The Latest Posts

Newbery Buzz: Most Dangerous by Steve Sheinkin

It's that time again!  Less than a month before the American Library Association announces their Youth Media Awards, and chief among them is the coveted ...
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What Makes a GREAT Novel?

When was “The Novel” as a literary form invented? The answer is, it wasn’t. The type of long-form fiction we call a novel was not ...
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*Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss

*Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss. Random House, 1949. 56 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, Ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 Bartholomew and the ...
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Reading with Discernment: YA Literature

One of the high school classes I teach is devoted to helping students become discerning readers. Modern young adult fiction can be a minefield of ...
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Betrayed by Books: Always Read with Discernment!

I'm all for diversity in books--after all, God's creation is full of so many different kinds of people and they are all created in His image. We ...
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Happy 150th birthday, Alice in Wonderland!

Alice in Wonderland turned 150 years old this year! Here are seven of the many reasons I believe Alice is worth celebrating with a tea ...
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Have an Awesome Thanksgiving

In honor of this week's holiday, a book review post from a few years back: *Sarah Gives Thanks: How Thanksgiving Became a National Holiday, by ...
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cover of Emily of Deep Valley

*Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace

Coming-of-age, romance, and historical fiction is combined in a little-known novel, Emily of Deep Valley, by a classic American author. *Emily of Deep Valley by Maud ...
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Flying Ponies and Dump Trucks

Do little kids love fantasy? NPR recently reported on a study done by three academic psychologists on the subject of children and fiction. They asked ...
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Happy 100th Birthday, Jean Fritz!

Prolific author Jean Fritz turns 100 today! During her long life, she has written numerous books--mostly biographies--for children. Before picture book biographies were so prevalent, ...
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Tempest in a Mixing Bowl

As a book reviewer, I have stars in my eyes. That is, I watch for stars when scanning book review journals, because they are an ...
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Interview with Jonathan Bean, author and illustrator

I'm delighted to introduce our readers to Jonathan Bean, author and illustrator of a recently published picture book about homeschooling based on his childhood experience: ...
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