Category Archives: Uncategorized

One of my brilliant sixth graders asked this question recently. Don’t underestimate kids. They ask great questions! May be (two words) When may and be are written separately, they are both being used as verbs. May could be acting as … Continue reading →

You may recognize author E.L. Konigsburg’s name from From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, but Silent to the Bone is a completely different kind of book. Title: Silent to the Bone Author: E.L. Konigsburg Genre: contemporary realistic … Continue reading →

I first heard of the book Ender’s Game when I was teaching high school, and the teacher in the classroom next to mine was using it as part of her curriculum in sophomore English. I figured it must be a very … Continue reading →

I’ve used the young adult novel Hidden Talents as a read-aloud book to middle school students for about five years now. I’ve read it to sixth graders and eighth graders. In total,  over 500 kids have heard me read this … Continue reading →

This book is sort of “dystopia before dystopia was cool.” Dystopian fiction has been quite popular during the last decade, from The Hunger Games trilogy to the Divergent trilogy (final come books out October 22!). However, authors have long been … Continue reading →

When the penultimate season of How I Met Your Mother aired last May, I blogged about how monumental a task the writers would have in order to make us fall in love with the woman Ted will marry. After watching … Continue reading →

Child labor in sweatshops was a common practice in America in the 1800s and early 1900s. Unfortunately, it still exists in some countries today. In her book Boys Without Names, Kashmira Sheth imagines the story of one eleven-year-old boy tricked … Continue reading →

I’ll admit I didn’t expect to like this book when I first picked it up. It’s on my school’s summer reading list and the 2014 Rebecca Caudill nominee list. However, I must admit it was a pleasant surprise. I found … Continue reading →

If you follow children’s books at all, you’ve probably heard of this one already, but just in case you haven’t, here’s a book for all you fantasy lovers out there. Title: Fablehaven Author: Brandon Mull Genre: fantasy Age group: middle … Continue reading →

I can’t believe I haven’t written about this book already! I found it several years ago, and it’s been a favorite to give as a gift to my nieces. Title: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Author: Grace Lin Genre: … Continue reading →