MG review of Polly and Buster: The Wayward Witch & the Feelings Monster by Sally Rippin

Polly and Buster:  The Wayward Witch & the Feelings Monster 
Format:  Paperback
Publisher:  First Published in Australia June 2017 by Hardie Grant Egmont.

Published in the US:  2019 by Kane Miller, a division of EDC Publishing 

Number of Pages:  280

Source:  Review copy provided by the Publisher

Series: First book of the Polly and Buster Series

Opening Lines:  "Polly Proggett is terrible at spells, which is rather unfortunate when you're a witch."

The weather has been getting much colder so when a request came in to read a story about a young witch and monster who are friends, I eagerly jumped at the chance.  

Polly and Buster are next-door neighbors and secretly the bestest of friends.  Which wouldn't be a problem if witches and monsters were supposed to be friends, but they aren't.  Even their parents have been discouraging them from playing together, so most of the time Buster and Polly don't say anything to one another.   On the way to school, Buster sits at the back of the bus and Polly sits with the witches upfront.  If they ever cross paths, they ignore each other and keep right on walking.  Yet, every day after school they still meet at the top of their favorite tree to reminiscence about their day.  Buster doesn't tease Polly about messing up her spells and Polly is comforting for Buster, he can truly express his feelings with her.  Feelings that cause him to grow when he's happy and shrink when he's sad.  Feelings that seem to match what Polly is feeling.    

Then one day Polly's class takes a trip to the art gallery.  At first, things are going well, Polly and the most popular girl in her class, Malorie seem to be hitting it off talking about drawing and art.  But then they run into Buster's class.  Buster is so surprised to see Polly that he forgets the rule of ignoring each other and waves excitedly while calling out Polly's name.  At first, Polly tries to ignore Buster, pretending she doesn't see or hear him,  which only leads to his feelings getting hurt.  When Buster's feelings are hurt, he starts to shrink and his classmates begin to notice and start to tease him.  Polly becomes so angry by their teasing that she surprisingly unleashes a protective spell, stunning everyone including Polly.  She's never cast a spell before.  Malorie believes that Polly's spell was actually to protect her from the monsters and she begins to tell everyone how Polly saved her from the terrible mean monster.  This leads to a huge misunderstanding between witches and monsters.  What is Polly to do now?  Should she tell everyone that monsters aren't mean, should she tell everyone that she and Buster are really friends?  

Polly and Buster weren't supposed to be friends on account of monsters and witches not getting along.  But their friendship just tugs at your heartstrings.  Polly is insecure about her inability to cast spells, she seems to believe that the reason the words swim across the page for her is due to not focusing as hard as the rest of her classmates.  As a speech pathologist, it was pretty clear to me that she's dyslexic, but for a young reader, this wasn't really explained as clearly as I would've hoped.  Maybe this is addressed in the next book, but I really wished that she would've received some help from her teacher Miss Spinnaker, who reads as a kind and understanding teacher and would've been the perfect person to help Polly with her dyslexia.

And Buster, the kind-hearted feelings monster who illustrates that having and expressing feelings are okay.  That being teased and bullied is not okay and the importance of standing up for your friend.  Although Polly initially was lured by the promise of friendship with one of the popular kids, she begins to realize that Buster's is a friendship worth fighting for.                       

Not only is the story a testament to the power of friendship and the importance of standing up for one another, it also weaves in some pretty heavy topics from the times of segregation and during World War II when the Jewish people were persecuted and forced to wear identifying badges.  Rippin does present these with great care and gears them toward the attended audiences age.  I can really see the story being used for classroom discussions on these topics.  Happily, the author and publisher have included numerous discussion questions, teacher tips and games, and activities on their website for teachers to use in conjunction with telling the story.  I'm looking forward to reading Polly and Buster and The Mystery of the Magic Stones next.      

MG Fantasy review of Malamander by Thomas Taylor, illustrated by Tom Booth

Malamander by Thomas Taylor
Format:  E-ARC
Publisher:  Walker Books US  
Number of Pages:  320
Publishing in the US:  September 10th, 2019 
Source:  Publisher via Netgalley

Series: The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea

Opening Lines:  "You've probably been to Eerie-on-Sea, without ever knowing it."

