That's Noteworthy! (vol. 11)

mysteries, a memoir, & making spirits bright

Happy last That’s Noteworthy of the year! I have loved putting these together over the last few months and you can bet that I will continue sending them in the new year (still planning on the every-other-week schedule). I hope you are enjoying the holiday season wherever you are.

📚. Books I recently read…

I’m in a very deep middle-grade mystery phase, and I’m loving it there. 😁

all of these were great on audio!

• Space Case by Stuart Gibbs :: My daughter and I finished our slow listen to this (we put it on whenever we were in the car together). I loved this middle grade sci-fi mystery and I think we will continue with the trilogy. It kept me guessing until the very end and definitely surprised me. I look forward to seeing what Dashiell gets up to in future books. His little sister, Violet, provided some fun comedic moments. It's nice to see a supportive family as well-- Dash's parents aren't a big part of the story but they are good parental figures when they do show up, and even the siblings have a few sweet moments. The tech is very fun and impressive. I heard Stuart Gibbs say at an author event that he actually has an astronaut friend who helped a lot in his research. While this is a murder mystery, there isn't anything graphic about it. Kids in my library who love mysteries and science love this series.
  5 ⭐️s

• It's Not Bragging If It's True: How to Be Awesome at Life by Zaila Avant-Garde:: A rare find in a middle grade memoir, this is a great (rather short) book to hand to a kid who needs an inspirational kick in the pants. Zaila very honestly encourages her readers to not be afraid to be "weird," and to work hard at whatever they want to have success in. She is quite charming (she reads the audio herself), and obviously she is usually accomplished. But her lessons are applicable to kids with all kinds of interests and goals. I bought this for our library after I saw Zaila speak on an webinar panel.
  4⭐️s

• Minerva Keen's Detective Club by Keir Graff, James Patterson :: What a fun, zany, funny mystery. I absolutely loved this middle grade take on Only Murders in the Building. The audio production was one of the best I’ve ever heard. The mystery adventure itself was clever and unexpected, and the characters were delightful. Looking forward to hopefully more books about Minerva and friends. (FYI: I have one spoilery content warning in my review on The Storygraph for readers with a particular phobia/sensitivity.)
  5 ⭐️s

• A Nancy Drew Christmas by Carolyn Keene :: A captivating modern Nancy Drew mystery (published in 2018), I thoroughly enjoyed this and now I want to read more of the Nancy Drew Diaries series. There is a fun cameo in it that I wasn't expecting, and Nancy has a unique challenge that makes her "detecting" a bit more interesting than normal (I haven't seen detecting used as a verb much before this book but I liked it). This book features an environmental spin that makes it feel very modern. I will put this at upper middle grade as the mystery is on the complicated side, and it touches on some slightly high-level political and environmental issues & details that might be a lot for a younger reader. The audio narrator is Jorjeana Marie, who I recognized from other books. I like her a lot! (If you/your young reader loves this and wonders how Carolyn Keene can still be writing books after all this time, Hallee and I recommend Sisterhood of Sleuths by

  Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
  ).
  4.5 ⭐️s

• No newly read YA this week, but I’m currently reading The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park and enjoying it so far!

🤓. In the library…

It’s been a delightful couple of weeks in the library… cozy fireplace videos on the TV, holiday coloring sheets and mad libs, gathering new applications for my BookWORM volunteer program, processing and putting out new books, gratefully receiving some thoughtful gifts. I read How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? this week (to K-2) and got laughs on every page spread. My heart is full and I’m also SO happy to be on break for a couple of weeks. I’ll just leave you with this little conversation that made me smile (between fourth grade twins in the library recently):

Maria: Don’t you have that book on kindle?
Elena: Yes
Maria: Then why do you need the book?
Elena:…
Elena: If I look at your face once, can I look at it again?
Maria: (shrug)

some new books I recently received for the library (many here that I’ve loved)

📖. What my kids are reading…

• Gigi (16) had a busy couple of weeks of finals and projects, so she’s still reading Nightfall, but she also started Anna K: A Love Story by Jenny Lee.

• Brody (13) devoured and loved the entire Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. He’s now reading Daniel Nayeri’s new book, The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams, which I also want to read.

• Hallee (12) just started A Nancy Drew Christmas.

Bonus! Here are the books I’m gifting my kids this Christmas:

• Gigi: the newest Minalima Harry Potter (I’ve been giving her one each year as they’re published; this year is book 3). They are such beautiful masterpieces!

• Brody: Eragon: The Illustrated Version (another beauty of a book!)

• Hallee: Insight Editions sent me a review copy of their new cookbook, Crayola: Cooking with Color (it looks so fun!) so I’m giving it to Hallee, along with On Air With Zoe Washington (she loved book 1).

• And! My nephews (10 & 13) are getting Mexikid, a graphic novel that I’m currently reading and thoroughly enjoying. Brody liked it, too!

🥰. Things bringing me joy right now…

• receiving Christmas cards!

• shopping for loved ones

• talking about books with new and old friends

• cooking and baking

• Chobani peppermint mocha creamer in my coffee

• listening to For King and Country and Jon & Valerie Guerra’s Christmas albums

I have a couple of extra posts planned for my break from work … one is a list of the most popular titles in my library so far this school year, and it should reach you this weekend.

Happy Friday and happy reading!

xo,
Nicole

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