Book Review: Wilderlore – The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody

Another fun MG Fantasy!

From the publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster, releases March 30, 2021

A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods in this whimsical and cheeky middle grade fantasy debut—perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon.

The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

Thankfully, as an apprentice to the town’s mushroom farmer, Barclay need only work hard and follow the rules to one day become the head mushroom farmer himself. No danger required. But then Barclay accidentally breaks his town’s most sacred rule: never ever EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts.

To Barclay’s horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten: he unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.

The build and climax in this story are well done. And what you think of the characters may not be true. That was a fun twist. I loved the beasts, and it was very clever how they bonded with their chosen humans. There are different levels of beasts, too, which give the Lore Keepers different levels of powers.

I did have a hard time thinking they were 11 years old. The characters sounded and felt older to me. It didn’t prevent me from reading or bother me, but it did pop into my head.

Barclay’s emotional journal is also well done with a very satisfying ending.

I enjoyed the book very much and will definitely read the series as it comes out.

Fun, new middle grade!

The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips, Illustrated by Isabelle Follath

The book this month was a lot of fun to read. Reminiscent of Lemony Snicket, this story takes us on a journey with selfish, awful people who do rotten things. How is that fun, you ask? We all reveled in A Series of Unfortunate Events – that’s how. It feels fresh and original and that’s something to celebrate and read!

From the publisher:

The debut middle grade novel, which has been described as “Lemony Snicket meets Dorian Gray,” is slated for spring 2021. The publisher said the book is about a shallow man named Ebenezer Tweezer “and his friendship with an incredibly naughty girl named Bethany, and the prospect of at least one of them getting eaten by the beast in the attic.”

Beauty comes at a price. And no one knows that better than Ebenezer Tweezer, who has stayed beautiful for 511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep him young and beautiful, as well as other presents.

But the beast grows ever greedier with each meal, and one day he announces that he’d like to eat a nice, juicy child next. Ebenezer has never done anything quite this terrible to hold onto his wonderful life. Still, he finds the absolutely snottiest, naughtiest, and most frankly unpleasant child he can and prepares to feed her to the beast.

The child, Bethany, may just be more than Ebenezer bargained for. She’s certainly a really rather rude houseguest, but Ebenezer still finds himself wishing she didn’t have to be gobbled up after all. Could it be Bethany is less meal-worthy and more…friend-worthy?

All of the above description is true: the beast gets fed unique and rare things as Ebenezer stays young, beautiful and rich.

Bethany is entirely unpleasant and absolutely fits in with the appalling pair.

As Ebenezer fattens up Bethany, he grows older and weaker. The two spend more time together and a friendship develops that changes them in ways they never thought possible. Could these two awful people actually not be so awful? Is there a way to destroy the beast and save Bethany?

Definitely worth a read. You’re welcome. LOL

PB + MG Book Blurbs!

We're finally close to 2021. 2020 has been quite a year and it'll be good to start a new one. Sometimes it's hard to get into the new year, but I don't think I'll have that issue this time. It's been hard to be creative sometimes, whether writing or reading. I definitely want to do more reading, but the motivation is often missing. With books like these two below though, they definitely motivate me to read more. I hope they will for you as well. Happy Everything and see you in the New Year!

Woodland Dreams by Karen Jameson & Marc Boutavant

From the publisher: Chronicle Books

Wander into the woods for a lyrical celebration of forest animals settling in for the night.  As nature walk turns to moonlight stroll, each and every creature finds its own way home. Pairing poetic verse and a gorgeous, painterly art style, WOODLAND DREAMS promises a sweet and cozy goodnight.

You will fall in love with this book. The words are magic in your mouth; delicious to speak and a treat to hear. The illustrations are gorgeous; warm and inviting, comforting and familiar. I look at this book and just smile. I guess I’m describing more of how it makes me feel. It’s a joy to read and gaze at all the details. A perfect gift for anyone. Beautifully produced.

Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata, Marianna Raskin (Illustrations)

From the publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Being a quadruplet can make it hard to stand out from the crowd. Becca’s three brothers all have something that makes them...them. Jake has his music and dancing, Jammer plays hockey, and K.C. thinks they’re all living in a simulation and doesn’t see the point of doing much of anything. Becca is the only one with nothing to make her special.

But when she finds a tiny, sick piglet on the side of the road, Becca knows this is it. This is her thing. She names the piglet Saucy and between her own pleading and Saucy’s sweet, pink face, Becca convinces her family to take her in. Soon, Saucy is as big a part of the family as anyone else—and getting bigger. With each pound Saucy gains, the more capable she becomes of destroying the house and landing Becca in trouble.

Some tough decisions need to be made about Becca’s pet, and her search for solutions brings to light exactly where Saucy came from. Turns out, there are a lot more scared piglets out there, and saving them may take Becca and her brothers finally doing something together.

This is quite a story. Unique with quadruplets and each one is fascinating with their own interests and quirks. They are separate but come together to help each other out. It’s touching when they sleep on the kitchen floor with Saucy. The whole family is realistic, including Grandma.

There was a part where I stopped reading because I knew what they had to do. And I didn’t want them to because I didn’t want to see it. I’m trying not to give anything away, so this is cryptic, I know. And I grew up on the prairies, I’ve seen pigs and cows and horses. But I never had one or raised one. And never had to see what these kids in the story saw. All the pigs I knew belonged to one family and lived in a nice barn.

I enjoy reading Cynthia Kadohata’s books, the writing is always wonderful. 

