Fairy Tale

I couldn’t help my interest in Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin which at first glance was based on its unique beauty. The book itself has beautiful pages with little embellishments of color. It is a gorgeous book.

The fairy tale genre has certainly made a comeback with so many variations across different age levels. I am not familiar with the original tale of Snow and Rose and feel that it may have enhanced my appreciation of the story to know the original. With that being said, I still found it to be an enjoyable read which I completed in one sitting.

The characters and setting are enchanting and I loved the adventurous natures of Snow and Rose. My favorite part had to be the library full of random objects instead of books. The image of twisting steps leading to all these trinkets is something that would be amazing to see in real life. Of course there is a story behind every object, and each selected object would become important in their own lives as well.

The ending was a surprise to me, and I liked that it brought the previous elements together, such as understanding why so many animals were out to hurt the little man.

December Break

A break ALWAYS means a chance to read a few extra books! I feel as though I’ve been reading the last title for a long while. Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra was a tough one for me to get through. This is another random selection from my public library’s new releases section.

This book felt as though it went in circles. It was repetitive and a bit dragged out. I kept waiting for something to come together with the porcelain dolls and the drug epidemic. I thought it would’ve made for a good story if the dolls were being used to smuggle in drugs. Quite a difference from the doll’s actual origin, SPOILER!, a lonely old woman from a well-known family in town kindly giving them to children she is trying to cheer up after losing their friend to a fire. A fire which never really killed him in the first place.

Overall, this book had odd elements that were never resolved for me. The paper plate kids (so odd), the corrupt cops (Frank becoming a complete alcoholic by the end of the book), Will’s presence, and the strange switching between points of view to name a few.

This book led me in circles and left me dizzy.

I have a stack of three more books and only about five days of my December break remaining. Next up is Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin which is added by my daughter’s recommendation.

Twists and Turns

My latest read, Dead Woman Walking by Sharon Bolton, was a great find. I happened to pull this one randomly while browsing the New Releases section of my public library. I love when I choose a book solely on my interest in the book jacket and teaser and it turns out to be a gem!

The story is set in England, beginning with a group enjoying a hot air balloon until they suddenly witness a murder. The killer sees the group and sets off after them. There is one survivor, and the murderer is intent to find her. The story builds background of the woman survivor and how she came to be on the balloon. The murderer has a lot more to cover up than this one incident. Patrick Faa, and his family, are heavily involved with the business of organ donation in a completely illegal way.

This story was so unique that it kept me interested for the whole ride.

Art and Mystery

My eighth Nutmeg is in the books (pun intended!). Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald had so many great elements, mystery, art, history and unique family/friend relationships. This story reminded me a bit of The DaVinci Code for kids.

I will say a bit about each element. For starters, the mystery was enough to keep you guessing through the whole story. And I loved that the letter at the end solved it all. Every single thing would have been different if she found that letter first, including her friendship with Bodhi. I loved the contrast between Bodhi’s celebrity lifestyle and Theo’s frugal one. I also found myself intrigued by the mother’s character (although honestly, every character was appealing to me in some way). I hoped mom would solve her math theorem by the end of the book, but I guess her not solving it was part of the point!

The art described through the story gives the reader a great lesson in the Masters, and of course, a different viewpoint of WWII POWs. It makes me want to visit a museum to see the paintings being described. I think this book would be a great read aloud for a class with SO many enrichment options. My only question is whether a student would be as interested in the book as I was? I look forward to talking to those students of mine who read it.

My daughter mentioned enjoying Fitzgerald’s novel The Gallery. I will definitely add it to my “want to read” list!

Random Choice

After reading a few kid books, I’m ready for some adult time. I had some credit to use with my Amazon Kindle and found a review for KL Slater’s The Mistake. A review of “You won’t be able to put it down” gets me almost every time, along with comparisons to Gone Girl and The Girl on a Train (love both of these).

Overall, this read was a nice break, but nothing I would rave about. The controlling, horrible boyfriend made me absolutely crazy. I hated him and was aggravated with Rose for putting up with him as long as she did. This is a credit to the author’s ability to create a solid character. Rose’s brother Billy’s death and finally finding out “who done it” was somewhat forced for me though. Not a big shocking surprise, but rather a… really?

So it will be back to kid literature for a while. Next up will be more of the Intermediate Nutmegs while keeping my eyes and ears open for the next adult novel.

Nutmeg Territory

Nutmeg books are pretty important in every grade level of my job. They are books selected by a committee of librarians/teachers covering a range of genres and character issues. Currently, I introduce students to the Intermediate Nutmegs which are recommended for grades 4-6. There are also elementary, teen and high school categories. Each year students can read as many titles as possible from the ten selections and vote on their favorite.

I read six of the Intermediate titles over the summer: Fish in a Tree, Kinda Like Brothers, The Tapper Twins Go to War, Took, Ratscalibur and The War that Saved My Life. I won’t review these here because I’d like to only comment on titles I’ve read within the past month. I finished my seventh 2018 Nutmeg title just a week or so ago. A Whole New Ballgame by Phil Bildner was a cute story of friendship, empathy and teamwork. Friends Red and Rip support each other through fifth grade amidst a new, “radical” teacher who also happens to be their basketball coach. Red’s character is autistic (never stated outright, but all signs point to it) and Rip has developed a strong connection to help Red through the tough changes he must face with their unorthodox teacher.

I liked this story, but think kids with no basketball knowledge will get a bit lost in that part of the plot. The friendship and classroom scenes will engage kids though. Especially their Gross Things project.

Spoiler: I definitely enjoyed the ending too, although it was predictable, it just made me happy and sometimes that is just what you need in a book. I created an Animoto Book Trailer to share with my students. I will share it here!

Two for Two

Why two for two? Well these first two reviews are good reads, but not personal favorites. Next up is Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire. Tough one for me. It was the type of book that I wasn’t really into, but felt compelled to finish since it was recommended by a respected library friend.

I enjoyed Maguire’s Wicked when I first read it quite a while back. This book didn’t match up. It was long, wordy and left me waiting for some excitement. It’s the tale of Drosselmeier’s back story from his childhood as a foundling, through his wanderings into adulthood. The book comes to a close with the story of how the infamous Nutcracker was built, and how it waited through a couple generations before becoming a gift to his goddaughter Klara. Intertwined with this was the strange near-death experience as a child in which Drosselmeier encounters Pan and Pythia. I have to admit my Greek mythology knowledge isn’t too strong. Perhaps I could appreciate this underlying story better if I did my research first.

I think Hiddensee will appeal to those into fairy tale worlds and language. For me, my mind wandered a bit too much through the tale to keep it all straight.

Getting Started

Why do this? Who really wants to read my opinion about books I’ve read? These thoughts are a running record in my mind.

Actually, I wish I started a long time ago. I read nonstop, and I’ve been at it since I was a young girl. This will be a way of keeping track of my reading, but also a way to practice my writing. Anyone who happens to find my posts entertaining along the way is a bonus.

The first book I want to review was finished two weeks ago (yes, I procrastinated a bit). Time is always a factor, and the annoying doubts that I previously mentioned. Anyway, the first book I want to review is John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down. As a former high school English teacher, I am a definite John Green fan. I’ve used his videos, and of course, his books with my classes. In my current role as an elementary librarian, my audience isn’t age appropriate for Green’s books. But, several reviews in library social media groups sparked my interest to push Green’s new book to the top of my reading list.

I admit, I spent the first twenty pages or so thinking the main character was male. I had it in my mind that the book was Green’s memoir, so just assumed a male character. Once I figured out Aza’s gender, I sailed through the book, at times connecting with some of Aza’s obsessive traits, while at other times feeling annoyed by them. Green’s writing is strong as ever, but the characters didn’t have the normal spark for me as they do in his other novels. While the subplots of romance/mystery were entertaining, they just didn’t keep me captivated. I think it felt unrealistic to me.

Maybe someone like Aza needs a break from her sense of reality.