Shelf Awareness--Eyes of the Forest

YA Review: Eyes of the Forest

Eyes of the Forest by April Henry (Holt, 272p., ages 12-up, 9781250234087)

Eyes of the Forest by April Henry (The Lonely Dead) is a suspenseful, captivating look at what may happen when a fantasy world becomes too real for some of its fans.

When 10-year-old Bridget's mom was dying of cancer, Bridget spent hours reading aloud from R.M. Haldon's Swords and Shadows series to ease the pain for them both. At 12, red-headed and "milk-pale" Bridget impressed the fantasy writer at a signing with her "encyclopedic knowledge" of his books and was hired to keep track of the myriad details for him. Now 17, Bridget still works for him, using her own database to keep everything straight. But Bob Haldon has writer's block and, despite clamor from readers, the series finale isn't forthcoming. Then Derrick, a LARPer and Haldon's "biggest fan," meets his idol, whom he finds drunk and despondent. Derrick and Bob hatch a plan to get the author writing again but things go "horribly wrong," and Bob ends up "in an isolated cabin, injured, shackled. No one but his captors [knowing] where he [is]." Bridget becomes increasingly worried and, since no one takes her fears seriously, begins an investigation of her own.

Henry's engaging and often thrilling narrative is told from multiple points of view, allowing readers close access to the motivations of all her main characters. She expertly examines the darker side of the culture of fandom, including pressures it puts on creators, and how fans themselves get out of hand. Ultimately, it's Bridget who, though completely submerged in the world of Swords and Shadows, manages to save the day by acting IRL. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

Discover: Seventeen-year-old Bridget must leave fantasy behind when her favorite author is kidnapped by an overzealous fan in this suspenseful story.

Shelf Awareness--Kaleidoscope

MG/YA Review: Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick (Scholastic, 208p., ages 10-up, 9781338777246, September 21, 2021)

Kaleidoscope, a transcendent offering by the Caldecott Medal-winning Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret; Wonderstruck; The Marvels), is infused with different kinds of seemingly ordinary magics: time and space, friendship and love, science and fairy tale. Selznick's eighth work as an author and illustrator is formatted as a collection of 24 interconnected, nonlinear stories in which the whole vision is far greater than the sum of each of its gorgeous parts.

In the opening story, the first-person narrator turns 13 years old and makes off with a ship. They and their friend James sail "past the pillars of Hercules into the West Ocean." A fierce storm carries the pair to the moon, where they're enlisted to help the king in his battle against the sun. After "fighting among the stars for centuries," the narrator returns to Earth alone (James remains behind as the new King of the Moon), to find that only a few days have passed on Earth and they are being blamed for James's death. In the second story, the narrator is a giant who forms a friendship with the human boy James, a person "no bigger than the end of my finger." Though they don't speak the same language, the pair bond over books. And in the third, the narrator is a winged creature exiled to an island 300 years ago. When the narrator rescues a shipwrecked boy, they give the boy access to their personal library, where the boy finds that "everything that happens can be found" in one of the books. The boy learns that the island is really a "heartbroken giant" who "died at the edge of the sea... and for a hundred years the wind blew salt, and sand, and soil, and seeds across his giant body until it became a mountain."

As Selznick himself says in his author's note, "certain themes and images... reappear... gardens and butterflies, apples, angels, fires, trees, friendships, islands, keys, shipwrecks, grief, and love." With them, the author has created a magical place where everything changes except, of course, those few things which stay constant. The relationship between the narrator and James is at the heart of all, and the deeply connected pair love--and are in love--in various ways throughout. Selznick's signature meticulous and heavily cross-hatched pencil illustrations, both abstract and realistic, grace the beginning and end of each brief story. This lovely, ethereal work hopefully makes a case for what the King of the Moon wisely proclaims: "without dreams, everything dies." --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

Shelf Talker: Caldecott-winner Selznick offers a spellbinding, nonlinear portrait of intense friendship and love that transcends time and space.

August Recommendations

Novels:

In the middle-grade novel JOSEPHINE AGAINST THE SEA, by Shakirah Bourne, the only thing ten-year-old Josephine loves more than playing cricket (or watching a good match) is sliming her daddy’s girlfriends with fish guts to scare them away. So far, with the help of her best—and only—friend Ahkai, she’s been successful. But when strange and beautiful Mariss arrives on the scene, Josephine finds herself up against a foe she thinks might be more sea spirit than human. Bourne juggles multiple plot threads with ease, creating a story that’s full of heart and humming with magic.

Chapter Books:

JO JO MAKOONS: THE USED-TO-BE BEST FRIEND, by Dawn Quigley with illustrations by Tara Audibert, features perky main character Jo Jo, who lives on a fictional Ojibwe reservation. Jo Jo has a best friend at home (Mimi, her cat) and a best friend at school (Fern, who isn’t saving her a seat at lunch anymore). When Jo Jo sneaks Mimi to school in her backpack, Mimi helps Jo Jo learn to rhyme (with such gems as “Mimi went pee-pee in the tipi,” which—yes—actually does happen). Jo Jo and Mimi make it home without being discovered, but there is still plenty to learn about, including Jim/Gym and making art that doesn’t insult your classmates. This is great chapter book fun!

