Twelve-year-old Flor faces a bittersweet summer with a pageant, a frenemy, and a hive full of honey.
It’s the summer before eighth grade and Flor is stuck at home and working at her family’s mattress store, while her best friend goes off to band camp (probably to make new friends). It becomes even worse when… Continue reading Recommended: HONEYBEES AND FRENEMIES by Kristi Wientge
Welcome to my fellow Winged Pen Critique Partner, Kristi Wientge! I’m going to dive right in with questions about your upcoming middle grade release on June 4th, 2019, entitled Honeybees and Frenemies from Simon and Schuster. When did the seed of this story germinate? How was it pollinated?Way back in 2014 I had this idea for NaNoWriMo that really excited me. I dropped my younger … Continue reading Interview – Author Kristi Wientge shares the BUZZ about HONEYBEES AND FRENEMIES
I recently had the great honor of reading THIS PLACE: 150 YEARS RETOLD by Kateri Akiwenzi-Damm, Sonny Assu, and Brandon Mitchell. The graphic novel anthology is a collection of ten different stories spanning from 1867 to present day told by Indigenous authors/illustrators. What makes this collection unique is its stories tell the history of when Europeans settled in North American (specifically Canada) through the perspective … Continue reading Featured: Graphic Novel Anthology THIS PLACE- 150 YEARS RETOLD
It’s the end of the semester for my MLIS program and my eyes are weary from reading so much dense text. Graphic novels are the perfect way for me to wind down in the evenings, and I recently hit on a series that is not to be missed. The 5 Worlds face extinction unless five ancient and mysterious beacons are lit. It’s up to three … Continue reading Featured: Graphic Novel series 5 WORLDS
Know any budding graphic novelists or writers? SHARE YOUR SMILE is exactly the book to put in their hands. Telgemeier breaks the creation process down into easily understood chunks from inspiration to finished drawings. She takes you through the research and drawing process, using her popular graphic novels SMILE, SISTERS, DRAMA, and GHOSTS as examples. SHARE YOUR SMILE is filled with writing prompts and exercises, giving … Continue reading Featured: Graphic Novel SHARE YOUR SMILE
I loved Illuminae, also written by this dynamic author duo, as well as LIFEL1K3, which Jay Kristoff wrote on his own, and Unearthed, which Amie Kaufman wrote with Meagan Spooner. So when I saw Aurora Rising, I was interested…more so when I read the book description. After reading the book, I’d say Aurora Rising is… Continue reading Recommended: AURORA RISING by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Today we are thanking our lucky stars to have landed an interview with the elusive Zeno Alexander, author of a new middle-grade fantasy adventure that will speak to the hearts of librarians and all who love books and information. THE LIBRARY OF EVER Eleven-year-old Lenora escapes from her inattentive nanny through a secret portal at an arch in her local library and lands in the … Continue reading THE LIBRARY OF EVER: Author Interview with Zeno Alexander
I recently had the pleasure of hanging out with author Bea Birdsong at the Whirlikids Festival at McIntyre’s Books and was thrilled to get a sneak peek of her debut picture book, I WILL BE FIERCE!, releasing on 4/23/19. Here’s the publisher’s description: It’s a brand-new day, and a young girl decides to take on the world like a brave explorer heading off on an epic fairytale quest. … Continue reading Interview with Bea Birdsong, author of I WILL BE FIERCE!
I’ve longed to read AUGUST ISLE since the second I heard about it. It is the second middle grade book from THE ETHAN I WAS BEFORE author Ali Standish. Miranda longs to visit August Isle, the town where her mom spent summers as a girl. In part, she thinks it might help her bond with her busy and aloof mother better. But then, Mom takes … Continue reading AUGUST ISLE by Ali Standish
Nira’s voice pulled me right into her story. Her character is fully three-dimensional and it’s easy to empathize with both her struggles be the good daughter her parents and her aspirations to fight her own dreams. Highly recommended. Continue reading Recommended: IN THE KEY OF NIRA GHANI
We’re reviewing an upcoming middle-grade release today, CATERPILLAR SUMMER by debut author Gillian McDunn, perfect for fans of THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH and FISH IN A TREE. With an overworked widowed mom and a rambunctious special-needs brother, twelve-year-old Cat barely has any time to be a kid. Ever since their dad died of cancer, Cat has been dedicated to helping her brother, Chicken, navigate perils and find … Continue reading Interview with Gillian McDunn, author of Caterpillar Summer
Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring MANUELITO, written by Elisa Amado and illustrated by Abraham Urias. Kids hear adults talking all the time about the refugee crisis, families seeking asylum, ICE, deportation, and problems at our borders. It must be confusing … Continue reading Featured: Graphic Novel MANUELITO, a refugee story
