Tag Archives: family problems

Small Town Monsters: Book Review

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

Serious Summer Reading

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

Tales of an Inland Empire Girl

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 , , , , , | Leave a comment

Girl Made of Stars

A realistic portrayal of how people react to learning about the rape of a classmate. Continue reading

Posted in bullying, Family Problems, Fiction, Mature Readers, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Girlz ’n the Hood

Girlz ‘n the Hood: A Memoir of Mama in South Central Los Angeles by Mary Hill-Wagner Hill-Wagner is one of eleven children who grew up with an often single mother in South Central LA. Though her mother worked as a … Continue reading

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Family Problems, Human Rights Issues, Multicultural, Non-fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Teen Voices and The Poet X: Keep a Journal

Note: This is a YA book review as well as a comment on teen writing, so I added it here from my personal blog A recent experience with a teen writer had me going back to The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. … Continue reading

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Human Rights Issues, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Memoir: Educated

Tara Westover, the author of Educated, grew up in the country, in view of Buck’s Peak, in Idaho. Previous books I’ve read about the ‘heartland’ and its ‘real American’ inhabitants—whatever that is supposed to mean to those that use the … Continue reading

Posted in Biography/Memoir, Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 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

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Grief, Humor, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“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