Tag Archives: parent-teen relationships

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

Girl Made of Stars

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Victoria Waddle

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

A Face for Picasso

Posted on February 1, 2022 by Victoria Waddle

Ariel looks less and less like herself, a circumstance that makes her feel her identity is being stripped. Eventually, she describes her face as a mask she can’t remove. Continue reading →

Posted in Biography/Memoir, bullying, Human Rights Issues, Over 375 pages | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Victoria Waddle

  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

“Challenger Deep”

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman “‘But dreams give you insight,’ I point out. “The captain leans closer, the acrid smoke of his pipe stinging my eyes. ‘Not these dreams.’” Fifteen-year-old Caden Bosch is sure that someone at school is trying … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Fiction, Young Adult Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

Adult Fiction: “Skippy Dies”

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Victoria Waddle

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray   Skippy Dies has been described by more than one professional reviewer as ‘hilarious and horrifying.’ I would say that it is hilarious for a very long time, and then suddenly horrifying. This is true … Continue reading →

Posted in bullying, Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Fiction, Humor, Mature Readers, Over 375 pages | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment