Tag: Capstone

Far Out Fairy Tales: Jak and the Magic Nano-Beans – Carl Bowen

Illustrations – Omar Lozano

Now, this is fuel for my Far Out Fairy Tales obsession. Jak, a girl in this version with a very funky hairdo, has been told by her internet obsessed mother (well, her avatar anyway) that she has to sell her best friend Cow, a robot, for parts to the scrap man. The scrap man makes a deal with Jak to save Cow and possibly even the planet, but it means a trip to the space station at the top of the elevator to Cloud Kingdom to find some magic nano-beans.

Jak and Cow actually have personalities!! Naturally Jak’s mother’s avatar looks nothing like her and she calls at the most inconvenient times, which was part of the humour of the story for me. There’s a monstrosity of a space octopus type creature that stands in for the giant in the original fairy tale.

The most fun of all was the use of the word scrap, which will never be the same after you read this graphic novel. My favourite was “Holy Scrap!”, although “What the scrap?!” also deserves a mention.

The illustrations were just as fun as the story, with Jak’s personality coming alive with her expressions. The different colours used for the locations helped set the tone for each part of the story.

This story had a bit of everything I look for in a graphic novel – characters with personalities, adventure, humour, danger and some good ol’ quirky bits. There weren’t any boring sections in the story and I followed along without having to reread sections to work out what I missed. I’d happily reread this one!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Jak and her robotic servant, Cow, are in a pickle; Mom wants Jak to sell Cow for scrap, but Cow and Jak have become best friends. So instead of selling the rusty old robot for spare change, Jak strikes a bargain with the scrap collector: if Jak and Cow can visit the Cloud Kingdom via the Space Elevator and get hold of some magic nano-beans, Jak can keep Cow safe and sound. But what they find in space is anything but safe – and its sounds are far from soothing …

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Far Out Fairy Tales: Goldilocks and the Three Vampires – Laurie S. Sutton

Illustrations – C.S. Jennings

It was Snow White and the Seven Robots that started my Far Out Fairy Tales obsession. I’ve now got in my hot little hands all of the other graphic novels in this series that my library currently own (until I beg them to buy the rest). Because of my love of the Snow White retelling I was excited to see what strangeness and wonder Goldilocks would offer.

Comparing this book to the Snow White one I was disappointed. It’s still entertaining and I know I shouldn’t compare but I was glad I found Snow White first because I doubt Goldilocks and the Three Vampires would have ignited a new obsession.

The three vampires didn’t make me want to sink my teeth (sorry!) into the story as their personalities were about as dead as they were. Goldilocks was more interesting and thankfully she was smart but she was a bit too much of a know it all to make me warm to her. I kind of wanted to vampires, or at least the spiders, to triumph in the end.

The story itself was fun. Goldilocks is on an Indiana Jones style adventure with her very own flying arrow death trap to navigate along the way. Goldilocks is a crypt cracker and the National Museum has sent her to study a tomb rumoured to have treasures hidden by King Arthur inside. She has to use her smarts and some gymnastic ability to survive three death traps before stumbling upon the homes of three vampires.

I loved C.S. Jennings’ illustrations, particularly the various expressions of the vampires and the massive spiders.

The glossary and questions about the story are great extras at the end. The section at the end outlining the main differences between the original story and this Far Out version are very helpful. I hadn’t actually picked up on the three traps correlating to the original Goldilocks trying out the porridge, chairs and beds.

While there wasn’t anything specifically wrong with this graphic novel, with vampires 🧛‍♀️ 🧛‍♂️ 🧛‍♂️ , spiders 🕷 and an archaeological expedition, I was looking for a wow factor that I didn’t find.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Goldilocks is an explorer extraordinaire. Curious and fearless, Goldi searches the world for hidden artifacts and forgotten treasures of ancient civilisations. When her travels bring her to a creepy crypt, she discovers more than just dusty relics in the shadowy chambers … She’s stumbled into the home of one, two, THREE blood-sucking vampires! Can Goldi use her smarts to navigate the tomb’s tricky traps and defeat the vampire trio, or is this her last archeological adventure?

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Squishy Taylor #1: Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters – Ailsa Wild

Illustrations – Ben Wood

Spoilers Ahead!

I’ve already read the first six books in the Squishy Taylor series but when the opportunity arose to revisit where her story began I jumped at the chance. It’s been almost two years (wow, that’s flown!) since I first discovered Squishy in my local library and I wanted to know if she was still as adorable as I remembered. Of course she was!

I love Squishy. I love her bonus sisters (twins Jessie and Vee). I love her baby brother. I love her Mum, her Dad and her bonus Mum. I love all of the extra people you meet as you explore Squishy’s world, even the cranky, mean ones. Squishy is one of my favourite book kids. She’s one of those people that you say, “You’ve got spunk, kid!” to, even though you can’t remember the last time you called someone ‘kid’ and you’ve never told one they have ‘spunk’ before.

This series is aimed at kids from 9 to 14 years but I would have probably read this when I was around 7 or 8. In the series Squishy is an adorable, energetic 11 year old, with her bonus sisters five months older and a grade higher at school. I also personally feel they tend to act younger than 11 but it’s not like I have a lot of kids in my life to compare them with.

I expect this series and especially the first book would helpful for readers who are new to blended families. I appreciate that the situation Squishy finds herself in is realistic. While she Skypes her Mum each day, she misses seeing her face to face. She’s having trouble adjusting to the new family that’s been moulded together when her Dad remarried. She feels ganged up against by her twin stepsisters. I absolutely adore the idea of having bonus people in your life; for example, bonus sisters instead of stepsisters. The concept of bonus puts such a positive spin on a difficult situation and Squishy’s attitude realignment is a pivotal scene in the first book.

Squishy and her bonus sisters get into trouble. At times they’re manipulative and make downright dodgy decisions to do mean things to people, but they’re kids. They bounce off one another and come up with schemes they’d never dare to try to pull off alone. Overall they’re sisters with big hearts who want to help people and love to solve mysteries in their neighbourhood.

Baby siblings rarely get named in children’s books these days for some reason and this was the book that made me notice it. In this series, I’ve only ever known Baby as Baby (so far). Perhaps he’ll get a name at some point.

Throughout the series I’ve really loved Ben Wood’s illustrations. The pictures have a fun energy about them and Squishy’s personality in particular shines through. You get the sense he really enjoys bringing this family to life and unlike a lot of children’s books I’ve read recently, Ben’s illustrations work with the feel of the book and what’s happening in the pictures lines up with what’s happening in the story. A few months ago I wouldn’t have commented on something that seems so trivial but after the amount of images I’ve seen recently that appear to have little to do with the details mentioned in the story, this has become a new selling point for me.

Squishy asks the all important question when making a decision in this book: “Which is more fun?”. A lot of adults could learn something from her.

Naturally because I’ve just reread the first book in the series I’ll need to reread the others as well before I read books 7 and 8 for the first time. 😃 Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for reminding me how much I love Squishy.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Sita ‘Squishy’ Taylor is a cheeky, sneaky 11-year-old who lives with her dad and step-family in a very crowded apartment. Luckily for Squishy, their building is huge – and there’s always plenty of mysteries to investigate! Like …

Who’s that hiding in the basement?

Why does Squishy have to share everything with her new step-sisters?

Why is her next-door neighbour the crankiest man in the world?

Why are green jelly snakes the yummiest?

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Far Out Fairy Tales: Snow White and the Seven Robots – Louise Simonson

Illustrations – Jimena Sanchez S

I found my new graphic novel series obsession! It’s the Far Out Fairy Tales series! I’ve just powered my way through Snow White and the Seven Robots and ordered every other one my library owns. I love my library for introducing me to amazing stories I’d probably never find otherwise.

This quirky retelling of Snow White takes place in Techworld and Snow White has been created. Queen Regent fears Snow’s intelligence, not beauty! Woohoo! Hello, new world of fairytales!

The Queen’s magic mirror is a satellite that monitors their planet and the Queen doesn’t offer Snow a poisoned apple. This evil, evil traitor offers Snow [sniff, sniff 😢] poisoned chocolate! How dare she taint the most heavenly of the food groups!

Entertaining for adults although allegedly they’re aimed at kids, this graphic novel is a delightful retelling where Snow is not only intelligent but is gifted specifically in science. After the story there are extra bits including a glossary of terms, a summary of the original tale and some of the key differences between the old and new stories.

