There is a lot to like about Moonwalking (MacMillan, 2022) co-authored by Zetta Elliott and Lyn Miller-Lachmann. This middle-grade verse novel set in New York City in 1980, alternates between the POV of the two protagonists. Pie Velez is a math whiz and graffiti artist, and his most unlikely friend, JJ Pankowski, is a punk rock fan and one of… Continue reading MOONWALKING: A Middle-Grade Review
As promised last week, here is my follow up interview with Kathy Wiechman, author of NOT ON FIFTH STREET. CAROL: Just like in LIKE A RIVER, you wrote NOT ON FIFTH STREET from two points of view. What led to that decision? KATHY: NOT ON FIFTH STREET is about a rift between two brothers. When I… Continue reading Not On Fifth Street: An Interview with Kathy Cannon Wiechman
Congratulations to Connie Saunders for winning AUDACITY JONES STEALS THE SHOW. Loving vs. Virginia (Chronicle Books, February 2017) by Patricia Hruby Powell is more than just a book about the interracial couple who challenged Virginia's anti-miscegenation law. It is a documentary novel, which combines free verse, black and white illustrations by Shadra Strickland in the Visual Journalism style, period… Continue reading Loving vs. Virginia: A Review and Autographed ARC Giveaway!
Congratulations to my fellow blogger, Clara Gillow Clark, who won a copy of TWICE BETRAYED on last week's blog. Stay tuned friends, I have lots more giveaways coming up! ******** One of the writing blogs I follow is Writer Unboxed. When I find an article by one of their contributors in Writer's Digest, I pay… Continue reading Making Friends with Billy Wong by Augusta Scattergood: A Review with Help from David Corbett
Congratulations to Jessica Jacobson, a new blog subscriber, who won SOLDIER BOYS from last week's blog. When Alan Gratz, a prolific NC author, presented a workshop at SCBWI-Carolinas in 2010 on Plot and Pacing, my blog was only a few years old and I was learning how to review books. Fast forward to 2016, and I've… Continue reading Liberty: A Review with a Focus on Writing Craft
Congratulations to Caroline McAlister for winning TANGLED LINES on last week's blog. ******** Two soldiers, two boys. One American, one German. Prolific author Dean Hughes brings their lives, hopes, and dreams together in Soldier Boys (Simon and Schuster, 2001. Audio CD, 2016) Spencer Morgan has just turned 15 in 1941. He longs to show that he… Continue reading Soldier Boys: A Review and a Giveaway