Book Review: In the Shadow of the Sun

This book was provided by Kid Lit Exchange (definitely check out their awesome, new website!!!). All opinions are my own. :)

In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O'Brien

Review: At a time when North Korea has emerged a one of the most dangerous nations in the world, this June 2017 book by Anne Sibley O'Brien is nothing if not timely. Set in North Korea, 12 year old Mia is on a guided tour with her older brother Simon and their father. During their visit, Mia receives a phone containing horrific photos of starving people, dead babies. She feels a responsibility to get these photographs out to the public, but when their father is arrested for supposedly spying, Mia and Simon decide to run to China, taking the phone, and it's dangerous content, with them. The novel is the story of the incredible hardships they face as they make their way through the North Korean countryside. 

This is an exciting novel with a completely realistic representation of the political and cultural conditions that shape the lives of the people of North Korea. It almost felt as if parts of the novel were excerpts of a journalistic narrative. What I loved about the novel was that Mia's story is interrupted with short vignettes of some of the people whom are associated with Mia and Simon, some more directly than others, such as one of their tour guides, a member of the police force, and a teenager who has been conscripted into the military. These mini-stories give the reader a look into the lives of numerous people living in North Korea and how the current regime affects them and their families. It was fascinating and I have already recommended the novel to some of my students.

Rating: 5/5

Book Review: Girls Who Code: The Friendship Code

My cyber-security, tech-minded husband was thrilled when I opened my latest bookmail from KidLitExchange to find the first book in the Girls Who Code series. He immediately started flipping through it, asking me if I knew what the different lines of code meant. (insert eye roll here)

Girls Who Code: The Friendship Code by Stacia Deutsch

Review: Girls Who Code: The Friendship Code is a sweet story about a sixth grader named Lucy who is a member of her school's coding club. After Lucy begins receiving mysterious notes written in code, she turns to some of the other members of the club to help her figure out the mysteries. Reminiscent of The Babysitters Club series, this would be a good book to introduce the basics of programming and computer science to students, whether at a STEM school or just to have on hand in the library/classroom.

While geared towards middle grades, I felt it was better suited for upper elementary, as the writing was pretty simplistic and it lacked any conflict. The conflict that was mentioned (a year-long estrangement between Lucy and her former best friend) was seemingly resolved after a few words to one another. The characters, while diverse, were very one-dimensional. However, the themes of friendships and problem-solving are ones that are both universal and positive, and I could see how it might help to spark an interest in computer programming for students.

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Review: The Almost Sisters

The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson

Review: After a one night stand results in an unexpected pregnancy and a family scandal calls her back to Alabama, Leia, a 38 year old graphic novel writer/artist, is forced to look at her life and everything she holds dear in a different light.

Having never read one of Jackson's books before, I was not sure what to expect, but I found myself quickly sucked into Leia's life and the goings-on of Birchville, Alabama, and managed to finish the novel in less than 48 hours. The characters were dynamic, with realistic problems and personalities, and the conflicts, while varied and complex, were narrated in a way that made the complexities easy to follow, but also extremely fleshed out at the same time. The comic book and other "nerd" references were pretty fantastic as well, because like Leia, I also love Batman. :)

However, despite the wonderful narration, character development, and plot, the fact that Leia, a woman who has spent every summer since birth in a small town in Alabama witnessing the discrimination that her white grandmother's black best friend encounters on a regular basis, seemingly does not understand racism and race discrimination is either a major character flaw or just flat out ignorant. It is not until Leia is confronted with the fact that she is carrying a biracial child and that her baby daddy essentially gives her a wake up call that she realizes that racism is still extremely prominent in the world. While this could be just be chalked up to the fact that Leia is super naive, the white privilege she exudes in regards to racism does not fit with how her character is portrayed otherwise, especially in regards to the events of the last year associated with race in the United States. This made me extremely frustrated with the book, despite how much I liked it otherwise.

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Pepipacifoofoo

Pepipacifoofoo by Theda Fresques

Review: This Kickstarter book is a sweet story of a fairy named Pepipacifoofoo who provides pacifiers for babies and then helps to wean those same children by exchanging pacifiers for gifts in order to pass the pacifiers on to new babies. For parents who might be struggling to get their children to wean from their pacifiers, this might be the answer to their prayers. My only worry with the book is that it seems to glorify pacifiers, stating that babies who were given pacifiers grew up to be happy boys and girls. Does this mean that parents who opt to not use pacifiers with their children will have unhappy boys and girls as they grow up? I can see some parents being discouraged with that (unintended) message, or maybe I just overthink things....? Overall, I can see this story really helping parents to wean their children from their pacifiers, and children really enjoying the illustrations and story as a whole.

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: The Dressmaker's Dowry

With only a few weeks left before both teaching and graduate school start again, I figured now was a good opportunity to try and read a few of the books that have been on my "to be read" list for awhile. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for the past few months and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner!

The Dressmaker's Dowry by Meredith Jaeger

Review: I absolutely adored Meredith Jaeger's debut novel. Set in San Francisco, each chapter alternated between two points of view: Hannelore (Hanna), a German immigrant working as a seamstress in 1876, who worked to create a better life for her three younger siblings and hopefully escape their abusive father; and Sarah, a freelance journalist working on her master's thesis in present day, who is married to the son of a socially prominent family. When Sarah stumbles upon a news article about two seamstresses who were believed to be murdered, one of whom is Hanna, she sets out trying to solve the 100+ year old mystery.

Both Sarah and Hanna's narratives were beautifully written and provided vivid characters that popped off the page. As the mystery of what happened to Hanna unfolded, and how it impacted Sarah, I found myself tearing through the pages wanting to know what happened next.

The dual points of view offered a unique look at the juxtaposition of the lives of the poor immigrants and more affluent families living in San Francisco in the late-1800s as compared to today with the tech boom forcing many to relocate to more affordable areas. I really appreciated how in-depth Jaeger's research was as it helped to weave the story that was both heartwrenching and heartwarming.

Rating: 5/5