Book Review: The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

Premise: Alba has graduated from high school. Now it's her last summer with her friends, who are all moving away. But Alba doesn't want to go. She wants everything to stay the same. And then, the weirdos start showing up in her town claiming that the world is about to end and only this town will survive.

Title: The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl
Author: Melissa Kiel
Length: 294 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 9-12
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: unique, nerdy, slow

So, I'm definitely not the right audience for this book. But, I'm sure high school students everywhere will be happy to have a protagonist who is thoroughly confused, and possibly terrified, about what's next after high school. There are lots of things that I liked about Cinnamon Girl, but all that "What am I doing with my life?" got really old for me.

Things I Liked - 
* It's really really Australian. They have Christmas in the summer! And there was lots of great Aussie slang. It totally captured regular life in small-town Australia.... not that I've ever been there, but it just felt accurate.
* Alba is a Real Girl. She isn't some skinny-mini, fashionista. Alba has her own interests and personal style. She's a real girl. Yay for real girls!
* Alba is a nerd. She's into comics and  drawing and baking. Alba is smart, and her dialogue is witty and full of comic book references.
* The last 50 pages were intense. They kind of snuck up on me. I was surprised at how invested I had become in these characters.

Things I Disliked -
* It's normal Realistic Fiction. From the cover and title, I was expecting more elements of fantasy or sci-fi. But, no.
* The build-up was slow and tedious. All that character development and internal conflict just about killed me. Can we get some plot in the first half please?!
* So much angst! I'm definitely not the target audience!

3.5 stars

Mystery + Science + Humor = Nick and Tesla

Premise: This 4th installment of the series centers on a science museum that seems to be being sabotaged from within. Using science and invention, Nick and Tesla must find the culprit and save the museum.

Title: Nick and Tesla's Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove
Authors: Bob Pflugfelder & Steve Hockensmith
Length: 272 pages
Genre: Mystery
Stand Alone or Series: Book 4 of 4 (so far)
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-6
Format: Digital ARC provided by the Quirk Books via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: creative, fun, entertaining; 
Bonus adjective: nerdy

I just love these mysteries. All of the standards are there: central puzzle, clues, suspects, and daring attempts to get evidence. In addition, all the Nick and Tesla books add humor, science, and inventions you can build at home.

I really enjoyed this one because there was even more humor than in the other three. This time most of it was provided by Nick and Tesla's best friends and some of the museum staff like an owl mascot and an IT man obsessed with his rock band. In previous books, I didn't like that a lot of the humor came from their uncle's science mishaps and lack of social skills. However, the authors have Uncle Newt a more positive light, but still quirky. A terrific change!

I also like how the Nick and Tesla books emphasize that both being smart and doing science/engineering are cool. Preach!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. My only concern is how my students will handle so many references to historical figures and scientific history since they won't recognize much of it.

Classics Review: A Wrinkle in Time

Premise: The Murry children haven't seen their father, a physist, in years. Then Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, along with their friend Calvin, meet a strange old woman named Mrs. Who. Soon they are swept up in an adventure across time and space to save their father, and also the entire world, from a terrible evil.

Title: A Wrinkle in Time
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Length: 241 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 in the Time Quintet
Content appropriate for: Grades 6-12
Format: Audiobook from the digital public library

Three adjectives that describe this book: complex, captivating, nerdy

This science fiction classic was really cool. The good versus evil theme is explored across the universe, the alien planets are interesting, and the protagonists are complete and well developed. Charles Wallace made a brilliant 5 year old! I also appreciated the terrifying mind control employed by the book's antagonist. Once the group gets to the planet of Camazotz things get very very creepy - like Pleasantville, but way worse.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator (Hope Davis) did a terrific job. The voices of the Mrs. Ws were especially great.

I was a little weirded out by the random God references, though. They were forced and overly preachy. Hence the 4 stars instead of 5.

This review is part of my Classics Club challenge. It also qualifies for the TBR Pile Challenge, Audiobook Challenge, and the I Love Library Books Challenge.

