Tag Archives: book reviews

The Groveland Four

An article in yesterday’s LA Times about the ‘Groveland Four’ being exonerated (they are all dead) caught my eye. I happened to have just finished reading a great book about the case: Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland … Continue reading

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Great Storytelling: The Perfectly Constructed YA Novel

Meg Medina’s Burn, Baby, Burn is an example of great storytelling. This didn’t surprise me as I’d loved Medina’s Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. I’d recommend Burn to any teen looking for a good read. I’d also recommend … Continue reading

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Human Rights Issues, Romance, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Time to Support the Local Literary Scene

Note: I have this up on my VictoriaWaddle.com blog, but am adding here because several of the books recommended below would be great for teen reads and in high school libraries. As shut down orders were put in place to … Continue reading

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Human Rights Issues, Mature Readers, Multicultural, Non-fiction, Short Stories | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager

  Being a Teen=Lack of Control Over Life Smack in the middle of his junior year of high school, Norris Kaplan has to move from Montreal, Canada to Austin, Texas when his mom secures a professorship at the University of … Continue reading

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Humor, Multicultural, Romance, Sports, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Orca Limelights: “The Frail Days”

 Stella Wing (because it sounds more ‘new-punk’ than Wang) with her nose piercing and fire-engine-red hair is no Disney princess. She’s a drummer in a nameless band that needs a singer. Jacob is her guitarist and Miles plays the bass. … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Humor, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

LQBTQ+: “Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda”

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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“My Kind of Crazy”

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

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“All the Bright Places”

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sports Books: “The Final Four”

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Bone Gap”

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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments