Review - Zen Ghosts

Zen Ghosts
by Jon J. Muth
Date: 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

It's Halloween.

The trees are ablaze in fiery reds. Excited children don colorful costumes. And there's mystery and fun around every corner! When Addy, Michael, and Karl finish trick-or-treating, their bags are brimming with treats. But the fun isn't over yet. Their good friend Stillwater the panda has one more special surprise in store for them. A mysterious visitor is about to tell them a spine-tingling story -- one that will fill each and every reader with wonder.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

It's October, so I thought I should probably read at least one Halloween story. I happened to see this e-book in the library system, so I thought I'd give it a try.

This is the second picture book I've read that tries to teach elements of Zen to young children (the first one being Sanjay Nambiar's Maybe: A Little Zen for Little Ones, which I thought was pretty awful). I'm not sure it's something that the age group is really ready for. I understand why the author thinks the topic is appropriate for children, and I agree to a certain extent. But many children today are very literal thinkers, and puzzling over a koan probably isn't going to be a very useful experience.

The pictures are lovely, and I wouldn't mind checking out more books illustrated by this author/artist. However, I did find some of the plot points a bit unnerving. Three little kids go trick-or-treating alone, and then they're told by a giant talking panda to meet him somewhere so he can take them off to his house to tell them a ghost story. Does that not sound like child luring to you? The added element of candy just makes it all the more uncomfortable. (I realize these kids have some sort of past with Stillwater the panda, but I still didn't like the way they just went off with him without parental consent. Adult family friends can and do take advantage of children, and I don't know if this message of explicit trust is the best one to be sending.)

So... "yes" to the pictures, "maybe" to the koan, "no" to the rest of the story. I hoped to like this one more than I did, but I just can't get past the slightly creepy panda taking three unsupervised children to his house. Maybe I'm just too paranoid/cynical for books like this.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.67 out of 5

Review - The Library of Lost Things

The Library of Lost Things
by Matthew Bright
Date: 2017
Publisher: Tor.com
Reading level: A
Book type: short story
Pages: 19
Format: e-book
Source: Tor.com

Welcome to the Library of Lost Things, where the shelves are stuffed with books that have fallen through the cracks—from volumes of lovelorn teenage poetry to famous works of literature long destroyed or lost. They’re all here, pulled from history and watched over by the Librarian, curated by the Collectors, nibbled on by the rats. Filed away, never to be read. At least, until Thomas, the boy with the secret, comes to the Library.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I think the idea of this story is probably better than its execution. I liked the idea of a library where lost things are kept: old diaries, first drafts, emo poetry that you wrote when you were a tween. The writing, though... well, it wasn't really my style. The writing comes across as fairly literary (although it at least uses standard punctuation for dialogue and doesn't resort to using weird points of view). I especially liked the rats with their vocabularies of archaic and underused words. The plot was decent, and I liked how Thomas used the hint he was given to outwit the villain.

This was sort of middle-of-the-road for me. I don't really feel passionate about it either way. Some people will probably like this more than I did, especially if they don't mind a bit of insta-love. (Where did that even come from?) All in all, this wasn't terribly memorable for me, but I can see that it might have more appeal for others.

Quotable moment:

The Librarian sniffed again. “Most incomprehensible.” He departed, dragging his long coat on the ground, which rather than wiping them bare instead lined the flagstones with dust in his wake.

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Pace: 3/5
Writing & Editing: 2/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 ladybugs

Review - The Full Moon at the Napping House

The Full Moon at the Napping House
by Audrey Wood
illustrated by Don Wood
Date: 2015
Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

In the wide-awake bed in the full-moon house, everyone is restless! The moonlight is pouring in and no one can get to sleep: not Granny, her grandchild, the dog, the cat, or even a mouse. It's not until a tiny musical visitor offers up a soothing song does the menagerie settle down, and finally everyone is off to dreamland.With a perfectly crafted text and stunning paintings, Audrey and Don Wood reveal once again why they are picture book creators of the highest order. The Full Moon at the Napping House, the highly anticipated follow-up to their beloved classic The Napping House, is the ideal book to share at bedtime or anytime.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is apparently a follow-up to a 1984 book called The Napping House, which I don't recall from my own childhood at all, even though it apparently won awards and was fairly famous. The Full Moon at the Napping House is cute, but I kind of found the child annoying. Don't give your kid caffeine before bed, or they'll be up all night! (Literally. You could see the progress of the moon as you turned the pages, and it rose from the horizon all the way into the sky and back down again before the little brat finally settled down. Poor grandma's not going to offer to babysit ever again!)

The pictures are probably my favourite part of the book. The text is the kind that builds with lots of repetition (sort of like the rhyme "This Is the House That Jack Built"), and I guess some kids would like it, but I found it a little boring. For me, it was far more entertaining to look at the pictures (because there's quite a bit to look at within them).

Overall, this isn't a bad children's book, but I don't think it'll ever be one of my favourites.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5

Review - The Boss Baby

The Boss Baby
by Marla Frazee
Date: 2010
Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

From the moment the baby arrived, it was obvious that he was the boss...

The boss baby is used to getting his way—drinks made to order 24/7, his private jet plane, and meetings around the clock. But when his demands aren’t getting proper responses, he has to go to new lengths to achieve the attention he deserves.

Two-time Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee combines her signature wit and style with endearing illustrations in this clever take on one family’s very unusual new arrival.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I didn't realize that this had been a book first! I'd heard of the movie, of course.

