Review: Total Garbage by Rebecca Donnelly and John Hendrix

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , ,
Total Garbage by Rebecca Donnelly and John D. Dawson

Total Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World
Rebecca Donnelly and John Hendrix
Henry Holt & Co.
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Total Garbage

Total Garbage by Rebecca Donnelly dives into the messy truth about trash, garbage, waste, and our world—it’s a fact-filled and fascinating illustrated middle grade environmental read!

Trash has been part of human societies since the beginning. It seems like the inevitable end to the process of making and using things—but why?

In this fascinating account of the waste we make, we’ll wade into the muck of history and explore present-day STEM innovations to answer these important questions:

What is garbage?
Where does our garbage come from?
Why do we make so much garbage?
Where does our garbage go?
What can we learn from our garbage?
How bad is our garbage problem?
How can we do better?

Rebecca Donnelly tackles the extraordinary, the icky, and the everyday, helping us see how our choices, personal and societal, impact our world and our planet—and encouraging us make a change.

Back matter includes a timeline of the history of waste management, selected bibliography, and index.

“clear, engaging writing. . . [and] whimsical, informative, detailed teal-tone line drawings add to a captivating and important book. . . A fact-filled and fascinating dumpster dive of a book.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review on Total Garbage

“this book makes garbage fun to read about and is a great choice for browsable nonfiction shelves and curricular tie-ins” —School Library Journal on Total Garbage

My Review

I’ve read a few books about waste and trash in the last few years. Some focus more on different types of waste and others focus more on activities to do as an individual. I think TOTAL GARBAGE did a great job exploring big questions about trash, including some of the reasons we dispose of trash the way we do today and how it impacts the environment.

One of the ways this book doesn’t pull any punches is in its assessment of why we dispose of waste in the way we do: money. Essentially, even when we know a disposal method is harmful for the environment or inefficient, if it’s cheaper or can be repackaged to the public as something positive, then often a company will choose that waste disposal method. I thought the information about recycling campaigns and waste being shipped overseas were eye-opening and presented in a straightforward manner.

I liked that the book still ends with a hopeful note, and that it does offer ways to help at a personal and community level. All in all, I think this is a powerful, informative book that I hope finds a home on many library shelves and in classrooms everywhere. Readers who enjoyed WHEN THE WORLD RUNS DRY by Nancy Castaldo will definitely want to check out TOTAL GARBAGE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Discusses waste problems that affect everyone on the globe, but acknowledges and calls out the fact that marginalized people and people in poverty will be disproportionally effected by problems caused by trash.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to waste issues causing health problems and injuring or killing animals.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of TOTAL GARBAGE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Historical, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll and Hyde Remix
Kalynn Bayron
Feiwel & Friends
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About My Dear Henry

In this gothic YA remix of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, a teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend’s disappearance—and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger—in misty Victorian London.

London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life— and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry’s expuslion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry’s relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again.

But Gabriel doesn’t want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what’s become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.

In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can’t help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him.

But the secret behind Henry’s apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog—and not all of them are out for blood…

My Review

I’ve read two other books by Kalynn Bayron before, one that I absolutely loved and another that I liked, so I was really interested to see where on that spectrum MY DEAR HENRY would fall.

The tone of the story drew me in pretty quickly. It reads in a style similar to the original story, but a little simpler and warmer, too. I liked that balance of a nod to the old with a fresh, accessible feeling, too.

Gabriel Utterson is a great character. I felt like he was easy to identify with and easy to root for. I also liked Henry Jekyll and Hyde, too. So, the characters pulled me into the story as well.

The author lists a content warning at the opening of the book, letting readers know that a medical experiment with an effect similar to conversion therapy takes place within the story. While that part of the story is heartbreaking, I loved that there are voices challenging the director and participant.

I thought the story fit very well within this particular reimagining, and that it’s a very timely version. The writing makes me want to read more work by this author– I think I have THIS POISON HEART on my shelf, but I haven’t read it yet. This book may be the push I needed to change that!

I think readers who enjoy reimagined classics or dark Victorian stories should definitely check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Gabriel and Henry are both Black and gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some homophobic statements. References to sexual assault and attempted sexual assault. Forced participation in a medical experiment meant to repress feelings of same gender attraction.

