Category Archives: Reviews

Roses and Rot by Kat Howard

My blogging friend Maureen at By Singing Light, like myself, is a fan of a well-retold Tam Lin story – so when she got excited about this story, I paid attention.  A column by the author on John Scalzi’s blog … Continue reading

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Ninefox Gambit

A quick review of some twisty military sci-fi for adults, before Cybils middle grade spec fic takes over the blog as it has already, of course, taken over my reading. (Have you nominated yet?  There are still a couple of … Continue reading

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Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor

Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor. Viking, 2017. At last, a long-awaited sequel to Akata Witch, complete with new covers for both books.  It’s been just a year in book time since Sunny Nwazue and her three juju-learning Leopard team mates … Continue reading

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A Crack in the Sea by H.M. Bouwman

The last time I wrote about an eligible, not-yet-nominated Cybils book, it was nominated before I posted my review.  Will the same thing work again? (Cybils nominations close October 15, if you haven’t yet nominated!) A Crack in the Sea … Continue reading

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The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

Does it get much better than dragons and chocolate? The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis. Bloomsbury, 2017. Aventurine is a young dragon bored of staying in the caves.  Young dragons are expected to stay in their caves … Continue reading

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Two Family Adventures: The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher and the Lotterys Plus One

Here are two stories of the classic family adventure type, but featuring same-sex parents. Both of them also have families formed by adoption, so adopted kids with many kinds of parents could see themselves reflected in these books. Misadventures of … Continue reading

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Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever.

Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever. Edited by Betsy Bird. Viking, 2017. It was the author list and associated cartoons on Betsy Bird’s blog, a Fuse #8 Production, that first drew me to this book (I can no longer find the … Continue reading

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Three for Theater Kids

I’m still trying to catch up on all the books I read for my presentation at the Allied Media Conference in June, so it’s time for shorter takes.  Here are three books perfect for the middle school theater fan. Better … Continue reading

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Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

More action-oriented historical fiction from the author of Under a Painted Sky. Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee. Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller. Print from Putnam, 2016. Audio from Tantor Audio. It’s San Francisco in 1906.  Our story starts on a … Continue reading

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The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi

Look!  I’m actually reading books off of my Want to Read list for this year!  This was one I found combing through Amazon’s middle grade pre-orders – a game-based fantasy starring a Muslim girl, from Simon & Schuster’s new Salaam … Continue reading

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