All posts by kathymacmillan

Read This!: FRANNIE AND TRU by Karen Hattrup

Read This, Reviews,

Frannie and TruFrannie and Tru by Karen Hattrup

Summary: When Frannie Little eavesdrops on her parents fighting she discovers that her cousin Truman is gay, and his parents are so upset they are sending him to live with her family for the summer. At least, that’s what she thinks the story is. . . When he arrives, shy Frannie befriends this older boy, who is everything that she’s not–rich, confident, cynical, sophisticated. Together, they embark on a magical summer marked by slowly unraveling secrets

A beautiful, literary coming-of-age story about a young girl opening her eyes to the wider world around her. Fifteen-year-old Frannie Little is prepared for the summer after her freshman year of high school to be a total disaster – she’s going to a new school in the fall, drifting away from her old friends, and her father’s work situation means her family is running out of money. But then her troubled, charming, two-years-older cousin Truman comes to stay for the summer, a refugee from his Connecticut prep school life. Frannie connects with Tru more than she has ever connected her own older brothers, and tagging along with him becomes a lesson in opening up to new experiences. The story is steeped in its Baltimore City setting, and Hattrup uses city landmarks to play against the themes of the story. Questions of race and class bubble up throughout, seen through the lens of Frannie awakening to the realities of how her experiences differ from those of her African American friends. Frannie is a quiet, thoughtful protagonist, blossoming slowly into a confident, self-aware young woman. More than anything, the push and pull of Frannie and Tru’s relationship – troubled and close and caring and contentious all at once – is a pitch-perfect portrayal of those seminal friendships that only seem possible in the throes of adolescence.

FRANNIE AND TRU is out now.
View all my reviews

Read This!: HOWARD WALLACE, P.I. by Casey Lyall

Read This, Reviews, ,

Howard Wallace, P.I.Howard Wallace, P.I. by Casey Lyall

Summary: Twelve-year-old Howard Wallace lives by his list of rules of private investigation. He knows more than anyone how to work with what he’s got: a bathrobe for a trench coat, a makeshift office behind the school equipment shed, and not much else—least of all, friends. So when a hot case of blackmail lands on his desk, he’s ready to take it on himself . . . until the new kid, Ivy Mason, convinces him to take her on as a junior partner. As they banter through stakeouts and narrow down their list of suspects, Howard starts to wonder if having Ivy as a sidekick—and a friend—is such a bad thing after all.

This book was delight from start to finish! Lyall perfectly balances a compelling mystery, fantastic characters, and a spot-on narrative voice in the form of Howard’s hard-boiled twelve-year-old detective. I knew from the reviews that this book would be funny and that I would fall in love with the characters; what I didn’t expect was how heartfelt it would also be, as it confronts head-on the issue of friendships changing – sometimes painfully – in middle school, and the drastic measures some people will take to hold on to the past. I can’t wait to start putting this book into the hands of every kid I meet!

HOWARD WALLACE, P.I. is out now.

View all my reviews

Scenes From a Vacation

On Life

My son and I just got back from an epic 2-week camping trip to Tennessee and Arkansas.  For 2 glorious weeks, I did not work on anything and did not check even one email.  Here are some pictures from the fun:

View from our campsite in Knoxville:

20160817_103637

 

Fun in the fountain at World’s Fair Park in Knoxville:

20160817_152427 20160817_152413

 

The alligator farm in Hot Springs (aka the content of my nightmares):

20160822_122608

 

The only picture I got from the absolutely gorgeous Garvan Gardens before my phone died:

20160822_135408(1)

 

And my son’s favorite part of the trip: the ducks at our campsite in Hot Springs.  They followed us around and wagged their tails. So of course he named them.  (From left to right: Jerry, Tina, Mr. Grumpy Gills, Bob)

20160821_114321

 

 

 

Read This!: BEEN HERE ALL ALONG by Sandy Hall

Read This, Reviews,

Been Here All AlongBeen Here All Along by Sandy Hall

Summary: Gideon always has a plan. His plans include running for class president, becoming head of the yearbook committee, and having his choice of colleges. They do NOT include falling head over heels for his best friend and next door neighbor, Kyle. It’s a distraction. It’s pointless, as Kyle is already dating the gorgeous and popular head cheerleader, Ruby. And Gideon doesn’t know what to do.

