I have just finished reading The Magnificent 12: The Call, the first in a brand new fantasy series by Michael Grant. With twenty-one phobias and counting–including a fear of phobias–twelve-year-old David MacAvoy (Mack) seems an unlikely hero. But through the pipes in the boys’ bathroom, Mack receives word from a 3,000-year-old man that the Pale […]
Crispin: The Cross of Lead, by Avi, Book Review
Crispin’s mother just died, taking with her any knowledge of his past. In fact, the boy didn’t even learn his name until the priest told him–after the burial. He’d always just been “Asta’s son.” But the priest said his mother could read and write, that she hadn’t always lived as a serf bound to Lord […]
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Book Review
Probably ten million folks have written opinions on Harper Lee’s classic during the last fifty years, but I’m going to add my ten cents to the pot anyway. Because To Kill a Mockingbird is worth every coin we toss in. This is the story of a black man standing trial in Alabama for a crime he didn’t […]
Newbery Honor Books, 2000-2010
Here’s where to find Newbery Honor books and my reviews. Asterics indicate the books I’ve read for my ongoing Newbery challenge but not reviewed. 2010 Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip Hoose. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly. The Mostly True Adventures Of Homer P. Figg, by Rodman Philbrick. Where the Mountain […]
Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, Book Review
***Mockingjay is book three in the Hunger Games trilogy. If you have not read the first two, skip to my Hunger Games review (book one) or my Catching Fire review (book two). It’s over. I’ve finished the last book. Mockingjay ends as I knew it must end. And Katniss claims the man I knew she must choose. Yet the […]
Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins, Book Review
***Spoiler alert! Catching Fire is book two in the Hunger Games Trilogy. If you have not read the first one yet, do not continue reading this. Instead, skip to my Hunger Games review then go out and get your hands on that book as quickly as you can! Though I loved The Hunger Games, I […]
How to Turn Kids into Readers
In a recent post, I answered the question “Why Should I Make My Kids Read?” Now I’m going to give some practical suggestions to help turn kids into readers. Be forewarned, no matter what you do, not every kid will love reading. These suggestions, however, should go far in making literature taste better for the less-inclined. The most […]
It's Like This, Cat, by Emily Neville, Book Review by Emily, age 11
The title of this book is It’s Like This, Cat. The author is Emily Neville. This book won the Newbery Award. It is fiction. The story begins in New York with the main character, Dave Mitchell, arguing with his dad. He gets in all sorts of arguments with his dad. He goes to an apartment […]
Family Secrets, by Gail Jones, eBook Review
Fitting in at a new school is tough, especially when your first new friend turns out to be your worst new enemy. Such is the case in Family Secrets, a contemporary romance for young adults written by Gail Jones. After an unwanted move, Rachel’s life is in enough turmoil. Then Emma, the schoolyard diva, turns […]
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, Book Review
I’ve been told by a dozen people that I must read this book. I now submit the same charge to you, but with a warning. This book will take over your life. It will glue your body to the couch and your eyes to the page. Chores will go undone and sleep seem not so […]