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- Category: Helen
The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science is one of the funniest books I have ever, ever, ever read, for any age. I honestly laughed out loud at least once every time I sat down to read this book. The author plays with narrative voice to hilarious effect. Picture books break the fourth wall sometimes, like in a movie when an actor looks into the camera and talks directly to the audience. The narrator does that in this novel. It’s interesting that this funny technique, also surreptitiously explains things to kids, they might not otherwise know.
The author’s running commentary on the use of turret vs. small tower is a great example. In a similar, subtle way, many aspects of this book are funny but also encourage girls to embrace being smart, being curious, and studying science – if they want to. Brilliant! Happily, this is the first in a series.
Middle Grade Fiction pr7633517
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- Category: Helen
Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell (YA debut)
Looking for Smoke is a murder mystery set on a Blackfeet Reservation, during annual Indian Days celebrations. Four teenagers set out to solve what happened to their classmate – found dead minutes after the five of them were together. Instantly the main suspects, also suspicious of each other, the four uneasy allies fear being convicted by at minimum disinterested and at worst corrupt police investigators. One of the characters says, as if it’s an axiom, “If you want to get away with murder, do it on an Indian reservation.”
Each character has a different lived experience, despite all living in a small community. Mara, our protagonist – for example - lived in a large city until recently. As such she is distrusted by the other kids and suspected of feeling entitled. As she learns about life on her reservation, the other kids, aspects of the community, etc. so do we – the readers. It’s an effective way to tell us about issues Indigenous people are fighting and dealing with. It also shows us lots of fun, joyful and fascinating aspects of Blackfeet culture. For example, Google “Indian Relay Races”… Holy hazardous sports, batman! These extreme athletes are in a class of their own.
Strong characters interconnected with themselves and the setting, augment the author’s clever, interesting murder puzzle. I LOVED the solution. Get away with murder? Not while Mara – who earned her name “Looking for Smoke” – and her new friends, are on the case.
YA Fiction pr7444970
Reasons to Look at the Sky by Danielle Daniel