Go for the Moon by Chris Gall


Go for the Moon by Chris Gall
A Rocket, A Boy, and the First Moon Landing
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Genre: Non-Fiction, Childrens, Historical, YA (ages 5-10 yrs)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Written and illustrated by Chris Gall, Go for the Moon! captures the fascinating detail and inspiring adventure of the moon landing. It is a captivating celebration of one of humankind’s greatest technical achievements and most extraordinary feats of exploration.

The Apollo 11 astronauts have prepared carefully for their attempt to be the first men to land on the moon. The young narrator of this book has prepared carefully, too: he explains the design of the spacecraft, the flight from the earth to the moon, and the drama of touching down–while shadowing the astronaut’s voyage with one of his own.

To the Moon!!

I picked up this book because I love space and wanted to see how this author handled that very topic. This is a book not to be missed. If your young person loves space, then this book will be great. There’s a lot of detail, but it’s also got the point of view of the young man at home. It’s how it was to watch the moon landing, facts about the space program, but also how the little boy felt while this all happened. It’s told in a very easy manner, but will entertain older children more because of the detail.

If you want to read a book about space with your young person, or just want a great space book for yourself, then this is the book for you. Check it out!

The Pink Umbrella by Amélie Callot


The Pink Umbrella by Amélie Callot
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Historical, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Perfect for fans of Amélie, this is a charming story about the power of friendship, love and pink polka dots to turn rainy days into sunny ones and sadness into joy.

When it’s bright outside, Adele is the heart of her community, greeting everyone who comes into her café with arms wide open. But when it rains, she can’t help but stay at home inside, under the covers. Because Adele takes such good care of her friends and customers, one of them decides to take care of her too, and piece by piece leaves her little gifts that help her find the joy in a gray, rainy day. Along with cute-as-a-button illustrations, The Pink Umbrella celebrates thoughtful acts of friendship.

As Longfellow once wrote, into each life a little rain must fall.

Romance is rarely if ever included in middle grade books, so I was curious to see how the author was planning to incorporate it here. I appreciated Ms. Callot’s subtle and gentle approach to the subject. Younger readers might not even pick on this subtext at all, but it was sweet and perfectly appropriate for the storyline and for their age group if they do.

The plot was slow and meandering. There were scenes where I appreciated how much time it took to soak up the small, ordinary moments of life and other scenes where I felt restless due to that style of writing. If only the characters had faced more conflict during the course of their daily routines. I so wanted to give this a higher rating, but I couldn’t quite justify it.

One of the enjoyable parts of the storyline had to do with how the people in Adele’s community took note of her mental state and worked to make life easier for her when she was feeling sad on cloudy, rainy days. Their empathy was a beautiful thing to witness, and I thought it was lovely to see what appears to be a small town quietly banding together to make the life of one of their residents just a little bit easier.

The Pink Umbrella was one of those rare picture books that’s meant for older readers. It made me smile.

The Night in Question by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson


The Night in Question by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson
An Agathas Novel
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure, YA (15+ yrs)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Last October, Alice Ogilvie’s ex-best friend, Brooke Donovan, was killed—and if it weren’t for Alice’s unlikely alliance with her tutor, Iris Adams, and her library of the complete works of Agatha Christie, the wrong person would almost certainly be sitting in prison for the crime. The Castle Cove police aren’t exactly great at solving crimes. In fact, they’re notorious for not solving crimes.

Which is why, on the night of Castle Cove High’s annual Sadie Hawkins dance, Alice takes the opportunity to explore Levy Castle—the site of one of Castle Cove’s most infamous deaths. Mona Moody—­the classic film star—died there almost a century ago, and Alice is pretty sure the police got that invest­igation wrong, too. But before she can even think about digging deeper, she walks right into the scene of a new crime. Rebecca Kennedy, on the ground in a pool of blood. And standing over Kennedy? Another one of Alice’s ex-friends—Helen Park.

The Castle Cove Police Department thinks it’s an open-and-shut case, but Alice and Iris are sure it can’t be that simple. Park isn’t a murderer—and the girls know all too well that in life, and in mysteries, things are rarely what they appear to be. To understand the present, sometimes you need to look to the past.

Castle Cove is full of secrets, and Alice and Iris are about to uncover one of its biggest—and most dangerous—secrets of all.

There’s something going down and it’s up to the Agathas to figure out what.

I loved the first book in this mystery series, The Agathas. I liked the inventiveness of two teen girls, totally opposites, being brought together by their love of Agatha Christie and solving mysteries. The first book had all the hallmarks of a great mystery–twists, turns and I couldn’t figure out the ending.