Kyle finally feels like he has a handle on life. He has a wonderful girlfriend, a best friend willing to debate the finer points of Lord of the Rings, and social acceptance as captain of the basketball team. Then, both Ruby and Gideon start acting really weird, just as his spot on the team is threatened, and Kyle can’t quite figure out what he did wrong…
Reading this book is like being snuggled by a kitten. An adorable kitten. It’s the kind of book that you want to hug to your chest and feel the feels and then reread your favorite parts that make you a little teary but also make you sign with happiness.

What made me interested in this book initially was the story of how the author came to the premise: her editor challenged her to write something based on an amazing fan-made video of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” featuring two teenage boys. If you can watch that video and not want to read a story based on it, then you might not have a heart, FYI.

And man, does Sandy Hall deliver on the premise. Gideon and Kyle have been best friends since they were little. Kyle is bi, and dating a girl. Gideon has never thought about his sexuality. Until he realizes that he is gay. And in love with Kyle. Hall weaves the story from both boy’s points of view, along with that of Kyle’s girlfriend Ruby and Gideon’s brother Ezra. While the realities of homophobia and bullying play a part, this is decidedly not an “issues” book. For most of the people in Gideon and Kyle’s world, their sexuality is a no big deal. The challenges they face in their relationship are just like those of other couples – their own insecurities and pride get in the way, and they have to relearn how to trust each other. This is a sweet, wonderful romance story full of characters you will want to hang out with, perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Natalie Blitt.

View all my reviews

Read This!: THE RAT PRINCE by Bridget Hodder

Read This, Reviews,

The Rat PrinceThe Rat Prince by Bridget Hodder

Summary: The dashing Prince of the Rats–who’s in love with Cinderella–is turned into her coachman by the Fairy Godmother on the night of the big ball. And he’s about to turn the legend (and the evening) upside down on his way to a most unexpected happy ending!

Prepare to fall hard for noble, dashing Prince Char, sovereign of the Northern Rat Realm, who won his position through trials of strength and skill (and sausage-eating). Prepare to be charmed by the determined and lovely Rose de Lancastyr, called Cinderella by the evil stepmother who has made her a servant in her own home.

Rose may seem weak, but really she is biding her time, using her servant status to keep an eye on the rat poison she suspects her stepmother is trying to kill her father. Rose is aided by Char and his breed of intelligent rats, who have long been bonded with the Lancastyr family through an ancient spell by a goddess. When Rose makes a wish on an ancient ring, she awakens that goddess and sets into motion a series of events that will change her life and Char’s life forever.

Transformed into a human footman, Char must do everything within his power to keep Rose from marrying Prince Geoffrey, a violent bully and heir to the human throne. The friendship that Rose and Char had as human and rat quickly blossoms into love when they both have opposable thumbs. Rose gives him the name you know better – Prince Charming – and in a faceoff with Prince Geoffrey, Char demonstrates that he is a consummate prince.

This is a delightful twist on the familiar tale, full of characters you’ll want to get to know better. The two characters with the least agency in the traditional tale – the rat footman and Cinderella herself – become the drivers of change here. The worldbuilding is spot on, from the details of the rat throne room to rats’ travel arrangements through the sewers and relations with other rat kingdoms. Char’s point of view is especially delightful; after becoming human, he compares guilt to the feeling of having eaten a venomous lizard, and at one point he has to resist the urge to drop to all fours and scuttle through a crowd of people. Though light in tone, the story doesn’t gloss over the inherent murder, abuse, and cruelty in the tale, and so the conclusion is all the sweeter when our hero and heroine get their happily ever after.

View all my reviews