Review: Potterwookiee by Obert Skye

Two multi-million dollar fandoms merge together in this hilarious, middle grade illustrated novel. The second in the Creature From My Closet chapter book series, Potterwookiee is great for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other similar illustrated novels. 

Summary: The latest creature to emerge from Rob’s closet is a cross between Chewbacca from Star Wars and Harry Potter. Rob names him “Potterwookiee” (“Hairy” for short) and soon Rob finds himself treading water as he tries to figure out how to care for his mixed-up friend. Great laughs and great books help Rob along the way.

After the Potterwookiee emerges from Rob's closet, the little guy ends up in a weird trance. To help him, Rob turns to the first Harry Potter book for the answer, illustrating that wisdom can be found in the pages of great books. Aside from helping his hybrid friend, Rob must also keep him safe from others and overcome the neighbourhood bully.

As a Potterhead and a fan of Star Wars, I really enjoyed this book. It's an easy, entertaining read for reluctant readers and is filled with hilarious illustrations to break up the text. Parents and educators can feel good about this clean, well-received, and most definitely fun read for middle grade readers. 

Keep kids reading this summer with Potterwookiee!

3.5 Stars 

Reviews for Potterwookie: 
“The second doll-sized literary mashup to come out of a wimpy kid’s magic closet adds wizardly spells [and] noxious smells…” - Kirkus 

"The text is hysterical by itself, but acts as the straight man in relation to the one-two punch of the childlike drawings and captions that appear on almost every page. Get multiple copies of this book: it will fly off the shelves.”- School Library Journal 

Review: Ghosts of War: The Secret of Midway by Steve Watkins

Ghosts of War is a new middle grade series from Scholastic, Inc. A twist of mystery, historical fiction, and middle school drama, these books are aimed at middle grade boys with an interest in war fiction. The series stars a trio of friends who meet a ghost and help him remember his mortal life and solve the mystery of his death.

Summary: In the basement of his family’s junkshop, Anderson and his friends Greg and Julie discover a trunk full of old military stuff. Including a battered navy peacoat from World War II, and when Anderson puts it on he finds a mysterious letter in the pocket. Curious, he takes the coat and letter home. But that’s not all he brings home...

Later that evening the ghost of a World War II sailor appears in Anderson’s room. Anderson is completely freaked out. Who is the ghost and why hasn’t he crossed over? But most importantly, what does he want with Anderson?

This is a content-free, fast-paced read about an important moment in history. Readers learn about a famous US naval battle without feeling like history is being shoved down their throats. While there is talk of gunfire, death, and violence between the Japanese and American forces, it's not at all graphic or frightening.

Overall, it's a solid middle grade read that offers an educational bonus that parents and educators can feel good about. A second book in the series is forthcoming in April!

Review: Klutz String Art

I wouldn't consider myself a crafter and by no means am I artistically talented. But I've had my eye on Klutz products for a while now. There are so many really cool Klutz products and activities out there, all of which come with all the supplies you need in a box!

I finally got my hands on a copy of Klutz String Art after seeing this cool retro craft splashed over Pinterest? Me and my sister sat down to have a Klutzy crafternoon together with String Art! And it was great! For two inexperienced crafters, we're both extremely proud of our string art and making them was easy, quick, and fun!

Overall, Klutz String Art comes with simple instructions, tons of pins, colourful string, pretty mounting paper, and lots of traceable patterns to create different designs in various sizes. You can make flowers, an owl, words, a whale, and more!

My only complaint is that the number of designs outnumbers the number of mounting boards you get. On the plus side, the mounting boards are just thick pieces of cardboard so you can definitely get more of your own.

For a couple of amateur crafters, I have to say they turned out pretty good! We taped some ribbon to the backs and hung them on the wall!

A simple and fun activity for kids ages 10 & up. You can find tons of other great craft ideas from Klutz on their website! 







4 Stars

Review: Gatekeepers #5: Oblivion by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz's Gatekeepers series is an excellent choice for readers who enjoy thrilling, action-packed dystopian stories with all sorts of twist and turns. The series has positive reviews overall from several credible sources and Anthony Horowitz is beloved by his fans. Oblivion is the fifth and final book in the saga.

