Just One Day by Gayle Forman. Dutton Books, a member of Penguin Books. 2013. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: Allyson Healey is on a trip to Europe, a special present from her parents for having done so well in high school. She, along with her best friend, are on a Teen Tour, speeding [...]
Review: Rose Under Fire
By on September 13, 2013
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. Hyperion. 2013. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. Companion to Code Name Verity. The Plot: It’s summer of 1944 and Rose Moyer Justice is in England, a pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary. She’s a pilot, and she’s an American, and she’s only 18, but she’s in the ATA because [...]
Flashback September 2009
By on September 12, 2013
And now, a look back at what I reviewed in September 2009: The Squirrel’s Birthday by Toon Tellegen. Illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg. From my review: “Simple stories with the logic of childhood. Squirrel has a birthday; he invites people by writing invitations on beech bark. The wind delivers the invitations and the acceptances.” Letters to Anyone and Everyone by Toon [...]
Review: The Bitter Kingdom
By on September 11, 2013
The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson. Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. 2013. Conclusion of The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (book one) and The Crown of Embers (book two). The Plot: Elisa, Godstone Bearer and Queen of Joya d’Arena, is running into the hand of her greatest enemy, the Invierne. In [...]
Girls and Technology
By on September 10, 2013
Libraries are embracing technology programming for kids and teens. Just in School Library Journal alone, there are articles about programs like ‘Can*TEEN’ Encourages Girls With STEM and Powerful Partnerships, Pi, and Python Behind the Success of Teen Tech Camp and Life With Raspberry Pi. Technology, coding, all good things. And, with women underrepresented in fields like computer science [...]
Review: Boxers and Saints
By on September 6, 2013
Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang. First Second. 2013. Review copy from publisher. Boxers & Saints, Volumes 1 & 2. The Plot: The story of the Boxer Rebellion is told through the eyes of a Boxer and a Christian. Each volume is a standalone; but it’s best to first read Boxers, then Saints, and [...]
Review: Saints
By on September 5, 2013
Flashback September 2011
By on September 4, 2013
And now, a look back to what I reviewed in September 2011! The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffee and Annie Barrows. From my review: “London, 1946. Author Juliet Ashton, thirtysomething, is looking for an idea for a new book when she gets a letter from Dawsey Adams, a farmer from Guernsey [...]
Review: Boxers
By on September 3, 2013
Boxers by Gene Luen Yang. First Second. 2013. Review copy from publisher. Boxers & Saints, Volume 1. The Plot: In 1894, Little Bao is the youngest brother of three in Northern Shan-tung Province, China. He likes watching the traveling operas that visit the village in springtime; his older brothers tease him; he admires his father. [...]
When Yes Is Not Consent
By on September 1, 2013
In a recent news story: “A Montana judge is under fire for sentencing a 54-year-old former teacher to just 30 days in jail for raping a 14-year-old girl who later committed suicide.” The judge made statements about how this wasn’t rape-rape (or, as he puts it, “forcible beat-up rape“) and how the teenager was old [...]
Action Park
By on August 31, 2013
Review: Pain, Parties, Work
By on August 29, 2013
Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953 by Elizabeth Winder. HarperCollins. 2013. Personal Copy. Vacation reads — when I review not-teen books that people may be interested in reading! It’s About: In June, 1953, Sylvia Plath was a guest editor for the fashion magazine, Mademoiselle. The guest editor program was prestigious. The [...]
Flashback August 2006
By on August 28, 2013
Time to take a look at what I reviewed in August 2006! Cheating At Solitaire by Ally Carter. From my review: “Julia James is a famous self-help writer. Her area of expertise? Being single — and being happy and fulfilled being single. She’s written such books with titles like Table for One, Spaghetti and Meatball: Meals for the Single [...]
Review: The Infinite Moment of Us
By on August 27, 2013
The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle. Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams. 2013. Review from ARC from publisher. The Plot: It’s the summer after high school graduation. Wren is a good girl, who has always done the right thing, especially when it comes to her parent’s expectations. Come fall, she’s supposed to be [...]
Organizing The To Be Read Books
By on August 26, 2013
Confession: sometimes I’m a bit overwhelmed by the to-be-read pile. What is your current organization scheme? I have bookshelves in the basement with copies (ARCs and final copies). Those are arranged in alphabetical order. I know some people do by release date, but that makes it harder for me to find books. The books that [...]
Flashback August 2008
By on August 23, 2013
And now, a look back at what I reviewed in August 2008: Ten Gallon Bart and the Wild West Show by Susan Stevens Crummel, illustrated by Dorothy Donohue. From my review: “Ten Gallon Bart is bored, and finds excitement in the Wild West Show. Ten Gallon Bart’s dilemma: to be in the Wild West Show, he not only [...]
Lizzie Skurnick at Read Adv
By on August 22, 2013
It’s hard to believe, but the Reader’s Advisory Twitter Chat that Sophie Brookover, Kelly Jensen and myself have been doing is over one year old! As a brief recap, twice a month we host a Twitter Chat about Reader’s Advisory. Typically, it’s on the first and third Thursday of the month at 8 p.m. EST. [...]
Summer Reading
By on August 21, 2013
Oh, Summer Reading. Summer is ending and most public library summer reading programs being finished. I’ve read many tweets and posts and articles about Summer Reading Programs and libraries and I’ve just been thinking about it, and SRP in general. Summer Reading Program: one set of words for many different things. Which, you know, sounds [...]
Review: My Friend Dahmer
By on August 20, 2013
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf. Abrams Comic Arts. 2012. Personal copy. Graphic Novel. Alex Award Winner. It’s About: A graphic novel memoir by Derf Backderf, a classmate of Jeffrey Dahmer. This is not the story of a serial killer; it is a look at the childhood and teen years of Jeffrey Dahmer, before his [...]
Middle Grade at The Book Smugglers
By on August 19, 2013
The Book Smugglers have a weekly feature, Old School Wednesdays, when they look at titles that aren’t “new and shiny”. This past Wednesday, they did a middle grade blogger roundtable and I was one of the participants. One of the fun things about a roundtable like this is, of course, seeing what titles that people [...]
