Posts by Janie Cheaney
Quick Summer Reads: Treasure Tracks, High Score, and Wretched Waterpark
Three entertaining novels for the adventure-seeker, the heist-lover, and the doom-aficionado.
Read MoreJust Look Around: Sato the Rabbit, One Boy Watching, and The Boy Who Loved Maps
Two picture books, Sato the Rabbit and One Boy Watching, are about using imagination and paying attention.
Read More*Marshmallow Clouds by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek
In Marshmallow Clouds, two poets look at the world, both the sublime and the mundane, through expressive wordplay.
Read MoreThe Islanders: Search for Treasure by Mary Alice Monroe
The Islanders Series features three friends spending enlightening and adventure-filled summers on an island off the coast of South Carolina.
Read MoreThe Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin
The “Homework Squad” shows attention-challenged students how to study smarter.
Read MoreThe Fort by Gordon Korman
Five boys find an unexpected place to come to terms with troubling life issues: The Fort.
Read MoreGraphic-Novel History: History Comics and Who HQ
Telling history and science through pictures is an obvious way to teach, but watch out when a series attempts to do more than communicate the facts.
Read MoreSpineless by Samantha San Miguel
A sickly young man finds both adventure and wisdom in Spineless, an enjoyable debut novel set in turn-of-the-century Florida.
Read MoreMr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game by Chris Grabenstein
Fans of Mr. Lemoncello’s world of puzzles and games will enjoy this story of how he got his start.
Read More*Love and Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean
Love and Other Great Expectations puts romance in its place as part of life’s great adventure (but not all of it).
Read MoreSkandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman
The much-hyped fantasy series opener Skandar and the Unicorn Thief breaks new ground in unicorn lore.
Read MoreYour Pal Fred by Michael Rex
A fun graphic novel for young middle-graders, Your Pal Fred pictures a dystopian world startled by kindness.
Read MorePicture Books about Nature: Be Thankful for Trees, Yoshi and the Ocean, and The Whale Who Swam Through Time
The Blessing of a Tree Be Thankful for Trees by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald. Red Comet Press, 2022, 80 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 0-4 Recommended for: ages 2-5 The subtitle is, “A tribute to the many and surprising ways trees relate to our lives.” So let’s count the ways: trees contribute…
Read MoreNew From Here by Kelly Yang
New from Here looks at the recent pandemic through the perspective of an Asian-American family hoping to escape the virus in California.
Read MoreTrapped in Terror Bay by Sigmund Brouwer
Trapped in Terror Bay takes readers into the mystery of the ill-fated Arctic voyage of the Franklin Expedition, 1845.
Read MoreCookies & Milk by Shawn Amos
Cookies & Milk is an enjoyable fictionalized account of the world’s first chocolate-chip cookie store and the launch of a “famous” business.
Read MoreCrazy Horse and Custer: Born Enemies by S. D. Nelson
Crazy Horse and Custer: Born Enemies addresses the bloody and complex history of the U.S. Indian Wars with honesty and clarity.
Read MoreThe Shelter and the Fence by Herman H. Finkelstein
The Shelter and the Fence relates the heartening history of how nearly 1000 Jewish refugees found welcome in America during World War II.
Read MoreMy Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk
My Own Lightning follows the author’s previous Newbery-honored novel, Wolf Hollow, with a more hopeful conclusion.
Read MoreRip to the Rescue
Rip to the Rescue is a true-to-life World War II adventure featuring heroic teens and one heroic dog.
Read More*Watership Down by Richard Adams
Watership Down, a modern classic, employs noble themes of vision, courage, and sacrifice among some of the most humble and ordinary of animals in their quest for a home.
Read MoreEach of Us a Universe by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
Two girls with big problems draw resilience from each other and the “Magic” of the Universe.
Read MoreThe Dragon and the Stone (Dreamkeeper Saga #1) by Kathryn Butler
The Dreamkeeper Saga weaves Christian themes, Arthurian legend, and reliable fantasy tropes into a promising series for middle-graders
Read More*The Sower by Scott James
The Sower employs biblical allegories of seeds and planting to recap the story of the Bible and its effect on human history—and on us.
Read MorePolly and the Screen Time Overload by Betsy Childs Howard
Polly and the Screen Time Overload gently points young children away from electronic fascinations to the quieter joys of real life
Read More*God’s Attributes by Jill Nelson
God’s Attributes is an accessible, kid-friendly way to approach the greatness of God as we learn to trust Him.
Read MoreEndlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat
Endlessly Ever After allows readers to mix and match traditional tales to the tune of catchy rhymes and lavish illustrations
Read MoreThe Woman Who Split the Atom by Marissa Moss
Brilliant physicist Lise Meitner, overlooked by history, receives her due in this well-written and -illustrated biography.