In the summer the town of Eerie-on-Sea is bustling with tourists, but during the winter all of the beachcombers have left and the town is quiet again.   Not far from the pier, you'll find the Grand Nautilus Hotel.  And just shy of the hotel's reception desk,  within a small cubbyhole is twelve-year-old Herbie Lemon, resident Lost-and Founder hard at work matching lost things to their owners.  Then one day Violet unexpectedly comes climbing through his cellar window pleading for Herbie to hide her.  Violet hastily climbs into a trunk while Herbie throws lost coats on top hoping to disguise her location.  Then the manager of the hotel, Mr. Mollusc and a man in a sailor's coat with a large iron boat hook for a hand show up demanding to know where she's hiding.  After searching the room and coming up empty-handed, they leave and Violet returns shortly thereafter requesting Herbie's help once again, this time to find her parents.  When Violet was only a baby, her parents disappeared while staying at the hotel.  Violet was shipped off to an Aunt but is now back looking for answers.  Soon Violet and Herbie set out to uncover any possible clues to their disappearance and somehow become entangled in the local legend of the mysterious Malamander, a monster that is half-man and half-fish.                
     
Malmander is the first book in the Legends of Eerie-on-Sea series. It's sorta reminiscent of Lemony Snicket and maybe even a little Pseudonymous Bosch, especially The Name of This Book is Secret because of the early caution to "close this book and lock it in a tin box and cast it off the pier."  Advice that I chose to disregard.  When I saw the cover my interest was instantly piqued.  Usually, the fantasy stories I enjoy reading take place in settings where the characters are traipsing through the mountainside, attending magical schools, even within castles and old houses.  Well, I think I've found a new setting to add to the list, a salty seaside town.  Eerie-on-Sea is mysterious and filled with quirky people and places. There's a Book Dispensary where a tophat wearing mermonkey will fill your book prescription and select the book you need to read.  It's also a tad eerie place because it comes with its own legendary monster, the Malamander.  I have to admit that at first, I thought the monster was just this legend created to keep the troublesome kids away from the wreckage of the Leviathan, but it turns out the monster was much more than that.  And certainly more dangerous.     
   
Malamander is told from Herbie Lemon's perspective and is predominantly about Violet's search for her parents and the monster.  Herbie strikes me as kind, caring and intelligent, with a somewhat mysterious past of his own.  Five years ago he washed up on the shore of Eerie-on-Sea in a crate of lemons, with no knowledge of his past, not even his own name.  The owner of the Grand Nautilus Hotel gave him his name and set him up as the caretaker of the Lost and Foundery.  A job that Herbie takes very seriously.  Now, Violet, she's a wild-haired, brave girl who's ready for adventure.  She's rash where Herbie is more analytical.  But one thing is for sure, Violet is determined to find out exactly what happened to her parents.  Sometimes her choices lead to more danger for the two of them.  As they delve further into the mystery, their quest takes them all over the town of Eerie-on-Sea, even face to face with the legendary Malamander.  And although they don't find all the answers to what happened to Violet's parents, it's still a very satisfying story.  I suspect that some of this will be resolved in future books.   If you're looking for a mystery with a unique setting, quirky people, and lovely illustrations, I'd certainly give Malamander a read.  I certainly can't wait to see what adventures these two have next.  

MG Fantasy review of The Little Grey Girl (The Wild Magic Trilogy #2) by Celine Kiernan

The Little Grey Girl (The Wild Magic Trilogy #2) by Celine Kiernan
Format:  Paperback ARC

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Number of Pages: 224

Publishing  September 3rd, 2019

Source:  Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Opening Lines: "The old queen was not dead.  That much was certain."

Begone the Raggedy Witches is the first book in The Wild Magic Trilogy by Irish author Celine Kiernan and The Litle Grey Girl continues the trilogy.  

After having successfully defeated her mother causing her to flee Witches Borough with some of her raggedy witches, Mam moves Mup, her Dad and Tipper to her mother's now vacant castle within the Glittering Land.  Since the queen's departure there continues to be significant unrest in the kingdom and the queen's subjects have grown untrusting of Mup's mother.  Many fear that the queen is lurking somewhere nearby plotting her revenge and feel that Mam won't be able to protect them.  Even the remaining raggedy witches who helped in the battle to defeat the queen are starting to doubt whether they picked the right side.  Despite all of this, Mup's mam had no initial plans to take over as the new queen but is forced into the role by Fi'rinne, a clan leader.  While Mup's mam is busy trying to bring order to the kingdom, Mup spends time with her younger brother Tipper, and her best friend Crow, a young boy who can transform into a raven.  It is on their first day in the castle that Mup witnesses a little girl clad in grey clothing near the dungeon that she was once held captive in not too long ago, and also meets Doctor Emberly, one of the remaining ghosts in her grandmother's castle.  Things take a dramatic turn when snow suddenly begins to fall cutting the castle off from the rest of the kingdom and a deep sadness begins to grip its inhabitants.  Who or what has taken hold within the castle?  Has the queen put a curse on them?

The Little Grey Girl is a heartwarming story that weaves in the ideas of speaking up for change and the importance of letting go of fear so change can be possible.   Overcoming oppression is another dominant theme, illustrated by Mam's actions in trying to release the kingdom from her mother's tyrannical reign.  She works hard to help them to realize that they no longer need to live in fear.  That together, united they're strong enough to combat anything that the queen might have planned.  She doesn't want to be their queen and have them fear or bow down to her, she wants them to voice their opinions.  

 I quite liked Mup, she appears to be a gentle soul who cares deeply about protecting her family and vows that nothing will hurt them again.  Mup and her best friend, Crow struggle over good versus evil, and whether evil deeds should be punished, sometimes this causes a rift between them.  When Mup has a moment where she feels sorry for Naomi, a raggedy witch in the castle, Crow begins to distance himself from her.  His anger stems from the witches having killed his father and he doesn't trust Naomi's motives.  In his eyes, no good can come from helping them.  The witches had performed evil deeds and he feels they should be punished.  It's easy to sympathize with Crow's feelings yet also be sad when he gets angry at Mup.  I believe that Crow is scared that Mup is becoming a witch and it worries him.    

Beneath all of this, there's also an underlying eerieness to the story when the darkness and sadness appear in the castle, especially when messages and drawings are scrawled on the wall and the castle's subjects are filled with sorrow, wracked with bouts of uncontrollable tears.   The tension builds as Mup and Crow fear this presence, or when the grey girl takes on the shape of a dark twisty character, angry over the pains of the past and bent on vengeance.  They're desperately trying to find the means to appease her anger, to right the wrongs that were done in the past.  I quite enjoyed how Kiernan chose to resolve the story.  The Little Grey Girl does present some weighty subjects, but there is also a nice balance of humor and moments that allow  Mup and Crow's friendship and devotion to each other shine.  Looking forward to the final book in the trilogy to see what happens next.

Favorite lines from the ARC:  

   " Only a real friend could hug you when you were sad without expecting your tears to stop just to please them.  Only a real friend could help make your tears stop when you needed the sadness to go away.  A friend might not be able to draw you a map, but they can always walk with you as you find your own way out of the dark."      

       

MG Historical Fiction review of Sweet Home Alaska By Carole Estby Dagg

Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg
Format:  Paperback
Publisher:  Puffin Books 
Number of Pages:  304
Published:  July 16th, 2019 (paperback)
Source:  Publisher via Blue Slip Media 

Opening Lines: "It was because Terpsichore was the only unmusical Johnson that she dragged a hatchet across the yard toward a pumpkin as big as a pickle barrel."  

