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If My Moon Was Your Sun by Andreas Steinhofel
Nele Palmtag (Illustrator)
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Synopsis (via Goodreads): Did you hear the story about Max, the boy who kidnapped his grandfather from a nursing home ? You didn't see it on the news? Well, let me tell you about it.
Max lives in a small town, much smaller than yours. His grandpa is losing his memory, but still remembers quite a bit. You can imagine how they hurried, Max and his grandpa, followed by old Miss Schneider, who insisted on coming along. Why were they in a hurry? Because everyone was after them. Max had skipped school to rescue his grandpa, and they were just starting out on what promised to be one of the best days of their entire lives.
A touching story about dementia and the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, with full-color illustrations and a read-along CD audiobook featuring twelve classical pieces for children by Georges Bizet and Sergei Prokofiev.
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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.
If My Moon Was Your Sun made me feel both sad and hopeful. Max loves his grandfather, and they've always been close, but now he's in a nursing home across town. His grandfather has dementia, so it wasn't enough to just occasionally check on him at home. He needed constant care that Max and his mother couldn't provide.
One day, Max decides to take his grandfather away from the nursing home, an adultnapping of sorts, so he can spend the day in a place that was familiar and meaningful. While I'm not entirely sure I believe the logistics of this story, it was sweet and enjoyable. A few of their conversations seemed random at the time, but they did come together at the end. I wish the story had flowed a little better, but instead it felt choppy and scattered.
Despite having a few issues, it was a lovely story overall.
Despite having a few issues, it was a lovely story overall.
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Edison: The Mystery of the Missing Mouse
Treasure by Torben Kuhlmann
Expected publication: October 2, 2018 |
Synopsis (via Goodreads): A long time ago, one mouse learned to fly, another landed on the moon...what will happen in the next Mouse adventure?
From the creator of Lindbergh—The Tale of a Flying Mouse and Armstrong, comes Edison—The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure.
When two unlikely friends build a vessel capable of taking them to the bottom of the ocean find a missing treasure—the truth turns out to be far more amazing.
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I really liked all of the illustrations for Edison, but some of the wording was weird. I was under the impression that this was a children's book, so saying things like "When I was young, I also went off on crazy adventures, risking life and limb like an idiot" seemed inappropriate. It wouldn't have taken much to phrase that a little differently.
This is another book that didn't flow well. It was almost like reading an old telegram. Words words words STOP words words STOP words... I felt like I kept having to stop and start again within the story. Some of their mousey comments didn't make sense either.
I liked the idea of mice being just as intelligent and independent as people. It made me think of the movie The Borrowers, but with rodents. They have homes, schools, can weld and invent -- one even went to the moon. It was an interesting story about using your brain to come up with a scientific solution to a problem. Trial and error, drawing out plans, researching, hypothesizing -- all of this was a great way to incorporate science into a children's story.
Wonderful book, although I wish it had been presented and worded just a tad differently.
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Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows #21
by Jody Houser, Scott Koblish (Illustrator),
Eduard Petrovich (Illustrator)
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Spider-Man has been cloned in the past, but it's different when his daughter is the target of a villain's scheme. Is it cloning? The person(s) they keep running into seem to have similar features and attributes, but there are some major differences.
We still don't know why the baddie is doing what they're doing, but we know it can't be anything good. I'm really enjoying the family dynamics and watching all three of them work together. They have to balance their superhero lives, and they also have to deal with regular family issues.
Annie may be Spiderling, but she's also a teenager in high school They don't always make the best decisions, and have to make their own mistakes in order to learn from them. However, her mistakes as Spiderling can have more severe consequences, so opening up to her parents as a superhero might be more necessary than opening up to them as their child.
The Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows is still one of my favorites! I cannot wait to see where their story goes. Also, this comic has some of the best illustrations!
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Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Nick Spencer
Ryan Ottley (Illustrator)
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I was really happy to start The Amazing Spider-Man from the beginning. There's a new writer, so that means new stories or old ones with a different perspective.
The first one was... interesting. All of the other superheroes seem annoyed with Spider-Man, but we're not really sure why. I believe Mayor Fisk (bad guy) has something to do with it. I know he wants to isolate Spider-Man, but it doesn't say whether or not he was successful in this issue.
Despite all the animosity directed at him, Spider-Man still does what he always does -- saves the world. He's been selflessly giving up everything about Peter Parker in order to maintain his secret identity and keep everyone safe. I've never thought it was fair how much Peter has lost over the years while being Spider-Man. He's always losing his job, his friends, and alienating his family. (I really wish after all this time he would tell Aunt May what he does. She wouldn't be disappointed, and he could better explain when things go wrong.)
It's too soon to have an opinion on the series as a whole, but the first issue was long. There are some additional stories in the back that give you a villain's perspective as well as something else Peter is dealing with. I really want to love this, so I hope it doesn't disappoint!
*hums Spider Man song*
ReplyDeleteHaha! Have you seen any of the movies? The newest one with Tom Holland is my favorite!
DeleteSpidey has a daughter??!!! man have I been out of the loop. In my brain he's still a teenager lol
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
It depends on what comic you're reading, haha. I only think he has a wife and daughter in Renew Your Vows (alternate universe). There are other Spider-Man comics with the Peter Parker you remember. <3
DeleteSounds like the Spider-Man comics were the best of this bunch.
ReplyDeleteI always love Renew Your Vows! It's one I look forward to every month. The newest Spider-Man has potential, but we'll see. I always hate it when it feels like the world is against Spider-Man. I want him to have friends and a life as Peter Parker, but also be able to save the world as Spider-Man. Other superheroes are able to have both...
DeleteEdison looks cute, but yeah it does sound like the writing part of it could have flowed better.
ReplyDeleteSpider-Man #1 looks interesting, with all those villains on the cover. Rhino and Mysterio, and that must be the Lizard... I'm drawing a blank on the other guy.
Kraven the Hunter, right? He was just in some of the older Venom comics I'm reading. He discovered the dinosaurs under the city and thought they'd make a good challenge -- he's the worst. He doesn't just kill for sport, he get some sick satisfaction out of it, too. It doesn't matter if their defenseless or not, but he enjoys a challenge. It was interesting watching him and Venom go at it.
DeleteEdison was cute! A few tweaks and I would have no complaints.
If My Moon Was Your Sun sounds so sweet. Too bad it didn’t flow better but I still love the sound of the relationship between Max and his grandfather.
ReplyDeleteI wish there had been more of a conversation between Max and his grandfather. I would have enjoyed hearing about the things they did together before he lived in a nursing home. Max mentions picking apples with his grandfather, and I think doing something like that together would have been more meaningful. I understand that Max did the best he could, but it was also a little odd that he was able to get them where he did on his own. Then the things they do discuss feel random and some of it felt unnecessary. I don't know... I just wanted more.
DeleteI think I'd read If My Moon Was Your Sun. It sucks that it was a bit clunky but I'm curious about it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Peter Parker grows up and has a kid?! When did that happen?
It's an alternate universe, but it's so fun! He and MJ had a baby -- Annie.
DeleteIf My Moon Was Your Sun looks like something that could hit me in the feels because I was so close to my grandma.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very bittersweet story. I like that it's a children's book, because topics like this aren't usually discussed with them until later in life. It's good for them to have an understanding now, especially if it's something they've experienced.
DeleteIf My Moon Was Your Sun sounds like sweet but emotional book. I think I'd like it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the relationship between Max and his grandfather. They've spent a lot of time together in the past, and Max makes still visits him often in the nursing home. He loves his grandfather, but struggles with his deteriorating mind. It can't be easy when someone you love forgets who you are. I think the story had a good message, though. Love is like the moon -- it's always there even when you can't see it.
DeleteThere were just a few minor issues I had with formatting and wording. It was a review copy, so it might be fixed before its pub date!
Man, Edison looks absolutely adorable. I love that you feature such a variety here!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I read a lot of different things, so I like to show them off on the blog. :)
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