A novel is written in verse. This novel made me tear up, not only because of the storyline but how beautifully it is crafted. Acevedo weaves together the story of two sisters: Camino Rios who, lives in The Dominican Republic, and Yahaira Rios, who lives in New York. When their father is tragically killed in … Continue reading Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Category: book reviews
What About Will by Ellen Hopkins
So I’m looking for new books for junior high classrooms. NEW books. Not Holes, or Hatchet or The Outsiders. NEW titles. I found one. And, read it in a day and I loved it. I even teared up at the end. What About Will is written by Ellen Hopkins. Now for those of you who … Continue reading What About Will by Ellen Hopkins
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
"His shirt was freshly laundered, a sharp crease ran down the sleeve, and Mungo took that as a sign that some woman cared for him, that he was worth something to someone." (Douglas Stuart). This novel sucks you in, rips your heart out, and leaves you sobbing on the floor. Seriously. I haven't been this … Continue reading Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
Unvarnished by Emily Carr Edited by Kathryn Bridge
I love Emily Carr’s paintings. Whenever I get the chance to visit Victoria, BC, I try to see the Art Gallery of Victoria to view their collection of her works. I have, however, never read any of her prose. Unvarnished me is a phrase Carr used to “describe herself, her personal writings, private papers, and objects … Continue reading Unvarnished by Emily Carr Edited by Kathryn Bridge
When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
“ And yet, the stars are not lost. They form patterns. Constellations. If you know how to look, there are stories woven into the very essence of stars” (When Stars are Scattered). Graphic novel grades 8-12 Themes displacement, political unrest, resilience, family, loyalty The story takes place over three significant times in the life of … Continue reading When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong
I love Kelley Armstrong. My favourite Series of her’s is the Cainsville Series.” I started the first one, Omens, and then proceeded to stay awake all night reading it. There are 5 titles in this Series if you’re interested.Armstrong’s newest novel is A Rip Through Time which sets us up for a whole new series; … Continue reading A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
I’m a nerd. I love books. I especially love books about books, libraries, and words. I also gravitate towards feminist literature. Lucky for me, The Dictionary of Lost Words is a wonderful combination of both. Our protagonist Esme loves words as well, probably because she spends her childhood under the table in the scriptorium where … Continue reading The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Middle School Book Binge
So this month I’ve been trying to read more “Middle School” books so that I can confidently recommend new novels to teachers in our schools. So besides increasing my book total for my reading goal for the year 2021 I found some REALLY good middle school reads that have been published over the last few … Continue reading Middle School Book Binge
“Shuggie Bain” a novel by Douglas Stuart
This is a sad, frustrating, yet compassionate story. In this book, is the main villain (I was going to write "antagonist", but villain is more appropriate) is alcohol that seduces and creates monstrous behaviour sympathetic characters. Although Agnes seems to be the main character, this is Shuggie's story. He is our anti-hero. For most of … Continue reading “Shuggie Bain” a novel by Douglas Stuart
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
“…that’s what influenza means, she said. Influenza delle stelle- the influence of the stars. Medieval Italians thought the illness proved that the havens were governing their fates, that people were quite literally star-crossed.” (pg 147). The Pull of the Stars is a novel that takes place over 3 days in a “Maternity/Fever” ward at St. … Continue reading The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage
Over the last year, I have been attracted to gothic mysteries and crime novels. Sometimes I google the genres I’m interested in to see what pops up on the screen. So when I typed “mystery gothic crime novels”, Elizabeth Brundage’s novel came up. What I thought would be an easy, quick, pulp fiction read turned … Continue reading All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage
Word Problems poem by Ian Williams
Word Problems poems by Ian Williams I was really apprehensive about responding to poetry. I don’t read a lot of poetry, I’m not sure why. I guess it’s because I don’t feel “qualified” to talk about it. That being said, one of my 2021 reading goals is to read more poetry and therefore my first … Continue reading Word Problems poem by Ian Williams
D (A Tale of Two Worlds)
by Michel Faber Apparently, this novel was written to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens. . As such, Michel Faber wonderfully inserts little allusions to various novels written by Dickens. (ie. Beak House, Magwhich) If you’re looking for a good read-aloud for junior high D (A Tale of Two Worlds) is … Continue reading D (A Tale of Two Worlds)
Ink And Spine 