Book Review: The Adventures of Wandala by Daniel Boyd @HeadlineBooks

The Adventures of Wandala
Daniel Boyd
Illustrated by Hector Mexia Sanchez
Headline Books, November 2020
ISBN 978-1951556266
Trade Paperback

Wandala is resigned in Centralia while everyone else exists in a comfortably-content ignorance. She isn’t ungrateful, or jealous; she simply seeks something…more. Her dreams display a bridge to everywhere: North, East, South and West.

So silly. Since the big Boom-Boom, citizens have happily convinced themselves that their home is truly the only place on the planet. They are the only people.

But. Super Eddie doesn’t doubt or dissuade Wandala and he was once a Wiseman. It only takes one (intelligent and thoughtful) person to agree with the potential of her plan. Wandala simply will not accept intentional isolation. Instead of wondering, she and her constant canine companion, Rodney, wander.

Explorations bring new experiences and emotions. Bitter cold to desert heat. Excitement upon meeting someone new. Confusion; each boy the pair encounters initially speaks with haughty authority, despite his overall lack of knowledge.

She remains steadfast in her goal and eventually creates a conversation; hope. Sadness when he concurs, yet refuses to join her. Still, Wandala will exhaust every option. Perhaps she will see her patience and perseverance pay off; but it may not be in the way she expects.

Wandala is every child with her open-acceptance, alongside curiosity and determination. Wise-cracking Rodney proves to be amazingly adaptable, in truly transformative ways, as he accompanies his human on her quest.

The Adventures of Wandala written by Daniel Boyd, illustrated by Hector Mexia Sanchez, introduces a quietly confident, inquisitive girl. Young readers will admire her under-stated spunk as they thoroughly enjoy her adventure. Older readers may get an eerie, this-fiction-doesn’t-feel-too-far-off, vibe as they appreciate the tenacity and resolution of someone who learns to keep her head, but follow her heart.

Reviewed by jv poore, July 2020.

Book Review: The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle

This is an old review, slightly updated. Twenty years ago,
it made me laugh…no, cackle out loud…and it’s every bit
as funny today. Maybe more so since we can all probably
think of at least one person these days who could
be a perfect target for The Giggler Treatment 🤣🤣🤣

 

The Giggler Treatment
Roddy Doyle
Arthur A. Levine Books, September 2000
ISBN 978-0-439-16299-9
Hardcover

From the publisher—

When grownups are mean to children, they get a visit from the mischievous Gigglers–elfin creatures who punish wayward adults–in a delightfully rude, laugh-out-loud adventure. Mr Mack’s dog Rover sells his own poo to the gigglers – small creatures who take revenge on any adult who treats children unfairly by making the unsuspecting adults step in poo. When the gigglers set out to exact punishment on Mr Mack, Rover knows he doesn’t deserve it, and the race is on to get to him before he takes that fatal step. A cheeky tale of revenge, dogs and poo by a seriously famous writer.

Laugh Alert!! Seldom do I actually laugh out loud when I’m reading but, not only did I do that with this book, I also had to keep interrupting myself to read a passage to someone else. Have you ever wished something yucky would happen to a grownup who is mean to a child? You know the type, the guy who tells a kid something tastes like chicken when it doesn’t. Well, here’s where you can find out all about the secret revenge of the Gigglers, small little furry critters who change colors like chameleons.

This is one of those books that are meant for children but appeal to all ages. Silliness runs rampant throughout the story — even the chapter headings are comical — and the illustrations by Brian Ajhar are wonderful. Please, run to your favorite bookstore and buy this book. Buy two so you can give one away! Better yet, buy all four books starring Rover!

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2000.

Book Review: Lovestruck by Kate Watson @katew223 @fluxbooks

Lovestruck
Kate Watson
Flux, April 2019
ISBN 978-1-63583-030-9
Trade Paperback

Picture Cupid.

Now, destroy that image and any other preconceived notions that accompany it. Apparently, we are wrong and it is the Romans’ fault.

Of course, Kali does seem quick to blame the Romans for most misunderstandings of Greek gods and goddesses; but the image of a chubby cherub with an illogically-sized bow, well that one certainly chaps her ass. Then again, she is the crankiest Erote anyone could fathom. Traits that tend to be exhausting and annoying when exhibited by a mere human are like an adorable child venting frustration when this present-day deity pitches a fit. It should not be amusing and delightful, but it actually is.

