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MG Book Review: Pippa Park Raises Her Game – Now In Paperback!
I first reviewed PIPPA PARK RAISES HER GAME for its initial release in 2020. Well, I’m happy to share that it will be released in paperback (yay) on April 13, 2021! The paperback edition will feature a bonus materials, including Tween book club discussion questions, an author Q&A, and a Korean language glossary with pronunciation guide. This edition is perfectly timed to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May. Erin Yun’s appealing debut novel – an imaginative retelling of Great Expectations – strikes just the right notes to appeal to both MG and younger YA readers. Ms. Yun recently wrote about the need to increase diversity in children’s publishing…
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Prelude for Lost Souls by Helene Dunbar – A Book Review
Oh bejeebus. I’ve written a review for Helene Dunbar’s Prelude for Lost Souls review four times now, and the internet has crashed or WordPress has frozen. And then there was that time that I had the whole thing done on NetGalley – and then NetGalley refreshed and my review disappeared before I could submit. Each time my work has gone into the ether, and then I forget that I have to rewrite it – again – so I hope that I can capture all the magic that was Prelude for Lost Souls without needing to read it again. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley;…
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My Life In The Fish Tank by Barbara Dee
The more books I read by Barbara Dee, the more of a treasure I think she is. She tackles difficult social topics in a way that is engaging and relatable! I am excited to share My Life In The Fish Tank, her wonderful new book. Read on to see why I love this story. I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher via Media Masters Publicity; all opinions are my own. This post contains some affiliate links that may earn me a commission if you purchase through them. The Book My Thoughts The more I read of Barbara Dee’s Middle Grade books, the bigger fan I become…
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Book Review: Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith
I’m not a gamer. That didn’t stop me from loving a feisty, engaging tale titled DON’T READ THE COMMENTS. I rooted for Divya and Aaron through their trials online and off. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them. All opinions are my own. My Thoughts on DON’T READ THE COMMENTS Divya – or D1V, as she’s known online, is a successful online gamer and live-streamer. Her life is a testament that not everything you see online is real. Her fans see her top of the line equipment – thanks…
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MG Book Review: The Benefits of Being an Octopus
My brain is usually a bit of a hot mess. I have texts I thought I sent, things I put in a safe place only to promptly forget where I stashed it – and apparently, books I reviewed everywhere (Goodreads, Amazon, NetGalley) EXCEPT for my blog. The Benefits of Being an Octopus was one such book, discovered missing last night when I needed it. I really loved this one – it had great themes and approached tough topics. A digital advanced reader copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher a while ago. This book contains affiliate links, and if you click on one I…
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Must-Read MG Book: Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee
My daughter came home from school one day, slamming her backpack on the kitchen table in frustration. “They go ON AND ON about bullying at school, but they never tell people how to deal with it. They need to move past the “don’t bully” crap, because kids do it anyway, and teach us how to deal with it. And THEN they need to start talking about how to deal with sexual harassment, too.” Just what you want to hear on a sunny Thursday afternoon. So it was serendipitous that earlier in the day, an email landed in my inbox with a request for me to review Maybe He Just Likes…
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Stuck Inside? 5 Great Middle Grade Snow Day Reads
The Polar Vortex is back, the weather is keeping everyone inside, and it’s possible you are being subjected to another day of “Mom/Dad, I’m bored!” The weekend ahead looms, cold and dreary for much of the US. If this sounds familiar, I have just the thing to keep your kiddos occupied – check out my list (Part 1) of some entertaining middle grade books – perfect for a snow day. (This roundup of some of my favorite books from 2018 contains affiliate links.) These books all share a general theme of overcoming obstacles of one sort or another. A few of them are laugh out loud funny while tackling topics…
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Book Review: The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
Today I’m talking about the just-released middle grade adventure tale The Storm Runner by author J.C. Cervantes. I absolutely LOVED this story – which is the first installation in The Storm Runner series – so I’m happy to know there is more to come, even if I’m already impatient for the next book in the series. I think this is a book that will flying off library shelves as it ticks off a lot of boxes: action and adventure, mythology, fantasy, and it has a pretty great protagonist, too. Review If you are looking for a fantastic, funny, crazy adventure for your middle grade reader, J.C. Cervantes’ novel The…
