Val Muller

Someone was giving away books, and this one caught my eye. It’s listed as middle grade—for ages 8 to 12—which I frequently read to (1) research books my kids might like in a few years (2) stay sharp for writing my Corgi Capers series and (3) be able to read something in a day or […]

When I gave my dad a copy of Life of Pi to read, he recommended I read Kon-Tiki, noting that it is a typical survival-at-sea story that may have helped inspire Martel’s Life of Pi. After reading it, I do think my dad is right. This nonfiction piece follows Thor Heyerdahl, who hypothesized that humans […]

Though this book is clearly within the realm of young adult fantasy, the author’s afterward lets us know how much of this novel was inspired by both real events the Jews encountered in the early 1900s and fairy tales/mythology. It follows two Jewish sisters growing up in the woods of Dubossary, and its historical origins […]

One of my favorite parts about a certain trunk or treat event I take my kids to is that it’s held in the shopping center with the county’s newest library, and there are always copies of the “One Book, One Community” choice available. So while my kids fill their bags with candy, I fill mine […]

It’s Halloween, and my daughter is obsessed with ancient Egypt, so when I saw this book for about a dollar at a used book store, I didn’t think twice, even though I had never heard of this Newbery Honor book. The novel employs largely omniscient narration, jumping from perspective to perspective as needed, following primarily […]

A friend loaned me this book last year, but in my sleep-deprived state, the metaphors in the first chapter were lost on me as impractical, and I put it off to the side in hopes of something more blunt. Fast-forward some months later, and I was able to read the entire book (It’s just over […]

I had purchased this book after hearing the author speak at a conference a few years ago. I’d forgotten about it and needed a quick read I could focus on while watching the kids this summer. While this is the third in a series, I had not read the other two: I chose this one […]

A while back, a group of my creative writing students reached out to me that they had found a local author at a book store. One thing led to another, and soon we had her scheduled for a visit during one of our meetings. Of course I purchased her book to check it out prior […]

Hatchet was one of my favorite books as a young reader. I loved imagining a survival situation and how I might use my resources and brain to survive even with the odds stacked against me. I’m also a fan of the American Revolution, simply because of the incredible odds the colonists faced. Hence, I was […]