Author: Schizanthus Nerd

Zinnia and the Bees – Danielle Davis

It begins with twelve year old Zinnia yarn bombing Ronny, her middle school’s rattlesnake mascot, with her older brother the day before summer vacation. After spending the day in detention because someone outed her as a knitter (we never find out who did this), Zinnia thinks her day can’t get any worse. Before the day is over, 4,000 bees have taken up residence in her hair and she discovers her brother is missing.

Adam told me once that he was named Adam and I was named Zinnia because our dad wanted his kids to experience everything in the world from A to Z. That’s how I used to feel with Adam, like we had all the letters of the alphabet connecting us.

But now he’s left me here, a dangling Z.

Zinnia’s relationship with her mother can be summed up with the knowledge that she calls her mother Dr. Flossdrop. Without Adam as her anchor Zinnia is lost, feeling betrayed and confused by his absence. She’s also still feeling betrayed by some former friends. Zinnia’s new bird watching friend, Birch, and her Aunt Mildred bring a spark to what could have become an overwhelmingly sad book.

I found it poetic that the bees find Zinnia since she shares her name with a flower but the bees didn’t give me the buzz (sorry!) I was looking for. I love bees so was initially intrigued to read from their perspective but each time I read one of the chapters dedicated to their story I became sad or annoyed.

I couldn’t believe that such an intelligent species would be unable to locate a suitable home for themselves or that they could even survive for as long as they did without food (and assumably water). Then there was the fact that of all of the kids and adults in the book only one child detects any of the 4,000 bees on Zinnia’s head. Surely the buzzing alone of that many bees would be a hint! I am almost positive I would have enjoyed this book more if the bees never made an appearance.

This is a story of bees, a dog named Milkshake, ice cream and French movies. Zinnia’s story is an exploration of how fear can prevent us from truly connecting with people and how lonely life can be when you don’t trust other people or yourself. I absolutely loved Laura K. Horton’s cover illustration.

I’m still furious with Adam. With their mother emotionally absent when she’s not working or doing one of her community projects, Adam and Zinnia are all each other have. Adam’s excuse for why he didn’t tell Zinnia he was leaving felt flimsy and while Zinnia was quick to forgive him, I’m not. Surely he could have gone off and been a reality TV star on his own and still have clued Zinnia in so she didn’t spend most of the book wasting her time and emotional energy searching for him.

I kept wondering why Zinnia’s clothes were always charcoal grey when she uses all the colours of the rainbow when knitting. She mentions it’s her favourite colour but I thought there’d be more to it than that. Zinnia also counts random things throughout the book, usually when she’s anxious about something, so my mind automatically went to OCD. This is never addressed though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A colony of honeybees mistakes seventh-grader Zinnia’s hair for a hive – and that’s the least of her problems. 

While Zinnia’s classmates are celebrating the last day of seventh grade, she’s in the vice principal’s office, serving detention. Her offense? Harmlessly yarn-bombing a statue of the school mascot. When Zinnia rushes home to commiserate with her older brother and best friend, Adam, she’s devastated to discover that he’s gone – with no explanation. Zinnia’s day surely can’t get any worse … until a colony of honeybees inhabits her hive-like hair!

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Everless #2: Evermore – Sara Holland

Is it a blessing or a curse, never to know how much time you have?

Let me start with this: I loved Everless. I’ve been impatiently waiting for my library’s copy of Evermore to arrive as it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Maybe the pedestal I built for it was too high; I did enjoy it but I was also disappointed. It may have helped if I’d read the books consecutively; I had forgotten important parts of the mythology until I was reminded of them.

Sempera is the only land with magic, a land where time and blood are bound. The Alchemist and Sorceress have been enemies for multiple lifetimes and their story has become legend in this land. I couldn’t get enough of the mythology surrounding the snake and the fox in Everless and was eager to learn more. After so many minor excursions into the previous lives of the Alchemist I did enjoy the huge info dump at the end of the book, but I wanted more.

Liam, who was one of my favourite characters in Everless, lost his mystery and complexity in this book and I had trouble remembering what was so incredible about him. I liked Stef and Elias and am fairly certain I would have loved them if I’d gotten to know them better; unfortunately they still felt like acquaintances at the end of the story.

I’m wondering if I would have appreciated this story more if it was told in more than one voice. Jules didn’t make my top five favourite characters in either book but I would have loved reading even part of the story from the perspectives of Caro and Ina.

I am left with several unanswered questions that are bugging me, including: If Caro’s guards had Liam surrounded while he was frozen in time at the end of the book how did he get past them to find Jules? Why didn’t Jules show the stone Stef gave her to Joeb? Also, what happened with Stef? Her story felt unfinished.

If this had been the first book in the series I probably would have put it down but the residue of my love for Everless made me persevere.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: She is the Alchemist, and Caro – a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood – is the Sorceress.

The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Now Jules must piece together the stories of her past lives to save the person who has captured her heart in this one.

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Princess Swashbuckle – Hollie Hughes

Illustrations – Deborah Allwright

Princess Swashbuckle’s parents are trying to find her a prince but she’s not interested. She longs to be a froggy pirate queen so she packs her belongings and boards the Stinky Fish and declares herself their new Captain.

She’s “on a mission to find NICE things to do” and under her leadership that’s exactly what they do. They help animals of the sea and land, have adventures and plenty of fun, and naturally everyone lives happily ever after.

The rhymes are lovely and flow well and the message is stellar! Princess Swashbuckle’s parents don’t understand her dreams initially, wanting her to follow tradition. However they eventually realise that she doesn’t need a prince after all and embrace her choices, allowing her the freedom to be the kind pirate queen she was destined to be.

Deborah Allwright’s illustrations are so much fun. They’re colourful and expressive, and I loved that Princess Swashbuckle’s head is shaped like a heart. There’s so many details to enjoy, particularly in the pages featuring a variety of animals.

I absolutely adore this book and need to find a kid to read it to – stat! This is the perfect book to encourage kids to follow their heart, especially if their dreams aren’t what society expects of them.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Tired of the same old princess-meets-her-prince stories? Bored of princesses in frilly pink dresses? Fed up with princes getting all the action? Yes? So is Princess Swashbuckle. She’s Swashbuckle by name, swashbuckling by nature and she’s about to show the world what a great pirate captain she can be. Charmingly breaking the mould, Princess Swashbuckle is a rollicking tale of adventure and finding your own happy.

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Leo Gray and the Lunar Eclipse – K.J. Kruk

Leo Gray is embarrassed by his behind the times parents who don’t see the need for anything high-tech. They own Minutes & Widgets, a clock fixing shop, which isn’t doing so well in 2113 when most people rely on self-flying cars and robots that do all of the housework. Leo is an eleven year old science whiz who is hoping to secure a place at the Lunar Academy, located in a new city inside the moon called Luna City.

Leo arrives at Luna City and soon discovers that not everything is as it seems. He and his new friends wind up trying to solve a mystery that has catastrophic implications.

While I liked Leo, his friend Andromeda and the quirky conspiracy theorist Mr. Dawgspat I didn’t connect emotionally with any of the characters. I loved the diversity of the characters and the inclusion of a child with a prosthetic who is brilliant at sport, although when they get called One-leg by one of the mean kids it isn’t challenged. I enjoyed the descriptions of the way of life in 2113, particularly the contrasts between Leo’s old fashioned parents and everyone else.

It seemed weird to me that after promising to make contact with his family daily while he’s at Luna City there was no mention of it after this, nor any indication that his family knew anything about him being in a coma and missing the entire second semester of school as a result.

There were a couple of times where I felt I missed something when the story jumped from one part of the narrative to the next and was disappointed that the big build up to the lunar eclipse essentially fizzled for me when Leo missed it completely because he was in a coma. The story also wrapped up too quickly for my liking with Leo waking from his coma, attending a sporting match straight away and then suddenly leaving all of his friends in Luna City.

I really liked the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Younger readers may not miss the character development I was hoping for or be troubled by the unanswered questions. Overall it was a quick, enjoyable read but I don’t think it will be memorable long term for me. If you’re sensitive about the language your children are exposed to in books you may want to know that one of the characters has a peculiar little catchphrase – HOLE-E-CRAPPER-BAPPERS. The ending lends itself to a sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Who hasn’t dreamed of going to the moon? That dream for eleven-year-old Leo Gray is about to come true – but he’s in for the surprise of his life!

