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It's Monday! What Are You Reading 7/31/17
I was able to accomplish just about what I set out to do this week – I read Miss Ellicott’s School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood and also read Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever. edited by Betsy Bird (check out my review). I started working on Calling My…
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Books as Gifts
It’s no surprise that for every gift-giving event, I purchase books. Now, I don’t always buy everyone on my list a book, but there’s usually at least one book per holiday that is bought. For my nephew and a few other little ones in my life, I started before they…
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Transgender Characters in Kid Lit
As I’ve stated previously on my blog, I choose not to make this blog political, that being said, because I have a platform that reaches more than my immediate circle of friends, I also feel that it’s important to take a stand. These are just a few of the transgender…
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Book Review: Funny Girl – Funniest. Stories. Ever.
My favorite picture books are funny picture books – ones that make you think and pay attention and are filled with moments where you can’t help but laugh out loud. And the other commonality? Many of them are written by men. It’s not a bad thing necessarily, but if kids…
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Book Review: Orphan Island
How do I even begin? Every year a mysterious boat lands on the island with a young child. The young child gets off the boat, the oldest child on the island gets on the boat and disappears into the midst. The nine children on the island don’t ask questions –…
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Library of Congress Opens Access
The Library of Congress recently made available 25 million digital records for materials published between 1968 and 2014. Before this occurred in May of this year, these records were only accessible through a paid subscription or individually. The Library is looking to researchers to use this information for, well, research…
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(Unofficial) Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Titles for Shark Week
I’ve had a number of kids interested in shark books – everything from picture books (for those who frighten easily) to nonfiction titles that show rows of teeth and talk about sharks as apex predators and an important part of the ecosystem. So while everyone watches Michael Phelps race a…
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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 7/24/17
I’m not doing too bad with middle grade fiction lately! Over the past week, I read Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder and Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk. I just started Miss Ellicott’s School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood yesterday, so I’m working my way through that story and have Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories.…
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Themes in Middle Grade Fiction
I had the funniest realization while I was reading over the past week, each book I read fed into the next in with its theme. I’ll show you what I mean: The first title I read of this group of books – it’s about a child growing up as (you…
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The War That Saved My Life Readalikes
When your friend/colleague/children’s librarian comes into your office with a huge smile and twirls, you know life must be good. Her most recent book discussion for middle school students was on The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley – a book that all eleven kids LOVED and were…
