Picture books manage to convey stories to children often using very few words. To do this successfully, the pictures themselves become a visual narrator of sorts, perfect for their audience of young pre-readers, or children first learning to read independently. Amy Martin’s new oversized picture book, Symphony City, undoubtedly fulfills this mission. In fact, the…
Category Archives: Dawn
Sugar in My Bowl: Kirkus Reviews Blog
No matter how comfortable we are (or aren’t!) talking about it, there’s no denying that sex plays a significant role in adult life. For women especially, this can be a taboo topic to discuss, though I dare say that it’s one that could use a bit more honesty and realism in comparison to the sexual…
This Beautiful Life, with Giveaway
Adolescence brings children to the cusp of adulthood, all of its glories within sight, and it’s not uncommon for behavior to follow suit. Yet, the adolescent brain is just not yet fully developed, resulting in a spotty use of rational decision making. Place this life stage within an environment of affluent privilege, and the setting…
The Inverted Forest
A musical score serves an emotional purpose during a movie, evoking feelings to match what is happening on the screen or getting your heart racing in anticipation of what will be coming next. If ever a book deserved a score, it is John Dalton’s new novel, The Inverted Forest. Honestly, it was as if I…
The One that I Want, Review and Giveaway
Last summer, I reviewed Allison Winn Scotch’s novel The One That I Want, and called it an enjoyable light summer read. This summer, the paperback edition is out and we were excited to take the opportunity to offer a giveaway to one of you. Read my review of The One that I Want over at…
The Ugly Duckling Dinosaur
The classic tale of one egg that’s not quite like the others goes prehistoric in Cheryl Bardoe’s The Ugly Duckling Dinosaur, with illustrations by Doug Kennedy. As in the story universally known, when that egg hatches, the creature who emerges doesn’t look, sound or act like the other ducks in the nest, but the good-natured…
Mission: Explore, Camping and On the Road, with Giveaway
Summer time sees many families loading their cars for long road trips or packing up the tent and coolers to head out camping. If your family includes an older child in the 9-12 range, I’ve got a pair of perfect books to bring along. A group of folks dubbed The Geography Collective have once again…
On Reading: My Love/Hate Relationship with Nonfiction
I’m going to just come out and say it. I’m a much better reader when I don’t have to think too much. Perhaps that’s an oversimplification, but there’s no denying that I read nonfiction at an achingly slow pace, and because of my own personal (and also perhaps silly) preferences, I often find myself stalled…
When Life Gives You O.J.
Like many almost-eleven year olds, Zelda Fried wants a dog. That’s the easy way to express it, but it’s more like she aches for a dog. She’s pretty sure that’s never going to happen since her parents firmly believe she’s just not ready for the responsibility. Zelly’s eccentric grandfather, called Ace by everyone he knows,…
Diary of an American Kid
An American flag blowing in the breeze, an apple pie cooling on the windowsill and July fireworks lighting up the night sky. These images all scream summertime, as does the cover of the new interactive journal, Diary of an American Kid, released by Sleeping Bear Press with artwork by Cyd Moore. This is just the…
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Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor
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