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Lori K. Joyce

Children's & YAMiddle Grade

Teddy Roosevelt’s uncharted expedition

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Readers will enjoy a rapid ride through history in Death on the River of Doubt as Theodore Roosevelt, his son Kermit, explorer Colonel Cândido Rondon and a jungle-hardened crew explore an uncharted river in Brazil’s Amazonian rainforest. In 1913-14, these explorers spent nearly four months surveying the river, during which time Roosevelt also planned to collect wildlife specimens for the American Museum of Natural History.

The expedition started with severe losses, as the team was forced to ditch supplies as mules and oxen died of starvation. This was just the beginning of travails for the crew. In one gripping moment, two canoes became pinned between river rocks, and Roosevelt rushed into piranha-infested waters to help free the boats, gouging his leg in the process. As Roosevelt’s leg wound and a malarial infection brought him near death, he begged Rondon to leave him behind. 

Author Samantha Seiple adds realism to the story through explorers’ journal entries and photographs. In his darkest moments, Roosevelt may have doubted his expedition and his own survival, but there is no doubt that this middle grade read earns high marks for historical accuracy and adventure.

 

This article was originally published in the January 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Readers will enjoy a rapid ride through history in Death on the River of Doubt as Theodore Roosevelt, his son Kermit, explorer Colonel Cândido Rondon and a jungle-hardened crew explore an uncharted river in Brazil’s Amazonian rainforest. In 1913-14, these explorers spent nearly four months surveying the river, during which time Roosevelt also planned to collect wildlife specimens for the American Museum of Natural History.
YA FictionYA

Time on his hands

Review by Lori K. Joyce

In Tara Sim’s young adult debut novel, Timekeeper, time does wait for man—and one man in particular. To keep the balance in this steampunk Victorian London world, special people who can sense the fibers of time are trained to be mechanics who keep the clocks in the towers running spritely.

At 17, Danny is the youngest person to become a fully instated mechanic. Although Danny has achieved this milestone, his life is angst-filled and complicated. Danny has had the recent misfortune to be working on a clock when it inexplicitly explodes. The scar on his chin from the accident is minor compared to the mental scars he tries to hide. He is fearful of being in another explosion—or worse, trapped like his father in a town where time stopped because the clock spirit abandoned the tower.

Furthermore, the first love of Danny’s life is forbidden, not because the object of his affection is a male, but because the boy is a clock spirit. Danny knows the romance is dangerous and tries to stay away from the spirit, but life puts them together in unexpected heart- and time-stopping ways. Since no one will believe Danny, he must race against time itself to save those he loves and those to whom he has a responsibility.

This is an enjoyable start to a promising new trilogy.

In Tara Sim’s young adult debut novel, Timekeeper, time does wait for man—and one man in particular. To keep the balance in this steampunk Victorian London world, special people who can sense the fibers of time are trained to be mechanics who keep the clocks in the towers running spritely.

YA NonfictionYAMemoir

A Palestinian writer’s coming-of-age

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Continuing where her critically acclaimed memoir Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood (2007) ends, Ibtisam Barakat shares stories of growing up during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from 1971 to 1981. Balcony on the Moon succeeds in creating a vivid picture of normal family life, but “normal” for Barakat means moving frequently because of war, loving her Islamic religion and experiencing familial conflict due to lack of opportunities in Israeli-occupied territories. Through Barakat’s search for what it means to be Palestinian, readers see her learn, grow and change.

Many people think it is aayb, shameful, when Barakat’s mother becomes a student and attends a co-ed school. Within this culture’s strict familial code, a certain type of commitment is necessary if a person wishes to pursue a dream, and Barakat experiences similar difficulties due to her strong belief in education.

Barakat’s memoir weaves a balance between the personal, public and political aspects of coming of age in a war-strafed region. A hopeful writer from a young age, Barakat kept journals all her life, and material from these young musings provides a rich storehouse of scenes, memories and details that make the story strum with authenticity. Sprinkled throughout are Arabic words with English equivalents, adding to the story’s sense of reality.

 

This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

The original version of this review inaccurately transliterated the Arabic word for "shameful." We regret the error.