It's 1934 and the mill in Little Bear Lake, Wisconsin has closed.  Work has become scarce and Pop is concerned about being able to put food on the table.  Some of Terpsichore's neighbors have had to go on relief, sell off their valuables or even take charity from relatives, but Pop is determined to go it alone.   Then he hears of a New Deal Project that President Roosevelt is starting,  Pop is very excited about the prospect, but Mother is reluctant to leave behind her piano and electricity to rough it in Alaska.  However, she eventually agrees to give it one year.  Hoping to make a new start, the family sets out for Palmer, Alaska, but once they arrive circumstances are not what they thought.  For one, they will be living in tents until their house is built and most of the town is still under construction.  There's not even a school, church or hospital staff yet.  Despite all of this, Terpsichore loves her new home and is eager to develop its first library, but convincing Mother to stay is her next biggest challenge.

Sweet Home Alaska takes place shortly after the Great Depression just as President Roosevelt announced his New Deal and the Matanuska Colony project, a homesteading endeavor where families received a parcel of land in Palmer, Alaska to build a home and farm.  The story follows the Johnson family over the course of about a year as they settle into their new community.   In places, this really has the feel of the Little House on the Prarie books, which Terpsichore even makes references to during the story.  It's a glimpse into a different historical time period of out-houses, cooking without electricity, canning salmon and developing a town from the ground up.  There's the day to day musings of life in Palmer and the worry as winter gets closer and the reality that their house needs to be finished before the snow comes.  Terpsichore's mother is not happy about the move, she's very negative about the town and all of the things she perceives it's lacking.  Living in a tent puts a strain on her, whereas the rest of the family seems to be settling in just fine.  Terpsichore is excited about the potential for making her very own library and loves cataloging and checking out her books.  Together with some of her new friends she develops a Library Action Committee and sets out to raise money to purchase more books and magazines.  Overall there aren't any dramatic moments, but lots of positive messaging of children who are helpful, resourceful and a lovely sense of community.  

Life for the family in Alaska does include some initial hardships like the mosquitoes, horseflies, mud and long days of sunlight.  Much of the land where their house was to be built is forested, which took large crews and equipment to clear.  There are some details about the wildflowers found in Alaska like the spiky lupine, bluebells, and firewood blossoms, and mountain ranges surrounding the town but surprisingly absent are any interactions with moose, bear or any of the birds found in Alaska.  I would have also loved some interactions with the snow and cold winters and some explorations/playing outdoors, but truthfully the kids were way too busy for that.  However, I did learn how large some of their vegetables grow in Alaska, especially Terpsichore's pumpkins.  Who knew?  

There's an author note at the end explaining the initial inspiration for the story, a 1930's house her son purchased in Palmer, Alaska and a detailed resource list of some of the sources she used.  There are even recipes for the pumpkin oatmeal cookies and jellied moose nose mentioned in the story.  I also appreciated that the author's note explained her reasoning for not including interactions between the indigenous Alaskan people and the homesteaders, how in researching the topic she was unable to find any materials or references to their interactions and chose then not to include any interactions.  There's also a Curriculum Guide at Carole Estby Dagg's website with plenty of discussion questions and activities to incorporate into the classroom.  Overall this is a very lovely immersion into a historical time period for which I didn't know very much, I especially enjoyed the inclusion of pieces of FDR's Fireside chat and learning of Will Rodgers trip to Palmer.  A unique pioneering story.  

                

MG Review of Carnival Catastrophe (The Problim Children #2) by Natalie Lloyd

Carnival Catastrophe (The Problim Children #2) by Natalie Lloyd
Format:  Hardcover

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Number of Pages: 320

Published  June 25th, 2019

Source:  Purchased

Opening Line "The wind came as a night visitor, sneaking through the town of Lost Cove like a clumsy bandit."

Carnival Catastrophe returns to House #7 in the town of Lost Cove.   Papa Problim has returned home but danger still lurks in their small town.  Desdemona O'Pinion continues to threaten to send the Problim children to seven different homes on seven different continents and Mama is still missing.  The Problim children are no closer in deciphering grandpa Problim's riddle to find the last three twigs they need to complete a water witch to find his lost treasure and hopefully Mama.  While they continued to search for clues, it became clear that the answers they seek are leading them toward Pirate Cove.  Could mama be in one of the caves?  Luckily this year's Corn Dog Carnival's grand prize is a trip to the Cove for all of the carnival's winner's.  Hoping to win one of the spots on the boat, each of the Problim's enter one of the contests.  Can they win the coveted prize and rescue mama?  

