Life on the Dark Side

 

Shadow Magic
By Joshua Khan
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (April 12, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1484732723
ISBN-13: 978-1484732724
 
Publisher’s Blurb:
Thorn, an outlaw's son, wasn't supposed to be a slave. He's been sold to Tyburn, an executioner, and they're headed to Castle Gloom in Gehenna, the land of undead, where Thorn will probably be fed to a vampire.
 
Lilith Shadow wasn't supposed to be ruler of Gehenna. But following the murder of her family, young Lily became the last surviving member of House Shadow, a long line of dark sorcerers. Her country is surrounded by enemies and the only way she can save it is by embracing her heritage and practicing the magic of the undead. But how can she when, as a girl, magic is forbidden to her?



Just when it looks like Lily will have to leave her home forever, Thorn arrives at Castle Gloom. A sudden death brings them together, inspires them to break the rules, and leads them to soar to new heights in this fantasy with all the sparkle and luster of a starry night sky.
 
My Thoughts:
This was fun. Lily is young—just thirteen—and is left to rule her land, a land that has always struggled. Her uncle and guardian is promoting her arranged marriage to the son of one of her greatest enemies, and he’s a total twit. What’s a girl to do?
 
All those things that people are afraid of—zombies, vampires, and the like—are part of daily life in Gehenna. No wonder Thorn is frightened half to death when he has to go there. But as he adjusts to life there, he finds that it’s not so bad. And Lily, far from being a stuck up princess, is actually pretty nice. So is political prisoner K’Leef. Thorn finds that, despite their very different social classes, they can be friends. Of course, he’s hampered by a secret that has had him on the run.
 
Overall, the narrative and plot are satisfying. Who is really behind the murder of Lily’s parents and brother makes sense. It is telegraphed adeptly—I figured it out pretty easily; younger readers might not be quite so quick. The plot moves quickly enough to keep readers interested.
 
It does bother me that Lily, left with only her drunk and somewhat incompetent uncle as family, is being forced to leave her home for a long betrothal to her enemy. She’s so young. Even though the wedding won’t take place for some time, her age at the time of the story just makes it awkward.
 
Possible Objectionable Material:
A variety of dark creatures, as mentioned above. Danger, murder, peril. Bullying.
 
Who Might Like This Book:
General readers, boys and girls, who like adventure and coming of age. Those who like things a little on the darker side. The suggested age range is appropriate.
 
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Kid Crimebusters

The Secret of the Puzzle Box
By Penny Warner
Series: Code Busters Club
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 – 7
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing (August 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1512403075
ISBN-13: 978-1512403077
 
Publisher’s Blurb:
The Code Busters are excited for their class field trip to Angel Island, known as the Ellis Island of the West. One of Mika's ancestors passed through the island's immigration station in the early twentieth century, and Mika thinks he may have left behind some secret messages . . . plus a very special box. But as the Code Busters search for hints from the past, they get caught up in an even bigger secret.

Can you crack the code? Test your brain with the Code Busters to see if you have the right stuff to be an ace detective. Answers are in the back, in case you get stuck.

My Thoughts:
This is definitely a book you want to have in hard copy. In e-book form, it was tough to check my code-breaking skills with the keys at the back of the book.

I haven’t read others in this series, so I don’t know all the backstory of the characters, but this is a fun group of late-elementary-aged children.

It definitely gave me a “Scooby Doo” vibe—you know, those meddling kids! The bad guy was definitely reminiscent of a bad guy from that long-running cartoon series.

The kids worked well together and supported each other. What I didn’t like was the class outcast, “Matt the Brat.” I think he was a stereotype of the boy who can’t sit still and finds himself in trouble a lot. Yes, he was a bit of a braggart, but I think he was poorly handled. The Code Busters were very unsympathetic and cold toward him until near the end, when they actually come to like him a bit. I hope that is a trend that will continue in further volumes. The “troublemaking boy” is a trope that, as a teacher, I find rather harmful.

The most far-out part of the story? These kids get to go on overnight camping field trips. Must be nice to live in a district with that kind of money!

My third-grader loves cracking codes and I think she would really enjoy this if I had a hard copy of it.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Kids do things without adult permission. Some dangerous situations.

Who Might Like This Book:
Kids who like mysteries and enjoy learning about all kinds of codes. Scooby Doo fans. The suggested age range is appropriate, although I know a few second graders who could easily  handle it, and many eighth graders who would feel they are above it.

 Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

A Mouse and the Moon

Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon
By Torban Kuhlmann
Age Range: 4 - 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: NorthSouth (September 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 0735842620
ISBN-13: 978-0735842625
 
Publisher’s Blurb:
A long time ago a mouse learned to fly . . . and crossed the Atlantic. But what happened next?

Torben Kuhlmann's stunning new book transports readers to the moon and beyond!

On the heels of Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse comes Armstrong: A Mouse on the Moon―where dreams are determined only by the size of your imagination and the biggest innovators are the smallest of all.

The book ends with a brief non-fiction history of human space travel―from Galileo’s observations concerning the nature of the universe to man's first steps on the moon.

My Thoughts:
The illustrations are the star in this charming story of a mouse who knows the moon is not made of cheese. Too bad his friends don’t believe him. But, through determination and with a little help, Armstrong the mouse is able to complete a mission to the moon—long before humans ever figure it out.

I also appreciated the end section, where the history of man’s—and mouse’s—fascination with space is detailed.

I think the book skews to a somewhat higher age range than the suggested one. The illustrations are so intricate, I think a lot is lost on a very young child. Likewise the science involved.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Dickens moves to a fantasy world

Tell the Wind and Fire
By Sarah Rees Brennan
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Lexile Measure: 850

Hardcover: 368 pages

Publisher: Clarion Books (April 5, 2016)
ISBN-10: 054431817X
ISBN-13: 978-0544318175

 

Publisher’s Blurb:In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 

 Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

 Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

 Celebrated author Sarah Rees Brennan weaves a magical tale of romance and revolution, love and loss.

 My Thoughts:Based on Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, this book takes the basic ideas of revolution and identity into their own world. As the original source did, the ending of this book did bring me to tears. Can I help it if selfless sacrifice makes me cry?

 As with any book that is based on a familiar work, the broad strokes of the plot were familiar—I knew how the book would end, just not how it would get there.

 One thing that I liked about this book is that Ethan and Lucie were not a case of “insta-love.” While we are restricted to Lucie’s point of view, we see that she actually resisted falling in love with Ethan, and that she has reasons for loving him. Another good point is that they have both kept secrets from each other and both have to learn, repeatedly, to trust one another.

 Lucie has the delusion so many protagonists have, that she is the only one who can solve things, and this leads her into trouble—multiple times.

 One off-putting feature is how many times in the narration Lucie says, basically, “If only I had known.” It’s a little heavy-handed on the “things aren’t going to go well” foreshadowing.

 The book is appropriate to the suggested age range, and you don’t have to be familiar with Dickens’ work to enjoy it.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Lucie and Ethan are sexually active; although it is not said or shown outright, it is pretty obvious. Violence. Magic. Betrayal.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Those who like fantasy, magic, relationships, the original book.

 Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Nonfiction for all ages

The Great Leopard Rescue: Saving the Amur Leopards

by Sandra Markle 
Age Range: 9 - 12 years
Grade Level: 4 - 7
Library Binding: 48 pages
Publisher: Millbrook Press (August 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1467792470
ISBN-13: 978-1467792479

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Amur leopards are the rarest big cats in the world. But thanks to scientists' new, innovative efforts to study them and breed a reserve population, these majestic cats have a chance.

 

My Thoughts:
Stunning photography helps to introduce the reader to these amazing creatures. The science behind why they face extinction is told clearly at an appropriate level for the target audience. Because the recovery of the amur leopard is an on-going process, the ending is not neat and tidy, but it does offer hope for bringing the species back from the brink.

 

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

  

Mind-Boggling Numbers
By Michael J. Rosen
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Series: Millbrook Picture Books
School & Library Binding: 32 pages
Publisher: Millbrook Press (August 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1467734896
ISBN-13: 978-1467734899


Publisher’s Blurb:
How many glasses of lemonade would fit in an Olympic-sized swimming pool? Find the answers to all sorts of mind-boggling math questions in this fun, engaging book.


My Thoughts:
Mind-boggling is right! The questions might seem basic, but the numbers that answer them are really, really big! Fun illustrations give context to the questions, and the actual mathematical process used to answer each question is included at the back, as well as metric conversion tables and suggestions for further reading. This is great fun for anyone who loves to think about crazy  mathematical questions.