Drug Content
A man makes an elixir from purple flowers.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MY DEAR HENRY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Making More by Katherine Roy

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Making More: How Life Begins
Katherine Roy
Norton Young Readers
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Making More

Everywhere, all around you, life is making more. From fish to mammals and plants to insects, every organism on Earth must reproduce, and the survival of each species―and of life itself―depends on this and on the diversity it creates.

In this groundbreaking book, Katherine Roy distills the science of reproduction into its simplest components: organisms must meet, merge their DNA, and grow new individuals; and she thoughtfully highlights the astonishing variety of this process with examples from across the natural world, from ferns and butterflies to trout, hawks, rabbits, and more. Lucid, informed, and illuminated by beautiful paintings, Making More weaves a story that seamlessly explains life’s most fundamental process, answers children’s questions, and provides an essential tool for parents, caregivers, and educators.  Full-color throughout.

“Highly recommended for nonfiction and even parenting collections, where it will fly off the shelf with science-loving kids and neutralize any adult melodrama around talking to kids about sex.”― School Library Journal , starred review

My Review

The beautiful, painted illustrations are the first thing about this book that caught my eye. I love the soothing color palette and the way each page makes me feel immersed in nature.

The book addresses how different types of plants and animals make more of themselves in simple terms. I liked the way the author introduced different types of reproduction– crossing versus cloning– and gave simple explanations for why both are important.

Animal classes like fish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals each have their own page giving an overview of how they reproduce. Some technical terms are present, but used more in diagrams than in the paragraph text. I think the book strikes a great balance between simplifying a complex process for young readers while still presenting real biological information.

I love this book, and I think it’s a great resource for kids who are interested in animals or biology. This is definitely one I want on my own family library shelves, and I think it’d make a great book for classrooms and public libraries.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Representation
There are a few illustrations of people. The group illustration shows families of diverse backgrounds.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
The book is about how plants and animals reproduce. The page about mammals does name a penis and vagina and note that they are used in reproduction. The vagina is described as a path to birth. Those descriptions are pretty low key and brief.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to predators and parasites preventing some offspring from reaching adulthood.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MAKING MORE in exchange for my honest review.

20 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Spring 2023

Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, , ,

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am super ready for spring– especially when I look at all the incredible middle grade books coming out this season! As I started putting together this list, I was amazed to realize that, for me, there are 20 most-anticipated middle grade books coming spring 2023.

I’ve included a few nonfiction titles on this list, which is unusual for me, but they were such great books that I couldn’t NOT talk about them. I hope you enjoy the list and find lots to add to your reading lists.

20 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Spring 2023

Total Garbage by Rebecca Donnelly and John Hendrix

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Where does trash go? What are we throwing away? How does it impact our world? I love that this book answers these and other questions in an accessible, frank way.

Release Date: March 7, 2023

Rebel Girls Rock: 25 Tales of Women in Music by Rebel Girls

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Lizzo, Dolly Parton, Ella Fitzgerald, Queen Latifah, and so many more biographies of incredible women (and bands!) in the music industry. Rebel Girls books have been on my TBR for a long time, and I’m excited to read this one!

Release Date: March 7, 2023

Making More: How Life Begins by Katherine Roy

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This book gives an overview of how different types of animals and plants reproduce. I loved the straightforward science simplified perfectly for young readers.

Release Date: March 7, 2023

What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl with the ability to speak to ghosts for a limited time is the only one who can solve the disappearances of missing children. Looks spooky and intense! I loved the YA duology that begins with GIRLS WITH SHARP STICKS by Suzanne Young, so I’m super intrigued to read a middle-grade title by her.

Release Date: March 7, 2023

A Bit of Earth by Karuna Riazi

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A reimagining of THE SECRET GARDEN featuring a Pakistani girl who moves to Long Island after her parents’ deaths. Looks immersive and beautiful– like everything I’d want from a reboot of a treasured childhood classic.

Release Date: March 14, 2023

Wild Bird by Diane Zahler

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: 14th Century Europe. A lost girl who can’t remember her name travels from Norway to England looking for safety from the plague. A really intriguing premise from an author I’ve enjoyed before.