In the year 2113, most people live in robotically maintained homes, ride around in self-flying cars, and wear ozone-resistant clothes. Most people that is; just not Leo Gray’s parents. They’re stuck in the past, and science know-it-all Leo is completely fed up with his beyond-embarrassing living arrangement with them. But when he enters a rocket-building competition for a chance to attend the Lunar Academy, Leo’s luck finally seems to turn in his favour!

However, it’s not long after stepping foot into his dorm room that Leo discovers the Moon’s celebrated city is harbouring a world of dark secrets. It’s soon a race against the clock for Leo and his friends Andromeda Groves (a code-hacking whiz from Canada), Pavo Digbi (a history buff from Brazil), and Grus Pinwheel (a musically gifted and comically endearing Aussie) to intercept and foil plans to destroy the city – leaving the group’s leader faced with a decision that no eleven-year-old should ever have to make: save Earth or save himself and the city he fought so hard to reach.

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The Golden Acorn – Katy Hudson

When Squirrel learns that the Golden Acorn Hunt is going to be a team event this year she’s not happy. Squirrel has won the competition for the past eight years and wants to add another trophy to her collection. Beaver, Rabbit, Tortoise and Bird eagerly join her team but Squirrel doesn’t think her friends will be fast enough to win. The day of the race arrives and Squirrel finds herself in a position where she needs to decide what is more important to her: winning or her friends.

I adored Katy Hudson’s A Loud Winter’s Nap so I was keen to get my hands on this book, especially after I fell in love with its gorgeous cover.

This picture book was written with 3 to 6 year olds in mind. There are plenty of themes to discuss with children, including the importance of teamwork and the value of friendships. If I was reading this to a child I’d also be talking to them about Squirrel’s competitive nature and that, while winning can be fun, it’s not everything.

I loved the illustrations, particularly the ones showing all of the different teams scurrying around the tress in search of the elusive golden acorn. While I smiled my way through all of the images my favourite was this one, showing the friends enjoying a picnic together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Whoosh! Squirrel takes off at full speed through the autumn leaves. But pump the breaks, because this year the Golden Nut Hunt race is a team event. Squirrel reluctantly enlists his friends and is not impressed. Will Squirrel’s competitive spirit take over or will he learn how to be a team player?

Best-selling author Katy Hudson (Too Many Carrots and A Loud Winter’s Nap) proves that winning isn’t everything in this energetic picture book about friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness – and that’s something to go nuts about!

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Ninja Kid #3: Ninja Switch! – Anh Do

Illustrations – Jeremy Ley

Nelson has never been athletic but since he became a ninja that’s changed. He wants to show off his skills at his school’s athletics carnival but his mother and Grandma are worried about anyone learning he’s a ninja kid, especially the dastardly Dr Kane, who hasn’t found whatever he’s looking for in Duck Creek yet.

On the morning of the carnival one of Grandma’s inventions accidentally switches Nelson and Grandma’s powers. Suddenly Grandma feels amazing and starts doing ninja backflips and somersaults, whereas Nelson is feeling aches and pains and craving a cup of tea! He’s certain he’ll be embarrassed in front of everyone, including Sarah, the nicest girl at school, and Charles, the bully.

Dr Kane shows up again with his helicopter (that has more tricks) and we encounter an evil chipmunk. I love Nelson’s food obsessed cousin Kenny who has a poster of a club sandwich beside his bed and dreams he’s alone at an all-you-can-eat buffet most nights. My favourite character is still Grandma, who has the biggest personality in the series and is even more fun to read about with her new ninja skills.

Anh Do is one of my favourite authors and Ninja Kid is my favourite series of his. Jeremy Ley’s brilliant illustrations once again bring the characters and humour to life. Bring on book 4!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

For the first time ever, he won’t be a nerd – he’ll be AWESOME! But just when Nelson needs his powers the most, they get switched … with GRANDMA’S! How’s he going to win ANYTHING when he runs and jumps like an old lady?! 

