Darius Kellner is a teen who does not fit in at school, or really much at home. He describes himself as a Fractional Persian, with Mom born in Iran and Dad in America. Darius and his father share two things in common: a love of Star Trek, and depression. They both take their medicines everyContinue reading “Book Review: Darius the Great is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram”
Author Archives: Jennifer Sniadecki
My Newbery and Caldecott Predictions – 2019
Only a weekend away now — THE book awards season is upon us, and I’m eagerly waiting for the live webcast of the Youth Media Awards on Monday, January 28th (live from Seattle, 8:00 am PT, during the ALA Midwinter Conference). I’m so sorry I will miss the live event, but I’m so happy thatContinue reading “My Newbery and Caldecott Predictions – 2019”
IMWAYR: Snowy Cold = Reading Time
The snow, cold, and long weekend helped me to settle down and read these last several days. I thoroughly enjoyed mixing it up with several reading genres that all proved excellent choices. It’s Monday! What are you reading? The Art of Comprehension, by Trevor A. Bryan I have been waiting for The Art of Comprehension forContinue reading “IMWAYR: Snowy Cold = Reading Time”
Book Review: The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
Caleb Franklin narrates the story of how he and his brother, Bobby Gene, met Styx Malone and got into the “biggest trouble we’ve ever gotten into in our lives.” The first page is one of those excellent leads we talk about in English class. You know when you read the first page, the story isn’tContinue reading “Book Review: The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon”
Book Review: The Thing With Feathers, by McCall Hoyle
The Thing With Feathers, By McCall Hoyle Emilie is a teenager with issues. She struggles with returning to school after homeschooling, with making high school friends, and with navigating her first crush, a handsome athlete named Chatham. She also has two other problems: grieving her father’s death from cancer and living with epilepsy. Emilie’s mom andContinue reading “Book Review: The Thing With Feathers, by McCall Hoyle”
#MustReadin2019 — Books From 2018 I Didn’t Finish
Carrie Gelson of “There’s a Book For That”(https://thereisabookforthat.com/) hosts a hashtag for all the readers who didn’t get to finish their TBR lists in 2018 – #MustReadin2019. (Thank you, Carrie! I see I’m not alone.) I read over 140 books in 2018 (I’m terrible at posting on goodreads.com), but these are the titles I didn’tContinue reading “#MustReadin2019 — Books From 2018 I Didn’t Finish”
A Five-Star Year: Best of 2018 Books
I’ve seen a number of “Best of” book lists this week, and I always wonder how my list would stack up against the others in any given year. This year, I used a friend’s recommendation to review my Goodreads.com list, and when I looked, I found many books that received my rare “5-Star” rating (maybeContinue reading “A Five-Star Year: Best of 2018 Books”
My 2018 One Little Word — Venture
My “One Little Word” for 2018 was VENTURE. As I look back over the year, I found that I ventured out more than I ever thought I would. I took risks and made mistakes; I laughed and I cried. I spent more time thinking and planning, but also “doing” in 2018. As I acted outContinue reading “My 2018 One Little Word — Venture”
IMWAYR: H is For Haiku
Amy Losak, Sydell Rosenberg’s daughter, sent me her mother’s work, H Is For Haiku. Amy knows I love poetry and short texts I can read to my middle school students for enjoyment and for study. As I read each A to Z poem, I realized that every one was different, and that some didn’t followContinue reading “IMWAYR: H is For Haiku”
IMWAYR: So Little Time…
With the little time that I have this week, I’m reading… The New Kid by Jerry Craft I opened this one just now. It’s a graphic novel, so my middle schoolers will love it, I’m sure. I will use this book to add to my “Fabulous First Lines” list of titles: “This is how IContinue reading “IMWAYR: So Little Time…”
Reading Teacher Writes 