Category Archives: Grief

Happy Book Birthday: Dogs and Humans

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Victoria Waddle

In her chapbook memoir, The Mortality of Dogs and Humans, Victoria Waddle explores her (our) relationship with dogs, the joy and comfort of their companionship, and the lessons they can teach us about being better humans. Continue reading →

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Grief, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Non-fiction | Tagged book reviews, chapbook, dogs, large dogs, old dogs, quick read, small press publications | 1 Comment

Small Town Monsters: Book Review

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Victoria Waddle

Joan of Arc at the stake couldn’t have sounded like she was in more pain. Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, family problems, friendship, horror, monsters, parent-teen relationships, romance, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature | 2 Comments

Serious Summer Reading

Posted on June 18, 2022 by Victoria Waddle

Want beach reads but summer is your only chance to read intellectually stimulating books? The solution: A ‘Serious Summer Reading’ list. Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Grief, Human Rights Issues, Mature Readers, Non-fiction, Supernatural, Young Adult Literature | Tagged Adult books for teens, book reviews, diverse stories, family problems, historical fiction, parent-teen relationships, poetry, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Tales of an Inland Empire Girl

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Victoria Waddle

It’s the story of loving but dysfunctional parents, of being one of a pair of ‘Wonder Twins’ who use their superpowers to defeat the forces of disruption and poverty. Continue reading →

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Family Problems, Grief, Humor, Multicultural | Tagged Adult books for teens, book reviews, family problems, identical twins, parent-teen relationships, twins | Leave a comment

Inlandia Journeys Teen Issue is Live!

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Victoria Waddle

Submerged by Shaina Boal I’m so excited about the latest teen issue of Inlandia, which is live now! “Despite the notion that we are voiceless, it seems to me that the challenge of a good creative writing instructor is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Grief, Non-fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult Literature | Tagged essays, fiction, Inlandia Journal, Inlandia Literary Journey, poetry, short stories, teen writers, teenage writers, writing advice, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Communist Rule in South Vietnam: Behind the Red Curtain

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Victoria Waddle

The Fall of Saigon Behind the Red Curtain by Hong-My Basrai details the life of a Vietnamese family during and after the 1975 fall of Saigon. As the book opens, Hong-My is a thirteen-year-old girl with typical concerns about puberty. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Biography/Memoir, Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Human Rights Issues, Multicultural | Tagged Behind the Red Curtain, Communist Vietnam, Fall of Saigon, Hong-My Basrai, immigrants, refugees, Saigon, South Vietnam | 2 Comments

Parameters of the YA Novel: Is Bridge of Clay Still YA?

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Victoria Waddle

Bridge of Clay and YA Novels What are the parameters of the YA novel? Is Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay still YA? I asked myself this as I read this gorgeous novel. If you’re writing a novel that focuses on … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Over 375 pages, Young Adult Literature | Tagged Bridge of Clay, brothers, death, grief, Markus Zusak, siblings, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

“My Kind of Crazy”

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

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 | Tagged book reviews, family problems, friendship, high school students, parent-teen relationships, romance, school problems, Teen Issues, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

“All the Bright Places”

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

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 | 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 | 2 Comments

Sports Books: “The Final Four”

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

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 | 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 | Leave a comment