Continuing where her critically acclaimed memoir Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood (2007) ends, Ibtisam Barakat shares stories of growing up during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from 1971 to 1981. Balcony on the Moon succeeds in creating a vivid picture of normal family life, but “normal” for Barakat means moving frequently because of war, loving her Islamic religion and experiencing familial conflict due to lack of opportunities in Israeli-occupied territories. Through Barakat’s search for what it means to be Palestinian, readers see her learn, grow and change.
YA FictionYAHistorical Fiction

Life, love and dinosaurs

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Fossil feuding is alive and well in Printz Honor-winning author Kenneth Oppel’s young adult historical novel Every Hidden Thing. Two esteemed dinosaur hunters, Professor Cartland of Yale University and non-affiliated “Professor” Bolt from Philadelphia are archrivals, mimicking the real-life competition between paleontologists O.C. Marsh of the Peabody Museum at Yale and E.D. Cope of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.

In Oppel’s story, however, the real champions are the star-crossed young adults, who just happen to be the children of the eminent bone collectors. In a world where the adults are immoral enough to use their children to get information about their competitor’s dinosaur prospecting plans, every interaction is suspect. Is Samuel really attracted to Rachel, or is he just trying to flatter her to get information? Can Rachel overcome her loyalty to her father to let her feelings for Sam surface?

With the American West of the post-Civil War period as the backdrop, the book delves into the displacement of Native Americans by a host of government edicts. Additionally, a Sioux burial platform is brutally desecrated, an act that will have grave consequences.

As both professors race to find the giant bones belonging to the super-size black-toothed dinosaur, pressure increases between the camps. Rachel and Sam are also experiencing tensions from stolen kisses and sexual awakenings. The resolution of these issues confounds any speculation by the reader.

 

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Fossil feuding is alive and well in Printz Honor-winning author Kenneth Oppel’s young adult historical novel Every Hidden Thing. Two esteemed dinosaur hunters, Professor Cartland of Yale University and non-affiliated “Professor” Bolt from Philadelphia are archrivals, mimicking the real-life competition between paleontologists O.C. Marsh of the Peabody Museum at Yale and E.D. Cope of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.
Mystery & SuspenseFictionSuspense

A socialite’s secrets

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Zoe Whittaker, the much-loved wife of a rich, handsome Wall Street guru, has a past at odds with her current situation. A name change and a coast-to-coast move to a new life put her unsavory past behind her—or did it? 

The Vanishing Year offers a brief flashback, showing Zoe at the worst time in her life. She’s in mourning after her adopted mother’s death, and to numb her pain, she turns to drugs and alcohol and consorts with the dregs of society, drug dealers and pimps. Once Zoe learns her suppliers are involved in human sex trafficking, she cleans up her act and turns state’s witness. After being starved and beaten by the thugs, Zoe flees California and begins a new life in New York City.

Now it seems that her past is infringing on her present. At first, Zoe blithely chalks up nearly being hit by a car as a quintessential New York City experience. But when her apartment is ransacked, Zoe starts to wonder if the incidents are connected and begins to fear for her life. The story is fraught with Rebecca-esque tropes, such as a disturbingly devoted housekeeper and a husband who worships Zoe, his new second wife, but tends to be suspicious of her actions.

Zoe enlists the help of a society-page reporter to uncover part of her past that she wants revealed, that of her birth mother. Since Zoe’s husband doesn’t support her search, she does her sleuthing without his knowledge, and he becomes even more suspicious of her behavior. Readers will wonder who is good, evil, or simply the victim of misguided thinking as they devour bestselling author Kate Moretti’s latest book, full of expertly placed screens and revelations.

Zoe Whittaker, the much-loved wife of a rich, handsome Wall Street guru, has a past at odds with her current situation. A name change and a coast-to-coast move to a new life put her unsavory past behind her—or did it? 

Children's & YAPicture Book

Buggy buddy

Review by Lori K. Joyce

If you have ever observed pill bugs, regionally known as potato bugs or rollie pollies, you know what delightful creatives they are. Hank the pill bug stars in his adventure of a typical day, one that enchants with the ordinary rendered extraordinary. 

