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
With CREED II currently in theaters, it seems like a good time to talk ROCKY. I first became a fan when my family rented a VHS tape of ROCKY III from a video rental place. I was completely taken in by this fast paced romp with three fights, featuring Mr. T and Hulk Hogan. We … Continue reading Rocky!
Good morning my toy-dusty friends! It's time for another book recommendation, so here we go: JOURNEY was published by Candlewick Press in 2013 and won the Caldecott Medal. A girl opens a doorway to another land with a red marker and goes on an adventure! The illustrations are outstanding and I love the spirit of … Continue reading JOURNEY by Aaron Becker
Happy Halloween, everyone! And what a great day to read CREEPY CARROTS! Written by Aaron Reynolds, and illustrated by Peter Brown, CREEPY CARROTS! was published by Simon & Schuster in 2012, and went on to become a Caldecott Honor book. Jasper Rabbit loved carrots... ...until the day they started to stalk him. What happens next? … Continue reading CREEPY CARROTS! by Aaron Reynolds
Being Halloween time, here we go with another creepy story suggestion. ZOMBIE KID! Written by J. Scott Savage and published in 2013 by HarperCollins. Recommended for ages 8 to 12. Nick is super excited to go trick-or-treating with his friends, but is forced to travel to Louisiana for his great-aunt's funeral instead. He thinks this … Continue reading ZOMBIE KID by J. Scott Savage
