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The cover of this book just screams “read me!”  I want a poster of it, and a pair of those cute bunny slippers! Looks are a little deceiving in the case of An Off Year, by Claire Zulkey, however.  Don’t get me wrong, this story captures, with uncanny accuracy and insight, the anxiety and malaise that surrounds the transition from high school to college (and even the transition from college to adult life).  The safety nets, expectations and pre-formed roles, and the familiarity of it all are yanked back and we either emerge, blinking and feeling our way, or we crawl back under the coversRead More →

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In: Middle Grade Reviews, Romance (YA), Supernatural & Horror, Supernatural & Horror (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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Ever since he was 10 years old and filled with The Holy Ghost, Little Texas has been a born-again, Evangelical preacher, doing God’s holy work on Earth, bringing souls to the Lord and healing people through his mysterious touch.  The trouble is, Ronald Earl, Little Texas that is, is now nearly 16 and starting to grapple with his own doubts, insecurities and bodily needs.  He’s still a vessel for the Lord’s power when he’s on stage testifying and preaching, but in the off hours as the ministry that’s built around him travels from one small Southern town to the next, Ronald Earl is plagued byRead More →

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In: Mystery & Suspense (YA), Romance (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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When Abbey’s best friend Kristen vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, she refuses to accept that Kristen is dead. As rumors fly that her death was no accident, Abbey goes through the motions of grief, including attending her best friend’s funeral, where she meets Caspian, a mysterious and handsome stranger that keeps popping into her life. As the story unfolds, Abbey quickly realizes that the truth can be a fickle friend, challenging everything she thought she knew about her best friend, the boy she is quickly falling for, and even herself. One of the most unique features of Jessica Verday’s The Hollow isRead More →

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In: Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Supernatural & Horror, Supernatural & Horror (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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In the 17th century being different from your fellow villagers, and being a woman, was a dangerous combination.  14 year old Mary Newbury lives a quiet life on the outskirts of a village in England with her healer grandmother. Until the day when the townsfolk turn against them, the witchhunters “try” her grandmother, convict her of being a witch, and hang the old woman. Mary is rescued by a cloaked woman who takes her to join a group of Puritans set to sail for the new world and the religious freedom the colonies offer. Thus opens the long lost journal of Mary Newbury and Celia Rees’ captivating and thrillingRead More →

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Violet is moody, brilliant, forceful and a visionary; Claire is light, airy, dreamy and innocent. These two are drawn together from the first pages of Francesca Lia Block’s  Violet & Claire. First we meet 17 year old Violet, whose wealthy life in Beverly Hills is boring, empty and consumed with classic films.  Her narrative starts off as the rantings of a spoiled angry teen, but soon we see the artistic, driven young woman underneath the Goth look.  She’s searching for a material for the screenplay she is writing and when she notices Claire at school, she believes she’s found her star.  Violet’s intensity saturates her portion of the storyRead More →

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Our pick this week for an awesome puppet / book combo is Chris Gall’s Dinotrux and these fierce dinosaur puppets from Folkmanis!  We love reading about the prehistoric trucks roaming the earth and have even more fun roaring and stomping along with the story! Plus, B.B.W. is crazy about the teeth on that dinosaur stage puppet!  Those are some ferocious choppers!        Posted by B.B.W. & the Three P’sRead More →

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What has Jon Scieszka, M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate DiCamillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Daniel Handler, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome and Chris Van Dusen all working together? The Library of Congress and the National Children’s Book and Literary Alliance’s ongoing serial story project, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.  The first installment, written by Scieszka, will be unveiled at the ninth annual National Book Festival on Sept. 26, 2009 in Washington, D.C. Over the course of the next year, until the 2010 Festival, chapters by the otherRead More →

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In: Elementary Book Reviews, Middle Grade Reviews
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When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead’s, second book for young readers, is a charming, lovingly crafted story about friendship, hope, and growing up.  I’ll even go so far as to say it will be a contender for the Newbery Medal. Set in New York City in the Fall of 1979, 12-year old Mira’s life is getting complicated: her best friend Sal has suddenly decided he doesn’t want to be friends anymore, and after an encounter with the school bully, Sal avoids her and won’t say why;  Mira makes some new friends at school and gets a lunchtime job in the local sandwich shop;  a strange, sometimes frightening homelessRead More →

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In: Multicultural (YA), On the Edge, Young Adult Book Reviews
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Matt de la Pena’s third book, We Were Here, will be released from Random House in October 2009, and with it, his writing skill and storytelling art has reached a higher level of excellence.  Rich, exquisitely detailed, thoughtful and thought-provoking, this powerful book will reach readers in their heart of hearts and grab ahold. Miguel’s the smartest kid in Juvi.  His cellmate, Rondell, can’t even read.  When he gets to the group home where he’s been sentenced for a year, Miguel decides all the guys there are posers and weaklings, and he certainly isn’t going to rap with the goofy, surfer-dude in charge of theRead More →