Hank’s Big Day, written by Evan Kuhlman and illustrated by Chuck Groenink, begins with a smiling bug with big dark eyes and a waving leg, who peers at readers from around the corner of his rock house. Throughout Hank’s day, he gleefully shimmies, nibbles, creeps, climbs and, of course, curls up. Hank’s best friend is an aviator hat-wearing human girl named Amelia, who idolizes Amelia Earhart. The world of imaginative play is explored with utmost delight as Amelia takes off on a flying adventure accompanied by her pill bug friend. On their pretend travels, they cross the Atlantic Ocean, wave to the queen in England and eat in a Paris café. They land safely back home and part ways, happy to have shared a wonderful day together.

Rendered in muted, natural colors, Groenink’s line drawings realistically display Hank’s bug’s-eye perspective. When Hank rides on Amelia’s hat, readers see an amazing, expansive view that encompasses Hank’s whole world. After Hank’s time with Amelia, he repeats his trek through the backyard, this time in reverse. The lighting in the pictures skillfully shows the passing of time.

This charming, positive book revels in unusual friendships and the value of imagination.

If you have ever observed pill bugs, regionally known as potato bugs or rollie pollies, you know what delightful creatives they are. Hank the pill bug stars in his adventure of a typical day, one that enchants with the ordinary rendered extraordinary. 

YA FictionYA

Cold realities of American history

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Stealing Indians by John Smelcer is unapologetically grim, and this is a good thing. This story chronicles a very sad social experiment in American history: For nearly 100 years the Federal government sponsored a program of education that removed, sometimes forcibly, young Native-American children from their homes and families, often for years.

The story follows four youngsters from different tribes who travel many days on buses and trains with little or no food, drink or information to one of these so-called Indian schools. The three boys and one girl form a strong bond of friendship that proves to be steadfast. Whether they are searching in the middle of the night for Lucy, who jumps out a window to avoid a male predator, or providing food for Sammy through a loose brick in the wall while he is chained to a radiator as punishment for speaking Navajo, they always have each other’s backs.

The book covers the eradication of the children’s Native-American heritage through the cutting of hair and forbidding native language, ceremonies and stories. The scenes are not overly graphic, thus giving a glimpse into this sorry chapter of history that is appropriate for the targeted audience.

While the events of Stealing Indians are often disturbing, the young characters support each other's indomitable spirits and share stolen moments of freedom and defiance. 

Stealing Indians by John Smelcer is unapologetically grim, and this is a good thing. This story chronicles a very sad social experiment in American history: For nearly 100 years the Federal government sponsored a program of education that removed, sometimes forcibly, young Native-American children from their homes and families, often for years.

Mystery & SuspenseFictionMystery

Finding what was lost

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Imagine the guilt and fear you would have to live with if, while you slept, your sibling were abducted from your shared bedroom. Protagonist Julia Gooden has lived with those feelings for 30 years. She was only 7 when her brother was kidnapped, and can’t remember anything from that night other than not locking the outside door because she didn’t want her brother to think she was a baby. The daughter of an alcoholic mother and a grifter father, she lost her only anchor with her brother’s snatching.

Now a crime beat reporter, Julia calls the investigating officer on the anniversary of her brother’s unsolved disappearance to see if anything has surfaced. He responds kindly, showing his concern for her mental health, but has no new leads. Obsessive and fearful, Julia is abnormally overprotective of her own children, ages 2 and 9, and her marriage is strained to its breaking point.

The horrific kidnapping of Julia’s 2-year-old reignites her feelings of helplessness. But this time, Julia doesn’t give up; as a journalist, she is in a position to investigate her son’s situation. Her emotions are running high as she tries to determine if the kidnapping of her child is related to her brother’s, or if it’s merely a random, unfair coincidence. While many facts makes a plausible case the kidnappings are connected, there is enough mystery and second-guessing in The Last Time She Saw Him to satisfy diehard suspense readers.

Journalist Jane Haseldine’s debut novel rings with authenticity as she, like Julia, is a former crime reporter. This is a harrowing read.