Book Review – A Very Sweet Picture Book & a Halloween Limerick

Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog by Lisa Papp

 

From the publisher: Peachtree

Madeline Finn hopes Star can become a therapy dog. But first he needs to pass his test. They have been practicing all the skills he needs to master. They practice meeting people. They practice sitting still when a bike goes by. They even practice meeting other dogs. Now Madeline Finn and Star are off to Walker Oaks, a retirement community where Star will take his tests. They face a variety of challenges and meet several new friends. But Madeline Finn can't stop thinking about an elderly man in a wheelchair, who never smiles. Is there something she and Star can do to help Mr. Humphrey?

 

This is a lovely picture book. It’s like a giant hug – it’s soft and warm and wraps you up in its embrace. The palette is pleasing with such enjoyable illustrations. I love learning about a new series and now I can read the other two books, Madeline Finn and the Library Dog and Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog. There are so many sweet elements to this story, a dog in training, visiting a retirement home, understanding there are people with different issues and pain to work through and how animals and people can assist them, reading and listening. Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog is a joy to read.

And a Halloween Limerick!

There once was a ghost who was blue

He found it too hard to say Boo!

It wasn’t until

A mean ghost named Jill

She scared him so much he Boo-hooed!

Middle Grade Graphic Novel

BenBee and the Teacher Griefer: The Kids Under the Stairs by K.A. Holt

Chronicle Books. Pub date: September 22, 2020.

From the publisher:

The Kids Under the Stairs: BenBee and the Teacher Griefer is a funny, clever novel-in-verse series about Ben Bellows—who failed the Language Arts section of the Florida State test—and three classmates who get stuck in a summer school class.

But these kids aren't dumb—they're divergent thinkers, as Ms. J tells them: they simply approach things in a different way than traditional school demands.

• Each chapter is told through the perspective of one of the four students, who each write in a different style (art, verse, stream of consciousness).

• Celebrates different types of intelligence

• A heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse

Soon, the kids win over Ms. J with their passion for Sandbox, a Minecraft-type game. The kids make a deal with Ms. J: every minute they spend reading aloud equals one minute they get to play Sandbox in class. But when the administration finds about this unorthodox method of teaching, Ben B. and his buds have to band together to save their teacher's job—and their own academic future.

The first in a series of complementary storylines, this is an honest, heartfelt book about friendship, videogames, and learning to love yourself.

I will be honest, the cover and the title did not entice me, but the story sure did. Maybe the cover appeals more to the gamer demographic. I’m not sure. But it pulled me in and is such a fresh story. Told in 4 points of view and three different type/font/drawings. Four kids have to take summer class to pass a Florida state exam called the FART. (I know, hysterical!) The kids each have some learning issue and they convince the teacher to try playing their video game and, in return, they will read out loud in class.

I liked every part of this story, was never drawn out and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. They all learn something about each other and themselves and I learned something too. If this is the beginning of a series, I look forward to reading future stories.

Two Middle Grade Book Blurbs

As I navigate the new surreal abnormal normal, I’ve finally felt like reading and have gotten through two books recently. Both are easy reads and couldn’t be more opposite in subjects. And I just got a few more in the mail, so I’m ready to tackle them!

First up: Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun

Fabled Films Press. Age range 8-12. Pub date: February 2, 2020.

From the website: A Contemporary Reimagining of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for Middle Graders

Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a surprising basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself.

Pippa struggles with popularity and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. Juggling jealous Queen Bees, old and new friends, and an unrequited crush is hard enough. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media things begin to spiral out of control.

If you like basketball, friendships, crushes, secrets, and Korean American culture, you’ll like Pippa Park. It has all things familiar: the popular clique, the cute, rich boy, the girl from the poorer side of town. Pretending to be something you’re not doesn’t usually work out, especially in middle school, but sometimes you just gotta try. And Pippa does. Eventually, she starts to figure out who she is and who she wants to be, and that’s when her true friends are found. There are a couple of twists that show Pippa’s heart. Her voice is also perfectly middle school.

Second Book: Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe

Little, Brown Young Readers: August 2020

From the publisher (I’ve shortened this first paragraph from the original):

Eva Evergreen is determined to earn the rank of Novice Witch before she turns thirteen years old. If she doesn't, she'll lose her magic forever. The only problem? Eva only has a pinch of magic.

When she lands on the tranquil coastal town of Auteri, the residents expect a powerful witch, not a semi-magical girl. So Eva comes up with a plan: set up a magical repair shop to aid Auteri and prove she's worthy. She may have more blood than magic, but her "semi-magical fixes" repair the lives of the townspeople in ways they never could have imagined. Only, Eva's bit of magic may not be enough when the biggest magical storm in history threatens the town she's grown to love. Eva must conjure up all of the magic, bravery, and cleverness she can muster or Auteri and her dreams of becoming a witch will wash away with the storm.

I have a total soft spot for MG witch books. They are always fun, fantastical, magical and you know what? Witches go through the same things we all go through. Figuring out friendships, not disappointing anyone, learning about themselves and their strengths and weaknesses. Maybe this book isn’t so different from the other one – just fantasy vs contemporary.

I know many people have compared this story to Kiki's Delivery Service, but I found it reminded me of The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol.

There are lots of subplots, layers, and obstacles. This is a long book for MG and there is some repetition, but when you arrive at the end, you are rooting for Eva and her friends and family. And the setting of Auteri is a place you’d like to visit. Lots of wonderful characters make this story enjoyable.