Category: YA/MG/Children’s Books Page 12 of 38

DETAILS:
Publisher: Winding Road Stories
Publication Date: April 15, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 268 pgs.
Read Date: June 1-2, 2022

What’s Dirt Road Home About?

After a succession of horrible boyfriends (abusive, addicts, etc.) over the years, Rose Davis started seeing someone online. And things were going pretty well for them—so well, in fact, that Rose and her adolescent sons move from Detroit to a small Tennessee town to be with him.

Her sons, Logan and Dex, aren’t crazy about this move. Logan (who is the protagonist, by the way) is 6 weeks away from high school graduation and turning 18. Dex is a year behind him. They’re Detroit through-and-through, comfortable on the streets there, they live and breathe internal combustion engines, and cannot imagine living anywhere else, but they have no choice*.

* Okay, that part rang a little false for me. He’s close enough to 18, that Logan could’ve stayed behind. He could’ve crashed with some friends—or a series of friends—or something. Child Services isn’t going to swoop in and put someone his age into the system. But suspend disbelief for it and it’s fine.

On their first night in town, Logan and Dex get into a tussle with a couple of local high school football stars, and instead of simply being the new kids in school, they’re those guys. They’re trouble. The fight video is online, putting a giant target on their back.

Logan’s ability with cars helps him find a niche, a way to fit in. He and Dex take part in some street racing and find some friends—or at least people who aren’t instinctually antagonistic toward them.

More importantly, Logan meets Leah there. She’s a stunning, confident, and charming young woman in his class who will turn his life upside down. Maybe life in the South won’t be that bad after, all.

Greg McCarter

The MVP of this book has got to be Rose’s new boyfriend, the one they move to Tennessee to be with. With only one major character flaw (which, granted, is debatable and a minor spoiler, so that’s all you get), he’s about to perfect as you’re going to get. And sure, those characters are unrealistic, but every now and then, coming across one is fine.

He’s exactly the kind of guy that Rose needs to be with (even if, like Logan, the reader doesn’t understand her appeal to him). He’s absolutely the right kind of adult make for Logan and Dex to have in their lives. You can’t help but wonder how things would’ve turned out for all four of them had they moved to Tennessee a year or two earlier.

Still, he’s the kind of guy that would improve almost any novel—if Nader had put him as the central character of a book, he’d be just as appealing—maybe more so. I know my appreciation for this novel went up a notch or two when he was in a scene.

A Problem that Only I’m Going to Have

Back in April, Pay Dirt Road was published, and about that time Winding Road Stories reached out to me about Dirt Road Home. I cannot tell you how often I’ve conflated the two titles since then. They couldn’t be more different in any way, but those titles? I have been and am forever going to refer to them both as Pay Dirt Road Home.

So, what did I think about Dirt Road Home?

This is tagged as a coming-of-age story. And technically it is, sure. But I’d want to call it something else. It’s a coming-home story, which is tricky because Logan’s really never had one. But that’s what separates this from so many coming-of-age stories, it’s about more than Logan maturing—it’s about the atmosphere that gets him there.

My only complaint with this book is that everything happens too quickly. I’m not saying it’s too fast-paced, I’m just saying that if Logan had been 3 months away from graduation instead of 6 weeks, and that the events that happened between the fight their first night and the Event That Changes Everything right before the dénouement had taken more weeks, I’d have bought everything a little easier.

I bought it all in the moment, although there was a voice in the back of my head saying, “Slow down and think about things, kid.” The problem for me came when I put the book down and thought about it. I’m not saying what happens to—and within—Logan and the rest couldn’t happen like that, I just could have accepted and liked it more. Also, I wanted to see the relationships between Logan and those new to his life more—I really liked Greg and Leah’s parents, in particular, and more scenes with them would’ve improved this already good novel.

Tossing that aside—this is a fun story. It’s sweet, it’s hopeful, and it’s heartfelt. It’s a giant departure from the rest of Nader’s work (judging by the 120 seconds I spent researching him). It’s reminiscent of James Bailey‘s YA novels and Headphones and Heartaches. I need to read things like this from time to time—things that focus on growth, improvement, and contentment/happiness. That’s what this book’s premise promises and that’s what it delivered.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Winding Road in exchange for this post, the opinions expressed are my own.

