Intrepids

Intrepids by Diana Huang

My 4th year participating in reviewing a book for Multicultural Children's Book Day (MCBD) #ReadYourWorld.

Thank you to Diana Huang, author, for sending me her book to review along with three fun book marks.  

The mission of MCBD is:

Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.

I enjoyed "Intrepids" more than I thought I would.  I'm not much, if any, of a sci-fi reader and so when I received this book I was a little concerned it just wouldn't be the right fit for me.  However, Katie, the main character/protagonist, I really "got".  I think this middle grade story does a great job of presenting themes such as bullying, finding yourself, confidence building, and racial/ethnic discrimination. Katie is a US citizen, but due to her Asian background/upbringing she is discriminated against.

The story opens with Katie at a science camp in the summer.  She is clearly being bullied by the other campers.  I appreciated the author's honesty in writing about specific "tween" situations that all of us have likely experienced: not fitting in, the dreaded "showering" in front of others, body image issues, and also just dealing with kids who are jerks. She also shares that she struggles with academics and her parents don't seem to be understanding of this.  Very early on Katie runs from campers who are bullying her.  She runs into the woods and when she feels it is safe to rest she sits down and eats an apple.  This apple is magical and transports her to another planet.  On this planet she meets centaurs who are fighting the dreaded gowels (I envisioned a snake like creature).  The gowels are taking over the planet and controlling other "beings" all very mythical aka centaurs, dragon like creatures, and flops, by biting them and releasing phenom which then turns them into the gowel's slaves.  Katie is a true leader throughout the story and the animals/beings really look to her for education, information, guidance, and this then allows her to grow confidence in herself.  

I struggled with the ending of the book.  Katie makes it back to earth by finding the tree with magical apples and eating another one.  However, there is no closure with any of the "camp" issues that are introduced at the beginning.  It was a very quick read and the sci-fi was fine.  I know the author is a talented artist and so think her drawings could have added to this story.  Three star read for me.  

I'd like to highlight those that have supported this years MCBD #ReadYourWorld event.  

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com)

Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media

Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Candlewick Press, Capstone, Hoopoe Books, KidLitTV, Peachtree Publishing Company Inc.

Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls

Bronze Sponsors: Agatha Rodi and AMELIE is IMPRESSED!, Barnes Brothers Books, Create and Educate Solutions, LLC, Dreambuilt Books, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin Real Estate, Snowflake Stories, Star Bright Books, TimTimTom Bilingual Personalized Books, Author Vivian Kirkfield, Wisdom Tales Press, My Well Read Child

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Poster Artist: Nat Iwata

Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids, Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club, Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing, Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series

 

Active Defense

 

Active Defense (#3 Danger Never Sleeps Series)

By Lynette Eason

Thank you to Revell, a division of Baker Publishing group, for sending me this book to read/review. 

This was my first book to read by author Lynette Eason. This is the third in the Danger Never Sleeps series. So first off you definitely can read this book without reading the other two in the series. It stands on its own and I found the mystery realistic and enjoyable. I have always enjoyed mysteries as I like trying to figure out “who dun it”. This mystery’s protagonist is Heather Fontaine- army surgeon who saves people’s lives, but unfortunately not all of them. 

Heather has a lot of baggage from her childhood onward. This makes her persona even more believable and likeable. She has returned to the states after a tour in Afghanistan. While abroad she experience some major stress and is dealing with some post trauma from her stent in active duty. Not wanting to give up too much I’ll just say her time in Afghanistan follows her back stateside. 

I highly recommend this quick read. 4 stars.