Made for Each Other: why dogs and people are perfect partners by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. 61 p. Crown Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books, January, 2018. 9781101931042. (Review of purchased copy)
This book amps up the "aw" factor with copious full-color photos of a variety of dogs and the humans who love, care and work with them on the front cover, the back cover and at least one on every single page. There are words too, but the photos really command attention.
The author explains the history of how dogs may have been domesticated; the differences between wolves and dogs; and how dogs learn simply and accessibly. There's a section devoted to explaining a dog's devotion and apparent intelligence and a section explaining how they share our lives. The pages are attractively designed with colorful edging and fonts as well as the many photos, most of which are well-captioned.
Backmatter includes suggested books, websites and videos as well as source notes for each chapter, additional sources, photo credits and an index.
This won't sit on the shelf, especially if it is displayed prominently. It should be useful for tween research whether for school or for trying to convince parents that it's time to add a furry family member.
Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.
The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage. 360 p. A mo & Dale Mystery #4. Kathy Dawson Books/ Penguin Young Readers, September 11, 2018. 9780803739628.
First Line: The Desperado Detective Agency's biggest case ever crept up on tiny Tupelo Landing in the dead of winter, and kicked off on the rarest of days. Unlike most of our borderline famous cases, it started with two things found.
Page 56: "Pieces of eight what?" Dale asked, grabbing a stick and raking a spiderweb away.
"Silver coins they broke into eight bits, for change. That's why old people say a quarter's worth two bits. Get it? Two-eighths equals a quarter."
"Pirate fractions," Dale muttered. "That's just wrong."
I just love these books! The voice, the characters, the humor and the setting are all just so memorable and endearing. I am participating in a blog tour the week this releases. So look for my review then.
The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris. 224 p. The Squire's Tales #1. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April, 1998. 9780395869598. (own)
I am a fan of retellings, especially King Arthur retellings. #tbt features The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris. This is book one in the aptly named, The Squire's Tales series. Fourteen-year-old Terrence lives in the woods with a hermit who can see the future but is unable to tell Terrence anything about his past. It is rumored that Terrence was born of fairy folk. Gawain, King Arthur's nephew comes upon Terrence and, needing a squire, offers to take Terrence along on his adventures. Morris tells the story of Gawain, a minor character from Arthurian legend from Terrence's point of view, so while much of the story may be familiar, there are twists as well as plenty of action and humor. The Squire's Tale was originally published in 1998 and Morris wrote nine more books in the series ending in 2010 with The Legend of the King.
The Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta. Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series #2. 384 p. Scholastic Inc. 9781338185737. February 26, 2019. 9781338185737.
Publisher synopsis: Saving the multiverse is no game.
When the Demon Queen shows up in her bedroom, smelling of acid and surrounded by evil-looking bees, twelve-year-old Kiranmala is uninterested. After all, it's been weeks since she last heard from her friends in the Kingdom Beyond, the alternate dimension where she was born as an Indian princess. But after a call to action over an interdimensional television station and a visit with some all-seeing birds, Kiran decides that she has to once again return to her homeland, where society is fraying, a terrible game show reigns supreme, and friends and foes alike are in danger. Everyone is running scared or imprisoned following the enactment of sudden and unfair rules of law.
However, things are a lot less clear than the last time she was in the Kingdom Beyond. Kiran must once again solve riddles and battle her evil Serpent King father -- all while figuring out who her true friends are, and what it really means to be a hero.
I was lucky enough to attend a party for the author's debut last fall! The Serpent's Secret is a rollicking ride. Read my review of the arc here. I hope I'm on the arc list for this one!
The Speaker by Traci Chee. Sea of Ink and Gold #2. Unabridged audiobook on 11 compact discs. 14 hours, 12 minutes. Read by Kim Mai Guest. Listening Library, November, 2017. 9780525495277. (Review from audio borrowed from the public library. Own the hardcover.)
Teen Tuesday features The Speaker by Traci Chee. Astute TMS Readers may recall that I featured The Storyteller a couple of weeks back on a Waiting-on-Wednesday post. I was reminded that I had not read The Speaker when I realized that the conclusion to the trilogy was on the horizon and borrowed the audiobook from the public library. No second book slump here!
Archer and Sefia are on the run. Archer is tormented by nightmares of his time as prisoner of the impressors, where he was forced to kill or be killed. Sefia is trying to plan their next move. They stumble upon a gang of impressors and decide to fight them and free the boys that are being held. The boys pledge their loyalty to Archer who vows to hunt down each impressor crew and free their captives. As Archer's fame as leader of the freed fighters grows, Sefia worries that Archer might be the warrior the Guard is looking for.
