About Victoria Waddle
Victoria Waddle is a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer and has been included in Best Short Stories from The Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest. Her books include a collection of feminist short fiction, Acts of Contrition, and a chapbook on grief, The Mortality of Dogs and Humans. Her YA novel about a polygamist cult, Keep Sweet, launches in June 2025. Formerly the managing editor of the journal Inlandia: A Literary Journey and a teacher librarian, she contributes to the Southern California News Group column Literary Journeys. She discusses both writing and library book censorship on her Substack, “Be a Cactus.” Join her there for thoughts on defiant readers and writers as well as for weekly library censorship news.
Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch It’s one thing to say we are going to better educate American kids, bringing them all to the top of the pack. While any logical person might wonder how 100% of children can be … Continue reading →
Posted in Controversial Issue/Debate, Human Rights Issues, Non-fiction
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Tagged Adult books for teens, charter schools, Common Core standards, Death and Life of the American School System, Diane Ravitch, education, public education, public schools, Reign of Error, standardized testing, teacher tenure
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Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos Rachel’s brother Micah is a meth addict. She’d like to think he is getting better—after his stint in rehab, especially. But Micah never wanted to go to rehab, and he is back to using … Continue reading →
Posted in Adventure Stories, Family Problems, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged book reviews, brothers and sisters, drug addiction, drug dealers in literature, family problems, meth addiction, methamphetamine, methamphetamine addiction, National Book Award Finalist, San Diego, YA fiction, YA literature
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How to Lose Everything: A Mostly True Story by Philipp Mattheis Sam, Eric, Schulz, and Jonathan are four friends living in a surburb of Munich, Germany. They mostly hang out at the skateboard park, a group of lost boys, adrift. … Continue reading →
Posted in Adventure Stories, Controversial Issue/Debate, Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Mature Readers, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged abandoned houses, conduct of life, drugs, ethics, friendship, Germany, hi-low reading, high school students, Read 180, teenage boys, theft, YA fiction, YA literature
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Jam by Yahtzee Croshaw “I woke up one morning to discover that the entire city had been covered in a three-foot layer of man-eating jam.” Croshaw begins his send-up of the future apocalypse with a distinctive strawberry flavor. The man-eating … Continue reading →
The most recent young adult fiction to go to the movies– Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters will be out on February 14, 2014. Starring Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, and Danila Kozlovsky. Divergent will be out March 21, 2014. Starring Shailene Woodley, … Continue reading →
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell Eleanor and Park is already popular with some of our readers of realistic teen fiction, but before Valentine’s Day rolls around, I’d like to introduce it to the rest of you who are looking … Continue reading →
Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged 1980s, book reviews, child abuse, child-parent relationships, poverty, Rainbow Rowell, romance, YA fiction, YA literature
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American Gods by Neil Gaiman It’s hard to be a god in America. People are busy making new things, and they forget their obligation to worship. Or they find it more interesting to worship new gods as tastes change and … Continue reading →
Posted in Adventure Stories, Fable/Fairy Tale/Fantasy, Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Fiction, Over 375 pages
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Tagged Adult books for teens, American Gods, book reviews, gods and goddesses, mythology, Neil Gaiman, Percy Jackson and the Olympians readalikes
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Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread Out of Data by Charles Wheelan Ok, I’m not sure that most folks are quite ready to embrace the statement by Hal Varian, chief economist at Google, quoted on the book jacket. Varian says … Continue reading →
Revenge of the Witch (First in The Last Apprentice series) by Joseph Delaney Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son—so he occupies something of a magical position in life. Unfortunately, he needs to secure an apprenticeship, and, … Continue reading →
Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Read 180, Supernatural, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged book reviews, hi-low reading, horror, Joseph Delaney Tom Ward, Read 180, scary stories, seventh son of a seventh son, The Last Apprentice series, YA fiction, YA literature
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School Library Lady 