Which is not to say that Kali should be dismissed or even taken lightly. Like all great goddesses, she is terrifying and revels in vengeance. Plus, she hasn’t always been a bitter anger-ball. At a time when she was happy in life and love, Kali took her matchmaking training very seriously. She stayed sharp and constantly competed with her cousin, Deya, to be the best student.

Until she abruptly ascertained that the Fates have already paved our paths and nothing she does truly matters. At that Kali, becomes the most cynical, careless matchmaker to ever come out of Olympus. And she just completed her fourth mismatch.

Not good for any student, it is entirely unacceptable for the very daughter of Eros to perform so poorly. Consequences for continuing in this fashion will be dire at best, so it is almost implausible that she should so royally ruin her last chance.

I love this modern-day myth and I believe Ms. Watson’s writing may have a bit of a goddesses’ blessing as she magnificently manages to share a fun story with some intriguing food-for-thought undertones. Yet another treasure that I am super-excited to take to “my” students.

Reviewed by jv poore, April 2019.

Book Review: Smailholm by C.L. Williams @smailholmbook @matadorbooks @YABoundToursPR

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Title: Smailholm
Author: C.L. Williams
Publisher: Matador/Troubador
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

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Purchase Links:
Barnes & Noble // Amazon // Indiebound
Bookstagrammer //  Audible

“You see for many years a secret has been kept beneath
my family home—Smailholm Tower, the wild brambles hiding
a big secret of the smallest kind. It is a secret which only
I seem to have discovered—that of the miniature folk of
Smailholm. They say they were once the same size as I,
but they were shrunk by some other-worldly curse.”

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Smailholm
C.L. Williams
Matador/Troubador, January 2020
ISBN 978-1-83859-166-3
Trade Paperback

From the author—

Shh! Can you keep a secret? In wild medieval Britain thirteen-year-old Wynn Hoppringle has a big secret of the smallest kind. She has discovered a miniature village hidden close to her family home of Smailholm Tower. When tales of merciless border raiders reach the small folk, they realise they are in danger and must seek a cure to their strange predicament. Can Wynn help her tiny friends or will the scheming King quog have other ideas? Heroes it seems come in all sizes.

What a charming little tale this is! As is fitting with a fantasy set in old Britain, Scotland to be exact, we don’t ever entirely understand what’s going on in this land of wee folk but it’s an adventure, an immersion into the wild country that will eventually become polished and almost mundane.

Wynn is a curious, lively girl whose future is preordained by her position and her life changes when she encounters these tiny people who have been living under an old curse. They’re not the faeries we might expect but actually miniaturized people and they, and their village near Smailholm Tower, become an essential part of Wynn as she grows up. Other than her dog, Vargo, no one else knows about them and Wynn fears for their future and so sets out to find a cure for the curse..

One note—this is billed as medieval but the year that Wynn meets Jimmy is 1563, a hundred or so years after the commonly accepted end of the Medieval Era. This takes place during the Renaissance but it has a decidedly Middle Age feel and I chalk that up to the atmosphere of old Scotland. Regardless of this discrepancy and some inconsistencies in the author’s writing style, I recommend this to readers of any age who appreciate both history and whimsy.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, January 2020.

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About the Author

Claire Williams lives in Cheshire with her husband and children Ava and Henry. She probably needs to consider Botox in the near future. She is proud to be called a ‘Clayhead’ – a person born in the Potteries (Stoke on Trent) and will always turn over a china cup to see where it is made. She is a tech geek and fantasy fan and will often be found snuggled in front of the TV watching a sci-fi or fantasy movie.

Author Links:
Website // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

BOOK IS PUBLISHED BY TROUBADOR under its imprint MATADOR:
https://www.instagram.com/troubador_publishing/

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Follow the tour here.

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Giveaway

One copy of a luxury clothbound hardback
with Smailholm book swag

Enter here.

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Book Reviews: Colombiano by Rusty Young, Abby in Wonderland by Sarah Mlynowski and Otherwise Known As Possum by Maria D. Laso @SarahMlynowski @Scholastic

Colombiano
Rusty Young
Havelock & Baker, August 2017
ISBN–AU 9780143781547
Havelock & Baker, February 2020
ISBN–US 978-0648445319
Trade Paperback

You can’t truly know what someone else is going through without walking in his shoes. Unless Mr. Young writes about it. In Colombiano, those of us fortunate enough to be far removed from any war zone, see exactly what living amid battles entails; in day-to-day life, as well the overall impact it has on absolutely everything.

Certainly, most people know that the Guerilla evoke evil with their aggressive cocaine manufacturing and distribution. The gross misunderstanding is that the Guerilla are fighting the army and law enforcement; not citizens. Leading to the false conclusion that, if folks go about their business, there’s no real reason for this pesky fighting to bother them. The carefully controlled propaganda supports this theory. Even having the place of worship utterly obliterated by “errant” fire is only an unfortunate consequence.

Pedro has listened to placates until he thought his head may explode. Papi made sure he contained, or at least properly channeled, his rage. There was Camila to consider. Rounding out the small group of people close to Pedro is the somewhat goofy, undeniably adorable, Pallilo. Pedro can push his anger aside for them.

Right up until the Guerilla descended on his father’s farm. In front of his disbelieving eyes, Papi is surrounded as accusations are hurled. The feisty fifteen-year-old cannot watch the depraved tirade and hold his tongue. Boldly, stupidly, Pedro demands an explanation. His father’s crime was revealed with a hint of glee. The farmer had the audacity to allow soldiers from the army to drink water from his well.

The resulting punishment is a defining, dividing moment for Pedro. There are men like Papi. Those who believed, as people of God, it was never right to deny a thirsty man a drink. And there are monsters masquerading as men—the Guerilla.

The situation that Pedro is forced to face is tragic. His retaliatory actions, atrocious. And yet…the author manages to demonstrate how a furious and yes, frightened, adolescent can morph into a ruthless mankiller—all the while reminding the reader that Pedro remains, essentially, a boy.

Reviewed by jv poore, November 2019.

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Abby in Wonderland
Whatever After Special Edition #1
Sarah Mlynowski
Scholastic, Inc., October 2018
ISBN 978-0-545-74667-0
Trade Paperback

Sustaining a series is no simple task. Inserting a special edition story that is somehow as fresh and fun as the very first book seems insurmountable. Except to Ms. Mlynowski.

This fairy-tale-esque fantasy adds adventure and humor absolutely appropriate for younger readers, while maintaining a subtle, something-more; making it compelling and quirky enough for older audiences as well.

I enjoyed being the proverbial parrot-on-the-shoulder as four friends share a day off from school. Per usual, Penny’s parents are not around, but her house is huge and her nanny is happy to host. Penny has planned the entire day and she is not going to let a little cold air or a brisk breeze ruin the card game on the patio.

But when the wind whipped a card across the yard and into the neighboring golf-course, Abby abruptly abandoned the game to give chase. The other three follow until Frankie falls into a hole. Penny’s agenda is pushed aside. The girls have a real problem to solve.

Reviewed by jv poore, March 2019.

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Otherwise Known As Possum
Maria D. Laso
Scholastic Press, August 2018
ISBN 978-0-545-93196-0
Trade Paperback

Possum, to me, is kind of a country Pippi Longstocking. Both young girls are wise to the ways of the world, if not properly educated. Tough, fiercely independent with lasting loyalty and a heart bigger than her small body should be able to hold, Possum is another exemplary young lady.

Certainly a smile-through-tears kind of story combining spunk, mischief and intuitive, undeniable kindness, I thoroughly enjoyed the bitter-sweet reflections from the late 20th century in this captivating Juvenile Fiction from Ms. Laso.

Reviewed by jv poore, December 2018.

Book Reviews: Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater and War Spies by Daniel Polansky @mstiefvater @DanielPolansky @Scholastic

Call Down the Hawk
The Dreamer Trilogy, Book 1
Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic Press, November 2019
ISBN 978-1338188325
Hardcover

There’s an inexplicable way that Ms. Stiefvater wields her words so that the reader is comforted by the cadence and speeds along the stripped-down, short statements that say so very much. If this book were a car, it’d be the 2020 Lotus. Call Down the Hawk doesn’t warm up, it’s already impatiently revving, mirroring the barely-held-back growl that vibrates inside of Ronan Lynch.

