• Lists

    It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/2/16

    I have a lot of reading to do!   Especially since I picked up a bunch of ARCs at PLA in Denver a few weeks ago!  I try and read each one before it’s actually published and then either pass it on to a reader at work or send them…

  • Lists

    Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I’d Give a Theme Song

    Echo by Pam Munoz RyanThis books just begs for a theme song with the harmonica tying three stories together spread across multiple decades. This book needs a theme song. Crossover by Kwame AlexanderCrossover already has got such a great beat with the novel in verse, it’s another book that just has…

  • Lists

    It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 2/8/16

    I read exactly what I had planned this week, plus a few picture books thrown in!  I got the chance to read On the Run by Tristan Bancks, check out my review.  I also read The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate and The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate both by Jacqueline Kelly a turn of…

  • Lists

    2015 Nerdies

    The 2015 Nerdies have officially been announced!  Take a look at all the amazing titles from each category: Fiction Picture Books Nonfiction Picture Books Early Reader and Chapter Books Graphic Novels Poetry and Novels in Verse Nonfiction Middle Grade Fiction Young Adult Fiction (Part One) Young Adult Fiction (Part Two) The…

  • Lists

    Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Halloween Picture Books

    This week’s Top Ten Tuesday was a Halloween freebie and since I focus so often on middle grade novels (which I love), I thought I’d focus on ten Halloween picture books that I personally enjoy. It might have also been decided in this way because I don’t like scary books……

  • Lifestyle

    48 Hour Book Challenge….

    starts now! Dinner is done, dishes are drying, I’ve got a glass of wine and I’m sitting in a very comfy chair, I’m ready to start reading! Ill be reading from7:45pm on Friday to 7:45pm on Sunday! I’ll be posting quick reviews through out the weekend with longer reviews to…

  • Lifestyle,  Reviews

    Book Reviews and Reviewers

    I love books, it’s pretty simple and I love talking to other people who love books too, especially the same types of books – middle grade and young adult books. Every year, I attend the Kutztiwn Children’s Literature Conference held at Kutztown Univeristy.  They bring in 3-4 authors and illustrators…

  • Lists

    Happy Pi Day

    A lot of people pause when libraries and math are used in the same sentence, but with the popularity of STEM/STEAM programming, more and more children’s librarians are embracing math and science concepts in the library. Today is Pi Day when math nerds celebrate the irrational number 3.1415926 with pie.…

  • Lifestyle

    Youth Media Awards – Initial Reactions

    This is one of my favorite days as a children’s librarian.  I know there are those that don’t take much stock in the youth media awards, believing that many of the awards are given to quality literature, yet are not as interesting or accessible to the children reading them.  But,…