Shelf Awareness--Immortal Dark

YA Review: Immortal Dark

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 432p., ages 14-up, 9780316570381, September 3, 2024)

Immortal Dark is a fabulously bloody and intricate reimagining of the vampire myth, wherein an ancient agreement between vampires--or "dranaics"--and humans is all that keeps a massive slaughter of mortals at bay. But the stasis becomes threatened when one bitter, self-destructive 19-year-old embarks on a mission to save her twin, no matter the cost.

Kidan Adane is a murderer. And she'll kill again when she finds the "shadowy vampire" she is convinced kidnapped her twin sister, June. When Kidan's aunt dies, Kidan finds herself heiress to her parents' legacy, which should include the great House Adane, located on the hidden campus of Uxlay University. Uxlay is an ancient Black community that exists because of an uneasy peace, the Three Binds, that was created long ago in Ethiopia between dranaics and humans. Before the powerful binds, "humans were hunted and tortured by vampires," but once the alliance was forged, vampires were invited to live alongside humans as companions.

In a baffling twist, Kidan's parents have willed House Adane not to Kidan, but to dranaic Susenyos Sagad, the very vampire Kidan is seeking. To get to him and break her parents' will so she can inherit, Kidan must live in the estate with Susenyos; at the same time, each races to master the very real power of House Adane. Kidan and Susenyos, with his features "cut like dark glass," behave brutally--despite their growing and violent attraction--as each plots to make the other leave. As secret societies with unknown allegiances contribute to a trail of corpses, Kidan realizes the odds she'll save June without losing her own life are slim. But Kidan has always intended to die for her twin, "wreaking as much chaos as she [can] before facing hell itself."

Tigest Girma's ambitious, vividly imagined debut conjures a complex, often messy world in which humans vie for power and vampires fight for control. Her smart writing, which never shies away from violence, features a cutthroat society where life (both human and immortal) is cheap. Girma's heroes--angry, driven by their own conflicting desires, and unafraid to get bloody--rarely pretend to be virtuous. Readers will likely enjoy the intricacies of the mythmaking, and ultimately be left pondering the price of survival in this rewarding and original read, first in a planned trilogy. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

June's Book of the Month--June Moon

June’s Book of the Month is my own recently released board book, JUNE MOON, beautifully illustrated by Nate Carvalho and published by Familius. Since I wrote it—and am a bit shy about summarizing it myself—here’s what the publisher says:

Rising moon, shining moon, magic as a June moon.

In a story of seasides and summertimes, the rising and setting of the moon mirrors a child’s imaginative play and bedtime routine, all bathed in the natural magic of an evening in June. With gorgeous illustrations and seamless transitions between reality and the fantasy of a child’s view of the night sky, readers of all ages will reach for this lilting bedtime poem again and again.

I hope you’ll take a moment to find and support JUNE MOON, perhaps by buying a copy or requesting one from your local library, and sharing it with a young child!

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--Under the Surface

YA Review: Under the Surface

Under the Surface by Diana Urban (Putnam Books for Young Readers, 368p., ages 12-up, 9780593625088, August 13, 2024)

Under the Surface is a well-executed, subterranean adventure-gone-wrong, with a satisfying romantic angle and enough drama to keep the narrative hurtling forward.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is in Paris with her class, on "the best trip in the history of forever." With the help of close friends Sean (who makes Ruby's blood go "warm and tingly") and Val (lover of "daredevil antics"), Ruby is on the hunt for eye-popping locations to film for her YouTube channel. When Val sneaks off alone to a party suggested by a French "hottie," Ruby is worried something might happen to her best friend. Despite her "tangled mess" of blonde hair and "jet-lagged" bloodshot eyes, Ruby slips away to bring Val back. She's caught sneaking out, though, by valedictorian Olivia as well as salutatorian and bestie-turned-nemesis Selena, who get pulled into the unfolding misadventure.

The girls find Val and hottie Julien about to head off to a party in the catacombs, and Ruby can't resist capturing this little-seen locale for YouTube. Most of the place is off-limits to the public, but Julien swears he's a "cataphile" who knows his way around; the group heads down a secret entrance into the intricate web of tunnels that house "the skeletal remains of six million long-dead Parisians." Their guide leads them through dark and narrow passageways until they reach a shaft--a shortcut to the party, apparently. But the ladder breaks when Selena climbs down, and the others take a different route to reach her. When they finally arrive, the "only sign of Selena is her blood." The group gets lost as they head back aboveground for help, and are chased by phantom whisperings, booming drums, and mysterious people in skull masks wielding knives. Meanwhile, at street level, Sean has discovered Ruby and Val are missing and desperately chases down any lead he can find.