This book has many of the same hallmarks–there’s a mystery and intrigue, but I had a few issues with it. The characters seemed to sound a bit the same after a while. I liked that it’s told from Iris and Alice’s POVs, but they tended to sound the same. Now that’s not totally bad because best friends tend to talk alike after a while, but it made it hard to keep straight who’s POV I was in. I also had an issue with the sheer volume of characters. It took some work to keep them straight (Like it would in an Agatha Christie book).

The characters are good. Iris has some issues and Alice is a bit snobbish. I’d hoped Alice would help Iris a bit as Iris has been abused and needs someone to be there for her. I didn’t like that the issue of child abuse and the after-effects weren’t really handled. Iris just sort of bucked it up, but not very well. I also thought Alice regressed a bit and got snobbier through the book. I liked Iris, but I wanted to root for her and Alice, but it wasn’t always easy with Alice.

The mystery is good, but almost comes second to the bumbling of the police department. It’s like the girls should be the ones in charge and the PD should go back to school. I don’t know if that was intentional, but I wanted to see the cops respect the girls a bit more and for them to work a bit harder.

Still, this was a good book and those who like mysteries, it’ll satisfy. There are enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. Give this book a try.

The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman


The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman
Publisher: Graphix
Genre: LGBTQ, Graphic Novel, Contemporary, YA (15+ yrs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The Heartstopper Yearbook is packed full of exclusive content from the Heartstopper universe: never-before-seen illustrations, an exclusive minicomic, character profiles, trivia, and insight into Alice Oseman’s creative process, narrated by a cartoon version of Alice herself. In full-color for the first time, this companion book is perfect for fans of Heartstopper!

More Heartstopper? Yes, please.

If you like the Heartstopper books, then you’ve got to check out the yearbook. These are bits and pieces about the series as well as early drawings and tidbits by the author about the series. Hardcore fans will eat this book up.

I liked seeing the evolution of Charlie and Nick because it showed they weren’t fully formed when the author started them and there was some growth beyond the story. I liked seeing the way the author handled the issues with each character, too. There were snippets of other characters and their stories, too. I liked seeing a bit in on the teachers, too. They’re my favorite characters of the series.

If you like the Heartstopper series and want just a little more of these characters, then this is the book for you. Check it out.

Magda, Standing by Christine Fallert Kessides


Magda, Standing by Christine Fallert Kessides
Publisher: Bold Story Press
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Romance, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When her father pulls her out of high school to care for her invalid mother and little brother, sixteen-year-old Magda is devastated—but the greater challenge is saving her family in the face of a war and pandemic.

In 1916, the world is at war, even if America has not yet joined the effort. But for Magda, the growing hostility her German immigrant family faces hits close to home. Despite her domestic obligations, Magda persists with her education, determined to find an independent role for herself. Faced with the mounting crises of the war and the Spanish flu, Magda seeks the knowledge and strength to try to protect those she loves most.

Standing up to a war and pandemic, traditions and expectations, Magda embarks on a journey of self-discovery and resilience that leads her back to embracing her family and caring for a wider community.

Courage comes in many different forms.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that explored Magda’s personality and character development over the years. She could be quite stubborn at times, but there was always something admirable to be found in her optimistic attitude and determination to make a better life for herself. It was rewarding to see how she matured as she grew older and took note of the many experiences she had, from lighthearted moments with her talkative baby brother to heartbreaking ones that I’ll leave for other readers to discover for themselves.

This book included over sixty different characters. I struggled to keep up with who everyone was and how they were connected to each other even though I was deeply invested in what might happen to Magda and her family next. It would have been helpful to have a list of characters before the first chapter so I could refer to it when I needed a refresher on whether any two characters were relatives, friends, lovers, neighbours, or acquaintances. As much as I otherwise yearned to give this a full five-star rating, this was a stumbling block to do that.

Ms. Fallert Kessides had a smooth and beautiful writing style that made it hard for me to step away from the storyline. She knew exactly when to transition from describing characters to pushing the plot forward, and she kept me up late reading more than one night. Based on what a positive first experience I had with her work, I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye out for her future projects.

Magda, Standing was an engrossing read.

Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court by John Erskine, Albert Seligman (editor)


Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court by John Erskine, Albert Seligman (editor)
Publisher: Markosia Enterprises Ltd.
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

These “Seven Tales” were published in 1940 in The American Weekly Sunday magazine and have never been seen since. They showcase watercolors by English artist Edmund Dulac, who was one of the Golden Age illustrators. The texts were written by noted American author and musician John Erskine.

Chivalry never goes out of fashion.