3 Stars

COVER REVEAL: Herman Needs A Home by Lucy Noguera, Illustrated by Emma Latham

By HCNewton

On May 11, 2022

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Welcome to The Irresponsible Reader’s part in the Cover Reveal for Lucy Noguera’s Herman Needs A Home! There’s a spiffy-looking cover by Emma Latham down below, but before the picture, I’ve got a few words to share about the book.

About the Book

A little crab’s each for a shell to call home.

When Herman the hermit crab gets too big for his shell, he can’t find a new one that feels just right. With his sister, Hiro, he travels up and down the beach in search of a shell he can call home.

They don’t find a shell, but they do find something else – a pile of rubbish left behind on the sand. But can Herman make a home out of any of it?

“Herman Needs a Home showcases the challenges our marine wildlife face, and is sure to ignite the passion of young children for marine discovery and conservation.”- Jennifer Lavers, Marine Scientist, University of Tasmania

And now…

The Cover

Herman Needs A Home Cover
Is that not the cutest thing you’ve seen today?

(I had the same look on my face when I went house hunting a couple of years ago, I feel Herman’s shock)

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal.

One for All by Lillie Lainoff: An Entertaining YA Dumas-inspired Adventure

By HCNewton

On March 9, 2022

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, YA/MG/Children's Books

One for All

by Lillie Lainoff

DETAILS:
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: March 8, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 336 pgs.
Read Date: March 5-6, 2022

The Publisher’s Description

I keep stumbling over coming up with my own synopsis, it’s either too long, too spoiler-filled (although I wonder if I’d have said as much as this does), or too brief to be worth it. So, here’s what the publisher has to say:

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl.” But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for new Musketeers: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a sword fight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels that she has a purpose, that she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming—and might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

POTS

The main characters of this novel are Tania and her fellow musketeers, the head of L’Académie des Mariées, the bad guys, and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. The description talks says, “Everyone thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but ‘a sick girl.'” Which introduces that character.

Obviously, no one has actually diagnosed Tania with POTS, and most of the characters don’t know the extent of the Syndrome’s impact on her (not just because she hides it as much as possible). But that’s what she has—I know that not just because the symptoms are recognizable to those who can, nor because it’s in all the marketing materials I’ve seen—but because there’s a great note at the back describing the author’s own experience with it (and, as I understand it, the same applies to the audiobook narrator).

It’s depicted, discussed, and addressed in period-appropriate ways, which is great. This is a really good way to raise awareness and understanding of POTS. I, for one, needed that—and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that.

I’d never heard of POTS until a few months ago—or if I had, it didn’t take root in my consciousness—but a family member was diagnosed with it. I’ve read websites, heard them discuss it, and so on, so I had a decent understanding. But after reading this novel, I think I have a richer understanding. Lainoff helped me walk a mile in the shoes of someone with the Syndrome in a way I hadn’t been able to before. The book is going to have a special place for me because of that.

I want to stress that I’d have enjoyed it anyway and would’ve appreciated “the look behind the curtain” of POTS without the personal connection, and I’m certainly not recommending it only because of the depiction of POTS. But it was a personal highlight.

YA-ness

Every so often when I’m reading a YA/MG book, I feel like a grumpy old man. The things that make a book fitting for the target audience jump out at me, they usually don’t make me like a book less (maybe they help me cut the book some slack). So what I’m saying here—just because I mention something, it doesn’t mean I’m critiquing/criticizing/complaining about it, it’s just something that jumped out at me.

Also, I know some readers of this blog have a YA allergy (or at least sensitivity), and I want to provide them with enough information to make an informed choice.

One for All is a very much YA book. If you bear in mind that it is one, the excesses/lack of subtlety/predictability of the book can be understood/expected.

Would I have preferred a little more nuance? A little more complexity? Sure. But Lainoff’s plot and characters were good enough to make up for it.

I also think it’s the YA-ness of the book that makes the transplanting of progressive 21st Century attitudes, expectations, and behaviors on the part of some of the characters in this 17th Century setting work. Were this written with older readers in mind, there’d be more internal conflict (amongst Tania’s group, and likely within some of the individuals) against bucking the cultural norms to the degree that they do.

Tous Pour Un

Big themes that one might expect to be addressed in a book like this would be romance, maybe family, likely even found family. And that’s not really what happens here. (well sort of found family, but it feels different to me, your results may vary)

Instead, it’s about camaraderie. It’s about a team. A group working together in a very Star Treky “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…Or the one” kind of way. The four Mousquetaires have different political, social, and personal agendas—which are respected, understood, and shared to varying degrees—that they put aside for the needs of each other.

Time and time again, they tell each other “we won’t let you fall.” Mistakes will be made, errors will occur—hugely stupid choices will be made—but these four rally together to form a bond that is truly all for one and one for all.

I love seeing things like this—and I don’t see it often enough. And when I do see it, it’s largely an unstated thing. Sometimes it will be discussed with an outsider, but rarely within the group. And I get that, and there’s a certain beauty and nobility about not having to say it. At the same time, there’s a beauty in saying it. It’s great having examples of people reassuring each other, “I’ve got your back, I’m on your six, and I will help when needed” is a wonderful thing. How many of us need to hear that ourselves? So seeing it in a group of characters? I absolutely loved it and it’s likely my favorite thing about this book.

Use of French

Lainoff will frequently drop in a word, phrase, or sentence in French in the middle of dialogue or the narration. It’s almost always immediately translated or given enough context clues that a translation is unnecessary (generally she still provides one even when it’s unnecessary).

It was a nice way to brush up on my high-school French, for sure, but I really can’t tell you why it was used 97% of the time. And even that 3% I could guess about, I’m not certain that it was necessary or useful.

It was a nice bit of seasoning—little dashes of spice to add flavor—but nothing the recipe needed.*

* See the section head above for an accidental example of what I’m saying.

So, what did I think about One for All?

I really had fun with this book. I think I liked it in a “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” kind of way. I do think if I focused on story X or Y; character W or Z; or theme A, B, or C; I might end up quibbling with the book. But the experience as a whole really worked for me and gave me almost everything I wanted in this book. (a little more humor or panache would’ve been nice—but now that the four have established themselves, that’s possible in a sequel)

It’s a familiar premise, well-executed—with just enough distinctiveness about it to make this stand out. Good characters acting in largely relatable and believable ways. Solid action that’s well used (although I’d like the volume turned up just a little bit on those scenes). It’s very much an origin story kind of thing and does a good job of introducing and creating a world as well as populating it.

If there’s a sequel, I will read it. If this is a stand-alone, I’m satisfied with it. Which is a great spot to be in, and not one I find myself in a lot lately. Particularly when you bear in mind the target audience, this is an enjoyable and satisfying read that I’m pleased to recommend.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this. Although I’m sorry that this posted the day after publication, I tried, really.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking (Audiobook) by T. Kingfisher, Patricia Santomasso: If You’ve Ever Wondered How to Weaponize a Sourdough Starter, I’ve Got Just the Book for You

By HCNewton

On February 10, 2022

In Audiobook, Fantasy, YA/MG/Children's Books

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

by T. Kingfisher, Patricia Santomasso (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: October 11, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 30 min.
Read Date: February 2-3, 2022

If you have ever prepared for a siege in two days, then you know what the next few days were like. If you haven’t, then you probably don’t. Well…a big formal wedding is about the same (and because we do cakes, I’ve been on the periphery of a few), except that if things go wrong in a siege you’ll all die horribly, and in formal weddings, the stakes are much higher.

What’s A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking About?

Mona’s a 14-year-old orphan, working in her aunt’s bakery. She’s also a magic-user. Her forte is magic involving baked goods and dough. Sure, that seems like an odd thing to have as a focus of one’s magic abilities, but in this world, it really isn’t. One of Mona’s acquaintances can reanimate dead horses. Nothing else, just dead horses. I guess what I’m saying is that atypical magical specializations are typical for this world.

Mona isn’t exactly a powerhouse either, she possesses enough magic to do a few tricks (making gingerbread men dance) and give a little extra something to her baking—her aunt won’t let her rest on that and actually has to learn to be a good baker while she’s at it.

Despite not being that powerful, Mona finds herself targeted by someone who seems to be killing every mage they can find. One thing leads to another, as they tend to do, and soon Mona finds herself at the forefront of an effort to defend her Duchess and their city-state against an invading army.

Caveat Lector (or Auditor)

The very best thing about being a baker is watching somebody bite into a blueberry muffin or a fresh slice of sourdough dripping with butter and seeing them close their eyes and savor the taste. You’re making their lives better, just a little tiny bit.