Yes, my fellow Raven Cycle fans, Ronan Lynch is back! And, we are in his world now. Beyond the barns.

Ms. Stiefvater, of course makes no time for traipsing down memory lane, but there’s no need. New readers won’t need the background of The Raven Cycle to thoroughly enjoy this story centered around the Lynch brothers. I will not be surprised however, if readers of this first tantalizing tale in the Dreamer Trilogy seek out Raven Cycle series while waiting for the second, simply Stiefvater, Dreamer Book.

Ronan Lynch is a Dreamer. But that isn’t what makes him so surly and somewhat terrifying. Those traits are mainly because he is always thinking. Working out complicated puzzles in his head means that any interruption, even as innocuous as a casual greeting, is enough to have him snarling.

Declan, the eldest Lynch sibling, exists in a severely serious state of being. His dogged determination to be boring infuriates Ronan, while Ronan’s recklessness gives Declan heartburn. But both brothers adore their younger brother Matthew. The elder siblings are viciously protective of the blissfully unaware boy, in his constant state of content.

Despite their differences, the brothers Lynch are going to have to find a way to work together. The recent loss of both parents has made the trio a target. Turns out, Dreamers aren’t quite as secret or unique as the boys had been led to believe. In fact, there is a group of people banded together for the sole purpose of finding and eliminating all of the Dreamers.

If the brothers Lynch are to survive the assault, they will have to finally be completely honest with each other. Facing the folks set out to obliterate Dreamers could be exponentially easier than unleashing the secrets each sibling has been desperately trying to keep.

Reviewed by jv poore, November 2019.

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War Spies: One Mission, Six Bios
Daniel Polansky
Scholastic Paperbacks, November 2013
ISBN 978-0-545-57655-0
Trade Paperback

Spies seem to have always been significant in warfare, serving not only to steal and share information, but often sabotaging plans as well. This non-fiction collection contains six scintillating, snap-shot bios of some of the most effective double-agents throughout history.

While this may have been written with Middle-Grade and Young Adult readers in mind, this Not-So-Young reader found it to be incredibly interesting and enlightening. I know many of “my” students will definitely dig it.

From the ‘original spymaster’ to the ‘limping lady’, fascinating facts fill the pages. I even re-read the section on the British spy agency’s first female operative. Although I knew a good bit about Belle Boyd, I was delighted to discover the first crime she committed: as a child, she taught a young slave to read.

War Spies is the 7^th book in the Profiles series and I learned so much, so quickly that I’m going back for more.

Reviewed by jv poore, January 2019.

Short Story Review: A Charming Christmas by Tonya Kappes @tonyakappes11

A Charming Christmas
Magical Cures Novella
Tonya Kappes
Cozy Mystery Publishing, November 2014
Ebook

From the author—

Whispering Falls is having a winter storm warning. Not only from a blizzard, but a thief. . . the Whispering Falls Grinch. Sheriff Oscar Park is snowed in the nearby town of Locust Grove and unable help catch the unwanted visitor in their magical town. It is up to June Heal and her familiars, Mr. Prince Charming and Madame Torres, to put their amateur sleuthing skills to work and bring the Whispering Falls Grinch to justice.

Psychic June Heal is on her own, sort of, in finding a local thief who’s messing with Christmas in the magical town of Whispering Falls. She’s on her own because her beloved wizard sheriff is snowed in in another town but she does have her familiars, Mr. Prince Charming and Madame Torres, to give her an assist.

This town of spiritualists doesn’t really celebrate Christmas usually but the Village Council decided to have a month-long bazaar to draw in shoppers. A few citizens are disgruntled about it but most get into it with lots of decorations, caroling, festive street lights and the like. Too bad some misguided grinch is stealing the shop decorations; is this thief all that upset about celebrating the season? Then again, perhaps June will discover something else entirely and save the bazaar.

There are no murders here, just a fun little story to enjoy along with a cup of cocoa and a Christmas cookie; fans of the series as well as new readers will relish this visit to Whispering Falls  😉

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, December 2019.