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Mia Mayhem #2: Mia Mayhem Learns to Fly! – Kara West

Illustrations – Leeza Hernandez

We first met Mia in Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! when she learned she was a superhero and was going to the PITS – the Program for In Training Superheroes.

Mia has already learned the quick-superhero-change trick but now she needs to learn to fly, which sounds incredible but Mia is afraid of heights. I’d expected this book to focus on Mia’s fear and learning to overcome it but it seemed a bit too easy for me. She is distracted by mayhem when she’s flying and has help from an advanced flyer so that helped.

The kids who read this series most likely haven’t come across all of the superhero tropes before but I couldn’t help rolling my eyes when Mia’s best friend doesn’t recognise her because she’s wearing her superhero suit. I guess if it works for Batman and Superman then there’s no reason it shouldn’t work for Mia though.

Mia does learn about teamwork in this book and it’s lovely to see friends helping one another.

I’m definitely not the target audience for this series so I’m not sure how much my opinion counts but after really enjoying the first book in the series I’m not as keen to keep reading them. I might be expecting too much. For kids around this age group I much preferred Ailsa Wild’s Squishy Taylor series.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

When Mia gets placed in a beginner’s flying class with kindergarteners, she struggles and is ready to give up! But luckily, with help from her best friend, Eddie, and the superschool’s most talented flier, Mia finally learns how to get off the ground.

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Mia Mayhem chapter books are perfect for emerging readers. 

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Mia Mayhem #1: Mia Mayhem is a Superhero! – Kara West

Illustrations – Leeza Hernandez

Spoilers Ahead!

Mia Macarooney is having a super day. She’s just found out she has superpowers and comes from a family of superheroes; her mother can fly and her father can talk to animals and repair objects by shooting lasers out of his hands. Now Mia’s going to the PITS – the Program for In Training Superheroes.

This is a fun chapter book with illustrations on most pages. In this book you meet Mia’s parents, Chaos (her cat) and her best friend Eddie. I loved the imaginative names of the people Mia meets at the PITS, including Dr Sue Perb, Professor Stu Pendus and Professor Dina Myte.

I found a couple of plot points a bit questionable but I doubt I would have noticed these as a kid. Wherever this family live their postal service must be terrible because Mia’s letter from the PITS arrived three years late even though the PITS Academy is located in the seemingly abandoned warehouse right next to her school. Also Mia and the other superheroes arrive to the PITS building in their superhero costumes which I imagine would be very obvious to the rest of the community considering its location.

I would have adored this book as a kid and I’m plan on reading more of this series to see Mia learning to use her powers.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Meet Mia Macarooney, an ordinary eight-year-old who finds out she has an extraordinary super-secret in this first chapter book in the brand-new Mia Mayhem series!

Mia Macarooney is a regular eight-year-old girl who finds out that she’s A SUPERHERO! Her life literally goes from totally ordinary to totally super when she’s invited to attend the afterschool Program for In-Training Superheroes, a.k.a., THE PITS! And the crazy thing is, in a weird meant-to-be sort of way, all of this news somehow feels super right. Because all her life, Mia thought she was just super klutz … but it turns out, she’s just SUPER! So now, it’s up to Mia to balance her regular everyday life and maintain her secret identity as she learns how to be the world’s newest superhero!

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Mia Mayhem chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

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Upside-Down Magic #5: Weather or Not – Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle & Emily Jenkins

The students at Dunwiddle Magic School are preparing for Bing Day, their town’s most important annual magical holiday. Nory and Willa have been partnered up by Ms. Starr to work on a Bing Day project but the girls can’t see eye to eye. Nory thinks Willa is a crybaby, Willa thinks Nory is bossy and Elliott, who’s friends with both girls, is stuck in the middle.

I loved that Willa’s anxiety is addressed in this book. We need more kid’s books that include mental health in the narrative and this book introduced what anxiety feels like in an age appropriate way.

I was absolutely delighted to learn about Bing Day, more so because the person whose birthday is celebrated each year was a woman and her life partner was also a woman! Between them they helped save so many lives with their magic.

Carrot, Ms. Starr’s rabbit, is back in this book and now she’s spending more time in the Upside-Down Magic classroom. I love her sweet nature and wisdom. She also showed her cheeky side in this book.

