Author Archives: Victoria Waddle

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.

“What I Saw and How I Lied”

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell There are a lot of reasons to read this book—it’s got a mystery, a romance, a mother –daughter relationship, parental betrayal, shady business deals, secrets kept from World War II, … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Young Adult Literature | Leave a comment

“Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins If you’ve read the reviews of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire on this blog, you already know that I love this series. The first day Mockingjay was available in bookstores, I bought it. Now I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Fiction, Over 375 pages, Sci-Fi/Futuristic, Young Adult Literature | Leave a comment

“They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan”

Posted on May 29, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng and Benjamin Ajak with Judy A. Bernstein In the introduction, Judy Bernstein compares the situation that the three … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Controversial Issue/Debate, Human Rights Issues, Multicultural, Non-fiction | Leave a comment

“Fast Food Nation”

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Though I’d read several books about food in the last few years, I missed this one. So when it came up as a choice for summer reading in the English II Honors class, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversial Issue/Debate, Human Rights Issues, Non-fiction, Over 375 pages | Leave a comment

“Shakespeare Bats Cleanup”

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge Mrs. Martin recommended this to me and asked me about the last entry—some students who read the book saw some hidden meanings there. Well—hidden meaning? That was intriguing enough to get me to read. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Sports, Young Adult Literature | Leave a comment

“Into Thin Air”

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

Much has been written about Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and I can’t say anything new, but that, like every reviewer, I thought it was a great book. I’m glad that it’s one of the options for your summer … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Biography/Memoir, Non-fiction | Leave a comment

“Telling”

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

Telling by Marilyn Reynolds The novel begins with twelve-year-old Cassie meeting her new neighbors, the Sloans, and agreeing to baby-sit their children. Each time Cassie baby-sits, Fred Sloan makes a sexual advance toward her, progressively becoming more obvious and direct. … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversial Issue/Debate, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Young Adult Literature | Leave a comment

“Teacher Librarian”

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“Superfreakonomics”

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Victoria Waddle

Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner Maybe I shouldn’t do this so soon after commenting on Freakonomics, but I just loved this one, too. Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance, … Continue reading →

Posted in Non-fiction | Tagged economics | Leave a comment

“Graceling”