Grandmothers, mothers, teachers at all girls’ schools, listen up.
(Well, librarians and other teachers listen up too.)
Here’s that sweet little book that comes along once or twice a year and works its way into the hearts of its readers. That book that spreads itself out like the coziest of handknit blankets and wraps itself around you [...]

My dad was in the Navy, so when I was younger we moved a few times. Unfortunately for me, the two moves that took place after I began school both occurred in the middle of the school year. Middle of second grade, middle of fifth grade. This? Sucked. Everyone had chosen their desks, their lunch [...]

Oh, Owly, how I love you.
I was sent some review copies of OWLY graphic novels, and I am only too happy to sing their praises here. I can’t believe I never have before. See, Owly (and his best friend, Wormy) and I are old friends now. I have an Owly shirt. I have a stuffed [...]

The first book in the Amelia Rules! series hilariously and heartbreakingly depicts the coming of age theme. The characterizations of Amelia, her parents, her aunts, her teachers, and her friends bring to life the chaotic existence of life’s players through the eyes of a precocious and unforgettable 9-year-old girl.
The story is an episodic look at [...]

In light of how much I adored past National Book Award winners True Believer and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian — they rank among the top YA novels I’ve ever read in my life — I decided to take immediate note of this year’s finalists and read all of them.
First up was [...]

My husband’s been away for a few days, so there hasn’t been much time for writing. I sat down today to write some reviews and instead got sucked into reading The All-Of-A-Kind Family Companion which a thoughtful Betsy-Tacy email list member posted this morning. It is utterly fascinating and has sucked up the better part [...]

If I go more than a day without posting here, you can be pretty sure it’s because I am reading very bad galleys. I have, in fact, been reading some dreadfully bad galleys, galleys of books whose upcoming publishing I don’t understand, but I don’t want to necessarily say that here because do I need [...]

Scott O’Dell award-winning author Graham Salisbury turns his hand to elementary level humor and absolutely succeeds. This is the first book in a series about a 4th grader named Calvin who lives in Hawaii with his mother and younger sister (his father, an island one hit wonder, now lives in Vegas where he makes his [...]

Okay, I admit it: I was skeptical at first because, hey, celebrity writer, but she is either a really good one or had a really good ghostwriter and I really don’t care which because I loved SUGAR PLUM BALLERINAS. This book is about a little girl named Alexandrea whose mother is obsessed with the idea [...]