You know the rule, never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry? That applies to this book, too. The number of breads, pastries, cookies, and other assorted baked goods described and celebrated in these pages is unusually high for a fantasy novel. But probably about par for a novel with the word “baking” in the title. If you’re hungry—especially if you’ve been restricting carbs for whatever reason—you’re going to be in trouble.

This is not a reason to avoid the book, it’s just a friendly heads up. Eat well before diving in, or have some good snacks on hand.

Patricia Santomasso

This isn’t one of those audiobooks where I’m going to say that the narration elevated the text—Kingfisher’s prose doesn’t need it. But I can easily imagine her doing that for other books.

That said, her narration practically oozes charm. I could’ve listened for twice as long and been just as entertained with her work. She infused Mona with the right combination of timidity, determination, and spunk (and, sure, fear) to bring her to life in the narration.

So, what did I think about A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking?

I’d picked this book up a handful of times over the last year or so, but hadn’t found the time to work it in. Then my library added the audiobook to their digital collection and that took care of that issue. I really should’ve made the time for this last year (or the year before).

In very many ways this was a pretty standard fantasy story, and most of the story beats were just what you’d think they would be. But I didn’t care about that for a second. The execution is what counts—and Kingfisher’s execution won the day. Add in the very different magic system (or at least a very different application of a magic system) and you’ve got yourself a humdinger.

A Wizard’s Guide had heart, charm, and humor—it wasn’t non-stop jokes, but the narrative voice could make you think it was. The moving and affecting parts were moving and affecting, and the rest of the time I was probably grinning. This was a completely entertaining way to spend a few hours, you should check it out.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Ban This Book (Audiobook) by Alan Gratz, Bahni Turpin (Narrator): A Young Reader is Pushed into Action

By HCNewton

On February 7, 2022

In Audiobook, General Fiction/Literature, YA/MG/Children's Books

Ban This Book

by Alan Gratz, Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Publication Date: August 29, 2017
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 5 hrs., 17 min.
Read Date: February 1-2, 2022

What’s Ban This Book About?

Amy Anne is a big reader—to those who don’t know her that well, that’s all they know about her. She spends a lot of time every day in her school library—they appear to have set certain rules because of her (there’s a limit to how often she can check out certain books in a row). One day she goes to check out her favorite book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, yet again, but it’s not there. Not because someone checked it out, but because one mother of another fourth-grader has got the school board to remove it—and a few others—from the library.

Now, it’s been a few decades since I read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, but I don’t remember it really being the kind of book that ends up on banned lists. But maybe I’m naive—is this really a challenged book? I can understand why some groups want other books removed from required reading lists, etc.–I almost never agree, but I can see where someone might get the idea.

Also, I should note that this really does seem to be set in/around 2017 from some of the other titles, even if the book that sets the whole thing off is from 1968.

Amy Anne is livid, she’s confused, she’s bewildered—why would someone do this? She sets out to go to the next school board meeting, gets her parents to rearrange their schedule to get her there, writes up a statement, and then…is far too timid to read it, leaving the school librarian, Mrs. Jones, as the only opposition. (I’m less than impressed with her father’s reaction to this, but I understand it)

Amy Anne is mad at herself, mad at the school board, mad at that mother—and sets out to read every book on the list (although she changes her mind when she sees that one of them is a non-fiction work about s-e-x). A friend has access to one of the books, and she spends her savings on a couple of others. Apparently, Public Libraries aren’t an option? Her friends want to read those, and soon most of that challenged list is circulating in her social circle. Then the same mother gets another batch of books pulled—and Amy adds more to her list.

Eventually, she’s running a small, independent—and covert—lending library from her locker. Naturally, that can only last so long, or the book would be missing some conflict…and well, enough said about that.

The Role of Parents

The presence and role of parents in MG novels (YA novels, too) is tricky—especially when it comes to the protagonists doing things that aren’t approved of—for good or ill. Do you write the parents off somehow, do you make them incredibly authoritarian so that part of what the protagonists are rebelling against is that authority, do you get them to buy into/cheer on the activities? Those are, by and large, the options that authors seem to have to choose from. Few do what Gratz accomplished—you make them human, with regular strengths and flaws, supportive, but exercising actual authority in responsible ways.

The other aspect of parental authority in this book revolves around the reading material of the students. Amy Anne and Mrs. Jones are constantly repeating that parents should decide if their kids should read something for recreation. But the decision of one parent shouldn’t dictate what other kids can read. That’s an important distinction—and one this parent can get behind.

That Reminds Me:

Actually, Mrs. Jones and the kids support the idea that the librarian/school board/administration can choose to pull a book from circulation or not even let it start in the first place—but there’s a process. It shouldn’t just be one/a few parents demanding a book be removed—there needs to be consideration, deliberation, and thought involved. And then a book can be pulled—one at a time, after a process.

Gratz and his characters never call for an “all books are appropriate” approach, they just want it to be a careful process with input from various parties. I think that’s important to remember (and practice).

How About the Narration?

Bahni Turpin rocked this narration. I totally believed I was listening to a 4th grader recount the events of her life. She did a good job with the supporting characters, too—but she shined when she was giving us things from Amy Anne’s perspective. She captured the frustration of someone who was always fighting against her impulses to say what she wanted to say rather than what she thought was the right thing to say, or didn’t feel brave enough to do the right thing publicly. Yes, that’s clear in the text, but Turpin delivers it so that you don’t just know that’s what Amy Anne’s going through—you feel it and you believe it.

There’s a joy to Amy Anne and a sadness to her, and Turpin delivered the goods on both aspects.

I admit to a little confusion

Early on, Amy Anne rationalizes that it’s not the school lending them—these books haven’t been banned from the premises, it’s just that the school can’t provide them. A lot of the books in her library are privately owned, I don’t see why she gets in trouble for having and circulating them.

There are other, clear legal infractions involved—and I agree with the administration for coming down on her for that. But the rest? That feels a little wrong, and Amy Anne’s parents should have fought that.

So, what did I think about Ban This Book?

Beyond the message about banning books, this book is a celebration of what books can do—how they can inspire as well as entertain, comfort those who need it, rattle the perspective when necessary—to affect the reader in ways they can’t fully articulate or understand. All of that and more. The core of this book comes from the love Amy Anne has for some books, and that love grows to more as soon as she’s exposed to it.

I loved that—as well as the message about not allowing the conscience of one parent dictate to them all. The solution that Amy Anne and her friends come up with for the final encounter with the school board was pretty clever, and I really liked the way that Gratz set up and resolved the major hurdle to their plan.

Yes, it’s a little simple. Yes, the solution is a little pat and easy. Yes, the whole thing comes across like an after-school special (or whatever the contemporary equivalent is—I’d say a Disney Channel movie, but I guess that’s not a thing. A made-for-Disney+ movie?). But it’s not trying to be careful and nuanced, it’s a story directed at 8-11 year-olds (my guess), trying to inspire them in a certain direction as well as entertain. I got a very strong Lemonade Mouth-feel from this (the movie, not the book—I never got around to reading that), I realize that’s a reference that only works for readers/parents of a certain age, but I don’t know anything more contemporary.

It’s a celebration of freedom, of literature, of learning from your mistakes and sticking up for what you believe (even if you do it poorly at first). It’s about finding the courage to do the right thing, even when not expedient.

I’m guessing it was the apparent upsurge in School Book Bans that led my library to getting this audiobook, and I’m glad they did. It’s something that people should be reading about/thinking about/talking about. Hopefully, this book kicks off some of that in our area.

I really enjoyed this and figure most book lovers will, too.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips, Isabelle Follath (Illustrator): A Tale of Vengeance and Do-Goodery

By HCNewton

On February 4, 2022

In Fantasy, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Revenge of the Beast

by Jack Meggitt Phillips, Isabelle Follath (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Series: The Beast and the Bethany, #2
Publisher: Aladdin (US); Farshore (UK)
Publication Date: March 22, 2022 (US); September 30, 2021 (UK)
Format: eARC
Length: 272 pg.
Read Date: February 1-2, 2022

What’s Revenge of the Beast About?

At the end of The Beast and The Bethany, Bethany, Ebenezer, and Claudette (the Wintlorian purple-breasted parrot) were sure that The Beast was vanquished and they could start living their lives in a new direction.

They’re de-Beasting their lives—getting rid of just about everything that The Beast magicked into existence for Ebenezer over the centuries—and they’re devoting their energies to do-gooding. Bethany needs to make up to people for all her pranks, and Ebenezer has a lot of karmic debt to pay off (and Bethany’s pushing him). He also is doing what he can to stay off the radar of the organization that’s been chasing the Beast for more centuries than Ebenezer’s been alive. That’ll be easier to do without magic items laying around.

But as the title of this book suggests, they were wrong. The Beast isn’t done yet, and he’s out to get back at those three—and anyone else who happens to be in the general vicinity while he’s at it.

Their do-gooding efforts stumble, the items they tried to divest themselves of start to behave strangely—and dangerously—for their new owners. No matter what they attempt to do, something goes wrong. It’s time for some drastic measures.

Comparatively Speaking, are We Sure The Beast is the Worst?

There are a handful of new characters introduced in this book, which helps in a few ways—it shows how much Bethany has changed Ebenezer’s life by expanding his social world, and it adds a little flavor to the series. But there are three new characters* in particular I want to single out: The Cussocks. Mr. and Mrs. Cussock run the theater that plays a significant role in the novel and their daughter, Gloria. Gloria reminds me of the TV version of Nellie Oleson, without the redeeming characteristics. Nellie knew how she should act and just didn’t care. I don’t think Gloria knows how she should act, she’s pure id. Once you get to know her parents, a bit, you start to see why. I’m not going to get into it, but just know that Gloria lives in the same orphanage that Bethany used to live in, because they just can’t stand her (and have no problem letting everyone—including her—know that).

* I’m pretty sure they’re new, they may have played minor roles in the first book. But I don’t think so, and I’m too lazy to check..

It’d be easy in a book like this to make The Beast the epitome of all evil, and every human and animal nothing more than a potential victim. Bethany and Ebenezer have some restitution to do and need to reform, but they’re trying. But as long as people like the Cussocks are around, the reader has to remember that people are capable of the same kind of evil as The Beast is. They don’t have magic to help, and they don’t get their sustenance from eating humans—which almost makes it worse, you could make a pragmatic argument for a lot of what The Beast does. But the Cussocks don’t have that going for them.

(but to be clear, all four of them are truly reprehensible characters)

True Horror: The Food

Sure, there’s a magic being eating people, producing magical items, and inflicting all sorts of psychological damage; a possibly sociopathic little girl inflicting pain on her peers; and a centuries-old man wandering around in this book. But the true horror? The food designed by Bethany and others.

Bethany considers herself a sandwich artist. No, she’d probably be inclined to add the “e,” she’s a sandwich artiste. Some of the flavor combinations she comes up with would make me run start swallowing Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans by the handful without wondering/caring what flavors they’d be. They’re fully at the intersection of incredibly imaginative and incredibly unappealing.

It’s the kind of humor that an MG reader is practically guaranteed to enjoy.

Illustrations

I’m pretty sure neither of these books would be as successful without the contributions of Isabelle Follath. Her illustrations—sort of a mash-up of Eugene Yelchin, Quentin Blake, and Jules Feiffer—are attractive, eye-catching, and augment the text without being a distraction. I made more notes than usual about liking the artwork in this novel. Rather than further demonstrate how poorly I describe art, I’ll just say that her stuff is great and leave it at that.

So, what did I think about Revenge of the Beast?

I know when I posted about The Beast and The Bethany, I was aware that it was the first of a series, but I have to tell you, I thought it made a great stand-alone book. So much so that I forgot there were more books to come, I got this one primarily out of curiosity about how Meggitt-Phillips would approach this, rather than a curiosity about the characters or story. I was satisfied with where the first book left things.

That said, if you’re going to write an unnecessary sequel, this is the way you want to do it. Give some good backstory about the antagonist and one of the protagonists, and help the reader understand how they got started five centuries ago. Then while you’re doing that, show how everything you thought happened at the end of the first book wasn’t at all what was going on—so we need to read the sequel. It was really well-conceived in that way. But given the two that exist, we definitely need a third (which is, thankfully, on the way)

I think it’s best if I think of this in two different ways, it’s a creative way to tell this story, the morals are there for those who want to see them (again), but are easily ignored if that’s what the reader prefers. The humor is a bit subtler this time out, but it’s just as funny if you’re looking for it. I was honestly surprised by a couple of plot developments, too. But…it just didn’t work as well for me as its predecessor. Like I said with And Your Enemies Closer, a lot of that is likely just the way second novels in a trilogy strike me. But I don’t think it’s all of the reason why. I think it’s probably a function of separating (for good and understandable reasons of plot) Ebenezer and Bethany for so much of the book. The series is stronger when they’re together.

