Review: Doll Bones by Holly Black

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Sarah

Doll Bones by Holly Black. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2013. Currently Available.

Genre: Horror

Doll BonesFace Value: It’s hard to imagine what else could make this cover better – it’s creepy (just look at those doll eyes staring out at you), illustrated, as nearly all my favorite middle grade covers are, and hints at the plot and the greater themes within the book.

Does it Break the Slate? With three outstanding characters who are deeply Slatebreaking at their core, it would be hard not to think so. But even more than that, this is a book about growing up, and how we have to change and not change who we are as we move into the changes that come with becoming a teenager. The transition out of pretend play is a hard one for so many kids, and the way that these three navigate growing up is absolutely Slatebreaker-worthy.

Who would we give it to? This is the perfect book to hand off to fans of Goosebumps who want to be scared just the right amount but might be ready to be pushed into something a bit more literary. Doll Bones is creepy and thoughtful in all the best ways. But even more so, this is a great book for pretenders – for kids who are growing up, but aren’t quite ready to let go of their imaginative games. Continue reading →

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Review: Phoebe & Digger by Tricia Springstubb. Illustrated by Jeff Newman.

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Brianna

Phoebe & Digger by Tricia Springstubb. Illustrated by Jeff Newman. Candlewick Press, 2013 Currently available.

Genre: Picture Book Fiction

Phoebe-and-Digger-Springstubb-TriciaFace Value: This cover is striking. Phoebe is exuberant about her beloved toy, and the joy that radiates from her face made me giggle. Newman’s illustrations have a decidedly retro flair, which is charming – but the cover feels just the slightest bit dated. I don’t know that it would stand out in a crowd of other picture books published in 2013.

Does it break the slate? It’s not dramatically changing the gender role dialogue, but there are traits in this book that make it a great “pre-slatebreaking” choice for young readers. Phoebe is a girl who adores her toy truck. There’s no princess narrative or delicate flower stuff happening here. Phoebe just wants to dig into some real dirt with her truck and not be bothered about it. It is striking in its simplicity. The book is not about the choice of the truck as a favorite toy, either – it’s just an accepted fact that a girl can love a truck just as much as she could love a doll.

Who would we give it to? The underlying narrative of Phoebe & Digger is about Phoebe’s transition into the role of big sister. If you know any little ones who are about to become an older sibling for the first time, this is the perfect book for the parents and children to start a dialogue about what that role looks like. Continue reading →

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Review: Starstruck by Rachel Shukert

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Sarah

Starstruck by Rachel Shukert. Delacorte Press, 2013. Currently Available.

Genre: Historical Fiction

13721335Face Value: I totally get what you were going for, cover artists. But it doesn’t work. I feel like this illustration is trying to evoke both a contemporary feel (giant girl’s face staring out at you from your book cover) and an Old Hollywood silhouette. But something about the aesthetic of the airbrushing makes it not quite come together on either level.

Does it Break the Slate? Yes…but also no. Sometimes. Here’s the tricky thing – I know Rachel Shukert set out to write a feminist YA novel, which is awesome. But I’m not sure that this book came together in a way that truly challenges expectations, or gives us characters who are up there with our slate-shattering heroes. While I appreciate that there are complexities to these storylines that hint at the darker demands of Hollywood glamour, this first book in a planned trilogy doesn’t quite go deep enough, in my opinion, to give us fully realized characters as opposed to stand-ins for a particular type of drama. Reading her post on Jezebel, I definitely feel like Shukert wrote this book with feminist intentions in mind. That said, this is her first piece of YA, and there’s a little bit of a twinge of “let me tell you how it’s done, YA writers and readers,” without a full appreciation for the complexity of the young adult canon. There’s a whole lot of feminist YA out there, as we talk about on this blog every week, and I’d love to see articles like this in major forums coming from some of the other great writers we review on the blog on a regular basis.

Who would we give it to?  This is an easy read, and pretty fun overall. If you have a reader who’s interested in old Hollywood and the film industry, there’s a good chance they’ll find it enjoyable. Continue reading →

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Review: The Broken Lands by Kate Milford

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Sarah

The Broken Lands by Kate Milford. Clarion Books, 2012. Currently Available.

Genre: Historical Fantasy

The Broken LandsFace Value: Andrea Offermann’s illustrations are beautiful, and add so much to the telling of this story. Accordingly, her cover is outstanding, and really reflects the book.

Does it Break the Slate? Once again, resoundingly yes. Kate Milford has created another epic fantasy piece with young people (specifically again, young woman) at the center. These young people, which in this book includes both young men and young women, are not mere victims of circumstance, but active agents of world-saving. I love it. Milford also makes a meaningful commitment to diversity – characters in this book are white, black and Chinese – without ever feeling tokenistic or reductive.

Who would we give it to? If you liked The Boneshaker, you should definitely also read The Broken Lands. And for a great, scary historical fantasy, this is going to be perfect for you. Continue reading →

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The Center of Everything by Linda Urban

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Brianna

The Center of Everything by Linda Urban. Houghton Mifflin, 2013. Currently available.

Age Level & Genre: Middle grade realistic fiction.

9780547763484_p0_v1_s260x420Face Value: Nice. It’s simple and features a real-looking, whole-bodied girl. It may not be the most eye-catching of covers, but it is a sound, age-appropriate choice.

Does it break the slate? Yes, it does, in a subtle way. Ruby is not the boldest girl in the story. Her outgoing best friend Lucy takes that prize. Ruby is unassuming and decidedly average. It is her efforts to repair damaged relationships and her extreme empathy that make her Slatebreaking. Ruby does everything she can think of to try to fix what she has done wrong.

Who would we give it to? Quiet girls and introverts will love, love, love this book. I did. Linda Urban totally gets introverts and their thought processes. Maybe she’s an introvert too! Continue reading →

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Review: Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Sarah

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore. Delacorte Press, 2013. Currently Available.

Genre: Thriller / Mystery / Ghost Story

Spirit and DustFace Value: I can be on board with the Hitchcock reference, and the shadowy figure in the eye is appropriately stylistically creepy in keeping with the style of the book. I think that this cover kind of looks like a campy movie poster for a thriller, which works. It’s not necessarily a piece of artwork I’d want to frame and put up on my wall, but it will definitely suffice as cover art for this piece of fiction.

Does it Break the Slate? I definitely thought so. Daisy is a smart, tough, and dynamic character who uses her intelligence and skills to solve crimes and save people, rather than wait helplessly to be saved. Carson is a terrific foil to her character, with a multilayered characterization that goes beyond “mysterious love interest.” There is an overall respect for Daisy’s abilities across characters in the book.

To a certain extent though, I have to offer up a wish for another excellent female character, alongside Daisy. She’s fabulous, and definitely a Slatebreaker, but there is an element of “Extraordinary Girl Syndrome,” where she is a lone awesome girl surrounded by men. Hopefully in future books we’ll get more action from the rest of the Goodnight women though, who all seem to have a lot of Slatebreaking potential.

Who would we give it to? There are lot of people who liked Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code, right? So imagine being able to offer those fans a book that has intrigue and research and running through museums as you escape from the bad guys and try to figure out an old secret, but features a snarky goth teenager as our protagonist instead of an improbably resilient professor and has no instances of using italics to denote internal monologue?

What I’m saying is, Spirit and Dust is a really fun research-based thriller with great characters and a satisfying mystery that gets rolled out, without the lame parts of a Dan Brown novel. There’s definitely an audience for that. Also the adventure comes together with a battle in the Field Museum in Chicago. Continue reading →

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Review: Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Brianna

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross. Delacorte., 2013. Currently Available.

Genre: Historical Fiction

13642661Face Value: It’s pretty and dreamy, just like the setting of the book.  It has the feel of a historical painting. The rumpled sheets and bodice askew make it feel a tad bit like a romance novel, though. The vulnerability of the cover model’s pose is in stark contrast to the strong wills of the female characters we meet throughout the book.

Does it break the slate? Smashed, shattered, busted. This book examines notions of beauty at a time when wealth and artifice reigned supreme. Ross developed male and female characters that show the best and worst of beauty. Belle Epoque deftly examines the relative values of external and internal beauty, as well as the concept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Readers are challenged to think about how beauty evolves and changes along with society. It’s terrifically thought provoking.

Who would we give it to? Historical fiction lovers are bound to fall head-over-heels for this book. The details of the era are carefully researched and lusciously described. Continue reading →

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Review: Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Sarah

Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell. Harper, 2013. Currently Available.

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Handbook for Dragon SlayersFace Value: Classic fantasy look. What I love about this is that it looks just like the story inside it. All the essential elements (Tilda, her horse, the dragon), are present, and the general aesthetic suggests a traditional fantasy with a contemporary feel – exactly what this is.

Does it Break the Slate? OMG YES SO MUCH. It’s hard to even start listing all the ways this book breaks the slate, but I’ll try. Here it is in short list form:

  1. The book plays with traditional expectations for princesses while giving us a totally nontraditional story
  2. Tilda, our heroine, has a disability, that is never magically cured, but also doesn’t stop her from being a hero
  3. Our supporting characters, particularly Judith, Tilda’s lady-in-waiting, are not only mulit-faceted, interesting characters, but are incredibly dynamic Slatebreakers in their own right

Who would we give it to? Did you love Patricia Wrede’s Dealing with Dragons books?  Let me tell you about Merrie Haskell, the best fantasy writer for middle grade audiences I’ve come across in years. If you didn’t read her terrific first novel, The Princess Curse, you should check that one out too, but Handbook for Dragon Slayers is even better. Continue reading →

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Review: September Girls by Bennett Madison

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Sarah

September Girls by Bennett Madison. Harper Teen 2013. Currently Available.

September GirlsGenre: Speculative Fiction

Face Value: Nothing special. In fact, this cover is a big part of why I wasn’t all that interested in the book before it started getting crazy buzz. It looks like your standard mermaid book, with soft lighting and flowing hair and nothing all that interesting. Luckily, it’s way more than that.

Does it Break the Slate? In my opinion, this is absolutely a Slatebreaking title. This is one of the most divisive books for feminist readers that I’ve come across in the time that I’ve been blogging. Some people are outraged by it’s misogyny while others cheer it as a feminist text. So I get that liking this book comes down to perception. In my mind, it’s absolutely a feminist book, a fantasy that tells a story about a teenage boy learning about the systems of patriarchy that oppress women.

Who would we give it to? I think that both boys and girls will like this one, but I really think that this would be a terrific book to read and discuss with young men. There’s also an audience with the more traditional mermaid book fans, who might find something new and interesting in this story. Continue reading →

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Review: Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Brianna

Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2006. Currently available.

Genre/Age Level: Middle Grade Realistic Fiction

cover.inddFace Value: I love it! It’s colorful and the styling is perfect for middle grade readers. Although we only see the back of Drita and Maxie, their personalities are clearly conveyed in the illustration. I would like to see more illustrated covers like this.

Does it break the slate? Yes! Maxie and Drita are a Slatebreaking team. Together they build a friendship that bridges cultures and soothes lonely hearts. Maxie is an attention-seeker and Drita is a dreamer. The two make a compelling pair.

Who would we give it to? I would give this book to girls who struggle to make friends. Drita My Homegirl shows a friendship that is unlikely and challenging, but still very fulfilling for both girls.

Continue reading →

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