Illus. by Debbie Ohi * I've entered into the NaNoWriMo zone of creation and revision, weaving a new story midst the shards of an old one. And yes, I mean "old" in the historical sense. When the pieces come together to form a new story, it will be a middle grade with parallel timelines and … Continue reading NaNoWriMo Alert
* What? No perfect picture book today! Instead, I want to feature a middle grade book with plot lines that resemble NYC's mass transit map, and smoothly move the characters from the beginning to the end without delays or crashes. I read a lot of middle grade and some YA, and usually post my favorites … Continue reading Hope in the Valley – Perfect Middle Grade Surprise!
Some picture books land at the upper end of elementary school and into middle school, due to their complex content, vocabulary, and word count. They usually involve more photographic content than illustrations and come with a table of contents and index. CLIMATE WARRIORS is one of those books. * The author, Laura Gehl, starts by … Continue reading Climate Warriors – Perfect Picture Book (+MG) Friday
Here's a book that many may have missed, because it was published right before the crazy days of 2020. And if you missed it, you've missed a heart-filled, award-winning story about a baby gorilla and her mother who doesn't know how to be a mother. It would make a terrific read aloud for early elementary … Continue reading Growing Up Gorilla – Perfect Picture and Chapter Book
I don't know why, but ever since I watched Chicken People, the documentary about people who breed and show chickens, I've found chickens to be somewhat engaging. And after reading this book, I find them fascinating, too. Did you know they can count up to four? Cats can only count up to three. (oh, the … Continue reading Chickenology – Perfect Picture Book Friday
I've read three middle grade novels by Cynthia Lord over the past few weeks. She has a very distinctive, gentle style. One that features the concerns of Tweens, no matter how small, and makes them seem extraordinarily important. Of the three I read, HALF A CHANCE will stay with me the longest. Synopsis of Half … Continue reading Half a Chance – Middle Grade Book Review
You want VOICE? Here's VOICE. Cover copy: "All her life, Cricket's mama has told her stories about a secret room painted by a mysterious artist. Now Mama's run off, and Cricket thinks the room might be the answer to getting her back. If it exists. And if she can find it." The expectation set, readers … Continue reading Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe
Thirteen-year-old Zoey and her mom and three younger siblings live with a man named Lenny. He owns a nice trailer. He's bought her mom a new set of teeth. And he's bent on undermining any self-confidence that Zoey's mother ever had. From the first few pages, the reader is pulled into Zoey's world, an impoverished … Continue reading The Benefits of Being an Octopus – Review
I'm sure you have an opinion. What is the most ominous wintry scene in children's literature? CricketMuse argues that Edmund's encounter with the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia takes the prize, —while I argue that Jacob Marley's visitation of Scrooge has put the fear of miserliness into children for over 170 years. What … Continue reading The White Witch vs. Jacob Marley’s Ghost – Debatables
Litquake San Francisco, an annual literary festival comprising 850+ authors and hundreds of events in the span of 10 days, can be exhausting and daunting, but it can also be exhilarating and inspirational. I'm a co-producer of Kidquake, an event that draws 1,000 elementary school kids, their teachers, and chaperones to four assemblies and 10 … Continue reading Kidquake – Dream Big!
Jilanne Hoffmann 