The Hippo at the End of the Hall

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

When Ben receives a mysterious invitation to the Gee Museum, he has to investigate. For some reason, the pictures on the invitation stir up memories of his long-lost father. But that wouldn’t make sense, as he’s been gone for so long. When Ben arrives at the museum, it’s old and run-down, and the posted hours indicate that it’s barely open. But when he steps inside, he walks into a world of talking animals, magic, and adventure. Will he be able to save the museum from a nefarious developer and the owner of the other museum in town? The animals from the museum seem to think it’s his destiny.

What I loved most:

If you crossed the fever-dream quality of Alice in Wonderland with the vivid imagery of The Chronicles of Narnia, you’d get The Hippo at the End of the Hall. Magic abounds in this adventure, in a way that would be absolutely entrancing to kids. This is also a highly illustrated book, and the beautiful sketches help bring the characters to life.

Read this book if you like:

Adventures, magic, long-lost families, stories of destiny

Book details:

Aged Out

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Dr. Lanetta Greer has owned and run a nonprofit group home for teenage girls for many years. In Aged Out, she looks at the long-term implications of being placed in Out-of-Home Care (OHC). This is a qualitative research study, compiled based on interviews and narratives of 8 participants who were in OHC during at least part of their childhood. These participants have all “aged out” of the foster care system – that is, they are above the age threshold to still be receiving care. Aged Out is essential literature for professionals working with people in OHC, and would also be important reading for parents and families (biological, adoptive, and foster) of kids in OHC.

What I loved most:

When we have kids, my husband and I are planning to adopt from foster care. As such, I try to read any and everything I can get my hands on relating to the foster care system. This was scholarly literature that took me back to my grad school days – it’s been a hot minute since I read through a methodology section. But it was so great to see research focused on the experiences of youth who have been in foster care. My favorite part was reading the narratives, and being able to learn directly through quotes from study participants. I’m hopeful that service providers will read this to know how to better work with kids in OHC, but I’m also hopeful that this research will reach people who make policies and legislation that directly governs the lives of these kids.

Read this book if you like:

Research, sociology, qualitative studies, considering policy implications

Book details:

  • Author: Dr. Lanetta N. Greer
  • Publisher: Archway Publishing
  • Date of Publication: April 26, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: Adults
  • Look up Aged Out on WorldCat to find it at a library near you!

Rival Magic

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Antonia is serving as an apprentice to Master Betrys, a super-talented wizard. While Antonia has read all of the spell books she can get her hands on, and flawlessly recites complex spells… the power of her spells doesn’t seem to match the power of her knowledge of spells. And then everything gets way worse when some scullery maid girl named Moppe turns out to be super powerful, and now Antonia is competing for Master Betrys’s attention. When Master Betrys and her apprentices are accused of treason, will Moppe and Antonia be able to get over their differences? They’ll have to go on a quest, face creatures they thought were just legends, and not get petrified while they’re at it. This was such a fun middle-grade book!

What I loved most:

I really love when children’s authors find a way to write in beautiful prose that’s accessible to young readers. Listen to this gorgeous excerpt:

“From this perch high on the mountainside, the scattered fishing boats were like children’s toys bobbing across the blue. Far away but ever-present, the sea filled my vision, wrapping half the horizon in turquoise and azure. I’d never seen my home like this. It made something catch in my throat. Awe. Or maybe thankfulness. It was so beautiful.”

(Rival Magic, Chapter 9)

COME ON. The imagery. The actual picture painted in your head. This is the kind of thing that really pulls a kid into a story – when you feel like you’re seeing what the characters are seeing. I’ve read a lot of adult authors who do this well, but it seems harder to execute successfully for children. Absolutely gorgeous.

Read this book if you like:

Friendship stories, celebrating unique strengths, celebrating differences, teamwork, magic, fantasy creatures, quests

Book details:

  • Author: Deva Fagan
  • Publisher: Atheneum
  • Date of Publication: April 2020
  • Age Recommendation: 4th – 6th grade
  • Look up Rival Magic on WorldCat to find it at library near you!