to his newborn body when the empress found him one night in a gear-filled bassinet. The counterclockwise heart... Of course, one day Alphonsus's heart stops ticking clockwise like normal. It starts winding backwards, counting down. But to what, and why? In another thread of the story we have Esme, a young girl from the magical community of Hierophants. She enters Alphonsus's kingdom in search of Nachtfrau, a powerful sorceress. Esme has her own reasons for searching for Nachtfrau, and she has some fate-tied words of her own. As Alphonsus and Esme twine closer and closer, their fates begin to unravel as well. The clock is ticking... literally. This was such a fun ride! With the classic spins of a good middle grade adventure folktale, The Counterclockwise Heart surprised me with its self-aware narration, clever twists, and ultimate sense of grounded Germanic-based folktale. It was just a good blend. I do think that this novel will appeal to certain types of fantasy readers over others--in particular, there were some darker themes and meandering elements to the storytelling that I think are dependent on personal taste. It worked for me, but I'm an adult fantasy reader who likes those things! Recommended for fans of The Oddmire, Laini Taylor's writing style if she wrote a classic fairytale, and Seanan McGuire's obscure short stories. Thank you to Algonquin for Young Readers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.  3.5 stars
Life lessons hidden amongst a gemstone-world filled with heart and humor... a great graphic novel to share with a young reader. Artwork: ★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★ Characters: ★★★ A disclaimer: I am barely knowledgeable on the DC Comics universe. I have enjoyed reading several of the young reader graphic novels coming out of DC, but all of my enjoyment and review base comes from face-value reviews—I do not have any prior knowledge/opinions on the characters in each series. Amaya, princess of House Amethyst in Gemworld, is in trouble. A powerful young girl with a lot of ability and not a lot of life experience, she accidentally creates a huge mess in her parent's castle and breaks their largest protector gemstone. She wasn't ready for the consequences of her actions... Amaya needs a reality check—so her parents send her and an adult caretaker to Earth for a while. It's supposed to be for one week. But then, 3 years later, we meet Amaya as a middle schooler and to our surprise, she's lost ALL of her memories of her time on Gemworld. Something is afoot. With magic, memory, and family all tying together into one purple-tastic adventure, this graphic novel was a ton of fun. I thought the artwork for this one was beautiful. I loved the artist's play on the all of the purple tones of Gemworld, and the fun style of all of the panels for each plot point. Amaya and her antics were interesting. As a mid-20s adult, I'll admit I had a hard time really staying invested in her journey...but this seemed to really be an age thing, as the story itself and the plot progression did not have any issues in it. Just too young for this particular reader. I recommend to anyone with a young one at home who's interested in comic book worlds! (And for anyone who loves purple, obviously.) Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.  5 stars
This is Hayao Miyazaki's favorite childhood book—and, according to Neil Gaiman's foreword included in this English translation, it's going to be the focus of his last upcoming film. This book was a beautiful, thought-provoking and philosophical epic wrapped around the story of one young boy's journey in 1937 Japan. It's often the youngest of stories with the largest of messages, and How Do You Live? is no exception. Writing: ★★★★★ Themes: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★ Born and raised in Tokyo, but now finding himself living outside of the city, Copper is a young teenaged boy growing up in 1937 Japan under the guidance of his family. He's trying to make his way in the world like all of us do at that age--looking to family, school, friends, and society for ways and tools on how to be, how to think, and how to live. This novel portrays that sense of "finding oneself" during those tumultuous years in such an entrancing way. There are interjections on ethics, societal reflections, and life lessons. There are moments where Copper struggles for identity amongst his family and lot in life. There are moments where he is just a boy, doing boy things. Life is not just one thing, or even multiple things. And neither are people just one thing, or many things. How Do You Live? showcases those complexities and nuances in ways that are simply astounding for a novel tailored to such a young audience. It's a poignant and compelling read—and, most important, it's an engaging one. I was riveted to Copper's journey and was right there with him for every moment. Do yourself a favor and pick this one if you're interested in the subject or in Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films—this book's core resonates with a lot of the master's work. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.  5 stars
Another adventure with Skunk and Badger?? We are blessed. This one took everything I loved about the first adventure and made it bigger and better. I love this adorable series. Characters: ★★★★★ Writing style: ★★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★★★ This is the second adventure with Skunk and Badger. If you're new to the series, check out this one first! As a grown woman with no kids, I guess I'm an odd age demographic for this series, but let me tell you something: I absolutely loved this book. When people say "oh, this is perfect for ALL AGES!" sometimes what they mean is, it's perfect for kids but not dumb for adults to sit through. Well, Skunk and Badger's adventures in Egg Marks the Spot are truly for all ages. I loved this story and had no issues with it as an adult. The perfect, relaxing read to enjoy with a cozy cup of tea. In Egg Marks the Spot, Badger and Skunk are doing just fine as roommates in Aunt Lula's brownstone. Skunk's latest obsession is obtaining the book review portion of the "New Yak Times" (I love the references, guys, I LOVE them) and Badger is doing Important Rock Work in his rock room. But then, Skunk finds out that his previous neighbor, G. Hedgehog, is back in town and wants to steal his pages of the "New Yak Times Book Review" from him to "resume their previous arrangement." Skunk cannot stand for this - he must leave town for the week to get his mind off of this tragedy. So Skunk proposes a camping trip with Badger. Badger is all for this plan, as he loves exploring and looking for more rocks for Rock Science. In fact, it will give Badger the ability to look for a replacement agate for his collection. Several years ago, his precious agate was taken by his cousin, Fisher, never to be returned! So with Skunk avoiding G. Hedgehog and Badger avoiding thoughts of his stealing cousin, they set off into the woods. With some chickens, of course. (See the first book to get the low-down on the chickens.) But there's something special in the woods this time... and Badger and Skunk are not going to believe it! There, that's it. I'm not going to tell you anymore. Read it for yourself and love it! I know I did. Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.  3.5 stars
