Toys, Books, and Stuff
Hard-hitting and powerful, ENDURING FREEDOM begins with the events of 9/11 as experienced by two young men living on opposite sides of the world. Baheer is a teen living under harsh conditions in Afghanistan. Joe is a senior in high school and a member of the U.S. National Guard. The opening chapters are in Baheer's … Continue reading ENDURING FREEDOM by Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy (2021)
MISS CLASSIFIED by Susan Phelan was published in 2022 by Chicken Scratch Books. Seventh-grader Bly snares herself into a web of cheating and lies as she attempts to give her parents the impression that she is measuring up to their expectations. A super lovable character, I was rooting for her to find a way out … Continue reading MISS CLASSIFIED by Susan Phelan
I have a lot of fun memories of checking books out from the library with my family as a kid, and Dr. Suess was a constant draw. My favorites were THE KING'S STILTS, BARTHOLOMEW AND THE OOBLECK, THE 500 HATS OF BARTHOLOMEW CUBBINS, HORTON HEARS A WHO, HORTON HATCHES THE EGG, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE … Continue reading My Dr. Suess Collection (so far)
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