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Review: Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini by Betsy Uhrig

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Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini by Betsy Uhrig

Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini
Betsy Uhrig
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 22, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini

Books aren’t supposed to be dangerous. Are they?

Alex Harmon prefers running over sitting still reading. But when his aunt offers to pay him to point out the boring parts in her children’s book, he figures it’s an easy way to make ten bucks. The problem is that her book is about a grumpy frog and a prize-winning zucchini. It doesn’t have only a few boring pages…the whole thing is a lost cause.
br>Alex gives his aunt some ideas to help her out—like adding danger and suspense. But books can’t just be interesting. They also have to be believable. Soon Alex recruits his friends to help him act out scenes so he can describe all the important details. He’s even getting plot twists from a mysterious stranger (who might also be a ghost). Too late, Alex discovers that being a real-life stunt double for a fictional character can land you in terrible trouble—even if your friends are laughing their heads off!

My Review

You know that wonderful feeling you get when you need a really good story to pull you out of a really terrible week, and you find exactly the right one and it somehow makes your life so much better? This was my experience with DOUBLE THE DANGER AND ZERO ZUCCHINI.

I was having a really rough week. My cat had surgery, and I had my own health issues. I wasn’t sleeping much. I really didn’t feel like reading, but I didn’t feel like doing anything else, either. So I picked up this book hoping for hilarity and miracles, and it absolutely delivered.

First off, I was intrigued by the opening– we learn about a famous book that had a difficult beginning. And we meet Alex, a goofy, determined kid who doesn’t have a lot of faith in his own imagination and has a whole lot of trouble sitting still. He gets roped into helping his aunt fix her very boring book, and soon he and his friends are off testing scene ideas and chasing down a helpful writing ghost. I loved Alex’s friends and the relationships he forms with members of the senior center. This is one of those books that keeps you laughing and reminds you of the power of community to help one another and family to stick by each other. It’s packed with spunky characters and adventure and absolutely full of heart. It was exactly the book I needed to read.

I also love that the story championed audiobooks as an alternative way to read and that the crafty librarian is a hero, too. I think readers who enjoy funny stories and powerful friendships will love DOUBLE THE DANGER AND ZERO ZUCCHINI.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Alex’s friends are Latinx.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Alex and his friends joke that his neighbor’s house has a ghost.

Violent Content
Alex and his friends create a model for the final battle in his aunt’s story and discuss what kind of injuries it might cause the characters.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

Review: Foreverland by Nicole C. Kear

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Foreverland
Nicole C. Kear
Imprint
Published April 21, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Foreverland

Margaret is tired of everything always changing. Middle school has gone from bad to worse. Her best friend is becoming a stranger. And her family—well, it’s not even a family anymore.

So Margaret is running away to Foreverland, her favorite amusement park. Hiding out there is trickier than she expects–until she meets Jaime, a thrill-seeking, fast-thinking runaway who teaches Margaret how to stay one step ahead of the captain of security.

At first, this after-hours, all-access pass to the park is a dream come true: sleepovers in the Haunted House, nonstop junk food, and an unlimited ticket to ride. But as the runaways learn each other’s secrets, they must face the reasons they left their normal lives behind. With the Captain closing in and Jaime’s future on the line, can Margaret finally take control?

My Review

I can’t help being fascinated by books that take place in a theme park, whether they’re dark, like TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET or VANISHING GIRLS or sweeter, like THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER (okay, so that one is set in a museum, but I’m still counting it.).

FOREVERLAND is on the sweeter/lighter side of the spectrum. Margaret wrestles with fears and feelings of rejection and loneliness, but her friendship with Jaime helps give her a new perspective on not just her life, but herself. He sees her as this bold, courageous girl, which gives her an opportunity to reevaluate herself and see if she can find that courage and strength that he sees in her.

I’m pretty sure I saw the book on a list on Twitter and decided to order it to help support authors whose books have come out during the pandemic. We don’t always realize how much authors depend on school visits, book cons, and other big spring and summer events to get the word out about their work. With so many events canceled and so many students distance learning, it has not been easy for authors to reach new readers.

If you’re looking for a really sweet, uplifting book about friendship and courage, I absolutely recommend this one! You can find it on Indiebound and support not only the author but an independent bookstore near you, too!

You can also find other books for readers ages 8 to 12 that came out this year on this Goodreads list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Margaret has panic attacks and anxiety. Jaime’s grandparents are Puerto Rican.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Margaret feels left behind and forgotten now that her older sister has a boyfriend.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Margaret chokes on a bite of food and someone helps her by knocking it loose.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

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10 Things I Hate About Pinky (Dimple and Rishi #3)
Sandhya Menon
Simon Pulse
Published July 21, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

The follow-up to WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI and THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT SWEETIE follows Pinky and Samir as they pretend to date—with disastrous and hilarious results.

Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they’ll never forget.

My Review

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY is the first book by Sandhya Menon that I’ve read. I’ve heard great things about her other books, and have meant to read them, so when I got the chance to read this one, I was super excited.

