This past month has gone into the record books as the rainiest June in my city’s history. Last year was one of the warmest on record, and in late October a rare East Coast hurricane devastated the New York metropolitan…
Tag: reviews
A Family in Wartime: A Review of Three Years and Eight Months
A month ago I highlighted the winners of the 2013 Skipping Stones Honor Awards, given to outstanding multicultural and nature books published in the previous year. Although published in 2013, Icy Smith and Jennifer Kindert’s Three Years and Eight Months…
Human Trafficking in Space: A Review of The Color of Rain
When people think of books for children and teens that address social justice issues, contemporary and historical fiction and nonfiction are the genres that come to mind. Rarely do we think of speculative fiction as inherently political, though dystopian novels…
Childhood Meets the Real World: A Review of P.S. Be Eleven
In Portugal last fall I was struck by the lengths to which parents would go to shelter their children from the hardships of the economic crisis. When I visited the malls and department stores to practice my Portuguese vocabulary, I…
Weaving Politics, Culture, and Story: A Review of The Vine Basket
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…
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…
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.…
Hiding in Plain Sight: A Review of Odette’s Secrets
This coming Sunday evening, April 7, marks the beginning of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Jews around the world will place candles in their windows and recite prayers to remember the six million Jews who died between 1933 and 1945…
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…
Surprise Winner: The White Bicycle
For me, one of the biggest surprises of the ALA Youth Media Awards was the selection of Beverley Brenna’s The White Bicycle as a Printz Honor Book (for outstanding YA literature). In the past, few Printz honors have gone to…