I just finished a really cute young adult novel that’s been called a cross between Hunger Games and The Bachelor. I’d call it more of a Miss America pageant with intrigue. It is a romance, and you all know by now that I don’t go there often, but since I’m including a bit of romance in my […]
brown girl dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson
Today the 2015 Newbery Award is scheduled to be announced. I’ve heard on good authority, from a fellow in tight with the School Library Journal, that brown girl dreaming is high on the list. In his opinion, it is the most deserving book of the year. I have not read all the entries, but I have […]
The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman
I’d read this book many years ago. I happened across it in the library and picked it up for some Christmas break reading. Winner of the 1996 Newberry, it is a story of failure, courage, and finding that everybody is somebody, no matter how low their beginnings. Brat had no name. Cold and hungry, she […]
Annals of Alasia Series, by Annie Douglass Lima
Over the summer, I started this series by reading the last book. I didn’t do it intentionally; I just didn’t research very well when the title was recommended to me. After I read it (and loved it–my review is here), I realized that the three books in the series stand alone. They can be read […]
The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green, 1956
Roger Lancelyn Green has put together a fabulous retelling of Robin Hood. Drawing on old folk tales and ballads, he’s compiled the sometimes disjointed pieces and created a single comprehensive narrative. It’s a rousing tale of chivalry, adventure, and courage. Robin lives in the days of Richard the Lionheart, Norman king of England during the […]
Quest Adventure
Happy New Year from all the Authors in the Ultimate Reading Quest! What is the Ultimate Reading Quest? It’s the brainchild of teacher and MG author Sharon Skretting–a unique choose-a-book experience that I found myself a part of. Sharon runs the Quest Teaching blog, that seeks to equip teachers to use literature in the classroom. I’ve […]
Wish You Weren’t, by Sherrie Peterson
I came across this book through a friend and was struck immediately by the cover. Then I read the first chapter, which is posted on Ms. Peterson’s website. I loved it and bought the book. That first chapter sets up the problem beautifully. Marten’s family is moving. His parents expect a lot from him. And […]
The Hobbit
Now that I’ve seen the final Hobbit movie and laid Peter Jackson’s trilogy to rest, it’s time to return to the book review I wrote two years ago in anticipation of the first installment, which included a few predictions. Let’s see how I did… Bilbo Baggins was a respectable hobbit. He “never had any adventures […]
The Candy Shop War, by Brandon Mull
This was a fantastic book. The kind I’ve come to expect from Mr. Mull. The only downside? I was craving Milk Duds all week. Nate isn’t thrilled about moving to a new neighborhood, but he quickly makes friends with Summer, Trevor, and Pidgeon, who will all be starting fifth grade with him, and is accepted […]
Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth E. Wein
Wow. Simply wow. I was actually disappointed when I first opened this book. The heroine, she calls herself “Queenie”, admits right away to being a Nazi collaborator. She’s spineless, cowardly, and terrified. And she swears. A lot. But this book won several awards last year (Printz Honor Book, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor Book, Shortlisted […]