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dcampbell

Crewel

December 23, 2021 by dcampbell


Crewel by Gennifer Albin

I am Sarah. I am fourteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by authors’ creations of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write. 

There is a place where the golden strands of time run forward, the horizontal threads in the weave of the world; where shimmering, glittering threads make up the elements and the people, the tapestry of this place; where girls called Spinsters are called upon to weave it.

In this place, called Arras, lives a sixteen-year-old girl called Adelice.

Adelice has trained her whole life to be clumsy. She has practiced and perfected her skills until she can drop something with ease, until any threads tangle in her fingers despite their burning urge to weave them. She’s maintained her purity standards and stayed segregated and obeyed her parents, but she—and by extension, her family—is determined not to become a famed Spinster. 

But nothing can hide the fact that the strands of time bend themselves for her fingers alone. 

And so begins Crewel—the story of Adelice Lewys, a girl who will not bow down, roll over, and play nice. She has the power to weave this world, a world she isn’t sure deserves weaving, and her potential leaves it up to her to choose whether her contribution will lead to the continuation of Arras, or her abstinence will destroy it. In this deliciously tangled sci-fi, Gennifer Albin spins a brilliant tapestry about one girl in a world that needs her but does not want her—a girl who has the power to make a decision that will change it forever. 

Find it in print here.

Filed Under: Book Beat Reviews

Isabel of the Whales

December 23, 2021 by dcampbell


Isabel of the Whales by Hester Velmans

I am Sarah. I am fourteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by authors’ creations of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write. 

Eleven-year-old Isabel has never been anything special. She’s just a plain old girl from Provincetown, Massachusetts, with two older brothers, two ordinary friends, a passion for whales. But despite that, she’s always believed—scratch that, known—that she’s destined for something special. Something extraordinary.

When her fifth-grade class gears up to go on a whale watch, Isabel is beyond excited. To have the opportunity to see the whales she’s pined after her whole life is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to her. Maybe she’ll get to see, in person, a breaching humpback, or maybe a right whale, with its magnificent baleen… she dreams and dreams and dreams, and suddenly she’s on a boat surrounded by whales and then she’s in the water.

Encircled by the whales she’s read about her whole life.

And somehow, she can understand them.

The whales tell her that she’s a Chosen One: a human with the ability to turn into a whale. It is her destiny to land here, to live with this pod of humpbacks, and to learn their ways while she teaches them hers.

Hester Velmans spins a captivating story about life under the sea, using migration patterns and feeding habits through the eyes of an impassioned young girl, a girl with a gift and a mission.

And so begins Isabel’s journey with her newfound pod—a journey in which she learns more about whales than she ever could have known, and even more about herself: discovering just how much she will do to help these creatures that she loves so much more than she ever thought possible.

Find it through Interlibrary Loan here.

Filed Under: Book Beat Reviews

Houdini and Me

December 22, 2021 by dcampbell


Houdini and Me by Dan Gutman

My name is Zach. I am an eighth grader and live in Ketchum, ID. I enjoy playing board games, reading, mountain biking, Nordic and alpine skiing, playing with my family, snowmobiling, and being outside.

Houdini and Me, a brand new book by one of my all time favorite authors, Dan Gutman, is about Harry Mancini, a kid who lives in Harry Houdini’s old house in New York. Because of that fact, Harry Mancini loves escaping and fooling people. A series of dramatic events cause Harry to find an old flip phone. Harry takes it home, and discovers that this phone can communicate with the other Harry: Harry Houdini from 1926. At first he is skeptical, but then things get even weirder. Harry Houdini asks present-day Harry if he wants to switch places for one hour. Harry Mancini skeptically agrees, thinking it was just a hoax, but before he knows it he is in 1926! Houdini has devised an ingenious plan that could end up leaving the two Harrys in opposite centuries.

This book is written from the point of view of the main character, as if he is talking to you and telling you the story. This first person writing causes you to get sucked in right away, and not want to put it down. I read this entire book in one day, as I could not wait to see how the story ends. And the ending was completely satisfying, and resolves the whole plot, but it leaves you with a mind-boggling question that makes you question reality.