It’s a quick read that I’d happily reread and the illustrations are excellent! My only nitpick (and it’s a minor one) is that I would have loved for the seven robots to have names and individual personalities.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Far, far away, on a distant planet called Techworld, a little girl named Snow White is born. Created by the planet’s smartest minds to be the perfect scientist, Snow immediately shows a knack for working with electronics. The Queen, fearing for her crown, exiles Snow White so she cannot grow up and take the Queen’s place as the most intelligent person on the planet. However, Snow White’s willingness to help those in need – especially the downtrodden robots of Techworld – earns her many friends, and they are all quite eager to help her cause.

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Superhero Harry – Rachel Ruiz

Illustrations – Steve May

OK, so on the cover Harry has rockets attached to his shoes and his shirt has a picture of Einstein sticking his tongue out on it. I’m in!!! Harry wants to be a superhero and loves to make superhero inventions to make himself more superhero-ish, although they don’t always work quite the way he plans. Superhero Harry has four stories.

In The Superhero Project Harry’s teacher, Ms. Lane, gives his class an assignment to give a presentation at the end of the week about how they are a superhero in their everyday life. Harry is determined to make his best superhero invention yet. Will Harry win the prize for the best presentation?

In The Recess Bully a new boy, Jeremy, joins Harry’s class at Parker Elementary. Jeremy is mean to Harry and his friends at recess each day. Harry tells his parents about Jeremy’s bullying and they suggest Harry try talking to Jeremy again, but Harry thinks he can solve the bullying problem and reclaim recess for himself and his friends with a brand new superhero invention.

In The Runaway Robot Harry is fed up with doing chores. His solution? Super Roby, his latest invention. Super Roby works so well Harry decides to bring him to the class science fair. Can Harry find a solution when something goes wrong?

In The Wild Field Trip Harry’s class is going on a field trip to the zoo. His latest invention will make him a super swinger like monkeys, his favourite animal. You know by now that where Harry is, adventure is sure to follow.

While each story can be read separately, they’re best read in order. Children and parents alike will love Harry and Macy, his best friend, classmate, next door neighbour and superhero sidekick. Amongst other things, Harry is funny, clumsy, adventurous, smart, and a good friend.

Rachel Ruiz has created a superhero whose optimism and determination will endear him to readers, and whose exploits will keep them entertained. Steve May’s illustrations are brilliant! They’re so bright, colourful, full of life and draw you in. Just seeing the cover or flipping through the book, you just know the story has to be fantastic if the illustrations are this good.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book. Apprentice superheroes everywhere are going to love Harry. I’m going to be rereading this book and hope to see future books featuring more of Harry and Macy’s adventures. Mission complete! Over and out!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Harry is a bit messy and a lot clumsy. But he truly believes he is a superhero. He constantly leaves messes and chaos in his wake, yet he still manages to make every situation better. So who’s to say he isn’t a superhero? This comical early chapter book series will prove that having a positive attitude and energetic spirit are just as heroic as fighting evil villains.

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The Marvelous, Amazing, Pig-Tastic Gracie LaRoo! – Marsha Qualey

Illustrations – Kristyna Litten

Gracie LaRoo is the youngest synchronised swimmer in the Water Sprites. Gracie LaRoo has four stories.

In Gracie LaRoo at Pig Jubilee Gracie is competing for the first time in a world synchronised swimming competition. She has been practising hard and memorising her team’s routine, but she loses her bag with everything she needs for the competition. Will she find it in time and will she be able to concentrate enough to be able to perform her signature move?

In Gracie LaRoo on the Big Screen Gracie is going to be in a Piggywood movie. When things don’t go as she had hoped can Gracie overcome her disappointment? Is her movie dream over before it even begins?

In Gracie LaRoo Sets Sail Gracie and the rest of the Water Sprites have performances booked on a cruise ship but at their first performance the crowd are mad that they can’t use the pool or waterslide. If they don’t make the crowd happy with their next performance the rest of their performances will be cancelled!

In Gracie LaRoo Goes to School Gracie visits her old school. She’s there to teach a class and give a speech about being a synchronised swimmer and she doesn’t know if she can do it. She’s never given a speech before!

There are very sweet illustrations by Kristyna Litten. While all of the right elements seemed to be there (easy to read, clear storylines, the message that problems can be solved and you can overcome your fears), I didn’t connect to Gracie as I have with the main character in books for this age group that I’ve read recently and I personally didn’t like her.

I never felt like cheering her on when things didn’t go her way and I was particularly annoyed that she blatantly disregarded the authority of the school principal in the final story. I’m all for being yourself but didn’t feel the message that you can deliberately flout authority without consequences was a useful message for school kids reading this book.