The food I most wanted to eat while reading were white chocolate polar bears with marshmallow filling.

I now have to wait until September to read the next book in the series! NOOOOOO!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

When Willa’s upside-down magic rains, it pours. Clouds form under ceilings. Classrooms get flooded. Nory and the kids in Ms. Starr’s Upside-Down Magic class always have umbrellas nearby, just in case. 

Willa hates being the source of such sogginess. And yet the more she rains, the worse she feels … and the worse she feels, the more she rains. 

Nory, meanwhile, can’t wait to celebrate her first Bing Day – her town’s magical holiday. There’s even a parade! Too bad she’s stuck doing her Bing Day class project with drippy Willa. To make things worse, Elliott seems to be taking Willa’s side on everything. 

All the storminess is threatening to flood the UDM friendships. Will they drown in misery? Or can they use their magic to make the storm clouds disappear?

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Upside-Down Magic #4: Dragon Overnight – Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle & Emily Jenkins

Dragons!!!

Nory and her Upside-Down Magic class are going on a three day class trip to Dragon Haven, where injured dragons are taken care of. Unfortunately Pepper can’t attend because her fiercing magic would scare all of the dragons but the rest of Nory’s class are ready for this adventure, including their teacher, Ms. Starr, and the school nurse, Nurse Riley (whose first name we find out in this book – Felix!).

I enjoyed getting to know Andres better in this book. In the first three books of the series he’s primarily only been the boy on a leash who floats at the top of the UDM classroom because his upside down flying magic doesn’t allow him to do anything but stay airborne. It was lovely to see him interacting with other flyers and given the opportunity to let loose for a while and learn more about his ability.

Ms. Starr is still my favourite character. I wish I had been able to see her magic in action with the dragons. She’s such a sweetheart; so lovely and supportive and I want a teacher just like her.

“You’re letting yourself shine,” she told him, “and it makes me happy.”

Although she does make some mistakes in this book she quickly owns up to them and apologises.

I loved getting a glimpse of the different types of dragons being cared for at Dragon Haven and it was fun seeing Nory identify what type of dragon she becomes when she’s a dritten (part dragon, part kitten). I hope Nory returns to Dragon Haven in a future book to visit Roarie. I definitely didn’t like it when Nory took the baby dragon when it hatched after she’d been specifically told that it would imprint on the first face it saw and how bad that would be if it didn’t imprint on another dragon.

The fact that she didn’t have any consequences for doing this and making all of the staff worry about this missing baby dragon overnight really disappointed me. While it was nice for the story that when she gave up the baby dragon for another dragon to care for the fact that the baby essentially didn’t even give her a second glance as it left negated the whole concept of imprinting for me.

Of all of the wonderful dragons described in this book my favourites were the luminous dragonettes. I need an entire rainbow of luminous dragonettes! They’re the smallest species of dragon and they light up like fireflies!

While there was bacon in this book the food I craved the most while reading was Nory’s waffle sandwich with hot fudge, whipped cream and hot caramel sauce. 🤤

I love that while each of the books in this series focuses on Nory as the main character there’s also a spotlight put on at least one of her UDM classmates. I’m really looking forward to learning more about Willa, who has the ability to make it rain indoors, in the next book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Nory Horace can turn herself into a kitten. But sometimes she adds in a bit of dragon and, well, accidentally turns into a dritten. Oops? Her friend Andres Padillo can fly high … but then he can’t fly back down again.

Nory and Andres are in an Upside-Down Magic class with other kids who have unusual magic. Now they’re off on their first-ever overnight field trip! At Dragon Haven, Nory, Andres, and their UDM classmates get to swim with dragons, fly with dragons, and feed dragons. There’s even a Hatchery, where they might get to see a newborn dragon.

There’s only one downer. The UDM kids aren’t the only ones visiting Dragon Haven. There are other students there, too. Students from another school. Students with “normal” magic. Dragon rescue, bonfires, and pajama breakfasts won’t be nearly as fun with a bunch of snooty strangers.

Unless … maybe everything isn’t as bad as it first seems. Thrown together with kids who are probably enemies, but might be friends, the UDM kids dive into their topsy-turviest adventure yet.

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