Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge: June 2018 Link-Up

This is the Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge link-up post for June! Please share your reviews and posts about any "old school" books you have read this month in the comments. (Even if you haven't signed up for the challenge you're welcome to participate with anything you've posted about a book published in the decade of your birth or before.)

I reviewed one "old school" book this month:

• By the Great Horn Spoon! by Sid Fleischman (1963)

Mid-Year Goals and Challenge Check-In

This year is already half over! Here's how things are going with my reading and blogging goals and the challenges I'm participating in.

GOALS

Read fewer books. So far, so good. I'm mostly keeping up with my goal to read 500 books.  I am generally between 15 and 20 books behind, but nothing so terrible that I can't catch up. I am definitely glad I didn't set a goal of 800 again this year.

Review more books overall, but fewer books on the blog. I have definitely reviewed fewer books on the blog so far this year, and will in fact not be posting any blog reviews in July just to give myself time to catch up. I haven't tallied it up, but it does feel like I have posted more Goodreads reviews this year than in the past.

Review books in a more timely manner. I still have some room for improvement here, but it's gotten much better. I have really been making an effort to review ARCs as I read them and to decide right away if  I'm not going to review a given book. .

Branch out from book reviews. I'm still working on this. The Blog All About It challenge has been helping.

Post blog posts to Facebook regularly. Right after I set this goal, Facebook changed its algorithm and I pretty much abandoned my page. I post here and there, but there is nothing regular about the schedule. They just make it too hard to build up a meaningful following.

Host a #bookstagram challenge.  I'm doing this in July! Check out #picturebookpicnic, which will run from July 1-31 on my Instagram @mrskatiefitz.

Keep a bullet journal. This hasn't been successful in the way I intended, but I have enjoyed having one book to keep track of reading, tasks, packing lists, moving stuff, etc. I may start using it more after we move and start homeschooling.

Stop getting the news from social media.  I don't follow any news sources on social media anymore and it has been great. I get the major headlines here and there and occasionally look up more information if I feel the need. But otherwise, not knowing what the Internet at large thinks of every news story has been a huge relief and I waste much less time in "someone's wrong on the Internet" mode.

CHALLENGES

 

A to Z Challenge hosted by Ginger Mom and the Kindle Quest.  I've read children's books for 20 letters. I have J, N, O, Q, V, and X left. I wish I could participate more in some of the mini-challenges and things, but there's just so much going on all the time that it's hard to keep track of.

Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book. For this one, I'm focusing on adult books. So far, I've crossed off 17 letters, but still need to read books for K, N, Q, R, U, V, W, X, and Y.

Author Love Challenge hosted by Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun and Michelle @ Because Reading. I've read 10 of the required 15 books, but if I'm truly going to complete the entire list of this author's books, I have 22 to go.

Blog All About It hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup. I've blogged about all six topics so far. It's been nice to have some prompts to help me brainstorm new post ideas.

Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight. I feel like I can't break into this community. I comment on posts at different times during the month, but I don't seem to get a lot of visits to my posts in return. I'm going to keep working at it over the summer.

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge hosted by Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh my! and Barb @ Booker T's Farm. My goal is to reach the Inspector level, which is 26-35 books. As of today, I've just hit 26, so I could technically be finished, but I plan to keep counting.

Craving for Cozies hosted by Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book. I've read 20 cozies. I'm shooting for at least 28, so I have several more to go.

Family Tree Reading Challenge hosted by Becky's Book Reviews. I've read books for the years 1933, 1982, 1985, 2015, and 2017. I'm still looking for books published in 1946, 1959, and 2013.

Library Love Challenge hosted by Angel's Guilty Pleasures and Brooke Blogs. I've been making decent progress on this thanks to ebooks and audiobooks downloaded through Hoopla and Overdrive. I need to read 16 more library books to meet my goal.

Linz the Bookworm hosted by Linz the Bookworm. My goal is just to finish level 1, but it sure is taking a long time. I have these categories left: A comedy or a satire book ; Read a book by Nora Roberts; A book on a best seller list

Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge hosted here at Read-at-Home Mom. I've read 40 of the 52 "old school" books  I pledged to read, but I haven't reviewed them all as I had originally planned. There just is not enough time to review everything!

Writing Reviews Challenge hosted by Delighted Reader. I wanted to write 100 reviews this year, and I'm already up to 83.

Paging Through Picture Books: Seed School (2018); Do Re Mi (2017); My Favorite Things (2017); Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare (2018); Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (2017); Swim Bark Run (2018); How to Catch a Mermaid (2018)

Here are some reviews of some recently published and soon-to-be published picture books (and board books!), review copies of which I downloaded from Edelweiss. 

