The Swifts - A Dictionary of Scoundrels (Beth Lincoln)

 

I'm always happy when I'm compelled to read a mystery. This was a choice for my Children's Lit book club. It wasn't a hit with anyone and our discussion about it was quite short. I hadn't finished it when we had our meeting but decided to continue, despite the poor reviews. I had seen so many good reviews for it on BookTok and Instagram. I kind of mid-way about this one. Some of it was so silly...like she's aspiring to Roald Dahl or David Walliams....and truthfully, I tire of that humor. There were a few things I did enjoy though! 

At the family reunion they play games. One of my favorite was the insults game they called Mock Up. 

p. 208 A Mock-Up is, in it simplest terms, an insult contest. The players put their names into a hat, bucket or other receptacle, and stand in a circle. The referee (in this case, Fauna) pulls out two names, and the players begin a battle of words, a one-on-one match of wits. The first person to run out of ideas or start laughing is the loser. Anyone can play - it is, after all, a remarkably simple game - but there are a few rules.

"No swearing, no foul language, nothing person," said Fauna. "Remember, you don't try to actually stab someone in a fencing match, and you don't try to really hurt anyone here My word is final. If I say you're out, you're out."

The insults made me giggle:

p. 209 "You're a puttock," said Tintinnabula, sraight out of the gate. "A seizing, grasping, witch-fingered harridan!"
"And you're a screaming kettle. A braying trumpet of gibberish! The world's most boring banshee!"

...."You're a waste," said aunt Jilt. "A wizened, stunted, windblown shrub."

"That's fine, because you're a pestilent, meat-breathed plague taxi."

"You're a desperate circumstance. an idling fopdoodle with nothing to recommend her."
"And you're a bitter, dried-up lemon rind, A purse-mouthed gnashgab."

There's a LGBTQ addition to the story. One of the characters, Erf, rejects their name (something that is a fundamental premise to the family) and becomes Erf. We are never told what their previous name was but some of his family has a hard time remembering to use their new name. They try to shake the mold and just be themself. Erf is told:

p. 217 "Your gran doesn'nt get a say in who you are. No one in the world makes that decision but you."

The intro goes into a long diatribe about etymology and the evolution of the English language - exactly my thing! LOL 

"I would say that if a person is ride about the way you speak, write or spell, they are showing a distinct lack of understanding, and it's perfectly reasonable to make up a creative word to describe them."

The vocabulary in this story was great. There were too many characters to keep track of though and that made it hard to follow the story. There was a good twist in the end. I'm not so sure I'll continue on to read book 2 or 3 though. 

Goodreads says:

On the day they are born, each Swift is brought before the Family Dictionary. They are given a name and a definition, and it is assumed they will grow up to match. Unfortunately, Shenanigan Swift has other ideas.

So what if her relatives all think she's destined to turn out as a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can be whatever she wants - pirate, explorer or even detective.

Which is lucky, really, because when one of the Family tries to murder Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude, someone has to work out whodunit.

With the help of her sisters and cousin, Shenanigan grudgingly takes on the case, but more murders, a hidden treasure and an awful lot of suspects make things seriously complicated.

Can Shenanigan catch the killer before the whole household is picked off? And in a Family where definitions are so important, can she learn to define herself?

Winner of the Barnes & Noble Children's Book Award, shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards and nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

Joyful Anyway (Kate Bowler)

 

When I heard about this book, I had to go buy it right away. It was just what I was looking for. My word of the year for 2026 is shine, as in, "...this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!" I have felt like there is so much that is hard. Education right now is a hard place. There is frustration with the government and teacher's rights, funding and growing misunderstandings with teachers and the government. My school is a hard place. We have had tragedy occur and despite many professing that we are one happy family, there is pettiness and cliques and heartache as fall out and I'm not sure how it'll get fixed. And then there are all the regular life struggles....but I'm supposed to feel joy, right? This book felt like a manual to finding that joy and showing it. 

Kate Bowler is a wise woman. This is a book I will read again and again until I really get it. I will read it again and again until I can really live it. I felt like a lot of this book was written like parables. They need pondering and time. There were a lot of great tidbits to grab and hold on to. I bet every story would speak differently to every person.

Goodreads says:

The bestselling author and Duke University professor discovers the true magic of it appears when we least expect it—and even if we don’t feel happy, we can be joyful, anyway.

Life aches. Joy is the cure.

After surviving a stage-four cancer diagnosis, Kate Bowler knew she was supposed to be grateful. Alive. Blessed. But she still ached—for more connection, more surprise, less resentment on an ordinary day.

