31
Dec
One Times Square
One Times Square: A Century of Change at the Crossroads of the World Written and Illustrated by Joe McKendry Find it at: Your Library | Amazon | Indiebound Published: David R Godine; First edition (May 28, 2012) Recommended reading age: 8 & up In a nutshell: In a matter of hours, the nation will tune […]
19
Dec
Hilda and the Midnight Giant
Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson Published: Nobrow Press (April 17, 2012) Recommended age level: 10 & up In a nutshell: I’ve seen a lot of wonderful feedback regarding this graphic novel. Last night at the library, I saw it was available, and untouched in the children’s room graphic novel section. Zero checkouts? […]
14
Dec
Summer of the Gypsy Moths
Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker Published: Balzer + Bray, imprint of Harper Collins Children’s (April 24, 2012) Recommended Age Level: 8 & up In a nutshell: Eleven year old Stella is living with her great aunt Louise who owns Linger Longer Cottage Colony a small summer rental company on Cape Cod. Stella […]
11
Dec
The Mighty Miss Malone
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis Published: Wendy Lamb Books (January 10, 2012) Recommended Age Level: 9 & up In a nutshell: Deza Malone is a whipsmart, verbose, 12-year old girl who lives with her family in Gary, Indiana during the Great Depression. Her family’s motto is that they’re “a family on a […]
30
Nov
Twelve Kinds Of Ice
Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed, illustrations by Barbara McClintock Published: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (November 6, 2012) Recommended age: 6 & up In a nutshell: For a novel about ice, I found Twelve Kinds of Ice to be one of the most heart-warming tales I’ve ever read. Author Ellen Bryan Obed […]
20
Nov
Recent and Not So Recent Reads
Hey. Let’s talk middle grade fiction books. And graphic novels. And maybe even a teen and adult book to boot. Underworlds, out of this world, and everything in between. Below is a list with quick mentions and thoughts on some of the books I’ve read over the past few months. All come highly recommended. Middle […]
3
Sep
68 Tiny Distractions
Those rooms you breezed through just now… they’re miniature. Go ahead, scroll up, and take another looksie. Incredible, right? These pictures above are only a sampling of a permanent gallery of miniature rooms called The Thorne Rooms in the Art Institute of Chicago. A few weeks ago, I read The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone, a […]
15
Aug
Liar & Spy
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead Published: Wendy Lamb Books, imprint of Random House, August 2012 Recommended Age: 9 & up In a Nutshell: I have an author crush on Rebecca Stead- this is no secret. When You Reach Me is up there as an all-time favorite, her Newbery Medal acceptance is something I go back […]
11
Aug
Reading Tween
Too old for kids books, too young to read teen fiction? The last installment of the Summer Book Hook is devoted to that in-between age group, the tweenagers. I selected some of most talked about and most recommended books by tweens over this past summer sprinkled in with a few recommendations of my own. Other […]
8
Aug
Cardboard
Cardboard by Doug TenNapel Published: Scholastic, August, 2012 Recommended Age: 10 & up In a Nutshell: If you could make anything out of cardboard what would you make? What would you do if you later find what you made comes to life? Cardboard is an action-packed graphic novel about a boy and his father, a […]
