Brainstorm 277: Movie Makers

For this week’s Brainstorm I’m taking you behind the camera into the movie/documentary-making process with some budding young film makers, a real film set, and introduce you to a director you may never have heard of before. Click on the titles to read my full review of each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.

Any Day with You by Mae Respicio

Kaia is really looking forward to 2 things this summer: film camp where she can grow her special effects makeup skills and spending time with Tatang (her great-grandfather) doing all their favorite things. But the summer gets a shade of sadness to it when Tatang announces that he's moving back to the Philippines for good at the end of the summer. Kaia adores Tatang, his stories inspired by Filipino mythology, and their special activities they do together. She figures that if she and her two best friends win the film competition they work on at camp maybe that will convince Tatang to stay.

Kaia and Tatang have a beautiful relationship and I can’t think of another book that features a great-grandfather and great-granddaughter.

Target Readers:

Grandparent/Grandchild Story Fans, Intergenerational Friendship Story Fans, Filipino Culture Studiers/Celebrators, Filipino Character Fans, Makeup Artists Character Fans, Film Making Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, California Setting Fans, Summer Camp Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

As You Wish : Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden, fwd Rob Reiner

A look behind the scenes of the making of The Princess Bride from the perspective of Cary Elwes, aka Westley.

This is a cozy, fun, and perfect light read for any fan of the movie. 

Target Readers:

Princess Bride Movie Fans, Light & Cozy Nonfiction Fans, Behind the Scenes Fans, Adult Readers (though totally approachable to YA Readers)

 

The Beast (Darkdeep, #2) by Ally Condie & Brendan Reichs

As Halloween nears, the town of Timber is capitalizing on their Beast folklore to draw in tourists. The town is actually going a little too crazy with it in the opinion of most of the Torchbearers charged with protecting the town from the very real Beast and other things (well, all of them except Logan who is designing Beast t-shirts and making some good money off the Beast mania). Their job is getting harder because even though they've stopped jumping in the mysterious Darkdeep*, figments are still appearing and seem to be doing so in increasing numbers. There's also some weird algae blooms appearing off shore, and very odd lightning storms. An internet celebrity has come to town to try and hunt down the Beast, and Emma has joined his crew to try and keep him away from any real finds, but is she getting too into the filming? Opal could swear someone is telling her to go certain places, which has led the Torchbearers to discover some further old Torchbearer bases. But who is talking to her? Everything will come to a head on Halloween.

The documentary-making efforts of the internet celebrity are just a small part of the story, but it does add to the plot and impact Emma and her friends. It isn’t often I enjoy the 2nd book in a series more than the 1st, but that is definitely true of this one. Figuring out what was going on, how the Torchbearers could protect the town, and more of the Torchbearer past kept the pages flying.

*To better understand the Darkdeep see my review of the first book in the series.

Target Readers:

Scifi Fans, Monster Story Fans, Light Horror Fans, Suspense Fans, Secret Societies Protecting the World Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Small Town Setting Fans, Middle Grade Readers (also probably would appeal to many YA Readers)

Kate Walden Directs: Night of the Zombie Chickens (Kate Walden Directs, #1) by Julie Mata

Kate Walden wants to become a famous movie director someday with fantastic actors and actresses under her artistic genius. Currently she's only in 6th grade and her artistic pool is limited to family, friends, and the evil chickens that have wrecked her social life and quite possibly stolen her mother's affection. See, Kate used to be cool. She used to be in the upper tiers of middle school, but then her mom decided to quit her job and start organic chicken farming. And when popular girl Lydia came over to be a zombie in one of the last scenes of Kate's most recent movie, she got a front row view of the disgustingness that is chickens. And she has no qualms about telling people how Kate lives among these pooping feather brains. Kate might have recovered from that except that that same week her mom came and shared in class about raising organic chickens AND in the middle of the crowded hallway chicken poop falls right off of Kate's shoe and is seen by all. Now Kate is being called Crapkate, her best friend Alyssa has drifted over to the dark side with Lydia, and Kate is left sitting with Margaret and Doris at the losers' table. Alyssa was the one who invited Lydia over, she didn't stand up for Kate during the Crapkate incident, and in all, she's been a rotten friend, so Kate hatches a plan to teach Alyssa a lesson that involves the theft of the Cute Red Wig for the upcoming production of Annie. The plan gets set in motion no problem, but then Kate starts to learn some things about herself, middle school social standings, and true friendship. With the help of Margaret and Doris (who turn out to be not so bad after all), Kate must try to make things right before she ruins multiple lives.

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Movie Maker Character Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Real Life Lessons Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

Lights! Camera! Alice!: The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker by Mara Rockliff, ill. by Simona Ciraolo

A picture book biography of Alice Guy-Blaché, the first woman film maker and a pioneer in many aspects of the motion picture industry, though she has been largely forgotten.

Did you know that a woman is statistically more likely to be go into space as an astronaut than to become an award-winning Hollywood director? It is shameful the way the movie industry treats women creators. I had never heard of Alice before reading this book, and she created the first motion pictures with sound! Make sure you read the further information at the back of the book about how Alice was erased from history and then the truth was uncovered again.

Target Readers:

Picture Book Biography Fans, Movie History Buffs, Nonfiction Fans, Lower Grade Readers (though interesting enough for Middle Grade)

 

Love & Olives (Love & Gelato, #3) by Jenna Evans Welch

Liv adored her dad as a child. But he broke her heart when he left her and her mom to hunt for Atlantis when she was 8. Now it's the summer before her senior year of high school and suddenly he wants her to join him on Santorini to help film a documentary with supposed evidence that Atlantis was really the ancient civilization on Santorini that was destroyed by the volcano. Liv is supposed to be going with her boyfriend Dax on his senior trip, but her mom strongly encourages her to go to Santorini instead. And Liv surprises herself by agreeing. Perhaps she's somewhat running away from Dax's pushiness for her to join him at Stanford next year when she is really dreaming of going to the Rhode Island College of Art & Design. Or maybe a part of her is still wrapped up in her father's stories of Atlantis and wonders if he could really be right. Liv could never dream what the summer has in store.

Beyond having a great setting, this story surprised me with its depth. It’s an exploration of a girl’s rocky relationship with her father, an exploration of myths and how they come about, an awakening to what healthy relationships look like, Dax is a third culture kid and dealing with things that come with being a TCK, and eventually you find out this is also an important story about mental health. This is technically the 3rd in a series, but you do not need to read the others to understand what is going on in this book.

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Santorini (Greece) Setting Fans, Atlantis Myth Fans, Documentary Making Story Fans, Father/Daughter Story Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Summer Story Fans, Light Romance Fans, Young Adult Readers (though approachable to high reading Middle Grade Readers, and with enough depth for Adult Readers)

 

Shark Summer by Ira Marcks

Gayle had thought she was taking her new softball team to victory when she breaks her wrist and they lose. Softball was her in in her new community here on Martha's Vineyard but since she broke her wrist going for a ball that local hotshot Lex totally had until she got in the way, she's kind of being ostracized. Gayle's mom is having trouble making ends meet, which worries Gayle. And the island is going a little crazy as a film crew has moved in to shoot a major motion picture. The perfect distraction arrives in the form of Elijah Jones, future movie maker and entrant in the local movie competition who would love Gayle's help getting to know the island and figuring out what his documentary should be about. With the help of another local outcast, Maddie, they decide to make a documentary about a local legend about a ghost shark with roots in real history of the island. But some locals would rather let that history stay in the past.

The kids are learning a lot about interpersonal relationships along the way, and how their own past hurts are impacting them. It's more somber and cautionary than fun, but I did like the island setting and how unique this feels. This will hit our shelves in the next couple of weeks and I’m curious to see what kids think of it.

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Summer Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Martha’s Vineyard Setting Fans, Local Folklore Fans, Cautionary Tale Fans, Documentary Making Story Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

Short & Skinny by Mark Tatulli

A graphic novel autobiography of the author's middle school years when he felt insecure about his body shape and stature, but found confidence through making a movie spoof of the newly released Star Wars.

Though this book takes place mostly during the summer of 1977, the themes of insecurity, Star Wars, and discovering your unique gifts transcend time.

Target Readers:

Autobiography Fans, Nonfiction Graphic Novel Fans, Middle School Memoir Fans, Self-Discovery Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

This Is a Moose by Richard T. Morris, ill. by Tom Lichtenheld

A movie director is trying to make a documentary of typical moose life, but the animals in this story are anything but ordinary and eventually the script just has to be changed.

Silly story fans will love this ridiculous movie making tale. (And directors who want to work with animals may find this a cautionary tale of what working with animals actors can be like…kind of.)

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Zany Story Fans, Documentary Making Story Fans, Animal Lovers, Moose Lovers, Picture Book Readers

Brainstorm 276: Quakers & WWII

Today I have 2 books for you on the Quakers’ relief work in WWII. I had never heard about the American Friends Service Community and their work during and right after WWII before this year, and then I happened to read two books about them in the same week. The AFSC did some amazing things to help people, and these stories are both moving tales. Click on the titles to see my full review for each book and any content notes/trigger warnings. 

Bluebird by Sharon Cameron

In 1946 Eva Gerts and her mute, almost infantile-seeming adult friend Brigit Heidelmann step off a boat from Germany to the US. It is quickly clear, that though the women have papers and no problem getting through immigration, they are not who they say they are. While Eva is overwhelmed and suspicious of the amount of help the American Friends Service Community is willing to give them and what it will cost, a shady figure is following Eva around calling her Bluebird and talking about her mission. And Jake from the AFSC is going to get to the bottom of this mysterious Eva.

In 1945, Inge lives a privileged life as the daughter of a doctor high in Hitler's ranks. Her biggest worries are her contributions to the League of German Girls, or if she can sneak the car out for a drive without her mother realizing. That is until the day her mother hustles the whole household minus Papa to their summer cottage and leaves the windows boarded up. What is going on?

Just who Eva and Brigit are, how they came to America, and why will slowly be revealed.

This is my favorite book I’ve read this year so far. I absolutely love all the people from the AFSC (based on real people, see the author's note) who baffle Eva with their love and care. And that's the most beautiful part of this story, demonstrating just what kind of an impact loving words and actions can have on the life of a person who never experienced such things before. 

Target Readers:  

Mystery/Thriller Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, WWII Era Story Fans, Immigrant Story Fans, Spy Story Fans, Inspiring Story Fans, Young Adult & Adult Readers

 

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson

Grace is the daughter of an American movie star, but she's been trying to keep that a secret for years. She was raised by her loving grandparents who were much better at parenting than her fame and self-obsessed mother. Under her grandparents loving care, she learned to love God and desire to care for others. Which is why she's been in France for the past couple years with the AFSC first helping Spanish children refugees of the civil war, and now helping French Jewish children who are refugees of WWII. Her latest job is not going well as the Nazis are right on their heels.

In 2003 Addie has come to Oregon looking for a miracle. The man who became like a father to her after her tumultuous childhood is dying unless he can find a blood relative who is a match for a bone marrow transplant. Charlie is being stubborn and won't tell them anything about his family, so Charlie's wife Emma and Addie have decided to send Addie to search the place where his family owns land in Oregon. But Charlie's past is convoluted and contains secrets he and others would much rather remain buried. And while she hunts for Charlie's family, Addie must wrestle with her own recent and past burdens.

This was a powerful read about the power of Christ's work in turning lives around, redemption and forgiveness for the past, and hope that prayers we may not see answered actually have been or will be. Only a little bit is spent in WWII, about half is spent in the 2003-2004 time period, and the rest is spent in the years after the war finding out what happens to Grace, her family, and the refugee children in those years.

Target Readers:  

Historical Fiction Fans, Redemption Story Fans, Christian Fiction Fans, Refugee Story Fans, Multigenerational Family Story Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

Brainstorm 275: Dystopian survival stories

For this week’s Brainstorm I have some dystopian survival stories for you. If you thought dystopia died out when the Divergent series ended and Katniss hung up her bow, well, that isn’t quite the case. It is still alive, kicking, and has a steady stream of readers heading for those books. And there’s more books being added to those genres. Today I’m sharing some of the more recent dystopian books that are also survival stories (leaving out some of the societal upheaval ones that aren’t so much survival tales). Click on each title to see my full review for the book including any content notes/trigger warnings.

 

Alone by Megan E. Freeman

Maddie has hatched a scheme with her two best friends for a secret slumber party at her grandparents empty condo for the weekend, but she ends up the only one who makes it. She's told her mom she's at her dad's for the weekend and her dad that she's at her mom's. And in the middle of the first night the entire area is evacuated by the government in response to some vague threat. Maddie hears something going on, but doesn't want to be caught somewhere she isn't supposed to be so she goes back to bed and wakes to an entirely empty town. At first she is sure her mom and dad will soon figure out that she's been left behind, but as the days go by and no one shows up, Maddie has to figure out how to survive on her own and not go crazy as the only human in town with only her neighbor's Rottweiler, George, for company.

An excellently written novel in verse that focuses not just on a modern twelve year old figuring out food and water and such on her own, but also the psychological aspects of being alone for a long time (which was way longer than I first guessed it would be). There's some references to The Island of Blue Dolphins that help set up the book to naturally explore those psychological aspects and may also prompt readers to pick up that modern classic.

Target Readers:

 Survival Story Fans, Light Dystopia Fans, Dog Lovers, Novels in Verse Fans, Quick Read Fans, Upper Middle Grade/YA Readers

 

The Ark Plan (Edge of Extinction, #1) by Laura Martin

Scientists figured out how to bring back dinosaurs using DNA from fossils. For a while, things were really cool with new dinosaur pets and zoo attractions. But then the dinosaur flu hit. Thanks to an ancient microbe that got revived with the dinosaurs, there was a massive pandemic that wiped out a huge portion of the Earth's population. Now the dinosaurs rule most of the Earth, and the few people who survived the pandemic have retreated underground into one of the 4 Compounds set up by the Noah. The Noah is the ruler of the world now. Life is pretty good for most of the humans in the compounds, except for Sky. Sky's father disappeared above ground five years ago and was labeled a spy. Since then, Sky has been a ward of the compound but not treated very well. On her birthday, she discovers that her father did leave a note for her those five years ago. It was hidden in the compass he gave her. The note says that if he didn't come back within 4 years, she needs to get a data plug to a spot in Lake Michigan. Sky has been told all her life that going topside is suicide. But her dad's note says the survival of the planet depends on her taking this message North.

This duology is a great mix of action, survival, and great characters along with the dinosaur-invaded world. For those already wondering, Martin addresses the potential elephant in the room by having the characters in the story analyze the similarities and differences between Crichton's Jurassic Park and their actual history in a literature class at the beginning of the book which I thought was clever.

Target Readers:

Adrenaline Junkies/High-Action Fans, Dystopia Fans, Survival Fans, Scifi Fans, Mystery Fans, World Building Fans, Dinosaur Lovers, Illinois/Indiana Setting Fans, Duology Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers

Barnabus and his friends are failed pet projects. Perfect Pets sells the cutest and best pets designed in their secret lab. But failed projects will be recycled. Barnabus likes the way he and his friends are, but the men in green suits disagree. Barnabus' friend the cockroach tells them that there's a whole world above with stars and big buildings and Barnabus dreams of escaping and going there. But it seems impossible. Can Barnabus and his fellow rejects escape before they are recycled?

This sounds like it could be a very harrowing and scary tale, but the Fans tell it with tenderness and it comes off as a very cute and sweet light dystopian picture book. I love how Barnabus is comfortable in who he is, even though others tell him he's less than perfect, and how well the friends work together. And of course the illustrations are amazing (we wouldn’t expect anything less from the Fan brothers).

Target Readers:

Dystopian Fans, Scifi Fans, Daring Escape Story Fans, Art Lovers, Fans of Characters Comfortable in Their Selves, Friendship Story Fans, Teamwork Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

June's Wild Flight (The Last Kids on Earth, #5.5) by Max Brallier, ill. by Douglas Holgate

After a new shield testing session goes epically wrong, June learned that ogres, chains, and doom karts are not a good combo and finds herself way out of Wakefield. One of the friendly little monsters who lives at the pizza place, Globlet, has managed to follow June, but also doesn't know where they are or how to get home. As they set out, they come across some monster pirates trying to catch a baby Watcher. And though June has had bad experiences with Watchers, she can't just let it be harassed. Especially when she hears the pirate guys talking about taking it to Thrull! So now June and Globlet must figure out how to save the baby Watcher and get it home, while also getting info out of the pirate guys about what they know about Thrull's latest whereabouts.

This series is insanely popular with the middle grade crowd. I know this book is in the middle of the series, but it is my favorite book in the series thus far. Jack, Quint, and Dirk are fun to hang out with but June, Globlet, and the baby Watcher are even better to spend time with.

Target Readers:

Dystopia Fans, Adventure Fans, Survival Story Fans, Humor Fans, Suspense Fans, Mixed Full Text & Graphic Novel Book Fans, Upper Middle Grade Readers

 

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Petra Peña shouldn't have made it onto one of the last ships off the planet before Haley's comet made one last journey a little too close to the Earth. Her degenerative visual disorder was kept a secret, and her parents doctorates were tickets for both of them and Petra and Javier to head off to humanity's new home. But when Petra awakes from stasis, she discovers that the Collective, a fringe group on Earth obsessed with eliminating all differences has seized control of the ship and purged those they couldn't reprogram. Petra quickly realizes she must keep the fact that she remembers who she really is and the ship's original mission a secret while she figures out what, if anything, she can do. She has no family members with her and no friends, only her abuela's stories.

This is the most recent Newbery Medal winner, and the complexity of the story definitely deserves the shiny sticker. It includes great messages about even “imperfect” members of society having value and things to contribute and the power of stories to get through to people when other methods fail.

Target Readers:

Dystopia Fans, Scifi Fans, Suspense Fans, Survival Story Fans, Space Travel & Exploration Story Fans, Power of Story Fans, Fans of Characters with Disabilities, Fans of Characters of Mexican Heritage, Award Winner Readers, Human Rights Story Fans, Middle Grade & YA Readers

 

The Mother Code by Carole Stivers

In an effort to cripple a troublesome terrorist group isolated in a certain locale in the Middle East, the US developed a bioweapon that combines viruses and nanotechnology that hijacks the respiratory system but cannot spread from human to human. The scientists who worked on the tech thought it was a hypothetical idea and cautioned the government not to release the weapon ever. Their warning came too late. The disease is spreading, and if they can't figure out a way to stop it, all human life is going to be wiped out in a matter of months. Fast forward several years into the future and watch a very sophisticated robot act as mother to a young child in a remote part of the desert. But the robot mothers were released in a rush and some of their programming has potential glitches. As readers turn the pages they will learn how the robot mothers were developed, what went wrong, and whether these robot mothers are the best hope for the future of humanity or their greatest danger.

I went into this very wary that it was just a rip-off of the WondLa series by DiTerlizzi rewritten for adults because the premise sounded VERY similar, but this is definitely its own story. I was pleasantly surprised by the smart scientific base to the story, how much it makes you think, and how clean it is for an adult scifi novel. I also like the role the Hopi play in the plot. The story goes back and forth between the present and the past, but it is done in such a way to get you turning the pages even faster to see how things went from point A to point B.

Target Readers:

Dystopia Fans, Smart Scifi Fans, Survival Story Fans, Thriller Fans, Fans of Stories to Chew On, Hopi Character Fans, Robot Story Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to Young Adults)

 

Secrets in the Mist (Skyworld, #1) by Morgan L. Busse

Ever since the Plague Wars the Mist has covered the valleys and is slowly eating up more and more land as it inches upward, killing any humans that stray into its tendrils with spores that take over the body. The upper echelons of society have it fairly well, but the lower crust are constantly being sacrificed in Purges to make sure there's enough land for those they deem deserving. Cass's parents sacrificed themselves so she could survive a Purge and ever since she's been on her own on the streets. That is until the day she tries to steal food from an airship and is caught. But the Captain gives Cass a job opportunity instead of throwing her to the authorities. He offers to train her as a diver on his ship. It's a dangerous job, but to not be constantly hungry or on the run is a very tantalizing offer. Elsewhere Theo is sure there must be a cure for the Mist, but most tells him his research is pointless while a few others point out that all who go looking for a cure end up suddenly dead.

A steampunk/zombie/dystopia adventure that gallivants around in airships and gliders definitely doesn’t sound like your typical Christian fiction offering, and I love how far Christian YA fiction has come in the variety of stories offered. It is a very engaging world with one of the most scientifically plausible zombie apocalypses I’ve come across (don't worry, it isn't THAT plausible, but there is a solid science base). The Christian parallels were worked in well and questions of faith came naturally with the situations faced. I can’t wait until our copy of book 2 arrives.

Target Readers:

Steampunk Fans, Dystopia Fans, Survival Story Fans, Mystery/Thriller Fans, Fans of Airships and Floating Islands, Zombie Story Fans, Adventure Story Fans, Christian Fiction Fans, Young Adult & Adult Readers

Wolf by Wolf (Wolf by Wolf, #1) by Ryan Graudin

What if the Japanese joined the Nazis in attacking Russia instead of attacking Pearl Harbor? And what if the USA's isolationists won the day and they never entered WWII? Then you end up with Europe and Asia divided between the winning Axis powers, and Hitler still in charge in the 1950s. Each year there is a motorcycle race for teens from Germany to Japan to celebrate the Third Reich's and Imperial Japan's victory. Yael was once a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz and experimental subject of the Angel of Death. The experiments were horrific but spared her life, and gave her abilities that allowed her to escape Auschwitz as a child. Now a teen operative, she is the underground Resistance's best hope of assassinating Hitler. The paranoid ruler never goes in public any more, but last year he danced with Adele Wolfe, the first female winner of the motorcycle race (she entered as her twin brother and only revealed her true identity upon winning). Yael is going to take Adele's spot in this year's race. But she has to pull off pretending to be Adele throughout the race and also beat the 13 other competitors to have a chance at ending Hitler's evil reign. The race is brutal and anything goes when the cameras aren't filming the competitors.

As you read about Yael's prep for the race and then the race itself, you get interspersed sections of her backstory, the people she lost in the concentration camps, how she escaped, and her training with the Resistance. The other racers have unexpected depths, and you really don't know how much Yael is fooling them and/or how much she can trust them. The locations they visit as they race take you across the world from Europe to Asia, so the settings are adventurous and exotic, and of course, dangerous. There’s just touches of survival sections in this one (mostly during Yael’s past and on the race), and a lot more in book 2 of the duology.

Target Readers:

Dystopia Fans, WWII Story Fans, Reimagined History Fans, Adventure Fans, High Stakes Competition Fans, Thriller Fans, Superhero Story Fans, Travel Story Fans, Young Adult & Adult Readers 

Brainstorm 274: England in the 1950s

In memory of Queen Elizabeth II, I have some books that shed light on the England she became Queen of in the 1950s. Click on the titles to see my full reviews and any content notes/trigger warnings (except for the Tommy & Tuppence book…it’s been several decades since I read that one).

84 Charing Cross Road, and the Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

The first half of this book is the original 84, Charing Cross Road which consists of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a TV script writer in New York City and a used book store's staff in London. Over many years of ordering books from this company, she strikes up relationships with several of the staff members and their families through correspondence back and forth. Eventually, she turns the letters into a book which funds the trip to London they've all wanted her to take for ages. And her diaries of this trip to London make up the second half of the book, originally published as The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. The correspondence starts in the late 1940s just after WWII and give a unique perspective of post-war England. Her tours of London are largely guided by history and literature so that part reads like a classic book lover's tour of London.

Target Readers:

Memoir Fans, Brit Lit Fans, Cozy Read Fans, Light Humor Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Epistolary Literature Fans, Travel Literature Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA) 

MI5 and Me: a Coronet among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham

Charlotte Bingham was called into her father's office at 18 and told she needed to do something with her life. Oh, and her father works for MI5 and he's getting her a job as a secretary there. After recovering from that bombshell Charlotte was sure life as an MI5 secretary would be miserable and boring. Only time would tell if she was right or not.

This is a fascinating and very entertaining memoir about what real life was like in the 1950s as a secretary at MI5.

Target Readers:

Memoir Fans, Light Spy Story Fans, Cozy Read Fans, Light Humor Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA readers)

 

Partners in Crime (Tommy & Tuppence, #2) by Agatha Christie

Tommy and Tuppence are a married couple who work together as private investigators. In this volume in their cases, they are busy tracking down spies in 1950s Great Britain.

Target Readers:

Agatha Christie Fans, Mystery Fans, Spy Story Fans, Modern Classic Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

 

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1) by Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce goes outside early one morning only to find a stranger breathing his last words in their cucumbers. Normal 11 year old girls would have screamed and fled the scene, but Flavia is 100% intrigued and when her father is arrested for the crime, is soon trying to untangle the knots surrounding the stranger, a rare stamp, her father's old schoolmaster, and the dead man in the garden.

This series is set in 1950s England, and though it features an 11 year old, it feels like a Golden Age crime mystery such as Christie might have written.

Target Readers:

Precocious Sleuth Fans, Mystery Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA readers)

Brainstorm 273: Japanese Manga

As promised this week I’m continuing the theme of books by authors of Japanese descent that give readers a window into Japanese life of the past or present, and this week I’m featuring manga series. I’m sticking with strictly no fantasy elements, or I’d have included one of Kanata Konami’s cat manga series (Chi’s Sweet Home, FukuFuku Kitten Tales, or the new Sue & Tai-chan) which do give insights into everyday modern life in Japan, but the cats talk so they get an honorable mention but no full highlight. Click on the series title to see my full review of the first volume in each series and any content notes/trigger warnings.

Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani, translated by Zack Davisson

Riko is an office worker by day who is superhumanly efficient at work and always clocks out at 5pm on the dot and declines invites to hang out afterwards with co-workers. She's a bit of a mystery to the people at the office. Readers soon discover that Riko really comes alive at home. She's a gamer. A serious gamer who is pretty good. She works so she can afford the latest game tech, and celebrates game accomplishments with splurges on expensive food. One day at work the security guard finds a stray kitten and asks if anyone at the office would like to adopt it. Riko surprises everyone at the office and herself by saying yes. She knows nothing about being a cat owner, or how this could potentially affect her gaming life. But how could she say no to such a cute face? Riko's world is about to be turned upside down by four little paws.

This is a believable and cute concept of an introvert gamer who suddenly becomes a cat owner slave. I’ve only read the first in this series (only volumes 1 & 2 out of 8 currently are available in English), but so far it is fun with some quite funny moments.

Target Readers:

Cat Lovers, Animal Lovers, Slice of Life Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Gamers, Graphic Novel Fans, Manga Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to Young Adult readers)

 

Haikyu!! by Haruichi Furudate, translated by Adrienne Beck

When two volleyball players who were rivals in middle school end up at the same high school, they are both thrown for a loop. Their new captain locks them out of the gym until they can learn to work together, but that may take a while. Kageyama just wishes he could play all by himself because he doesn't trust anyone else to play well enough to win. Hinata just wants to play. He cobbled together enough friends to play one official game in middle school but hasn't really had anyone to practice with. He has crazy natural skill, but needs some practice. Also, in the one game he got to play, Kageyama brutally killed his team and Hinata was looking forward to getting better and trouncing him in high school. To prove they can work together, the boys must win a game of 3 on 3 versus 2 other first years with a 3rd year on each of their teams.

This series is insanely popular with middle and high school students! It is now finished with 45 volumes.

Target Readers:

Sports Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, High School Story Fans, Volleyball Lovers, Graphic Novel Fans, Manga Fans, Young Adult Readers (though approachable to Middle Grade)

 

Laid-Back Camp by Afro, translated by Amber Tamosaitis

The story of two teen girls, Rin who is an avid winter solitary camper. She enjoys the peace and quiet, even if it gets a bit cold. Nadeshiko has just moved to the area, gets lost, stumbles across the Rin's camp site, gets some much-needed heat, and is able to contact her sister thanks to Rin's help. Nadeshiko is then inspired to join the Outdoor Explorer Club at her school. The club (which consists of just two other girls) spends much of the book planning for their first camping trip. Meanwhile Rin goes camping by herself a few more times but contemplates the concept of camping with others, though she is too reluctant to act on it.

This series is ongoing at 11 out of 13 volumes in English currently (and more Japanese volumes are on the way).

Target Readers:

Nature Lovers, Camping Fans, High School Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Manga Fans, Young Adult Readers (though approachable to Middle Grade) 

Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa, translated by Amanda Haley

Yuugo Hachiken has chosen to go to high school at Hokkaido Ooezo Agricultural High School, a boarding school that has multiple hectares of land, and gives students hands-on experience in many of the agricultural fields. All of Hackiken's classmates seem to know exactly what they want to do in the future. The only goal he's sure about is that he wants to be top of the class (he's a little obsessed about it). Most of his classmates come from farming families, and he feels like an oddball for more than one reason. Can he survive at a school for agriculture when he doesn't know the first thing about crops or domestic animals? Or is he going to be trampled to death while he mucks out stalls at some ungodly hour of the morning?

This series is now complete at 15 volumes and sees Hachiken and his classmates through graduation. It is fun to watch them grow as individuals, in their agricultural knowledge, and in their friendships.

Target Readers:

Boarding School Story Fans, High School Story Fans, Those Curious about Modern Japanese Farm Life, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Manga Fans, Young Adult Readers 

Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma, translated by Amy Forsyth

Yotsuba is a precocious little girl who has just moved into a new neighborhood. She has adventures meeting the new neighbor girls who are all older than her, but welcome her like a little sister. She has adventures with her dad in the process of moving and going to the store to get things for their house, and then she catches cicadas with her dad's friend and one of the neighbor girls.

Yotsuba’s antics are so believable for an outgoing little girl, and at least once a book she will make readers laugh out loud with the things she says and does. This series is still ongoing with 15 volumes currently out.

Target Readers:

Community Life Story Fans, Contemporary Story Fans, Family Life Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Humor Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Manga Fans, Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers

 

Yuzu the Pet Vet by Mingo Ito in collaboration with Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd., translated by Julie Goniwich

Yuzu is staying with her uncle, a vet, while her mom is in the hospital with pneumonia. Yuzu isn't so sure about this. She's kind of afraid of animals and her uncle wants her to help out at the practice. Is this just going to be a disaster?

This series balances Yuzu’s family life and friendship stories with realistic vet cases and stories of pets and pet owners often inspired by real stories. Yuzu's stories are still coming out with 7 volumes currently available.

Target Readers:

Animal Lovers, Future Vets, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Manga Fans, Middle Grade Readers