SUMMARY The Peach Thief, by Linda Joan Smith, is historical fiction about a young orphan girl named Scilla who lived in the woods. She would steal food to survive. One day Scilla climbed the Earl’s kitchen garden wall to steal a peach, and was caught by Mr. Layton, the head gardener. She was mistaken for… Continue reading The Peach Thief: A Middle Grade Book Gets a Thumbs Up from A New Guest Reviewer
How do you tackle something as complicated as gravity in a picture book? Author Henry Herz (author of I am Smoke) and Illustrator Mercè López did just that in another impressive picture book published by Sleeping Bear Press. Because it tackles an advanced scientific concept, I recommend this book for middle-grade classrooms as well as… Continue reading I AM GRAVITY- How’s That For An Intriguing Picture Book Title? A STEM Review and Giveaway
In an effort to organize my writing space, I've resolved to post reviews on books that I read months ago but have put off reviewing. That's often because it's difficult to write a review that's worthy of the book. From the Publisher Barbara Abbott was eighteen when her father threatened to kill her if she… Continue reading A Head of Cabbage: A Poignant Memoir and A Mini-Interview
INTRODUCTION The King of Montréal by Daniela I. Norris, is a young adult historical adventure featuring Louis-Charles, the lost prince of France in the year 1800. REVIEW I have to admit, I had decidedly mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, there was a lot to like. However, it also had some problems,… Continue reading Exploring ‘The King of Montréal’: A Mixed Review
INTRODUCTION Today I'm happy to share my friend, Jolene Gutiérrez's picture book, Mamiachi & Me, which she wrote with her son, Dakota (Abrams, 2025). The book is beautifully illustrated by Mirelle Ortega. Jolene and Mirelle at the ALA conference in Philadelphia-- today! Jolene and I met at in 2016 at a Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop.… Continue reading Embracing Culture: ‘Mamiachi & Me’ Review and Giveaway
Same Page by Elly Swartz has been one of the most difficult books for me to review because it is about such a controversial topic: banning books in school libraries. SUMMARY Bess Stein is excited when she and her friend June win the election for the sixth grade class president and vice president, respectively. But their… Continue reading Friendship and Controversy in SAME PAGE Review + a Giveaway
INTRODUCTION Last week I featured a review of Isabelle Knight's new middle-grade fantasy, Enchantria: Guardian's Heir. Today, Isabelle returns as my guest blogger and ventures into new reading territory--nonfiction--and finds out she likes it! This review originally appeared on Isabelle's blog; she is kindly allowing me to republish it here. REVIEW This book review is… Continue reading A Terrific Review of The Mysterious Virginia Hall by Guest Blogger, Isabelle Knight
As some of you know, I love teaching and mentoring teens and tweens. One way I do that is by inviting them to review books on my blog. I provide feedback on their book reviews, they learn during the revision process, and I get wonderful content! Today I am happy to introduce two young fantasy… Continue reading Introducing Two New Young Authors
Two years ago I reviewed the first four books in the Jalen's Big City Life series by Dorothy H. Price. Since then, the series doubled! Today, a young reviewer gives her opinion of the books. REVIEW Jalen’s Big City Life is a series of amusing stories for K-second grade about a kid named Jalen (J.C.) and… Continue reading Jalen’s Big City Life: A Guest Review of a Chapter Book Series
I have a stack of picture books to review and give away. Today I'm going to start with an autographed copy of Dark on Light written by Dianne White and illustrated by Felicita Sala (Beech Lane Books, 2022). REVIEW This is a quiet story about three siblings who follow their dog out into the evening… Continue reading Enter to Win A Lyrical Nature Picture Book