First off, if you’re unfamiliar with Menon’s books (like I was), you can read this one without having read the others. There are some references to characters from the other books, but this book stands on its own.

I think this book totally lived up to the series hype. I loved Pinky’s quirkiness and passion and Samir’s awkwardness and insightfulness. I loved the fake dating. The family relationships were great, too. I especially loved the way the story explored Pinky’s relationship with her mom and things Pinky didn’t even realize she was doing to make that worse.

Also, the dramatic opossum! I love that Pinky rescues her and names her and walks her in a harness. It was weird and adorable and just SO Pinky.

The story has a lightness to it that I definitely need in my life right now. I found myself giggling and grinning through scenes and staying up to read just one more chapter (and another and another).

I think readers who love romantic comedy with family presence will love this fun, fake dating adventure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Main characters are Indian-American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used about a dozen times.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sex. Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
References to teens drinking alcohol.

Note: I received a free copy of 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman

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Music for Tigers
Michelle Kadarusman
Pajama Press
Published April 28, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Music for Tigers

Shipped halfway around the world to spend the summer with her mom’s eccentric Australian relatives, middle schooler and passionate violinist Louisa is prepared to be resentful. But life at the family’s remote camp in the Tasmanian rainforest is intriguing, to say the least. There are pig-footed bandicoots, scary spiders, weird noises and odors in the night, and a quirky boy named Colin who cooks the most amazing meals. Not the least strange is her Uncle Ruff, with his unusual pet and veiled hints about something named Convict Rock.

Finally, Louisa learns the truth: Convict Rock is a sanctuary established by her great-grandmother Eleanor—a sanctuary for Tasmanian tigers, Australia’s huge marsupials that were famously hunted into extinction almost a hundred years ago. Or so the world believes. Hidden in the rainforest at Convict Rock, one tiger remains. But now the sanctuary is threatened by a mining operation, and the last Tasmanian tiger must be lured deeper into the forest. The problem is, not since her great-grandmother has a member of the family been able to earn the shy tigers’ trust.

As the summer progresses, Louisa forges unexpected connections with Colin, with the forest, and—through Eleanor’s journal—with her great-grandmother. She begins to suspect the key to saving the tiger is her very own music. But will her plan work? Or will the enigmatic Tasmanian tiger disappear once again, this time forever?

A moving coming-of-age story wrapped up in the moss, leaves, and blue gums of the Tasmanian rainforest where, hidden under giant ferns, crouches its most beloved, and lost, creature.

My Review

I feel like this book slipped right into my TBR calendar almost as elusively as the Tasmanian tigers in the story. I’d never heard of a Tasmanian tiger or Thylacine until reading MUSIC FOR TIGERS. As I read descriptions of them– the stiff tail, dog-like face, tiger stripes– my curiosity only grew until I had to look online and get a visual for it. I found some video footage of the last Tasmanian tiger in captivity. It’s pretty wild looking!

In terms of the story, I loved Louisa from the getgo. I loved her passion for her music and felt a kinship with her over her battle with anxiety. I loved the way her relationship with her uncle developed as well as with her neighbor, Colin, who is possibly my favorite character in the whole book. I definitely identified with his mom and her heartbreak over Colin’s hurts and loneliness. She so wants him to find his people, and I absolutely feel like I get that.

The plot was not what drove the story for me. I think I kept wanting them to come up with a way to save the camp or raise awareness of the animals that destroying it endangered. But that wasn’t really the story. It was more an internal growth story about Louisa coming to understand her family and fall in love with things she didn’t expect to, which I really love, but it’s hard to make that as compelling a plot as something more concrete.

On the whole, I’m super glad I read this book and really enjoyed it. I think fans of BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD or CHIRP will enjoy MUSIC FOR TIGERS. I know I’ll be recommending it!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Characters are white — Canadian or Australian. One character is non-neurotypical and has ASD.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some rumors of ghosts at Convict Rock (though Louisa doesn’t really believe the stories) and sometimes Louisa hears piano music– perhaps like her grandmother used to play.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Louisa’s uncle spends the night in town after drinking too much at a bar after losing someone he cares about.

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

Review: Chirp by Kate Messner

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Chirp
Kate Messner
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published February 4, 2020

Amazon |Book Depository | Goodreads

About Chirp

From acclaimed author Kate Messner comes the powerful story of a young girl with the courage to make her voice heard, set against the backdrop of a summertime mystery.

When Mia moves to Vermont the summer after seventh grade, she’s recovering from the broken arm she got falling off a balance beam. And packed away in the moving boxes under her clothes and gymnastics trophies is a secret she’d rather forget.

Mia’s change in scenery brings day camp, new friends, and time with her beloved grandmother. But Gram is convinced someone is trying to destroy her cricket farm. Is it sabotage or is Gram’s thinking impaired from the stroke she suffered months ago? Mia and her friends set out to investigate, but can they uncover the truth in time to save Gram’s farm? And will that discovery empower Mia to confront the secret she’s been hiding–and find the courage she never knew she had?