A Wonderfully Stormy Thriller - Eye of the Storm

Premise: Set about 40 years in the future when the planet has seen a dramatic increase in monster storms. Jaden has arrived in Oklahoma to spend the summer with her father, a weather scientist, at a special science camp run by his company, Storm Safe, in a community where tornadoes seem to change direction at the last minute. Something doesn't seem right about the camp, community, or Jaden's father. When a huge tornado threatens everything, she must decide to protect her father or discover the truth.

Title: Eye of the Storm
Author: Kate Messner
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-8

Three adjectives that describe this book: addictive, fast-paced, intense

True confession: I read the last 200 pages of this book in one sitting. That's how much this plot drives forward. Chock full of science experiments, research, data, and number crunching, at first glance it doesn't seem like Eye of the Storm should be such a page-turner. But Messner's skillful writing trumps all, ratcheting up the intensity with every truth uncovered and suspicious question revealed.

The only weak spot in Eye of the Storm is that the characters are a bit flat and almost type-cast:
* Jaden and Alex are nerdy problem solvers.
* Risha is a bit too boy crazy.
* Jaden's father is distant and fake.
* His new French-ballerina wife is happy to take care of the baby and have dinner ready for her husband.

Yep - these characters are thin. Still, it didn't bother me much because the focus is really on the plot and this crazy storm-filled future.

I absolutely loved this novel's action, suspense, greedy villains, and the way it made science, math, and even poetry cool.

5 stars

Science + Detectives = Nick & Tesla's Robot Army Rampage

Premise: Nick and Tesla, twin brother and sister, solve crimes using science. When a pricey comic book is stolen, the twins build 4 different robots to support their investigation, find the thief, and save the comic book shop.

Title: Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage
Authors: Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith
Length: 224 pages
Genre: Mystery
Series or Stand Alone: Book 2 of 3, although they can be read separately
Content Appropriate For: Grades 3-6
Format: Digital ARC thanks to Quirk Books via Edelweiss
Publication Date: February 4, 2014

Three adjectives that describe this book: believable, easy-to-read, fun (bonus: nerdy) 

What a great, new middle grades series! For those who enjoy traditional mysteries ~ crime, clues, suspects, witnesses ~ this is it. For those who enjoy realistic characters you can cheer for, this is it. Unlike many other kid-detective books, Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage is well-crafted, including the characters.

To support middle grade readers, the plot never wanders from the primary crime, yet the story is complex enough to include two twists and a town full of interesting characters. I also appreciated that among the 4 crime-solving friends is a girl and an African American boy. Plus, it's awesome how science was cool and fun, even for girls.

An added bonus in each of the Nick and Tesla books is that instructions are included so that kids can do the science work at home. In this edition, Nick and Tesla build 4 robots. The robots are made of mostly simple objects like coat hangers and plastic bottles, and clear illustrated directions are included. I can't wait to make some of these bots at home!

My only complaint is that the primary adult character, Uncle Newt, is a stereotypically Einstein scientist. He is also very socially awkward. I find this view of science to be very problematic, lending to kids' thinking that they cannot/should not/would not want to be scientists. Since I think this is a pretty major misstep, I've deducted an entire star. Still, I will definitely be getting this book for my classroom, and I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in this series.

4 stars

The Strange Story of Man Made Boy

Premise: Sixteen-year-old Boy is the son of Frankenstein’s monster and the Bride. Since Boy and his family live in a secret enclave of monsters hidden under Times Square, it’s important they maintain a low profile. Boy’s only interactions with the world are through the Internet, where he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can hide behind a layer of code. When conflict erupts at home, Boy embarks on a cross-country road trip with the granddaughters of Jekyll and Hyde, who introduce him to malls and diners, love and heartbreak (This is a shortened version of the premise at Goodreads.com)

Title: Man Made Boy
Author: Jon Skovron
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 9-12 (lots of language)
Format: Digital ARC provided by Penguin Young Readers via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: strange, nerdy, disappointing

The premise of this book is genius - creative, intriguing, and just plain cool. Unfortunately, the execution didn't quite live up to my expectations. My theory is that Jon Skovron loved this book/premise so much that he added in every possible detail he could imagine until there were so many that the text became garbled with nonsense. This would have been a great story with more judicious editing.