Read MoreBestselling YA: A Look at the 2022 Market
Aside from one graphic novel romance series, novels about death and murder dominate the current YA scene. Where’s hope?
Read MoreThe Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
In The Last Mapmaker, a low-born but spirited girl, an aged craftsman, and high stakes at sea make for a satisfying adventure.
Read MoreThe Serpent Slayer and the Scroll of Riddles by Champ Thornton
The Serpent Slayer and the Scroll of Riddles adapts adult theology to a middle-grade audience, wrapped in an adventure story.
Read MoreHilde on Record by Hilde Lysiak
Hilde Lysiak, whose doggedness as a 9-year-old investigative reporter made her a star of journalism, tells her own story.
Read MoreAlias Anna by Susan Hood and Greg Dawson
In free verse, Alias Anna tells the story of surviving the Holocaust in Ukraine by hiding in plain sight.
Read MoreJust a Girl by Lia Levi
Italian author Lia Levi adapts her memoir, Just a Girl, for young children, resulting in a fine early introduction to WWII and the Holocaust.
Read MoreGlass Slippers by Leah Cypress
Glass Slippers reimagines the Cinderella story through the eyes of a third stepsister, who is trying to sort truth from lies.
Read MoreThe School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In The School for Whatnots, popular children’s author Margaret Peterson Haddix explores how good intentions go awry
Read MoreNew Chapter Book series: Starla Jean and Cornbread & Poppy
In these two enjoyable chapter-book series, Cornbread & Poppy are mismatched but loving friends and Starla Jean is a plucky protagonist.
Read MoreThe Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
In The Ogress and the Orphans, a winning fairytale, kindness and love overcome suspicion.
Read MoreThe Aquanaut by Dan Santat
The Aquanaut packs unexpected heart into a fantastical plot from the ocean depths.
Read MoreNew Picture Books: Knight Owl, Hello Puddle!, All from a Walnut, Hundred Years of Happiness
Four new picture books take a humorous look at knighthood, explore backyard science, and appreciate grandparents.
Read MoreCress Watercress by Gregory Maguire
Cress Watercress, a young rabbit suddenly fatherless, finds strength and purpose in this beautifully written tale
Read MoreItch: the Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter by Simon Mayo
Solid science adds heft to Itch, a present-day sci-fi novel with elements of an international spy thriller. Itch: the Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter, by Simon Mayo. Splinter, 2013, 410 pages. Reading Level: Teens, Ages 11-15 Recommended For: Ages 11-15 Itchingham “Itch” Lofte, age 14, has a hobby with unfortunate side effects—not just for…
Read More*The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung
The “Biggest Story” brand continues with a family-friendly Bible Storybook that provides food for thought even to grownups.
Read MoreTroublemaker by John Cho
Troublemaker honestly pictures generational, cultural, and racial conflict against the background of the Los Angeles riots of 1992.
Read MoreCat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey
The Cat Kid Comic club, a spinoff of the popular Dog Man series, invites young readers to experiment with their own comic stories and styles.
Read MoreDog Man Series by Dav Pilkey
Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series, while reveling in underwear and potty humor, still manages to be loveable. And even funny.
Read MoreBack Porch Book Chat: Karina Yan Glaser, author of the Vanderbeekers series
Our series of Back Porch Book Chats are casual conversations with book-lovers like ourselves: authors, booksellers, reviewers, bloggers, moms and dads. Today we’re delighted to welcome Karina Yan Glaser, whom we met over her first novel, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street! Met virtually, that is, although I (Janie) had the pleasure of meeting her in…
Read More*A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser
A Duet for Home portrays the plight of the homeless as far from hopeless—or helpless.
Read MoreThe Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck by Matt Phelan
A swashbuckling rooster, a designing sheep and a clever duck change history in Matt Phelan’s latest flight of fancy.
Read MoreNot So Different by Shane Burcaw
In Not So Different, disability activist Shane Burcaw answers questions about life as a wheelchair-bound man with a lively intellect.
Read More*Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart by Sharon Draper
Out of My Mind and its sequel, Out of My Heart, welcome readers into the rich inner life of Melody Brooks, a bright pre-teen with cerebral palsy.
Read MoreBlue by Nan Ekua Brew-Hammon
What’s special about the color blue? A lot!
Read MoreA Cloud of Outrageous Blue by Vesper Stamper
A peasant girl in pre-Plague England holds the key to key to healing and “outrageous blue” hope.
Read MorePony by R. J. Palacio
Pony mixes elements of historical fiction and fantasy to create a memorable coming-of-age tale.
Read MoreNorthwind by Gary Paulsen
Northwind follows a boy into the northern wilderness to be reborn in the harsh cradle of nature.
Read MoreAcross the Rainbow Bridge by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Across the Rainbow Bridge puts Norse mythology in its original context of tales told around peat fires on long winter nights.
