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READING STYLE GUIDE

Compatibility Testing

9/14/2020

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Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake ill by Jon Klassen

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My first impulse while reading Skunk and Badger: I really want to invite Amy Timberlake to tea. I imagine a delightful afternoon, chatting with someone who conjures up a tale of a peculiar little Badger, living in Aunt Lula’s brownstone and devoting his days to Important Rock Work. This fastidious fellow is in for the shock of his life when Aunt Lula also invites Skunk to live in the brownstone. Skunk’s lifestyle is decidedly different from Badger's. He loves to cook, concocting scrumptious meals, but leaves washing the dishes to Badger. A gregarious fellow, he wants to chat while Badger is accustomed to hours of quiet devotion to his rocks. The ultimate test of the roommates’ compatibility is chickens. Skunk invites an astonishing number to their home. The brownstone is filled with incessant bocking and feathers scattered everywhere. Inevitably there is skunk spray. That the conflict will be resolved is never in doubt. It’s how the pair will iron out their differences that will keep readers engaged. ​
The narrative is seasoned with charming asides, inner dialog, and clever word play. Reading aloud is an extra treat. Book recommendations appear in the The New Yak Times Book Review. Badger muses that chickens are here today, gone to leghorn. There is mention of special markings in the sand known as Chicken Scratch, the most ancient of chicken languages.
Timberlake lovingly pokes fun at her characters' idiosyncrasies which makes them all-the-more endearing. In the spirit of Christopher Robin saying “silly old bear” to Pooh, readers will be enamored with the fussy Badger who wears pickaxe-and-dynamite pajamas and strums E Huli Mākou on the ukulele. Skunk’s special chicken whistle to gather the chickens for story-reading sessions, will bring knowing smiles to teachers and librarians.

​The trailer offers a sneak peek at Klassen's signature style black and white illustrations. He captures the character of these two often maligned mammals with wit and charm. Look at that grin on Skunk's face! Another reason to love this tale.
Come on over.  I'll put the kettle on, and we'll have great fun getting acquainted with Skunk and Badger.
A tale of a mismatched pair who work through the inevitable difficulties of sharing a home. It's The Wind in the Willows meets Frog and Toad and it's destined to be a classic. Want more good news? This is Book 1. There will be more Badger and Skunk. ​Hurrah! Hurrah!
Electronic copy accessed via Edelweiss.
​​Pub date: September 15, 2020  Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers  ISBN:  978-1643750057
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Science meets Fantasy

8/10/2020

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The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman narrated by Simon Vance

It's Kate's birthday and rich Uncle Herman, who wears a banana yellow suit and is a bit unorthodox, presents her with a most unusual gift: a train. Not a toy. This is a mammoth-sized steam-belching machine on a track in her backyard. When Kate and her younger brother Tom climb aboard, they begin an adventure that is beyond their wildest imaginings.
The Silver Arrow is a dream come true. Tom and a Kate create their ideal train with such delightful cars as a library car, a swimming pool car, and even a candy car. But the children soon learn that this will not be a pleasure excursion. They are tasked with transporting endangered species to less hostile environments. Kate is the conductor. She is charged with protecting and finding proper homes for animals such as a white bellied heron and a fishing cat.  Yes, they really exist. I looked them up.
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There is no evil villain in this tale. The nemesis is time. Kate must deliver all the animals to a new habitat. But the engine’s coal supply is rapidly depleting, the train is running out of track, and the polar bear can't survive much longer in a warm passenger car. While it is clear that humans are responsible for endangering the animals’ existence, this isn’t a blame game. It’s a race to save, to repair, to protect.
Although the story is told in third person, the narrator is obviously speaking from Kate’s point of view. Grossman keeps the tale focused on Kate and her perceptions of the world, from her developing realization of a larger life purpose to her admiration for science, particularly her hero Grace Hopper.
Vance is the perfect match for Grossman’s fantasy. His smooth narration draws listeners in and keeps them enthralled. His phrasing and subtle emphasis on specific words is sublime. The voices for the individual characters match the personality of each, from the rumbling engine and the gruff porcupine to the wondering awe of two youngsters. 
​The ride careens to a wild and wondrous conclusion that will leave readers breathless. But it's served along alongside the comfort of French toast with loads of syrup and melted butter.
Good news: Uncle Herbert makes clear that more adventures await these siblings.
This magical tale is an incredible mix of science and fantasy. There is an unusual selection of intriguing animals with distinctive personalities. Who knew that I would be enchanted by a porcupine, a pangolin, and green mamba? Kate's hero is Grace Hopper and the narrative is sprinkled with delightful Hopper trivia. Grossman has fashioned a fantastic amalgam of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, falling into a strange and wonderful land with droll talking animals and The Magic School Bus, journeying on extraordinary scientific expeditions.  It's a winning, winsome combination.
Listen to a sample here.
Audiobook accessed via NetGalley.
Release date: September 1, 2020  Publisher: Hachette Audio
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Runaway Art

7/28/2020

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Doodleville by Chad Sell

Drew loves to draw. Pencil in hand, she has created her own collection of doodles, an assortment of charming and often mischievous characters who dwell in her imaginary world.
Drew shares her passion for drawing with other students in the school’s Art Club. Their advisor plans a field trip to the local art museum. This expedition will serve as inspiration for an upcoming project: create a superhero world.
There is one complication. Drew has discovered that her doodles can escape the pages of her sketchbook and travel into the “real world.” At the museum, her creations Jump off the paper and wildly explore the art displays, absconding with a hat featured in one of the paintings.
Although Drew manages to collect all her runaway doodles plus an additional purloined hat, it is apparent that her creations are out of control. They begin to inhabit the drawings of her fellow students, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
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Her solution to is to create a large doodle. A much larger doodle. She names this gigantic serpentine monster Levi, an abbreviated version of Leviathan. The monster lives up to its name, causing havoc and destroying the work of her friends. It is unstoppable. Drew is wracked with guilt.” It’s all my fault.” she sobs. ​Her friends rally to her defense and devise a plan to link the powers of all their superheroes together to defeat Levi.
Drew’s father helps her understand that her creations are a part of her and that the Leviathan is an extension of the darkness that she sometimes feels. Once she acknowledges the duality of emotions she possesses, Drew is empowered to formulate a plan of action that benefits her fellow artists, the doodles, and even Levi. This leads to an inventive and satisfying conclusion.
Sell’s art cleverly delineates the black and white one-dimensional world of Doodleville and Drew’s fully realized colorful world. The blending of the two worlds is masterful.
The final panels set the stage for further adventures in the Doodleverse, a series destined to fly off the shelves faster than Leviathan, Captain Cockatoo, or the Magical Butterfly Boyfriends can travel.
This fantastical comic envisions a world where art comes to life and imagines the positive as well as negative implications of such a world. It features a tightly knit, yet diverse group of young students who unite to solve a problem, forgive one another’s mistakes, and celebrate their collective successes. And did I mention the donuts? Yes. There are donuts.

Bonus

Download Doodleville coloring pages and create a Doodleville World of your own. Find more information here.
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Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: June 9, 2020 Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers ISBN: 978-1984894717
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Weird on Top of Weird. Squared.

10/22/2019

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Weird Little Robots
by Carolyn Crimi ill by Corinna Luyken

Real live robots and their pet squirrel. It's like weird on top of weird squared.
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Penny Rose is lonely. In the past, she has always enjoyed friendships with other children in her neighborhood. Now everything has changed. Her family moved and she can't connect with any of her new classmates. She spends her free time sequestered in the shed in her family’s backyard, creating a collection of tiny robots from found objects: outdated technology, broken bits and pieces, even a set of false teeth. She names each creation and fills her days tinkering with these mini-friends.
Then she meets her nerdy neighbor Lark. A budding ornithologist, Lark has a yard brimming with an incredible collection of birdhouses created from assorted curiosities that the birds leave for her,
Lark wasn’t afraid to let her weirdness show, and Penny Rose thought that was very brave.
The two loners combine their shared resources and talents to create roboTown, an intricate metropolis for robots, complete with multilevel buildings, lights, and a battery-operated elevator. ​One night they discover that the robots have come to life.
Every story must have a dark moment and it arrives for Penny Rose in the form of a mysterious invitation to join a Secret Science Society. In a moment of weakness, Penny Rose shares her robots with members of the secret group. She does this without the knowledge or consent of Lark, betraying the trust of her best friend and the magical robots. There are consequences. Most of the robots are stolen, roboTown demolished, and her friendship with Lark damaged.
In the process of attempting to reclaim and repair broken relationships and the lifeless toys, Penny Rose makes her own discoveries: What does it mean to be friend? What is science? Can all mistakes be fixed?
Crimi brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, including a miraculous recovery of one robot and a repaired friendship. But she leaves a few threads open. Does this mean that there will be more adventures for Penny Rose, Lark, and their robots? Count my vote for an absolutely, positively, without a doubt yes. More Weird Little Robots. More Penny Rose and Lark. Please.
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There are so many things to love about this charming little tale of friendship and creativity, science and magic. The girls are interesting and interested in the world around them. But it's the robots who steal the show. There's iPam, made from a cell phone. Her cracked screen displays text messages to the girls. Fraction, the friendly bot, is an old calculator with a heart-shaped sticker, Clunk with a meat thermometer head atop a transistor radio takes over plugging in the lights. Sharpie created from a pair of old dentures, can sometimes be a bit grouchy. Data with a marble eye keeps watch out the window. She can see the future.
​I absolutely adore these robots!
Luyken's full page illustrations accentuate the story's magic. She captures the essence to the two girls and the distinctive personality of the robots. Images of roboTown glow with the wonder of the girl's imaginations and cast a bewitching spell over the tale.

Build Your Own Robot
Penny Rose loved the idea of dressing up in the same costume for Halloween..."We'll be Best Friends Robots!"
​The girls want to dress up as robots for Halloween.
​Although their plans fall through, young readers can create a cardboard robot costume and make their own magic.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: October 1, 2019 Publisher: Candlewick ISBN: 978-0763694937
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Under the Sea

5/31/2019

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Sea Sirens: A Trot & Cap’n Bill Adventure
​by Amy Chu & Janet K. Lee

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California surfer Trot spends her summer days with Cap’n Bill, a one-eyed rescue cat wearing a tiny red life vest who joins her on the surfboard and her Vietnamese grandfather who is in the early stages of dementia and sometimes wanders off.  
One day Trot and Cap'n Bill sneak away to catch a big wave. Her board capsizes, sending them into a magical world in the briny deep. When sea serpents threaten a bevy of lovely sea sirens, Cap'n Bill lashes out, sending away the serpents.
In gratitude, the seahorse-riding sirens give Trot and her cat the ability to breathe underwater and transport the duo back to their mother Queen Aquareine and her opulent kingdom, or more accurately, queendom. They are honored with a lavish celebration.
A special guest arrives for the festivities: grandpa!  He slipped into the ocean and wandered into this enchanted aquatic paradise. ​
Cap'n Bill revels in the food and the adulation, Trot thrills at surfing on the backs of rays. And granddad enjoys viewing aquatic life. Then trouble strikes.  Grandfather is kidnapped by the King of the Serpents. It's up to Trot and her mermaid friend to rescue grandpa and avert a war between the sirens and serpents.
Sea Sirens: A Trot and Cap'n Bill Adventure is replete with homages to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. There's the faithful pet who accompanies a girl on a fantastic journey, a traveler who arrives in a locality quite by accident and becomes its mythical and revered leader, a giant balloon that can traverses between two worlds, and a heartfelt "There's no place like home" ending.
It appears that there is more to the story.  Trot has the precious pearl given to her by the queen and perhaps she may use it again. Stay tuned for the next adventure with this intrepid surfer and her one-eyed feline. 
Note: Keep an eye on Cap'n Bill and his snarky attitude. He steals the show in more than one scene.
Inspired by L. Frank Baum’s The Sea Fairies as well as Vietnamese folktales and fairy tales, Amy Chu has fashioned a remarkable comic. She breathes life into the story with imaginative characters and an interesting plot twist.  Inclusion of Vietnamese dialog and folktale elements enrich this sumptuous tale.
Janet K. Lee's art is stunning.  Innovative layout with full pages, insets, circles and angular lines burst beyond the confines of traditional rectangular panel configuration. Her art nouveau style is well suited to the story, giving it a classic feel. The gorgeous aqua-rich color palette and settings are magical. 

More Underwater Adventures

Enchanting tales of girls who live underwater. Gorgeous art. Compelling storytelling. Answer the siren call and read these graphic novel adventures by award-winning creators David Wiesner, Donna Jo Napoli, and Metaphrog aka Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers.
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Copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: June 11, 2019  Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers  ISBN: 978-0451480163
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Mysteries of the Universe

5/15/2019

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Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

"Do your worst, multiverse...I am ready for you."
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It begins with a bully, a school locker, and a chicken. Oh. There’s one more thing...a hole in the universe. From the opening scene with a chicken in a school locker, Carlos Hernandez had me hooked.
Meet Sal Vidón recent transfer student to a magnet school for the arts. Sal is a performer, a magician who prides himself on his remarkable sleight of hand skills. He’s confident in his ability to maneuver his way out of difficult situations with his smarts, friendly outgoing personality, and pockets filled with magical illusions.
He will need all these when he matches wits with a no nonsense principal, the school bully, and student council/ school newspaper editor Gabi Reál.
Sal has Type I diabetes, which he handles matter-of-factly. It's part of his life and he is conscious of the importance of caring for himself, but he doesn't allow the condition to limit him.
Set in Miami, Cuban American culture infuses the story with humor, heart, and vitality. 
"¿Qué eso?" said Calembe, who did that Cuban thing of smashing all the syllables in a sentence into one word. She made "What is that?" sound exactly like "Cheese?" in Spanish.
A very important figure in his life is Mami Muerta. When Sal was five years old, his beloved Mami died. Dad has remarried and American Stepmom is terrific. But sometimes Sal longs for his Mami. He has found a way to relax his mind, reach out into the multiverse and call up a version of his Mami. She arrives into his present, not quite the same as the mother he knew. But still, she's a substitute for the Miami he misses.
When you start  moving between universes and bringing individuals from other worlds into your world, things are bound to get complicated. It becomes far more complicated when Gabi discovers how to travel with him. Strange things begin to happen.  And it's a lot stranger than a chicken. 
Woven into this fast-paced sci-fi adventure are some serious subjects:  parental abuse, death, grief, moral responsibility and ethical dilemmas. These issues give the story depth but do overwhelm or monopolize the narrative. Hernandez maintains firm control of his story line. His true-to-life characters are are normal kids caught up in a fantastic world of calamitrons (traces from other universes), a human-like robot, and an entropy sweeper that whines "Wo is I" and scans for calamitrons. It’s an eclectic mix held together with Sal's brash  big-hearted narration. 
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe is like a sparkler atop an ice cream sundae: eye-popping adventure with a couple of cool, smooth kids. Best enjoyed while consuming a package of Skittles.
I'm not a brujo. I can just reach across universes and pull out chickens. It's science!

Magic Tricks

Sal wears clothing with a large number of pocket. Why? He keeps on hand a selection of magic tricks. Try filling your pockets with these portable tricks. Astonish your friends. Disarm stressful situations. Relax and enjoy the magical moments.
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Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 5, 2019  Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents  ISBN:  978-1368022828
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Fractured Fairy Tale

4/30/2019

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Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

What if the end of the story is only the beginning? 
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What happens after Cinderella slips her dainty foot into the glass slipper and is whisked away by the prince?
What will become of the step mother and her two daughters?
Donnelly begins this fractured fairy tale with the scene in which each stepsister cuts off a part of her foot in an attempt to fit into the crystal shoe. Each fails and is left with a maimed foot, a heart full of resentment, and no prospects. What will become of them?
This retelling contemplates the future. Who or what influences one’s fortune? Is it the Fates, three women who spend their days determining the destiny for every person? Writing with magical inks, they create individual life maps, which they believe are unalterable. Chance questions this supposition and wagers that it is Chance not Fate which will decide the course of a stepsister’s life. Which will prevail: Fate or Chance?
There is Magic in this sad, hard world. A magic stronger than fate, stronger than chance. And it is seen in the unlikeliest of places.
Stepsister Isabelle is bitter and bereft of hope. She is ugly. No one wants her. Villagers taunt her mercilessly. Not only have her toes been brutally chopped off but parts of her heart, namely her compassion and courage, have been excised. She has reached rock bottom.
One night in the Wildwood, Isabelle meets the fairy queen who agrees to grant her one wish on the condition that she will find the missing pieces of her heart. 
Isabelle resolves to find these shards of her heart. She sets out on a seemingly impossible quest. Unbeknownst to her, one of the Fates personally intervenes to guarantee her dismal future. She arranges for the destruction of the stepsister's family home, forcing mother and daughters into a life of menial servitude, cutting cabbages by day and sleeping in a barn at night. ​There are other forces at work. A power-hungry warlord is methodically destroying villages throughout the country, attempting to overthrow the king. Isabelle believes that her dearest childhood friend has abandoned her. Success doesn't seem likely.
Fortunately, Isabelle has a few things going for her. The fairy queen offers her three simple objects, each bearing an enchantment. Chance travels to a nearby village with a magician, a monkey wearing a pearl necklace, and a troupe of performers. They present a magnificently inspiring performance for an audience of one. All have a vital role in shaping this stepsister’s choices. However, Isabelle's most important asset is herself. She is a women of strong conviction, a compassionate sister and daughter, a friend who is willing to forgive. Her extraordinary bravery, intelligence, humility, and selfless love are what ultimately determine her future. She reclaims the splintered pieces of her heart and in the process, discovers her true self.
Every war is different, yet each battle is the same. The enemy is only a distraction.
​The thing you are fighting against, always, is yourself.
Readers will recognize several familiar motifs  from the traditional Grimm lore. Isabelle befriends a tiny mouse. A shape-shifting fairy queen turns a pumpkin into a coach  and later creates an army from  a collection of toy wooden soldiers.
Stepsister​ shatters the traditional Cinderella tale. This is magic of a different kind. A girl who was deemed ugly, self-centered, and mean-spirited transforms herself into a woman of intellect, courage, and strength. A true beauty.
She was sorry for so many things...She was sorry for all the grim-tale girls locked in lonely towers. Trapped in sugar houses. Lost in the dark woods, with huntsman coming to cut out their hearts.
Donnelly has fashioned a tale that is brimming with a compelling multilayered characters, a story line that is traditional in its roots and contemporary in its theme. A classic that blends the magic of fantasy with the power of self-determination. That's the best kind of happily ever after.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date:  May 14, 2019 Publisher:Scholastic Press  ISBN: 978-1338268461
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Its a Marshmallow World

4/23/2019

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Most Marshmallows by Rowboat Watkins

What inspired Rowboat Watkins to create Most Marshmallows? Was it exploring new ways of looking at the world, celebrating the wonders of creativity, or was it delight in these pillowy confections most often found floating in a cup of hot chocolate?
The picture book’s introductory pages characterize marshmallows as common folk, born as sweet little puffs into homes with loving parents. They celebrate birthdays, watch TV, play outdoors. Weekdays are spent in school where they learn to be squishy and stand in rows. Evenings, the family sits down to dinner before young ones are tucked into bed.  It’s a pleasant, predictable existence.
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At night, a wondrous full page spread changes the narrative. Some marshmallows can be found traveling beyond the constraints of the daily routine. They are the dreamers. They travel into space, explode out of canons, and even joust with fire-breathing dragons. These are the marshmallows that dare to imagine. They inspire infinite possibilities.
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It's a Marshmallow World

​Watkins mixed media illustrations featuring cut paper, cardboard, and other materials along with line drawings are irresistible. Of special note: tiny dinner plates filled with assorted decorative candies and adorable backpacks strapped on the backs of student marshmallows.
Taking my cue from Watkins carefully arranged settings, I decided to try making my own surrealistic scenes.
I discovered these amazing big boys: Giant Roasters aka jumbo-sized marshmallows. The photo at right gives a sense of just how large these puff balls are.
With a few craft supplies, a handful of old F&G's (unbound, not-yet-published picture book pages), and my trusty glue gun I was ready to create my own marshmallow worlds.
I imagined my own fantastical scenes.
This was so much fun!
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See marshmallows clowning around, soaring across the sky in a parachute, and bravely befriending a dragon.
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This book and the accompanying activity would make a good project for classrooms and after school projects.
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Taking it one step further, it would make a terrific summer camp program.
After reading, try making whimsical marshmallow scenes and then celebrate your creation by toasting up some gooey treats. Triple the fun by adding chocolate and graham crackers for s'mores.
​Disclaimer:
Several marshmallows were mutilated during this activity. Sadly, many of the marshmallows are no more. They were consumed. They were delicious!
Copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 30, 2019  Publisher: Chronicle Books  ISBN: 978-1452159591
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Small World

12/6/2018

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Firefly Forest by Robyn Frampton  ill Mike Heath

Whatever you need is what you will find among the green ferns and the fireflies.
When this magical little book arrived, it immediately elicited oohs and ahhs from an appreciative audience. Firefly Forest draws readers into a world of wonder and possibility.
We placed the book among the twinkling lights in our garden. It is the perfect book setting. 
Frampton's rhyming text, often in the form of couplets, offers reassuring messages of hope and inspiration.
However, it's her fantastical creations: miniature homes and furnishings, created from natural elements and placed throughout the woodland setting that capture the imagination.
Firefly Forest existed in an Overland Park, Kansas. The author anonymously developed  the gnomish village, one house at a time. 
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Heath's ingenious design and adroit photography give Firefly Forest a storybook quality. His use of light is particularly effective. Readers will linger over the images featuring numerous tiny details. Enchanting!

Small Wonders

Love the magic of woodland miniatures?  Here are more elfin marvels. 
Fairie-ality: The Fashion Collection from the House of Ellwand.
Purchase one of Robyn's miniature doors from her website.
Visit the delightful Garvin Woodland Gardens located in Arkansas. 
Enjoy the New York Botanical Gardens Holiday Train Show.
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​Copy provided by publisher
​Pub date: March 13, 2018 Publisher: Imprint  ISBN: 978-1250122636
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Do You Believe in Magic?

9/13/2018

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Smoke and Mirrors by K. D. Halbrook

...making up stories doesn’t make me a liar...It makes me a storyteller
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Weaving a tale of wonder filled with pain, regret, resolve, hope, and a generous dose of magic is difficult. K. D. Halbrook's words seem to flow effortlessly, creating an illusion that is enchanting, while simultaneously heartbreaking.  
Sasha and Toddy are children of Cirque Magnifique performers. From infancy, their lives have revolved around the wonder of daring aerial acts and dazzling costumes. People come from afar to marvel at these performances. Everyone, that is, except for the residents on the other side of the island. They will have nothing to do with this strangeness
Sasha is devastated when their parents decide that the siblings must attend school with the island children. She believes that she won't fit in. She doesn’t.
​The Cirque kids were color in a gray world, they were many languages and strange accents, they were children of bizarre grown-ups who didn’t have normal jobs or wear normal clothes or carry the same tired expressions in their eyes, like the other island parents did.
Then she notices the beginnings of something sinister. Tendrils of acrid gray mist, known as the Smoke are creeping into her world.  She is both repulsed and intrigued by this shadowy presence. Then one day in an angry outburst to her mother she declares that she wants to disappear.  She wants the Smoke to take them all away from the Cirque. Her fury causes her parents to make a fateful error. High above the ground, without a net, Smoke fills the tent and her father misses grasping the trapeze bar. She watches as her parents plummet to the earth, only to become birds at the last possible moment and fly away.
Stricken with guilt, Sasha takes Toddy and goes in search of the Smoke. To defeat the Smoke they must find the Magician at The Edge of the World, remove his curse, and rescue their parents. Their quest takes them sailing on a ship sprouted from a magic seed..  They encounter King Crab, the Sharp-Beaked Weasel, a Unimoose, and the Grandelion. ​The fantastical beasts are imbued with distinctive personalities and are a bit reminiscent of characters Alice meets in Wonderland. Like Alice, Sasha must use her wits and summon courage she didn't know she possessed. She makes friends in unexpected places and learns to forgive herself.  She heals as she recalls and enumerates the good things in her life.
You remember every nice thing that's happened to you. The people who hugged you when you were sad. The ones who invited you to their birthday party and gave you nicest piece of cake. You think about the most beautiful sights on the island.
Sasha's journey brings closure and peace to her family, the Cirque Magnifique performers, a newly-found friend, a former enemy, and importantly, to herself.
Some book covers resonate with me. This one does. I loved the slightly Art Nouveau graphic design. Note the symmetrical image of the girl. The shapes on each half of the body are the same, but the coloring on each side is different, suggesting duality. What was with the entwined birds? Why was she holding feathers? Smoke and Mirrors had me intrigued before I even cracked the cover. Kudos to the case designer.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: September 4, 2018 Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books ISBN: 978-1534405042
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    Barbara Moon

    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
    2013, - present  Audies judge 
    American Library Association Book Awards and Lists 
    ​2017 YALSA Award Nominating Committee
    2016 Excellence in Nonfiction 
    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

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