Writers who take on political stories—stories that focus on conflicts within and between communities—face daunting challenges. How does a writer keep the focus on the story rather than the political issue? How does he or she present background information without…
Category: Out of the Mainstream: Gender, Ethnicity, and Disability
Children of the Tipi: Life in the Buffalo Days
Children of the Tipi: Life in the Buffalo Days, edited by Michael Oren Fitzgerald will make a good read-aloud for pre- and early readers, and will be a quick, illuminating read for children in third and fourth grades. There…
FAT ANGIE
FAT ANGIE Written by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo Hungry for an intimate, intense third person drama? FAT ANGIE will keep you reading, wondering – and laughing. e.E. Charlton-Trujillo has created for Fat Angie a barely functional family. Some characters are…
Kids at the Rodeo: A Review of Cowboy Up!
When I was growing up in Houston, Texas, one of the high points of my year was going to the rodeo in February. While most of my peers looked forward to the circus, I enjoyed watching the competition among the…
ROGUE
ROGUE by Lyn Miller-Lachmann What do ROGUE, MUTANT, BMX and ASPERGER’S plus MR. INTERNET have in common? This book. ROGUE Written by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. She does not hold back any punches but with each chapter pushes the reader further along…
Once and Future New Orleans
“I wasn’t certain of anything anymore, except that New Orleans was a faithless friend and I wanted to leave her.” Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys “Decisions, they shape our destiny.” Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys “Some choices,…
Unplug & Read Week Special: A Review of Revenge of a Not-So-Pretty Girl
Unplug & Read Week is an annual event to encourage children and teenagers to back away from the “screens”—computers, tablets, smartphones, and television—and do something in the real world. This year’s event runs from April 29 to May 5, 2013.…
SWEETHEARTS OF RHYTHM, The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World
SWEETHEARTS OF RHYTHM, The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World, What a picture book – written in verse with toe-tapping words that sing across the page, by Marilyn Nelson, and illustrated with collage, colors and scraps…
Eleanor & Park
I’m a sucker for a great YA novel, so it’s no surprise that I fell in love with Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park (St. Martins Griffin, 2013). The novel, set in 80’s Nebraska, focuses on the love story between Eleanor,…
Confronting Stereotypes of Teens with Schizophrenia: A Review of Freaks Like Us
Earlier this month, I was asked by the Children’s Book Council to contribute a post to the CBC Diversity 101 blog, which helps editors, librarians, teachers, reviewers, and authors identify basic misconceptions and problems in writing about diverse populations. My…