I stalled out on my Harry Potter reviews over the winter when my own novel was taking priority. This week it was so fun to set other stuff aside and read just for the sake of reading. And no place is more fun to escape to than Hogwarts. A LOT is going on in this […]
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 […]
Bunnicula, by Deborah and James Howe, 1979, Book Review
I first met Chester and Harold as a kid and fell in love with them. If you haven’t encountered these two yet, let me introduce you. Chester is a highly educated cat with a vivid imagination. One of his delights is to listen to his owner, a college English professor, practice class lectures. He’s widely […]
Sabotaged (The Missing, book 3), by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 2010
Engaging, suspenseful, and squeaky, Ms. Haddix has done it again in her third installment of her Missing series. In Sabotaged, Jonah and Kathryn are sent back to the lost colony of Roanoke with, you guessed it, Virginia Dare. Only this time things don’t go according to JB’s plans. The veteran time traveler sends them […]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by JK Rowling, 2003, Book Review
At 870 pages, this is a very long book. It takes a dedicated child reader to finish, but Rowling seems to draw those in abundance. Needless to say, the book covers a lot of ground. Within, the home of Sirius Black has become headquarters for those who believe Voldemort is back and are working to […]
Belle Prater's Boy, by Ruth White, 1996, Book Review
Belle Prater’s Boy is just the kind of book I love–beautifully written, moving, and full of thoughtful conclusions. It’s 1953 and Gypsy’s Aunt Belle has disappeared without a trace. Her cousin, Woodrow, comes to live in Granny and Grandpa Ball’s house right next door. He looks rough, with his hand-me-down mining clothes and his crossed […]
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney, 2007, Book Review
Somehow this book flew under my radar. Since it came out, it has prompted a whole Wimpy Kid series and even a movie, but it just made its way into my hands today. It’s an easy read, I finished the whole thing in an hour, but I now understand the rage. It’s hilarious in a […]
Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine, 2010, Book Review
Caitlin doesn’t see the world as others see it. She prefers black and white to color. She’s matter-of-fact and unemotional. She takes meanings very literally. She dislikes loud noises. And she hates when anyone invades her Personal Space. Caitlin has Asperger’s Syndrome. Kathryn Erskine has created a beautiful character and surrounded her with difficulty. Not […]
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by JK Rowling, 2000, Book Review
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is perhaps the lightest book in the Harry Potter series, with no Voldemort appearances or the intense darkness that surrounds him. This one’s mostly illusion, and it happens to be my favorite one, the one that REALLY makes me wish I could attend Hogwarts. Hogsmeade, the town just outside […]
The Monster Ring, by Bruce Coville, 1982, Book Review
This is my favorite Halloween story, one I’ve shared with my kids this time of year a couple times. One that’s scary, yet appropriate, fun and yet, well…scary! Within, eleven-year-old Russell Crannaker is tired of putting up with Eddie. The school bully is continually stealing his lunch money and pushing him around. But that’s about […]