The first half of this book included background information on the social history of King Arthur, a short explanation of how fantasy writing styles have changed over the last eighty years, and some brief biographies of the people who were involved in the original publication of these adventures. I was impressed by how much effort the author put into this section and grateful to have it. These details brought so much depth to what came after them, and they made certain scenes stand out to me as a reader in ways that I might not have fully understood if I hadn’t been made aware of certain facts ahead of time. While it wasn’t the only reason why I chose a full five-star rating, it was definitely a contributing factor.

Accolon stole King Arthur’s famous sword, the ‘Excalibur,’ in “The Tale of The Enchantress and the Magic Scabbard.” How that theft took place is best left for others to find out for themselves, but I was fascinated by Accolon’s gumption and King Arthur’s reaction when he realized that the sword in his scabbard wasn’t the one he usually used. This was an exciting adventure that made me wish to keep reading it.

None of the other King Arthur tales I’ve ever read were about the blood of Christ, so I was intrigued by the premise of “The Tale of Sir Galahad and his Quest for the Sangreal.” I liked the way the narrator plainly shared what happened to Galahad on his quest without leaping into the emotions of those moments no matter how much danger the characters might be in. It was quite unlike anything I’ve written from contemporary authors, and it often made me pause to reread certain sentences again.

After an uninvited guest was kidnapped during a dinner at the round table, Pellinore went to save her in “The Tale of Merlin and One of the Ladies of the Lake.” Merlin’s involvement in all of this is something that new readers should discover for themselves. I found it delightfully surprising and smiled at every plot twist along the way. The creative final scene fit the theme perfectly, and I only wish I could go into detail about it without giving away spoilers. What I can say is that it was a humorous way to end things.

Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court was a thrilling read from beginning to end.

The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional by Chris Boucher


The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional by Chris Boucher
Publisher: Wings ePress
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Bucky Lew burst through pro basketball’s color barrier to become the first Black player in an otherwise white league. And playing was just a start. He wanted to dominate in every single role in the game—from player to coach to general manager to owner.

His dream looked to be deferred when Harry Hough, the league’s best player, refused to play against him in a regular season matchup that the press billed as a preview of the championship. Not only were their teams the best, Hough was the league’s top scorer and Bucky its best defender.

All eyes were on the pair. What would Bucky do? Should he just go away or could he rally his teammates around him?

What about the fans—the thousands in the arena and those around the league following the rivalry in the papers? Or the league as a whole? Would they support him or move on without him?

The stakes were high—it was a fight for the future of the season, the future of the game, and maybe even the future of sports.

Hard work can make all sorts of things possible.

Being a trailblazer isn’t easy. I hadn’t realized how suspicious many people were of playing basketball as a career a century ago, and that was only one of the many obstacles the main character faced in his lifetime. His patience and perseverance only made me like him even more. Bucky experienced a lot of hard times, but he also paved the way for countless black athletes behind him.

While I admired the author’s desire to stick as closely as possible to historical facts about the protagonist’s life, it would have been helpful to have more character development in this novel. I learned a lot about Bucky’s accomplishments but not much about what it might be like to sit down and talk to him other than the fact that he was clearly quite intelligent. Was he also as quietly confident as I thought he might be based on some other context clues? Knowing more about what sort of personality he had and how fame affected him would have gone a long way to bumping up my rating for this book.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that talked about how both the players and fans reacted to this brand new sport. For example, games could become a little violent or cause injuries in part because there wasn’t a clear understanding of what was and wasn’t acceptable on the court or off it. Other passages talked about how white people reacted to a racially integrated sport were also well worth checking out. There were a lot of nuances to these reactions depending on who the narrator was talking about and how far into Bucky’s career things had progressed, and some of them pleasantly surprised me.

The pacing was slow for my tastes, especially in the first third or so of this novel. Being the first Black professional basketball player is a huge deal, and I was hoping for more descriptions of how Bucky felt about it and how his life changed as people began to take notice of him. These things were addressed later on, but I struggled a bit to remain interested because of how slowly certain conflicts developed and how much time was spent describing other things instead.

Friendship was another theme of this book that I connected with. The number of people who played basketball well enough to do so professionally back then was small, so the same folks were often mentioned over and over again throughout the years. I enjoyed the stories about the friendships that were forged through the early days of this sport and how much kindness they showed to each other when someone was injured or otherwise in need of help.

The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional was a thought-provoking read.

Heartstopper, Vol 3 by Alice Oseman


Heartstopper, Vol 3 by Alice Oseman
Publisher: Graphix
Genre: YA (ages 14+), LGBTQ, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Charlie didn’t think Nick could ever like him back, but now they’re officially boyfriends. Nick has even found the courage to come out to his mom. But coming out isn’t something that happens just once, and Nick and Charlie try to figure out when to tell their friends that they’re dating. Not being out to their classmates gets even harder during a school trip to Paris. As Nick and Charlie’s feelings get more serious, they’ll need each other more than ever.

