Last year, this was the Loudoun County 1book1community pick, and I grabbed a copy after we had excess in our school library. I had forgotten about it until now. It’s about a seventh grader, so that gives you an idea about the target age range. To me, it was odd to choose a book for […]
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I’ve wanted to read this book for a while now. The fictionalized film version of this story is one I’ve enjoyed, so I was glad to finally pick up this book that was written in the 1970s and has achieved bestseller status. The title refers to the events that happened in West Virginia in the […]
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 nursing home. He goes by […]
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 the story of a blended […]
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, even though the genre is […]
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 author at their church. I […]
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 in the next paragraph, but […]
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 wanting to read independently. When […]
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 father), and when she learns […]
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). I figured, I could do […]
