Yesterday I posted my favorite middle grade books from the first part of 2020. Here’s the rest from the second half of that year! Class Act by Jerry Craft Jerry Craft’s New Kid, the first book in this graphic novel series, dealt with casual racism and micro-aggressions head-on (in a compelling and sometimes funny story… Read more »
middle grade books
Favorite Reads of 2020—Part 1
I read many incredible middle grade books in 2020. Here’s my list of my very favorites from the first half of of last year. While I liked nearly everything I read, these rose to the top as stories I enjoyed tremendously, thought about long after, and could see many young readers picking up and having… Read more »
Book Review: TIN by Pádraig Kenny
It’s not much, really, but the orphan Christopher is pleased to be the only “real” boy among his companions in Mr Absolam’s scrapyard, a place where mechanicals—boys with some human parts but mostly metal ones, parts joined by magic—train to be as real as possible for the human families that will, they hope, one day… Read more »
Now Presenting…Drest’s Next Adventure!
Behold! Drest and her friends and family endure new challenges—with battles, sword fights, and action galore, all while she determines what kind of warrior—and legend—she’ll be. Presenting the trailer to The Hunt for the Mad Wolf’s Daughter:
Book Review: THE WITCH BOY by Molly Knox Ostertag
Aster has a problem. He’s 13, the age at which he should know the animal into which he will shapeshift, a crucial part of growing up as a boy in his magical family. But Aster feels no connection to any animal, and doubts he will ever learn to shift. He’s far more interested in the potions and… Read more »
Book Review: THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER by Jen Wang
In 2014, Christine Baldacchino and Isabelle Malenfant introduced Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress to the picture book scene, a story about a boy who liked to wear a dress. Progressive parents and schools snapped this up, and many children learned that a boy who wanted to wear a dress was no big deal, just part of who he was…. Read more »
The Power of Children and Children’s Literature
I don’t rant very often on Twitter, but I did recently have a wee soapbox moment, inspired by a so-called C.S. Lewis quote that was getting a lot of attention. Perhaps you’ve seen this quote: “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children isn’t a good children’s story in the slightest.” What C.S…. Read more »
These lilacs have the most glorious scent, but are pretty modest in their way. The former colleague I lost over the weekend to cancer would have liked them for both those reasons.
#flowers #grief #lilacs
It’s been a tough week. A moment with a few flowers can make a difference.
#flowers #azalea #springflowers