Thursday, March 14, 2024

Brainstorm 314: Pie Stories for Pi Day

 Yesterday was Pi Day (well, right now it is still Pi day in certain parts of the world) which seems like a perfect time to share some books heavily featuring pie. Click on the title to see my full review of each book including any content notes/trigger warnings. And warning, you may need to find yourself a slice of pie before diving into any of these stories as they are all likely to make you hungry for some. (I wish I could say I totally planned for Brainstorm 314 to be the Pi Day Brainstorm, but it was just a happy accident.)


Cindy and Panda by Benson Shum
Cindy and her new friend Panda are baking a rhubarb pie. But what happens when the sous chef eats some of the ingredients? Is the pie ruined? How about their friendship?
Forgiving isn't easy, but Cindy and Panda model moving past hurts well. And I like how they problem solved a way to save the baking session.

Target Readers:
Friendship Story Fans, Rhubarb Pie Lovers, Baking Story Fans, Conflict Resolution Story Fans, Asian Character Fans, Panda Lovers, Picture Book Readers


Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn
Elliott is trying to survive life in middle school. 6th grade is tough enough without ADHD. His mom and therapist get his ADHD, but his dad and friends don't always understand. Elliott himself is trying to better understand his tendencies and employ the therapist's coping strategies. He really needs to kick it into gear so he doesn't fail the 2nd half of 6th grade like he did the first. There's a big project coming up and his friends don't want him in his group so he somehow ends up in a group with Maribel who also got rejected by her friends. Maribel is super organized and on top of things. Elliott loves being in the kitchen, but he isn't sure about baking. His idol chef says baking is for muffinheads. And Maribel insists they make gluten free pies. Elliott is super motivated for their project to be a financial success, though, since he really wants to go to cooking camp but his Dad also is demanding he pay for a window and he doesn't have money for both. On top of trying to not bomb the project or 6th grade, Elliott is trying to wrap his head around his Dad and stepmom expecting a baby and what that means for him.
This book does a wonderful job of helping readers understand what it can be like to have ADHD or Celiac’s disease.

Target Readers:
Contemporary Fiction Fans, Characters with ADHD Fans, Characters with Celiac’s Disease Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Middle School Story Fans, Family Story Fans, Baking Story Fans, Award Winner Readers, Middle Grade Readers


When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie (The Great Peach Experiment, #1) by Erin Soderberg Downing
The Peach family has made it through a year of grieving the loss of their wife/mother. One of her inventions just hit a big payday, and instead of using the money for a vacation, Dad decided to buy a used food truck and has declared they are going to travel around the Midwest selling pies with the goal of winning a food truck competition in Delaware, Ohio at the end of the summer. Lucy is very wary of her Dad's plans. She's spent the year single-handedly holding the family together by handling all of the details, like packed lunches and schedules. Dad may be a brilliant scientist, but he is not a details person. So Lucy is afraid this is going to fall apart and she's going to be stuck trying to keep everything together. Besides, she wanted spend her summer relaxing and reading the entire summer optional reading list. Freddy also wanted to chill, but he thinks traveling might not be bad if they can stop and see all the weird road side attractions along the way. Little Herb is up for anything, but on the one condition that he can swim every single day. Dad promises the kids they will all get to fulfill their wishes, but what happens when he loses sight of the purpose of the summer and the food truck in the first place?
A heartwarming, slightly zany summer road trip story that tackles tough topics in a tactful, hopeful, and entertaining way.

Target Readers:
Road Trip Story Fans, Family Story Fans, Food Truck Fans, Baking Story Fans, Personal Growth Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Middle Grade Readers



Yummy: a History of Desserts by Victoria Grace Elliott
3 food sprites introduce readers to the real history of cakes, ice cream, pie, brownies, gummies, cookies, and macarons. Each chapter looks back to the earliest evidence of these kinds of goodies, how and where they developed, different cultures' adaptations, legends about how specific ones developed, and biographies of developers known for sure.
Pie lovers can skip to the pie section, or just devour the whole book. This is a delicious way to learn about food history. 

Target Readers:
Graphic Novel Fans, Random Fact Sponges, Food History Studiers, Dessert Lovers, Reluctant Nonfiction Readers, Young Adult Readers (though of interest to Adults and approachable to Middle Grade)

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Brainstorm 313: Fiction/Nonfiction Books to Read Together Vol. 3

 For this week’s Brainstorm I have some fiction/nonfiction pairs that complement each other and make the reading experience of both books better. Some of these nonfiction books reveal the backstory of the fiction title, or they backup the science or folklore or other things included. If you'd like to check out other fiction/nonfiction pairings you can see my first volume here, and second one here. Click on each title below to see my full review and any content notes/trigger warnings for that book.


Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens & The Big One: the Cascadia Earthquakes and the Science of Saving Lives (Scientists in the Field) by Elizabeth Rusch

Two books on earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest. The nonfiction one talks about how this area gets less frequent but more severe earthquakes and why. The fiction book imagines what might happen if another earthquake hit the region.

Fiction: Hannah lives in an idyllic remote community on Pelling island near Seattle. After school she heads over to one of her two neighbor's houses to babysit the Matlock kids while their mom goes to an art show in the city. Hannah is a little nervous as it is only her 2nd time babysitting ever. Just a little while after Ms. Matlock leaves, and Hannah is in the middle of a texting argument with her supposed best friend, a major earthquake hits. The Cascades never get earthquakes, or so Hannah thought. But they are definitely in the middle of one and its aftershocks now. Can Hannah and the two elementary-age Matlock kids survive on their own in their isolated community till help comes?

Nonfiction: Though it lies along a major fault line in the Earth's crust the Pacific Northwest has a much lower frequency of earthquakes than other areas lying along the Ring of Fire. Scientists were curious as to why, and so they started doing some research. Rusch takes readers to meet some of the scientists and learn what they've uncovered. The research has led them to the conclusion that because of the type of fault line, the region experiences massive earthquakes every couple hundred years instead of yearly littler ones. Which begs the question of when the next one will hit. Learn about what the science has uncovered, how, and how to prepare for future quakes.

Target Readers:

Earthquake Studiers, Disaster Story Fans, Survival Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

The Field by Baptiste Paul, ill. by Jacqueline Alcántara & G is for Golazo: the Ultimate Soccer Alphabet by James Littlejohn, ill. by Matthew Shipley 

2 books for young soccer fans/players.

Fiction: Some children meet in the field to play some futbol. They shoo off the cows and don't mind a little rain, and play until all their moms call the game. The words are simple, mixing a little Creole and English.

Nonfiction: An alphabet book of soccer terms, slang, player nicknames, and famous moves. Each page highlights a different famous player or players from around the world.

Target Readers:

Soccer Fans, Soccer Players, Sports Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey & Mr McCloskey's Marvellous Mallards: the Making of Make Way for Ducklings by Emma Bland Smith, ill. by Becca Stadtlander

A classic picture book and a nonfiction picture book biography that gives some background on the making of that book.

Fiction: The classic picture book about a family of ducks in Boston.

Nonfiction: Emma Bland Smith shares the lengths Robert McCloskey went to to make sure the ducks in Make Way for Ducklings were just right. (P.S. The notes in the back of the book from McCloskey's daughter and the author are super interesting reads.)

Target Readers:

Duck Lovers, Baby Animal Story Fans, Art Lovers, Modern Classics Fans, Award Winner Readers, Creative Process Story Fans, Behind the Scenes Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone (The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival, #1) by Dene Low, ill. by Jen Corace & The Dictionary of Difficult Words by Jane Solomon, ill. by Louise Lockhart

A humorous British mystery with a vocabulary to impress any English teacher and an entertaining illustrated dictionary to help you understand those words you may have never ever seen before.

Fiction: A delightfully witty romp through early 1900s England with spunky Petronella, her hilarious Uncle, and her faithful friends who help her solve the mystery that comes to her door.

Nonfiction: An illustrated dictionary of words that you are likely to come across in books and poems from 100+ years ago that are still popular, as well as in science books, mythology, history, the SAT, and other very random places. This is a fantastic resource not only for the curious kid or adult, but also for those reading classic literature, high schoolers studying for the SAT, those aiming to build their vocabulary, and general word lovers.

Target Readers:

Vocabulary Builders, Mystery Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Linguistics Fans, Quirky Book Fans, Middle Grade/YA Readers

 

To Kill a Mockingbird the graphic novel by Harper Lee, adapted by Fred Fordham & Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep

Read Harper Lee’s classic (or the excellent graphic novel adaptation) and then find out about the story behind Harper Lee’s writing and why she published so few books during her lifetime (and the curious history of Go Set a Watchman). 

Fiction: A graphic novel adaptation of Harper Lee's classic story about a brother and sister growing up in the South, coming to understand social class and racial prejudice, how people jump to conclusions, the expectations and pressures of a community, and the injustices that even a fine upstanding lawyer like their father can only put a dent in.

Nonfiction: In a small town in Alabama, relatives of Rev. Willie Maxwell started dying at a rather alarming rate. The police knew he was collecting insurance money on all of them, but they were struggling to find evidence. Eventually a relative of one of the deceased shot Willie Maxwell in front of hundreds of witnesses. Cep relates biographies of both of those men, the string of deaths leading up to Maxwell's own demise, and a bio of the lawyer who defended both Maxwell and his shooter in court at different times. The book then turns to look at Harper Lee, her writing and work with childhood friend Truman Capote on In Cold Blood as his research assistant, and then how she did serious research on the Maxwell story and trial, and what happened to Lee and that book she obviously spent years working on.

Target Readers:

Harper Lee Fans, American South History Studiers, Historical Fiction Fans, True Crime Fans, Behind the Scenes Story Fans, Graphic Novel Adaptation Fans, Modern Classic Fans, YA/Adult Readers

 

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Tristan Strong, #1) by Kwame Mbalia & Ain’t Nothin’ But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson

Read a fiction book that includes tall tale hero John Henry as well as other tall tale, American South folklore characters, and African mythology and a nonfiction book about the research to find the real historical man who inspired the John Henry tall tale.

Fiction: Tristan Strong was just trying to keep the strange living doll thing from stealing the only thing he has left from his best friend when he accidentally lets loose a haint and tears a whole between realms. He finds himself in Alke where stories are powerful, John Henry and Brer Fox are gods, and the land is being overwhelmed with dark forces stealing people away. Even though he didn't purposefully come to Alke, the hole is somewhat his fault and he needs to help fix it. Whether he wants to or not. But he'll have to confront things about himself, mobilize various forces who are reluctant to cooperate, and find the bravery to stand up to the darkness. This series tackles some heavier topics, like slavery and oppression and grief, but in creative and thought-provoking ways.

Nonfiction: Nelson shares how he was researching the men who worked on the railroad, and that led him to start looking for the real John Henry. There were enough details consistent throughout the various version of the song that suggested people were singing about a real man. He shares about his research process and what he eventually uncovered about a man who worked the railroad named John Henry. A fascinating read that is just as much about the process of historical research and how to dig for information from the past as it is about John Henry.

Target Readers:

Tall Tale Fans, Mythological Fiction Fans, Black Folklore/Legend Fans, Black History Studiers/Fans, Origin Story Fans, Thought-Provoking Story Fans, Research Method Studiers, Middle Grade/YA Readers

 

Sisters of Shadow and Light (Sisters of Shadow and Light, #1) by Sara B. Larson & The Griffin and the Dinosaur: How Adrienne Mayor Discovered a Fascinating Link Between Myth and Science by Marc Aronson with Adrienne Mayor, ill. by Chris Muller

My last pair involves griffins in fantasy and a book about chasing down where griffin legends originated. 

Fiction: Zuhra and Inara have grown up their whole lives in the citadel of the Paladins with only their mother and faithful helper Sami. Zuhra barely remembers their Paladin father, who disappeared from the citadel the night Inara was born. His departure has turned their mother into a hard, cold woman. She has forbidden the girls to explore the citadel or learn anything about Paladin ways. Inara has the eyes of a Paladin, but most of them time they lose her to what she calls "the roar." It makes her unable to communicate and hardly able to function. The only time she can talk and act like a normal person comes if Zuhra can coax her to heal one of her plants. And the reason it is just the 4 of them in the citadel is the enormous hedge that surrounds the citadel, keeping them in and everyone else out. Until the day it lets through a wandering Paladin scholar, a young man, setting off a chain of events that will change all of their lives forever. (And bring griffins!)

Nonfiction: Adrienne Mayor grew up in a family of storytellers. Often those stories were inspired by artifacts or things found in nature. When she eventually went to spend some time studying ancient art in Greece, Adrienne realized that the stories of griffins weren't like fantasy stories, they were more like something inspired by a real object, like the stories her family used to tell. So she started to do more extensive research into griffins in art and what things ancients might have seen that would inspire stories about such creatures. Her research led her to fossils, and tracing down the griffin lore to match with a fossil that matched the first griffin mythology quite well.

Target Readers:

Griffin Fans, Mythological Creature Story Fans, Fantasy Fans, Research Method Studiers, Origin Story Fans, YA Readers


Thursday, February 15, 2024

Brainstorm 312: Unexpected Adventures

For today’s Brainstorm I bring you some unexpected adventurers. These aren’t the characters who sit down and plot their journeys carefully, and they aren’t usually the most brave or adventurous. Think of a Bilbo or Frodo. They are the ones who get snatched up in circumstances and are off before they realize what’s really happening, the ones who think they are just running down to the corner store and end up halfway across the land. They may not be the most likely adventurers, but they are often the most compelling to travel with as they find unexpected depths in themselves, the lands they visit, and the others they meet along the way. One thing’s for sure, they will not return from their unexpected adventure the same. Click on the titles to see my full review for each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.



Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris, ill. by LeUyen Pham
Bear meets a growing assortment of creatures as he rides a log down a river. They all have different personalities, but the journey is better with everyone along.
The story is fairly simple, but has a lot of potential talking points and the illustrations are delightful.

Target Readers:
Animal Story Fans, Adventure Story Fans, Art Lovers, Forest Setting Fans, Award Winner Readers, Picture Book Readers

 


Bear Knight (Lightraider Academy, #2) by James R. Hannibal
The Lightraider Academy recruits have returned from their first mission and are eager to get going to address the growing threat, but the Prime Council is insisting someone come and give them an update/answer their questions. They want to interrogate interview Kara, but Jairun sends Connor and Lee instead. Kara is trying to catch up on finishing her quests so she can stay with the rest of the recruits in her year, but the metalworking one may kill her. As more reports of dragon's minions slipping across the border reach the Lightraider ears, all of the recruits are sent out on quests. And these aren't training runs any more, these are life or death missions to address the growing evil threats.
It is quite hard to summarize this book well. There's a lot going on, and many of the quests start off in one direction and then shift at least once if not twice through the book (thus why I’m including it in today’s Brainstorm). Hannibal does an excellent job of weaving in the Christian allegory elements and writing an engaging, exciting fantasy adventure with a lot of distinct character voices.

Target Readers:
Fantasy Fans, Quest Story Fans, Adventure Fans, Christian Fiction Fans, Knight Story Fans, Boarding School Story Fans, Epic Good vs Evil Story Fans, Young Adult Readers

 



Calor (The Nightingale Trilogy, #1) by J.J. Fischer
Sephone Winter is a slave, a mem forced to use her ability to view memories to soothe and diminish those memories of the ones who hire her through her cruel master, Cutter. When a Lord Adamo comes through town looking for a powerful mem like Sephone to help him on a quest, she is intrigued. The fact that the lord was the young man who saved her from the ice when she was 4 gives her extra bravery to trust him and take a chance by running away with him and his guards, Bas and Bear. They make their way from town to town in a quest to find the Reliquery, a legendary item that predates the cataclysm and is supposed to increase abilities of those with powers. But Cutter is hot on their trail as is another powerful Lord who wouldn't mind having Sephone's powers at his beck and call and would like to finish the job of killing of Lord Adamo's family. Along with the very smart wolf, Jewel, who has been a companion to Lord Adamo, and another man with powers to discern when people are telling the truth, Damian, Sephone, Lord Adamo, Bas, and Bear must find the item of legend without falling into evil clutches.
This is a thought-provoking fantasy dystopia with a lot of complex, flawed characters. There’s an ongoing discussion in the story of whether removing all memories of hurt is positive or negative for a person. Without memories of events that hurt, are you the same person? 

Target Readers:
Dystopia Fans, Fantasy Fans, Complex Flawed Character Fans, Human Rights Story Fans, Fans of Stories That Make You Think, Christian Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to most teens)

 



Cog by Greg Van Eekhout, ill. by Beatrice Blue
Cog is an android who is working hard to build his cognitive intelligence. But when an attempt to do so ends rather badly, he wakes up to find himself far from his home and from Gina who cared for him. He's now in the uniMIND headquarters and when he finds out they want to remove his brain to find something called the X-module, Cog decides he doesn't like the sound of that. He wants to find Gina so he escapes with four other robots. They set out on a cross-country journey but uniMIND is hot on their trail.
Beyond being a fun adventure story with a group of very entertaining robots the book actually explores the issues of free will vs mind control/slavery in such a way it never feels like that's an agenda but the book will definitely leave readers with things to think about.

Target Readers:
Science Fiction Fans, Robot Story Fans, Adventure Story Fans, Humor Fans, Stand Alone Story Fans, Quest Story Fans, Fans of Stories That Make You Think, Quick Read Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 



Cytonic (Skyward, #3) by Brandon Sanderson
To escape Superiority forces chasing her, Spensa jumps into the nowhere. She could easily escape home, but she also feels that the answer to how to defeat the delvers can be found if she stays. So this time she stays there with M-Bot in the cleaning drone accompanying her, and finds that there are actually people and places in the nowhere, along with the delvers. Soon she is running from space pirates and exploring the strange fragments of the nowhere, on a quest to find the answer to the delvers. But the nowhere has dangers beyond pirates and delvers. It is all too easy to entirely lose your memories of all you know and love, even your own name the longer you are in the nowhere. Can Spensa hold onto who she is and why she's here long enough to fulfill her quest?
Obviously, this is book 3 in the Skyward series and you should really read books 1 & 2 to fully understand what brought Spensa to this point, why she’s concerned about the delvers, where home is, and why the Superiority was chasing her.

Target Readers:
Science Fiction Fans, Adventure Fans, Space Exploration Story Fans, Pirate Story Fans, Pilot Main Character Fans, Underdog Story Fans, Young Adult & Adult Readers

 



Escape to the Above (Snared, #1) by Adam Jay Epstein
Wily Snare has been in charge of the design and upkeep of the traps in the dungeon guarding the treasure of the Wizard Stalag. Wily is very good at his job and prides himself on all the would-be thieves his traps have helped find more profitable work in Stalag's mines. But when a new group of adventurers manage to not only get farther than any other previous group, but also best the wizard and claim the treasure, Wily's world is rocked. Not only that, but they demand Wily goes with them on their next adventure. The world above is scary and entirely foreign to Wily. Wizard Stalag has warned him that sunlight will burn his skin and that life above is terrible. But the champions insist he comes with them, and Wily has no clue how this trip about will change his life.
Imaginative world building, memorable characters, and a kingdom caught in turmoil needing some unexpected heroes make this the start of an exciting fantasy adventure trilogy.

Target Readers:
Fantasy Fans, Adventure Fans, Imaginative World Building Fans, Complete Series Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 



The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone (Kingdoms and Empires, #1) by Jaclyn Moriarty
When Bronte Mettlestone gets the news that her parents have been killed by pirates she's more surprised than upset. She's never seen them since they dropped her off as a baby in the lobby of her Aunt Isabelle's. Aunt Isabelle and her Butler have raised her since then to the ripe old age of 10. Her life has been pretty tame compared to her adventuring parents, but all of that is about to change. Her parents’ will stipulates that she is supposed to visit all of her father's other 10 sisters in their various homes hither and yon, and deliver gifts to each one. The will tells her how to travel, how long to stay in each place, when to give each gift, and even recommends places to dine. It is most unusual, but what is even more odd is that she is to do it all alone AND the will is surrounded by fairy cross stitch which means if she doesn't do even one small thing the will tells her she must do, her home town of Gainsleigh will be struck by disasters. No pressure.
As Bronte goes on her journey there's an overarching mystery that slowly comes to light and really propels the climax

Target Readers:
Fantasy Fans, Early 1900s with Magic Setting Fans, Adventure Fans, Visiting Family Story Fans, Mystery Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 



Nurk is a shrew with adventure in his blood. At least, he thinks there might be. His grandmother is/was a great adventurer (and no one seems to know if she's still alive or not). Inspired by her journal (well, at least what he can make out of it...adventurers have atrocious handwriting it seems), and a piece of mail asking for help, Nurk fashions himself an adventure-worthy vessel and sets out to return the piece of mail and perhaps help out whoever was asking for help (the mail was seriously water-logged and only half legible).
This is such a cozy little adventure. If you're looking for quick read with a captivating adventure, a great cast, a lovable underdog hero, some hilarious commentaries on bad handwriting, and nothing too stressful, snatch this up.

Target Readers:
Animal Fans, Fantasy Fans, Sailing Adventure Fans, Humor Fans, Cozy Low-Stress Story Fans, Quick Read Fans, Stand Alone Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers (though short enough strong lower grade readers would find it approachable)

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Brainstorm 311: Dragon Reads for the Year of the Dragon

As promised, here are some dragon story ideas for your Year of the Dragon reading. It was quite hard to narrow down this list and not give you 25+ books today. I quite enjoy a good dragon story, from my all-time favorite dragon, Kazul, in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede, to the dragons who provide the perfect foil for the underdog heroes we love to cheer for, like Bilbo going up against Smaug in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and let’s not forget the allure of a cute little pet dragon like the ones in The Fallen Isles series by Jodi Meadows. There’s a lot of dragon stories to love out there. To help narrow things down, I decided to share some of the newer dragon stories I’ve read and enjoyed (plus the 8 others I just slipped in above 😁). Click on the title of each book to read my full review plus any content notes/trigger warnings.


Alliana, Girl of Dragons (Eva Evergreen, #0) by Julie Abe

Alliana is an orphan. She lives in a small town near the wild abyss with her Stepmother who makes her work from sunup to sundown at the inn. Her one bright spot in the day is her visits to Grandmother Mari who tells her stories and shows her the only kindness Alliana gets in the house. Alliana's life seems doomed to be stuck as an indentured servant to her Stepmother, but her one hope is the Farmlands Ball at which young people can get chosen to go to the Royal Academy and get training for a better job in the land. But after Grandmother's death Alliana feels stuck and Stepmother has made it clear that she'll do everything she can to stop Alliana from going to the ball. Her world is looking bleaker and bleaker, in fact if it weren't for her friends, Nela the witch in training, Isao the baker's employee, and Kabo the dragon, Alliana would have no hope at all. Because what future is there for a poor orphan girl on the outskirts of nowhere?

I absolutely loved this. It has definite elements of Cinderella (with a job opportunity as the goal of the ball instead of a romantic interest), flavorings of Kiki's Delivery Service (it has a Japanese fantasy setting and Nela reminds me a lot of Kiki), with touches of How to Train Your Dragon. Kabo is a dragon Alliana secretly befriends and trains when she can slip away from the inn, and gets more page time in the 2nd half of the book.

Target Readers:

Japanese Fantasy Setting Fans, Fairy Tale Rewrite Fans, Adventure Fans, Miyazaki Film Fans/Eiko Kadano Book Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon (Amy Wu, #2) by Kat Zhang, ill. by Charlene Chua

Amy's class reads about dragons and makes their own, but Amy's dragon doesn't look like the others. It doesn't have wings, and it has different horns, and a longer shape. Amy's friends says she did it wrong, but she knows she's seen a dragon like that. When she goes home she finds the source of her inspiration, and then creates her very own unique dragon for show and tell.

I like how this subtly celebrates kids who are a little bit of the East and a little bit of the West through the dragons in those cultures stories. A fantastic read for third culture kids or children of immigrants who feel like they don't completely belong in either culture but are a curious mix of both.

Target Readers:

Third Culture Kids/Immigrant Kids/Biracial Kids Story Fans, Family Story Fans, Grandmother/Granddaughter Story Fans, School Story Fans, East meets West Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey and Sassafras, #1) by Asia Citro, ill. by Marion Lindsay

Just before her mom leaves for a conference, Zoey discovers that she and her mom share the ability to see fantasy creatures unlike anyone else they know. Zoey's mom shares that she secretly cares for magical creatures when they need help in the barn out back, and Mom is leaving Zoey in charge while she is gone. For a few days nothing happens, but then a baby dragon shows up and Zoey and her cat Sassafras must figure out how to help the little creature using some research and scientific experimenting.

The former science teacher in me appreciates this series for the way Zoey models scientific inquiry (with her mom’s guidance and oversight), while the fantasy lover enjoys the cute baby dragon and all the other fantasy creatures Zoey and Sassafras help along the way.

Target Readers:

Budding Scientists, Fantasy Creature Fans, Fantasy Vet Fans, Problem Solving Story Fans, Lower Grade Fiction Readers

 

The Dragon and the Stone (The DreamKeeper Saga, #1) by Kathryn Butler

Lily's father was lost at sea, and since then she and Mom and Gran are barely making it. At least she has her father's stories, and the necklace she recently found in a book. Still, things are hard. And she thinks she's actually losing it when she sees a little dragon eating dinner out of the pot, and then in a series of strange events he takes her to a whole new world. There, Cedric (the little dragon scout) tells her that her necklace drew him to her. It signifies she is a keeper, but how she got the stone without any training or it going through the proper channels is a mystery. Cedric says she must stay until they figure out why the shrouds (big evil dragons) are after her, and besides, they could use someone like her who can create things with imagination. Lily is a bit dubious. She's also annoyed that the bully from school somehow got transported with them. Adam makes her life miserable, and now he's with her in a fantasy realm?! But when Lily finds out this is the land her father told her about in his stories, and it appears he really used to come here...and may even impossibly be there now, she must stay to find out the truth.

This is a deliciously imaginative fantasy portal adventure with some light Christian allegorical elements (it is tastefully done, not heavy handed at all...if you didn't know to look for it, it'd be easy to miss). Cedric is a delightful guide and loyal friend for Lily.

Target Readers:

Fantasy Fans, Portal Story Fans, Adventure Fans, Christian Allegory Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon by Ying Chang Compestine, ill. by Joy Ang

Wolf would like to set the record straight about the Red Riding Hood story. He was just an innocent spectator. That whole gobbling up and impersonating Granny? It was a dragon. A dragon who had no idea who he was messing with.

This is a creative reimagining of the Little Red Riding Hood story with a little martial artist, a hungry dragon, and an older China setting.

Target Readers:

Fairy Tale Rewrite Fans, China Setting Fans, Martial Arts Story Fans, Fantasy Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #1) by Marie Brennan

Lady Trent, famed for her knowledge and books on dragons, shares with her readers how she first became interested in natural history and dragons, sneaking books from her father's library and exploring the creatures around the family estate, wrestled with her passion versus expectations of society, found a suitor who would allow her to be herself, and was able to go on her first dragon expedition to Vystrana.

Imagine if Charlotte Brontë or Elizabeth Gaskell lived in a world where dragons were real and one of them wrote about a young woman of their time obsessed with dragons in an era when the science of studying the creatures was first being contemplated, and you've probably got a pretty good picture of what this book is like.

Target Readers:

Fantasy Fans, Regency Fiction Fans, Adventure Fans, Coming of Age Fans, Scientific Exploration Fans, Fantasy Creature Fans, Adult Fiction Readers

 

New Dragon City by Mari Manusci

When dragons appeared, the world as we knew it ended. Noah and his family spent the first couple of years in a bunker, but when their supplies ran out they made their way to New York City and joined a group of survivors there. They spend the months when the dragons are hibernating above ground, looking for resources. But when the dragons return, they seal themselves in some subway tunnels to survive. Since Noah's mom disappeared, things haven't been the same. When his dad says he isn't going into the subway this year, Noah decides he won't either. Their chances of survival with the dragons around aren't good. But Noah can't imagine spending months without any family. However, he has no idea what this summer has in store. He'll learn things about himself, his parents, and dragons that will change his world and the world of many others.

I can’t go into much of the plot of the 2nd half of the book without major spoilers. Suffice it to say the story provides some thought-provoking scenarios about what happens if there's no communication between two sides of a conflict, and the possibility for peaceful resolutions (and the challenges involved) when there is. It also delves into the power of hatred vs the power of kindness. (And yes, we get to meet several dragons in the story, some nice and some not so nice.)

Target Readers:

Dystopia Fans, Survival Story Fans, New York City Setting Fans, Peacemaking Story Fans, Thought-Provoking Story Fans, Stand Alone Novel Fans, Middle Grade Readers


Thursday, January 25, 2024

Brainstorm 310: Lunar New Year Reads

Lunar New Year and the start of the Year of the Dragon are coming up in a few weeks. It has been a while since I did a Lunar New Year Brainstorm (see Brainstorm 100), so I thought it was time to share some reading ideas again for those who want to know more about the holiday and how it is celebrated in various regions or are looking for stories to read at this time of year. I’m sharing these a few weeks early to give you time to find them if you want to. I'm not going to repeat any of the books I shared in Brainstorm 100, so check out the link to that Brainstorm as well for more ideas. Next week I’ll share some dragon story ideas for you to enjoy in the Year of the Dragon. Click on the titles to see my full reviews of each book including any content notes/trigger warnings. 


Jia and the Nian Monster by Mike Richardson, ill. by Megan Huang

Every New Year's Eve the Nian monster comes and steals one person from Jia's village in retaliation for a man who stole a fruit and a woman's heart ages ago. The monster claimed her mother and her father disappeared seeking out the monster. Now Jia is determined to find the monster's lair and stop it from terrorizing her village. But what can one girl do, even if she has a friend with a stick helping her?

