Waiting on Wednesday Guest Post: Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Woman Chainani

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Today's post is guest-written by an eighth grade student who is a voracious and enthusiastic reader.

Waiting On Wednesday features Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani, bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil (SGE) series. The School for Good and Evil was amazing, and it's expected that Beasts and Beauty is going to be even better. Let's check out the synopsis:

You think you know these stories, don’t you?

You are wrong.

You don’t know them at all.

Twelve tales, twelve dangerous tales of mystery, magic, and rebellious hearts. Each twists like a spindle to reveal truths full of warning and triumph, truths that capture hearts long kept tame and set them free, truths that explore life . . . and death.

A prince has a surprising awakening . . .

A beauty fights like a beast . . .

A boy refuses to become prey . . .

A path to happiness is lost. . . . then found again.

New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani respins old stories into fresh fairy tales for a new era and creates a world like no other. These stories know you. They understand you. They reflect you. They are tales for our times. So read on, if you dare.

When I saw that Beasts and Beauty was releasing September 28, I was already set to buy my own copy. If you're as excited as I am, you can preorder the book and get more information at somanchainani.com. Get ready for Soman's new era of amazing novels!


Thank you Lia! This sounds like a series I need to get to!

Teen Tuesday: Ground Zero by Alan Gratz

Image: Ground Zero

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz. Unabridged e-audiobook ~7hours, 26 minutes. Narrated by Bernado DePaula and Ariana Delaware. Scholastic Audio, February, 2021. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from Hoopla.)

Teen Tuesday features another heart-pounding work of historical fiction by a TMS favorite. In Ground Zero by Alan Gratz, the POV switches between New York on September 11, 2001 and Afghanistan in 2019. 

On 9/11, nine-year-old Brandon has to accompany his father to work because he has been suspended from school for fighting and it has been just the two of them ever since his mother died. Brandon's dad works at Windows on the World, a restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center. Brandon feels he was justified to fight as he was defending a classmate who was being bullied. He leaves the restaurant to run to the underground mall and is in the elevator as a plane slams into the North Tower.

In present-day Afghanistan, eleven-year-old Reshmina dreams of continuing her education and worries that her twin brother might run away to join the Taliban. All she has known her entire life is war. She resents the presence of American troops in her country and blames the US for the death of her sister. Nevertheless, she opts to rescue a wounded American soldier when he asks for aide as Islam dictates. This act places her entire family in danger.

Though the pace is whiplash fast, Mr. Gratz paints a detailed and vivid picture of the terror and confusion in the wake of the terrorist attacks. Some sections are painful to read and there will be tears. Further information about both the terrorist attacks and U.S. military occupation of Afghanistan are provided in an author's note at the end.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Switched by Bruce Hale

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Switched by Bruce Hale. 248 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., April 6, 2021. 9781338645910. (Review of arc courtesy of author giveaway.)

Middle Grade Monday features Switched by Bruce Hale. Twelve-year-old Parker Pitts can control very little in his life especially since his grandmother, Mimi died, so he cleans. Some might say, obsessively. He also goes to great lengths to avoid Deke, the school bully and won't even speak to Gabriella, his crush. 

Now his half-sister, Billie is heading overseas to attend art school and leaving behind her golden doodle, Boof. Boof is an ill-mannered boor who leaves a trail of destruction everywhere he goes. It's bad enough that he ruined Billie's going away party, but then he gets his paws on the last gift Mimi had given Parker- a statue of the trickster, Eshu from Yoruba mythology. Parker refuses to let Boof get away with his precious gift from Mimi, gets into a tug-of-war with Boof and the two collide head first. No damage appears to be done. Until...

Parker awakens the next morning to find his sense of smell overwhelming and is panicked to find he can no longer see color! Boof awakens dismayed to find his sniffer doesn't work that great but thrilled to find he has hands and is able to get into that big box of food (the refrigerator).

This delightful switched-identity story switches point-of-view between Boof and Parker as each tries to adjust to his new reality. The hijinks that ensue are hilarious, but there's depth here as well. Boof as Parker approaches the mystery of middle school with doggie determination and openness and Parker as Boof learns to appreciate digging in the dirt and a good butt-sniff. 

