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Choosing to Read: Connecting Middle Schoolers to Books
Choosing to Read: Connecting Middle Schoolers to Books by Joan Schroeder Kindig is a wonderful professional resource for teachers, librarians, and even parents interested in middle schoolers and their reading habits. Like many other professional resources I have been reading recently, Kindig argues that a reader’s choice is the most…
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Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick is a quick read about a All-Star pitcher, Peter going into high school. He’s pretty sure life will be a breeze when he joins the high school baseball team with his best friend, AJ until a pitching accident over the summer ruins…
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The Fire Horse Girl
I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel based in San Francisco in the early 1920s. Often, parts of history seem to be overlooked in grade school and although much is said about immigration through Ellis Island, I had never heard of Angel Island, until I read this novel. Angel Island…
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Lincoln’s Grave Robbers
Steve Sheinkin, author of Newbery Honor book, Bomb: The Race to Build – and Steal – the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, has written a true crime thriller – Lincoln’s Grave Robbers. The story “alternates between the conspirators, the Secret Service agents on their tail, and the undercover double agent moving…
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Maggot Moon
Sally Gardner’s Maggot Moon was unexpected and has left me with an unsettled feeling. The story itself was well-written, really capturing the essence of the characters and the setting. The story begins with the powerful, “I’m wondering what if…” What if are two very powerful words that make all the…
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Seraphina
I had heard a lot about Seraphina before I picked it up to read. I really enjoyed the cover art with little color bust so much detail in a simple ink drawing. I do have to say that I’m quite particular about the fantasy books I read. They can’t be…
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Endangered
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer is the story of Sophie a half Congolese, half American girl who is visiting her mother on a bonobo (a type of ape) sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo when she becomes the surrogate mother for an infant bonobo, named Otto. When an armed revolution breaks out across…
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Youth Media Awards or BEST Day for Children’s Literature/Media
The Youth Media Awards are announced every January at 8:00 am, when most sane people are getting ready for work, commuting, or just beginning work. This year because the American Library Association Midwinter Conference was held in Seattle, the awards were announced at 11:00 am EST. For most of the…
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2012 Cybils Shortlist
The Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards have announced the shortlist for 2012! Definitely take a look as these are some of the great books published during the past year. Winners will be announced on February 14th and the judges are people who regularly submit to a blog about…
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Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon
Bomb: The Race to Build – and Steal – The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon written by Steve Sheinkin, is another non-fiction title that makes a difficult topic easy to understand, interesting to read about, and accessible to a wider audience. I’ll admit, it’s been awhile since I’ve taken a U.S.…