Category Archives: Book Reviews

2013 Edgar Juvenile Mystery Award Prediction

Posted on April 29, 2013 by AJ Cattapan

On Thursday night, the Mystery Writers of America will host their annual banquet to hand out the Edgar Awards for the best mystery books of the year. A couple weeks ago, I made my predictions for the best YA mystery. This … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Posted on April 15, 2013 by AJ Cattapan

This is a cute, “innocent” YA romance about a quirky girl who moves to a new high school. It’s a rarity in YA romance because it’s told from the boy’s perspective. Title: Stargirl Author: Jerry Spinelli Genre:  romance Age group: YA Synopsis: Eleventh … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Crusher by Niall Leonard

Posted on April 1, 2013 by AJ Cattapan

This is the fifth and final book in my list of YA Edgar nominees to read. Title: Crusher Author: Niall Leonard Genre: Mystery Age group: Young Adult Synopsis: Finn Maguire, a dyslexic seventeen-year-old who works at the local fast food joint, … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Posted on March 11, 2013 by AJ Cattapan

I’d seen this book mentioned on blogs and via Twitter quite a bit before it was nominated for the Edgars, so I was looking forward to reading it. Quite frankly, I find myself with mixed feelings about it. Title: Code Name … Continue reading →

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2013 Edgar Nominees: My reading list for the next few months

Posted on January 19, 2013 by AJ Cattapan

This past week the Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2013 Edgar Awards. The winners will be announced at the Gala Banquet on May 2. My goal is to read all of the nominees for the juvenile … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai

Posted on December 10, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

I picked up Shooting Kabul this past summer because it was one of the summer reading choices at my school. It’s also nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award this year. The book takes a rare look into the … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Magyk by Angie Sage

Posted on December 3, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

Have a young Harry Potter fan who is looking for a different wizard series to try? Check out Magyk (and its sequels) by Angie Sage. I met Angie Sage when she visited my classroom. (Man, I miss the author visits … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Posted on November 26, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

Years ago, Trenton Lee Stewart came to speak at the school where I was teaching. He read a portion of his first Mysterious Benedict Society book, and I thought, “Wow, not only do I want to read that book, but … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

Posted on November 19, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

This book used to be part of the reading curriculum at two of my previous schools. I enjoyed it for a couple reasons. First, it’s science fiction that takes place on Earth. No aliens, no spaceships. Just holophones and mile-high … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Posted on November 12, 2012 by AJ Cattapan

I had heard a lot about this book before I read it. Everyone seemed to love it. My reaction to the first few chapters was “Well, this is good, but is it really as great as everyone says?” Then I … Continue reading →

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