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.
I’m getting excited about our Hunger Games challenge! We’ll have prizes for the physical challenge and prizes for your knowledge of any of the three books in the trilogy. (Hint: the questions are hard, so look back over the books.) … Continue reading →
You finished The Hunger Games trilogy and you want more. What to do? Luckily for you, lots of really good YA science fiction books have been published in the last several years. Some have a bit more of a fantasy … Continue reading →
“This is a book of exceptional importance, written on a sweeping scale with remarkable clarity by two of our most gifted thinkers. . . . It should be read by policymakers and every American concerned about our country’s future.” Library … Continue reading →
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly The Gillette murder case: In 1906, Grace Brown was a worker in the Gillette Skirt Factory (New York State) and was murdered because Chester Gillette, nephew of the owner, didn’t want to marry her … Continue reading →
Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Historical Fiction/Historical Element, Human Rights Issues, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged Adirondack Mountains, An American Tragedy, Chester Gillette, feminism, Gillette murder, murder, New York, women's rights
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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern When the child Celia Bowen is delivered to her father, the famous magician Prospero (Hector Bowen), a challenge is taken up. Prospero believes that magical talent is inborn. Celia is an example with … Continue reading →
The Orca Soundings series books are really just books that are not connected to one another, but are all published by a company whose mission is to provide interesting books to teens who are improving their reading skills. I’ve enjoyed … Continue reading →
Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Read 180, Supernatural, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged death and dying, English Learners, ghosts, Orca Sounding series, Read 180, street racing
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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline It’s 2044 and the world is such a rotten place for most people that they spend as much time as possible on the OASIS, a virtual universe where you can not only play video … Continue reading →
The Orca Soundings series books are really just books that are not connected to one another, but are all published by a company whose mission is to provide interesting books to teens who are improving their reading skills. I’ve enjoyed … Continue reading →
Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Historical Fiction/Historical Element, Read 180, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged English Learners, military service, Orca Soundings Series, Read 180, sexual harrassment, suicide in literature, witchcraft
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High interest books for a quick read; good for Read 180 students and English Learners Breathless by Pam Withers Beverly is in Hawaii, helping her uncle at his dive shop, learning how to dive and trying to lose weight and … Continue reading →
Posted in Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Read 180, Romance, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged bullying, cowboys, English Learners, Hawaii, Orca Soundings Series, rape, Read 180, scuba diving
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High interest books for a quick read; good for Read 180 students and English Learners Big Guy by Robin Stevenson Derek thinks he might be falling in love for the first time ever. The problem is, he hasn’t been entirely … Continue reading →
Posted in Controversial Issue/Debate, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Mature Readers, Read 180, Romance, Young Adult Literature
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Tagged English Learners, GLBTQ, musicians in literature, Orca Sounding series, Read 180
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