Read MoreFun with Words and Stories: Otto: A Palindrama and The Ice Cream Machine
Otto tells an extended story with pictures and palindromes, while The Ice Cream Machine spins six stories off one title prompt.
Read MorePrisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
Prisoners of Geography helps kids understand how natural features shape history and economics.
Read MoreUnfolding Grace for Kids
Unfolding Grace for Kids leads middle-graders and younger through the Bible with selected readings and introductions. Unfolding Grace for Kids: A 40-Day Journey through the Bible. Crossway, 2021, 270 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-15 independently; ages 8-12 as a read-aloud In Unfolding Grace, published by Crossway in 2020, the…
Read MorePrintz Honor Books Roundup: Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Concrete Rose, Revolution in Our Time, Starfish
The Michael L. Printz Award is given by the American Library Association for “Excellence in literature written for young adults.” Last year’s winner was Everything Sad Is Untrue, a book we love. This year’s winner is The Firekeeper’s Daughter, a book we liked, with certain considerations. That said, we don’t review every Printz winner, because…
Read MoreOperation Do-Over by Gordon Korman
Operation Do-Over is an entertaining jaunt that asks the perennial question: What if you got a chance to correct a past mistake?
Read More*Something Better Coming by Megan Saben
Something Better Coming builds anticipation for the Easter season as it builds faith in young hearts.
Read MoreRevolution in Our Time by Kekla Magoon
The award-winning Revolution in Our Time offers a compelling but incomplete picture of the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party.
Read MorePicture Books about Transportation: From Here to There, Rescuing Titanic, and Hope at Sea
From Here to There: Inventions that Changed the Way the World Moves by Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Gilbert Ford. HM, 2021, 82 pages plus notes, bibliography, and index. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 7-12 It still seems hard to believe that, up until about 220 years ago, humans could travel no…
Read More2022 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Roundup: Vamos! Let’s Cross the Bridge, Bright Star, and May Your Life Be Deliciosa
The Pura Belpré award honors “Latinx writers and illustrators whose books portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.” This year the ALA named one winner and four honor picture books for illustration. The winner is Vamos! Let’s Cross the Bridge by Raul the Third (colors by Elaine Bay). Versify (HMH), 2021, 38 pages. In…
Read MoreAmbushed! by Gail Jarrow
Ambushed!, winner of this year’s YALSA Award for nonfiction, is the absorbing, day-by-day account of of a presidential assassination and its aftermath.
Read MoreThe Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
The Last Cuentista, winner of this year’s Newbery medal is thought-provoking but leaves other thoughts unexplored.
Read More2022 Newbery Honor Book Roundup: Red White and Whole, A Snake Falls to Earth, Watercress, Too Bright to See
In our continuing coverage of ALA Youth Media Award winners, we’re closing in on the big one: the Newbery! Red, White, and Whole by Rajanni LaRocca. Quill Tree Books, 2021, 223 pages. Reading Level: Ages 10-12 Recommended For: Ages 10-12 (and up!) Reja straddles two worlds: her parents’ Indian world and her own (1980s) American…
Read More2022 Schneider Family Middle-Grade Roundup: A Bird Will Soar, A Kind of Spark, Stuntboy in the Meantime
The Schneider Family Book Award is given by the American Library Association for outstanding books “that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience. Last week we posted our roundup of the winning title and honor titles in the picture-book category. This year’s award-winners for middle-grade readers all picture disabilities that are more fashionably called…
Read More2022 Sidney Taylor Award Picture-Book Roundup: The Passover Guest, Nicky & Vera, Dear Mr. Dickens, and The Christmas Mitzvah
The Sidney Taylor Award, named for the author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series, is presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries to “outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.” Three categories are recognized: picture books, middle grade, and young adult. Let’s look at the outstanding picture books . .…
Read MoreMurder on the Baltimore Express by Suzanne Jermain
Plotted like a step-by-step thriller, Murder on the Baltimore Express tells how Abraham Lincoln almost didn’t become president.
Read More2022 Sidney Taylor Award MG Roundup: How to Find What You’re Not Looking For, The Genius Under the Table, and Linked
How to Find What You’re Not Looking For explores family fault lines, interracial marriage, and finding a voice.
Read More2022 Schneider Family Picture-Book Roundup: My City Speaks, A Walk in the Words, and A Sky-Blue Bench
The Schneider Family Book Awards are given annually by the American Library Association, for “books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.” Here’s a roundup of this year’s winners in the picture-book category. My City Speaks by Darren Lebeuf, illustrated by Ashley Barron. Kids Can Press, 2021, 32 pages Reading Level: Picture book,…
Read MoreSibert (nonfiction) Roundup: The People’s Painter, The Great Stink, We Are Still Here, Summertime Sleepers
The Robert F. Sibert Award, announced by the American Library Association every January, names one to six outstanding nonfiction titles written for upper elementary and middle-graders. Two of the honor titles we’ve already reviewed (see below). The winner is a picture book about an activist artist. Read on: The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought…
Read MorePicturing a Nation by Martin W. Sandler
Picturing a Nation collects some of the best Great Depression photographs by the Farm Security Agency.
