• Reviews

    Book Review: Absolutely Almost

    From the author of A Tangle of Knots comes a true coming-of-age story about the importance of knowing who you are and understanding that it is essential to stand up for yourself.  Albie is familiar with the feeling of being almost – almost good at sports, almost smart in school,…

  • Lifestyle

    Reader’s Advisory for Kids

    More often than not, my reader’s advisory questions come from kids who don’t like reading, are uninterested, or at a loss as to where to find a book they might like.  When asked, “What is your favorite book?” or “What do you like to read about?” you’ll often receive the…

  • Reviews

    Better Off Friends

    Sometimes all you need is a feel-good book and that’s exactly what I would describe Better Off Friends as – a feel good book (and it’s exactly what I needed this past week).  Macallan and Levi have been best friends since the day they met.  Now in high school, it’s…

  • Reviews

    Paper Covers Rock

    Paper Covers Rock written by Jenny Hubbard reminded me of another book I read called The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LeBan.  It has a similar feel with a male main character at a boarding school where secrets are being kept about a horrible situation that has occurred.  Without giving too…

  • Reviews

    The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.

    I began The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. without too much information about the book, I normally have read a few reviews, read the flap on the inside cover, or had someone mention it to me, but none of this happened.  I saw the cover, was intrigued, and began reading.  I…

  • Reviews

    Fangirl

    I very easily fell into the world of Cath, Wren, Levi and the rest of the characters in Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.  Rowell created a very realistic world filled with characters with real life issues that many teens can relate to.  Cath and Wren’s mom left when they were very…

  • Reviews

    Road Trip

    I took a road trip to my parent’s house for the weekend and tabbed a few audiobooks for the road. It’s a five hour trip across the state and a perfect time to get some “reading” in with nothing else to do but pay attention to the road. I normally…

  • Reviews

    The Thing About Luck

    Cynthia Kadohata, a Newbery Award-winning author of Kira-Kira, brings another story about the strength of a family.  Summer’s parents must fly to Japan to take care of some elderly relatives, leaving 12-year old Summer and her brother Jaz with their grandparents – strict Obaachan and quiet, kind Jiichan during the…

  • Reviews

    Eleanor & Park

    This book cover has bee intriguing to me for the past couple of months and I finally got a chance to read the book last week.  A story of love found in the most unlikely of places is one that I rarely can put down.  This is a universal story…

  • Activities

    Anything But Typical – Book Discussion

    Nora Raleigh Baskin’s Anything But Typical is about Jason Blake, a 12-year-old boy diagnosed on the autism spectrum.  He’s not very good in social situations and often misunderstands facial expressions, but he is also an amazing writer.  He becomes friends with a girl on the Storyboard website where he posts…