Mona continues to be my favorite character.  She reminds me a little of The Grinch, Pippi Longstocking, Matilda, and Wednesday from the Addams Family.  I love how Violet describes her as a "thundercloud, pretty but kind of scary."  The way she rolls her eyes, how she can be moody, sometimes blunt with her words, sneaky and how rain is her favorite weather.  And how she's always plotting her next dastardly deed.  Pranks are one of her specialties, and where Carly-Rue is concerned, she owes her rival a revenge prank for Carly-Rue and her mom trying to kick them out of town.   But when Mona's prank goes a bit too far, she starts to worry that she might be seen by her friends and family as a bully or a villain.  Usually, it's not in her nature to worry about what other people think of her, but now she's becoming more introspective, taking into account other people's feelings.  She really doesn't want to seem cruel or unkind.  As in the first book, I love the bond that the Problim children have with one another, each child has their own strengths, and are always looking out for one another.  There's even a fun riddle to solve, hijinks at the carnival and beautiful messaging about finding one "good truth" to tell someone, and that it's important to lead with the good.    

Favorite line:   "I believe everyone has their own song playing deep in their soul.  When you hear the music they make, you see a very vulnerable part of their heart."         

MG Fantasy review of The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner

The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner
Format:  E ARC 
Publisher:  Henry Holt and Co.
Number of Pages:  288
Publishing:  August 6th, 2019
Source:  Edelweiss Plus

Opening Line:  "She descended into the basement, tasked with collecting the bones."

The opening lines and book description of The Bone Garden is what instantly hooked me.  There's something about graveyards that conjure up the images of gravestones, moonlit nights, caskets, and the potential for ghosts, of which there are none in this story.  It's just the right amount of dark, creepy and the perfect setting and atmosphere for this story.  I knew I was in for a treat.  I've seen reviews that compare The Bone Garden to Monstrous, The Graveyard Book and Coraline, which I full heartedly agree with.      

Each day Irréelle travels through the tunnels and passageways of the underside of the graveyard collecting bone dust for Miss Vesper.  A task that Irréelle eagerly completes because pleasing Miss Vesper is her highest priority.   Irréelle is tethered to Miss Vesper for her very existence due to being created by bone dust and Miss Vesper's imagination.  A fact that Miss Vesper will never let her forget,  one false move can lead to  Irréelle's existence being wiped out in a blink of an eye.   All Irréelle wants is to make her creator happy, which is turning out to be more and more difficult each day.  Irréelle both loves and fears Miss Vesper, making her the kind of character that you immediately feel sympathy for.  As far as villains go, Miss Vesper would be right there at the top of the list.  She's cruel, demanding, ill-tempered, and speaks to Irréelle with words as sharp as knives, leaving her constantly on edge.  Miss Vesper is kinda like this mad scientist from Frankenstein mixed with Cruella de Vil who creates children from spare body parts, bone dust, and her imagination.   Though her creations can also be imperfect.  For example, when Miss Vesper created Irréelle, she ended up with a spine that is crooked and limbs that are misaligned, leaving her with a limp.  Yet Irréelle persists in completing her tasks with the hope that someday Miss Vesper will use her magic to make her real.   

Lately, however,  Irréelle's imperfections have led her to become even more forgetful and clumsy, and despite the best of intentions in pleasing Miss Vesper, she ends up doing the inexcusable, unforgivable.  She crushes one of Miss Vesper's newest creations, a hand that when it comes to life begins to attack Irréelle.  Even though Irréelle pleads with Miss Vesper that it was just a mistake, that she was only trying to defend herself, Miss Vesper has had enough and decides it's time to break their tether.  While Miss Vesper gathers supplies for a bonfire, Irréelle manages to escape into the passageways below ground.  But, Miss Vesper won't let one of her creations go so easily and sends her bats after her.    