Imagine the guilt and fear you would have to live with if, while you slept, your sibling were abducted from your shared bedroom. Protagonist Julia Gooden has lived with those feelings for 30 years. She was only 7 when her brother was kidnapped, and can’t remember anything from that night other than not locking the outside door because she didn’t want her brother to think she was a baby.

Children's & YAMiddle Grade

Hunting a secret treasure on the New England coast

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Classic elements of gothic literature combine in Michelle Chalfoun’s delightful first book for middle grade readers, as a girl moves to a new part of the country and encounters a mostly empty mansion, a dying old man and a secret treasure map.

Maria Mamoun spends most of her days alone, reading or watching TV when she’s not in school. She doesn’t complain about missing her overworked, single mom. She doesn’t complain when bullied by a girl gang in her Bronx neighborhood, either. However, when things get really nasty, her mother makes the decision to uproot them both, and Maria finds herself like a fish out of water living on an island in New England.

With her usual good spirits, she befriends the elderly gentleman her mother cares for, and he gives her tantalizing hints about an old sea captain and his buried treasure. When Maria finds a treasure map in the rafters of the cottage where she and her mother live, Maria dreams of finding the treasure so she and her mother will never have to leave the shore Maria has come to love.

Soon Maria transforms her dreams into action. She befriends a troubled boy, and together they figure out the mystery of the map and plot to sneak out at night when a clue will be visible in the sky. Maria’s overwhelming desire to find the treasure clouds her judgement, and she makes poor moral choices because of it. The Treasure of Maria Mamoun eventually reveals exactly what is most treasured.

Classic elements of gothic literature combine in Michelle Chalfoun’s delightful first book for middle grade readers, as a girl moves to a new part of the country and encounters a mostly empty mansion, a dying old man and a secret treasure map.

Science Fiction & FantasyMystery & SuspenseFictionFantasyDebut Fiction

Time-traveling, bookish thrills

Review by Lori K. Joyce

In our world, librarians are a special type of hero, but the librarians in The Invisible Library dedicate their lives to saving works of fiction from alternate planes of the world.

In their quests to find the important works of fiction in different realities, Librarians spend many years training to master the Language, spoken and written magical words that are useful in telling doors to unlock or waters to rise up and flood hallways. The Language is often needed because while the Librarians feel they are preserving the books, the worlds where they take the books from believe they are stealing—a difference of opinion that leads to close calls and risky business.

The adventure begins for heroine Irene and trainee Kai when the book they need to bring back was stolen right before their arrival. In this alternate London of a vague 1890s timeframe, the world has been overtaken by a chaotic infestation. Fanciful creatures populate this dimension, and Irene and Kai need to puzzle out who the good guys are from the bad ones, all the while searching for the book that many parties are after. Vampires, dragons, the Fae and a rogue Librarian are just some of the creatures our heroes battle. Irene and Kai join forces with a detective with great powers of discernment á la Sherlock Holmes, and the biggest mystery is why the book is so valuable to so many parties.

The Invisible Library’s writing is on the wall. The premise and execution are too engaging for just one book, and this promises to be a series worth investing in for future reading. Genevieve Cogman’s debut will please bibliophiles and mystery, fantasy and adventure readers.

In our world, librarians are a special type of hero, but the librarians in The Invisible Library dedicate their lives to saving works of fiction from alternate planes of the world.

Children's & YAPicture Book

Sweet bedtime with fairy-tale villains

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Nighttime falls, and the villains from storybooks are tired and need to rest. Good Night, Baddies, written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Juli Kangas, delights with a fanciful take on what monsters and “baddies” do at night.

Fairy-tale creatures such as giants, wicked witches, big bad wolves, evil queens, dragons and trolls begin their evening at home by amicably sharing a civilized dinner, while chatting about their daily activities of blowing down houses or making poisoned apples. After dinner, these classic nasties go through regular bedtime routines of politely taking turns in the bathroom, having cleansing bubble baths and brushing their teeth.

Things get a little hairy when the giant is afraid that there might be a princess under his bed, but the witches check it out and give the all clear. A dragon relaxes with a glass of milk, kindly offered by a troll, and all the rogues like to read before bed.