Read MoreSet Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte
Set Me Free follows the further adventures of Mary Lambert, a deaf girl growing up in Martha’s Vineyard at the turn of the 19th century.
Read MoreThe 2022 ALA Youth Media Awards
Egg on our faces? Last year we accurately predicted that When You Trap a Tiger was a contender for Newbery recognition, and it won top honors. We also reviewed or buzzed most of the eventual winners, including All Thirteen, A Wish in the Dark, and Fighting Words. We buzzed New Kid in 2020, The Book…
Read MoreFinal Season by Tim Green
Final Season is a touching look at the short- and long-term effects of football on family life, personal value, and physical health.
Read More2022 Newbery Buzz #5: Cuba in My Pocket
Cuba in My Pocket (see our review) appears on many Newbery favorites lists right alongside Fallout, the book Megan and Betsy mulled over yesterday. In many ways, today’s buzz book offers a prelude to Steve Sheinkin’s masterful treatment of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It takes place shortly after Castro’s revolution set in motion the events…
Read More2022 Newbery Buzz #3: Gone to the Woods
Today Betsy and Janie will take a closer look at Gone to the Woods, a memoir by prolific author Gary Paulsen. Paulsen has been a highly recognizable name since winning Newbery honors in 1986 for Dogsong. He is best known for Hatchet (1988, reviewed here), another Newbery honor book that’s gone through numerous reprintings. Not…
Read MoreNewbery Roundup #2: Born on the Water, Starfish, Too Bright to See, and The Legend of Auntie Po
Four more Newbery contenders come under the Redeemed Reader microscope.
Read MoreClues to the Universe by Christina Lee
Two fatherless middle-graders find solace by joining together on a project and a quest.
Read MoreRace to the Bottom of the Earth by Rebecca F. Barone
Race to the Bottom of the Earth details how four men, separated by 112 years, risk life and limb to become the first to conquer the forbidding continent of Antarctica
Read MoreNewbery Roundup #1: DaVinci’s Cat, Playing the Cards You’re Dealt, Harry Versus the First 100 Days of School, and Black Boy Joy
Redeemed Reader looks at four Newbery contenders for 2022
Read MoreTreasury of Magical Tales from around the World by Donna Jo Napoli
Veteran children’s author Donna Jo Napoli retells fairy- and folk tales from every continent, reflecting both particular culture and common humanity.
Read MoreMighty Inside by Sundee T. Frazier
An incoming freshman faces challenges of racism and stuttering in Mighty Inside.
Read More*The Swallow’s Flight by Hilary McKay
The Swallow’s Flight gracefully unfolds the lives of two English girls and two German boys against the backdrop of World War II.
Read MoreThe Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield
The little-known story of code breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman gets full and masterful treatment.
Read MoreThe Genius under the Table by Eugene Yelchin
Eugene Yelchin’s memoir of his Soviet childhood is surreal, sad, and hilarious.
Read MoreCuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas
A 12-year-old refugee flees Cuba for a better life but can’t forget his home and people.
Read MoreAcross the Desert by Dusti Bowling
Across the Desert is a harrowing survival tale of determination and hope, as one girl attempts a dangerous rescue.
Read MoreThe Vanderbeekers Make a Wish by Karina Van Glaser
The lively Vanderbeeker kids deepen their family roots in the fifth volume of the popular series.
Read MoreVoyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant
In Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, two youngsters undertake a dangerous journey to find relatives missing after World War I.
Read MoreHow to Find a Fox by Kate Gardner
Beautiful nature photography distinguishes How to Find a Fox.
Read MorePax, Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker
The two central characters of Pax, a “best of” book from 2016, work their way back to each other with a more positive resolution.
Read MoreStowaway by John David Anderson
Stowaway offers nonstop action, interesting characters, and food for thought with classic science fiction tropes.
Read MoreGood News of Great Joy by John Piper
John Piper examines why the new is really and eternally good, in the attractive volume of short advent readings.
Read MoreOne Kid’s Trash by Jamie Sumner
In One Kid’s Trash, an unusual talent leads to sudden popularity and unfortunate consequences.
Read MoreCRT Isn’t Always CRT
Christians need to distinguish between what’s “controversial” and what isn’t.
Read MoreThe Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
Two heavyweights of the children’s book world collaborate on The Beatryce Prophesy, a quasi-medieval tale of treachery and hope.
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