Happy Book Birthday, Quest for the Golden Arrow!

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the second Time Stoppers book, Quest for the Golden Arrow, from the author, Carrie Jones. However, it came during peak Maine Student Book Award reading season, so I was unable to read it until recently. I decided that I would post the review in time for its birthday, so that I could help drum up excitement for the book on its publication day.

The book picks up the morning after the first book, Time Stoppers, ends. Annie Nobody wakes up happy, but soon realizes something is off. As her friends rejoin her in Miss Cornelia's house, they realize that the beloved woman is missing. From there, Annie and her friends go off on an adventure in hopes of rescuing her. Bloom, Jamie, and Annie learn lots of things about themselves on the journey, and it ends on a perilous note that will make readers anxious for the next book.

One of the things I love most about this series is how well I can hear the voice of the author. I know not everyone is lucky enough to know authors and hear things in their cadence, but I don't even need to try hard for this. I hear Carrie telling me this story in my head, just as I did in the first Time Stoppers book. This makes sense, as the story was created as an oral story years ago, but I love that it hasn't lost that flavor through the years. The other thing I love about this story is that Aurora and Bar Harbor feel like the real places they are. The book does travel beyond these towns, and I hope it is just as realistic there, as it is in Maine.

There were still moment when I got annoyed that Annie was so hard on herself, but when I think about myself, I realize that I react similarly. So maybe it's one of those situations where things hit home too closely? I also really felt for Jamie. In this book, he's still struggling with whether or not he will become a troll, and people don't always react well to that.

There are a few new characters I love. I don't want to spoil much of the book, but my favorite has multiple legs that can be used for different things at the same time.

Recommended for juvenile fantasy readers or realistic fiction readers that can cross over to fantasy from time to time.

Review: The Mysterious Abductions

The Mysterious Abductions by Tracey Hecht
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The actual story was fine--nocturnal animals are being kidnapped by a mysterious creature, and a group of friends form to solve the mystery. There's a fun take on a human game that is also appealing. I did find the language to be a bit didactic (animals explaining what their features are.) What I really didn't enjoy was the overly flirty sugar glider. Is that something we really need in children's literature? Perhaps I'm being unduly influenced by the political sphere, but I was irritated that the character with the most "personality" basically spent most of his time trying to woo a creature much larger than himself.

View all my reviews

Review: One Half from the East

One Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book about one girl's experience as a bascha posh in Afghanistan. Obayda's father loses a leg while on a trip to a pharmacy with her to get her medicine. It results in them moving from Kabul to a more rural part of the country, one where a warlord watches everything. To increase their luck, Obayda's aunt suggests that they turn her into a bascha posh or a boy. During that time, Obayda discovers new freedoms and makes a new friend. What will happen when they want to change her back?

I thought the book got a little explain-y at times. Characters would talk about facts in a way that I'm not sure a real conversation would flow. Otherwise, for an initial look at gender differences and this specific aspect of Afghan culture, it is an excellent start.

Thank you, Rockland Public Library, for loaning me this book.

View all my reviews

Review: And I Darken

And I Darken by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Normally when a book takes me five days to read (in a time of MSBA reading) I don't rate it highly. I have a lot of books to get through! I loved this one though. This is a genderbent tale of Vlad the Impaler, which was interesting enough to grab me. Lada learns early on that being a woman will only get you ignored and thus she swears off all men and acting feminine. The story is told partly through her perspective and partly through her younger brother, Rada's, perspective. He is soft-hearted, which drives Lada nuts, yet she loves him. The two are shipped off from their native land of Wallachia to the Ottoman Empire in exchange for peace. What follows is a complicated story of love, betrayal, battle tactics and gender roles. I really enjoyed it, and I'm intrigued to see where the story goes.

View all my reviews

Review: Lowriders to the Center of the Earth

Lowriders to the Center of the Earth by Cathy Camper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first. This one I had to read a bit more slowly, because the Aztec names and stories were not familiar to me. I almost wish the glossary had been in the front of the book, but that would have spoiled some of the surprise. I do like that the translations of Spanish phrases continues at the bottom of the page. I also feel like I learned a bit about Aztec mythology, which was interesting. Maybe if the pronunciations had been in there as we were going along?

I will say that I still very much enjoy Raul the Third's pen illustrations. They are so unique and interesting. I'm glad I purchased it for my library.

View all my reviews

Review: babes in the woods and waters

babes in the woods and waters by Roger L. Stevens Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love the pictures and the basic facts! I think it's great for grades K-2 and anyone who loves wildlife photography.

Thank you to the author for graciously giving me a copy.

View all my reviews

Review: Dorothea's Eyes: Dorothea Lange Photographs the Truth

Dorothea's Eyes: Dorothea Lange Photographs the Truth by Barb Rosenstock
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't know anything about Dorothea Lange beyond her famous photograph. I was surprised to learn that she had polio as a child and suffered from its aftereffects her whole life. I love that this biography used faces as a way to draw people into the story. It is a trademark of her work.

Thank you Calkins Creek for sending me a copy to review.

View all my reviews