Plenty of threads are tied together here as the reader learns more about other colorful characters like, Captain Reed and Jules, and Tannen (spelling?) and even Sefia's parents' stories. But just as those connections are made, new threads emerge to follow, new mysteries and new betrayals. There are also new characters introduced and some deaths to mourn. Yes, there were tears. Sefia's world is dark and brutal. There is a lot of violence and one wonders how either Sefia or Archer will emerge unscathed.
Readers who love rich fantasy will have no trouble immersing themselves into The Reader. I do not recommend that you start with The Speaker, the story, saga really, is too involved to truly appreciate without having read the first book.
Kim Mai Guest is becoming a favorite narrator of mine. She has a nice range of voices and pacing. She can also ramp up the excitement and not sacrifice the clarity of her reading. That said, I think I will be reading The Storyteller with my eyes. As I mentioned in my review of The Reader, there is a story within a story that is sometimes not obvious when listening. Also, there's a map! Maps are helpful.Then there's the issue of the spelling of character names. Finally, there were plenty of times that I was so surprised that, were I reading with my eyes, I would've flipped the pages back to reread. Now, you might argue that I can rewind the audio and, sometimes I do, but it's not quite the same.
Even though I love to read arcs and new releases, sometimes it's nice to be a bit behind in my reading. The reveals in The Speaker have me panting for the next book. Now, I don't have to wait too long!
Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. 224 p. Feiwel & Friends, May, 2018. 9781250304148. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher)
Can you imagine waiting five years for a friend to return? A friend that didn't even say goodbye? Waiting in a closet? In a chicken suit? Middle Grade Monday features Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. Both authors have lots of fans at TMS and they teamed up together to write Bob, which was illustrated by Nicholas Gannon.
It has been five years since Livy has visited her grandmother in Australia. She lives in Massachusetts and is returning to Australia for another visit. Bob is delighted to see her, but is quickly dismayed because she doesn't remember him! He has been waiting five long years for her to help him find his way back to his home!
This is a short, sweetly touching story of being lost and then found. The characters are endearing. The mystery intrigues. It is perfectly paced. The soft, sepia toned illustrations are just lovely. TMS' copy is signed by Rebecca Stead!
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.
For review:
Little Man, Little Man: a story of childhood by James Baldwin. Illustrated by Yoran Cazac. 120 p. Duke University Press, August 27, 2018. 9781478000044.
Publisher synopsis: Four-year-old TJ spends his days on his lively Harlem block playing with his best friends WT and Blinky and running errands for neighbors. As he comes of age as a “Little Man” with big dreams, TJ faces a world of grown-up adventures and realities. Baldwin’s only children’s book, Little Man, Little Man celebrates and explores the challenges and joys of black childhood.
Now available for the first time in forty years, this new edition of Little Man, Little Man—which retains the charming original illustrations by French artist Yoran Cazac—includes a foreword by Baldwin’s nephew Tejan "TJ" Karefa-Smart and an afterword by his niece Aisha Karefa-Smart, with an introduction by two Baldwin scholars. In it we not only see life in 1970s Harlem from a black child’s perspective, but we also gain a fuller appreciation of the genius of one of America’s greatest writers.
I had no idea that James Baldwin wrote a children's book. I also have no idea how I received a copy to review, but I am very grateful and interested in reading this!
Eraser by Anna Kang. Illustrated by Christopher Weyant. unpgd. Two Lions/ Amazon Publishing, September 1, 2018. 9781593902589.
Publisher synopsis: Eraser is always cleaning up everyone else’s mistakes. Except for Ruler and Pencil Sharpener, none of the other school supplies seem to appreciate her. They all love how sharp Pencil is and how Tape and Glue help everyone stick together. Eraser wants to create so that she can shine like the others. She decides to give it a try, but it’s not until the rubber meets the road that Eraser begins to understand a whole lot about herself.
Inspired by a school essay their daughter Kate wrote in the third grade, the author and illustrator behind Theodor Seuss Geisel Award–winner You Are (Not) Small have created a desktop drama about figuring out who you are, finding happiness, and the importance of second, third, and maybe even fourth chances.
I am a huge fan of Kang and Weyant and this book came with the cutest little eraser!
Purchased: Nothing! Yet. I am filling a basket on Amazon though because I got a lot of gift certificates from students.
That's what's new with me. What's new with you? Leave a link to your haul in the comments and I will stop by.
