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.
Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli Although Simon believes that coming out as gay isn’t going to be a big problem in his life, he is hesitant to do it. His family will still love and support … Continue reading →
Posted in bullying, Family Problems, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged book review, book reviews, coming out, cyberbullying, Georgia, humor, LGBTQ, romance, theater arts students
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My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul Hank Kirby comes up with a great idea for asking popular Amanda Carlisle to the prom. How then does he manage, with just a box of sparklers, to light up Amanda Carlisle’s … Continue reading →
Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Humor, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged book reviews, family problems, friendship, high school students, parent-teen relationships, romance, school problems, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature
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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven We meet Violet Markey and Theodore Finch out on the ledge of their school’s clock tower. They haven’t gone there together, but rather accidentally run into one another as they as both … Continue reading →
Posted in Adventure Stories, bullying, Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Romance, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged book reviews, bullying, child-parent relationships, death and dying, family problems, friendship, grief, high school students, parent-teen relationships, romance, school problems, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature
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The Final Four by Paul Volponi The hoop action between the Michigan State Spartans and the (underdog) Trojans of Troy University is nonstop, heart-pounding excitement. While the semifinal NCAA championship game is played, the novel focuses on four players: … Continue reading →
Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Multicultural, Read 180, Sports, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged basketball, book reviews, death, family problems, Final Four, friendship, grief, hi-low reading, NCAA semifinals, Read 180, reluctant readers, sports, YA fiction, YA literature
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Bone Gap by Laura Ruby Finn, the teen oddball in the tiny country town of Bone Gap, is both loved for his quirky personality by most of the town and bullied by the family of Rudes–a common scenario in … Continue reading →
Posted in bullying, Fable/Fairy Tale/Fantasy, Family Problems, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged book reviews, bullying, family problems, Fantasy fiction, friendship, romance, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature
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Skippy Dies by Paul Murray Skippy Dies has been described by more than one professional reviewer as ‘hilarious and horrifying.’ I would say that it is hilarious for a very long time, and then suddenly horrifying. This is true … Continue reading →
Posted in bullying, Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Fiction, Humor, Mature Readers, Over 375 pages
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Tagged Adult books for teens, book reviews, bullying, Catholic boarding schools, child-parent relationships, death, death and dying, family problems, friendship, grief, Ireland, parent-teen relationships, Paul Murray, romance, school problems, Skippy Dies, Teen Issues
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Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WW II by Chester Nez with Judith S. Avila Chester Nez was one of the original 32 (some say 29, but Nez informs the … Continue reading →
Posted in Biography/Memoir, Historical Fiction/Historical Element
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Tagged Adult books for teens, American Indians, book reviews, Code Talkers, Common Core standards, friendship, memoir, Navajo Indians, nonfiction, prejudice, school problems, World War II
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