We’ve all heard it before: conflict is what drives stories. This idea has led to a market where bestsellers are stuffed with ever-increasing stakes that
Category: Book Reviews – Young Adult
Young Adult Review: The Night Country by Melissa Albert
Fairy tales are kind of my thing. Whether classics by Anderson and Grimm, modern versions of old favorites, or brand-new stories told in fairy tale
Reviews: Two Books that Inspire Hope
One book shows the edge habitat between a brown author growing up and the natural world that inspires her. The other is about four friends,
2020 Codas: Gifts and a Review
As 2020 ended, three picture books were given to me and I also read Gary Paulsen’s unusual memoir of his early years, written for 8
LET THE 2020 WRITERS’ RUMPUS REVIEW BEGIN
Happy Holidays to one and all in what has been the most tumultuous year many of us have ever experienced. As 2020 draws to a close (phew!), at least one thing remains unchanged: it’s time once again for the annual Writers’ Rumpus Review!
Reimagining a classic: The Great Gatsby as a graphic novel
To transform a preeminent and beloved literary work into a graphic novel for young adults is a challenge for the brave. K. Woodman-Maynard’s adaptation of
Book Review: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
Blazer & Bray, a Harper Collins Publishing Imprint 2020 An intriguing debut novel with a sequel in the works! A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN
EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I KNEW by Shannon Takaoka
I thought I knew what this book was about, but it surpassed everything I imagined. I was lucky to receive an ARC of EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I KNEW by writer, editor, and public relations consultant Shannon Takaoka, but I strongly recommend you snap this up (or place a pre-order) when this young adult debut novel releases on October 13, 2020.
Interview of Sarah J. Carlson, Author of Everything’s Not Fine
Kirsti Call: Everything’s Not Fine, by Sarah J. Carlson, is a beautifully visceral book which explores themes of resilience, family, love, loyalty, eviction, poverty, addiction,
The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep: Voices From the Donner Party by Allan Wolf
When George Donner posted an ad on March 18, 1846 in a Springfield, Illinois newspaper under the title Westward, Ho! for Oregon and California,
THIS BOY: Review and Interview with author Lauren Myracle
This Boy, by best-selling New York Times author Lauren Myracle, is set to be released by Walker Books US, a division of Candlewick Press,
TO BEST THE BOYS by Mary Weber, a review
Thomas Nelson, Harper Collins, Nashville, TN 2019 Unable to put it down, I read through this so quickly it’s hard to decipher what I liked
The Writers’ Rumpus 2019 Review
With so many wonderful Writers’ Rumpus posts to choose from, it’s always a delightful challenge to decide which to include in my annual review.
Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan, a review
Ngan’s recently released second book in the trilogy is as compelling as the original. If you have gift cards to spend this holiday season, these
Top Ten 2019 Reads
Yay for 2019 and all of the stellar books I’ve had the privilege of reading! (679 this year and counting…) I had a tough time
The Roaring 20s: Books to keep an eye out for in 2020
As the year wraps up, there’s excitement in the air. A new crop of books is waiting to be read in the new year. With
