Coyote Lost and Found

I saw online recently that Dan Gemeinhart had written a sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and immediately put it on hold at the library. Coyote Lost and Found's book description reads, "It's been almost a year since Coyote and her dad left the road behind and settled down in a small Oregon town. . . time spent grieving the loss of her mom and sisters and trying to fit in at school. But just as life is becoming a new version of normal, Coyote discovers a box containing her mom’s ashes. And she thinks she might finally be ready to say goodbye. So Coyote and her dad gear up for an epic cross-country road trip to scatter the ashes at her mom’s chosen resting place. The only problem? Coyote has no idea where that resting place is―and the secret’s hidden in a book that Coyote mistakenly sold last year, somewhere in the country. Now, it’s up to Coyote to track down the treasured book . . . without her dad ever finding out that it’s lost. It’s time to fire up their trusty bus, Yager, pick up some old friends, discover some new ones, and hit the road on another unforgettable adventure."

This was another great read. I loved the first book, so it was really fun to reconnect with the characters and add a few new ones in Yager. The premise of the book (Coyote hiding from her dad that she got rid of her mom's important book) was a little stressful for me, so it was hard for me to read the first 2/3 of the book because I hated that she was keeping that a secret. But once that got figured out, I felt a lot better and could enjoy the story more. The book made me laugh and cry and was just a beautiful story of self-discovery. If you're a fan of the first Coyote book, I highly recommend this one.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Mere Christianity

I read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis for book club. It's one of those books that I've heard quotes from for years but never actually read it. The book description says, "In the classic Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis, the most important writer of the 20th century, explores the common ground upon which all of those of Christian faith stand together. Bringing together Lewis’ legendary broadcast talks during World War Two from his three previous books The Case for Christianity, Christian Behavior, and Beyond Personality, Mere Christianity provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear this powerful apologetic for the Christian faith."

This is a classic book that had some amazing thoughts and quotes that really got me thinking. But I will confess that as a whole, the book was pretty boring for me, and I wouldn't have finished it if it weren't for book club. A friend at book club described the author style as "meandering," which I think maybe describes why it was hard for me to follow sometimes, in addition to things being quite deep. But even though the book was slow/dry/boring for me, the parts I liked, I really liked. I had like 4 pages of favorite quotes I collected to share and discuss at book club, so clearly there was lots of good content in there, and we had a great book club meeting chatting about all the things we enjoyed from the book.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

Once Upon a Broken Heart

I read Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber for a new book club some friends at church started. (I'm already in a book club with other friends at church, but this is a group of young moms who I guess wanted a different vibe of a book club, so I figured I'd try it out sometimes too when I can fit it in.) The book description reads, "For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings . . . until she learns that the love of her life will marry another. Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing. But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game ― and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy."

This was a silly but fun read. I haven't read a book like this in a long time (like a YA romance with sappy stuff throughout), and it made me laugh sometimes just because of how silly certain things were. But the story was definitely engaging and made me want to keep reading, and there were some fun and unique storylines. I thought the characters were fun to get to know and figure out. I did think the author had the main character overexplain all of her choices, which I guess was good since I would have been questioning her choices if not, but I don't know if I loved that style. Unfortunately, the author ended the book completely inconclusively, making the story feed right into book 2. (I probably won't read it but will have a friend summarize books 2 and 3 for me because I definitely want to know what happens.)

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Next Stop

I got Next Stop by Debbie Fong from the library for my daughter, but it caught my eye and my interest, so I decided to read it too. The book description says, "Pia is a soft-spoken middle schooler whose life is turned upside down after the loss of her younger brother, followed by her parents’ decision to move to a new town. In an effort to get her mind off of the troubles at home, Pia goes on a bus tour with a family friend, stopping at weird and wacky roadside attractions. The final destination: a mysterious underground lake. The locals say it has magical powers; Pia won’t admit she believes in it, but she’s holding on to hope that the waters may hold the answer to mending her broken family."

This was a quick and engaging read. The flashback style of the book (telling the current story but frequently flashing back to past events) kept me engaged and interested in seeing Pia's full backstory. The book definitely had some sad and heavy things in it, but the author kept the book light enough that it's a good read for 8-12. The story was fun and unique with some entertaining characters. Good read.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

Freestyle

I read Freestyle by Gale Galligan while with my daughter in line to meet Gale Galligan and get the book signed. :) The book description says, "Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd… until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew -- and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?"

This was a good read with great illustrations that really told the story. It was fun to read this right after hearing Gale Galligan talk about her process as a graphic novelist. I liked the story and the messages on friendship and being yourself.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Ferris

I follow Kate DiCamillo on Facebook and saw she had a new book coming out--Ferris--and so got it from the library. The book description says, "It’s the summer before fifth grade, and for Ferris Wilkey, it is a summer of sheer pandemonium: Her little sister, Pinky, has vowed to become an outlaw. Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley and, to Ferris’s mother’s chagrin, is holed up in the Wilkey basement to paint a history of the world. And Charisse, Ferris’s grandmother, has started seeing a ghost at the threshold of her room, which seems like an alarming omen given that she is also feeling unwell. But the ghost is not there to usher Charisse to the Great Beyond. Rather, she has other plans—wild, impractical, illuminating plans. How can Ferris satisfy a specter with Pinky terrorizing the town, Uncle Ted sending Ferris to spy on her aunt, and her father battling an invasion of raccoons?"

I loved this book. Kate DiCamillo's books just have a certain feel to them, and this book just felt so familiar and peaceful and happy from the start. Kate creates the most distinct and hilarious characters (Raymie Nightingale series, Mercy Watson series, etc.), and this book was no exception. Ferris's little sister Pinky was hilarious, and I also loved Ferris, Charisse, Billy, Ted, Shirley--everyone! I love how Kate created a story out of just a few days' time with all kinds of mishaps and adventures. I was laughing during the book and teared up toward the end. Just a great read.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Matilda

Our family listened to Matilda by Roald Dahl on audiobook on our recent road trip. We thought it'd be fun since my daughter was recently in the musical at school. The book description of Matilda says, "Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she's just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a menacing, kid-hating headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It'll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it!"

This was a fun book to listen to. I loved the narrator and all her voices, and while listening, I looked up who it was--and it was actress Kate Winslet! I'm sure I've read Matilda in the past (as a child or something), but I didn't really remember it. It was fun to compare it to the 90s movie and to the musical. (Like there's a scene with a parrot that's in neither. Or there are a lot of lines from the book that are the exact same in the musical.) I enjoyed the read but probably won't say "loved" it since it wasn't fresh and novel.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Elf Dog & Owl Head

I got Elf Dog & Owl Head by M.T. Anderson from the library after seeing it won a Newbery honor this year. The book description says, "Clay has had his fill of home life. A global plague has brought the world to a screeching halt, and with little to look forward to but a summer of video-calling friends, vying with annoying sisters for the family computer, and tuning out his parents’ financial worries, he’s only too happy to retreat to the woods. From the moment the elegant little dog with the ornate collar appears like an apparition among the trees, Clay sees something uncanny in her. With this mysterious Elphinore as guide, he’ll glimpse ancient secrets folded all but invisibly into the forest. Each day the dog leads Clay down paths he never knew existed, deeper into the unknown. But they aren’t alone in their surreal adventures. There are traps and terrors in the woods, too, and if Clay isn’t careful, he might stray off the path and lose his way forever."

This book took me a little bit to get through at first, but once I got toward the end, I was definitely engaged and interested in finishing. I thought it was fun that the book took place during the pandemic (relatable for kids nowadays), and there was lots of unique fantasy and adventure. I also liked that the book had some illustrations throughout. In the end, I was happy with how the author tied things up, and I think the book had some good subtle messages about family and friendship. I think this would be a read aloud that my kids would really enjoy and be super into.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)