This is actually pretty cute. The story is fairly basic, and probably aimed more at adults (sleep-deprived parents in particular), but little kids will probably find the boss baby in his power onesie (complete with tie!) pretty amusing. When you look at things the way the book does, you can really see how a new baby might seem like the boss of the household... and this story highlights that in a very cute way.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5

Review - Rules of the House

Rules of the House
by Mac Barnett
illustrated by Matt Myers
Date: 2016
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

Ian always follows the rules. His sister, Jenny, breaks them all the time—especially "Don't pinch." So Ian is thrilled when the house where his family is vacationing posts a tidy list of rules. But when Jenny breaks them all, the house itself decides it's time for payback. The rug, the stove, and the bathtub are hungry for rulebreaker soup, and they've found the perfect ingredient: Jenny! Now Ian is faced with a thorny question: What if saving your sister means breaking the rules? From the New York Times best-selling team of Mac Barnett and Matthew Myers comes a hilarious tale of sibling rivalry, moral complexity, and disgruntled monsters, perfect for sharing with your own favorite rulebreakers.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

So, as far as I can tell, the moral of this story is: be an anal little toady, follow the rules so hard you never have any fun... and then break them so you can save your annoying, helpless older sister.

I don't really understand who this was supposed to appeal to. The pictures are really well done, but some of them are downright scary. The message that it's okay to lie isn't a great one for little kids, either. But the story is so juvenile that it probably won't appeal to older readers.

What a weird little book.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 1/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - Exit Strategy

Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4)
by Martha Wells
Date: 2018
Publisher: Tor.com
Reading level: A
Book type: prose novella
Pages: 160
Format: e-book
Source: library

The fourth and final part of the Murderbot Diaries series that began with All Systems Red.

Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right?

Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I hate to say it, but... I think my crush on Murderbot is over. While I loved the first book in the series, the subsequent installments have been getting weaker and weaker, culminating in this book, 160 pages that felt more like 610.

Murderbot's voice is what makes these books, and is the only reason I'm not rating this any lower. It's always been snarky and defeatist, but still likeable. That, combined with great action scenes and an interesting plot, is what made the first book really shine. Its interactions with secondary characters, especially the bots (ART in the second book and Miki in the third), were great to see. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of interaction with other characters in Exit Strategy for a good portion of the book, which basically reads as a list of all the different ways Murderbot is hacking drones and trying to keep itself out of security feeds. It tells us, in boring detail, every little thing it does. I could offer some quotes, but then you'd be just as bored as I was.

Things pick up a little when Murderbot reunites with its friends from the first book, but even then, the characterization feels thin, as if we're supposed to just remember these characters from three books ago (my recollection isn't that good, especially when they're all identified by surnames). Its feelings about Mensah are intriguing, and that aspect of their relationship could've been explored more. But, just like Murderbot who tries to run from its feelings, the book kind of did the same thing.

None of these books have as much action (showing) as the first book, relying instead on Murderbot's internal monologues (telling). Reading this was kind of excruciating at times. Yes, we needed to know what it was doing, but at times I almost felt like I was reading a spaceship's maintenance manual. When the climax finally arrived, it wasn't nearly as spectacular as I thought it could be, given that we're dealing with space and airlocks and threatening robots running around with very dangerous weapons. The climax was pretty anticlimactic, in fact, and the resolution read like little more than a lead-in to the full-length novel that the author is supposedly writing.

The writing is weaker here, and the editing is pretty bad in spots. The book even manages to spell the name of one of the corporations wrong, which is something that could've been easily caught by a spell checker with a custom dictionary. I'm so tired of reading books that can't be bothered to keep names consistent; we have word-processing software now, with search and replace functions. It's not that hard.

So, I was disappointed, to say the least. I wish the series had ended with All Systems Red (the first book), because each book has successively raised my disappointment levels. Exit Strategy is an appropriate title, because it almost seems like the author didn't know what to do with the wonderful premise, characters, and storyline she set up in the first book; as a result, this final installment seemed like a convenient, rushed way to wrap things up.

Sorry, Murderbot. You lost me.

Quotable moment:

Something was overwhelming me, and it wasn't the familiar wave of not-caring.

Fine, I sent. I sounded sulky, because I was sulky.

I hate emotions.

Premise: 3/5
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Pace: 1/5
Writing: 3/5
Editing: 2/5
Originality: 2/5
Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall Rating: 2.13 out of 5 ladybugs

Review - Richard Scarry's Chipmunk's ABC

Richard Scarry's Chipmunk's ABC
by Roberta Miller
illustrated by Richard Scarry
Date: 1976
Publisher: Golden Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 24
Format: e-book
Source: library

Chipmunk lives under the apple tree, in a burrow. He likes to eat cake and pick daffodils. This cheerful book features appealing animal characters, bright artwork in Scarry's early painterly style, and simple sentences that teach the alphabet.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is actually the strongest alphabet book that I've reviewed; it's kind of funny that it's older than I am!

Going into a book published in 1976, I wondered if it was going to be a bit dated. I was surprised at how well it stands up. It's not even overly gendered (although there aren't very many girls in the story); it's nice to see the boys making tea and cutting the cheese (actual cheese, not... you know). The only thing that might require some explanation is M is for mumps. Hopefully parents won't scare their kids half to death (so... maybe this book would be better read to the child by a grandparent or great-grandparent who can explain that mumps is not as bad as the media makes it out to be).

What I really liked was how most of the letters had multiple examples of words that started with that letter. The pictures were okay; they were kind of nostalgic for me, but I read a lot of Richard Scarry books when I was little. Overall, it's a pretty strong example of an alphabet book, and I can see little kids wanting to read it over and over.

Quotable moment:

H is for hide-and-seek. Chipmunk and his friends hide in holes and hedges.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5