I know I will need multiple copies of Switched! Just like Boof, it definitely won't sit! Readers who adore books like Switched at Birthday by Natalie Standiford and The Swap by Erin Shull, will clamor for Switched as will readers who love a good dog book.

Switched releases next week!

Picture Book Review: The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe by Sandra Nickel

Image: Abrams

The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe by Sandra Nickel. Illustrated by Aimée Sicuro. 48 p. Abrams Books for Young Readers/ Abrams, March 2, 2021. 9782419736261. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Who's to say what might spark (or extinguish) a dream? A chance comment might, or perhaps the physical limitations of a room. Vera Cooper always liked looking at the night sky. When she was eleven, her family moved and her bedroom was so small that all she could do was look up. And, look up she did. She lay in bed and watched the stars travel across the window pane and disappear. Soon she was studying star maps. She even made her own telescope out of cardboard and a lens. When her parents thought she was asleep, she was observing and memorizing the night sky so that she could map their paths in the morning.

Image: Courtesy of Blue Slip Media

From an early age, she resisted naysayers, especially when they tried to dissuade her from pursuing astronomy, a so-called, "man's world." She graduated from Vassar as the only astronomy major in her class. (Vassar was all-women back then.) She married a mathematician named Robert Rubin and, as her family grew, she continued to study, earning first a master's degree and eventually a PhD. 

All along the way, she had to confront sexism, from a lack of bathrooms to hearing outright ridicule of her ideas. Nevertheless, she persisted and eventually, others listened to her theory that stars only consisted of a fraction of the universe and that dark matter was what made the stars move. 

The text focuses on Dr. Rubin's curiosity and resilience and presents complicated ideas in an accessible manner. The bold watercolor, ink and charcoal pencil illustrations complement the writing beautifully. Back matter includes an author's note, timeline, notes and selected bibliography making this a terrific addition to my picture book biography unit. 

A good picture book biography will motivate curious readers to learn more and this one certainly does. Shortly after I read this book, I happened to listen to Dr. Emily Lavesque being interviewed about her book on telescopes on NPR. She happened to mention a telescope that was named for Vera Rubin. Further reading revealed that Dr. Rubin was a role model for Dr. Levesque as well as other prominent female astronomers. I also learned that Dr. Rubin was inspired by a professor at Vassar, Maria Mitchell! Last year, I read, but didn't get a chance to review What Miss Mitchell Saw.

The Stuff Between the Stars is a fantastic STEM title that belongs in all school and classroom libraries, not only for budding astronomers and dreamers but as a fine model of persistence and resilience. 

************************************************

Author Sandra Nickel says that story ideas are everywhere; you just have to reach out and grab them. She holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her first book, Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack, was a Golden Kite Award finalist. Sandra lives in Chexbres, Switzerland, where she blogs about children’s book writers and illustrators at whatwason.com. To learn more, visit https://sandranickel.com/.


Twitter: @senickel

Facebook: @sandranickelbooks

Instagram: @sandranickelbooks


Aimée Sicuro is an illustrator, picture book maker, and surface pattern designer who received a BFA in Illustration from Columbus College of Art and Design. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and young sons. Visit her website to learn more.


Twitter: @aimeesicuro

Instagram: @aimeesicuro


Watch the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC1KGw4aNuk

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

I didn't think I'd have a Stacking post today, then these two landed on my doorstep and I decided not to wait until next Saturday to post. 

For Review:

Image: Candlewick Press

Fungarium curated by Katie Scott and Ester Gaya. Welcome to the Museum series. 66 p. Big Picture Press/ Candlewick Press, April 6, 2021. 9781536217094.

Publisher synopsis: Illustrator Katie Scott returns to the Welcome to the Museum series with exquisite, detailed images of some of the most fascinating living organisms on this planet—fungi. Exploring every sort of fungi, from the kinds we see on supermarket shelves to those like penicillium that have shaped human history, this collection is the definitive introduction to what fungi are and just how vital they are to the world's ecosystem.

Welcome to the Fungarium! Step into the world of fungi and learn all about these strange and fascinating life-forms.

Image: Sourcebooks

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs. 274 p. Sourcebooks Young Readers, September 14, 2021. 9781728234656.

Publisher synopsis: It is 1913, and twelve-year-old Petra Luna’s mama has died while the Revolution rages in Mexico. Before her papa is dragged away by soldiers, Petra vows to him that she will care for the family she has left—her abuelita, little sister Amelia, and baby brother Luisito—until they can be reunited. They flee north through the unforgiving desert as their town burns, searching for safe harbor in a world that offers none. 

Each night when Petra closes her eyes, she holds her dreams close, especially her long-held desire to learn to read. Abuelita calls these barefoot dreams: “They’re like us barefoot peasants and indios – they’re not meant to go far.” But Petra refuses to listen. Through battlefields and deserts, hunger and fear, Petra will stop at nothing to keep her family safe and lead them to a better life across the U.S. border – a life where her barefoot dreams could finally become reality.

Purchased:

Leave a link to your stack in the comment section. I'd love to visit.

Fact Friday: This is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science is Tackling Unconscious Bias by Tanya Lloyd Kay

Happy Friday! It has been a bit of a week. 

Image: Kids Can Press

This is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science is Tackling Unconscious Bias by Tanya Lloyd Kya and illustrated by Drew Shannon. 88 p. Kids Can Press, September, 2020. 9781525300165. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Fact Friday features This is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science is Tackling Unconscious Bias by Tanya Lloyd Kya and illustrated by Drew Shannon. Uncomfortable thought for the day: We all have implicit/ unconscious bias. The author explains how the human brain sorts and labels information. In general, this is a good thing-necessary for survival, but sorting and labeling can cause harm. 

This short, easily digested book breaks down the scientific research that has been done and presents it in a relatable, thought-provoking manner. It covers the history of stereotypes, secret stereotypes in our brain and how we can work to identify them if we are motivated. Brightly colored illustrations, diagrams and charts add interest and further understanding. 

This book is an excellent introduction for young (and older) readers hoping to become better allies and better people. I'm looking forward to adding it to my school library's collection and sharing it with my students. 

Friday Memes: A Curse of Ash & Embers by Jo Spurrier

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

A Curse of Ash & Embers by Jo Spurrier. 368 p.Voyager/ HarperCollins Publishers, January, 2021. 9781460756331. 

Publisher synopsis: A dead witch. A bitter curse. A battle of magic.

Some people knit socks by the fire at night. Gyssha Blackbone made monsters.

But the old witch is dead now, and somehow it's Elodie's job to clean up the mess.

When she was hired at Black Oak Cottage, Elodie had no idea she'd find herself working for a witch; and her acid-tongued new mistress, Aleida, was not expecting a housemaid to turn up on her doorstep.

Gyssha's final curse left Aleida practically dead on her feet, and now, with huge monsters roaming the woods, a demonic tree lurking in the orchard and an angry warlock demanding repayment of a debt, Aleida needs Elodie's help, whether she likes it or not.

And no matter what the old witch throws at her, to Elodie it's still better than going back home.

First Line(s): I sat on the rough stone wall, gazing downtime dusty road and grinding my heel against the rocks. The hobnails in my boot squealed against the stone, making me wince, but in truth the sound was a fine match for my mood.

Page 56: It looked as though there'd been a brawl - or worse. Scorch-mars streaked the flagstones, as well as the plaster between the roof beams. The only thing not broken was the window, and that was doubly strange - the window was huge, set with panes of real glass that looked out into the darkness, with one side propped open a foot or so. I don't think our whole farm at home had as much glass as that one window, and I couldn't imagine how it had survived the destruction that had been wreaked on the rest of the room. I tried not to stare but she must have noticed my wide eyes. 

The voice in this grabbed me from the beginning. It's also quite atmospheric. Looking forward to finishing it this weekend.