Author Archives: Katy K.

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About Katy K.

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

Riverland by Fran Wilde

Though Fran Wilde apparently didn’t make my list of Top 10 Fantasy Authors I’ve Never Read, she has been on my radar but unread for quite a while. Good thing she came out with a middle grade book, rather than … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta

Game of Stars. Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond 2 by Sayantani DasGupta. Scholastic, 2019. New Jersey middle schooler Kiran – aka Princess Kiranmala of the Kingdom Beyond – returns in the second volume of the series that began with The … Continue reading

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu

I am breaking a trend – I just realized my last three books reviewed all had “dragon in the title.  Here’s another book that I was really looking forward to this year.  I first listened to it on my own … Continue reading

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

Science fiction mixes with Korean mythology in this book by acclaimed adult SF writer Yoon Ha Lee.  Of course I had to read it! Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. Read by Kim Mai Guest. Rick Riordan Presents/Listening Library, 2019. … Continue reading

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Sci-Fi | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Dragonfell by Sarah Prineas

Sarah Prineas’s Magic Thief series is one I’ve loved enough to listen to multiple times, so I was very excited to read her new book, the pages going quickly and happily by after a period where it felt like I … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , | 2 Comments

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

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 , , , , | 3 Comments

Getting Ready for KidLitCon 2020

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

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 , , | 5 Comments

2019 Newberys: Merci Suárez Changes Gears and The Night Diary

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

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Diversity Update

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