The Curio
Collectors
By Eloise Williams
and Anna Shepeta
Publisher: Barrington Stoke (2 Mar. 2023)
Publisher’s Blurb:
Lily and Tom travel the county with Ma Hawker, enthralling
crowds with their amazing collection of curios. Always on the lookout for new
wonders, Lily is tricked into buying a worthless bag of rubbish. But hidden
within is a special piece of scrimshaw. A young woman called Flora Meriweather
is desperate to buy the scrimshaw, hoping it can help her solve a mystery
surrounding her late mother. But someone else also wants to get his hands on
the scrimshaw and ensure that secrets stay hidden in the past. Can the Curio
Collectors help the truth come to light?
My Thoughts:
This book was
promoted as high-interest, low reading level. I think the story itself—plot,
characters—is appropriate to ages 9 and up, but the reading level is definitely
lower. Sentences have simple structure, and vocabulary is not too elevated.
This allows the reader to follow the story without difficulty.
Lily and Tom are poor and orphaned, and travel with a sort of adopted mother. They make ends meet by selling odds and ends that they find. In P.T. Barnum fashion, they call them “curious”, and display them, charging crowds for admission.
One particular item—a piece of scrimshaw—draws the attention of disparate visitors. One is a young servant girl, the other, a wealthy man who claims to be a scientist. The girl cannot afford it; the man offers a healthy sum of money.
Lily and Tom befriend the girl, and find that she has been collecting scrimshaw pieces, looking for the one that will prove her late mother’s scientific research. They give her the piece, putting a different one from her collection into their display.
In they end, they must race the so-called scientist in hopes of proving just who is the real scientist.
Interestingly, the conclusion leaves Lily, Tom, and Ma as they are, rather than changing their situation in life. They are content with what they do, and enjoy the adventurous life they lead. I appreciate that the author resisted “fixing” them.
Possible Objectionable Material:
A little bit of
sneaking and lying. Poverty. A tense scene in a cemetery.
Who Might Like This Book:
Those who like
stories set in the past, who like adventurous children and a bit of a mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my opinion.
Graysen Fox and
the Treasure of Principal Redbeard
Graysen Foxx,
School Treasure Hunter #1
By J. Scott Savage
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (March 6, 2023)
Publisher’s Blurb:
Ordinary Elementary is anything but ordinary.
Below the classrooms are winding, abandoned, underground passages filled with
lost treasures. Fifth-grader Graysen Foxx, aka The Gray Fox―finder of secrets,
solver of mysteries, and explorer of the unknown―is hot on the trail of the
legendary treasure of Principal Redbeard, which includes decades of confiscated
gadgets, rare comic books, first-edition Pokémon trading cards, an original
Rubik’s Cube, and a retro handheld video game.
Graysen is determined to find the treasure and share it with his fellow students. His nemesis, Raven Ransom―nicknamed “Red Raven”―plans to stop him and claim the prizes for herself, just like she did with the game-winning home run kickball everyone thought was lost on the roof of the school.
Wearing his adventurer-iconic fedora, journaling in his field notebook, and wielding his elastic stretchy hand, Graysen is ready for action. But can he avoid the second-grade spy network working for Raven? Could the third-grade twins, Maya and Jack, give him an advantage? Can he avoid the ruthless sixth graders while trying to protect the innocent first graders? And who is the mysterious Midnight Moth who is leaving cryptic notes and riddles?
It's a battle between courage and cunning, smarts and shrewdness, charity and cheating. With the treasure on the line, can Graysen trust his rival―or is it just another one of her traps? May the best treasure hunter win!
My Thoughts:
Something about the narrative voice in this book just didn’t work for me. Maybe it was the over-use of comparisons, metaphors and similes. Sometimes it’s better just to say things straight, not constantly make humorous comparisons. The comparisons were cute, but Savage really laid it on thick. Too thick.
The story itself is a sort of elementary school Indiana Jones, adventuring through the myths and legends of his school in search of treasure. I would definitely classify it as fantasy, although firmly rooted in the real world. Some of the interpersonal dynamics are true to elementary school life; others are greatly exaggerated for comic effect.
I think my favorite characters were sidekicks Maya and Jack. Their loyalty and dogged determination to help Graysen to prevail over Red Raven were a nice touch.
The conclusion of the adventure was appropriate, with some twists and turns along the way, as people don’t always act the way Graysen assumed they would. Who is really helping…and who has an ulterior motive?
In the end, this is a solid series starter, but not one I think I’ll need to continue in.
Possible
Objectionable Material:
Lots of sneaking around and Indiana Jones-style booby traps. And yet, somehow Graysen is never actually injured! Young children eat crayons, other immature behavior.
Who Might Like
This Book:
Anyone who likes adventure, particularly fans of Indiana Jones.
Thank you to the publisher
and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment