Lunch Money by Andrew Clements

★★★

I decided to pick up this book because Isabelle once named Andrew Clements as her favorite author.

In many ways, this book had to grow on me. When the main character Greg was first introduced, I thought he was completely unrelatable! A kid who's good at everything!? How is that interesting? It took a few chapters, but Greg's creativity and industriousness finally grew on me.

Just as things were getting interesting, we met Maura. And again! I found her just as annoying and frustrating as Greg did - though perhaps that's a testament to the author's writing ability! Gradually, I grew to accept her, though I fell short of actually liking her.

The story is good. Greg comes up with a way to make money at school - an idea that impressively requires quite a lot of work and preparation - but his plans are foiled by the school principal. Meanwhile, he surprisingly finds himself in a position of sort of befriending Maura and working with her on a new plan. Together, they want to find a way to convince the principal to allow them to run their business in school.

I like that there's a lot of development - character development, product development, relationship development. There are also a lot of opportunities to learn something - how to go about figuring out how to get something done, how some things are worth more than money, how important it is to adapt in certain situations. There's a bit of humor, and the events unfold at a good pace.

I can see why this book might appeal to upper elementary readers. As realistic fiction, there's a sense of, "Wow, I could do that, too!"

I was disappointed, then, at the very end, when the story suddenly became over-the-top and not at all realistic.

Final note: There are a lot of math references in this book, making it possibly a good selection for young readers who generally like math more than reading.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions (#6) by Lenore Look

★★★½

I LOVE that this book introduces young readers to China and many aspects of Chinese culture.

But, for the first time in this series, I found myself feeling frustrated and annoyed with Alvin. He is his usual scared and sensitive self, but now - on this big international trip - his actions aren't just cute and funny. They have some serious consequences! He inadvertently causes trouble in the airport security line and on the flight, and his antics deprive his family of a meaningful visit at both the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden Palace. As someone who loves to travel, sightsee, and take photos, I just couldn't forgive Alvin as easily and as quickly as his own family did. :P

Like all Alvin Ho books, this one includes a fun glossary at the end. I think this book was paced well, and I understand it would have been difficult to include many more points of interest while also maintaining the desired length and flow. Still, the glossary included so many interesting places and things - the terracotta army in Xian, the panda research center in Chengdu, the dinosaur pit in Zhucheng - that it was a disappointment to see those things mentioned in passing, but not explored in more depth.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

★★★★

A very short, very quick read that is a modified version of a TED talk the author gave in 2012. It's very easy to imagine the words being spoken on a stage, with a pause here, an emphasis there.

Adichie acknowledges the negative connotations associated with the word "feminism", but through personal anecdotes, challenges the reader to embrace the term.

Basically, Adichie points out that most people - despite being unwilling to take on the label of "feminist" - are, indeed, feminists. Do you believe that men and women should be treated equally? Well, congratulations! You're a feminist!

The author encourages readers - both men and women - to help fix the problem of gender inequity by first raising our own awareness of instances in which women are slighted in favor of men. Our goal, then, is to raise the next generation of boys and girls in a society without the gender expectations that have been imposed on us in years past.