Jolly Fish Press has a historical fiction series for ages 8 to 12 called I AM AMERICA, written by various authors about characters who lived at different times throughout U.S. history. I picked up IF THE FIRE COMES by Tracy Daley. Here's the back-cover synopsis: Tracy Daley's writing is topnotch. I instantly loved Joseph and … Continue reading I AM AMERICA: IF THE FIRE COMES by Tracy Daley
On the hunt for an outstanding new middle-grade author? The next time you walk into a bookstore, ask for Celesta Rimington. THE ELEPHANT'S GIRL (2020) and TIPS FOR MAGICIANS (2021) were published by Crown Books for Young Readers and I cannot recommend them enough. Here's the jacket copy for THE ELEPHANT'S GIRL: And here's the … Continue reading THE ELEPHANT’S GIRL and TIPS FOR MAGICIANS by Celesta Rimington
The PEANUTS comic strip by Charles Schulz ran from October 2, 1950 to February 13, 2000. In 2004, Fantagraphics Books began an excellent publishing effort to print the entire series in chronological order. It took thirteen years with the final volume released in 2016. They printed two hardcover volumes a year which were available for … Continue reading The Complete Peanuts by Charles Schulz
Hello picture book fans, here's a new one to be aware of. THE FOG CATCHER'S DAUGHTER by Marianne McShane. Illustrated by Alan Marks and published by Candlewick Press a month or two ago. Marianne McShane lives in Ireland and enjoys creating fairy tales set in her homeland. The outstanding art sweeps you into the story … Continue reading THE FOG CATCHER’S DAUGHTER by Marianne McShane
I recently finished the MASTERMINDS trilogy by Gordon Korman and have added them to my list of all-time favorites. The first book was published in 2015 by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. The sequels followed in 2016 and '17. They are middle-grade novels, intended for ages 8 to 12, however teens and adults … Continue reading MASTERMINDS by Gordon Korman
Life after death. A topic that has haunted our imagination for centuries. Think of all the books and shows that deal with ghosts and where we go next. There's a lot, but here are two of my favorites, both written by the great Carol Lynch Williams: NEVER THAT FAR (Shadow Mountain, 2018): After her grandfather … Continue reading NEVER THAT FAR and MESSENGER by Carol Lynch Williams
This is the revised and expanded edition that came out in 2020, thirty-five years after the first film's release. Harper Design has the book shrink-wrapped before shipping it to stores, and with good reason. It's loaded with removable reproductions of props from the films. In addition to the photos and props, writers Michael Klastorin and … Continue reading Back to the Future – The Ultimate Visual History
I have many memories of my parents reading Beverly Cleary to my siblings and me. Our family sitting on couches and the floor, laughing out loud during RAMONA THE PEST, BEEZUS AND RAMONA, and others. You can't put a price on that. Once reading at that level, I collected the HENRY HUGGINS books, and went … Continue reading Beverly Cleary 1916 – 2021
Good morning my toy-dusty friends! It's high time for another book recommendation, so here we go: Published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1989, BILL PEET: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY measures in at 10 x 8 inches and has 190 pages. A nice sized book! It's loaded with outstanding illustrations and was named a Caldecott Honor Book. If … Continue reading Bill Peet: An Autobiography
I had the privilege of reading an Advance Reader's Edition. I'm not going to say much, out of fear of spoiling something, so I'll leave it at this: Terrifying. Funny. Edge of the seat thriller. Courageous. Heartbreaking. Heartwarming. An incredible use of language that puts me 100% into the minds of these poor fox kits. … Continue reading SCARY STORIES FOR YOUNG FOXES by Christian McKay Heidicker
