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
Penelope Rex (a young T-Rex) is starting school. She is surprised to find her classmates are human children. Unfortunately for her classmates, T-Rexes love the taste of children so Penelope is continuously eating her classmates. In the true tradition of broad, cartoon-like humor the other students are unhappy–but otherwise unhurt–when Penelope spits them out, having … Continue reading
After finishing Genesis Begins Again I wanted to live with the experience of reading it for a day or two before I wrote a review. I have now had the opportunity to do just that. Genesis is thirteen years old. We first meet her as she is coming home from school–bringing friends with her for … Continue reading
December Lee Morgan is eleven years old. She has been placed in numerous foster homes over the past three years. December is convinced that the scars on her back are from where her wings once existed–and where they will break free from her human body again, returning her to her rightful form as a bird. … Continue reading
I know it will be unpopular for me to make this first admission: Andrew Clements’ books are really hit or miss for me. I know that younger readers enjoy them–his work is sought after in school libraries all the time–but they just don’t usually hit the mark for me. Sometimes I find them too affectedly … Continue reading
Operation Frog Effect was a delightful surprise for me. I picked it up after having read about it on Goodreads and seeing the title come up in our Mock Newbery Group. I was put off by the juvenile nature of the cover, which conflicted with reviews I had read regarding its content. I am extremely … Continue reading
I originally read Save Me a Seat when it was published in 2016. I rated it 5 stars then. When I saw it was a Lovelace nominee this year, I was curious to see if I would feel the same after rereading it. Save Me a Seat was just as fantastic the second time as the … Continue reading
To Night Owl from Dogfish is the story of Avery and Bett. They are both 12-year-old girls and both are being raised by a single, gay dad. The story begins with an email from Bett to Avery. They have never met, but each has received information from her father that the two girls will be … Continue reading
