Review / Who Killed Darius Drake?

Book: Who Killed Darius Drake? (2017)
Author: Rodman Philbrick
Genre: MG, Mystery
Publisher: Blue Sky Press

Opening lines from the book …
Whatever you’ve heard about Darius Drake is probably wrong. Dead wrong. Some of the stories are lies, some are mistaken, and the rest were invented by Darius himself, to fool his enemies.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…

1) The title definitely brings you in. When you start reading, you’ll notice that Darius Drake is very much alive. Although, he’s an orphan and his parents were killed in a car crash. The thing is, it may just be a matter of some time before, you know…

2) I like that the story is told from the POV of the school bully, Arthur “Bash Man.” But Arthur isn’t your typical bully because he’s more of a thug-for-hire. And he gets paid in chocolate bars. What I like is that he and Darius team up and you find that he’s more than the thug facade he hides behind.

3) I like how Arthur’s step-sister comes into the plot. And she’s a pretty positive influence for the boys!

4) There’s a nice bit of Holmes/Watson in this story. Darius definitely has the personality of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur that of Watson. And there’s a mystery afoot!

5) Darius has a grandfather that turns up with a complicated past. Adds to the mystery of the whole thing. And there’s secret rooms and all sorts of great stuff.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’d definitely recommend this book to people who like mysteries, especially if you like a good Sherlock Holmes’ story. This is kind of like a middle-grade version of that!

 

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

PB Review / Leif and the Fall

Book: Leif and the Fall (2020)
Author: Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant
Illustrator: Merrilee Liddiard
Publisher: Dial Books
Genre: Picture Book

Opening Lines of the Book…
Leif is a leaf. A small green leaf with browning edges, who lives in a big oak tree. “The breeze is blowing harder,” Leif says to himself. “The days are getting shorter. It’s nearly fall.” Leif knows that in the fall, leaves fall from the trees. And Leif is worried.

MY THOUGHTS…

I love the play on words on the name Leif (who’s a leaf). The story follows the attempts of Leif and his friend Laurel try to avoid falling when it comes to autumn. There’s a very fun refrain: “All leaves fall in the fall!” And perfect to help us see that most of our worries are really something we shouldn’t be worried about. A perfect story for this time of year! 

Thanks to Tunisia Williams for recommending this book.

 

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12 CHALLENGE

12 months to read 12 books recommended by 12 friends…

This picture book review is part of a monthly challenge I’ve set for myself. I’ve asked my friends on Twitter to recommend picture books they’ve enjoyed reading (published within the past 3 years). I will choose to feature one each month.

Note: The original 12 Challenge isn’t necessarily just for picture books. But I’ve set it up this way for my own challenge.

PB Review / Beatrice Bly’s Rules for Spies

Book: Beatrice Bly’s Rules for Spies: The Missing Hamster (2021)
Author: Sue Fliess
Illustrator: Beth Mills
Publisher: Pixel+Ink
Genre: Picture Book

Opening Lines of the Book…
Beatrice Bly was no ordinary spy. Beatrice was a … SUPER SPY!

MY THOUGHTS…

What a fun little mystery! Join Beatrice Bly, Super Spy, as she tries to figure out the mystery of the missing hamster! As a kid, I loved these types of books. And while adult-me figured out the mystery, I’m sure kids will enjoy the whodunit process.

The setting is Beatrice’s school, and the victim is the classroom hamster. Beatrice and her friend look for clues, finally bringing us to the happy reunion.

Love the illustrations. Love those opening lines. Love that her name rhymes with spy!

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12 CHALLENGE

12 months to read 12 books recommended by 12 friends…

This picture book review is part of a monthly challenge I’ve set for myself. I’ve asked my friends on Twitter to recommend picture books they’ve enjoyed reading (published within the past 3 years). I will choose to feature one each month.

Note: The original 12 Challenge isn’t necessarily just for picture books. But I’ve set it up this way for my own challenge.

Review / Real Pigeons Fight Crime

Book: Real Pigeons Fight Crime (2018)
Author: Andrew McDonald
Art: Ben Wood
Genre: Lower MG

Opening lines from the book …
Which one of these is a pigeon? If you thought it was the rooster—Correct! If you thought it was the rabbit—Correct! If you thought it was the caterpillar—No. But it was the pile of leaves! This Rock Pigeon. He is a big fan of nature. He enjoys dressing up like his favorite plants and animals.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…

1) This is essentially several short stories put together with an overall story arc that ties them together. I really enjoyed that.

2) Rock Pigeon is our protagonist. He’s recruited by Grandpouter pigeon to fight crime. His great talent is … disguises! It’s fun to see what disguises he uses throughout the book.

3) All the pigeons have their own little quirk. One of them calls them all “Pigs” which is short for pigeons, of course!

4) There are a few running gags that brought a smile to my face. Best of all, for me at least, was the author’s note at the end explaining about the real-life types of pigeons that each of the characters is based on. Like frillback pigeons, homing pigeons, etc. (Frillback pigeons are amazing. Look them up!)

5) I also enjoyed the illustrations.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This was a fun book aimed at younger readers. There are plenty of illustrations for reluctant readers.

 

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Review / Beyond the Bright Sea

Book: Beyond the Bright Sea (2017)
Author: Lauren Wolk
Genre: MG, Mystery/Historical Fiction

Opening lines from the book …
My name is Crow. When I was a baby, someone tucked me into an old boat and pushed me out to sea. I washed up on a tiny island, like a seed riding the tide.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…

1) Crow is such an interesting main character. At the age of 12, she becomes curious about where she came from and goes about trying to solve the mystery. She writes letters. She visits islands. She even does some of this without any adult supervision.

2) Which brings me to the adults in her life: Osh and Miss Maggie. I love these two characters. They have such love and support for Crow. Osh is like her dad, while Miss Maggie is her teacher. Every child needs an Osh and Miss Maggie!

3) This book has treasure hunts, nearly-desert islands, and mystery galore!

4) It’s fun to piece together the clues as the mystery begins to sort itself out. More clues are added and we finally get our answers. Or most of our answers.

5) I was fascinated by the history behind this story, especially of Penikese Island which housed a leper colony until 1921. How the locals treat Crow (thinking she might have leprosy) was heartbreaking to read about. Since the hospital is closed by the time the story takes place, we only get to “see” the empty buildings, etc. And most of our information (in the book) comes through the letters that Crow receives from the nurse.

6) That book cover is beautiful!

THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME…

1) When I went back, I finally found the page that lets us know when the story takes place. It’s 1925. But I missed this information (probably because it was on its own page, in small print, and looked like a dedication page) when I first read it. Therefore, I wasn’t sure if this was a historical book or a fantasy? I think the name Crow made me think it was some sort of magical realism. But then, none of those elements came into play! I just wish they had put the “1925” on the same page as the first chapter.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a mystery with elements of the historical and adventure novels. I highly recommend it!

(P.S. Thank you to Rosi Hollinbeck for this book! I won it a gazillion years ago as a giveaway. And finally, I got down to reading it. It’s been sitting on my TBR pile forever!)

 

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Review / Mystery on Magnolia Circle

Book: Mystery on Magnolia Circle (2021)
Author: Kate Klise
Genre: MG, Mystery

Opening lines from the book …
On the last day of school, I fell down the front steps of my house and broke my leg. After the surgery, my doctor said I’d have to wear a cast on my leg for most of the summer. “You might think your world will get smaller,” Dr. Ames said. “But depending on how you spend this time, your world could actually get bigger.”

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…

1) I didn’t realize this when I read the book, but after reading the author’s note, I discovered that this book was meant to be a kid-friendly version of the Hitchcock movie: Rear Window. I totally see that now that I’ve read the book. (I happen to really like that movie!) It’s not exactly the same, but the basic premis is there.

2) The main character is Ivy. I love her little “What I learned from that” at the end of each chapter.

3) And then there’s Teddy. I love how he pushes Ivy to do things, well, to make the story more exciting. And he keeps wanted to be called “Ted,” which I totally get. I like how that works its way into the story.

4) The mystery about the boy in van… I was intrigued. And it didn’t turn out quite how I expected. But I won’t give away any spoilers.

5) And finally, there’s the Scott Joplin house connection. I also happen to really like Scott Joplin’s music (rag), and this book made me want to visit his house! Anyway, I enjoyed the little tour and the facts the two kids learn about the composer.

THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME…

1) I almost wished there was more of a Rear Window vibe to the whole story. Like she’s stuck in her house with a view of the whole neighborhood, and she has to send Teddy out … But maybe that wouldn’t quite work…

FINAL THOUGHTS

A fun mystery that’s based on a good movie … I would definitely recommend this book to mystery-lovers. And if you happen to like Scott Joplin’s rag music, you might be intrigued by that part of the story.

 

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Review / The Light Jar

Book: The Light Jar (2019)
Author: Lisa Thompson
Genre: MG, Contemporary

Basic plot: Nate and his mum are running away from her scary boyfriend. They end up in the middle of nowhere at the cottage of an old friend who recently died. When the mum goes to get food, Nate discovers his old imaginary friend turns up. He hasn’t seen Sam in years. But Sam doesn’t seem to stick around when Nate finds Kitty, the girl who lives in the big house. Kitty’s on a treasure hunt and Nate decides to help her. But then she starts to get a little noisy about his situation and he isn’t sure who he can trust.

