Author Archives: Katy K.

About Katy K.

I'm a librarian and book worm who believes that children and adults deserve great books to read.

City Kids: Thank you, Omu! and Dragons in a Bag

Posted on August 2, 2019

Here are some short takes on books with city settings for kids on the younger end of the spectrum.  Side note: both of these authors were at KidLitCon this year, and I had a lovely conversation with Zetta Elliott.   Thank … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Middle Grade, picture books | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Getting Ready for KidLitCon 2020

Posted on July 31, 2019

Dear friends, I know I have been writing less than usual here – but I have had some big news that I’ve been waiting to share with you.  Hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in some more review writing time … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Conference Notes | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Starring Kids with Hearing Loss: You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! and The Collectors

Posted on July 17, 2019

My daughter wears hearing aids, which has shone a light for me on how difficult it is to find mainstream books whose main characters are Deaf or hard of hearing.  There’s El Deafo, which is great, but not a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Realistic, Reviews | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

2019 Newberys: Merci Suárez Changes Gears and The Night Diary

Posted on July 15, 2019

Here are reviews of this year’s Newbery and Newbery honor books.  I had read just one of these when it first came out, The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.  And shout-out to my blogging friend Sondy at Sonderbooks, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Historical, Middle Grade, Print, Realistic | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Diversity Update

Posted on July 13, 2019

I was full of optimism at the beginning of the year, when I posted about participating in a diversity read-along.  I haven’t linked a single review, nor am I sure that I’m reading the right topic in the right month. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Challenges, Lists | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Asian-American Graphic Novels 2019

Posted on July 7, 2019

A few years back, I went to put together a simple end panel display for my graphic novels for Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. There was not much in the way of easily available bibliographies on-line, so I started with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Graphic Novel, Lists | Tagged , | 8 Comments

A Week of Reading

Posted on June 29, 2019

Today I looked at the pages of review notes I have and decided to just give you shorter reviews of the books I read this week.  It’s a big mix of styles – two realistic fiction (one teen and one … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult, Audiobook, Books, Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, nonfiction, Print, Realistic, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Teen/Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Everything I Know about You and Halfway Normal by Barbara Dee

Posted on June 26, 2019

Here are some more books I read for my KidLitCon panel on taboo topics in middle grade this year.  I’d previously read and very much enjoyed her Star Crossed, but she has written a lot of books, all with very … Continue reading →

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Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca

Posted on June 21, 2019

Here’s a magical midsummer book for the summer solstice!  I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book at KidLitCon, and waited to read it until closer to its release date. Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca. Yellow Jacket, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Sequels: Fated Sky, Exit Strategy, The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

Posted on June 5, 2019

Sometimes I read the first book in a series and never go on.  Other times I keep up in fits and starts. Here’s me trying to keep up.  All of these deserve longer reviews, but here’s to living with reality. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult, Audiobook, Books, Historical, Print, Sci-Fi, Teen/Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments