Recently two different books I read featured unfeeling, tightly wound aunts. That is something I haven’t seen much of and so, for that admittedly feeble reason, I’m going to talk about both books....

Although I don’t remember who recommended I read Saving the Planet & Stuff (Putnam, 2003) by Gail Gauthier, I am very glad I did. It’s not often these days that you read a middle-grade novel...

In my effort to review a range of middle-grade books, this week I bring you a non-fiction story. March Forward, Girl (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a memoir by Melba Pattillo Beals. Beals is one of...

Meet Mick Bogerman, treasure hunter, zombie fighter and mermaid wrangler. Mick is the narrator of the Slug Pie series, which includes: How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete, How to Rid...

One of the most unusual parts about Kate Messner’s Breakout, (Bloomsbury) is its format. The story is an epistolary novel — a story told in personal letters that characters exchange. In this case...

This article by James Clear resonated with me. In part it is because it deals with how to handle one’s inner critic. That’s always a good topic to re-visit since one’s inner critic never rests. But...

Aven Green, the main character in Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, (by Dusti Bowling, published by Sterling), happens to have been born without arms. But this story is not about Aven’s...

In any classic fairy tale the fairy godmother shows up, wand in hand, grants the main character’s wish and then — her job done — POOF! she disappears in a shower of sparkles. In her lighthearted...

Writing is a lonely pursuit. You write and you write. You send your words out into the world. And then? Silence. Crickets. Unless you are lucky enough to do something like, in my case, the...