Diana Urban (These Deadly Games) has found in Paris's catacombs the perfect setting for a creepy thriller. She expertly amps up the tension as her characters become increasingly desperate, and her use of Ruby's and Sean's first-person narratives places readers inside the action both above and below the streets of Paris. The nightmarish adventure plays out against a backdrop of high school intrigue, including the (possibly) budding romance of Ruby and Sean, shifting loyalties, romantic mishaps, and betrayal. But despite their differences, characters must work together to save themselves, even as the stakes turn deadly. This well-rounded, gripping survival story has as many twists and turns as the catacombs themselves. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

May Recommendations

TELL ME ABOUT OCEANS and TELL ME ABOUT SPACE, written by Lisa Varchol Perron and illustrated by Jennifer Faulkner, both use simple, rhyming text in a question-and-answer format to explain basic concepts in a way that the youngest of readers should appreciate. Melodic main text is supplemented with explanatory sidebars which go into further detail, so the books work on a couple of levels—to keep older siblings interested, as well, and/or to grow with the child as they are ready to learn more.

My favorite page is (of course) about the moon: “Tell me how our moon lights up/ and makes the nighttime glow./ The moon is dark but bounces sunlight/ down to Earth below.” And then we learn in the sidebar how the moon “the moon does not create its own light,” but instead “acts like a mirror,” and so on. The illustrations do a great job of making concepts clear—give these early science books a try!

In EMMA FULL OF WONDERS, by Elisha Cooper, Emma is “a large dog with many small dreams.” In fact, Emma has “one, two, three, four, five” favorite things, which are “singing, dancing, rolling in the grass, splashing in water, going for walks,” and then there are food and naps, which are the sixth and seventh. Readers will go on to learn many other important things about Emma, a gentle, thoughtful dog with a secret. Cooper’s masterful ink and watercolor art works in perfect unison with an absolutely wonderful text that somehow manages to be both active and reflective at once, and never says too much. It’s hopeful, reassuring, and sweetly done.

BENITA AND THE NIGHT CREATURES, written by Mariana Llanos and illustrated by Cocoretto, stars an avid reader who’s too engrossed in her book to be scared of the monsters who try to haunt her. Benita has a new book, so she’s not paying attention when Cuco bounces into her bedroom to yell “BOO!” (or even “BOO HAAAHOOOO!”) Nor is she impressed by Tonche, who whistles “FEEEEE EEENNN!” Or Supay, who wails “BAHAAHAAAHAAAA!” No, Benita is reading and, honestly, isn’t reading the best kind of “enchanting magic,” anyway? Text is active and fun, and bright, engaging pencil and digital illustrations feel like block prints or paper cuts. Lots of storytime fun to be found in this one!

In THE CONCRETE GARDEN, by Bob Graham, “after a cold, hard winter,” Amanda brings a box of chalk outside where children play, having “spilled out [from their apartments] like candies from a box.” Amanda uses green to make a drawing on the ground, which Jackson turns into a dandelion. Janet adds a mushroom and the Bradley twins contribute flowers (which are smudged by Luke’s dog). Next come a snail, some foliage, and, piece by piece, “a beautiful and exotic garden spread[s] across the concrete.” People in the apartments above notice, and the kids all get to take a bow. When rain washes away their concrete garden, the kids aren’t sad, because now they get to create something new! Bob Graham is a master, and I would bet anything he creates is worth a look—this one certainly is. Illustrations, full spreads with some panels, are watercolor and ink in his signature style.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--Squirrel Needs a Break

PB Review: Squirrel Needs a Break

Squirrel Needs a Break by Kristen Remenar, illus. by Matt Faulkner (Charlesbridge, 32p., ages 4-7, 9781623543709)

Wife and husband team Kristen Remenar and Matt Faulkner (Groundhog's Dilemma) have created in Squirrel Needs a Break a winning picture book filled with humor, heart, and a celebration of community.

