If you’re like me, you’re always looking for a reason to give a book as a gift. They’re perfect for every holiday—and happen to be an ideal way to celebrate the first day of school for your child. I’m departing from my usual list of medieval (and pre-medieval) book recommendations with some of my favorite… Read more »
August 2017
Penguin Classics and Me
When I was 14 years old, I began writing seriously. I loved to read and write and knew that I wanted to be a novelist. My parents took that dream seriously. While I was always free to read anything I wanted, they suggested that I also read the classics. I don’t think they planned for… Read more »
Medieval Book Recommendations: Here Lies Arthur
An orphaned serf disguised as a boy rides with a fierce warlord and his men. The Romans left Britain a generation ago, but the island still faces rapid changes. Legends are rich and stories make history. So learns the girl as she watches the rise of one of the greatest stories of all: that of… Read more »
Medieval Scottish Castles: Looking In
Medieval castles dominate Scotland’s landscape, and they’re practical structures for their times. Most start off as giant stone boxes with incredibly thick walls (sometimes square, sometimes rounded, depending on when they were built), copious trimmings to help with defense (say it with me: “crenelated battlements!”), and all sorts of openings with murderous purposes. Many also… Read more »
Medieval Book Recommendations: Catherine, Called Birdy
A list of medieval books would never be complete without Newbery Honor-winning Catherine, Called Birdy, a rich story by Karen Cushman of a 13-year-old girl’s attempt to escape a typical medieval woman’s fate. Filled with magnificent historical detail, the novel is a diary written by Birdy at the suggestion of one of her brothers (the… Read more »
Medieval Book Recommendations: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
On with the next medieval book! In this engaging, fascinating volume, Laura Amy Schlitz creates a snapshot of a medieval life through its children with help from Robert Byrd’s detailed illustrations. A blacksmith’s daughter muses sadly over her distance from a young nobleman who comes to have his horse’s shoe repaired. Hostility arises between a… Read more »
Starting With a Castle…
If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed my love for—oh, let’s just be honest—enormous obsession with Scotland’s castles. These are the stone behemoths that dominate Scotland’s landscape (particularly in the Borders), looming above cities, countrysides, and seas. Kings, earls, and lords—Scottish and English alike—built these fortresses from the 11th to 16th centuries to… Read more »
This month, whenever I can, I`m going to share a #MgLit read that I loved, and that I think a lot of other people would love too.
My first is DEEPHAVEN, written and illustrated by Ethan M. Aldridge. A very real and vulnerable non-binary protagonist stars in this tale of a school with a sinister secret.
Guinevere Tallow (known as Nev), the child of an absent mom and a dad in jail for his latest get-rich-quick scheme, accepts a mysterious school`s invitation to become a student, hoping to find a home. When Nev arrives at Deephaven, the mystery sweeps in with the tall, pale, and strangely predatory Patience Sleepwell, one of the prefects. She`s not the only mysterious and likely sinister character Nev encounters, though there are "normal" students, like Danny, a fencer, who becomes Nev`s best friend. It`s not before long that the two come face-to-face with the biggest mystery of Deephaven: a monster they encounter when all the first year students are locked in the wing where a student died. It`s soon clear that there is sinister magic afoot, and this monster is at the heart of it. Thank goodness Nev has an engineer`s meticulous mind, as well pockets full of interesting bits and bobs thanks to their self-described "magpie" tendencies.
Aldridge`s beautifully creepy illustrations add depth to important scenes. Short yet focused, this marvelous, empowering tale will be a treasure in middle school libraries and will keep readers hooked—especially kids who don`t feel they belong.
#ContemporaryMiddleGrade #MiddleGradeFantasy #LGBTQIA #MagicRealism #MiddleGradeBooks #BooksBooksBooks #RecommendedReading
Each December, I make pepparkakor, Swedish gingerbread spice cookies, as part of our celebration of winter, darkness, and the year`s end. (Yes, those are hippos, along with the people and the round classic shapes.) When my son was little, we`d make these together every year. These days, it`s just me, and I do just a little (and it`s not the neatest bake), but oh, my, are those good. This recipe has a massive amount of spices (a full teaspoon each ginger, cinnamon, and cloves), which make each crispy bite utterly delicious.
#pepparkakor #SwedishBaking #DecemberBakes #cookies