I didn’t know what to expect. Having flown halfway around the world to visit the American International School of Abuja in Nigeria, I was open for adventure. But when the school invited me to visit their “sister school,” a local primary school they were mentoring, I wasn’t sure how those kids would react. After all, …
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Book review: Heart of the Moors
Tween fiction by Holly Black
What happens when you take an iconic Disney villain (in this case, Maleficent) and put her in the hands of Holly Black, doyenne of YA fantasy? A delightful tween story that humanizes the villain and puts a new spin on the world of Sleeping Beauty.
In this telling, Princess (now Queen) Aurora …
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Review: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
Middle-grade fiction by Kwame Mbalia
Rick Riordan Presents delivers another engaging, kid-friendly, mythological tale in Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. When the story opens, Tristan Strong isn’t having the most ideal seventh-grade year. His best buddy, Eddie, died in a school bus crash, and Tristan blames himself for not being able …
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Dark Lord Clementine rules with quirky charm
Middle-grade fiction by Sarah Jean Hurwitz
The sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor Morcerous is a bit on the small side. Twelve-year-old Clementine has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be, terrorizing townfolk and committing Dastardly Deeds. But Clementine seems to be cut of a different cloth …
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The Line Tender reels you in
In Kate Allen’s lyrical novel, The Line Tender, budding middle school artist Lucy Everhart experiences a summer of discovery and loss in her seaside Massachusetts town. When the story opens, Lucy and her best friend Fred are abuzz over a fisherman landing a Great White Shark, rarely seen in their waters. The pair is working …
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Escape from Sudan!
From the start, this was no ordinary author visit. I arrived at 2 a.m. on a Saturday, expecting to spend a week and a half speaking at two international schools in Sudan. Unfortunately, that same Saturday, massive anti-government demonstrations began against despotic Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
And the protests continued, swelling by thousands every day. On …
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Book review: The Gilded Wolves
At once a heist novel, a historical tale, a fantasy, and a meditation on the abuses of power, Roshani Chokshi’s latest hits the mark in all respects. In this reimagined Belle Epoque Paris, certain individuals have the power to Forge, or affect matter or mind in a way that smacks of magic. Such power creates …
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Back to school book giveaway
Yes, it’s that time again. Summer’s gone and the school year has begun — but to soften the blow, I’m offering a book giveaway for educators.
You can win one of three classroom sets of the first three books in my new Class Pets series: Fuzzy’s Great Escape, Fuzzy Takes Charge, and Fuzzy Freaks Out. The …
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A pair of rollicking reads
Since I read so many books I can barely keep track of them all, I’ve decided to offer sporadic book reviews on this site. Some of the books I get from NetGalley, some from my publisher friends, and some from my local bookstore. Some are adult, some are for young readers; some are fiction, some …
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How do I find the perfect first line?
Dear Writer Guy,
How do you know when you’ve hit on the right first line for your story?
Thanks,
Martha B., Seattle
Dear Martha,
For me, it’s a feeling. When the first line clicks, you feel it. It leads you into the rest of the book, it establishes the voice and character attitude right away, and most of all, it …
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