Back to the world of Nick and Charlie and it’s so good.

I love this series because the characters are so realistic. They’re funny, heartbreaking and real. I’m wrapped up in this couple. Really. I couldn’t put this volume down and was sad to see it end. The writing is much like that of the age group the boys are and it’s shown in the same manner that young people in their situation struggle. It’s realistic and that’s great.

I’ve read the others in this series and I’m glad I did. It helped me to understand what the characters are going through and how hard it is to be a teen. Nick is just starting to come to terms with who he is and coming out to his family. It’s hard and the book shows that. Charlie, while already out, is dealing with an eating disorder, brought on by teasing because he’s gay. A lot of young people can identify with the characters.

This is written in a tender, but real way. The characters struggle, but it’s like reading the picture diary of friends. I loved it.

If you’re looking for a book with tender but teen characters and a great storyline, then this might be the book for you.

Stompin’ at the Savoy: The Story of Norma Miller by Alan Govenar


Stompin’ at the Savoy: The Story of Norma Miller by Alan Govenar
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: YA (Ages 10+), Historical, Non-Fiction, Biography
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Through extensive interviews with jazz dancer Norma Miller, acclaimed author and filmmaker Alan Govenar captures the vitality, wry humor, and indomitable spirit of an American treasure.

When she was just five years old, in 1924, Norma Miller knew just what she wanted to do for the rest of her life: she wanted to dance. It was the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, and Norma lived behind New York’s Savoy Ballroom, the only dance hall in a still-segregated America where blacks and whites could mingle on the same mahogany floor. It was in this majestic “home of happy feet” that twelve-year-old Norma first brought the house down, swing-stepping with Twist Mouth George, one of the premier dancers of the day. Before long, the feisty Norma would rise to fame as one of the first performers of the Lindy Hop, an acrobatic dance style named for Charles Lindbergh’s first solo flight (or “hop”) across the Atlantic. With the celebrated dance troupe Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, a teenage Norma would cross the Atlantic herself on a tour of Europe and even strut her stuff on the silver screen.

In this invigorating, humorous, and thought-provoking oral autobiography, Alan Govenar captures the sound and spirit of Norma Miller’s voice as she recalls her early years and coming of age as a determined young dancer during the heyday of swing. Augmenting her lively narrative are Martin French’s jazzy, single-color illustrations, evoking the vibrant style of vintage poster art.

A pioneer in the dance world and a fascinating person all-around.

I loved the Ken Burns documentary Jazz and was thrilled to find a biography of one of the dancers featured in the program. Norma Miller. First, she’s a fascinating person. Second, it’s impressive how she managed to pull herself up. Third, she’s a survivor. I can’t imagine how she managed to live her life and not get bogged down in some of the low points.

This story is a YA book, but really, anyone can read it. This is the story of Norma Miller. She was a Lindy Hop dancer who started out by watching the shadows from the Savoy Ballroom and listening to the music. She had some lessons, but most of her training is self-taught. I liked that she wasn’t just an overnight success. She had to work for it. The author spoke directly to her for this book and that shows. Her voice, just like in the documentary, really shines. She didn’t have an easy life, either, as she went on dance tours and often spent many months away from home, despite the tours only supposed to have been a few weeks.

I liked that she taught dance and works with young dancers to develop their love of dance and jazz in particular.

If you’re looking for a dance biography and want something fascinating, then this is the book for you. Check it out.

Heartstopper, Vol 2 by Alice Oseman


Heartstopper, Vol 2 by Alice Oseman
Publisher: Graphix
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Ages 14+, LGBTQ, Romance
Rating 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Nick and Charlie are best friends, but one spontaneous kiss has changed everything. In the aftermath, Charlie thinks that he’s made a horrible mistake and ruined his friendship with Nick, but Nick is more confused than ever. Love works in surprising ways, and Nick comes to see the world from a new perspective. He discovers all sorts of things about his friends, his family… and himself.

The boys are back and trying to navigate this thing called life. The thing called love.

I’m in love with this series because Nick and Charlie are so realistic. I see and feel the struggles in them. I understand where they’re coming from and why they react the way they do. Why? Because yes, it’s shown in the pictures – it’s a graphic novel – but also the heartfelt way the author conveys these things. I’m right there with Nick and Charlie. It’s refreshing.

It’s also a good story for young people who are trying to sort out how they feel – all across the spectrum. We’re all human and we get shy. We make mistakes. This book shows that. I liked that this one, in particular, really spotlighted Nick and his struggles with understanding he’s bisexual. It’s a real struggle that’s hard to deal with if you’re feeling alone and confused.

If you like a sweet romance, a sweet LGBTQ one with two young men navigating the world with the changes in their lives, then this might be the one for you.