A Rover's Story

My sister recommended A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga. Even though she hasn't read it, she heard Jasmine Warga speak at a conference about this book, and I loved the author's book Other Words for Home. The book description says, "Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name. Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop humanlike feelings. Maybe there’s a problem with his programming…. Human emotions or not, launch day comes, and Res blasts off to Mars, accompanied by a friendly drone helicopter named Fly. But Res quickly discovers that Mars is a dangerous place filled with dust storms and giant cliffs. As he navigates Mars’s difficult landscape, Res is tested in ways that go beyond space exploration. As millions of people back on Earth follow his progress, will Res have the determination, courage, and resilience to succeed…and survive?"

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the perspective of Res (kinda similar to a book like The Wild Robot), and I liked how it switched off with letters from Sophie as well. I really liked the human characters (Rania and Xander) and their relationship with Res, and I also liked both Res and his drone Fly and their unique personalities.  I thought this was a fun book to follow the story as so much time passed.

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

These Silent Woods

I read These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant for book club. The book description says, "No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world. For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her―and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there. The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred―and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding―or finally face the sins of his past."

This book was SO GOOD! I was just about 1 chapter in when we got on a flight to go to Utah and then read it and finished it during the flight because it was so engaging. I loved the story and characters. At first I felt like there was no way for the book to end well, but I was pretty satisfied with the ending. I was pretty much sobbing by the end of the book and had to try to not be an embarrassment to my family haha. I really enjoyed this read.

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

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon

I am a fan of Grace Lin, so I got her new book The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon from the library. The book description says, "Jin is a Stone Lion—one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But to Jin, those boring duties feel like a waste of time.
What isn’t a waste of time? Perfecting his zuqiu kick, scoring a Golden Goal, and becoming the most legendary player of all the spirit world. But when Jin’s perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him. Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate…or risk losing everything."

This book was surprisingly hard for me to get into. It just was a slow read for me that I kind of had to force myself to keep reading. Because I know Grace Lin's books were great, I didn't want to give up on it so kept plugging along. I got more into it by the last 2/3 of the book and then was interested to see how things would come together. I liked the main characters (Jin, Lulu, and Worm) and thought it was fun to have all the Chinese folklore guiding the book. I also really liked the illustrations. I do think this would be a fun read aloud with kids. 

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

Summer at Squee

I saw Summer at Squee by Andrea Wang recommended somewhere as a new-ish middle grade book and so got it on Kindle. The book description says, "Phoenny Fang plans to have the best summer ever. She’s returning to Summertime Chinese Culture, Wellness, and Enrichment Experience (SCCWEE for short and 'Squee' to campers in the know), and this year she’s a senior camper. That means she; her best friend, Lyrica Chu; and her whole Squad will have the most influence. It almost doesn’t matter that her brother is a CIT (counselor-in-training) and that her mom and auntie are the camp directors. Time spent at Squee is sacred, glorious, and free. On the day Phoenny arrives, though, she learns that the Squad has been split up, and there’s an influx of new campers this year. Phoenny is determined to be welcoming and to share all the things she loves about camp—who doesn’t love spending hours talking about and engaging in cultural activities? But she quickly learns how out of touch she is with others’ experiences, particularly of the campers who are adoptees. The same things that make her feel connected to her culture and community make some of the other campers feel excluded. Summer at Squee turns out to be even more transformative than Phoenny could’ve imagined, with new friendships, her first crush, an epic show, and a bigger love for and understanding of her community."

This was a good read. I enjoyed Phee's character and her growth as a character. I liked learning about Chinese Culture through the Squee camp and getting a perspective of what it'd be like to be a Chinese-American child/teen. The book had lots of friendship issues the kids work through, which I think is good for middle grade readers to see and learn from.

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