A Dragon's Guide to Making Your Human Smarter by Lawrence Yep

In this second in the "Dragon's Guide" series. In this one Winnie is about to start school in the Sprigg's Academy for both magical and non-magical people.  She is nervous, but under Miss Drake's watchful eye, she makes friends and discovers that the power of intellect and cleverness is its own kind of magic. 

This is a cute series for kids who like Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon series, or Mylnowsky's Whatever After series.  There is an element of wish fulfillment in it.  Who wouldn't like to take science from Sir Isaac Newton, or have a chat with the Lock Ness Monster.? It is pretty light and would be appropriate for advanced younger readers. It is interesting to me that Yep would write such a series so late in his career when his earlier stuff was rather serious.  (2016, 294 p.)

Castle In the Stars: The Space Race of 1869 by Alex Alice

Seraphin's mother is a scientist who dies trying to prove that aether exists.  Months after her hot air balloon crash, someone finds her flight log and discovers that she did reach the aether level before she died.  That discovery and the belief that the aether can be used to power engines that could take a ship to outer space, fuels a race between enemy nations to be the first to make a aether ship.  Seraphin's father is recruited by the king of Bavaria to design his aether ship, but Seraphin suspects that there is a Prussian spy in the castle trying to steal the plans.

This was a fun graphic novel, drawn in a steam punk, 1800's, style.  It reminded me a little of the novel, Larklight by Philip Reeve.  In both stories the universe is as the people thought it was in the 1800's where the universe is filled with aether, and other planets in our solar system are inhabited.  It is also written like a melodrama, so much so, that the villain even has a long curled mustache like Snidely Whiplash. It is the first in a series, and like the old penny dramas of the 1800's it ends on a cliffhanger.  I think readers of other popular steam punk graphic novels will enjoy this one as well.  The book was originally published in France in 2014, but was translated into English this year.  (60 p. 2014, 2017)

The Great Art Caper by Victoria Jamieson

Sunflower, GW, and Barry are each class pets at Daisy  P. Flugelhorn Elementary. Each night they get out of their cages and have fun together.  One night GW decides to make a special card for his favorite class member, Carina.  But to do that he and his friends need to get to the Art Room which means sneaking past the evil mouse, Harriet, and her minions.


Last week Victoria Jamieson came to speak at the library.  I had read her Newbery honor book, Roller Girl, but I decided to read another.  This one is cute and remarkably funny. I laughed out loud more than once.  This is a great choice for younger graphic novel readers; perfect for second or third grade girls or boys. (62 p., 2017)

The Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Red, an old red maple tree, has long served as the neighborhood "wishtree."  People write notes on pieces of paper or cloth at attach them to her branches each May Day.  Red is a wise old tree and does what she can to watch over the animals that live in her hollows and the neighbor children who live in the houses on either side of her.  When one of the children, a middle-eastern girl named Samar, wishes for a real friend, Red determines to do all she can to bring Samar and the boy across the yard, together, even if it means breaking some rules.

This is a shamelessly moralistic story.  We have the "save the trees" message on one hand, and the "be kind to immigrants" message on the other.  These are both important messages, but I thought Applegate was just too heavy handed with them here.  That said, I must admit that I did start to tear up at one point near the end of the book.  I guess, if anyone can do heavy handed moralizing well, it is Katherine Applegate. 

There is a saying that when times are easy, the Newbery committee chooses an edgy book, and when times are rough, the committee chooses a feel-good book.  Well, things have been pretty rough this year.  Will this be a Newbery contender?  Maybe, but it is not as well written as either Clayton Byrde, or Beyond the Bright Sea. (2017, 215 p.)

Beautiful Blue World by Suzanne LaFleur

Two girls, Matilde and Megs have grown up together in the same small town.  They are best friends, and both of them worry about their families when war with a nearby country comes close to home.  All the children their age are given the opportunity to take a test that would qualify them to work for the military.  The families of those who qualify will be given a monthly allowance, and the children are promised a college education after their service is over. Both girls sign up for the test, hoping to help their struggling families, but only Matilde is chosen.  She is taken to a "school" where gifted children try to predict troop movements, or other strategic elements of the war.  Matilde has a hard time figuring out what she has to offer to this junior think tank, until she is assigned to talk to a POW from the other army.  Getting to know him shakes all the beliefs she thought she had about "the enemy."

This book wasn't anything like I expected by looking at the cover.  I thought it would be a sweet story of two friends who try to save the environment or something. Instead this is a chilling portrayal of life in a war zone.  It deals with some really heavy moral and ethical questions about warfare.  LaFleur resists giving any easy answers.  She leaves it to Matilde and the reader to figure out what is right and wrong. I thought the book was well done, but I wonder why LaFluer set it in a fictional country.  The story would have worked set in Norway or Sweden during one of the world wars.  I guess she was more interested in exploring the moral questions surrounding war than writing an accurate portrayal of a historical war. (2016, 210 p.)

Awakening Joy by James Baraz

This is one I read aloud together with my husband.  Baraz and his co-author Shoshona Alexander discuss 10 steps to finding joy. The steps are loosely based on Buddhist philosophy, but the authors keep things pretty non-sectarian, and quote from a variety of religious leaders in their text.  They take example from the lives of participants in their Awakening Joy retreats.  I found the book every interesting and enlightening. If everyone in the world practiced the ideas the authors set forth, the world would be a better place and everyone would be happier.  I think this would be a good first introduction to modern American Buddhist philosophy for someone who is new to the topic. 

Sylvester by Georgette Heyer

I got a whole month ahead on my library book blog posts, so it was time for a treat.  This is pretty basic Georgette Heyer.  Sylvester is a rich and eligible bachelor with no interest in romance.  He decides that it is his duty to get married, so he goes in search of a young woman who was promised to him at birth.  He finds Phoebe to be dull in looks and personality. However, as he gets to know her, he finds she has a hidden wit and self sufficiency.  She is an author, as well, and had previously modeled one of her villains on Sylvester himself.  As their relationship gets closer, she lives in constant dread that he will read her book and take both offence and social retribution. 

I enjoyed this one.  It is cleaner than some of Heyer's other books.  There is no implication that Sylvester has had previous conquests.  It is one of the books where they seem to hate each other, then suddenly they are in love and ready to get married.  Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and am just sad that I am starting to have exhausted all of my Georgette Heyer options. (1957. 348 p,)