The main focus of the novel is misunderstanding, for Max misunderstands Deb’s purpose, and Deb misunderstands Max’s responses. Misunderstanding continue. As revenge, Deb has Max kidnapped! Other revengeful actions make the novel more and more ridiculous. This is a book with tons of gambling references and boxing too. It’s both ridiculous and perfectly set in the pre-Regency era England.

The first time I read (listened) to the book, I found it quite dark. Max and Deb spend most of the novel insulting each other. Upon this re-listen, I loved the ridiculousness of these insults and the ultimate satisfying ending. It is ultimately as sweet as the other Heyer novels I’ve read, although maybe more ridiculous and improbable than some of them.

The post Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

This is both a princess tale and an issues book. On the one hand, Denny has written The Tale of Dragons True, creating a magical land where princesses are fancy and yet magnificent dragons swarm in the skies. Now she must face that world, determining how to resolve the problem of the dragons. Now that she is twelve, she’s expected to be a “true princess.” On the other hand, Princess Auden must deal with big problems: Mom’s alcoholism, losing friends, looking for new friends. Now that she’s twelve, she’s expected to be able to deal with these problems. Which of the dragons are more threatening? I liked the fine line between the two types of dragons. The symbolism of dragons was highly relatable, for in real life we all face dragons of one kind or another.

I saw this book as a recommended read for a possible Mock Newbery 2027 program. I didn’t find The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene to be intriguingly written or complex in plot development, but it was solid and satisfying. So, I don’t think it will end up as a Newbery contender as one of the best books of the year. I did really like it and hope it finds the kid readers who either love dragons or face dragons in their lives.

Get this book on Amazon.com

The post The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene by Corey Ann Haydu appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

The post Our Air by G. Brian Karas appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

The end result is a ma that is still complicated and, in some ways, unknowable. Jefferson himself contradicted his own writings many times. His own opinions shifted and changed through the years. Just like anyone, his own understanding of events changed as time passed. For example, his opinions on slavery shifted as time passed, and as a retiree, he even felt supporting the life style of the South was inevitable enough that the Union maybe should be dissolved in order to preserve the right to slavery. His interpretations of limited government were shifting as well, especially during his time in the Presidency, in which he purchased the Louisiana territory against his inclinations that it was illegal.

You would think that a scholarly work about Thomas Jefferson could not be “dated.” After all, he lived hundreds of years ago. And yet Ellis himself acknowledges that more is being understood about the man every year. He recognized when he wrote it 30 years ago that the analysis of Jefferson will continue to grow, and the complicated “enigma” of his true feelings will continue to be explored in further scholarship. Ellis’ book is one for the end of the twentieth century: the early twenty-first century has revealed its own secrets about Thomas Jefferson.

After reading American Sphinx, I am left wondering more about Thomas Jefferson. It was a difficult read for me right now, but mostly because it left many questions in my mind rather than answering them. Jefferson truly was a complex man, so the author’s title is very appropriate. His character is a riddle and even two hundred year later, we are still puzzling him out.

Get this book at Amazon.com

The post American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

The post Secrets of Air by Mi-ae Lee appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

The poetry of Up, Up High is very readable, although I’d say the text is more poetic rather than poetry. Here’s an example from the thermosphere, when the poems are talking about the Northern Lights,

Waves of blue,
yellow,
and green
merge together like magic,
shimmering
and shifting
in a sea of color.

This language is beautiful to read and poetic in its approach to describing the view of the lights. Many other pages have similar poetic language in addition to the detailed sidebar with a smaller font that describes the science. Some pages have clear onomatopoeia for the different pages, like “FWOOSH!” for a meteor and “BOOM! CRACK!” for the layer with a thunderstorm to add to the excitement and poetic nature.

I love the very beginning where the language wonders “Where does the sky end and space begin?”, because that is exactly the question that started my journey in looking for books to teach about the concept of layers of the atmosphere. The book speaks directly to the reader as the imaginary rocket journey continues (“Up, / up / high / you go”) which draws the reader into the text. Beautiful illustrations round out the text, making this a fantastic option for learning about the atmospsheric layers.

The post Up, Up High by Lydia Lukidis appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

I learned from this longer picture book. Each layer of the atmosphere gets a page dedicated to explaining the layer. For example, the page for Troposphere names the layer, shows how far it extends, provides three sentences about it, and then provides a longer explanatory paragraph. Then, the subsequent pages show some unexpected things that have traveled high into the layer of the atmosphere. It shows that grasshoppers have flown as high as 45 meters into the sky, as well as numerous other animals and especially birds. Most pages have a detailed paragraph or two about the creature or item that has traveled that high.

It is a fantastic look at the progression from earth to space. In some respects I only wish it were a bit shorter in order to be a nicely illustrated book about the atmosphere that reads like a story. It is too long and informational to be called a story.

The post Up in the Blue Sky by Gianumberto Accinelli appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

As is often the case with these old books, there are many now derogatory terms (such as Eskimo rather than Inuit) in the book that don’t reflect modern sensibilities. There are also racist undertones and stereotypical white Saviorism. No matter that the book is about Arctic people, the authors still refer to their brown faces and uncultured lifestyles. A Siberian shaman wants to sacrifice Ood-le-uk in order to avenge their god and bring food to them. When Ood-le-uk travels to a Siberian marketplace, he is entranced by the church of the white man and learns of the loving God of Christianity, a concept that rescues him at times when his cross amulet is seen by others or he faces dire circumstances. In these subtle ways, the native ways of the people of the Arctic is reduced to uncultured stereotype while the Christian religion is triumphant. Even as Ood-le-uk travels yet more to reunite with his family, it is the Christian amulet that seems to guide him and bring curiosity and joy to his family.

Other than dated language and terms and the racist undertones and even despite them, I did like Ood-le-uk’s story. It was exciting at times as he escaped danger and used his resourcefulness to rescue himself from the icy wilderness. He and his friend fled robbers and witchcraft and navigated icy caves and frozen tundra. Unfortunately, as did many books from the era in which it was written, a lot of the story was “told” and not “shown.” Also, what would Inuit people feel about the characterizations and stereotype about their people in this book? Is “Ood-le-uk” even a real name?

But in the end, I did like reading the book. It is not a book I’d recommended to children today, but it is adventuresome. Ood-le-uk the Wanderer won a Newbery Honor in 1931. In comparison to some Newbery Honor books, it stands in the okay category.

The post Ood-Le-Uk the Wanderer by Alice Lide and Margaret Johansen appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

We know her third biggest secret from the first chapter, that is, that Fallon’s uncle sliced her face open with a knife when she was five. She has kept the fact that it was her uncle a secret from everyone except her friend Trent. It is only now that her uncle has died that she feels conflicted about telling others. She has spent her whole life since then healing and receiving surgeries to have a normal childhood, albeit with a scar across her face. It is all the more difficult to deal with the fact that her uncle did this since he is called “goof ball” or “G.B.” or “Geebie” by everyone else. Fallon has questioned how her “goof ball” uncle could be the one who hurt her so badly. Yet, with the encouragement of her friend Trent, she is beginning to see how she can maybe tell this big secret.

With Uncle Geebie’s funeral comes a series of other events that unfolds as Fallon comes to terms with her past. She wants to focus on hanging out with her friends Trent and Kaia and staring in the school musical, but she now finds herself unwittingly in the midst of her own healing process. Finally, Fallon finds common ground with someone else who understand what she’s been going through.

Her year hasn’t progressed as she expected, but it ends up being one with healing and understanding. Maybe now her scar is willing to reveal its secrets, just as with a little digging the bed of the river reveals its secrets. A Scar Like a River is a positive and real look at healing after trauma.

Get this book at Amazon.

The post A Scar Like a River by Lisa Graff appeared first on Rebecca Reads.

The issues that the middle schoolers deal with are intense and real. The book mentions bulimia, m@sturbation, getting first periods, using tampons, death of pets, crushes, boob sizes, and first relationships. It introduces the difference between criticism and bullying. It addresses the conflict between groups of friends. Who will Luna choose to be with: her life-long friend Scott who is not “cool,” or the “cool” crowd?

To me, it felt like these kids were older than twelve. I mentioned the serious issues above. Would 12-year-olds admit these things to each other? Would 12-year-olds have swim class in school? That’s a small point, but it just felt like something older kids would have. Although I know the author wanted her to get her first period, other than that, it felt like all the kids were 14 and up given the discussions and relationships they had with each other. Or was I just that naive in seventh grade to not know the real issues my peers were dealing with?

The writing in The Moon Without Stars is phenomenal. The author manages to capture the middle school students perfectly. Each character’s mannerisms were unique. The narrator’s feelings are well drawn and not just “told.” I felt like I was back in middle school. The author’s writing was definitely the high point of this book for me. I was in awe of her talent.

I love how the author used the 7 in seventh grade as this image of a cliff one is jumping off. This is how the ups-and-downs of Luna’s story felt. Although there were some mature issues that seemed to be far above the middle grade age level, as a whole The Moon without Stars is a fantastic book that I greatly enjoyed reading, mostly for the amazing writing. It just blew me away.

Get The Moon Without Stars from Amazon.

The post The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller appeared first on Rebecca Reads.