Release Date: March 21, 2023

Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Identical twins drifting apart agree to swap places for the summer. Whoever does a better job impersonating her sister gets to decide where they’ll go to school in the fall. This looks like a fun, fresh spin on a sister story– and I am desperate to read it.

Release Date: March 28, 2023

Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu (Academy for the Unbreakable Arts #2) by Erika Lewis

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Celtic mythology. A magical boarding school. A girl who must overcome her people’s prejudices against her to recover a stolen artifact before the world is plunged into darkness. I didn’t read the first book in this series, but this one looks awesome.

Release Date Update: Originally March 28, but has been pushed back to July 25, 2023.

Deadlands: Hunted by Skye Melki-Wegner

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Described as WINGS OF FIRE meets JURASSIC PARK. Five dinosaurs must work together to save their kingdoms from ruin. Looks exciting and different.

Release Date: April 4, 2023

Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Inspired by African American folklore and history and packed with suspense and fun. A girl must learn to use an unfamiliar magic to save her father. Angie Thomas is another author whose YA I’ve read and loved, so I’m excited to read her middle-grade debut.

Release Date: April 4, 2023

A Vanishing of Griffins by S. A. Patrick

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Book two in the Songs of Magic series. Three friends continue their adventure to find secrets about Griffins. Honestly, I’m interested in this one partly because I’ve enjoyed so many books by this publisher. It looks like a fun, fantastical adventure, too!

Release Date: April 11, 2023

The Swallowtail Legacy: Betrayal by the Book by Michael D. Beil

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The sequel to THE WRECK AT ADA’S REEF brings us back to Swallowtail Island where a writer’s conference featuring Lark’s favorite author is underway. More mystery, fun, and excitement!

Release Date: April 18, 2023

Fireborn: Phoenix and the Frost Palace by Aisling Fowler

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Hailed as perfect for fans of The School for Good and Evil series, which I loved. A girl with powerful magic must make a journey into darkness and face a terrible foe in order to save a long-lost witch clan.

Release Date: April 18, 2023

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The story of Ruby, a young elephant from Katherine Applegate’s novel THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN. Looks like such a sweet, fun story.

Release Date: May 2, 2023

Fall of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two brothers: one good, one evil, with one goal: protect the School, preserve the balance. What happens when they fail? I loved the first book in this duology, and it ended in a pretty dramatic way, so I can’t wait to read this one.

Release Date: May 2, 2023

Only Only Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A neighbor’s dog escapes, sending Marisol into worries about a ferocious beast roaming the streets. Can Marisol face her fears and help the lost dog find his way home? I’ve had my eye on this series, so I’m excited to check this one out.

Release Date: May 2, 2023

Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A brainy, bookish squire and an inept knight. A demonic dragon plaguing the countryside. A town with secrets. Who will save the day? I’m super excited about this graphic novel.

Release Date: May 9, 2023

Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Scavenger hunts left behind by her grandfather. A Chinese bakery on the brink of closing its doors. An unlikely friend in a boy from school who teams up with Ruby. This reminds me a little bit of both IT’S BOBA TIME FOR PEARL LI and FINALLY SEEN, so I’m super excited to read this.

Release Date: May 16, 2023

Spare Parts: The True Story of Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and an Impossible Dream (Young Readers’ Edition) by Joshua Davis and Reyna Grande

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A true story of four undocumented teens and their robot, Stinky. Described as timely and empowering, and I can’t wait to read it.

Release Date: May 30, 2023

Falling Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: 2193 and a humanity that’s solved all its problems (Or have they?). What if nothing Zola sees is the truth? A middle-grade thriller by a bestselling author. I am excited about this one, too.

Release Date: May 30, 2023

What are the middle grade books coming spring 2023 that you’re most looking forward to?

Are you looking forward to any of the books on this list? Which middle-grade books are you most looking forward to this spring? Leave a comment and let me know!

Review: Missing Clarissa by Ripley Scott

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Missing Clarissa
Ripley Jones
Wednesday Books
Published March 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Missing Clarissa

In a gripping novel perfect for fans of Sadie and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, two best friends start a true crime podcast—only to realize they may have helped a killer in the process.

In August of 1999, dazzlingly popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods outside the rural town of Oreville, Washington and is never seen again. The police question her friends, teachers, and the adults who knew her—who all have something to hide. And thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But with no leads and no body, the case soon grows cold. Despite the efforts of internet sleuths and true-crime aficionados, Clarissa is never found—dead or alive.

Over twenty years later, Oreville high-school juniors and best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast, determined to unravel the story of what—or who—happened to this rural urban legend. In the process they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead who had a very good reason for wanting Clarissa dead. Such a good reason, in fact, that they might have to make him the highlight of their next episode…

But does an ugly history with a missing girl make him guilty of murder? Or are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man—and help the true killer walk free?

My Review

One of the things I’m really curious about with this book is why the cover design doesn’t feature the face of Clarissa Campbell, the missing girl. Since the story became largely focused on understanding her and her life, I guess I wondered why her face wasn’t on the cover.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book going in. The cover didn’t give me a lot to go on, but the writing immediately pulled me into the story.

So, the book has an interesting style. It’s primarily from Blair and Cam’s points of view, but in a head-hoppy way. Like, one sentence might be from inside one girl’s head and the next might be inside the other’s. There are a couple brief scenes or paragraphs from other characters’ points of view, too.

It took me a little bit to get used to that style, but I actually enjoyed it once I got a feel for it. I liked both girls. They’re both really different and the kinds of different that makes them a great team.

In terms of the mystery elements, I felt like the story was very well organized. The mystery surrounding Clarissa’s disappearance felt to me like a long thread that Cam and Blair kept pulling and chasing down as it unraveled. It was easy to see their thought processes and how one clue led them to another, but I didn’t find the revelations to be obvious, either, if that makes sense?

All in all, I liked this book a lot. I found the characters compelling, and the mystery captivating. I can totally see fans of SADIE by Courtney Summers or THE AGATHAS by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson loving this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Cam is a lesbian and biracial– white and Latine.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. References to sex. Rumors about a teacher having sex with students.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Cam and Blair learn to shoot at a range. A car runs Cam and Blair’s vehicle off the road at night. A man ties a girl up with a clothesline and tosses her in the basement. A man shoots another man. Someone shoots a man in the knee.

Drug Content
Cam and Blair attend a party in the woods and drink beer there. References to a party in the woods the night Clarissa was last seen where teens drink alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MISSING CLARISSA in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie

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Ophelia After All
Racquel Marie
Feiwel & Friends
Published February 8, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ophelia After All

A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in Ophelia After All, a hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut by author Racquel Marie.

Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys – way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn’t change, even if she wanted to.

So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia’s firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love–and sexuality–never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she’s always imagined or upending everyone’s expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.

My Review

I don’t think I’ve ever read a debut so wise as this one. While Ophelia is herself a romantic, her story doesn’t truly center around a romantic relationship. It explores romantic feelings– both hers and some of her friends’. But the story truly shines as one of self-discovery. Ophelia wrestles with her own expectations for herself and the challenges of navigating close relationships as those expectations or feelings change.

Ophelia has a large and loud friend group, but the relationships aren’t all equally shared. Not only did this feel very real to me, because it’s hard to imagine a homogenously friendly group that size, but it deepened each of those characters because every relationship with Ophelia was individual, and impacted the group differently. It created a lot of tension and opportunity for ripple effects in that tension, which really made the big moments in the book even bigger.

I feel like I spent a long time on the edge of my emotional seat holding my breath and rooting for Ophelia to finally spill her guts and talk about the things she was holding back. I love the scene where things do come out and how wild and dramatic it was. I felt like it was the perfect scene for the story as a whole.

I think readers who enjoyed CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY by Steven Salvatore or HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE by Dahlia Adler will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Ophelia is Latine and white. She has a diverse group of friends. Some are black, Latine, and LGBTQIA+

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls. Brief reference to sex. Some conversations about asexuality.

Spiritual Content
Reference to family members who are homophobic for religious reasons.

Violent Content
Some homophobic comments.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of OPHELIA AFTER ALL in exchange for my honest review.