Does anyone remember grab bags? Back in the day, post dinosaur but pre internet, some stores sold sealed bags of surprises for a quarter or 50 cents or a dollar. It was gambling for children. I don’t remember what was in the bags I bought, but I sure do remember the excitement of choosing one,…
Hello Friend, Here’s another book review for you. This book simultaneously cracks me up…and makes me worry. The Ogress and the Orphans by acclaimed children’s novelist Kelly Barnhill parallels some of our country’s recent events. Publisher’s Weekly calls the book “…an ambitious fantastical sociopolitical allegory.” But kids aged 9-12 will just call it a really…
Hello, friend, A few weeks ago I wrote about why reading middle-grade and children’s fiction is good for adults. If books help shape children—and I think they do—then can they not also shape adults? Surely we’re not beyond help. I guess that’s debatable, and I suppose a lot hinges on how open a person’s mind…
Who can resist a book about scoundrels? (Is that the weirdest looking word?) Last week, my post was all about titles and names. Today’s book review is the perfect tie-in: THE SWIFTS: A Dictionary of Scoundrels written by Beth Lincoln and illustrated by Claire Powell. About the Book Title: The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels…
Every so often a book falls into my lap that is so magical that I can’t believe I’ve never read it before. (Which you might agree is a funny statement once you read the book.) That’s what happened with The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo. About the Book Title: The Magician’s Elephant Author: Kate DiCamillo…
Here are two subjects I don’t see often in middle grade books: Jewish children and North Dakota. Susan Lynn Meyer’s historical fiction, A Sky Full of Song, covers both, plus Ukraine and the Russian Empire, plus the plight of Native Americans who inhabited North Dakota. About the Book Title: A Sky Full of Song Author:…
Raise your hand if you love Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. Would you love to read something similar, but new? I have a series to recommend to you. Rachel Selle has just published the second in her European Adventures series. Book two, Aix Marks the Spot, takes place in Provence, France, specifically in Aix (pronounced…
Today is Memorial Day. I have a song in my head that’s been playing on a constant loop for the past couple of days: “Déjà vu All Over Again” by John Fogerty. You can listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiojReSUfLo. Let me just say, I haven’t forgotten those military men and women—someone’s precious children—who have died…
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…
