A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1963 256 pages A Wrinkle in Time is one of those books I think I have very clear memories of - and then I read it again and discover that I missed something entirely. I first read A Wrinkle in Time - or, rather, … Continue reading A Wrinkle in Time
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai HarperCollins, 2011 272 pages The Vietnam War is kind of a nebulous area in my historical understanding. I know something about it--but only from an American perspective (how and why the U.S. got involved, our casualties, protests on the homefront). I know virtually nothing about the war … Continue reading Inside Out and Back Again
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead Wendy Lamb Books, 2009 208 pages When You Reach Me is a fantasy that doesn't know it's a fantasy, a typical coming-of-age novel made atypical--even brilliant--by its sci-fi undercurrent and ever-shifting web of connections and revelations. Set in the late 1970s, the novel centers on Miranda, a sixth-grader … Continue reading When You Reach Me
Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes Greenwillow Books, 2003 217 pages If you've visited your local library or bookstore this week, you may have seen a display commemorating Banned Books Week. Sponsored by a variety of national organizations, Banned Books Week is an annual campaign to draw attention to literary censorship and other First Amendment issues … Continue reading Banned Books Week: Olive’s Ocean
Babymouse: Queen of the World! by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm Random House, 2005 96 pages Think of comics, and what comes to mind? Superheroes? The Sunday paper? What about serious literature? Unless you're a librarian, or maybe a bookseller or critic, probably not. But, if you know where to look, you can find … Continue reading Popularity vs. Purpose
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall Alfred A. Knopf, 2005 262 pages The Penderwicks is a fresh but near-timeless novel. Even without its National Book Award trophy, it would be a classic-in-waiting, destined to entertain many generations of readers. Set on an estate … Continue reading Of Fairy Tales, Family, and Friends
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry Houghton Mifflin, 2000 215 pages Lois Lowry is easily one of my favorite children's authors, and Gathering Blue is my favorite Lois Lowry novel. Set in a future, post-apocalyptic dystopia reminiscent of the early Middle Ages, the book tells the story of a teenage girl named Kira. In Kira's ruthlessly … Continue reading Finding Community in the Midst of Dystopia
