I was about to review another book when I came across Fox Talk and read it in ten minutes, then read it again. I am a dog lover, and have an armchair expert’s interest in how dogs work. I know…
Category: Environment
Finding peace with Grandfather Gandhi
Grandfather Gandhi (Atheneum Books for Young Readers) by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus $17.99 Writer Bethany Hegedus teamed up with Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Arun, to create this masterful biography of his beloved grandfather in a story of memories that guide…
Masks, Freedom, and Identity: an interview with the author of The Princess in the Opal Mask
I was so in love with The Princess in the Opal Mask by Jenny Lundquist that I just had to talk to her. The novel is set in an imaginary kingdom with two young girls, one who doesn’t know who…
The Writing Barn provides a place to grow our writing and our art
Many of us writers seek the company of other writers. Within those communities, we look for mentors who aspire to go deep inside the story and who can show us how. We hope that, with the help of these mentors, found at retreats and writing centers,…
Paper Son—Lee’s Journey to America
Paper Son–Lee’s Journey to America by Helen Foster James and Virginia Shin-Mui Loh (illustrated by Wilson Ong) taught me something about the history of immigration at Angel Island in San Francisco. Wang Lee is a “paper son,” meaning that before…
Into The Deep
In the past several years, Zetta Elliott has emerged as a major author of speculative fiction featuring African-American protagonists. Her two previous books for young readers, the young adult novel A Wish After Midnight (2010) and the middle grade novel…
Subversive thoughts for this new year
I have a librarian and past bookseller friend, Jamie Pittel, who has always found great joy in planting one subversive book in every display she creates. As a fellow student in Vermont College’s Writing for Children and Young Adults’ program, she would often…
Happy Holiday Wishes to All Our Readers
An especially beautiful book with ancient words retold by Katherine Paterson — BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON, Canticle of the Creatures Katherine Paterson and illustrated by Pamela Dalton This book is a gift to anyone who reads one page, pauses…
The Living
Although some may call Matt de la Peña’s newest novel, The Living (Delacorte Press, 2013), a commercial, fast-paced dystopian, I prefer to think of it as a quiet, character-driven novel wrapped in the warm cocoon of “high-concept.” The novel follows…
The Graphic Novel/Essay in Pursuit of Science: A Review of How to Fake a Moon Landing
For the past several years I have been photographing scenes and creating stories using Lego minifigures, and my work in this medium has led to my wider reading of graphic novels. I have become acquainted with the great variety of…