So she went looking for joy. Not the toxic positivity kind. Not a 5-step plan. But the type that sneaks in unexpectedly, seemingly out of nowhere. A lemur sunbathing. A belly laugh at a funeral. A dive into the Atlantic with a shark wrangler.

In Joyful, Anyway, Bowler takes us on a hilarious and tender journey through big questions and small delights. With wry wit and deep honesty, she explores how joy can surprise us even in the middle of pain, boredom, and longing.

This is not a book about fixing your life. It is about how we can all find more—feel more—by making room for small extraordinary moments. 

For anyone who has ever felt stuck, who is achy for meaning, who feels undone by loss, who feels that joy is just out of reach, who wants, simply, to have more fun, Joyful Anyway is a delicious, insightful tour through the questions that sit in the deepest part of our souls. It proves that for every time we Is this it? Joy will there is more. 

Winston Chu Vs The Whimsies (Stacy Lee)

 

I love the concept of this book. Rick Riordan has people writing classics like Percy Jackson but they are folktales from other countries. I need to read more of these! 

I did this as a read-aloud. It's pretty long though and lots of detail that make it perhaps a little too long for grade 3. It took us almost 3 months to read it. Every now and then I'd read ahead and then figure out what parts I could skip to make it go a little faster. It is pegged as a middle-grade book, and I'd agree. Some of the humor was beyond my students. There is a little bit of boy/girl crush stuff too. Although, the soccer talk was a hit!

Goodreads says:

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling author Stacey Lee's modern reimagining of a classic Chinese folktale—replete with magic, boba, and lots of trash talking.

Twelve-year-old Winston Chu is supposed to learn impulse control at the cooking academy his mom enrolled him in. But learning to think before he acts won’t happen overnight.

While skateboarding home with a pie in hand, Winston inadvertently stops a robbery at Mr. Pang’s Whimsies, an oddities shop in Chinatown. As a reward, Mr. Pang invites Winston to choose any item in the store. But the strange old man warns Winston to browse carefully, for the first thing Winston touches will be the thing he gets. Before Winston can decide, a magpie flies under a shelf, and he impulsively grabs an old broom to sweep it out.

Mr. Pang hands him the broom, along with a dustpan. “Two for one. Congratulations.”

Deflated, Winston returns home, determined to put the broom incident behind him. Or at least in the closet. But when some of his most beloved possessions go missing, all Winston can think about are the broom and dustpan. Did they somehow take his stuff? And what—or who—will they dispose of next?

It’s time to break into Mr. Pang’s Whimsies, where clearly there’s more going on than meets the far-seeing eyeball. It’s time to fight magic with magic. And this time, Winston better have a plan.

The Gift of Not Belonging (Dr Rami Kaminski)

 

Very interesting! Good read for those who feel like they're neither an extrovert nor an introvert. Maybe you're an otrovert! 

I did the quiz. It said: 

You show moderate otrovert tendencies. You likely experience some emotional separation from group dynamics while still engaging socially. You might selectively connect with certain groups while maintaining distance from others. Your mixed profile suggests flexibility in how you relate to groups.

Goodreads says:

The first book to explore the distinct personality style of the otrovert — someone who lacks the communal impulse and does not fit in with any social group, regardless of its members — and to reveal all the advantages of being an otrovert and how otroverts contribute to the world.

If you were the kid who never wanted to go to summer camp, if you prefer spending time with friends one- on-one than going to parties, if you would rather forgo your vacation than travel with a tour group, and if you often engage in acts of silent rebellion against group norms and traditions, you are very likely an otrovert.

Dr Kaminski has been studying this personality style for over 30 years. He explains that, while otroverts enjoy deep and fulfilling one-on-one relationships, within groups they feel alienated, uncomfortable, and alone. Unlike introverts, who crave solitude and are easily drained by social interactions, otroverts can be quite gregarious and rarely tire from one-on-one socialising. And unlike loners, or people who have been marginalised based on their identity, otroverts are socially embraced and often popular — yet are unable to conform with what the group collectively thinks or cares about.

And therein lie the great gifts of being an otrovert. When you have no affinity for any particular group, your sense of self-worth is not conditioned on the group’s approval. And, best of all, you know no other way to think other than to think for yourself. The Gift of Not Belonging urges otroverts to embrace their unique gifts, and equips them with the knowledge and tools to thrive in a communal world.

Saving Eli's Library (Ruth Horowitz)

 

Good story to connect to our Extreme Weather unit! 

Goodreads says:

Eli loves going to the library for Story Circle, but, one stormy day, the nearby river threatens to flood it. Eli and his dad must brave the storm to help save the books, and, when the storm is over, the whole town must come together to rebuild the library. Inspired by the residents of Lincoln, Vermont, who rebuilt their library on three separate occasions, Saving Eli's Library showcases one community's bigheartedness, and the power of water and nature.

The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan (Jasmine Warga)

 

I read this with my grade 3 book club. I loved it! My students said they didn't think it had enough action - but we had a great book club activity after. We played memory with memory cards I had made about the book. It was a great way to discuss different things about the book. 

All the way through you don't know why Finnegan is a rescue dog. His story from his past slowly unfolds and breaks your heart. 

This would be a great read-aloud. I will put it on my list for next year! 

Goodreads says:

Finnegan is a rescue dog with a broken heart.
Chase is an anxious cheetah cub, newly orphaned.

The two animals couldn't be more different. But one day, they are brought together for the unlikeliest of Finnegan must help Chase gain the confidence she needs to perform as part of an educational program for children at a zoo.

Finnegan and Chase have each suffered losses and have trouble trusting. Yet somehow, they are just what the other needs. But if Finnegan isn’t able to help Chase overcome her fears, he won’t just be letting Chase down–he could be risking his new home as well.

Inspired by true stories from zoos across the country, award-winning author Jasmine Warga creates a deeply moving tale about how the power of friendship can transcend anything – even species.

Spark (Chris Baron)

 

Wow. This book was an experience. The author did a fantastic job of really helping you feel the fear that is a part of events like devastating fires. I had serious feeling stirred up about how important it is to look after the environment...and being a girl who'd rather stay inside and read - that is something. The whole idea of survival - how the forest realizes that burning is a part of the natural process...and the humans have to learn to understand that as well as they live amongst the forest in areas developed where they weren't in the past.....powerful symbolism.

I'm not sure what age I'd recommend Spark for. Colby Sharp read it to his grade five students (I think anyway....or maybe he just read it himself...not sure). I'm not so sure I'd do that. If I read it aloud, there's definitely be tears and big emotions on my part. It says it's a middle-grade book - but it's one that you'd have to approach carefully because there are a lot of big and difficult issues of trauma. The scenes where they escape the fire are so well written! 

Rabbit figuring out the origin of the fire reminded me of Willowdeen arguing for science and saving the trees. I loved the connection to ancestors. Early on, Finn learns that the portrait of his great-grandfather, Phineas Katz, is important to his family—and that if the fire ever comes they should save it. Finn, the main character, is named after his grandfather. He has traits like his grandfather - liked to keep a journal and write down lists of things.

There is a black-and-white photograph above the fireplace of my great-grandfather, Phineas Katz. Everyone says I look like him: brown hair, green eyes, medium height.  Average, like someone who fits right in. His story is how our family got here. He uprooted everyone, because their home wasn't safe. On the ship, a sailor warned him he should shorten their names, so when he got to the States they could have a "normal life". But is normal, anyway, once everything in your life has changed? He disagreed, but he shortened it from Phineas. I know him as Great-Grandpa Finn. That's me, too. Phineas Katz, but everyone calls me Finn. Mom says that my great-grandfather kept a field journal. He loved to write it all down just like I do, inking everything he could about his journey. Mom says the field journal and the photograph remind us of whah=t is important, where we've come from, and what we've been through. Mom says that if the fire does ever come, we can't forget to take his portrait.

His great grandfather went in search of a "normal life"....which is what they try to get back to after the fire. 

The author is Jewish and the main character in the book is also Jewish. I read this with my Children's Lit book club and one of the other teachers told me about PJ Library...and organization that sends children (ages 0 to 5) a book every month that has Jewish characters or teaches about Jewism.  

Goodreads says:

Finn and his friend, nicknamed Rabbit, live in a rural area that's been hit hard by wildfires. Families were displaced and school was interrupted. Moreover, their beloved forest is suffering -- animals and plants haven't been able to come back, and the two friends wonder if there's anything they can do to help. Rabbit's uncle, a science teacher, is part of a study that may help bring the forest back to life, but Finn and Rabbit wonder if the forest can wait. And what if another fire comes in the meantime? They believe a small part of the forest -- the forest heart -- that survived the wildfire may hold the key to regrowth, but first, they have to find it and then convince the adults around them to listen.

For any young person who's ever felt powerless against the world, here is a story about two kids doing all they can to understand their natural world and preserve it.