I picked up the first of the Warriors series on the recommendation of a sixth grade girl. I can understand the appeal: an organized clan of cats struggling to survive in the wild. Even boys, I think, would take to the battles, the intrigue, the desperate attempts of ThunderClan to overcome dangers that threaten from […]
I've reviewed lots of books and written 20 of my own.
The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner Trilogy, book 1), by James Dashner, 2009, Book Review
Whoa! Can you say “suspense”? How about “intense”? This is one of those books that sticks to your fingers the moment you pick it up. Meanwhile, your house goes to pot all around you and the kids start complaining that they’re hungry. Minor details–I could not put The Maze Runner down! Thomas wakes up in a creaky […]
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), by Rick Riordan, 2006, Book Review
This is book two in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. If you haven’t read them, start with my review of book one, The Lightning Thief. Rick Riordan did it again. I enjoyed The Sea of Monsters almost as much as The Lightning Thief. It’s a whole new adventure with many of the same characters […]
The Prize: Tales from a Revolution: Vermont, by Lars D. H. Hedbor, 2009, Book Review
On the border between New York and Vermont lies Lake Champlain, like a 125-mile-long wedge cleaving the two states apart. Its northern end has access to the all-important St. Lawrence River; its southern end nearly reaches the Hudson River. During the centuries in which water travel was far superior to overland, this waterway was invaluable. […]
See What I See, by Gloria Whelan, 2011, Book Review
Gloria Whelan has reconfirmed herself as one of my favorite authors with her latest book, See What I See. We share a state, and the passion with which she paints northern Michigan’s gorgeous scenery reflects my own love of “up north.” But it is her mastery of story and language that makes her one of […]
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, JK Rowling, 1997, Book Review
I first delved into Harry Potter more than a decade ago. Since then, thousands of reviews have been written covering all seven of the books, so why add another? Two reasons: First, not everyone has read them yet. Yes, there is a generation of kids who have grown up with Harry, but there are more […]
Author Gloria Whelan, and What I Did This Weekend
I just spent a beautiful weekend on Michigan’s Mackinac (pronounced Mack-in-awe) Island celebrating my fifteenth anniversary. It’s located in the little-known Straits of Mackinaw, right where the state’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas meet, and in my opinion, there aren’t many places more beautiful in all of America. The whole area is sparsely populated, with lots […]
Savvy, by Ingrid Law, 2009, Book Review
Savvy is a uniquely styled book that won Newbery honors last year. Its most outstanding feature is the rhythmic nonsense words that flood the prose, creating a style all its own “Fibertygibbity,” “a fizz and a zing,” “jump and jive,” “razzmatazz,” “bumping, jumping,” “stumbled and tumbled,” “gewgaws,” and “…loosening his lip-lock.” Ms. Law has a very […]
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, 2007, Book Review
I read this book last year, just before hearing Jay speak at a writer’s conference. I’ll admit, Mr. Asher has talent, his book is a page turner. It’s unique, shocking and well-put-together, but I have some serious issues with passing it along. Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of a high school girl who commits […]
Delirium, by Lauren Oliver, 2011, Book Review
Amor deliria nervosa, the disease that terrifies Americans. The disease that ravaged the masses, driving them to madness and death. Fortunately, there’s a cure. For 64 years now the public has been safe from irrational behavior, from pain, from fear–from love. But the cure is only effective for over-eighteens. And Lena is 93 days shy […]