Seed School: Growing Up Amazing by Joan Holub, illustrated by Sakshi Mangal

This book follows a group of young seeds (including one acorn) as they prepare to bury themselves in soil and wait to grow. The illustrations are very charming, the scientific concepts are explained really well, and the jokes included in the text are mostly pretty funny. I read this aloud to my four-year-old and two-year-old and they were completely enamored of it, and asked a ton of questions. For the preschool and kindergarten audience, this is a great way to introduce concepts related to planting and growing seeds. 

Do Re Mi illustrated by Miriam Bos
My Favorite Things illustrated by Daniel Roode

My middle daughter (the two-year-old) loves books that can be sung, so I knew she would enjoy these Broadway Baby board books. I was really impressed myself by how well the illustrations brought the songs to life even for kids who don't yet know The Sound of Music. Of the two, Do Re Mi is my favorite, but both have wonderfully bright illustrations in bold colors and remain true to the spirit of the original songs without spoiling the movie. 

Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare edited by Marguerite Tassi, illustrated by Merce Lopez

My four-year-old recently memorized just a snippet from The Tempest ("Where the bee sucks, there suck I..."), so I shared this book with her, just reading the poetry aloud as she played on the floor. The selected passages are a good mix of the ones everybody knows ("Romeo, Romeo;" "To be or not to be;" "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" etc.) and some that would not necessarily be readily recognizable to the average casual reader. Most of the content went over her head, but I think the rhythm and cadence of the language was pleasing for her to hear. The illustrations are also well-done, and they match the mood and time period of each play and sonnet mentioned. I think this would be a nice introduction to Shakespeare for most kids, and even for adults!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Joe Rhatigan, illustrated by Caroline Farias

This was a quirky take-off on the song in which some cats wish to visit a star they have nicknamed Twinkle., so they make plans to go to space. The concept felt a little too weird and silly for my taste, but my girls seemed to find it amusing, and they talked about it a bit at the dinner table the evening after we read it. For me, I think the story would have been more interesting had it not piggybacked on a favorite song, but instead just told the story without that gimmick. I probably wouldn't seek out others from this particular series.

Swim Bark Run by Brian & Pamela Boyle, illustrated by Beth Hughes

In this book, some dogs decide to participate in a triathlon similar to the one their owners are doing. That concept is already pretty thin, and this book doesn't do much with it. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, which did appeal to my girls initially,  but the "everyone gets a trophy" message didn't get far with my four-year-old, who said, "Mommy, they can't all win. That's silly." I also wasn't fond of the writing, which felt mostly flat and generic. 

How to Catch a Mermaid by Adam Wallace

I ordinarily avoid very commercial-looking picture books like this one, but my girls have been really interested in mermaids so I decided we'd give this book a try. Unfortunately, the rhyme scheme didn't quite work for me, and the focus was more on designing ways to capture the mermaid than on actually spending time with her. (I also thought it was weird for people to be trying to capture a creature that is at least half-human and looks like a person from the waist up. I feel weird thinking about the dignity of a mermaid, but it felt odd to me.) Good mermaid books are hard to find; alas, this book does not alleviate that difficulty.

Cozy Mystery Series to Make Your Stomach Growl

Though recipes in books are a major pet peeve for me, I do enjoy a good food-themed cozy mystery from time to time. Here are several of the cozy mystery series I enjoy that involve cooking and/or eating good food. (This post is in response to Blog All About It's June prompt of "growl.")

The Cat Who... series by Lilian Jackson Braun

While this series is not directly about food, its protagonist, Jim Qwilleran, does do a brief stint as a restaurant reporter in one of the early books. Later, when he moves to Moose County, Qwilleran dines at many interesting places, always bringing home some leftovers for his cats Koko and Yum Yum. Braun always includes detailed descriptions of these meals and the atmosphere in which they are eaten.

Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chien

Death by Dumpling, the first book of this series, was just published in March, and the second one, Dim Sum of All Fears, will be out this August. Main character Lana Lee is in her twenties, and she works at her family's noodle restaurant, which is part of a larger shopping center devoted to Asian cultures. In the first book, the murder victim is allegedly poisoned by a lunch ordered from the restaurant, but otherwise, the descriptions of food in this book will make you hungry for Chinese food.

The White House Chef Mysteries by Julie Hyzy

Olivia "Ollie" Paras is a chef at the White House in this series, which came to an end in 2016. In addition to compelling mysteries, this series includes fun details about working in the White House kitchen, catering to the needs of the First Family, and dating a secret service agent. The writing is consistently great as well.

Supper Club Mysteries by Ellery Adams

This series originally published under the pseudonym of J.B. Stanley focuses on five friends who form a supper club to help each other lose weight. The series has been rereleased in ebook and audiobook recently and a new title, Pasta Mortem, cowritten by Rosemary Stevens has just been published. The "flab five" enjoy a different type of food in each book, usually while trying to solve a murder that impacts the life of one of their own. 

Ethnic Eats series by Kylie Logan

There are three books in this series about a Hollywood personal chef turned small-town restaurateur. (Book 3, Italian Iced, will be out July 3rd.) I've only read the third book, but the writing is excellent and the plotting of the story is handled especially well. Like the Supper Club mysteries, these books focus on a different type of food each time so there is always something new to focus on.

Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny

These books are not quite cozies, but they are gentle enough to almost match the genre. They make this list because of all the delicious meals Gamache and others enjoy at Olivier's Bistro and at Clara's house. In fact, food plays such an important role in the series, that a while ago the publisher put out a Three Pines recipe book called The Nature of the Feast.

The RAHM Report for 6/25/18

What I Finished Reading

• Our Library by Phyllis R. Fenner ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  This was a fascinating look at schools and school libraries of the 1930s. I enjoyed reading all the anecdotes about using the card catalog, luring kids to the library with the victrola, and storytelling. Though times have changed, much about libraries has not, and it was fun comparing the similarities and differences between then and now.
• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren ⭐⭐
  I tried a few times to read this as a kid and never got into it. As an adult, I just flat-out disliked it. Pippi is an obnoxious child and I don't find any of her behavior funny. My kids, however, loved her, and I had to read the entire book aloud. The rest of the series they'll have to read on their own when they're ready because I don't plan to read anymore myself.
• Back Yard Angel by Judy Delton ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I found this book on Open Library after seeing a post from @yearlingreads on Instagram. It's a little slice of life story about Caroline, known as Angel, who must often look after her brother, Theodore, who is nicknamed Rags, because their mother is a single mom who is very nervous about her kids' safety. Angel was a believable and sympathetic character, and I'm excited to read more from this series.
• My Backyard History Book by David Weitzer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I read this book in two sittings as part of my preparation for homeschooling kindergarten starting in the Fall. We're going to introduce history by exploring our family tree and the memories of our relatives.

Did Not Finish

• The House that Lou Built by Mae Respicio
  The writing style in this book was just too flat and straightforward for me. I didn't feel any warmth or humor, and then the main character and her friends started lecturing the boys in their class about the contributions of women throughout history, and it began to feel too preachy. I wasn't invested enough in the story by that point to stick it out, so I put it on the DNF shelf.

What I'm Currently Reading

• The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis by Max Shulman 76%
  These stories are clever, but a lot of them at once gets old, so I'm still just reading a story now and then. I expect to finish the book this week. 
• Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Stina Neilsen 49%
  Listening to this audiobook has been such a great dose of nostalgia for me. The story really holds up well, and I'm remembering how much I loved the book the first time I read it, almost 20 years ago. 
• Italian Iced by Kylie Logan (ARC) 34%
  This is a well-written and tightly plotted mystery. I haven't read any others from the series, but that hasn't been a problem so far, and I'm enjoying all the characters.  I've been curious about this author for a while, and I think I'll be looking for more of her books after this one. 
• The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny 28%
  I haven't been in a Louise Penny mood lately, but I am intrigued by this mystery and will get back to it soon. 
• The Sparrow Child by Meriol Trevor 17%
  This is not my favorite Trevor book so far, but it does seem to forecast the themes that make her The Rose Round  such a perfect book. I'm enjoying it mainly because of that connection.

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Book Review: Save the Date by Morgan Matson (2018)

Charlotte (called "Charlie") is about to finish high school and she is the youngest of the five Grant siblings, who have been the subject of their mother's family-oriented comic strip, Grant Central Station, since they were very young. Now, though, the comic strip is coming to an end, and the family home is being sold, so Charlie's sister's wedding weekend is the last chance for her and her brothers and sister to be together in their childhood home. Unfortunately, not everything about the weekend - or even the wedding - goes according to plan. Mike, one of Charlie's brothers, has been estranged from the family for over a year due to a falling-out with his mom. Danny, Charlie's oldest and favorite brother, shows up for the wedding with a girlfriend no one has heard about, and whom Charlie instantly dislikes. Charlie herself is also preoccupied with a love interest - Jesse, Mike's best friend, whom she kissed at Christmas and hasn't seen since. When the wedding planner skips town suddenly, and a substitute is called in, Charlie also finds herself partnering up with Will, the new wedding planner's nephew who clearly likes her, and whom she helps to combat the series of mishaps threatening her sister's wedding day bliss.

I can't remember the last time I read a young adult novel that I loved as much as I loved this book. It was a perfect blend of contemporary romance and family drama, and every single character charmed me and made it impossible to put the book down. The mother's comic strip, and specifically its coming to an end just after the wedding, gave the book the exact right feel of nostalgia and longing for the past that often accompanies planning for the future at the end of high school. I could completely empathize with Charlie's feelings, and with her desire for just a few more days of togethernness with her siblings before everything changes.

The problems with the wedding itself were also written really well. Though they were funny and somewhat unlikely, the author completely made me believe in them as real things that can go wrong during a wedding ceremony. I also appreciated that each of Charlie's brothers and her sister felt like real adults, but that their friendships with Charlie also felt plausible. They acted like siblings, not surrogate parents, and I don't think we get a lot of older siblings like that in teen fiction.

This year is not quite half over, but I already know this will be on my list of favorites come December. It's just such a heartwarming and pleasant book, and it was a great way to kick off my summer reading.

ARCs on my TBR for Summer 2018

This week, Top Ten Tuesday is focusing on beach reads and summer to-read lists. I plan to continue checking books off of my Spring TBR since I still have about half of those to go, and I'm also hoping to revisit several Sarah Dessen books by listening to the audio versions. But for today's post, I'd like to share the ARCs I'm planning to read this summer that will be published between now and the start of Fall on September 22.

COZY MYSTERIES 

Italian Iced by Kylie Logan 

What it's about (from Goodreads): Hot pasta and a cold corpse make for quite a combination in the latest book in the Ethnic Eats mystery series.

Why I requested it: Cozy mysteries are hard to find in my libraries, so I like to take the opportunity to request a few new ones for review as my reading schedule allows. I haven't read any others from this series, but I liked the description of this particular mystery, which involves a murder victim with many enemies. 

When it comes out: June 26 

Midnight Snacks are Murder by Libby Klein

What it's about (from Goodreads): When her sleepwalking aunt is accused of committing murder, Poppy McAllister finds out there's no rest for the weary . . .

Why I requested it: I absolutely loved the first book of this series, Class Reunions are Murder, and Poppy's aunt was one of the best characters. I can't wait to see how she gets out of trouble in this second book. 

When it comes out: July 31 

If the Coffin Fits by Lillian Bell

What it's about (from Goodreads): When an unnatural cause of death finds one of her clients, Desiree must get to the bottom of the murder before she’s fitted for a coffin, herself.

Why I requested it: I loved the concept of this series from the beginning and requested the first book via inter-library loan. I'm so excited to get back into this universe. 

When it comes out: September 11 

Read and Gone by Allison Brook

What it's about (from Goodreads): Seven-million dollars' worth of missing gems bring Carrie Singleton's long-lost and larcenous dad back into her life and it's up to Carrie to clear his name. 

Why I requested it: I love a good mystery set in the library, and I really enjoyed the first book Haunted Library Mystery, Death Overdue, even though I am ordinarily not that into ghosts. I also love the festive Christmas-themed cover.

When it comes out: September 11

KIDLIT 

So Done by Paula Chase

What it's about (from Goodreads): When best friends Tai and Mila are reunited after a summer apart, their friendship threatens to combust from the pressure of secrets, middle school, and the looming dance auditions for a new talented-and-gifted program.
Why I requested it: There is no middle grade story I love more than one about the difficulties of female friendship in middle school. I also really like the cover art on this one.

When it comes out: August 14

A Long Line of Cakes by Deborah Wiles

What it's about (from Goodreads): Emma Lane Cake has five brothers, four dogs, and a family that can't stay put. The Cake family travels from place to place, setting up bakeries in communities that need them. Then, just when Emma feels settled in with new friends . . . they move again. Now the Cakes have come to Aurora County, and Emma has vowed that this time she is NOT going to get attached to ANYONE or ANYTHING. Why bother, if her father's only going to uproot her again? But fate has different plans. And so does Ruby Lavender, who is going to show Emma Lane Cake a thing or two about making friendship last. 
Why I requested it: The Aurora County All-Stars, which is set in the same universe as this book, was on my Spring TBR, and I really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to reading this fourth book of the set. I also think it has a great cover, even if it's not illustrated by Marla Frazee like all the others.
When it comes out: August 28

Naomis Too by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and Audrey Vernick

What it's about (from Goodreads): A heartfelt, sweet, social justice-themed ode to blended and unconventional families—perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia, Lisa Graff, and Sara Pennypacker. 

Why I requested it: I really enjoyed the first book, Two Naomis,  and was pleasantly surprised to learn there will be a sequel. I also love the way the titles of the two books mirror each other. I'm a little nervous that "social justice-themed" means "preachy and in-your-face political" but I'm willing to risk it to see how these characters are doing.

When it comes out: September 11