Picture Books:

NO PANTS! by Jacob Grant, stars a little boy who is very excited for Party Day. He does everything he’s told—eats oatmeal for breakfast instead of pancakes, puts his bowl in the sink, brushes his teeth, uses the potty, washes his hands—but when it’s time to get dressed, he loudly and determinedly proclaims “NO PANTS!” His dad tries to convince him pants are necessary. Charcoal, crayon, pencil, and cut paper art that’s colored digitally works perfectly, and please make sure to check under the dust cover. This funny book felt completely relatable (at least to my family)!

SOMETHING’S WRONG! written by Jory John with illustrations by Erin Kraan, is another book about leaving home in your underwear. As Jeff the Bear goes about his morning, he’s got a feeling that something’s wrong. He greets deer, frog, and other animals in the forest, yet he remains sure that “something’s…off.” His friend Anders the Bunny helps him rectify the situation, and soon Jeff has his dignity back. This story about the very best kind of friendship is told completely in dialogue, aided by illustrations (which look to be digitally manipulated woodcuts) that pop with personality.

THE RESCUER OF TINY CREATURES, by Curtis Manley, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins, is Roberta, who does a job “nobody else seems to care about.” From bugs on their backs to worms stranded on the sidewalk, these “tiny creatures need friends who can rescue and understand them.” There are downsides, like people who don’t like earthworm slime or snails in their garden, and there’s the occasional dragonfly bite. But Roberta’s ingenuity shines through and eventually she wins herself a classroom full of fans and one likeminded friend. The bold, cartoony art, made with gouache, colored pencils, charcoal, and markers finished digitally, are full of heart.

WE ALL PLAY, by Julie Flett, takes readers on a gentle, alliterative romp with a variety of wild animals, pointing to the interconnectedness of the natural world. Come “chase and chirp…slip and slide…rumble and roll” because “animals play. And we play, too: kimêtawânaw mîna.” There’s a list of all the “hoppers and wigglers and wobblers and wanderers” included near the end, along with their Cree translations. The delicate, pastel and pencil illustrations, composited digitally, are brimming with whimsy. It’s a lovely book.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--Small Favors

YA Review: Small Favors

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig (Delacorte Press, 480p., ages 12-up, 9780593306741)

In Small Favors, a gloriously dark fairy tale that's perfectly enhanced with a romantic through line, Ellerie Downing is the "reliable one," the eldest daughter who won't let her family down. Usually she helps Mama, but with her twin brother, Samuel, "sneaking off all summer," she's begun tending the beehives with Papa.

At 18, Ellerie is ready to find her own place in the "wide and wondrous world" beyond Amity Falls. But there are "giant beasts in the woods" that are believed to have killed everyone on the recent supply train headed for the city. Soon the Falls will be cut off, with monsters and winter snows ensuring no one leaves until spring. When a charming stranger--"too attractive by half"--shows up, Ellerie thinks the future she's hoped for may be about to begin. Then tragedy strikes and Papa must get Mama through the woods to a doctor in the city. Ellerie is left behind to protect what's left of her family. With supplies dwindling and townsfolk at each other's throats, the nightmare is only beginning.

Erin A. Craig (House of Salt and Sorrows) has conjured a spellbinding tale of magic and horror. Her formidable protagonist, Ellerie, is a young woman fully capable of carrying her own troubles on her back--and then some. While it enriches the story, Ellerie's romance never derails her own sense of purpose. She's not immune to the darkness but she fights it harder than most. As the town of Amity Falls, which began full of rules and righteousness, deteriorates in the face of a powerful magic, readers may well wonder who the real monsters are in this story. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

Discover: When her town is threatened by monstrous creatures, 18-year-old Ellerie must defend her family in this standout blend of fantasy and horror.

August's Book of the Month--Before the Ever After

August’s Book of the Month is BEFORE THE EVER AFTER, by the incomparable Jacqueline Woodson.

It’s the compelling middle grade novel in verse about Zachariah Johnson Jr. (ZJ), whose Super Bowl winning, NFL star-of-a-dad is the neighborhood hero. But, to ZJ, his dad is so much more:

“he’s not my hero,
he’s my dad, which means
he’s my every single thing.”

ZJ, his mom, and his dad

“lived happily
before the ever after.”

Now, “Zachariah 44,” who “probably holds the Football Hall of Fame record for the most concussions,” has hands that shake, and headaches all the time. ZJ is beyond worried about his dad, whose mood swings are baffling, heartbreaking, and seem to have no end and no cure. But ZJ is also worried his friends will stay away now that his dad is acting so strangely.

This is a story about learning to live through the tough times. It’s about making do, finding your allies, feeding your strengths, and hoping tomorrow will be better.

It’s a story that flows so effortlessly, readers may want to gobble it up in one sitting. I sure did.

--Lynn