Find it in print and eaudiobook here.

Filed Under: Book Beat Reviews

Silent to the Bone

December 22, 2021 by dcampbell


Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg

My name is Elizabeth. I love reading, and my favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper. I am in the 8th grade and enjoy dance.

Silent to the Bone tells the story of a young boy named Connor, whose best friend is in a lot of trouble. His best friend, Bramwell, was involved in an accident with his baby sister, Nikki. The caregiver of Bramwell and Nikki claimed that Bramwell dropped Nikki. When this event happened, Bramwell stopped talking. He was taken to a juvenile behavioral center, and Connor was able to go visit him about once a week. Since Bramwell couldn’t talk, they developed certain ways of communicating with each other. As the story progresses, Connor uncovers clues so he can save his best friend and figure out what really happened on that day of the accident. 

I really liked this book. I got sucked into the story and read it very quickly. It was very interesting to read about a young kid trying to tackle a really big task in the adult world. I thought the language was simple, but I would only recommend this book for someone 13+. There weren’t many mature topics, but the whole plot was pretty mature. Overall I would give this book an 8.5/10 because I really liked it, especially the plot, but I didn’t love the characters or descriptions. I thought Connor’s character was very plain, but that might have just been that we didn’t see much of his life because he was more of an information carrier. 

Find it in print here.

Filed Under: Book Beat Reviews

One Last Stop

December 17, 2021 by dcampbell


One Last Stop by Casy McQuiston

My name is Rory. I’m going into eighth grade, and enjoy Nordic Skiing and Hockey.

A love story that could only end horribly? One Last Stop takes place in the New York
borough of Brooklyn, sometime after the turn of the 20th century. Written by author Casey McQuiston, who wrote Red, White and Royal Blue, One Last Stop encompasses the difficulties of being broke and queer in your 20s, an uncommon topic among writers.

August Landry moves to New York trying to escape her past and survive in a new city
when she encounters “punk rock activist” Jane Su on the Q train. The two’s friendship and
romance grow over a few months when August notices that Jane does not belong to that time period. August, a girl who had been raised by a detective and solving some of her own, sets out to help Jane escape the Q train, which has held her prisoner for at least thirty years, while also trying to find her uncle and pay rent. Will August and her roommates succeed, in both saving Jane and their own romances?

One Last Stop is a New York Times bestseller book and a favorite among queer teens
and adults. Author Casey McQuiston wanted to make it clear in their interview done by CBS that One Last Stop is meant for Young Adults and Adults, not children. I would rate this book 10/10 because of the skillful way the author weaves the real world into the story.

Find it in print and eaudiobook here.

Filed Under: Book Beat Reviews

The Divorce Express

December 16, 2021 by dcampbell


The Divorce Express by Paula Danziger

My name is Elizabeth. I love reading, and my favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper. I am in the 8th grade and enjoy dance.

The Divorce Express is about a girl named Phoebe whose parents are divorced. Phoebe lives with her dad in Woodstock during the week, and with her mom in New York City on the weekends. The train she takes from these two places is what she calls: The Divorce Express. Not only does she have trouble traveling between the two places, but she also has trouble living a double life. In New York City she has all her friends and her boyfriend, and essentially her entire life, and she has to pick all of that up to live in Woodstock. Woodstock is a lot different from New York City. It is quiet, there are not a lot of people. As the story progresses, we get to see Phoebe establish a life in Woodstock. She begins to make friends and starts to feel more at home in Woodstock.

This book was an easy read. I thought it was simple and nice to read, however, this book doesn’t leave you thinking. The themes were not too mature, and there also wasn’t a lot of hard vocabulary. . There is not a lot to dive deeper into or analyze. The main Issue Phoebe comes across is getting used to her double life. I related to this a little bit because I moved from a big city to Sun Valley. I would give this book a 7.5/10 because it was simple and sweet, but I felt like it didn’t change me or make me think a lot. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a short and simple read.

Find it through Interlibrary Loan.

Filed Under: Book Beat Reviews

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