Hannah and Sugar by Kate Berube

November 29, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Hannah and Sugar by Kate Berube
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Every day after school, Hannah’s school bus is greeted by her classmate’s dog, Sugar. All of the other kids love Sugar, but Hannah just can’t conquer her fear of dogs. Then, one day, Sugar goes missing, so Hannah joins the search with her classmates. Will Hannah find a way to be brave, and make a new friend in the process?

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It was nice to see how gentle and understanding everyone was with Hannah. She was given the opportunity to pet the dog every day, but none of the adults in her life ever pushed her to do it. They respected the fact that this was something that would be difficult for her even if they didn’t understand why. They were good role models both for adults as well as for kids who might one day make a friend with someone like the main character of this story.

I would have liked to see more time exploring Hannah’s fear of dogs. It seemed to be something that bothered her a lot, so I was surprised by the fact that the narrator didn’t go into detail about when or why it first developed for her. This seemed as thought it should have been something that was mentioned at least once while the main character was figuring out how to react after Sugar went missing.

The ending made me smile. Hannah’s decision to help everyone go looking for Sugar after that pet went missing was a brave one. I was pleased by the fact that she decided to join in so quickly despite how nervous she was around dogs in general. There was also something to be said for the way no one made a fuss over this choice. Hannah was included without a second thought, and her help was appreciated. All of this made the final scene even more poignant than it would have already been.

Hannah and Sugar should be read by anyone who has ever been afraid of something ordinary.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes by Duncan Tonatiuh

November 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes by Duncan Tonatiuh
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

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Can true love overcome any obstacle in its path?

Popoca was such a brave and persistent character. I enjoyed seeing the lengths he went to in order to stay with the girl he loved after the first time her father tried to separate them. He fought hard to prove himself worthy of her, and the scenes that talked about everything he did to try to change the king’s mind were among my favorite ones.

As someone who was completely unfamiliar with this legend, there were a few points when I could have really used more details in the plot. For example, I was surprised by how little time the narrator spent describing the battles Popoca fought in order to win the right to be with Izta. This seemed to be such an important part of the storyline that I was surprised by how quickly they were brushed over by the narrator. It sure would have been nice to know how he won those fights.

What a beautiful ending this book had. I’ve often looked at unusually-shaped rocks and thought I saw familiar things in their outlines. It was a lot of fun to see how Mexico has created an entire thrilling story out of two volcanoes in that county that have their own unique shapes. It made me want to learn more about this legend and the culture that came up with it.

I’d recommend The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes to anyone who loves mythology.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Down by the River by Andrew Weiner

September 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Down by the River by Andrew Weiner
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One beautiful autumn day, Art sets out with his mother and grandfather for a fishing trip. Fishing days are Art’s favorite. He loves learning the ropes from Grandpa—the different kinds of flies and tackle and the trout that frequent their favorite river. Art especially appreciates Grandpa’s stories. But, this time, hearing the story about Mom’s big catch on her first cast ever makes Art feel insecure about his own fishing skills. But, as Art hooks a beautiful brown trout, he finds reassurance in Grandpa’s stories and marvels in the sport and a day spent with family, promising to continue the tradition with his own grandkids generations later.

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Learning a new skill often takes times and practice.

Art had such a warm and loving relationship with his mother and grandfather. I enjoyed seeing all three generations of this family spend the day together at the river. They clearly liked being with each other and sharing happy stories of previous fishing trips that happened when Art’s grandfather and mom were young. These scenes were a highlight of the story for me, especially after the main character decided to try catching a fish.

The plot could have used some more development. There wasn’t a lot going on in this story, especially when it came to how little conflict it had compared to what the blurb hinted at. I was hoping to see Art spend more time worrying about the fact that his mother had caught onto fishing when she was his age much faster than he did. There was plenty of room for development there, but it never quite happened.

It was interesting to see how the narrator included animals other than the fish in the storyline. Art’s pet dog was brought along on the trip, but he wasn’t the only creature they saw that day. While I can’t go into too much detail about this without giving away spoilers, I liked the fact that the setting felt so much like many of the rivers I’ve visited in the past. The examples of what someone might encounter so far from any buildings or roads were handled nicely.

I’d recommend Down by the River to anyone who enjoys fishing or spending time out in nature.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,