Category Archives: Genre

Recent Teen Reading: My Lady Jane, Summer of Salt, On the Come Up

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. Read by Katherine Kellgren.  HarperCollins, 2016. Many people whose taste I trust said they enjoyed this book, plus it’s narrated by one of the best narrators ever, Katherine Kellgren, … Continue reading

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Print, Realistic, Teen/Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. Rick Riordan Presents/Disney Hyperion, 2019. The story starts with the raw chicken in the locker.  Sal put it there, to get bully Yasmany off his case in hopes of making it … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

New Kid by Jerry Craft

I first saw Jerry Craft’s work illustrating the massively underappreciated Zero Degree Zombie Zone. Now he’s come out with his own graphic novel, which is receiving a lot of very deserved attention.   New Kid by Jerry Craft. HarperCollins Childrens, … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Realistic | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Queer as a Five Dollar Bill

I’d heard of Lee Wind’s blog, I’m Here, I’m Queer, What the Hell Do I Read before, but it took me a little bit to put this together with the nice guy I was chatting with at KidLitCon.  He told … Continue reading

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Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

I suddenly realized that though I always have an audio book going and get through quite a lot of them, I haven’t been reviewing them.  Here, have an audio book! Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson. Narrated by Rebecca Soler. … Continue reading

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Teen/Young Adult | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

This was on my want-to-read list from the time it first came out, but it was Maureen at By Singing Light posting about it that finally pushed me into actually reading it. Pride by Ibi Zoboi. Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins, … Continue reading

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The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles

Thank you so much to Versify for sending me an ARC of this book to review! The book was officially published April 2. The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles, illustrated by Dapo Adeola. Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. It’s the last … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Where the Heart Is and Still a Work in Progress by Jo Knowles

Kidlitcon happened!  Providence was beautiful!  I plan to pull together my notes from that soon, but for now, a couple of books by the wonderful Jo Knowles, who was on my panel called “You Can’t Say That in Middle Grade”, … Continue reading

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The Benefits of Being an Octopus

Here’s another author from my Kidlitcon panel, which I’m posting from the airport on my way to Providence! The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden. Sky Pony Press, 2018. Seventh grader Zoey mostly keeps her head down on … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Middle Grade, Print, Realistic | Tagged | 3 Comments

So Done by Paula Chase.

Kidlitcon is coming up!  I’ll be moderating a panel called “You Can’t Say That in Middle Grade!” with four wonderful authors who are willing to tackle issues that have in the past been reserved for teen audiences, if they’re discussed … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Middle Grade, Print, Realistic | Tagged , , | 6 Comments