On the other hand, if I got this book when I was in Fifth Grade? I’d really dig it, and it would earn a spot in my Roald Dahl-Daniel M. Pinkwater-Norton Juster re-read cycle, right alongside The Beast and The Bethany, and I’d get it read at least four more times before the third volume is released. Since that guy is the one that Meggitt-Phillips is writing for, not the guy with four adult children—I figure that’s good enough.

At least three of my four kids would’ve loved this when they were the right age (and it’s possible that the fourth one would’ve, too)—and I’m willing to bet that whatever parents are reading this would find similar results in their homes. They should pick this up and see.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided, via Netgalley and Farshore.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips, Isabelle Follath (Illustrator)

By HCNewton

On February 4, 2022

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Revenge of the Beast Jack Meggitt-Phillips and illustrated by Isabelle Follath. It’s the follow up to their delightful The Beast and The Bethany, which you really should read if you haven’t. I’ll be posting my take on the novel in a bit here, but for now, let’s learn a bit about it.

Book Details:

Book Title: Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips, Isabelle Follath (Illustrator)
Release date: March 22, 2022 (US); September 30, 2021 (UK)
Publisher: Aladdin (US); Farshore (UK)
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 288 pages

Book Blurb:

Lemony Snicket meets Roald Dahl in this riotously funny, deliciously macabre, and highly illustrated sequel to The Beast and the Bethany in which Bethany and Ebenezer try to turn over a new leaf, only to have someone—or something—thwart them at every turn.

Once upon a very badly behaved time, 511-year-old Ebenezer kept a beast in his attic. He would feed the beast all manner of objects and creatures and in return the beast would vomit him up expensive presents. But then the Bethany arrived.

Now notorious prankster Bethany, along with her new feathery friend Claudette, is determined that she and Ebenezer are going to de-beast their lives and Do Good. But Bethany finds that being a former prankster makes it hard to get taken on for voluntary work. And Ebenezer secretly misses the beast’s vomity gifts. And neither of them are all that sure what “good people” do anyway.

Then there’s Claudette, who’s not been feeling herself recently. Has she eaten something that has disagreed with her?

Book Links:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Jack Meggitt-Phillips is an author, scriptwriter, and playwright whose work has been performed at The Roundhouse and featured on Radio 4. He is scriptwriter and presenter of The History of Advertising podcast. In his mind, Jack is an enormously talented ballroom dancer, however his enthusiasm far surpasses his actual talent. Jack lives in north London where he spends most of his time drinking peculiar teas and reading P.G. Wodehouse novels.

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Mike Nero and the Superhero School by Natasha Carlow, Kyle Stephen (Illustrator): A First Day at a Great School

By HCNewton

On February 3, 2022

In YA/MG/Children's Books

Mike Nero and the Superhero School

by Natasha Carlow, Kyle Stephen (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Kat Biggie Press
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Format: eARC
Length:36 pg.
Read Date: February 2, 2022

What’s Mike Nero and the Superhero School About?

Mike Nero has had to leave his school, for reasons not explained—but we are told he’s worried his new school would be like it, and it’s suggested he didn’t have friends there. But hopefully, that’s going to change here.

His parents accompany him to the first day of school where he’s met by the principal, Mr. Joseph, and taken on a tour around the school and where he meets a handful of his new classmates and peers.

Mike meets one child with Autism, a blind boy, a few deaf kids—and so on. He asks some questions of them, and gets answered by them or Mr. Joseph. Mike takes all this in the way you hope someone would (and too rarely see)—he’s not just a good example, it turns out that Mike has challenges of his own to deal with.

The Illustrations

I was impressed by the illustrations—they’re the level of cute that you want in a Picture Book while the people look like people, not cartoons—and the illustrations are clear about the various challenges that these characters have. The colors are vibrant and realistic at the same time, too.

A couple of those sentences seem redundant, but I guess I’m trying to stress the nice combination and balance here.

I really appreciated when I went back through looking at the pictures how Stephen hinted at the reveal about Mike throughout but held off until the right moment to fully show it.

So, what did I think about Mike Nero and the Superhero School?

The twist that the book puts on the conditions and diagnoses the children have is that this equips them with superpowers—the students who use sign language are seen as having a special language, the blind boy has a “magic cane,” and so on. It helps Mike understand his new peers and frames the way Mr. Johnson wants him to think about his own challenges. The more I think about it, the more I like it.

I thought the moral was maybe laid on a little thick. But I’m not sure that’s true, I doubt the target audience would agree with me—in fact, they might need it that thick. So I guess this is a warning for parents, be ready for this, but the kid you read this with won’t mind.

This was a sweet read, I liked it and would encourage parents/teachers/etc. to grab this.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Blitz.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Mike Nero and the Superhero School by Natasha Carlow, Kyle Stephen (Illustrator)

By HCNewton

On February 3, 2022

In Book Tour, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

This morning I’m pleased to welcome the Book Tour for Natasha Carlows’s Mike Nero and the Superhero School. In a little bit here, I’ll be posting my take on the book, but for now, let’s learn a little about the book.

Book Details:

Book Title: Mike Nero and the Superhero School by Natasha Carlow, Kyle Stephen (Illustrator)
Publisher: Kat Biggie Press ‎
Release date: February 1, 2022
Age: 5 – 8 years
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 36 pages

Book Blurb:

“Can I tell you something about this school? You see this isn’t a regular school. This is a superhero school…”

First days can be tough, especially for someone as shy as Mikey but Mikey’s new school is a little different. On his first day, he meets his principal and some incredible children who help him discover his own superpower within and he learns that no matter what we may look like on the outside, everyone has something that makes them valuable.

Can Mikey learn to use his newfound superpower to make his school a better place for all students?

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

About the Author:

Natasha is a wife and mother of two amazing rainbow babies. She resides in Trinidad and Tobago, where she works as an Itinerant Counsellor working in Youth and Guidance. She is the author of the award-winning Happy Tears and Rainbow Babies, which tells the story of how faith brought healing and hope to her family after the pain and loss of miscarriages. Her experience with grief and loss moved her to create avenues for other families in her country experiencing similar things. She is a contributing writer at pregnancyafterlosssupport.org and Her View from Home. Inspired by her son, Natasha wrote her newest book MIke Nero and the Superhero School which focuses on a young boy with special needs and how he comes to discover the superhero within himself. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking fancy restaurant meals at home and eating them in her pajamas.

www.natashacarlow.com

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Blitz.

How to Save a Superhero by Ruth Freeman: A Cute MG Adventure

By HCNewton

On January 31, 2022

In Science Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

How to Save a Superhero

by Ruth Freeman

DETAILS:
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication Date:  October 18, 2021
Format: Hardcover
Length:264
Read Date: January 26-27, 2022

“Adelaide. Now that’s a name you don’t hear very often. I think it’s old German by way of French. How do you do, Adelaide? My name is Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom. I have a theory that interesting people have interesting names. Are you interesting?”

After taking a moment to think about it, Addie said, “I’m kind of working on it.”

“Good answer,” said Minerva Swift. “I’m working on it too.”

What’s How to Save a Superhero About?

Ten-year-old Addie and her mom have one of those relationships where you’re not sure who the parent is a lot of the time. While it’s clear that Tish is devoted to her daughter, she’s not really devoted to anything else—especially her frequently changing employers in frequently changing towns. Since her mother died, she just hasn’t been able to hang on to anything, and Addie’s been emotionally untethered since then, too.

Now they’re staying with another one of Addie’s aunts and Tish is working at the Happy Valley Village Retirement Community on a one-month trial. After school, Addie joins a couple of other children of employees and spends time with some of the residents.

One resident, in particular, is a favorite of Addie’s—and her mother seems to be the only employee that he seems to tolerate. Mr. Norris has been having trouble with falling, so he’s in the HVV until he can regain his stability.

One of Addie’s friends becomes convinced that Mr. Norris is a super-hero—and there have been some strange things happening around him—Addie can’t believe it. Another friend is convinced that he’s a retired Professional Wrestler. Addie’s not so sure about that one, either.

The three friends do what they can to get to the bottom of Mr. Norris’ identity (over his strident and cantankerous objections), and find themselves in the middle of other adventures with some of the other residents while they’re at it.

So, what did I think about How to Save a Superhero?

This was an okay book. It did everything it needed to do and was well told. I never really connected to any of the characters, or any of the rest of it. I can’t tell you what it was missing, but it seemed to be missing that spark.

It was enjoyable enough—just enough—and it’s likely that the target audience will find it more entertaining than I did. So, sure, I’d recommend it for a middle-grade reader, but I wouldn’t necessarily tell anyone older they’d enjoy it.*

* That sounds harsh to me, I’m not trying to be…

3 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.