I received this book years ago as part of a promotion—it came with the purchase of another book which I cannot now remember. It’s a novella by Stephen King that also includes another short story called “Mortality.” The novella is told through a frame structure of an old-timer in a …
I came upon the graphic novel version of this story at a book fair at my kid’s school. When I went home to research it, I saw that it was originally a novel, so I gave it a shot. The novel is middle grade—meant for ages 8-12 or so—and tells …
Like last week’s book pick, I chose to read this one after someone mentioned that it involved journalism. I thought it might be a good read to integrate into my journalism classes, at least in part. While that part of my hope fell short, it was a fun, quick read, …
Sure, Christmas is over, but according to this book, as early as December 26, you can start planning your Christmas jar for next year. I learned about this book in the fall, when my daughter’s swim instructor heard I was an English teacher and invited me to hear a visiting …
While shopping for holiday gifts for a raffle basket, I came across this book randomly at Walmart of all places. I read the first several pages while my kids were choosing books for the gift basket, and I fell in love with the artwork and the strong emotional hook (spoilers …
I forget who (or what site) recommended this book, but I remember it promised a dark tale (fun for horror lovers) that was appropriate for a middle grade reader who liked creepy things. The book fits that promise. I’m reading more middle grade now in anticipation of my own kids …
Unbound is a coming of age tale written in verse from the point of view of Grace, an enslaved girl who at the start of the novel is summoned to work inside the master’s house. She is mistreated and subjected to jealousy (it is hinted that the master is her …
Years ago, I heard there was a book written from the point of view of Grendel, the monster in the epic tale Beowulf. I put it on my “to be read” list and eventually remembered it when another Beowulf spin-off was published (it is now on my summer to-read list). …
Nellie Bly was a groundbreaking journalist whose personality led her to become world-famous at a time when women in journalism were usually assigned mediocre topics. When I first watched a documentary about her in teaching journalism, I knew I wanted to read the primary source referenced in the documentary, hence …
With the crazy school year—teaching virtually at the same time as in the classroom—I did not have time to write book reviews as often as I would have liked, but I was still reading! So this summer, I am writing and publishing book reviews for a sizeable stack of work …