WACKY CONTRAPTIONS: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities

WACKY CONTRAPTIONS: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities
LAURA PERDEW (illus. Micah Rauch)
Nomad Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$24.95 hardcover, $19.95 paperback, available now

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: In Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities, young engineers ages 9 to 12 brainstorm, design, and build devices using the engineering design process. Kids learn about simple machines, mechanical advantage, forces, energy, motion, electricity, and other physical science concepts while creating fun and fascinating prototypes that do different kinds of work. A hands-on project book for kids who love building wacky contraptions!

How do we make contraptions that zoom, bounce, tower, and collapse? By using hands-on STEAM engineering!

In Wacky Contraptions: Gadgets That Whiz, Whoosh, Whirl, and Twist with Hands-On Engineering Activities, young engineers ages 9 to 12 brainstorm, design, and build devices using the engineering design process. Kids learn about simple machines, mechanical advantage, forces, energy, motion, electricity, and other physical science concepts while creating fun and fascinating prototypes that do different kinds of work. Plus, this book encourages kids to adopt a growth mindset and understand that when their projects don’t work, that’s a sign that it’s time to revise and try again!

Built around a plethora of hands-on projects—a conveyor belt, magnetic slime, and a water wheel are just a few examples—a fun narrative style engages kids in discussions of the forces that define our world and the work we do in it. Tension, magnetism, electricity, and chemistry affect our daily lives in ways we often overlook—but armed with the power of knowledge, kids can identify and use the science that surrounds them. Graphic novel style illustrations, photographs, fun facts, sidebars, links to online resources, and more make Wacky Contraptions entertaining and educational.

Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A bright sixth-grader who likes doing stuff with their hands will get a real lexical workout with this book. It keeps the language on the edge of their vocabulary; it will get many concepts across in infographics...the layout looks like a screen design...and it has a glossary included, to get them used to looking up words to figure out how to do something. Of course, starting out the usual stuff appears:

This is how we're starting out. It's really good at not being too far ahead of the bright ones, nor too "now look at the screen's left corner" for the average twelve-year-old.

Your middle-school nibling who's in a poor school district could get fired up over this because it's got stuff to do, to make things that work and aren't simply *there* when they are done. If the kid is watchin Mark Rober videos on YouTube, this is the gift of this Yuletide.

BRAVO FOR BACKSTAGE!, dealing with disappointment never looked better

BRAVO FOR BACKSTAGE!
MARY RAND HESS & RANDY PRESTON (illus. Marilena Perilli)
Free Spirit Publishing (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$18.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Oscar is disappointed when he doesn't land the lead role—but as stage manager, he discovers joy, friendship, and magic backstage! Includes resources for a mini-musical. Discover the magic behind the scenes!

Oscar dreams of being in the spotlight, but when the lead role in the school play goes to someone else, he finds himself in an unexpected role—stage manager. Disappointed and unsure, Oscar wonders: can you still be a star if no one sees you?

With encouragement from family and friends, Oscar learns about all the amazing people who shine from behind the scenes—like vice presidents, nurses, and even drummers. As Oscar works to keep things going backstage, he realizes that being backstage doesn’t mean being invisible. It means being indispensable.

Why kids will love Bravo for Backstage!:

Uniquely pairs an online musical performance kit with an illustrated story

Engaging storytelling features an uplifting lesson on handling disappointment and recognizing the value of every role

Celebrates teamwork and the behind-the-scenes heroes who make the magic happen

When the curtains close and the audience cheers, Oscar finally understands: stars don’t just shine in the spotlight—they shine where they’re needed most.

The Mini-Musical Tales from Bird Mountain School picture book series seamlessly blends literature and the performing arts, offering an immersive storytelling experience. Each book provides online access to a script and original song recordings, allowing readers to bring the story to life as a mini musical—just like the characters in the book. This innovative series fosters creativity, imagination, and a love for the arts, making storytelling a truly interactive adventure.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: What a great idea! A lesson about disappointment featuring someone who wants to act! It's a package of materials, and it's very personal to the creators:

I'm impressed by the clarity and the vocabulary used in this tale aimed at the five- to nine-year-olds. Not too challenging, not dumbed down...so has your grade-school giftee tried out for a play or a team, and didn't make it? Okay then! Here's a story meant to help that doesn't talk down, wrap it up in cotton wool, or dismiss feeling hurt and rejected.

I think this one's a real keeper.

THE VINTAGE FARMHOUSE GARDEN: Your Guide to Creating a Vintage-Inspired Outdoor Space, lovely AND practical!

