Publisher: Candlewick Press

Bite-Sized Reviews of Good Different, The Last Mapmaker, Answers in the Pages, Momo Arashimo Steals the Sword of the Wind, How Do Meerkats Order Pizza? and Welcome to Monsterville

Today, I’m reviewing six MG reads. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Good Different is a poignant novel in verse about a girl who learns to advocate for herself and finally let go of her quest to be “normal.” Selah has always felt different than her peers. She realizes that she doesn’t experience the world the same way they do, and she has created a list of rules […]

Posted March 23, 2023 in Reviews / 2 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Cybils Nominees: Unsettled, Amber & Clay, Legacy, and Hello, Earth!

As my regular readers know, I’m a round-one judge for the Cybils Awards in the Poetry category. Because of that, I’ve been reading tons of verse lately! I’m not allowed to share any details about our process for choosing the finalists, but I am allowed (and encouraged) to review the books as I read, so I figured I’d share four of them with you today. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed […]

Posted November 17, 2021 in Cybils, Reviews / 10 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Cybils Nominees: The Sisters of Straygarden Place, Rival Magic, Quintessence, Horace Fox in the City, and The Clockwork Crow

As my regular readers know, I’m a round one judge for the Cybils Awards in the Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category. Because of that, I’ve been reading LOTS of books lately! I’m not allowed to share any details about our process for choosing the finalists, but I am allowed (and encouraged) to review the books as I read, so I figured I’d share four of them with you today. I hope these bite-sized reviews will […]

Posted December 11, 2020 in Cybils, Reviews / 7 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Cybils Nominees: A Wish in the Dark, Ghost Squad, Scritch Scratch, & Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

Posted October 17, 2020 in Cybils, Reviews / 13 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Impossible Fortress, Revenge of the Evil Librarian, Liberation, and The Anatomical Shape of a Heart

Lately I feel like I’ll never catch up with reviews. I might have to do another installment of bite-sized reviews sooner rather than later because I want to let you guys know my thoughts on all the fantastic books I’ve been reading lately! Hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! This book was fun and kooky and nostalgic. Though I’ll admit that the often crude and horny teenage boys occasionally […]

Posted February 22, 2017 in Reviews / 8 Comments

Bite-Sized Middle Grade Reviews – Nocturnals Books 1 & 2, Towers Falling, Egg & Spoon

A few quick reviews of some of the middle grade books I’ve read (or listened to) recently. Hopefully these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! The Mysterious Abductions by Tracy Hecht Series: The Nocturnals #1 Published by Fabled Films Press on 4/19/16 Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery Pages: 232 Source: BEA My content rating: MG (Nothing particularly scary or inappropriate) ***These books can be read by Middle Graders, but are also appropriate for much younger kids, especially if […]

Posted September 21, 2016 in Middle Grade, Reviews / 4 Comments

5 Star Review – Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen

This book was a total and utter surprise for me. When I picked it up at BEA, I kind of thought, “Well, this one looks a little strange, but it might be fun.” I mean that evil librarian on the cover looked a bit goofy, and I just didn’t have the highest expectations. Well, it turns out I was right – kind of. The book was a little strange, but it was TONS of fun! I […]

Posted September 25, 2014 in Reviews / 13 Comments

5 Star Review – Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Title: Froi of the Exiles Series: Lumatere Chronicles #2 Author: Melina Marchetta Release Date: October, 2011 Pages: 593 Goodreads Rating: 4.39/5 Stars My Rating: 5/5 Stars My Content Rating: Mature YA/Adult (Some sex, including assault; Some violence) Summary from Goodreads: Blood sings to blood, Froi . . . Those born last will make the first . . . For Charyn will be barren no more. Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home… Or so he believes… Fiercely […]

Posted June 27, 2014 in Reviews / 1 Comment

5 Star Review – Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Title: Finnikin of the Rock Series: Lumatere Chronicles #1 Author: Melina Marchetta Release Date: 2008 Pages: 416 Goodreads Rating: 4.08 stars My Rating: 5/5 stars My Content Rating: Very mature YA or Adult (Contains sexual situations, including abuse and prostitution; violence) Summary from Goodreads: Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin […]

Posted February 21, 2014 in Reviews / 20 Comments