Summary: Matt. Pedro. Scott. Jamie. Scar. Five Gatekeepers have finally found one another. And only the five of them can fight the evil force that is on the rise, threatening the destruction of the world In the penultimate volume of The Gatekeepers series, a massive storm arose that signalled the beginning of the end. Now the five Gatekeepers must battle the evil power the storm has unleashed — and strive to stop the world from ending.

The book is not short on shock-factors, gun violence, or terrible people (demonic forces or human). I get why the series is thrilling; I can see why the plot is exciting, but honestly, I was just glad when it was over. As I work in the editorial world, I get itchy when a book needs to trim down the excess thinking, complaining, fretting, and bullets whizzing (book five comes in at a whopping 580 pages--there's A LOT of this).

There are also many scenes included not only to shock the readers, but to illustrate just how much the world has gone to hell. My argument: we're five books in so we get it. These shock factors include suicide, graphic violence, gore, human trafficking, torture, murder, and cannibalism. Plus all the time the characters spend dwelling on them. The publisher deems the series is for ages 9-12, but I would push 12+ due to all the reasons listed above, plus a little objectionable language. Moreover, some of the themes and concepts will make more sense to older reasons.

If you're just getting started, I can say that the series goes out with a bang. Actually, with all the gunfire and murder occurring in book five, the end battle is a touch anti-climatic. Although we do get two main character deaths (I do love an author who is brave enough to do this in a series that's lasted this long!).

I'm not a fan of books that need so much room to pack a punch, but if you love the build-up and the action, then you'll be fine. It's worth a read if you're a die-hard dystopian fan, but pass if you love dystopian and are anxiously looking to fill the void Divergent or Hunger Games left in your soul. Horowitz is a bestselling author and deserves all the acclaim he's received, but Oblivion doesn't come close to touching the crown jewels of YA.

3 Stars 

Praise for The Gatekeepers:

"Younger teens who like an exciting adventure mixed with supernatural horror will thrill to Matt's story." —VOYA

"Horowitz truly knows his way around a plot; he keeps the tension at a nail-biting level throughout." —Kirkus

"There's no denying Horowitz's talent for creating monstrous evil and pumping up the tension with bloody details, exciting escapes, and cliff-hanging sequences." —Booklist

Review: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

"Peace in every home, every street, every village, every country--this is my dream. Education for every boy and every girl in the world. To sit down on a chair and read my books with all my friends at school is my right. To see each and every human being with a smile of happiness is my wish" (pg 313).

I've never been interested in reading non-fiction, but I've had my eye on I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban for a while now. Not only is this inspiring person the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, but her story is so incredibly power and so important, that I really wanted to read it. I'll admit I'm not the most informed person when it comes to global news and political crises, but even if you're not aware of who Malala is beyond faint recognition of her name, it is impossible not to have a sense of who the Taliban is or the dangers of political crisis and the institution of social and political change in Pakistan right now. Malala's story and her cause are important, making this an important book for everyone to read.

Summary: When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. 

On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.

Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize. 

I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. I AM MALALA will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world.

It is impossible not to feel changed after reading Malala's story of growing up in Pakistan, of her family's struggles to live under the violent oppression of Muslim extremists, and the reality of the inequality of girls and boys. It reminds readers how lucky we are in North America to have the right to education; to be able to live in a society free from the fear of being gunned down in the name of twisted interpretations of holy text. Our cultures and lifestyles may be different, but the lesson Malala teaches reaches us all. You may be Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or an Atheist, but regardless of who we are and what beliefs we hold, we're all human. We all deserve peace, equality, and the right to live, and grow, and be happy.

Malala's voice is inspiring, powerful, and honest. It's easy to relate to her, to feel for her, and to be affected by her story. I flew through this book, captivated by Malala's bravery and remarkable personality. Parents/educators should be forewarned that the book does contain content (objectionable language, some graphic violence, and minor gore). However, I strongly believe that the context in which the content appears justifies its presence. We should not shy away from the truth of the terrible things that happened and are happening in Pakistan. It is only when we are all aware and willing to stand up against the violence and discrimination that change will happen.

Everyone should read I Am Malala. This is a beautiful story of a young woman whose bravery has made her voice heard around the world. I almost never give 5 stars, but nothing deserves it more than this extraordinary memoir about this extraordinary person.

5 Stars

Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

If you raced through Hunger Games or Divergent, Joelle Charbonneau's thrilling YA dystopian novel The Testing is sure to be your next favourite read.

I'm often judgmental and skeptical of a YA dystopian novel. Although the reason is mostly due to the fact that once Hunger Games and Divergent took the YA world by storm, there was little anyone else could do to produce something different. Nothing sums up this fact like this hilarious and honest summary of EVERY YA STORY EVER from The Toast. Seriously. EVERY.SINGLE.BOOK.

So while The Testing can be summed up in this brilliant article, I'll also provide the publisher's summary.

Summary: It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever. Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await.

While I did love reading this book, I think part of my enjoyment came from the blindingly obvious reasons why The Testing is Veronica's Roth Divergent. There are differences, of course, but MANY of the plot events and several details are very similar. I even made this handy chart:

	Divergent	The Testing
Inspiring Heroine	Beatrice “Tris”	Malencia             “Cia”
Love interest	Tobias	Tomas
Society’s divisions	Factions	Colonies
Gruesome injury during competition	Edward takes a knife to eye	Malachi takes a nail to the eye
Suicide by hanging	Al	Ryme
Vicious competitor	Peter	Will
Source of evil	Erudite leader	Tosu City Testing officials
Dystopian setting	War-ravaged Chicago	War-ravaged USA; featuring a race to what USED to be Chicago
Weapon of Choice	Guns	Guns

But in all seriousness, while I find it hilarious that the books are SO similar (more similar in comparison to all YA dystopian novels being similar—so much so that if I were Veronica Roth, I would write a strongly worded letter to Ms. Charbonneau) it WAS a thrilling story. Well-written, action-packed, suspenseful, filled with both loveable characters and characters we love to hate.

If you love these sort of novels, it's definitely worth a read! Independent Study is book two of the series and is available now!

... So I guess in this bok, Cia decides if she's honest or peaceful or... 

3 Stars 

I do not own any of these images. 

Review: Peter Puck and the Runaway Zamboni Machine

Hockey, a Zamboni®, anthropomorphic machines, and a great message: what more could you ask for in a young reader series for Canadian boys? 

Published by Tundra and written by Canadian author/illustrator team Brian McFarlane and Geri Storey, this Peter Puck book stars a Zamboni® who is feeling a little unappreciated at the arena. Luckily, his adventure out on the town reminds him that his friends appreciate everything he does and that his job is not only an important one, but one that makes him happy!

Summary: Peter’s good friend, Tony the Zamboni, longs for adventure. When Tony disappears, Peter and referee George Phair head out to find him. Tony loves being out in the big wide world, especially when he enters a race at the speedway. Peter arrives just in time to hop on and drive, but a run-in with two nasty drivers threatens to put them on the sidelines. Can Peter and Tony stay in the race? And will the runaway Zamboni return to the arena and prepare the ice for the big game?

From a marketing standpoint, Zamboni® stories are actually quite popular in Canada, and what child is not fascinated with watching them drive over the ice?  Overall, the series is written for young readers who are advanced enough to read confidently on their own, and who are between readers and early chapter books. Each spread has a picture and a page of text, which also makes the series great for parents reading to their kids. The language is very basic and pairs well with the expressive and colourful art for readers to piece the together the story.

This is a great Canadian young reader series for fans of books/shows that feature talking vehicles/machinery, and includes a positive "love the life you have" type of message. Fun fact: Brian McFarlane is a famous hockey sportscaster on Hockey Night in Canada AND he's the son of the author of many of the Hardy Boys books! 

3 Stars