Bloomsbury Kids | Daddy Mojo

Exploring LGBTQ Themes, milquetoast horror in ‘Wishbone’, Book Review

This is a very gay book. This is a very queer book. Wishbone wears either descriptor as its badge of honor and positions itself as the queer hybrid between A Nightmare on Elm Street and Stranger Things. There are some interesting horror angles presented in Wishbone, but this is mglit that’s about reassuring gay, queer, and trans kids that they have a place in society to be themselves. It’s about an 80/20 split on the lifestyle and interpersonal story to the horror angles. By looking at the written description on Amazon, the book is also disingenuous and looks like it’s trying to present itself from two fronts. A casual look will tell you that it’s about a kid confronting their bullies who is granted the powers of magic wishes, however just by looking at the back jacket you’ll see what the heavier ratio of the book is about.

Wishbone is the sibling to The Otherwoods, and not in a good way. It’s too preachy for mglit audience to enjoy it and staggers the fun with ‘message’.

This is not the horror you’re looking for

A Most Clever Girl, a great mix of art and words on Jane Austen

There are books that kids want to read and those others that parents or educators want them to read. A Most Clever Girl, How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice is a fascinating illustrated book because it straddles the line between the two very well. Jane Austen’s books are the stuff that high school students dread reading. Sure they are classic books, lauded by teachers, and have two centuries of weight behind them. However, her books have very little relevance to most casual readers and those tween readers that are forced to read them. On the contrary, A Most Clever Girl, How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice is a fun book that shows younger readers how entertaining and (gasp) fun her books are, especially when viewed through the prism of 1800.

Make kids want to read Jane Austen, we dare you

The Monster Who Wasn’t, detail-rich and a bit complex

Our 11-year-old son read The Monster Who Wasn’t first. I started to read it, found it too confusing, and put it by our bed when he walked in the room. “So, you’re reading that?” he asked. I told him that I started to read it, but got lost a chapter or two into the book. He stated that it was a great book, full of monsters and action and that I’d really enjoy it. Our oldest son reads books like I’d eat bacon if there were an endless supply of it in the kitchen. When I finished The Monster Who Wasn’t I agreed with him for the part.

It’s a great book, just follow along closely or you’ll get lost