Much like many people, I grew up reading Beatrix Potter stories over and over. I picked up this collection of her stories out of pure nostalgia and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting most of her stories. This collection does not contain all of them (I told a friend that it was missing “the one with the store, where they learn that they can’t just have people pay on credit because then they’ll never make any money”), but it does have most of them, with Potter’s original illustrations.
While many of Potter’s stories are akin to Aesop’s Fables, with a prominent moral, most are just about adventures (and misadventures) of various animals. Some of the stories are fairly harsh in hindsight, such as the one with the kitten who gets rolled up in pastry by some hungry mice and Squirrel Nutkin, who gets his tail swiped off by an owl, yet somehow within the story it doesn’t seem that way.
Beatrix Potter is Beatrix Potter. There’s not much else I have to say about her wonderful little stories about Peter Rabbit and Tom Kitten and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. I wouldn’t say these are necessarily “must-haves” for children, but I do know that my (at the time) two-year-old niece thoroughly enjoyed the tale of Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb.
All Thirteen tells the incredible true story of the rescue of 13 members of a Thai boys’ soccer team, who become stranded in a cave after it floods. The rescue took 17 days and involved people from all around the world, notably the Royal Thai Navy SEALs and a handful of the best cave divers in the world.
Pictures, context, and background help make this simple, straightforward explanation of the events really stand out. Explanations of Thai culture and geography are inserted into the book, along with pictures of the landscape and people involved. Soontornvat’s writing is exceptionally good for the targeted audience; a lot of the many details that went into the rescue effort are explained simply and clearly, and the pictures help communicate some of the harder concepts. I like how carefully researched and presented the information is; there is no sense of anything being skipped or shortened.
All Thirteen is great coverage of a daring rescue that is approachable for young readers. This is a book I would recommend to my students who are more into nonfiction.
I adored The Year of Billy Miller, and this sequel is just as charming as the first. Though at first I was afraid Henkes was diving into angst territory, he soon showed that I had nothing to worry about—though perhaps not as “growing up” focused as the first book, there are still some great moments that show themes of patience, love, and, of course, letting kids be kids.
Henkes is very good at writing a believable, realistic 8-year-old voice—this is not a mini-adult in kid’s clothing, here. Billy adores, obsesses, worries, reasons, bothers, and more all in ways that are organic and flow well from the situation. He also has moments of maturity and “older brotherness” when interacting with his younger sister, and decisions made in the first book are carried over, with Billy still struggling with “Papa” versus “Dad.” Basically, the voices of the characters are great, some of the best I’ve read, honestly. They don’t feel forced, unbelievable, or too old.
Billy Miller Makes a Wish, while simplistic, is simply a charming read from start to finish. Billy’s voice shines throughout. It’s a book where you’ll smile from cover to cover, a genuinely good-hearted, enjoyable read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tag-team-author book about two girls named Naomi who have to navigate the difficulty and awkwardness of having their mom and dad, respectively, start dating each other (and of sharing the same name).
This is really just a book about learning to navigate new relationships and still keep the old ones, and of not being too afraid of change (but remembering and celebrating tradition). And it’s really well-done, with the beautifully distinct voices of Naomi Marie and Naomi Edith taking turns telling the story, each with their own struggles to overcome. And I loved that except for the cover art and a brief instance of Brianna calling Naomi E. “White Naomi” (and Naomi M. “Black Naomi”), the races of the characters weren’t even mentioned. Usually books take great care to describe skin color, hair, etc., but this one did not, which I found refreshing. I’ve sometimes found it odd how authors will just throw in skin color as a descriptor when it’s not necessary for understanding the character or situation, and this book treats the relationships of the characters as if none of that matters, which is exactly how it should be done, in my opinion.
I also loved how civil the relationship was between both divorced parents. I feel as if many books deal more on the harsh, broken relationships where the parents are always fighting, or one is completely absent, so it was nice to see how involved both parents still were in each Naomi’s life (I guess not really with Naomi E., but there were still conversations between them; she wasn’t totally MIA) and how they talked to each other about the decisions involving their children.