This is a graphic novel based on Chinese folklore to explain why red decorations and fireworks are part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Target Readers:

Graphic Novel Fans, Fantasy Fans, Chinese New Year Folklore Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, ill. by LeUyen Pham

Valentina used to love Valentine’s Day. She had an invisible best friend, St. Valentine, who would help her create all the cards and a special card to her father from her deceased mother who obviously also loved Valentine’s Day since she named Valentina after it. But on Valentine’s Day her freshmen year everything changes. What she thought she knew about her family and Valentine’s Day comes crashing down, family secrets get revealed, and St. Valentine changes from his cupid form into a creepy old dude promising Valentina she’d be safer if she just gave her heart to him for safe keeping. She turns him down, but St. Valentine shows up again her Junior year when she meets a guy. Valentina wants to believe she has a chance at true love, but Grandma has told her their family is cursed in the love area. St. Valentine gives Valentina one year to decide whether to keep her heart or give it to him so she won’t get hurt. Valentina is hoping against hope that Les is the one. He’s fun, popular, rich, and gets her into lion dancing, and Valentina loves it. But is this really love?

What I liked most about this graphic novel was the message of the story. Is the risk of loving people worth it? It sounds from the synopsis like it is just about romantic love, but there are also key aspects of familial and friendship love to the story. And Val learns important lessons about what healthy romantic love looks like too.

Target Readers:

Graphic Novel Fans, Fantasy Fans, Valentine's Day Story Fans, Lunar New Year's Story Fans, Lion Dance Fans, Vietnamese American Character Fans, Korean American Character Fans, Love Stories, Young Adult Readers

 

Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade (Mindy Kim, #2) by Lyla Lee, ill. by Dung Ho

Mindy is super excited for Lunar New Year, but she isn't so sure about celebrating it without mom or in Florida. In California there were lots of other Koreans around to share the celebration, but not so much in Florida. Her dad says he is planning on taking her to a Lunar New Year parade in a nearby city that's supposed to be big and Sally can come too, so maybe the day won't be a total loss.

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Korean American Character Fans, Korean New Year Tradition Story Fans, Just Moved Story Fans, Lower Grade Fiction

 

The Nian Monster by Andrea Wang, ill. by Alina Chau

After centuries scared away by the traditional decorations of Chinese New Year, the Nian monster is so hungry the reds, fire, and fireworks don't bother him. He shows up at Xingling's house in Shanghai 3 days before the New Year and threatens to eat her up along with the rest of the city. But Xingling has a couple ideas of how to take care of this Nian monster.

This is a funny twist on the Nian monster folkore that includes a virtual tour of Shanghai and adorable artwork.

Target Readers:

Fantasy Fans, Chinese New Year Folklore Fans, Shanghai Setting Fans, Problem Solving Story Fans, Humorous Story Fans, Art Lovers, Picture Book Readers

 

Playing with Lanterns by Wang Yage, ill. by Zhu Chengliang, translated by Helen Wang

Zhao Di and her friends have each gotten colorful new lanterns from their uncles for New Year fun. Each night, from the 3rd to the 15th day of the Lunar New Year celebration the friends meet outside in the snow and try to keep their lanterns alight until they smash them on the last day.

I’d never heard about this type of Lunar New Year celebration before. Check out the back of the book for more information on the Shaanxi province in northwestern China where this is celebrated and more information on the New Year traditions from this area.

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Lunar New Year Traditions Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Shangxi Region of China Setting Fans/Culture Studiers, Winter Story Fans, Translated Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

A Sweet New Year for Ren by Michelle Sterling, ill. by Dung Ho

Ren wants to help her family get ready for Lunar New Year, but everyone keeps telling her she's too little. Except for helping with pineapple cakes. She's finally big enough for that.

The author mentions Chinese/Filippino heritage, and the characters do appear to be somewhere warm for Lunar New Year, but this could be set anywhere in Southeast Asia or California that celebrates LNY. 

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Family Holiday Story Fans, Growing Up Story Fans, Lunar New Year Traditions Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

Tomorrow Is New Year's Day: Seollal, a Korean Celebration of the Lunar New Year by Aram Kim

Mina and her family teacher her class at school about Seollal traditions.

A great introduction to some typical activities and foods of the Korean Lunar New Year celebration.

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Korean American Character Fans, Family Story Fans, School Story Fans, Seollal Traditions Story Fans, Picture Book Readers