Youth Services Highlight: The Takeout
The Takeout by Tracy Badua
Reviewed By: Julie Fonseca, Youth Services Assistant
Genre: Adventure Fantasy (graphic novel)
Suggested Age: Kids (8-12)
Read this if you like: books by Lily Lamotte (Measuring Up), or Tae Keller (Jennifer Chan is Not Alone)
Filipino-American, Mila spends the summer working in her Dad’s food truck in an upscale California beach-front community. When the famous Fad Foodie Brothers come to town with a too-familiar menu, Mila goes undercover to save her family’s business. Unravelling their plot takes place as Mila struggles to find her place amongst her friends and family. As Mila says, “All our stories are different, even if we come from the same place or go to the same schools or share the same ancestors. So why, all this time, have I been struggling to strip away the parts that make me special?.” A fun story with a good message.
#FDL: Contemporary Romance Authors
In the mood for romance? Try one of these authors who set their novels during modern times. These are character-driven stories that typically focus on the emotional growth of the protagonist who finds a new and exciting relationship, not without its challenges.
-Post by Susie Rivera, Adult Services Specialist
#FDL is an update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
FDL Reads: Katie the Catsitter
Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable
Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager
Genre: Superhero fantasy (graphic novel)
Suggested Age: Kids (7-12)
What is This Book About: Katie desperately wants to join her friends at camp this summer, instead of being left behind to read glittery postcards about it. When her mom considers sending her if she can raise the money to attend, Katie immediately starts on fundraising efforts. Unfortunately, all of her attempts end in funny failures so things are looking bleak until Katie’s mysterious upstairs neighbor hires her to pet sit. Katie thinks she might be a bit out of her league when she discovers that Madeline has 217 cats, and once their owner leaves they go berserk. Katie grows suspicious at the cats’ antics as well as Madeline’s behavior. Why is it that Madeline is always out when super villain Mousetress commits her crimes?
My Review: If you ever wanted to believe that your troublesome pets are actually angels, this is a perfect book. I could read biographies of all 217 rambunctious cats and be entertained for ages. I love that they all get names, personalities, and are able to help out Madeline – I mean, Mousetress – with her heroic efforts. This alternate New York City sets up a really interesting society with Yelp-approved super-heroics. Katie and her friends are easy to relate to also. Despite the fantastic nature of Katie the Catsitter, they have normal problems such as struggles with potentially growing apart and wondering if they’re still as important to each other as they used to be. All in all, this is an energetic superhero story with 218 delightful sidekicks.
Three Words that Describe this Book: upbeat, superheroes, friendship
Give This A Try if You Like… The Click series by Kayla Miller, Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol, the Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey, the PAWS series by Nathan Fairbairn, Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd, and Sparks! by Ian Boothby
Rating: 5/5
FDL Reads: Queenspotting
Queenspotting: Meet the Remarkable Queen Bee and Discover the Drama at the Heart of the Hive by Hilary Kearney
Reviewed By: Rebecca Cox, Business Manager
Genre: Nonfiction
Suggested Age: Adults
What is This Book About? Queenspotting is part introductory honey bee biology and part “Where’s Waldo?” as Hilary Kearney introduces the readers to the dynamics of a honey bee colony. The book puts scientific concepts into easy to understand terms and the 48 fold-out visual puzzles offer a fun break and game for both adults and kids!
My Review: I am a 5th Year Beekeeper and this is my favorite book to recommend to both beginner beekeepers and people who are just interested in these fascinating little creatures! I love how Kearney is able to break down concepts that seem complicated (such as the different “castes” or types of bees in the colony or the different types of queen cells that can be present when a beekeeper is looking at frames). The fold out puzzles have practical application for beekeepers since the ability to locate the queen is one of the most important skills to have. The puzzles are also fun to challenge kids (or husbands!) with to see who can find the queen the fastest! This book is not a long read and the information is written in such an engaging way that it’s honestly hard to put down!
Three Words that Describe this Book: Inspiring, Informative, Beautiful
Give this a try if you like… Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy; Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams; Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees
Rating: 5/5
FDL Reads: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Adult Services Specialist
Genre: Fantasy
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is this book about? Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is Sanderson’s third secret novel in his Kickstarter-backed Secret Novels project that he started in 2020. Nikaro is a painter on a world where nightmares run wild. Painters are civil servants who are able to “trap” nightmares with paintings. His city, Kilahito, is perpetually dark but powered by cyan and magenta hion lines. It has the feel of a modern-day Tokyo. Yumi is a traveling priestess living in a very different location. She has the power to summon mystical spirits who are able to help her people. One day the two are unexpectedly thrust into each other’s worlds and must adapt to the vastly different ways of life.
My Review: This novel takes place in Sanderson’s Cosmere. There are several references to other novels and a couple characters from a different series show up. Sanderson fans will be delighted! However, newbies to the Cosmere could potentially jump into this book, even though it takes place farther into the timeline, and enjoy it as a stand-alone. Sanderson himself has started to recommend it as a beginning point for those interested in the Cosmere novels. I enjoyed his attempt at writing romance. I knew going into it that it would not be the same type of romance as Fourth Wing or ACOTAR. I loved the characters connection and how they got to know each other. The big reveals at the end were very reminiscent of other Sanderson works, but unique and exciting on their own. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a Japanese/Korean-inspired fantasy with a clean romance story.
Three Words that Describe this Book: Duality, Mystical, Sweet
Give this a try if you like…Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, This is How You Lose the Time War by
Amal El-Mohtar, The Fragile Threads of Power by Victoria Schwab
Rating: 4/5
Streaming audio available on hoopla
Kids’ Book Blurb: Allergic
Youth Services Manager, Alice, read the junior graphic novel Allergic, by Megan Wagner Lloyd. Allergic was also the January selection for our Kids’ Comic Book Club! Here is what Alice had to say:
“This was an awesome book that had been on my TBR list for a long time (and definitely didn’t make me tear up at all). Maggie has a lot of change going on in her life, with a new school, new baby sibling on the way, and a new neighbor. She wanted something all her own, but her hopes for a pet dog and a career as a vet are quickly dashed when they realize she’s allergic to fur and feathers.
Maggie goes through a few disappointments and friendship struggles, and comes out on the other side with stronger relationships with her friends and family, as well as new passions for non-furry animals. The art will strongly appeal to fans of Karla Miller, Raina Telgemeier, and The Baby-Sitter’s Club. Great for upper elementary and junior high kids.”
Joins for Kids’ Comic Book Club in February when we read Drama, by Raina Telgemeier!