I also wasn’t a fan of her arrogance, singlehandedly deciding she was the one that knew best how to fix every problem and seemingly not even bothering to communicate her spectacular plans to her teammates when her decisions often affected them as well. I can’t see how this makes her a good team player.

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

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Gracie LaRoo is a synchronized swimming pig extraordinaire! Follow Gracie as she shoots for the gold medal; uses her dazzling moves in a Piggywood movie; visits her old school and shows her former coach just how hard synchronized swimming can be; and captivates a cruise ship audience with her signature spins.

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The Social Butterfly – Beth Bracken

Illustrations – Sofia Cardoso

The Social Butterfly just broke my cute-meter! It’s such a lovely picture book with a great message and the sweetest illustrations.

Charlotte is a gorgeous purple butterfly who makes new friends everywhere she goes. She loves talking, singing and telling jokes, and she also loves school. When her constant chattering one day results in her friends missing out on eating lunch, not being able to concentrate on reading or their maths worksheet in class, or not hearing something important their teacher Miss Flora says, they each get upset with Charlotte. Charlotte talks to Miss Flora about her fears that her friends don’t like her anymore. Will Charlotte take Miss Flora’s advice?

This book has a great message for all of the young social butterflies out there about learning when it is appropriate to talk, laugh and play with your friends and when you need to be quiet and pay attention.

The writing style was engaging and the illustrations were adorable! The layout has been well thought out and the font choice complements the soft colour palette of the illustrations. The childrens’ expressions leave no room for confusion regarding what they’re feeling and the children themselves are simply the cutest little insects ever! The backgrounds are detailed and I loved the attention to detail. I especially loved Miss Flora’s chipped upside down teacup table.

After reading this book I had convinced myself I wanted to live in a mushroom and be friends with Charlotte. I think I want to be a butterfly as well but since my favourite colour is already taken, I may have to be blue instead.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book. This book would make a fantastic bedtime story and I’d also love to see it in schools and libraries. I’d enjoy reading this book over and over. Charlotte now has a place in my heart.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Charlotte loves talking, singing, and playing. What Charlotte doesn’t love is sitting still, being quiet, and listening, which is a big problem at school. Charlotte’s overly social ways interfere with her friendships and her learning. Will Charlotte be able to modify her behaviour and learn when to be social and when to be quiet? A sweet and relatable picture book story that shines a light on social behaviours.

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A Stegosaurus Would Not Make a Good Pirate – Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Illustrations – Steph Calvert

Ahoy, me mateys! This book were bein’ a fun ride. Chock full of colourful pictures and plenty o’ pirate characters, I enjoyed readin’ this story. Gary the Stegosaurus does his best t’ please Cap’n One-Tooth. Avast! He gets fired!

Gary was not bein’ the right size for pirate clothes, he be too big, his tail be too spiky, he not be eatin’ pirate food, and he not be good at countin’. Maybe there be ‘nother job perfect for a Stegosaurus, eh?

Cap’n Thomas Kingsley Troupe, ye did a good job. Cap’n Steph Calvert, ye drawin’ ability be full o’ whimsy. Lads and lasses, they be enjoyin’ this here book.

Thanks to me mateys at NetGalley and Capstone for givin’ me the opportunity to be tellin’ ’em what I be thinkin’ of it. Arrr!

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Gary the Stegosaurus wants to be a pirate. But then he gets the chance, things do NOT work out. Getting seasick is the least of Gary’s worries once he’s on that ship! This delightful picture book from the Dinosaur Dreams series includes discussion questions, an interactive look-and-find fact section, and dinosaur facts.

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Curious McCarthy’s Power of Observation – Torey Christie

Illustrations – Mina Price

I love Curious McCarthy, the book and the person! I adored Curious before I read a word of this book. From the first glance of her on the cover I knew she was going to be my kind of girl.

Curie (Curious) McCarthy was named after Marie Curie, a famous scientist. She is the middle child in a family with seven children! She has three older sisters (Charlotte, Emily and Anne) and three younger brothers (John Glenn, Benjamin and Edison). Her mother is a full time English professor and her father, a retired engineer, is now a stay at home Dad.

Curious just started fourth grade at a new school, not because her family moved, but because the school district decided to change the boundary lines. All of her friends still attend her previous school. Curious has been a scientist for 6 days, 19 hours and 13 minutes.

In this book we go to school with Curious, we visit the school library and the principal’s office, attend Secret Sister Society (SSS) meetings and sit in on some entertaining dinners. Along the way Curious is learning how to be a scientist by making hypotheses, conducting experiments, and coming to conclusions, while also learning about chain reactions and germs.

Other than Curious’ family we get to know her teacher (Mrs Stickler), her school librarian (Mr Grumpus), her school principal (Mr Cornforth), Aunt Dolly, a likely friend (Lin Tran), and an unlikely friend (Robin Finch).

The way this book was written it felt like Curious was sitting across from you telling you her story. I would have loved this book as a child and would have wanted to be Curious’ friend. I love it just as much as a grown up.

All of the McCarthy kids had distinct and interesting personalities, and from about the middle of the book I could tell which one was speaking just by what they said. Theirs is a lovely family that I want to know more about.

I loved the illustrations and found it particularly helpful to be introduced to all of the characters in this book through the two pages of pictures and descriptions before the story started. In the beginning of the book when I didn’t know who was who yet I could quickly flip back to these pages to remind myself which McCarthy we were hearing about.

I found the science in this book wonderful. It was explained in an age appropriate way and it all sounded like so much fun that I can imagine a whole pile of girls deciding they’re going to be scientists when they grow up after reading this book. I learned some fun facts myself from reading but because it was so much fun it didn’t feel like the drudgery that’s usually associated with learning.

I loved the coloured footnotes. In the back of the book there were some fun extras, including a glossary that explained what the more difficult words in the book meant and how to say them, and a recipe for Oobleck!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book. Young girls are going to love this book and their parents are going to love reading this to their girls (or themselves). I enjoyed this book so much I’m going to be purchasing the other three books in the series.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Curious McCarthy, named after the famous scientist Marie Curie, has decided to become a scientist herself. Her first hypothesis: That her mischievous younger brother will get noticed before her proper oldest sister, Charlotte. Using footnotes filled with funny observations, Curious invites readers to read her observations about her first days at a new school with an old-fashioned teacher and her entertaining evenings at home with her six brothers and sisters. A fun experiment brings the science to life and a glossary and discussion and writing prompts provide reader support.

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Strange Alchemy – Gwenda Bond

Spoilers Ahead!

I admit it. I’m not a history buff. I first heard of the lost colony of Roanoke and the word ‘Croatoan’ while watching one of the later series of Haven, which is loosely based on Stephen King’s The Colorado Kid. I became fascinated by the mystery behind the disappearance of over 100 people. It was this fascination that led me to want to read Strange Alchemy. Before I started this novel I read some more about the history and the theories surrounding the lost colony.

I loved the first half of the book and enjoyed the alternating chapters showing Miranda and Grant’s points of view. Sometimes I find books with different points of view fragmented but felt the story flowed well from chapter to chapter. I liked both of the main characters who, for different reasons, long to be normal and not be defined by their reputations.

Almost exactly at the halfway mark the story seemed to fall apart for me. There was a lot happening to keep my attention and I still wanted to keep reading until the end but the explanations fell flat for me. I spent a lot of time questioning the characters’ choices and the series of events.

I don’t understand, if Grant hearing the voices of the spirits is supposed to be a gift, why he spends most of the book trying to push them into the background. I waited patiently for the author’s explanation of the word ‘Croatoan’ being carved on a post and it never came. I didn’t mind that some people had to die at the end but was it really necessary to hurt adorable Sidekick?

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read this book. I think young teenagers who are interested in starting to get their teeth into books that have a supernatural element will enjoy this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Gwenda Bond’s first book Blackwood has been reimagined and brought back to life with new vision. On Roanoke Island, the legend of the Lost Colony — and the 114 colonists who vanished without a trace more than four hundred years ago — still haunts the town. But that’s just a story told for the tourists.

When 114 people suddenly disappear from the island in present day, it seems history is repeating itself — and an unlikely pair of seventeen-year-olds might be the only hope of bringing the missing back. Miranda Blackwood, a member of one of island’s most infamous families, and Grant Rawling, the sherrif’s son, who has demons and secrets of his own, find themselves at the center of the mystery.

As the unlikely pair works to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony, they must dodge everyone from the authorities to long-dead alchemists as they race against time to save their family and friends before they too are gone for good.

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