Squirrel's an attentive dad, but after being "stuck in the nest" with three exuberant kits all winter, he's "even grumpier than usual." So, Sparrow, Bear, Hare, Owl, and Groundhog decide to give Squirrel a much-needed break. While Owl takes Squirrel for a breakfast of peanut butter pie, Hare makes pancakes with the kits. Then Hare turns the energetic little ones over to Sparrow (yes, "syrup happened") and Hare and Squirrel proceed to the spa. Meanwhile, Sparrow gives the sticky kits a bath, then hands them off to Owl, who then delivers them to Groundhog. At first, Squirrel enjoys his time off with friends, but during yoga class, he begins to miss his family. As the day winds down, Squirrel and his kits are reunited and Bear has one final surprise in store.

Remenar's earnest characters are as endearing as her plot is full of energy. Her clever text includes fun dialogue and allows plenty of room for Faulkner's expressive digital illustrations. His deftly rendered, cartoony art depicts characters with human-like features and body language, contributing to the story's relatability. Child readers will likely delight in the kits' capering while caregivers will almost certainly connect with the exhausted animals. Indeed, this entertaining, affectionate picture book title should be as big a hit with adults as it is with their rambunctious kits. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

May's Book of the Month--Everyone Starts Small

With its lyrical text and vibrant, colorful art, EVERYONE STARTS SMALL, written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Dominique Ramsey, offers an inspiring ode to our living planet that ends with some gentle encouragement to help Earth “recover, regenerate, and look after itself.”

“Everyone starts small,/in seed or sky or rocky bed.” The story begins with Sun’s beams, Grass’s blades, and Cloud’s exuberance, but soon “everyone sprouts and bursts/and hatches and spreads.” Tree “reaches and widens,” Water “tumble[s] end over end,” Grass, Sun, Bug, and Berry, “rise and ripen.” But then comes Wind, and Sun grows too hot. And so does Fire. Then Rain, who is wet, calms everyone down. And they’re all tired, but “Soil holds on,” and slowly “threads of life” again burst forth.

The language is so smooth and wonderful to say, I couldn’t help reading it aloud and over-quoting it to describe the story. Liz Garton Scanlon is a master, but the illustrations completely hold their own, with bright colors and swirling, organic shapes adding to the sense that Earth is always in motion, always growing and dying back and growing again. It’s a delightful read.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--The Island Before No

PB Review: The Island Before No

The Island Before No by Christina Uss, illus. by Hudson Christie (Tundra Books, 56p., ages 3-7, 9780735272415, July 16, 2024)

The Island Before No cleverly, comically, and with plenty of aplomb relates the story of how a huddle of overly agreeable walruses deals with the challenge of a contrary new Kid who arrives on their island, neatly demonstrating how "YES [can] work as a great partner to NO."

On this island full of walruses, "every simple question had just one simple answer: yes!" According to the walrus narrator, yes worked beautifully when questions pertained to staying up late or eating cake; it was "not so great when someone asked you to wear an itchy shirt or get a haircut." But "yes" is the answer these walruses know, so they went with it. Until the Kid shows up. The Kid parks his boat in the middle of the Walrus Ball court and, when asked to move, responds with something new: "NO!"

NO wasn't "shaped like YES, but somehow it was still an answer." NO is "heavy like a bookcase, solid as a boulder." And NO allows the Kid to take all the donuts from Café Donutto. When the narrator wishes to share, the Kid says NO ("the best word in the world!") and instead calls for a piggyback ride. The poor walrus answers, predictably, "yes." Ensuing requests come quickly and are all answered with the familiar yes. When the fed-up walrus begs, "Would you stop using my toothbrush to paint the cat?" the Kid, of course, says NO.

The Kid invites friends who all borrow toothbrushes. Donut supplies begin to run low. Finally, the frustrated walruses decide they need to employ the "big new word" themselves. Their first NOs are "squishy like sponges." But, with practice, the narrator manages to squeeze out a small NO. Even though it's not big or heavy, it works! Now, armed with a whole wheelbarrow full of NOs to go with their yeses, the pod sets about saving their island.

Christina Uss (The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle) delivers a chucklesome narrative that follows a clear, concise arc, one she expertly punches up with plenty of fun linguistic devices. The story is allowed to unfold in 56 generous pages, giving debut book illustrator Hudson Christie ample room to contribute enthusiastic, appealing visuals. Christie's clay and paper dioramas bring a solid, 3-D heft to the art and some spreads--which are illustration only, even the text ("yes" or "NO") rendered in the artist's Claymation style--help both pace and emphasize plot points. This splendid cautionary tale comes in the most kid-friendly of packages! --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.