I liked this book far more than the cover and title made me think I would. (The title comes from an old Percy Shelley poem, which is not my forte, and the cover is downright creepy.) I grabbed it simply because it took Newbery honors last year, and when it comes to the Newbery award, […]
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
This was a sweet little story that took Newbery honors a few years ago. Minli lives in a small, poor village in ancient Asia with her Ma, who has become bitter at their poverty, and Ba (father), who tells stories to lighten it. After a visit by a traveling peddler, Minli sets out to change […]
Prince of Malorn (Annals of Alasia, 3), by Annie Douglass Lima
I came to this book in an unusual way. One of my children’s literature friends sort of “set me up” with this author. She recommended I read this book because the author and I write in a very similar literary style. I totally trust the judgment of my friend (hey, she likes MY work :)) […]
Secret of Haunted Bog (Monster Moon, 2), by BBH McChiller
Last week I reviewed book one in the Monster Moon series. When we finished reading it for homeschool last fall, my boys begged me to buy the second one. So we set aside our scheduled book for two weeks and purchased The Secret of Haunted Bog. They were totally caught up in the continuing story and […]
The Curse at Zala Manor (Monstor Moon, 1) by BBH McChiller
My boys loved this book! We read it out loud together for homeschool last Halloween (yeah, somehow I missed posting it on here) and they complained every time we had to stop. Our final day we just kept reading, covering the last 30% of the book all at once. This is not literary fiction, so […]
The Swift, by Alex Banks
I mentioned this release a few weeks ago and told you I was putting it to the top of my reading list. That’s because I read Alex Banks’ first MG book, Jump Boys, and was so impressed with the quality of the writing, editing, and formatting that I jumped at the chance to read this […]
Arms of Anu, by Christina Mercer
Recently, I featured my top MG picks from my winter reading list. Taking first place honors was Arrow of the Mist, by Christina Mercer. (Read my review.) I loved it so much I rushed to buy this sequel as soon as it became available in March and took it to Alabama with me over Spring Break. […]
The Book Without Words, by AVI
Here’s the other Avi book I read over sping break. I just adore him and freely admit he has had a very strong influence on my writing. Once a Newbery winner and twice a Newbery honor winner, his works include some of my favorite titles ever. Though I’ve liked some better than others, I’ve yet […]
Arrow of the Mist, by Christina Mercer
Last time I promised you my favorite Emblazon title from over the winter. This one takes top honors! This book is a textbook example of what I love most about the children’s genres: a strong lead, incredible fantasy world, an imaginative plot, absolutely gorgeous prose, and a lingering depth to the story that I can […]
The Unicorn Chronicles, by Bruce Coville
The Unicorn Chronicles is a series written by Bruce Coville, a high quality epic fantasy stories for middle grade readers. I was directed to the Chronicles by Patricia Tilton of Children’s Books Heal. The creation of the series spanned ten years and includes four books. They reveal the monumental happenings in of the world of Luster, a […]