Anyway, this is a great book with great themes, and I appreciated the complete lack of anything even resembling a soapbox, proof that good messages can be delivered without the need for such things. It was a thoroughly delightful, heartwarming read.
Return of the Thief is the last book in the fantastic Queen’s Thief series. While the fourth and fifth books had Eugenides take somewhat of a back seat, this book is, well, his return. Though it’s not from his point of view, the entire book is focused on him as he becomes the high king of Attolia, Sounis, and Eddis, and seeks to end the Mede invasion of those countries.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part is basically “what happened in Attolia during Thick as Thieves,” while the second part is the three countries fighting against the Medes. While things aren’t quite as tricksy and complex as in the first three books, Turner still manages to throw in several surprises and the entire book is a delight to read as all the main characters from all the previous books show up in one way or another. I’m rarely satisfied with final endings, but this one was immensely satisfying, and honestly it was much happier than I initially thought it would be.
I gush about Gen in every book, but I found the viewpoint character in this one, Pheris, quite a delight. He, too, pretends ignorance at many points as did Gen in the earlier books, and unlike Costis in King of Attolia, who is pretty much just used to show off Gen’s cleverness, Pheris has several shining moments that make him an important character outside of his interactions with Gen.
I would rank Return of the Thief my 3rd favorite of the series, behind The King of Attolia and The Queen of Attolia. This series has truly been one of my favorite series. I think about these books and characters constantly, and I thoroughly enjoyed every book for different reasons. And this is one of the few book series that I feel I could reread consistently without getting tired of them. The trip was delightful, and the payoff was eminently satisfying. Thank you, Megan Whalen Turner, for some truly delightful, fantastic books that I will enjoy for a long time.
Info: Sequel to Thick as Thieves; Megan Whalen Turner; published 2020 by Greenwillow
While I’m honestly not that interested in the teen suspense/mystery novels that populate the shelves of YA literature these days (I’ve read a few: One of Us is Lying, which I hated; No Such Personis a similar one; I’ve read a few others that I can’t remember), A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is the best I’ve read.
My favorite things about it is that it’s just a really good mystery. There’s lots of suspects, lots of motives, lots of clues—and Pippa works her way through them as logically and realistically as you might expect an average 17-year-old to do, with only one logical leap that I can think of. And the format, switching between normal narration, 1st-person “logs” like a journal, and interview transcripts helps to elevate and keep the suspense continuing. And even though I sort of figured out the murderer early on, I didn’t really figure it out because Jackson was so good with her clues that I continuously doubted and changed my mind. Plus, there were several ending twists that I didn’t see coming.
There are some minor flaws throughout, like Pippa’s cardboard family (an unfortunate side effect of being so centrally focused on a murder plot is that every other interaction seems flat and pointless), her wooden conversations with others when they don’t involve trying to figure out a murder, and the heavy-handed “this is what a racist says” conversation that sounded like, well, like Jackson wanted us all to know what racists sound like. But those are easily forgettable under the weight of a really interesting, suspenseful, wild whodunit of a murder mystery.
Info:Holly Jackson; published 2019 (2020 in the US) by Egmont UK (Random House in the US)
There’s a moment in Pay Attention, Carter Jones, a moment when I knew this book would be a gem. I had been enjoying the book, but that moment tipped the momentum in favor of “brilliantly witty and clever.” Schmidt effectively takes an odd premise (a butler coming to serve a family) and transforms it into something heartwarming, funny, and charming.
Carter Jones, the titular protagonist, learns to deal with loss of different kinds and the meaning of love and family as “the Butler” politely, but insistently, inserts himself into Carter’s family life. Schmidt portrays the Butler as a rather stereotypical Brit (polite, contemptuous of American everything, a bit snobby), but there is a lot of tongue-in-cheek, dry humor running throughout the novel that makes up for it.
