A fitting addition to the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, Paola Santiago & the River of Tears is an adventure story for lovers of ghost stories, magic and fantasy in the vein of Rick Riordan books and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon.
Paola and her friends, Emma and Dante, are average 12 year olds living in the small town of Silver Springs, AZ. But when Emma goes missing, Paola and Dante are determined to find her. As they venture into the unknown, Pao & Dante begin to discover that all is not quite as it seems in their sleepy town. As they slip through the barrier dividing the real world from the world of ghosts and demons, Paola is forced to admit that her mother's Latinx ghost stories, so frustrating and quaint to her scientifically-minded daughter, might just be true. I love that this #ownvoices story brings traditional Latinx folktales and ghost stories to life. Pao is every teen with superstitious parents or grandparents, struggling to reconcile her love for the people with embarrassment at the silly stories they tell, while at the same time wondering if there might be some truth to the stories after all. (turns out, there is!). Several subjects ripe for discussion are raised throughout the book, including systemic racism within the police force, class differences (and what that means for friendship) and Pao's changing feelings for Dante. These legitimate concerns, primarily on Pao's part, are all threads woven in to the fabric of the story, giving the reader food for thought without interrupting the flow of the story. Paola Santiago & The River of Tears could easily be included as a choice for a social justice book club or it could simply be an entertaining fantasy read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC. Recommended for Gr 5 and up.
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Recommended to me by my local children's bookstore owner and friend, The Scorpio Races might just be one of my top reads of this year.
Set on a fictional island seemingly located somewhere in the British Isles (sheep, perpetual drizzle, the ever-important pub...need I say more?), The Scorpio Races weaves its story around the mythical Capaill Uisce, or water horse. Based in both Celtic and Scandinavian mythology, the water horses in The Scorpio Races rise out of the sea every November to either be captured and ridden in the famed Scorpio Races or kill the men who try. Young Sean Kendrick has won the Scorpio Races four times, riding a water horse named Corr. It is clear from the outset that Sean has a very uncommon bond with Corr, taming him in a way that most others cannot. He is also frequently called upon to rescue others from their foolish attempts to capture the wild creatures. Puck Connolly and her brothers lost their parents to the water horses. Struggling to make ends meet, Puck decides to enter the Scorpio Races out of desperation. Little does she know how fateful this decision will be as not everyone on the island sees her participation favourably. This book is a bit of a slow burn, building Puck and Sean's stories slowly and separately. The magic happens as the two stories begin to come together, twisting and twining around each other, as stories do on small, isolated islands. Maggie Stiefvater elegantly weaves the very realistic lives of the islanders with the mythological water horses, creating a story that you just can't put down. Recommended for Gr. 7 + In a world torn apart by war, one young woman learns that the gods are as real as she is...and they hold all the power.
16 year old Cassia's world has been torn apart - her brother was hanged for treason and her parents were killed in a bomb attack, both part of a war that has destroyed her home country of Kisk. When she unwittingly becomes a sacrifice to gods she doesn't believe in, she learns far more about this war than she ever dreamed of. Theodric, the God of War, is intent on proving himself to his siblings after being stripped of most of his powers by his older brother. Young, with a big chip on his shoulder, he approachs war in the human world with little compassion, manipulating it primarily to prove his own abilities. When he meets Cassia, however, chinks begin to show in his armor, revealing a more tender hearted soul than he would like to let on. The longer he spends with Cassia, the more he begins to question his role in the war and in his family's complex dynamic. It took me a little while to get in to this book but once I did, I was hooked. The development of a fictitious mythology was solidly done and I kept having to remind myself that I wasn't, in fact, reading about Greek or Roman gods (the jeans and t-shirts that Theo wears helped me out there!). Theo and Cassia are both complex, believable characters and the supporting cast is just the right size to be well- developed as well (I particularly enjoyed Goran's wry older-brother attitude). Cassia is a strong female lead with suspicion and sass in spades and Theo's prove himself at all costs attitude is a good foil for what is to come as the novel progresses. Amber Duell has created a fascinating, complex world that mimics ancient mythology while remaining fresh and vibrant. With ample room to explore other storylines, I look forward to reading more about the gods and goddesses that rule over Kisk, Volkana and Asgya. A great choice for YA fantasy and mythology lovers |
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February 2021
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