A Slightly Disturbing, but Totally Engaging Sci-Fi Future

Premise: In this future world, robots are ubiquitous. Even your house talks to you. Gavin and Fleur may come from a middle class family, but even they have a family robot. But Eager is not like any other robot - he can think for himself and even has feelings. As Eager tries to understand the human world around him, Gavin and Fleur notice that the new ultra high-tech BDC4 robots are acting suspiciously. Now Gavin, Fleur, and Eager are drawn into a menacing world where robots and humans may not be as compatible as they once believed.

Title: Eager
Author: Helen Fox
Length: 280 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 4-8

Three Adjectives That Describe This Book: entertaining, futuristic, nerdy

There aren't many robot-based science fiction novels for middle grades readers, and this one sets a high standard for future entries. First published in 2003, this novel has one key element that you would expect (What if robots turned on humans?), but it is far from predictable. Helen Fox creates a world that is fully believable and lot of fun.

The Hypnotists by Gordon Korman

Premise: Crazy things happen whenever Jackson Opus is around. When Jackson is recruited into a special program for hypnotists, he learns to hone his mind-bending powers, but also discovers that hypnotizing people can be a dangerous business.

Title: The Hypnotists
Author: Gordon Korman
Length: 240 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 in a new series
Content Appropriate For: Grades 4-7
Format: ARC provided by Scholastic via NetGalley.

Three adjectives that describe this book: addictive, exciting, believable

Usually I wait a few days after reading a book to write up my review so that I can marinate on it for a bit, but I finished this book about 15 minutes ago and I feel compelled to write about it - RIGHT NOW! I find Gordon Korman's novels to be really hit or miss. My students and I really enjoy some of his titles, but find others tedious and dull. The Hypnotists definitely falls into the first category of Korman's works. This is probably my favorite Korman novel ever.

The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos

Premise: 13 year old Mason Stark spends his summers with other cadets aboard military vessels in the Earth Space Command. When the adults on board are captured by enemy aliens, the Tremist, Mason is suddenly forced to lead the group of barely trained children on a dangerous rescue mission.

Title: The Planet Thieves
Author: Dan Krokos
Length: 256 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand-Alone: This is the first book in a new series
Content appropriate for: Grades 3-8
Format: Digital ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley.com

3 adjectives that describe this book: page-turner, futuristic, nerdy

First things first... I LOVED this book! The Planet Thieves is pure science fiction - set on a space ship, fighting aliens, far in the future. You don't find many books like this for the MG crowd. And this one is a page-turner from start to finish. As a girl who grew up watching every incarnation of Star Trek (though Next Generation and Voyager are my favorites), I felt right at home in this book. Dan Krokos taps into established elements of the genre - we spend a lot of time on "the bridge" and the characters even use tractor beams! The Planet Thieves made my nerdself sing happy songs.

NERDS by Michael Buckley

Premise: An action-packed, tongue-in-cheek take on the world of superheroes and villains. Jackson Jones, 11, transitions from Mr. Popular to complete loser in the time it takes to be fitted for braces with headgear. He soon happens upon the underground headquarters of a group of outcasts called NERDS, who, with the help of technology "upgrades," turn weaknesses like allergies into superpowers, fighting crime in secret until the age of 18...(Amazon)

Title: NERDS

Author: Michael Buckley
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 of 4 in the N.E.R.D.S. series
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-7                                 

5 stars

                                       

Three Adjectives: hilarious, exciting, nerdy

There are some books you seek out for personal, intellectual and academic growth: things written by Austen Tolstoy, Proust and the like. This however is NOT one of those books! NERDS literally made the ten-year-old boy inside of me squeal with delight with its pages of kid-friendly humor and hi-jinks.