Category Archives: books

Hour of the Bees

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Katy K.

I’m celebrating Latin@ books this week, today with lyrical and leisurely middle grade fantasy Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar. Continue reading →

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Stef Soto, Taco Queen

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Katy K.

A rare upbeat but realistic view of middle great in Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres. Continue reading →

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How One Mama Reads 250 Books a Year

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Katy K.

Last week on Fangirl Happy Hour’s Question Tuesday, Ana and Renay discussed when and how they make time for reading and asked listeners to tell them how we read. I meant to write an answer and post it the same … Continue reading →

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Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Katy K.

The winner of this year’s Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Cybils Award! Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan. Disney-Hyperion, 2016. Young Thorn, after a series of events gone wrong that are slowly disclosed to the reader, is up for sale as a … Continue reading →

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Labyrinth Lost

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Katy K.

A Brooklyn teen must come to terms with her inherited bruja powers in this Cybils young adult speculative fiction finalist. Continue reading →

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Diverse Reading Round-Up

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Katy K.

This year, instead of focusing just on reading diverse authors, I’m working on something even harder for me – trying to keep up with writing reviews. I’m linking up my reviews of #ownvoices books at Read Diverse Books. Here’s what … Continue reading →

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The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Katy K.

This is one I heard about from British bookish folk, and then had to wait a very long time for it to come out in the U.S., where it just came out last year, and a bit longer for it to … Continue reading →

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Towers Falling

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Katy K.

I was interested to see what the author of Cybils finalist Bayou Magic would do with the topic of September 11, just recently far enough in the past for students to need to learn about it in school. Towers Falling … Continue reading →

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12 Girl-Led Read-alouds for K/1s

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Katy K.

There’s been a lot of discussion about how people think that boys will only read or enjoy books about other boys.  I beg to differ.  It’s taken several months – but here at last is a list of girl-led read-alouds … Continue reading →

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Evil Wizard Smallbone

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Katy K.

Today, a review of a Cybils Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction finalist. The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Delia Sherman. Candlewick, 2017. Nick Reynaud’s life has been harsh since his mother died, leaving him in the hands of his uncle and cousin Jerry, … Continue reading →

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