This middle-grade book comes with a warning at the beginning that it is somewhat graphic. And it is. As the title suggests, this is a “how to” book told in the first person by Mick Bogerman. He and his brother Finley end up in a zombie cave and have to …
Last summer, I read and reviewed Poison Study, the first book in this trilogy. When I attended the Pennwriters Conference this spring, I was delighted to see that Maria V. Snyder, the author, was a presenter. I purchased the third book in the trilogy (the second was not for sale …
All the great things I heard about this book were true. It earns a top rating from me. The Scorpio Races takes place on an isolated, stormy island. Every November, the Scorpio races are held. These are deadly races in which the capaill uisce, water horses based on Irish/Scottish mythology, …
I picked up this book at a used book store and couldn’t resist. It’s a middle-grade mystery involving Shakespeare and 500-year-old British history. Some of it is factual. Other details were fabricated based on historical reality in order to construct the mystery. The book follows a sixth grader named hero. …
Last month, I attended the Shenandoah University Children’s Literature Conference, and I got to hear Blue Balliett speak about writing middle-grade mysteries. Of course, I had to purchase two of her books and get them autographed. This stand-alone book is the first I chose to read. The Danger Box follows …
By now, you may have read my post inspired by hearing speaker Aranka Siegal share her experiences about the Holocaust. My mother is currently reading Upon the Head of the Goat, an account of what happened during that time. I thought I would read this book, which is a series …
Guilty. I had never read this classic from the 1960s. I had picked it up as a child at a garage sale, but the language was too difficult for me, and I stopped after chapter one. When I went to visit my parents recently, I saw the book on the …
Emmaline Roke’s story begins in the 1830s, in England. Her father worked a shop in a pleasant village, and all is well until her father’s death. At this point, the family is evicted from the shop, and Emmaline’s mother is forced into factory work to support the family. Emmaline dreams …
A colleague loaned me this YA book to read. It’s one that is sometimes taught in high schools, so I was interested to read it. First of all, there are profanities and derogatory language in the book, so you’ve got to like, or at least tolerate, grittiness to read this …
Wow, I really enjoyed this book. It’s hard to write about without spoilers, though. So here’s the short version—without spoilers. For spoilers, you’ll have to scroll down. I picked up this novel because it was recommended by a literary agent at a writing conference I attended. When I noticed the …