Becket's back with her "Beautiful Alerts" and charming life in the country with this latest installment focused on pets...as well as a poignant message on expectations. Characters: ★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★ 1/2 All Pets Allowed is the second book in the Blackberry Farm series, but in good middle grade fashion it's a easy entry point for new readers looking for an adventure. Having just read the first book, The Becket List, in preparation for this read I found this second book to be a charming upgrade from the first novel—with lots of continued goodness as well as fresh looks at some of the characters and plot. Becket is a treat to follow. Her enthusiasm and near-eternal positivity are honestly surprising to me as a jaded, pessimistic adult—but that's not Becket's problem, that's on me! I loved being reminded of the optimism and resilience of children. It's an amazing thing. Overall, I really enjoyed Becket's second journey with her twin brother, Nicolas, and their adventures and unexpected speed bumps on the road toward pet ownership and facing expectations. As Becket would say, a "Beautiful Alert" for this beautiful story! Thank you so much to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.  5 stars
Poignant, important, and all about discovering your own space--your space within yourself, your space amongst other people, and your space in the world. (Puns, yes, but serious meanings? Also yes.) Characters: ★★★★★ Emotional resonance: ★★★★★ Handling of topics: ★★★★★ Pluto is going through a difficult time. Recently diagnosed with depression and anxiety, it's not exactly what she had planned for the end of her seventh grade experience. 13-year-olds don't have to deal with this, do they? And if they do, why can't Pluto seem to handle it better? (Those are Pluto's harsh questions for herself.) Not only is Pluto navigating her own struggle and trying to figure out how to get through it--her dad, located in New York City, thinks he knows what's best and wants Pluto to come to the city in order to get better. Pluto doesn't want to leave her mom, and she doesn't want to go to the city. So it's time to make a list of what she needs to do in order to be "Pluto" again. If she can find herself and act like she used to, then she can stay...right? Pluto is about to discover just what it means to be herself. And how, at the end of the day, she can chart her own path through the stars. , My thoughts: Wow, is this book filled with heart. I cried, I ached, I laughed, I smiled. Pluto's journey through love, self acceptance, and personal growth was something special to witness. One of the poignant elements to me was Pluto's support system. Unlike other novels I've read, where the main character(s) might occasionally be unmoored without a robust group of loved ones around them, How to Become a Planet showcased a loving group of folks around Pluto wishing her the best, trying to help her, and helping her each step of the way in the best way they could. I found that added to the story immensely and left me with a feeling of warmth and safeness. I can only imagine how this would resonate with younger readers going through similar circumstances. This is an important novel for young LGBT+ teens, and especially those at the younger end. I look forward to having this in my arsenal for book recommendations for children and parents alike.  4.5 stars
I demand to know where books like these were when I was a kid! This was so much fun—humor, dark lords and unicorns, a young protagonist with Goals and Things to Do, and a whole lot of quirky adventures. Humor: ★★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★ Setting: ★★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★ As the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, 12-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. This includes Dastardly Deeds, general rules about Evildoing from the Council of Dark Lords, and more. Who knew the life of a Dark Lord could be so...whimsical? Clementine, our young protagonist, is upset to discover that one day her father seems to be...chipping away. As if his body parts are being whittled down by some exterior force. At first, she's not concerned. Her father is often cursed by the other Dark Lords, that's par for the course in the Council. But usually those events are...flashier. More direct. And not a months on end process that her father actually seems to be losing. What's a girl to do, besides get to the bottom of it? With Clementine, her grimoire-turned-rogue-chicken "Gricken," a knight-in-training village boy, and a unicorn hunter in hiding, things are about to get INTERESTING. My thoughts: I loved this story. For a middle grade novel, this was packed with humor, sophisticated language, and a lot of relevant moral messaging for kids and adults alike. Clementine was a fantastic main character. I enjoyed the side characters, even as they were more trope-y and filled their humor niches. You always need some predictable comedic relief! Honestly, I'm running out of things to say besides... I loved it all. If you like humor, fantasies that don't take themselves too seriously, and books that are more character-driven as opposed to plot-driven, check this one out! Thank you to Algonquin for Young Readers for my copy in exchange for an honest review. |
Amy Imogene ReadsJust someone looking for her own door into Wonderland. Categories
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All reviews posted are my own and do not reflect the opinions of any other individual or entity. When applicable, reviewed titles sent to me by the publisher are noted at the bottom of each review.
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