Favorite November Reads Part 2

Can an Aardvark Bark? Written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Nonfiction Picture Book)

Another beautifully illustrated Steve Jenkins book about animals (with help from Melissa Stewart). This one is all about how animals communicate and why. It is just enough information to get excited about exploring animal communication and can be in read in different ways. If you only have a little time or attention, you can read just the larger text. If you have a nice chunk of time, you can read both the large and small texts. And if you have tons and tons of time and/or you're super intrigued by animal communication, you can explore the selected sources and further reading. No matter how much time you have, I'm sure you'll love pausing on the page that encourages you to make the same sounds as the animals. What does a growl sound like? How about a bellow?

The Switch by Beth O'Leary (Adult Fiction)

 

What a funny and bittersweet journey into the lives of Eileen and her granddaughter, Leena, who switch lives, homes, even cell phones with each other for two months! I laughed so many times and enjoyed the connections between the characters. I loved the characters and their development best, especially Arnold, Eileen, Bee, and Fitz. There are a ton of characters in The Switch, but they've all got unique personalities and are easy to keep up with. There's no wondering who is who or jotting down notes to remind yourself. There are also lots of different relationships going on between the characters. Arnold and Eileen's relationship was my favorite. I enjoyed going back to the beginning of the story and reading Eileen's list of the few available men in her small community and the pros and cons of dating them. 

I also enjoyed the two radically different settings - London and rural Hamleigh-in-Harksdale - and thought O'Leary did a nice job differentiating between them. Though both places sounded exciting, I had a slight preference for Hamleigh, so it was interesting to see just where Eileen and Leena ended up at the end of the story. 

I also thought the dialogue was excellent, so much so that I actually noticed a few times just how easily it flowed. Dialogue isn't something I usually think about too much. 

The story itself was a little crazy and all over the place, which I think worked well because that's life sometimes, right? I appreciated how the characters all experienced grief differently. Carla's death is tricky to write about because I don't have just one person in mind when I think about the role it played in the story. Her death was a thread running through the book, tying two different communities together while simultaneously unraveling individual characters. She was not just Eileen's granddaughter. She was also Leena's sister, Marian's daughter, and part of the Hamleigh community. O'Leary does a wonderful job illustrating not only how grief is experienced differently, but also how it is shared and how it has the power to connect those who are experiencing it. 

Though I didn't really care for Leena's character, I hold no grudges against the author or even Leena's character. There are characters in books I don't click with, and that's ok. What is truly amazing is the fact that I loved this book despite not really clicking with one of the main characters. The other characters and their humorous and touching interactions with each other outweighed my inability to connect with Leena. I recommend this to anyone looking for a story bursting with humor, charm, connections, and a strong sense of community, family, and friendship.

Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey (Teen Fiction)

This was my first Mulan experience and I loved it! I read Dokey's Beauty and the Beast retelling and enjoyed it enough to pick up another book in the Once Upon a Time series, and I am so glad I did. Mulan is fierce, loyal, wise, and caring. With the help of her best friend, Li Po, she tackles archery, horseback riding, and learning to read and write. These were not things girls explored or learned about in ancient China. She also tackles traditional female roles and learns how to sew well enough to stitch up her father's war wound. Her mother died while giving birth to Mulan and Mulan didn't know her father, who is away her entire childhood, fighting the Huns. When her father finally comes home when Mulan is thirteen or fourteen, they start building a relationship, which expands to include a stepmother. Meanwhile, Li Po becomes an aide to a general and another attack by the Huns is imminent. Mulan pretends to be a man and goes to fight in her father's place. While she's fighting she falls in love with Prince Jian. Though the story is predictable and a rather light, easy read, I enjoyed every minute of it. I appreciated the strength in the relationships and the surprising bond between Mulan and her stepmother. The story is excellent with a strong female lead who eschews traditional folklore female stereotypes and never requires a man to rescue or complete her. I can't wait to explore the legend of Mulan more and read/watch interpretations and retellings. I also can't wait to read another book in the Once Upon a Time series! 

Play, Make, Create, A Process-Art Handbook by Meri Cherry (Adult Nonfiction)

Lots of great ideas, easy-to-understand instructions, and giant, exciting pictures. I can't wait to jump in and start making things! Though the unicorn horns are at the top of my list, the artist trading cards idea is my favorite craft idea. I especially love the story about what the author's family did with the cards. You will have to read the book to find out!