Writer, teacher, blogger and mom.
This week for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday I’m looking at The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman. While this isn’t a classic from my youth it might as well be. The cover even makes it look like a vintage book, and the premise – a 1960s girl pulled back in time to the 1860s – gives … More Marvelous Middle Grade Monday – The Freedom Maze
I went to a big bookstore today. Unlike most of my visits there, which are purely about browsing, this time I made a few purchases. I had gift cards, a thank you present from a student I mentor. As I was paying for my books I smiled to myself at the stack of books displayed … More Why I’m Okay with Fifty Shades of Grey
Have I told you how awestruck I am by writers who publish in their teens? There are so many reasons to admire kids like this but my main reason comes down to something my husband bugs me about. “Output, not input” he says to me when he thinks I’ve been wallowing in my book pile … More Terrific Teen Tuesday: Teens who publish
For this week’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, I’m going to review another Canadian author with another book set in the lovely lower mainland of BC, where I live. THE RELUCTANT JOURNAL OF HENRY K. LARSEN, by Susin Nielsen. Here’s the blurb from the publisher: Thirteen-year-old Henry’s happy, ordinary life comes to an abrupt halt when … More Marvelous Middle Grade Monday – THE RELUCTANT JOURNAL OF HENRY K. LARSEN by Susin Nielsen
In the United States, while you are reading this, a teenage girl will make a very difficult decision. This decision is what is best for her, but also, good science suggests, good for society. Somewhere in the world, about every ten seconds (it’s difficult to measure), a teenage girl makes this same decision – a … More Terrific Teen Tuesday: YA’s Last Taboo
The other day, one of my students, who is ELEVEN blithely informed me that she had borrowed FORBIDDEN by Tabitha Suzuma from the library. I choked a little, blushed purple I’m sure, and as discreetly as I could informed her that the book is VERY explicit. She didn’t seem concerned. She said she’d read until … More Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: YA books for MG readers
OMG, May. What a month for authors who aren’t me. For some reason May was all about reading and not so much about writing. I hardly even blogged. I think because I started the month out by going to Vegas and maybe what happened in Vegas actually did stay in Vegas or something, along with … More People of Color Reading Challenge and Book Tweets.
This past weekend, when William Hickman found himself in a life threatening situation he did what any terrific teen should, he asked himself “What would Bobby Pendragon do?” William, remembering his fictional hero’s many dangerous escapades, kept himself feet first in the river current and aimed for the bank. He was able to grab onto … More Terrific Teen Tuesday – YA Saves!
Okay, students, we get it. You hate the books you’re assigned to read. No, don’t be polite, tell us how you really feel . I sympathize. I had to read THE PEARL in high school too. Are you all right? You look pale. Let me get you a drink of water. Why, yes, you heard right. They … More I Will Pay Somebody Large Sums of Cash
Let’s face it, bullying is really a young person thing. I know adults bully and get bullied, but for most decent people, by the time we reach our thirties we’re just too damn tired to bully anyone, or to care when someone is being an a$$hole. When you’re an adult, you can often walk away. … More Terrific Teen Tuesday – BULLY and the BIG BAD LAWSUIT
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