THE VINTAGE FARMHOUSE GARDEN: Your Guide to Creating a Vintage-Inspired Outdoor Space
RHONDA KAISER
Cool Springs Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$30.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: The Vintage Farmhouse Gardenis the first garden design book to focus on the vintage-inspired farmhouse aesthetic and how to bring it to your outdoor space—no farm required. With the insight and inspiration found in The Vintage Farmhouse Garden, you’ll create a gorgeous, vintage-inspired outdoor space, overflowing with style and charm.

Garden and design influencer Rhonda Kaiser (@southernhomeandfarm) partners vintage-inspired design with the farmhouse aesthetic to make your outdoor space as beautiful and welcoming as possible. Whether it’s by creating a stunning tablescape, arranging a welcoming front porch, designing a peaceful outdoor garden oasis, or displaying a collection of seasonal plants and vintage accessories, Rhonda helps you bring all the classic comforts of a farm home into your garden, no matter where you live.

Inside, you’ll find inspiration on how to:

Turn your farmhouse garden vision into reality

Select and plant vibrant fruits, flowers, and shrubs for your farmhouse garden

Include vintage finds in your garden design

Shape a welcoming space, from your front porch to your back gate

Incorporate and decorate outbuildings like greenhouses and toolsheds to make them as beautiful as they are useful

Add pollinator-friendly plants to your garden

Celebrate the seasons by inviting and entertaining others in your space

Plus, favorite recipes using fresh flavors from the garden

Discover the joys of curating a collection of vintage accessories and showcasing it as part of a well-designed farmhouse garden, overflowing with a colorful collection of edible and ornamental plants. Welcome to The Vintage Farmhouse Garden.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: At last! I'm reviewing an aspirational book, like y'all love to ogle and drool over.

Well...yes, but in a curious way, no. This is not just a book of how to make a pretty garden in a certain old-fashioned model. It's a way to create a beautiful outdoor space to use and enjoy; it's also about getting that space to serve a very practical purpose, attracting pollinators and producing good things in the process.

There are many wonderful things about using plants to help increase the pollinators' food supply. You enjoy the flowers; they enjoy the buffet the flowers represent. A beautiful space to enjoy and live in that's also a haven for life, instead of a deadening array of hybridized-to-uselessness botanical tchotchkes, is a very good thing to create.

start with ideas

move to plans and procedures

The book is a beauty. It's got everything I'd say is important to have in this kind of book: aspiration, inspiration, and how to use your perspiration to make it come true. The price is, for this category of gift books, reasonable; tablet viewing worked very well. A tree book is always the most fun to have for us oldsters, but as a gift I don't know many who would kvetch at either form.

Wonderful self-gift, too!

ROOT VEGETABLES: A Grower’s Guide, part of the ongoing Market Gardener series

ROOT VEGETABLES: A Grower’s Guide (Market Gardener series)
JEAN-MARTIN FORTIER (edited by Pierre Nessmann; Illus. Flore Avram; tr. Laurie Bennett)
New Society Publishers (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$19.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 4.75* of five

The Publisher Says: Root Vegetables: A Grower's Guide offers an essential roadmap to cultivating Jean-Martin Fortier's 20 favorite varieties using biointensive techniques. Discover hidden gems for your garden, from staples to heirloom curiosities, with detailed guidance on growing, managing, and harvesting nutrient-packed root crops. Master the art of growing nutritious, versatile, and flavorful root vegetables with Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive farming methods.

Root Vegetables: A Grower's Guide uncovers the secrets to cultivating a wide range of root crops, from familiar favorites like potatoes and carrots to lesser-known gems like oca and salsify. Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive approach maximizes yield while nurturing soil health, making this guide invaluable to home gardeners and market farmers alike.

This richly illustrated, full-color guide includes:

A step-by-step introduction to "The Fortier Method" for sustainable, high-yield microfarming

Botanical insights into root vegetables, from ancient wild varieties to modern cultivars

Detailed profiles of 20 nutritious and versatile crops, with practical advice on growing each

Techniques for soil preparation, sowing, transplanting, fertilizing, and irrigation

Organic practices for managing pests, diseases, and crop rotations

Tips for optimizing harvest and storage to preserve flavor and nutrition.

Root Vegetables is part of the Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener series. It's designed to provide novice to expert growers with practical knowledge to succeed using the principles of biointensive, regenerative agriculture on a human scale.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: As with LIVING SOIL: A Grower’s Guide, this book is part of the ongoing Market Gardener series.

The series is meant to inform as well as inspire the people who love growing things to apply ecologically sound methods of doing so, most especially to food production. It is the use of land that matters the most...a house and flower garden matter very little to someone who's constantly hungry, or worse, starving. As our climate uncertainty shifts from "can we stop the looming disaster" to "how best can we mitigate the inevitable disaster" it behooves every privileged one of us to learn all we can about growing some of our own food to reduce the stress on a system that's going to be more stressed soon.

