The calendar tells me it's October, but before you know it, December will be here and it'll be time for the holidays. I'm getting ahead of the game with today's book review. Many of you are familiar with the multi-talented award-winning children's author Nikki Grimes. I've featured her books in verse for middle-grade students and young… Continue reading LULLABY FOR THE KING by Nikki Grimes: A Picture Book Review and ARC Giveaway
A front-seat view of America during the Great Depression, Picturing a Nation by Martin Sandler (Candlewick Press, 2021) presents over one hundred and thirty photographs that give life to our past in a way that appeals to anyone, age notwithstanding . Using photos taken by the Historical Records department of the Farm Security Association, this photographical memoir… Continue reading PICTURING A NATION: A Book Review by Guest Blogger, Elliott Kurta
I'm following my own advice, "If you want to write, READ!" Since I'm exploring writing picture book biographies, I recently read several of Nancy Churnin's excellent picture book biographies. When I saw that she had a new book coming out, I requested a review copy from Albert Whitman. Dear Mr. Dickens is illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe and a… Continue reading Dear Mr. Dickens: A Picture Book ARC Review and Giveaway
Congratulations to Lois Bartholomew who won Bionic Beasts from last week's blog. As promised in the last post about Cat Michaels and Rosie Russell's collaborative process, this is the third blog leading up to the release of their book, Just Between Sam and Me on December 2. Since October is National Bullying Prevention Month, Cat, Rosie, and I decided… Continue reading National Bullying Month and a Conversation with Cat Michaels and Rosie Russell, authors of "Just Between Sam and Me"
Congratulations to Gwen Porter who won the second copy of The Teachers March! from the bonus blog.*****Welcome back to my second conversation with Cat Michaels and Rosie Russell on their co-authoring journey. (If you missed the first post when they gave tips for successful collaboration, you'll find it here.) Today we'll talk about some of… Continue reading Bumps In the Road and Writing Roles: Part II of Co-Authoring Dialogue with Cat Michaels and Rosie Russell
After watching Colby Sharp's YouTube recommendation of Barbara Dee's newest book, Maybe He Just Likes You (Simon and Schuster), I knew I wanted to read it. As I mentioned to Ms. Dee when I connected with her on Facebook, it's a book that I both love and hate. I love it because it is written so well.… Continue reading Maybe He Just Likes You- A Review and ARC Giveaway
For a second week in a row I'm happy to bring you another clean, contemporary YA novel. I requested The Next to Last Mistake by North Carolina author Amalie Jahn from the publisher, Light Messages, because of the racial themes. It was interesting to see how Jahn handled interracial friendships since that is a theme in my… Continue reading The Next to the Last Mistake: Review and ARC Giveaway
I've reviewed two other middle grade books by Miriam Spitzer Franklin on this blog (Extraordinary and Call Me Sunflower) but Emily Out of Focus is special to me. Miriam and I were in a SCBWI critique group together for many years and I heard about her trip to China in 2006 to adopt their daughter. Emily Out of… Continue reading Emily Out of Focus: A Review and ARC Giveaway
Seriously, if you had a giraffe, wouldn't you want to teach her to ski? That's the story that author, Viviane Elbee, brought to life in her lively, imaginative debut picture book, TEACH YOUR GIRAFFE TO SKI (Albert Whitman and Co, 2018). Why didn't I think of a clever idea like that? Maybe because unlike Viviane,… Continue reading Teach Your Giraffe To Ski- A Review and Giveaway
Congratulations to the following readers who won books: Linda Townsend won Strange, Unusual, Gross & Cool Animals by Charles Ghinga Kathleen Burkinshaw won Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Hackl Jane Leah B. won Nature's Friend by Lindsey McDivitt Mary Housel won The Extraordinary Ordinary Moth by Darlin Gray Thanks to all… Continue reading Behind These Hands: A Review and ARC Giveaway