Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

At the risk of sounding like Han Solo in “The Empire Strikes Back”, last night was NOT my fault. My computer went wonky, and when my hubby (who worked late last night) looked at it this morning, even he said Chrome had been weirdly messed up. It’s back and happy, however, and so it’s on to my review of Clean Getaway, which I finished listening to a few days ago.

Nic Stone’s first middle grade title is one of those books that was already on my radar when I saw it on my school district’s “Best Books” list for the year. Of all the titles on the 5th/6th grade list (because I have a 6th grader that was going to start asking), it was the one immediately available in audio, and so–here we are! And I really liked it, although it went in rather a different direction than I was expecting. Scoob is a thoroughly likable kid, and his inner reactions crack me up; G-ma is more of an all-over-the-map character, but there are reasons for that. I especially liked the way Stone portrays Scoob’s dad, forcing the reader (and Scoob) to acknowledge multiple sides of his character from almost the very beginning. As for where Scoob and G-ma’s road trip goes? That’s a loaded question. Just be prepared for a number of pivotal civil rights sites as WELL as more family history than Scoob ever knew existed–and then sit back and enjoy the ride.*

I will say that Stone–if anything–underdoes the poignancy at times; it’s possible that she’s restraining herself for the sake of middle graders, since her other titles are for older readers. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s not a thoroughly good book.

I’m actually posting on both days of a 31st/1st month changeover, and I’m feeling pretty proud of myself for it! Of course, it’s partly because I hurried to finish Sea Sirens (A Trot & Cap’n Bill Adventure) last night, since it was the last day of the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge for our library system and I needed one more fantasy title. (Once I’ve finished a graphic novel, I’d better review quickly or run for my life, by the way–my 11-year-old takes no prisoners in that department.) Still, go me, right?

Apparently Sea Sirens was inspired by L. Frank Baum’s The Sea Fairies and its sequel (which I hadn’t known existed and absolutely have not read). It’s the story of a surfing girl from Huntington Beach, her one-eyed cat, and her grandfather, who has the beginnings of dementia. How she finds the kingdom of the Sea Sirens and becomes involved with the Serpents makes for a fun under-the-sea adventure tale; the dialogue is very straightforward, but I loved the illustrations. It’s not as thought-provoking as a Jamieson or a Telgemeier, but Trot’s grandfather’s unpredictability does bring depth to the story. Fans of adventure and/or graphic novels should definitely take a look at this one.