Before I get into this book, I want to mention something I heard on the Today Show last week. A 13-year-old girl living in Florida was swimming with a buddy in waist-deep ocean water when she was attacked by a shark. She had LOTS of things to say about the experience: scary, out-of-nowhere, no time…
Today I have reviews of two books written by Sarah Mlynowski and perfect for kids who enjoy a sprinkle of magic, fairies, and wishes. The Sister Switch (book two from Sarah Mlynowski’s Best Wishes series and cowritten with Debbie Rigaud—author of several young-adult and middle-grade novels) is about Addie, the middle sister of three sisters…
I just finished reading the most current book I think I’ve ever read: One True Wish by Lauren Kate. This book is so new, its pages are still warm. Haha. The hardcopy was released on May 1. Of this very year! While I don’t love “Fantasy” with a capital “F,” I do enjoy fluttery fantasy…
Your voice is important. Not just what you choose to say, but your tone and how you say it. It’s important in life and it’s important in writing, too. What’s the point of having a voice if you’re not going to use it? In life, having a Voice comes from knowing yourself and knowing what…
Do pain and art go together? Take a look at the lives of artists, writers, musicians, poets. Artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch. Writers like Mark Twain, JK Rowling, Stephen King. Musicians such as Michael Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, Ray Charles. So very many others. Creative types often come from…
No, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But you can judge it by its first lines. You know the saying, “You never get a second chance to make first book impressions.” (sic) First book impressions are quick and visceral. They hit you in the gut. You just “know.” It works for people. It…
Librarians, in general, have a lot on their plates. School librarians have even more. They generally know their “clientele” by name, know their interests, actively suggest books, read stories aloud, teach kids about proper book-handling behavior, anticipate readers’ future interests and book trends. (When my kids were growing up, their school librarian also used to dress up as various…
Ahhhh, Spring. Is this anyone else’s favorite time of year? The weather slowly leans toward lovely, like it’s just resting on your shoulder. The greens are greener, the pinks are pinker, the sky is fresh and blue. Everything seems sharp and in focus. Plus, there are jellybeans everywhere. Anyhoo… I learned a new word last…
The weather we’ve been having makes me want a cozy tea party. Who would you invite to a tea party for friends in your favorite novels? In all the books you’ve read, going all the way back to when you were a kid, what five characters would you want to have at your party? Here’s…
When a teacher or parent invites a book into their classroom or home, they’re not just giving the book valuable real estate, they’re giving space to the characters within that book. When I was working in elementary schools, I was often charmed by the classroom libraries the teachers had curated. And they had given lots of space to…
