Long-time readers of my blog may remember that I am one of Nikki Grimes' many fans. In the past, I reviewed Ordinary Hazards, Between the Lines, and Words with Wings. Nikki's poetry sings and she captures the conflicts and emotions of adolescents beautifully.Garvey's Choice (WordSong, 2016) is no different. Except...it is different. Each of the 100+ poems which… Continue reading GARVEY'S CHOICE: A Middle-Grade Verse Novel and a Giveaway
True confession. I am not a football fan. I don't know one play from another and when dragged to a high school game by my husband, will patiently wait until half-time and then beg to leave. (Let's hear it for the marching band!) But after listening to BACKFIELD BOYS (August, 2017 Farrar, Straus, and Giroux) by sports journalist John… Continue reading Backfield Boys: A Football Mystery- Audio CD Review and Giveaway
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
I'm not much of a baseball fan. To be honest, it has always seemed like a fairly boring game and one that drones on without much excitement. Oops- has my honesty just alienated a baseball fan among my blog readers? But wait. Reading Heat by Mike Lupcia changed my opinion. Before, I had no idea how much strategy… Continue reading Heat
Whoever said that there aren't any good boy books hasn't been to a library recently. Roland Smith's new novel Peak is another excellent "story within a story" (see my recent blog on "Keturah and Lord Death") but told in a totally different manner. The story about Peak's (the main character) Mt. Everest climb will appeal… Continue reading Peak