Category Archives: books

The Marvelwood Magicians

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Katy K.

I’ve enjoyed books by Diane Zahler in the past, including Baker’s Magic and The Thirteenth Princess, so I was happy when this new offering came up in my Cybils reading last year. The Marvelwood Magicians by Diane Zahler. Boyds Mills Press, 2017. … Continue reading →

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Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino

Posted on March 10, 2018 by Katy K.

This book was a 2016 Christmas gift from my love to my son and I.  We finished the book we were reading and then took several months reading it aloud together. Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino. Roaring Brook Press, … Continue reading →

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Beast & Crown by Joel Ross

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Katy K.

Beast & Crown by Joel Ross. HarperCollins, 2017. This most recent book by the author of the 2015 Cybils Middle Grade Speculative Fiction winner, The Fog Diver, features a similarly diverse cast, this time in a historical fantasy world. (I … Continue reading →

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Dominion by Shane Arbuthnott

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Katy K.

My catching up with books I read for the Cybils continues… Dominion by Shane Arbuthnott. Orca, 2017. Twelve-year-old Molly Stout lives and works on her family’s airship, the Legerdemain, along with her father and two older brothers. Following the legacy … Continue reading →

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2018 Diversity Reading Challenge Update

Posted on March 4, 2018 by Katy K.

This year I’m participating in the Diversity Reading Challenge hosted by Pam at an Unconventional Librarian.  It’s a really great way to help me make sure my reading is well-rounded!  Here’s what I’ve read so far this year: Written by … Continue reading →

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The Painting by Charis Cotter

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Katy K.

Here is another creepy, atmospheric story from the author of 2015 Cybils finalist The Swallow: a Ghost Story. The Painting by Charis Cotter. Tundra Books, 2017. In the present day, our heroine, Annie, is struggling with her mother being in … Continue reading →

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Brave Red, Smart Frog

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Katy K.

This week, I’m going to focus on reviewing Cybils books that I wasn’t able to write up during the rush of Cybils season. Brave Red, Smart Frog by Emily Jenkins. Illustrated by Rohan Daniel Eason. Candlewick Press, 2017. This volume … Continue reading →

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Spindle by E.K. Johnston

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Katy K.

Spindle by E.K. Johnston. Hyperion, 2016. Hundreds of years after the Storyteller Queen drove the demon out, as told in A Thousand Night, the demon has been slowly plotting its escape.  It has invented a curse on making and the … Continue reading →

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When Dimple Met Rishi

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Katy K.

i’m still catching up on reviews – but in the meantime the Cybils winners have been announced! Head on over and take a look – I’m taking three of the winners home from the library today. When Dimple Met Rishi … Continue reading →

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Yvain: the Knight of the Lion

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Katy K.

Yvain: the Knight of the Lion by M.T. Anderson, based on the epic by Chrétien de Troyes. Illustrated by Andrea Offerman. Candlewick, 2017. I enjoy a good medieval story, and M.T. Anderson always impresses with the sheer range of his … Continue reading →

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