REVIEW OF SHE'S STILL HERE by Caitlin AlexanderTwenty years ago, Ravendale Middle school caught fire and Jane Wright was lost forever. No one ever found out how the fire was started, leaving Jane’s ghost to wonder about the mystery of her death. Was it really an accident? Would she ever find the person who started… Continue reading SHE'S STILL HERE: A Book Review by Guest Blogger, Josie Murdock
REVIEWBen and Scout by Denise Minnerly is the story of two dogs that are best friends and are always together, despite the greatest olds. It is a story about loss written for young children. Ben is old and sick. Scout is young and has only a superficial understanding of Ben’s condition, so when Ben dies, Scout… Continue reading BEN AND SCOUT: A Review by Guest Blogger, Janelle Ekpo
REVIEWThe Conjurer’s Curse (Monarch: 2022) by Stephanie Cotta is an epic fantasy set in the fictional world of Mestria. We follow seventeen-year-old Rowan as he struggles with his history and searches for answers. Rowan is an outsider in his village. For the thirteen years since his arrival to Karahvel, his albino skin and unusual marking on… Continue reading THE CONJURER'S CURSE: A YA/Upper MG Book Review by Georgie Bartlett
To follow up on Georgie Bartlett's review of THE MEMORY QUILT, (Monarch Educational Services, 2024) here are author and illustrator interviews, a teen review, PLUS more!INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LORI KEATINGCAROL: What were your hopes for this The Memory Quilt?LORI: I see The Memory Quilt as a catalyst that sparks deep conversations about death with children. My… Continue reading Q & A with the Author & the Illustrator of THE MEMORY QUILT + A Teen Review + A Giveaway
It's been a long time since I've published a "You Heard It Here First" blog post. It's been an even longer time since I first began writing Half-Truths. My first blog was in 2007 when I wrote about attending a SCBWI-Carolinas conference and finding my character's voice. Since then, I've written over 100 blog posts about this… Continue reading YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST- HALF-TRUTHS HAS A HOME!
In this blog post, I'm trying something new. Teen reviewer Mara Scudder and I both read Rebecca Wheeler's book, Whispering Through Water (Monarch Educational Services, 2023) and we each wanted to share our thoughts about it. Today you get a teen's and a senior's take on a book that is obviously for all ages!MARA'S REVIEWWhispering Through… Continue reading WHISPERING THROUGH WATER: Two Reviews of Rebecca Wheeler's Debut Young Adult Novel
Today I am happy to bring you a forthcoming book from Monarch Educational Services. Lori Keating's debut picture book, THE MEMORY QUILT sensitively deals with a child's grief. But I want Georgie to tell you about it, not me.REVIEWThe Memory Quilt is a meaningful, beautifully written picture book by Lori Keating, and Illustrated by the talented Alyssa Grizenko. This… Continue reading THE MEMORY QUILT by Lori Keating: A Picture Book Review by Guest Blogger, Georgie Bartlett
The Impossible Girl (Monarch Books, 2022) by Ashley White is a beautifully written middle-grade novel. Fans of Harry Potter and Narnia will adore this magical story about a young girl who accidentally finds her way into the whimsical world of Xarcadia.REVIEWAva Marie Jones is what the citizens of Xarcadia call a Lost One, meaning her… Continue reading THE IMPOSSIBLE GIRL: A Middle-Grade Fantasy reviewed by Guest Blogger, Georgie Bartlett and 2 Giveaways!
A few weeks ago I attended a Monarch Publishing event and was fortunate to meet two fantasy authors, Stephanie Cotta and Angela Hughes. They recently started a podcast, The Ink Mages, and agreed to answer questions about the process. Take it away, Stephanie and Angela!INTERVIEWCarol: What does your name mean? Stephanie and Angela: We are… Continue reading The Ink Mages on Producing a Podcast and 2 Giveaways!
Please welcome a new teen blogger, Georgie Bartlett. You can read about her and the giveaway below her review.REVIEWI thoroughly enjoyed Disconnected (Monarch: 2023) for a myriad of reasons, one of them being that it was an interesting and thought-provoking story from start to finish. Riley Cross has a way of making you feel as if… Continue reading DISCONNECTED by Riley Cross: A Book Review by Guest Blogger, Georgie Bartlett