In 1692, a group of 26 adolescents are accused of witchcraft in Salem. The town has lost some of its taste for execution, so the children are instead sent into exile, far into the western plains in the depth of winter. Only 14 survive, and they notice that not only do they not die, but…
Category Archives: 12 and up
Meg Cabot’s Abandon: Review and Author Interview
I am so excited to share this post with you for so many reasons. We were privileged to be able to ask the wildly successful author Meg Cabot some questions, and I love what she has to say about writing, about teens, and about her own growing-up years. But can I be honest? The thing…
Trauma Queen, Review and Giveaway
One of the absolute joys that I experienced in judging the middle grade fiction round I nominees for the Cybils was discovering many books that are perfect for that older middle school reader (like my daughter, Amanda, an avid 12-year-old reader). Barbara Dee’s This is Me From Now On was one of the stand-outs (linked…
Notes from the Midnight Driver
I’ve heard more than one glowing review of Jordan Sonnenblick’s most recent works, including After Ever After (linked to Dawn’s 5-Star review), so when I saw that Brilliance Audio was releasing backlist title Notes from the Midnight Driveras a brand new audiobook, I jumped at the chance to check it out. I had the impression…
Cybils KidLit Challenge: April reviews
Have you been reading Cybils nominees, finalists or winners? If you need some suggestions check out the Cybils label here to get some ideas about some of the books that Dawn and I have reviewed, as well as the past months’ Cybils KidLit Challenge posts with all sorts of reviews from all genres that you’ve…
The Fourth Stall, Review and Giveaway
Get a glimpse of the cover of Chris Rylander’s first middle-grade novel, and you’ll instantly understand the slightly dark sense of humor in The Fourth Stall. With an elementary school (and an old out-of-use bathroom) as the background and a sixth grade boy (who “solves” other kids’ problems for a fee or a favor) as…
What is Post-Dystopian Fiction? A dialogue from the author of the Lens and the Looker
The other week I was talking to a person who said she had really liked The Hunger Games trilogy and that she enjoyed all “dystopian” literature. “What a coincidence,” I said. “I write “post-dystopian” novels. “I’ve never heard of post-dystopian before,” she said, a look of interest gleaming in her eyes. “It’s a phrase I…
The Iron Queen, review and special giveaway
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa is the highly anticipated third installment in the Iron Fey series. I have read the first two books in this YA series from Harlequin Teen, and unlike some series where it seems like the author results to filler to keep the series going, I can honestly say that The…
Invasion
Invasion (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) by Jon S. Lewis is a new series for those who enjoy thrilling science fiction. To me it felt a bit like Men in Black on the pages with an all-teen cast. When Colt’s parents are killed, it quickly becomes apparent that it wasn’t a normal car wreck. The man who…
Matched
When I went to the Book Expo last May, I received an advance copy of Ally Condie’s first novel, Matched. I also heard her speak on a YA author panel. It was one of the books that I was most excited about reading, but it didn’t come out until November 30, and we like to…
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Jennifer Donovan
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