Book Reviews – Kids

The Friendship Riddle by Megan Frazer Blakemore 2015

September 28, 2015

I liked the characters and the premise; middle schoolers caught up in a riddle that mirrors their friendship dilemmas. It was a slow read for me though, and seemed to go on and on. The . . . read more »

The crossover / by Kwame Alexander.

February 22, 2015

2/22/2015 I loved this book. The smooth ease of the verse, the visual design of each page, and the emotional impact of the story create an especially rich reading experience. The integrity of this creative . . . read more »

The children of the king / Sonya Hartnett.

September 28, 2014

Two historical stories run at once as children evacuated from London during WWII are drawn into the story of King Richard the III told by an invalid uncle who relates it to the castle ruins . . . read more »

Navigating Early / Clare Vanderpool.

September 8, 2014

9/8/2014Yikes. This is beautifully written with great characters, structure and themes but I found it difficult. I couldn’t put it down but neither could I quite believe it. Two boys journey, partly on the Appalachian . . . read more »

Revolution / Deborah Wiles.

September 8, 2014

9/8/2014This is a fabulous work blending fiction and non fiction that uses a documentary style including newspaper articles, photos, artwork, music and slogans of the time. It tells a fictional story about the 1964 Freedom . . . read more »

The summer experiment / Cathie Pelletier.

September 8, 2014

9/8/2014A very engaging story about two 11 year old girls living in Allagash Maine. It’s a summer with lots of growing up to do but on the surface of things they just want to win . . . read more »

Island’s end / Padma Venkatraman.

September 8, 2014

9/8/2014 I enjoyed this very much. For the purpose of recommending to kids I would categorize it along with the works of Jean Craighead George, Scott O’Dell and perhaps Gary Paulson. They each build stories . . . read more »

Malcolm at midnight / by W.H. Beck ; pictures by Brian Lies.

June 24, 2013

6/24/13 I love mouse stories…this one is about a rat who is small and mistaken for a mouse…since no one likes rats, he has to prove his courage and integrity. In an old castle style . . . read more »

The one and only Ivan / Katherine Applegate; illustrations by Patricia Castelao.

February 20, 2013

2/15/13. I read this in one big gulp. It’s very simply told making it accessible to challenged or reluctant readers; but make no mistake, it is deep and compelling. Slightly reminiscent of “Not Everyone Can . . . read more »

Splendors and glooms / Laura Amy Schlitz.

February 20, 2013

2/12/13What a terrific book! The best I’ve read for a while. A completely engaging fantasy with almost Dickensian characters and setting. Richly detailed but with plenty of action; deliciously dark and mysterious but full of . . . read more »