Start with foods you want to eat, like:

The entire series is currently available, and could be a literal lifesaver.

Well worth your time and treasure.

LIVING SOIL: A Grower’s Guide, part of the ongoing Market Gardener series

LIVING SOIL: A Grower’s Guide (Market Gardener series)
JEAN-MARTIN FORTIER (edited by Pierre Nessmann; Illus. Flore Avram; tr. Laurie Bennett)
New Society Publishers (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$19.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 4.75* of five

The Publisher Says: Living Soil: A Grower's Guide offers an illustrated, accessible resource on nurturing resilient crops and ecosystems through fertile, healthy soil. Jean-Martin Fortier shares his proven biointensive methods to help growers understand soil biology, improve fertility, and cultivate lasting abundance. Build and sustain fertile, living soil—the essential foundation for thriving crops—with Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive techniques.

Living Soil: A Grower's Guide reveals the secrets to creating fertile, healthy soil—an essential foundation for abundant, nutrient-rich harvests. With Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive methods, gardeners and farmers alike can improve soil health while supporting thriving ecosystems.

This richly illustrated, full-color guide includes:

An overview of "The Market Gardener Method"—a proven formula for small-scale, high-yield farming

A deep dive into soil composition, including humus, microbes, and mineral content

Simple DIY assessments and advanced tests for understanding soil biology and structure

Low and no-till techniques to enhance soil fertility, including composting, mulching, crop rotation, and green manures

Strategies for regenerating and sustaining soil over time.

Living Soil is part of the Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener series, offering practical knowledge for all growers. From beginner gardeners to seasoned farmers, these guides equip you with the tools and insights needed to grow sustainably using principles of biointensive, regenerative agriculture on a human scale.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Author Fortier is the founder of the Market Gardener Institute (www.themarketgardener.com) deidcated to the expansion of sustainable agriculture in all levels of farming and gardening. The entry into the Institute's Market Gardener series is very thorough indeed:

...just to orient you as to what we're going to be reading about. Of course, it always helps to have a face to put with the voice, and a milieu for both:

Where we go from here is down. Into the soil, the basic material of all food production. It is something much more important than ever, as our planetary climate shifts in as-yet unpredictable conditions. How much more warming we're going to experience is a large determining factor in how we're going to feed everybody.

Soil is what we're using to feed them, so learning about it is key. It's also key if you're going to do your own bit to help feed your own near and dear. Here are some examples of what you'll see in this book:

I'd rate this book five stars for anyone seriously wondering how to move into a market-gardening lifestyle. I think the home gardener will derive a lot of benefit from the read; but I found it overwhelming to take in all this detailed and carefully thought out information. I think most who read my reviews will likely feel the same way. I have to, in that case, take just a fraction off my rating; not from dissatisfaction but from overload of good information.

Read slowly, you'll get more out of it!

PEOPLE AND PEPPERS: A Romance, botanically savvy man goes public

PEOPLE AND PEPPERS: A Romance
KELVIN CHRISTOPHER JAMES
Harvard Square Editions (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$27.50 paperback, available now

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Gossipy, intimate, and provocative, and set in Trinidad and New York City, People and Peppers, A Romance gives a diverting peek into the nuances of a Caribbean island’s callaloo of inter-racial and multicultural social mores. James’s main characters are complex, motivated, and fun to know. Tall and handsome, the main protagonist, Vivion K Pinheiro, is the bastard of a half-Portuguese, half Afro-Haitian woman, and an attractive New Yorker with carrot-colored hair who danced beautifully.

Accomplished as well, Vivion has earned national prestige as a scholar and athlete. As a young man trying to realize dreams, he can be selfish yet thoughtful, deceptive yet generous—no real villain, just a callow fella getting over by pulling the tricky strings of privilege and personal charm.

An important factor in his dream actualization is Vivion’s doting, wealthy mother to whom he confessed an ambition to construct an ecologically sensitive, self-sufficient house on countryside property she bought for him. He imagines the finished structure to be surrounded by a pepper farm that grows Moruga Red Scorpion peppers—the hottest on the planet.

A significant stubbing-stone to his ambitions though, is a habit of dodging difficulties—when the goings get tough, Vivion’s gone. How he deals with this failing is only one serving of this fine novel. Of other satisfying portions is the influence of the women in his life. In earlier novels, James’s female characters have been admirable stalwarts and he doesn’t disappoint here. Andaluza, the mother, is an indulgent one. Nikki, the lover, is a strong other. This empathetic novel superbly speaks to women’s compassion and tolerances in the name of love. So let’s live with Vivion as he discovers and submits to the sublime effects of romantic love and father issues.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A novel with a lovely Trinidadian voice, This story of a feckless, flighty boy who's got a terrific idea...grow the hottest pepper available in an ecologically sustainable way...without any idea of what to do with the results.

