How about a cozy Christmas mystery for some needed relaxation time over the holidays? This one will suit young readers ages 10 and older but is entertaining enough for adult readers looking for a light read as well. I enjoyed …
Category: chapter/middle grade

children caught in conflict…refugee reads for young and old
Can you guess the number of children who are currently forcibly displaced from their homes around the world? The UNHCR estimates it’s 34 million. 34 million is a staggering number of people under the age of 18 who cannot safely …
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bodies are brilliant…body positivity in kidlit
Today I’m offering some books that speak to something really important in our wounding world — the deep down, heartfelt assurance that your body is good and lovable and wondrous, exactly as it is. For many, many, many of us …

1 wacky sci-fi + 1 fizzing fantasy
Looking for something slightly off-kilter and crammed with action?! Here are a couple series-starters that’ll work for ages 9 and up. How to Save the Universe Without Really Trying, by John Cusick published in 2020 by Harper 322 pages Meet …

50 books, 100-ish pages and under…round three!
Over the years, some of my perennially favorite, top-read posts are my collections of 100-ish-pages-and under chapter books. These mighty-slim books range widely in their difficulty, style, and content making them appealing choices for a variety of readers — those …

six picks for tween readers
Today I’ve got some great reads for the long hot days of summer. From the extremely quirky, to sci fi and fantasy, to stories of the real, challenging lives of tweens, middle grade literature has got you covered. The Time …

the Olympics are coming! it’s time to explore Japan!
The beleaguered 2021 Summer Olympics are set to begin on July 23rd. There have been many quirks and setbacks in the history of the modern Olympics, but the devastating pandemic, year-long delay of the games, and debate over whether or …
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summer-set novels and chapter books
Hi all! I meant to get this post out earlier this summer… …and then it slipped right off my plate. However, summer solstice was just yesterday so there’s lots of warm days ahead for these summer-set novels. I’ve got a …

fiction fancies
Recently I’ve been burrowing back in the library catalog, searching for fiction gems I’ve missed through the years. Today I’ve got a first sampling of what I’ve discovered, four delightfully different fantasies — check them out for reading aloud or …