Miranda and Sal are best friends, until the day they are not. Until the day Sal takes a punch to the stomach. Until the first day of the story she must write in a letter…to someone. Suddenly, Sal no longer wants to walk to school with Miranda, and the first of four strange notes appear. […]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling, 2007, Book Review
It took me fall, winter, and spring, but I finished my third venture through the Harry Potter series. And you know what? I enjoyed it as much as the first time. I’m amazed at the imagination and intricacy of the books, and I’m doubly amazed at how much I forget in a few years’ time. In […]
Peter and the Starcatchers (Starcatchers Series, book 1), Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, 2004, Book Review
If you like Peter Pan, or if you love funny, fantastic middle grade fiction, I highly recommend you read this series. This is a reread for me, and the books are as delightful the second time through as they were the first. My daughter claims them as her all-time favorites. This series is where you […]
Dead End in Norvelt, Jack Gantos, 2011, Book Review
Dead End is a worthy title for this book. It deals with death on several levels, but it’s done in a comic, light-hearted way. Jack Gantos, age 12, lives in a town started for the poor by Eleanor Roosevelt during the Great Depression. It’s a socialist type of community (communist, as Jack’s dad, who desperately wants […]
The Island Stallion, by Walter Farley, 1948, Book Review
After rereading The Black Stallion a few weeks ago (read my review), I had to revisit my second favorite book by Mr. Farley. This is the first of a companion series, one I put off reading as a child because after cruising through a dozen books featuring the Black, my loyalties were firmly entrenched. I […]
The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles, book one), by Rick Riordan, 2010, Book Review
Rick Riordan is a master of modern tween story-telling. He keeps the action fast-pitch, his characters feel distinct and real, and he writes kid-funny. No wonder his name is repeatedly at the top of the best-sellers list. The Red Pyramid is a 516 page battle of good vs. evil. Sadie and Carter are two siblings that […]
My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George, 1959, Book Review
“I left New York in May. I had a penknife, a ball of cord, an ax, and $40, which I had saved from selling magazine subscriptions. I also had some flint and steel which I had bought at a Chinese store in the city.” And with that, Sam Gribley left his city apartment filled with […]
The Maze of Bones (39 Clues, book one), by Rick Riordan, 2008, Book Review
I enjoyed this story. I can’t say I loved it, and part of that reason may be because I listened to it on CD with my boys over a two-week period instead of reading it alone in a couple of days. But it also left me feeling a little gypped. Titles from today’s commercial fiction […]
Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble, by D. Robert Pease, 2011, Book Review
One thousand plus years into the future of our solar system, Earth has been destroyed. People now live on Mars and Venus, fly around in the coolest space ships, and utilize amazing technology (like holopads, personal flying thermsuits, chef-bots that speak with French accents, and neuro implants). They’ve even perfected time travel. But, unfortunately, all […]
Howliday Inn, by James Howe, 1982, Book Review
This week I figured I’d build on last Monday’s post about Bunnicula and review Howliday Inn, the next book in James Howe’s hilarious series. Unfortunately, his wife Deborah did not live to co-author this one. But the book maintains Bunnicula’s quirky style. I actually received this book in fourth grade as a new release, and […]