As Irréelle tries to escape through the tunnels, she stumbles across a boy (Guy).  He too is one of Miss Vesper's creations.  Originally he was sent to find "an unmarked grave that is very clearly marked," and when he was unsuccessful, was buried under a pile of rocks, it never pays to anger Miss Vesper.  Irréelle believes that Guy may just be what she needs to get back into Miss Vesper's good graces if they can complete her impossible task maybe she can be forgiven.  

Irréelle's time is initially spent below ground, carrying a candle to illuminate her way through the tunnels to extract bone dust, which is certainly creepy but not too scary.  She's a dutiful girl, very eager to please.  Other than the anger and contempt Miss Vesper shows her, she is in no true danger at first.  Even Miss Vesper is not quite as scary as I thought she was going to be, although she certainly is unkind and cruel in her treatment of Irréelle.  She can conjure up bats made from dust so probably best not to get on her bad side.  There's an element of adventuring and mystery as the duo makes their way above ground and through the cemetery trying to figure out why Miss Vesper is so desperate to find this unmarked grave.  Who's remains does it hold and what does she intend to do with them?  Things also take an interesting turn when they run into an unexpected ally, a girl named Lass who's also been sent by Miss Vesper to search for the unmarked grave.    And danger does come when they have a run-in with the watchman from the cemetery and are returned to Miss Vesper's clutches.  It's within these moments that Irréelle's character shines, she acts boldly to save her friends and learns that she has the inner strength, and determination to resist being compelled to do what someone else wants.  I really enjoyed her transformation and the way in which the story was resolved.  

MG Fantasy/Adventure review of Moonlocket (The Cogheart Adventures #2) by Peter Bunzl

Moonlocket (The Cogheart Adventures #2)  by Peter Bunzl
Format:  ARC paperback
Publisher:  Jolly Fish Press 
Number of Pages:  384
Publishing:  August 13th, 2019 (first published May 1st, 2017)
Source:  Publisher 

Opening Lines: "Jack stepped through the crack into the night.  Outside the yard was quiet and thick dark clouds hid the moon from view."

Moonlocket opens with a prologue and introduces the character of Jack of Diamonds.  A nefarious criminal who has just escaped from prison for yet unknown reasons.  This is a brilliant setup which sets the mood and excitement level for the story yet to come.  Bunzl then shifts to Lily and Robert relaying how Lily's mother died when she was six years old in a tragic accident.  How her father is a famous inventor and one of his inventions was instrumental in saving her life.  Robert is the boy who assisted Lily and who has come to live with her since his father died in the first book.  Lily's father would like to adopt him, but Robert is reticent and feels that he has unresolved issues to deal with first and he's still grieving and doesn't feel it's the right time.  Robert visits his father's shop often, but it's still a painful reminder of all that he has lost, his prior home, and that his father's shop now belongs to his mother, wherever she might be.  It's while at his father's shop that Robert sees a mysterious figure lurking about.  At first, he believes it's his da now as a ghost but soon discovers that what they were really after is the Moonlocket, a locket with mysterious markings that holds a hidden clue to Roberts past and might lead him to his mother.

I am so enamored with these covers, the steampunk aspects of zeps combined with Malkin the mechanical fox, the kids riding their bikes and even the playing card.  Just gorgeous.  The tag line is also so perfect for the story, "a thrilling tale of catastrophe and courage." Yes and yes.  I was excited that Robert had the opportunity to tell more of his story about his mother's disappearance and his connection to the missing Moonlocket.  Lily and Robert make a fantastic team and I love how they support each other.  Lily's no-nonsense approach and how she won't be talked out of "going on a ghost hunt" with Robert.  They're creative, fast thinkers and although at times they get overpowered by the adults, somehow they manage to outwit them as well.  And Malkin, the sarcastic mechanical fox, who adds just the right amount of humor.    Moonlocket also features a cryptogram or engraving of words on the locket so is perfect for kids who like to solve puzzles.  Such a fun adventure that is both a touching and a heartfelt testament of friendship and courage.    

Favorite lines:  "...when you lose someone close, the gifts they gave you become keepsakes to remember them by - it's as if they magically contain a part of that person.  And when you mislay such a gift, it is like losing that person all over again.  But when you recover it, it is always a great and unexpected blessing."