Review: Escape from Aleppo

Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As many times as I have read both fiction and non-fiction about the Middle East, I never manage to remember who at least one and usually most of the groups are. Some, I know nothing about (e.g., Druze), some I know a little about (Hezbollah), some I know a lot about (Sunni, Shia, Kurd). But usually, it just leaves me confused and discouraged. This book is no exception - too many groups fighting each other; too much danger and privation. The story was interesting enough to pull me in, though, and I did get a sense of how difficult and scary the situation must be, especially for children. I just wish there were some way out of the conflicts. I wish my own country's involvement had been for mercy and humanitarian intervention. I wish it weren't SO HARD to find a way to solve the problems in the Middle East.

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Review: Piecing Me Together

Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In my not so humble opinion, this book is spot on with interpersonal relationships, especially with those having to do with class and racial issues. It is thorough and nuanced. There were a couple of times when it almost veered into being a bit too preachy or didactic, but for the most part, it avoided those particular pitfalls. I enjoyed it.

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Review: How to Speak Cat: A Guide to Decoding Cat Language

How to Speak Cat: A Guide to Decoding Cat Language by Aline Alexander Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have owned and lived with cats for many years, so I knew most of what was included in this book, but it was still interesting to read about some of the nuances of things I was familiar with. Enjoyable.

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Review: Tundra's Really Swell Sunday Comics Collection

Tundra's Really Swell Sunday Comics Collection by Chad Carpenter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this. The artwork is good and the humor definitely has an Alaskan flavor. Good addition to my collection of locally relevant cartoons that include insight into the culture and environment.

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Review: A Waltz for Matilda

A Waltz for Matilda by Jackie French
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this on my way back to the US from Australia, so I had visions of gum trees and the dry countryside in my brain. I have enjoyed quite a few of Jackie French's books. I find historical fiction to be much more interesting than the history lessons I was subjected to in virtually all of my classes in grade school and beyond. That said, I do have a few things that make me uneasy about this book.

Jackie French acknowledges in the introduction and the notes at the end of the book that the racism depicted in the book must be there, because otherwise the book would be too far from historical reality. I agree. In fact, I find that the racism has been toned down a bit too much. I am not sure that a 12 year old girl would find it so easy to discard her racist heritage. It is a fine line to tread and Ms. French does it well: portray the racism fairly accurately, but show the heroine as not accepting of it. But I would have liked to see a bit more internal struggle with it in Matilda.

The second thing that I have reservations about is the character of Mr. Drinkwater, the elder. After finding out the relationships between all of the major characters, I still don't quite understand why the critical early scene plays out as it did.

And one minor criticism from an American: I wish the book had included the full text of the song in one of the appendices.

But I did enjoy the book and I finished it on the plane flights, even though I was massively tired. I will be looking for the sequels, even though it is difficult to find Australian children's and young adult's literature in the U.S.

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Review: A Waltz for Matilda

A Waltz for Matilda by Jackie French
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this on my way back to the US from Australia, so I had visions of gum trees and the dry countryside in my brain. I have enjoyed quite a few of Jackie French's books. I find historical fiction to be much more interesting than the history lessons I was subjected to in virtually all of my classes in grade school and beyond. That said, I do have a few things that make me uneasy about this book.

Jackie French acknowledges in the introduction and the notes at the end of the book that the racism depicted in the book must be there, because otherwise the book would be too far from historical reality. I agree. In fact, I find that the racism has been toned down a bit too much. I am not sure that a 12 year old girl would find it so easy to discard her racist heritage. It is a fine line to tread and Ms. French does it well: portray the racism fairly accurately, but show the heroine as not accepting of it. But I would have liked to see a bit more internal struggle with it in Matilda.

The second thing that I have reservations about is the character of Mr. Drinkwater, the elder. After finding out the relationships between all of the major characters, I still don't quite understand why the critical early scene plays out as it did.

But I did enjoy the book and I finished it on the plane flights, even though I was massively tired. I will be looking for the sequels, even though it is difficult to find Australian children's and young adult's literature in the U.S.

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Review: The Endsister

The Endsister by Penni Russon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My preferences are frequently character-driven and that is why this book gets a fairly high rating from me - I found the characters interesting. I am not so much interested in the ghostly elements and, in fact, found the two ghosts rather confusing at times. But the family was definitely interesting. If there is a sequel, I would read it.

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