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In this article:
My Piano by Jasinski
Heart of a Princess by Currie
The Seaside Corpse by Jocelyn
Tune it Out by Sumner
My Piano by Jen Fier Jasinski and illustrated by Anita Bagdi
5 STARS, Picture Book, My format: ARC PDF, released September 19, 2023
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Personal Review:
When I saw this little gem on the NetGalley recommendations I just had to try it out! I have a few piano students and teach my own daughters as well, and this book will come highly recommended to all of my students.
The illustrations are really beautiful. One page shows beautiful words and swirls as the child is in the midst of her performance and it is really a cool picture.
The story intertwines an educational description of a grand piano with the more ambiguous experience of performing at a recital, and it is masterfully done. The combination of facts with the reality of emotions that come up during performance provide a relatable story for any child about to perform for the first time (or the second or third time, too).
The book ends with a page on tips for having a great recital experience, making this a wonderful book to recommend to my young piano students.
Heart of a Princess (Daughters of Peverell #2) by Hannah Currie
5 STARS, Young/Emerging Adult Christian Royal, My format: paperback
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Alina’s world has been falling apart, and now she’s having a hard time keeping herself from falling apart, too.
Personal Review:
When I first read this book, I didn't like it as much as the first in the series. But this second reading had me crying, laughing, and appreciating every moment. I think it might be my favorite of the 3 books of Peverell!
Alina goes through such a drastic change, and it is a lovely picture of what can happen when someone, particularly a girl on the brink of adulthood, discovers that she doesn't have to be the person that the people around her expect her to be. It also shows what happens when you put expectations on yourself. I love Alina's heart and how it comes through in the story in different ways. So beautiful.
Joha is a great male lead. He is definitely not perfect, not handling his obstacles the best way or not continuing to act sweet when he is confused about Alina's situation. But for some reason his imperfections make him all the more special. He just can't help but be caring and helpful, even when he's trying to be grumpy.
I love a YA/emerging adult book like this that can show how people can have imperfections but are also healthy individuals who respect the others involved. So well done.
For my fellow German New Medicine enthusiasts, this story is a great case study of identity conflicts. Alina goes through conflict activity, resolution, and a return of the emotions in the epi-crisis. A fun way to introduce young women to personal identity conflicts and how to resolve them by finding our identity in Christ.
Content Warnings:
past sexual sin, a couple of non-detailed kisses, mourning of a mother who died before the book began
The Seaside Corpse (Aggie Morton Mystery Queen #4) by Marthe Jocelyn
4 STARS, Middle Grade/YA Mystery, My format: hard cover
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Aggie and Hector find many adventures as they are welcomed to help some scientists uncover an important fossil from its precarious position on the ocean beach.
Personal Review:
Aggie Morton has apparently convinced me that corpses are more interesting than they are morbid. Although, I think I will leave the investigating and sleuthing to Aggie and Hector. They really do make this series what it is. Their friendship is top notch; I love how that is expanded and honored through each book.
I enjoyed the new characters, although not nearly as much as in the other books. And the antics of reporter Gus Fibbley had me cracking up this time; he really does know how to get himself out of the trouble he gets into. The setting on the beach was an interesting place to be and the excavation of the fossil was very cool to "witness". I thought the work around that was all fun to learn about - but the adults involved left much to be desired in responsibility and care of the children. I suppose that is sometimes necessary to allow for children to do their sleuthing, but the neglect seemed extreme in a couple of different situations. As usual, Grannie Jane was a favorite and I wish she was in the story more!
The epilogue was amazing. I may have shed a tear or two.
The conclusion to this mystery had me feeling unsettled. It came rather abruptly and was somewhat difficult to believe after reading through the entire story, but I suppose that is bound to happen in mysteries. This installment I would suggest holding off reading until the teen years as opposed to middle grade age because there are a couple of characters who are not afraid to use strong language as well as many insinuations of trysts carried on by a married man.
Content Warnings:
a handful of cus words spoken mostly by adults, mentions of drunkenness, mentions of meeting beaus in secret (some situations are innocent and some not), a dangerous event involving water, a poisonouse animal bite
Tune it Out by Jamie Sumner
2.5 STARS, Contemporary Middle Grade, My format: pre-read for 9-year-old
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Louise and her mom are living in poverty, but her mom is convinced that Lou’s voice is their ticket out. All of that changes when the police find Lou and she is sent to live with her aunt and uncle.
Personal Review:
This was not what I was expecting. I got this for my music-loving daughter, hoping for a fun, light-hearted music school experience with the added challenge of a girl who loves music but has a hard time with the sensory processing of it.
However, it was mostly about a messed up mom forcing her daughter into uncomfortable situations and avoiding help from everyone around her. I really didn't like the unhealthy relationship between Lou, the main 12-year-old girl, and her mom. I prefer examples of healthy relationships for my girls, not stories of kids trying to cope with unhealthy adults. That being said, I really loved the teachers at Lou's new school and the sweet friendship she formed with her uncle.
I did appreciate the inside look at sensory processing disorder. My music-loving daughter also has some sensory challenges so it was great to see this highlighted. HOWEVER, there is no way that my daughter, who has many of the same challenges as the main character, could read this book without having her own panic attacks. There were so many situations that are triggers for my daughter and she wouldn't stand a chance at making it through this book - there are many scenes she would have stopped reading because she knows her own triggers and doesn't like to read about them. There are also many scenes involving nausea and vomit, which happens to be a phobia of my daughter's and another anxiety trigger. So while the SPD is represented well, this is not, in my opinion, a friendly story for those with SPD to read.
Needless to say, I was disappointed and I'm glad that I read this before handing it off to my daughter.
Content Warnings:
2 different kids with very unhealthy relationships with their parents, several conversations about Lou's mom's premiscuous past, Lou has several detailed panic attacks
Have you or your children read any of these books? Do any sound interesting to you?