All y'all already know I'm a fan of non-standard English voices...see my Celeste Mohamed reviews...and Caribbean ones in particular, so it's no surprise I enjoyed this read. Seeing still more of Trinidad's complex and varied society from a new, male viewpoint was also very interesting. Author James is not seeing the same way as Author Mohamed. Andaluza is not comparable to Jayanti, Salma, or Abby from the Mohamed stories; she's a different class, a different ethnicity, living in a similar but not shared world. As a wealthy woman of African descent, her bearing a son to a white man was shocking...and blights to some degree her lighter-skinned boy's prospects. Vivion, of course, is in a middle ground; his mother's unmarried status, but access to money makes this privileged son pretty much as one would expect him to be no matter where he hails from. His Mama will bail him out; his girl Nikki, an Indian Muslim, will stick by him; he's a bog standard spoiled boy.

When Vivion finally acts the part of a man and sets out to sell his super-peppers in New York, I got the darkest, most unnerved premonition of disaster...none of his women were going with him. All spoiled little boys feel invincible, like they can't be duped or swindled or misled. We all know where that leads...right into the hands of serious swindlers. It's not like he had not had this happen to him before....

As life at home in Trinidad keeps going in its course, Nikki and Andaluza form their own relationship that's not centered on Vivion. Their connection, formed around their shared affection for the spoiled Vivion, ripens into something more life-affirming as time goes by. It's a part of a story that takes its time to acquaint you with its world and people. This is not a one-sitting book.

Why I rate it four stars, not more, is this pacing issue. It's intentional, far as I can tell. There is no telltale sign, like a sudden infodump, to suggest the author simply lost control of the narrative. It still feels slower than the events that unfold warrant to me. I was very interested by Vivion's savvy decision to grow the hottest peppers around in a world where capsaicin is used in remedies a lot, and hottest peppers are quite prized in an affluent subculture simply for their own sake.

I was glad to have read this book. Its careful storytelling might not move swiftly but it does move well.

BUILDING SOIL: A Down-to-Earth Approach: Natural Solutions for Better Gardens & Yards, quality informational book

BUILDING SOIL: A Down-to-Earth Approach: Natural Solutions for Better Gardens & Yards
ELIZABETH MURPHY
Cool Springs Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$26.99 paperback, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Learn what it takes to improve your soil with simple and down-to-earth methods that won’t hurt the environment. It's the ecological solution to a garden of any size! This is your down-to-earth, complete manual for achieving great gardening results with your own rich, organic soil.

How do you recognize healthy soil? How much can your existing soil be improved? What are the best amendments to use for your soil? Let Building Soil answer your questions and be your guide on gardening from the ground up. Fertilizing, tilling, weed management, and irrigation all affect the quality of your soil. Using author Elizabeth Murphy’s detailed instructions, anyone can become a successful soil-based gardener, whether you want to start a garden from scratch or improve an existing garden.

If you want methods that won’t break your back, are good for the environment, and create high-yielding and beautiful gardens of all shapes and sizes, this is the book for you! Create classic landscape gardens, grow a high-yielding orchard, nurture naturally beautiful lawns, raise your household veggies, or run a profitable farm.

A soil-based approach allows you to see not just the plants, but the living system that grows them. Soil-building practices promote more ecologically friendly gardening by:

Reducing fertilizer and pesticide use

Sequestering greenhouse gases

Increasing overall garden productivity

With a detailed discussion and comparison tables on a range of organic fertilizer choices, Building Soil is a simple book full of practical, up-to-date information about building healthy soils. Simple methods perfect for the home gardener’s use put healthy, organic soil within everyone’s reach. You don’t need a degree in soil management to understand this book; you only need a yard or garden and the desire to improve it at the most basic level.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Very practical, brimful of information the novice can use; some information is couched simply so as not to scare the newbies, but could easily prove very helpful to the serious gardener with a soil issue they can't address.

No need to beat around the bush (!) then, is there. Look at the graphic presentation to see if you can work with it. We'll start simple:

Now the more information-laden bits:

It's straightforward, but not made cartoonishly oversimplified. Don't plan on an ebook. The tree book can be carried around in a garden setting, worry-free...who care if you drop a working book? A tablet, now...so tree book all the way.

As gardening books go, this is a very reasonably priced one. A strong value proposition indeed.