Author Archives: Victoria Waddle

About Victoria Waddle

I'm a high school librarian, formerly an English teacher. I love to read and my mission is to connect people with the right books. To that end, I read widely--from the hi-lo for reluctant high school readers to the literary adult novel for the bibliophile.

Memoir: Educated

Posted on January 3, 2019

Tara Westover, the author of Educated, grew up in the country, in view of Buck’s Peak, in Idaho. Previous books I’ve read about the ‘heartland’ and its ‘real American’ inhabitants—whatever that is supposed to mean to those that use the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Magical Realism: The Buried Giant

Posted on December 30, 2018

Axl and Beatrice, ill-treated inhabitants of a rustic warren in medieval England, awaken on a fine spring day and realize that they have forgotten to do something important: they must take a few days journey to visit their long lost … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Fable/Fairy Tale/Fantasy, Fiction | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Horror: The Haunting of Hill House

Posted on November 3, 2018

This is actually a post from my blog about authors and writing. I thought it would be helpful to some here as it has links to a lot of good horror. Please have a look: http://victoriawaddle.com/2018/10/30/horror-the-haunting-of-hill-house/  

Posted in Family Problems, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Supernatural | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Gender Fluidity: Symptoms of Being Human

Posted on September 18, 2018

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin  Gender fluid teenager Riley Cavanaugh starts an anonymous blog at the suggestion of their therapist. Even this anonymous version of coming out takes Riley some time—as well as a major crisis and a … Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Family Problems, Fiction, Human Rights Issues, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Ballad of Huck and Miguel

Posted on August 13, 2018

A friend who has a daughter working with Friends of the LA River took a few of us on an LA River tour for our birthdays. It was odd to see the sections of the river that have a soil, … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Classic Fiction, Family Problems, Fiction, Multicultural | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Navigating the Darkness

Posted on March 5, 2018

I know I’ve been slacking on my book reviews, but only because I’ve been working on some other teen-centric literary stuff, including getting the word out about the teen issue of Inlandia Literary Journeys. I’m so excited about all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Young Adult Literature | Tagged | Leave a comment

Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide

Posted on November 25, 2017

I was excited to learn that Isabel Quintero wrote a new YA book because my students had enjoyed Gabi: A Girl in Pieces so much. (I only use the past tense because I retired; they are most likely still enjoying it.) … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Family Problems, Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction/Historical Element, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment