I was honored to receive an advanced reader copy of Give and Take by Elly Swartz (thank you, #booksojourn and Macmillan Publishers) and I was inspired! If you haven’t yet, pre-order this phenomenal middle grade novel. You won’t be disappointed. About Give and Take: Maggie is a caring 12-year-old who loves her family and friends.Continue reading “Book Review: Give and Take, by Elly Swartz”
Category Archives: Book Reviews
Book Review: Astro-Nuts, by Jon Scieszka
Recommended for ages 8-12, Astro-Nuts is the newest creation by Jon Scieszka , illustrated by Steven Weinberg. In this first book in a planned trilogy, Mission One: The Plant Planet, NNASA (Not-NASA) charges four mutant animals hiding in Mt. Rushmore to travel to outer space and find other planets to support human life, since theContinue reading “Book Review: Astro-Nuts, by Jon Scieszka”
Book Review: Ordinary Hazards, by Nikki Grimes
Nikki Grimes is one of my favorite writers, gathering beautiful words in her notebooks over the years, which are now mixed with memories in Ordinary Hazards (coming 10/08/19 — thank you for providing ARCs, WordSong/Highlights). The content is dark, yet hopeful. The words are tragic, yet inspirational. Some poems made me laugh (“Math Madness”) andContinue reading “Book Review: Ordinary Hazards, by Nikki Grimes”
Book Review: The Tornado, by Jake Burt
What does it take to avoid the school bully? Fifth grader and innovative thinker, Bell Kirby, has an elaborate plan that works, until the day Daelynn Gower, the new student with rainbow hair and crazy attire, arrives. Back in 4th grade, former friends, Bell and Parker Hellickson (the principal’s son), had aContinue reading “Book Review: The Tornado, by Jake Burt”
Happy Fourth of July! Book Review of Grace Goes to Washington
I’m so happy to live in a country where I am able to read and write. I’m celebrating the 4th with some books and my computer. Today I read the upcoming Grace Goes to Washington, by Kelly DiPucchio. This title is due out September 3, 2019 from Disney-Hyperion and is another friendly and fun bookContinue reading “Happy Fourth of July! Book Review of Grace Goes to Washington”
IMWAYR: Picture Books and Memoirs
I’m spending the week with my granddaughter and today we headed to The Brain Lair Bookstore to visit Kathy (the owner and my book buddy). “M” spied one of her favorite authors right away and said, “Hey! Look! We have How to Build a Sandcastle! How about we get It’s NOT Jack and the Beanstalk?”Continue reading “IMWAYR: Picture Books and Memoirs”
IMWAYR: Summer Reading Begins!
It’s FINALLY summertime, and while I only have a little time off, I’m ready to read and write much more. Here are the two best reads of my first week of summer: The Bridge Home, by Padma Venkatraman – Viji and her little sister, Rukku, live a hard-knock life (literally) in India. Appa drinks andContinue reading “IMWAYR: Summer Reading Begins!”
IMWAYR: Thrilling & Beautiful Books
The weather hasn’t been nice lately – rain most of the time – which gives me lots of inside time to read. This week I share an upcoming YA thriller and a new picture book. Every Stolen Breath, by Kimberly Gabriel Set in modern-day Chicago, Every Stolen Breath is a fast-paced, YA thriller that readersContinue reading “IMWAYR: Thrilling & Beautiful Books”
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”
Reading Teacher Writes 