Upcoming Release Review: The Art of the Swap

The Art of the Swap
by Kristine Asselin and Jen Malone
Age Range: 8-12
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Publisher: Aladdin
9781481478717
The past and the present shake hands in this fun and all-around thrilling collaboration of art, history, and girl power.

 Hannah Jordan lives in The Elms, a mansion preserved by the Newport Antiquities Society as a museum. Well, technically, she lives above it. As the daughter of the mansion’s caretaker, Hannah has always had free reign in the beautiful estate. She also has a fierce love for the history of The Elms, including that of its former occupants.

As the niece of the mansion’s owners, Margaret Dunlap is spending the summer at The Elms with her aunt and uncle, where a commissioned portrait of her is about make its debut. Margaret would much rather slide down the banisters or read The Wonderful Wizardof Oz in her room than sit for the painting, but this is 1905, and such behavior is not proper for a young lady about to turn thirteen. In Hannah’s time, the very same portrait of Margaret is famous for going missing the night of its planned unveiling.

When the two girls spot each other in the corner of a mirror that hangs behind its replicant (a seascape in Margaret’s time) and fall through, they don’t just swap places. They swap bodies. Suddenly, Hannah finds herself at the very place she has grown up, but in the time period in which she always dreamed of seeing it, and at the very moment she has been most fascinated with: the heist of Margaret’s portrait. Margaret (known as Maggie to those closest to her) is still in the summer estate she knows so well, only it doesn’t look quite right. And is she wearing trousers? Made of denim? What is she, a cowboy?

Hannah and Maggie are a joy. Told from alternating perspectives, their voices are wonderfully different, and not only because of the difference in vernacular. Hannah is bold and outgoing, athletic and outspoken, and wants nothing more than to solve the case of the missing painting. Maggie is taught to be quiet and meek, but rebellious adventure stirs within her, a desire for things she didn’t even know she was allowed to wish for. As the two try to navigate in the other’s life and time, they each learn more about themselves and each other. Some of the very best moments are when the two discuss a girl’s place in society.

Speaking of, the feminism is strong here! There are great discussions about how women can fight and vote and run for president, all of which is a thrilling shock to Maggie. But as Hannah tries to explain the still-existing prejudices, she realizes that women may have equal rights on paper, but there is still a lot to be done about mindsets.

The Art of the Swap is a nonstop blast the entire way through. A joyous marriage of history and the present, the world as seen through both girls’ sets of eyes is a marvelously engaging experience. The beauty in this lovely new work lies in its ability to tie together the two times. While the past seems glaringly different from the present, the two are far more alike than they appear. In both places, human beings live, love, and dream of happiness.

The Art of the Swap is available for preorder at your local, independent bookstore, and hits shelves February 13th. Happy reading!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

One Year Later: Reflecting on Cursed Child

Image
It has now been exactly one year since the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child script book hit the shelves. This is one of those momentous days, much like the recent ten-year anniversary of Deathly Hallows , where fans everywhere sit back and reminisce on where they were and what they were doing this time last year. For most, it was a midnight release party of some sort the night before. For others, it was running to the nearest bookstore the minute it opened. For everyone, it was a weekend of nostalgia and a resurgence of affection for the boy who lived. Now, we could talk about characterization and story issues in Cursed Child until we’re all blue in the face (and many of us have), but these are not what I want to focus on in this moment of reflection. I want to look back and think on what it meant to be a Harry Potter fan on this day, and on the familiar anticipatory buzz in the air that surrounded Cursed Child ’s release. For that buzz, that crackling energy in the air duri...
Read more

Review: When Dimple Met Rishi

Image
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon Age Range: 13 & up Release Date: May 30, 2017 Simon Pulse 9781481478687 You never know when you’re going to fall in love. Just as mysterious a phenomenon is who you will fall in love with . When Dimple Shah’s parents agree to send her to a summer program for aspiring web developers, she thinks they’re finally starting to understand her. To care about her hopes and dreams. Maybe they’ve even dropped this whole “Ideal Indian Husband” nonsense. What she doesn’t expect is another family to be in cahoots with her parents, or for this family to send their oldest son to the same program with the goal of winning her over. And Rishi Patel is for it. Dimple and Rishi are a delight. Dimple is ambitious and hardheaded, and when she discovers her family’s deception she refuses to take part. She did not come to this program to fall in love. She came to learn, and to win a shot at developing an app with her idol. Dimple is of the fir...
Read more

Upcoming Release Review: Whichwood

Image
***Upcoming Release!*** Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi 9781101994795 Age Range: 10 & up Release Date: November 14, 2017 Dutton Books for Young Readers I had two top reads last year. The first is one you may have heard of. A vision of loveliness called The Girl Who Drank the Moon that went on to win the Newbery this year. My other favorite (and if I’m honest with you, my top book of the entire year) was the first Middle Grade novel by acclaimed YA author Tahereh Mafi, called Furthermore . Furthermore is this wondrous, whimsical love letter to your favorite childhood books. There’s a bit of Oz in there, some Secret Garden , and definitely Alice in Wonderland . But it is entirely its own story and, quite simply, it is a masterpiece. Now, on to Whichwood : new companion novel to the aforementioned Furthermore . Due to my intense love for Furthermore , you can imagine the anticipation for its companion. These anticipatory feelings were well founded. Whichwood is a...
Read more