In a compelling story rich with friendship, science, and summer fun, a girl finds her voice while navigating the joys and challenges of growing up.

My Review

I got kind of nervous as I started to read this book. The way it talked about Mia having a secret, I assumed it had something to do with an adult having inappropriate contact with her, and I wasn’t sure how explicit or intense that would be. Since I’m pretty sensitive to the topic, I felt a little tense until I got to that part of the story. It didn’t include anything nightmarishly explicit. I don’t say that to downplay what Mia experienced at all, simply that as a reader, it didn’t end up being something I couldn’t handle reading.

Mia’s grandmother made me smile so much. She’s strong and brave and pretty committed to her course. I liked the relationship she has with Mia, and the way each encouraged the other. Mia’s friendships with Clover and Anna were great, too. I loved how they bonded over their shared passion for their Launch Camp projects and then over other experiences.

Solidarity Between Women

At one point in the book, after Mia has heard from several of the women in her life about experiences where they were harrassed or treated inappropriately by men, she wonders if this is something that all women experience. I felt like it’s such a reasonable question, and such a hard part about growing up, right? Because too many women do have those stories. I know I do.

While it’s heartbreaking watching someone realize something troubling about the world, I loved the way it becomes part of Mia’s healing, too. She’s not alone. She’s not wrong for feeling the way she did, even though at the time, she felt completely alone and ashamed for feeling uncomfortable.

I also loved that, even though I thought the topic was really well-addressed, the story wasn’t only about these things. Mia is never defined by that experience. She’s always many things– a girl with lots of interests and talents and relationships.

Plus I have to talk about the cricket farm. I know I say this every time I read a book with a protagonist with an unusual interest or talent, but I love that the author brought such a different family business to the story– not only a cricket farm, but crickets for a food source! I thought that was really fun.

Readers who are looking for a balance of light and heavy topics will enjoy CHIRP a lot, especially fans of BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD by Monika Schröder or FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Mia’s friend Anna is Indian. A couple other minor characters are also Asian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mia recalls situations in which a man made her uncomfortable and left her feeling icky.

Spiritual Content
A brief mention that Mia’s family has gone to church on Sunday.

Violent Content
A man verbally threatens a girl.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Princess Who Flew with Dragons by Stephanie Burgis

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The Princess Who Flew with Dragons (Tales of the Chocolate Heart #3)
Stephanie Burgis
Bloomsbury USA Kids
Published November 5, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About The Princess Who Flew with Dragons

Princess Sofia of Drachenheim is sick of being used for her older sister’s political gains. At twelve years old, she’s already been a hostage to invading dragons and a promised future fiancé to a wicked fairy. Her only comfort lies in writing letters to her pen pal and best friend–Jasper, a young dragon whom she’s never even met.

When Sofia’s older sister sends her on a diplomatic mission to far-off Villenne, she’s meant to play the part of a charming, smiling princess. But when an accident leads to her exile from the city, Sofia is free to wander as she pleases for the first time in her life. And when Jasper’s food-mage sister Aventurine turns him into a human boy, Sofia thinks life can’t get any better. Until… the legendary ice giants of the north attack, trying to reclaim the territory that they lost centuries ago. With the dragons and royals frozen in ice, can Sofia and Jasper save their families and kingdom?

Another enchanting and strong-hearted fantasy, set in the same world as The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart and The Girl with the Dragon Heart.

My Review

THE PRINCESS WHO FLEW WITH DRAGONS is the third book in the series that began with THE DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART. All three have been amazing stories– packed with so many positive messages and heart that I can’t stop recommending them to others.

All three books feature strong heroines who feel isolated from others and face circumstances that force them to learn how to trust others and be a good friend. Some moments are silly and lighthearted, giving the books a sense of fun and keeping them upbeat. Each girl faces high stakes, so the story also packs a great pace and lots of adventure.

I also really like that each girl has a special talent that helps her in sometimes unexpected ways. In book one, Aventurine has a talent for making chocolate. In book two, Silke is a storyteller. Book three’s heroine loves philosophy.

Sofia’s love of philosophy at first seems to set her against her family and be an obstacle she may have to overcome, but Sofia soon realizes that her ability to break things down into philosophical questions gives her an advantage against her enemies.

I feel like I could go on and on about this series. I love these books. I love the excellent blend of fun and adventure coupled with lessons about relationships and having confidence in your talents. I highly recommend all three books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
The whole story contains a lot of messages about how fear of others and isolationism cause harm and hurt to a lot of people. Over and over characters learn that we need one another, and that differences can be needed assets.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The story contains fantasy characters (like dragons, goblins, etc.) and the use of magic.

Violent Content
Some brief battle scenes using magic between ice giants and Sofia’s allies. Situations of peril, but nothing gory or graphic.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE PRINCESS WHO FLEW WITH DRAGONS in exchange for my honest review.