 

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Strange History
By Bathroom Readers’ Institute
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Portable Press (June 14, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1626865833
ISBN-13: 978-1626865839
 
Publisher’s Blurb:
This exciting title from the folks at the Bathroom Readers' Institute contains the strangest short history articles from over 30 Bathroom Readers—along with 50 all-new pages. From the 20th century to the Old West, from the Age of Enlightenment to the Dark Ages, from ancient cultures all the way back to the dawn of time, Strange History is overflowing with mysterious artifacts, macabre legends, kooky inventions, reality-challenged rulers, boneheaded blunders, and mind-blowing facts. Read about…
*The curse of Macbeth
*Stupid history: Hollywood style
*The secret LSD experiments of the 1960s
*In search of the lost “Cloud People” of Peru
*The Swedish queen who declared war on fleas
*Unearthing the past with the Outhouse Detectives
*The Apollo astronaut who swears he saw a UFO
*How to brew a batch of 5,000-year-old beer
*The brutal bloodbaths at Rome’s Coliseum
*Ghostly soup from ancient China
*The bathroom of the 1970s

And much, much more!

 

My Thoughts:
Over four hundred pages of the kind of stuff you might need to know if you’re ever on Jeopardy! Many of these historical facts are obscure, and some are just plain crazy. There is some reference to such things as emasculation, but despite some gross or violent episodes, there’s really nothing I couldn’t let my eight-year-old read if she is so inclined.

 Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

DNA Detective

By Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Age Range: 12 - 14 years

Grade Level: 5 - 8

Paperback: 120 pages

Publisher: Annick Press (August 7, 2015)

ISBN-10: 1554517737

ISBN-13: 978-1554517737

Publisher’s Blurb:

It’ll take a genetics genius to solve this crime ... In DNA Detective, Lloyd Kyi unravels the mystery of our genetic blueprint. She explains the basics of genetics in simple, clear language, and reveals the fascinating, and frequently entertaining stories of the researchers who discovered pieces of the DNA puzzle. As they learn the science of genes, readers will apply what they learn at the end of each chapter in an engaging challenge: helping a young detective eliminate suspects to solve a major crime, based on a real-world case. Meet the genetics rock stars like Frederick Sanger, whose groundbreaking research won him two Nobel Prizes in Chemistry; or Rosalind Franklin, who created the first clear image of DNA. Discover why humans are more like flies or mice than we’d like to admit, how to clone a sheep, and what palindromes have to do with DNA. From genetically engineered pets to a dating app that helps Icelanders avoid marrying their cousins, the world of DNA will surprise and delight you. Full-color photographs complement the text, while Lil Crump’s lively illustrations keep readers entertained.

My Thoughts:

This book is more about genetics than it is about solving a crime. The lesson of each chapter is applied at the end of the chapter in eliminating suspects in the jewelry store heist.

Genetics was my favorite part of my AP Biology class back in the early ‘80s, so some of this material was familiar to me. But there was much more that I hadn’t known before—not to mention that the field has made huge advances since I took that AP exam over 30 years ago! The explanatory tone is just right, with just enough levity. It does not come off sounding dumbed down.

Note that sperm and eggs and fertilization are mentioned, but not how that fertilization actually takes place.

This is a great resource for a school science class. I think even high-schoolers would enjoy it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Get a Move on, Neuron!

By Philip Kennedy

Print Length: 58 pages

Publisher: Choice Publishing (May 14, 2013)

Publication Date: May 14, 2013

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

ASIN: B00CWTF2P0

 Publisher’s Blurb:

“Get a move on Neuron” was born out of my desire to impart to young people, my excitement and fascination for the workings of the human brain. And instill in them a pioneering spirit and vision for future exploration. I’ve simplified, as best I could, the incredible complexities of voluntary and involuntary reasoning and function that occur in virtually every split second of one’s day. By illustrating the role of our lovable neuron, I’ve taken a routine event like Mom’s call to dinner, to provide a rudimentary glimpse into this amazing chain reaction. I hope you enjoy the journey.

 My Thoughts:

I feel like this could have been done better, although part of that may be because my review e-book had a few display glitches. I think my biggest quibble is that the language is oversimplified. I realize that my eight-year-old is verbally advanced, but she likes to know the proper names for things, not just calling parts of the brain “the feeling place,” etc. The author does give those proper names, but continues to use the more generic terminology.

 Overall, the photography is beautiful, the explanation of the basics of how the brain works is interesting (although it occasionally sounds condescending), and we enjoyed the little quizzes at the end of each chapter.

 Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.