There’s also a great deal of cricket talk, as the Butler manages to unite a group of boys to play the unfamiliar game—and have them become obsessed with it. And, of course, Carter learns a lot through the game, and he and the Butler use metaphorical language all the time to communicate about other things. The moment I’m talking about in the beginning, by the way, is the moment when the Butler successfully gets a group of eighth graders to play a game of cricket just by being politely insistent. Oh, and there’s another great moment when he manages to get Carter to adopt Tory sensibilities. Like I said, the book is very tongue-in-cheek and funny.
Pay Attention, Carter Jones, deals with some hard topics—different kinds of loss, family separation, and working through complex emotions. But the lightheartedness and charm as a whole manages to unite everything together, making the book just the right balance of “light and dark.” I thoroughly enjoyed it—especially that one cricket moment (though I still don’t understand anything about cricket).
My Father’s Dragon is a short, but sweet, book. It reminded me greatly, in style and plot, of The Girl Who Went to Fairylandseries, though Elmer Elevator only goes so far as an island. The book starts out with a talking cat and then dives deeply into the realm of magical realism with Wild Island and its animal inhabitants, who have enslaved a dragon (the only mythical animal in the book). This book is about Elmer, the narrator’s father, who goes out to rescue the dragon.
Elmer is kind, brave, and smart, as the entire plot hinges around him continuously outsmarting the animals with the contents of his backpack. Though there’s some odd moments in the beginning of the book with his mother, it’s almost immediately forgotten as Elmer sets off on his adventure (and his mother is never mentioned again, nor is any other human besides him). The illustrations are fantastic, and there’s even a map in the back of the book that mentions all the places Elmer went and where he met all the animals. The cover of the version I read immediately lets the reader know what kind of book it is, and I absolutely love the stuffed animal-esque dragon, with its stripes and dinosaur body.
This is a book for those who love adventure mixed with fantasy. Though the only “good” animals are the cat and the dragon, the others are portrayed in just enough of a goofy, lovable way that even when they’re chasing after Elmer and the dragon, they still fit in with the fun atmosphere over all. It’s a delightful book, perfect for reading out loud, and its vocabulary isn’t too demanding for younger readers.
Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo, was published in 2000 by Candlewick.
Rating: 5/5
DiCamillo is probably best known for her tales of magical realism and animal fantasy (The Tale of Despereaux), but she shows off her heartwarming coming-of-age story side with Because of Winn-Dixie. And, unlike a lot of other famous dog books, nothing remotely sad happens to the dog. In fact, India’s life becomes much better after she finds him.
This is such a sweet, beautiful little story. It’s a fast read and the heart of the plot is very simple. India meets a stray dog, brings him home, and learns a lot about life, love, and friendship through her interactions with other people (whom she meets because of the dog). I love the inter-generational friendship demonstrated in the book, and the way India learns that people aren’t always what they seem. And there’s also a bittersweet part of the story where India must come to terms with her mother being gone.
To be honest, this book is so far and away different in tone and style than the other books of DiCamillo’s that I read that I’m surprised—and impressed. I love it when authors completely change up their styles and show off their skills in this manner. DiCamillo shows that she’s not stuck in the realm of talking mice or strange super powered squirrels. She can write a charming, heartwarming story about a girl and her dog and the friends she makes in a small town, that, as simple as it is, speaks lots about love and relationships.
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, by John Hendrix, was published in 2018 by Amulet.
Rating: 5/5
Combining stunning, full-colored illustrations interwoven with text, The Faithful Spy depicts the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor, and his role in the numerous assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler during World War II. It’s not an intensive biography; Hendrix is much more concerned with explaining Bonhoeffer’s thoughts and motivations. Using numerous exact quotations from Bonhoeffer’s writings and some poetic license, Hendrix spins a gripping tale of a madman’s attempts to rule the Western world, and the desperate people who tried to stop him.
This is a book about Bonhoeffer, but it is also a book about Hitler and Germany, because in order to explain why and how Bonhoeffer got involved with the Abwehr, the German spy agency who became dedicated to getting rid of Hitler, Hendrix also had to describe the state of Germany at the time and how Hitler rose to power. There’s so much information packed in a short amount of time, but it all flows naturally, and of course the art makes everything stand out that much more. And the best part is that everything is explained simply enough that the audience of the book (it’s a middle-grade/young adult book) would be able to completely understand, even if they didn’t know much about World War I or World War II.
Another great thing about the book is the reverence and attention-to-detail that Hendrix gives to Bonhoeffer’s faith, and to Christianity in general. Hendrix acknowledges Hitler’s manipulation of Christianity (and also truthfully states that Hitler hated Christianity because of its doctrine of love and charity), but by setting that manipulation side-by-side with Bonhoeffer’s pure faith, the reader is more able to readily see what true Christianity is (rather than the twisted version that people in power so often give).
I learned so much more about Bonhoeffer, and about Hitler and Germany, than I ever thought I would from this book. The Faithful Spy is visually appealing and comprehensive in subject; Hendrix also lists an extensive bibliography and notes at the end, which is rare to see in a book for children. I picked this up on a whim, and am so pleased that I did—truly a delight from cover-to-cover.
Much like many people, I grew up reading Beatrix Potter stories over and over. I picked up this collection of her stories out of pure nostalgia and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting most of her stories. This collection does not contain all of them (I told a friend that it was missing “the one with the store, where they learn that they can’t just have people pay on credit because then they’ll never make any money”), but it does have most of them, with Potter’s original illustrations.
All Thirteen tells the incredible true story of the rescue of 13 members of a Thai boys’ soccer team, who become stranded in a cave after it floods. The rescue took 17 days and involved people from all around the world, notably the Royal Thai Navy SEALs and a handful of the best cave divers in the world.
I adored The Year of Billy Miller, and this sequel is just as charming as the first. Though at first I was afraid Henkes was diving into angst territory, he soon showed that I had nothing to worry about—though perhaps not as “growing up” focused as the first book, there are still some great moments that show themes of patience, love, and, of course, letting kids be kids.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tag-team-author book about two girls named Naomi who have to navigate the difficulty and awkwardness of having their mom and dad, respectively, start dating each other (and of sharing the same name).
Return of the Thief is the last book in the fantastic Queen’s Thief series. While the fourth and fifth books had Eugenides take somewhat of a back seat, this book is, well, his return. Though it’s not from his point of view, the entire book is focused on him as he becomes the high king of Attolia, Sounis, and Eddis, and seeks to end the Mede invasion of those countries.
While I’m honestly not that interested in the teen suspense/mystery novels that populate the shelves of YA literature these days (I’ve read a few: One of Us is Lying, which I hated; No Such Person is a similar one; I’ve read a few others that I can’t remember), A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is the best I’ve read.
There’s a moment in Pay Attention, Carter Jones, a moment when I knew this book would be a gem. I had been enjoying the book, but that moment tipped the momentum in favor of “brilliantly witty and clever.” Schmidt effectively takes an odd premise (a butler coming to serve a family) and transforms it into something heartwarming, funny, and charming.
My Father’s Dragon is a short, but sweet, book. It reminded me greatly, in style and plot, of The Girl Who Went to Fairyland series, though Elmer Elevator only goes so far as an island. The book starts out with a talking cat and then dives deeply into the realm of magical realism with Wild Island and its animal inhabitants, who have enslaved a dragon (the only mythical animal in the book). This book is about Elmer, the narrator’s father, who goes out to rescue the dragon.
DiCamillo is probably best known for her tales of magical realism and animal fantasy (The Tale of Despereaux), but she shows off her heartwarming coming-of-age story side with Because of Winn-Dixie. And, unlike a lot of other famous dog books, nothing remotely sad happens to the dog. In fact, India’s life becomes much better after she finds him.
Leaf's Reviews 