I was not excited to read this book. I enjoyed Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine series with my kids when they were younger, but–and I am in the minority here–I did not like Pax; in fact, I DNF’d it. When Here in the Real World was chosen by my Mock Newbery group as the April read, and … Continue reading
I just finished Parked earlier today and there are so many things I want to say about it! This one was not on my radar at all until it showed up as a suggestion from someone in the Mock Newbery group I belong to on Goodreads. I had a hard time finding it–our local library … Continue reading
I hardly have words for how much I love this book (and The Guardians series)! I don’t want to go into too much detail about the plot, because Jack Frost is the final (5th) book in the series and I don’t want to accidentally give away plot points from books earlier in the series. I … Continue reading
I picked up Scary Stories for Young Foxes on two different occasions at the library in 2019 and put it back on the shelf. For whatever reason, I just wasn’t interested. When I saw it had been named a 2020 Newbery Honor Book I was still skeptical but decided I would make an effort to … Continue reading
I purchased Scythe on audible when it was published in 2017 and it has been on my TBR (To Be Read) list since then. I was intrigued by the premise and heard all the buzz about the series, but had so many other things going that–for whatever reason–did get around to reading it. I’m SO … Continue reading
Furthermore was a 3.5/5 star read for me. I love the premise of the story: a young girl finding a way to accept and claim who she is as an individual while simultaneously defining how she belongs in the world around her–all the moments of joyful discovery, of loneliness, and the stings of rejection that … Continue reading
I have to fess up and say that, although I love most of Kate DiCamillo’s work, I was not a fan of Raymie Nightingale. It has been a delightful surprise that I have truly enjoyed both Louisiana’s Way Home and this newest addition, Beverly, Right Here. We were introduced to Beverly Tapinski in Raymie Nightingale … Continue reading
A Drop of Hope is a sweet story about the small town of Cliffs Donnelly, Ohio (although someone has vandalized the sign leading into the town so that it reads: If Only, Ohio). Cliffs Donnelly, like so many other small towns in the U.S., is barely surviving; the factory that employs many of the inhabitants … Continue reading
Today I want to share a book that I read for the first time almost ten years ago and it immediately became a fixture on my “All-Time Favorites” list. I found Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by accident at the library. I was looking for a book by another author whose last name … Continue reading
I picked up Wild Bird because it is written by one of my favorite authors for middle grade readers–Wendelin Van Draanen. The Wild Bird of the title is 14-year-old Wren Clemmens. When we initially meet Wren she is stoned and being woken by professional Youth Transporters. We follow this chaotic, emotional scene as Wren is … Continue reading