Opening lines from the book …
I love Mum’s tunnel-singing trick. She always did it when she drove us to Grandma’s for one of her Sunday lunches.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…

1) I found this book to be quite compelling. It had just enough mystery that I wanted to keep reading. Little by little, Nate’s situation is revealed.

2) Sam was an interesting character. He’s Nate’s old imaginary friend and becomes a literary device of sorts. It’s a way for us to get to know the events that led up to the escape from the crazy boyfriend Gary. And for Nate, it’s a good way for him to process the events he’s living.

3) I loved the treasure hunt. It’s an old game that was set up for Kitty’s aunt, who tragically died before she could follow all the clues. So, now it’s up to Kitty and Nate to figure things out. And there are hedge mazes involved. Who doesn’t love a hedge maze?

4) The place where Nate and his mum are hiding is a cottage on the property of an old estate in England. Since friend who used to live there has died, the place is in disrepair. Which, of course, makes for an interesting setting.

5) I did figure out one of the twists in the story. I suspected early on and so I wasn’t surprised. But there was another part of the twist that I did not guess, so that’s good. (No spoilers.)

6) This book talks about some tough subjects, but I felt it was done in a good way. It wasn’t too graphic, but it did show the danger of how domestic abuse (even if it’s just verbal/mental abuse) can develop. And how important it is for people like Nate and his mother to get out of that. 

THINGS THAT BOTHERED ME…

1) The cheese scone. I’m not going to say much about it except, where did it come from?

FINAL THOUGHTS

I found this book quite compelling. The setting is great and so is the treasure hunt. Or rather, solving the clues was the fun part!

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Review / Tyrannosaurus Wrecks

Book: Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (2020)
Series: FunJungle #6
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Genre: MG, Mystery

Basic plot: Teddy is back for another mystery, this time involving dinosaur bones discovered on a friend’s ranch. When the enormous T-Rex skull goes missing, Teddy’s friend turns to him. And of course, Summer. On top of a disappearing skull, there’s a new competitor for FunJungle called Snakes Alive! Teddy and Summer team up once more to figure out who’s legit and who’s shady. And things are never easy when Summer’s dad is one of the suspects. 

WHAT’S COOL…

1) I loved how Stuart Gibbs worked a T-Rex into this story! FunJungle is a series about a zoo-like amusement park. Who would have thought to bring in dinosaur bones? Summer’s dad, that’s who! Which gives us an archaeological dig! And also, the mystery when the skull goes missing…

2) Speaking of mysteries, there were some nice red herrings and misleads. But, when I think back, the clues are all there.

3) As always, Teddy remains a very likeable main character. And Summer, too. I like how they work together. In this book, they’re boyfriend and girlfriend. (More on that later.)

4) Another enjoyable part was the subplot… the angle on exotic pets. I am slightly horrified by people wanting to own snakes. *Shivers*. I will say that I particularly enjoyed reading the author’s note at the back about what’s legal and what’s not about owning exotic pets. *Shivers again*

5) It’s been awhile since I’ve read a FunJungle book. Actually, I think I’ve only read #1 and #2 of the series. (Which means I missed #3-5???) But, I didn’t find it too hard to pick up where I left off. The only major change was Teddy’s relationship to Summer. I recall it being an antagonistic partnership in the first books, something that’s now missing from the series now that they are boyfriend and girlfriend. (More on that later.)

6) Stuart Gibbs knows how to give us an exciting climax! The chase at the end is full of action and is completely centred on Teddy, our hero. (He even gets to drive! Every kid’s dream, right?)

WHAT’S NOT COOL…

1) Okay, about Teddy and Summer. I did not care for the fact that they are now boyfriend and girlfriend. (Could you guess that from my hints above?) I do like the enemies-to-lovers trope, but you can’t make them lovers if you’re going to continue the series! Where is the banter? The bickering? The tension between the two? All missing! (And Stuart Gibbs does that type of tension-filled banter quite well, especially in his Spy School books.)

2) There were some random characters that didn’t do much for the story… namely, some of Teddy’s friends from school. Not a huge deal, but I found them to be superfluous and actually ended up distracting me from the story itself. I had to go back and re-read some parts because of them.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Another fun book from Stuart Gibbs to end off the year of 2020. Loved the dinosaur and snake angle on this one!

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Review / Mananaland

Book: Mananaland (2020)
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Genre: MG, Fantasy
Rating: 4.5 stars

Basic plot: Max’s dream is to play futbol like his Papa and his grandfather, Buelo. When he’s not allowed to join the other boys at the futbol clinic, he’s disappointed and starts to fear that he’s losing his best friend. But then he learns that Papa and Buelo have a secret. They’re Guardians, which mean they help on an underground railroad of sorts. And it turns out that this underground railroad might hold the key to the location of Max’s mother who disappeared when he was just a baby.

WHAT’S COOL…

1) Max is a very sympathetic character. I felt for him when his father and grandfather seem to be overprotective. And when his friends seem to abandon him at the swimming hole? Ah, my heart went out to Max.

2) The mystery surrounding the mom was nicely set up. There were just enough hints and foreshadowing. And yes, the title—Mananaland—has to do with the mom.

3) Buelo. Man, I love this guy! What a grandpa! (I love grandpas!) I loved his stories. And I loved how Max was so close to him.

4) I particularly loved how the book is divided into three sections: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. It was perfect for a book entitled Mananaland!

5) The most exciting part comes near the end with the underground railroad part… Basically, once Max meets Father Romero and Isadora. And, of course, Isadora’s not quite what Max expects. But I like the connection they eventually make with one another.

WHAT’S NOT COOL…

1) The only thing that confused me was whether or not this was a fantasy novel or realistic fiction. The soccer (futbol) and day-to-day events made it all seem like it takes place in our world. But at other moments, it’s clear that it’s some alternate universe. A slight thing, but one that did draw me out of the story at times…

FINAL THOUGHTS

My rating is 4.5 Stars (out of 5) – I really enjoyed this book! Don’t expect a super fast-paced story. That’s not the kind of book it is. The writing is beautiful. And I love how the title fits into the theme of hope that pervades the book.

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

ARC Review / Coop Knows the Scoop

Book: Coop Knows the Scoop (2020)
Author: Taryn Souders
Genre: MG, Mystery/Whodunit
Rating: 4 stars

Basic plot: When the local playground gets a make-over, the workers dig up a skeleton. Pretty exciting stuff for the sleepy town of Windy Bottom, Georgia. Coop and his friends are particularly interested in using their detective brains to discover what actually happened. Of course, it’s not easy when your nemesis⁠—i.e. the class bully⁠—is on your case. But then Coop discovers that the murder victim just might be somebody closer to him than he realized.

WHAT’S COOL…

1) Coop’s mom owns a bookstore in their small town. Can I just say how much I love this? (Actually, who doesn’t love a good book store setting!)

2) This book starts off with immediate action and interest with the digging up of the skeleton. And then the details roll in⁠—like the fact that the skeleton is wearing a dress⁠—that keeps us wanting to read more.

3) I love Coop’s Gramps. “Gramps had a third rule: You can’t leave a bad situation without finding two good things about it. Two things to be thankful for.” He isn’t perfect (you’ll find that out in the book), but he has so much wisdom. I love it when grandfathers like Gramps are in books!

4) I enjoyed Coop’s friends, the twins named Liberty and Justice. The three kids make a good team. And they get into plenty of mischief, including [*slight SPOILER] a break-in to the funeral parlour. [End Spoiler]

5) There are some nice upping-the-ante moments. Especially with regards to Coop’s nemesis, Beau (the bully). There’s a moment in the story when the boys discuss their mutual agreement to not get along. I love Coop’s interior monologue at this point: “That was the first thing we’d ever agreed on in our lives.”

6) I did like the character, Tick, who is a father-figure for Coop. He’s also a police officer, so things get a little awkward when Coop starts breaking a few laws.

7) This book is a whodunit. There is a nice little reference to the Hardy Boys (although, personally, I think that could have been a stronger thread in the book). Coop and his friends are trying to find a murderer. So, yeah, one of the characters in the story IS indeed a murderer. I will say that I was kept guessing… which is good for a murder-mystery. (I did figure it out just slightly before the kids do in the book.)

WHAT’S NOT COOL…

1) The one thing that bothered me—and I have seen this in a lot of books lately—is the fact that there are a lot of unique names in the book. Coop is fine (his full name is Cooper) since he’s the protagonist. And Beau’s fine, since that’s a real name. But then there were Liberty and Justice, the twins. I couldn’t remember who was the girl and who was the boy. This is not particularly helpful to the reader, especially when it takes you out of the book.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My rating is 4 Stars (out of 5) – I can’t think of many middle-grade books that deal with murder (like a real murder). This book actually does, which makes it a little on the edgy side of MG. I would recommend it for older kids who like mysteries… and are ready for something beyond your Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew variety. These are the kids who will one day devour the likes of books by Agatha Christie, et al.

**Note: I received a free copy of this title from the people at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

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YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…