Most of Kangas’ illustrations are vibrantly rendered in primary colors, but the baddies’ pajamas are in softer hues with comfy stripes, checks, hearts, polka dots and flowers. Several creatures have security items like blankies or stuffed animals. The overall effect is whimsical and charming, and not at all scary.

Children will enjoy the humorous text and rhythm of the book’s rhyming couplets. When kids recognize the “baddies” in this story from other tales, their enjoyment of Good Night, Baddies will soar. After all, even “baddies” have friends and can act differently at home.

Nighttime falls, and the villains from storybooks are tired and need to rest. Good Night, Baddies, written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Juli Kangas, delights with a fanciful take on what monsters and “baddies” do at night.

Mystery & SuspenseFictionSuspense

A roomie vanishes, leaving only secrets

Review by Lori K. Joyce

Getting or becoming a new roommate is a spin on the lottery wheel of life. Sometimes you hit the jackpot, and sometimes you lose everything. Quinn Collins can’t believe how lucky she is to have Esther as her roommate. Sure, one time Esther became practically feral when Quinn borrowed her spices without asking. And if she’s a bit bossy, it’s only because she has Quinn’s best interests at heart, right?

Until the night Esther disappears, Quinn thinks she’s just a wonderful person and even fondly calls her Saint Esther. However, as Quinn searches for clues to Esther's unexplained departure, she uncovers disturbing facts that make her rethink all her previous impressions of Esther. Not content to idly wait the police-recommended 72 hours before searching for a missing person, Quinn scours Esther's room, only to find an ominous letter signed by EV, her roommate’s initials. The note is a love letter of sorts to a mystery person, but includes stalker-like content. Quinn also discovers that Esther advertised for a new roommate—a replacement for her. Saddened, she enlists the aid of a mutual friend to help her solve the mysteries surrounding Esther's disappearance and the facts behind the letter.

Another plotline develops when a strange young woman arrives in a town about an hour away from the girls’ apartment. Told by an adolescent obsessed with the new arrival, readers assume the girl must be Esther—or is she?

In her third novel, Don’t You Cry, Mary Kubica follows a trajectory of warmth, suspense and fear. Her skill as an author is apparent in this novel that successfully aligns opposing attributes and astonishes readers with multilayered intrigue. Readers take a sinister tour of family and personal dynamics in this tortuous, well-tempered novel of suspense.

Getting or becoming a new roommate is a spin on the lottery wheel of life. Sometimes you hit the jackpot, and sometimes you lose everything. Quinn Collins can’t believe how lucky she is to have Esther as her roommate. Sure, one time Esther became practically feral when Quinn borrowed her spices without asking. And if she’s a bit bossy, it’s only because she has Quinn’s best interests at heart, right?

Children's & YAMiddle Grade

A hilarious and heartfelt look at being a young immigrant

Review by Lori K. Joyce

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel is a charming, authentic and insightful account of an immigrant trying to make sense of America. The book also provides a peek at a moment in history when relations between Iran and the U.S. were severed due to the hostage crisis of 1979.

Delightful young Zomorod Yousefzadeh goes by Cindy, taken from “The Brady Bunch” television show. She is a new arrival to Southern California, where she must figure out the unwritten rules of middle-school conduct while serving as her mother’s interpreter. Her desire to fit in, combined with her kind-hearted embarrassment of her parents, leaves readers rooting for Cindy’s success.

This coming-of-age story takes a dark turn with the backdrop of heightening tensions between the U.S. and Iran. As an Iranian, Cindy is expected to be the expert on this political crisis, and she does her best to help people understand the situation. But she doesn’t fully succeed in her attempts to educate people, and she and her family become victims of a hate crime and racist remarks. While trying to discover the perpetrators of the crime, Cindy realizes she, too, was quick to unfairly judge a classmate.

After her award-winning memoir, Funny in Farsi, Firoozeh Dumas makes a humorous mark with her semi-autobiographical middle-grade debut.

 

This article was originally published in the May 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel is a charming, authentic and insightful account of an immigrant trying to make sense of America. The book also provides a peek at a moment in history when relations between Iran and the U.S. were severed due to the hostage crisis of 1979.

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