The Quest of the Warrior Sheepbegs to be read aloud—sadly, I read it to myself so I had to imagine all the baaing and bad puns in my head. It may need to be our next read aloud with the kids, though. The story is about, well, the quest of the warrior sheep—a group of […]
The View from Saturday
June 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I’ve been meaning to read The View from Saturday for years now, and it took me several false starts before I finally got into it. But it was worth it. It’s an unusual book, told unchronologically from multiple points of view. At its simplest, it’s the story of four sixth graders—Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian, AKA […]
How to Train Your Dragon
June 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
How to Train Your Dragon is a funny adventure that has absolutely nothing but a few names in common with the movie based on it. A bunch of young Vikings are attempting to survive their rites of passage, which include capturing and training a hatchling dragon that will serve as a hunting companion. Hiccup Horrendous […]
Sheep
June 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Sheep is about the adventures of a Border collie pup. When the sheep ranch where he was born burns down, he’s sold to a pet store. From there, he ends up as a pet and then runs away, traveling with several people or alone, until he finally finds the home where he belongs. In many […]
The Case of the Missing Marquess
June 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Case of the Missing Marquess is the first in the Enola Holmes series. Enola is the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, who are also minor characters in the book. Enola—born late in her mother’s life—is scandalous due to her very existence. Her mother has allowed her free rein, neglecting her education as […]
Water Sky
June 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Water Sky is the story of Lincoln Noah Stonewright who, at around age 13, goes to Alaska to visit friends of his father. Lincoln is part Eskimo*, but he’s grown up around Boston and doesn’t know the Eskimo ways. While he’s there, he learns a lot about the culture and wrestles with the morality of […]
The Thirteenth Princess
June 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Jocelyn Koehler wrote this review, adapted from her original review which you can read here. The Thirteenth Princess, by Diane Zahler, is a retelling of the fairy tale “Twelve Dancing Princesses.” It’s narrated through the voice of the thirteenth daughter, 12-year-old Zita. Despised by her father since the queen died in childbirth, Zita is raised […]
The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror
May 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee. The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror is a fun, silly book that deals with two boys that sneak out of their house at night to watch the late night double feature at The Snark. They occasionally meet up with their friend Rat—a teenaged girl with a penchant for cars […]
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword
May 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jessica Banks. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword is a graphic novel that tells the story of Mirka, a feisty eleven year old with a head full of heroic aspirations of dragonslaying and adventuring. What makes Mirka different from all the other girls is her context—she lives in Hereville, a town populated […]
The Talking Earth
May 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Jean Craighead George wrote many books about nature and protecting the environment. I recently reread The Talking Earth, which is about a young Seminole girl name Billie Wind who spends 3 months on her own in the Everglades. When Billie Wind says that she doesn’t believe the legends of her people, she’s sent to spend […]
