Category Archives: books

TTT: Top 10 Books from the First Half of 2017

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Katy K.

Only one of the three statements above is actually true – can you guess which one?  Top 10 Tuesday hosted by the very busy ladies at the Broke and the Bookish might officially be on hiatus, but I’m still taking … Continue reading →

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Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Katy K.

I loved Rita Williams-Garcia’s Gaither Sister trilogy, so of course I wanted to try her latest book, too. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia. Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White. Amistad, 2017. Young Clayton loves hanging out with grandfather, Cool Papa, … Continue reading →

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The Merlin Conspiracy

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Katy K.

My son and I have been reading Diana Wynne Jones together, both on audio and me reading aloud to him.  This is the second book in the duology that begins with Deep Secret, which so far only I have read. … Continue reading →

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This Savage Song

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Katy K.

It seemed like a Sign when this book by an author who was on my Top 10 Fantasy Authors I’ve never Read appeared on the Cybils Young Adult Speculative Fiction shortlist this year. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab. Greenwillow … Continue reading →

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Guest Post with Sarah of Publishizer

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Katy K.

Friends, the Summer Reading Program is still eating my time.  In the meantime, I have a guest post from Sarah White of Publishizer, with a YA book proposal contest she hopes will help diversify YA publishing.  Putting the Readers Back … Continue reading →

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The Gateway Quartet by Cerberus Jones

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Katy K.

Taking a break from my massive reading of diverse books to write about this fun chapter book series, which arrived from the publisher at the height of Cybils madness. The Gateway Quartet: The Four-Fingered Man, the Warriors of Brin-Hask, the … Continue reading →

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Allied Media Conference

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Katy K.

Hello friends – This is just a short note to say that my friend Nakenya and I will be presenting on Diversity in Youth Literature at the Allied Media Conference in Detroit next Saturday, June 17.  There is nothing like … Continue reading →

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Top 10 Books on My Want-to-Read List for the Second Half of 2017

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Katy K.

Once again, the folks at the Broke and the Bookish say it’s time for me (and the rest of their groupies) to plan out our reading for the second half of the year. I will not complain about planning ahead for once. Here are (slightly more than) ten mostly middle grade fantasy books I’m looking forward to. Continue reading →

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Juana & Lucas

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Katy K.

I first took this book home because it was a Cybils Early Chapter Book finalist, but it went on to win a Pura Belpré Author Award. Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina. Candlewick Press, 2016 Juana lives in Bogotá, Columbia and … Continue reading →

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The Sun is Also a Star

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Katy K.

My memory is a little fuzzy as to why I picked this up – but I am a sucker for a good teen romance, and this adds to my #OwnVoices goals as well. The Sun is Also a Star by … Continue reading →

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