Blog
As a homeschooling veteran, I review middle-grade stories to help parents, librarians, and teachers choose good books.
Look for author news here too!
Big Giveaway for Homeschoolers: I am honored to be included!
My book The Long Shadow, a time-travel tale for ages 13-14, has been chosen for a big giveaway. 20+ Christian authors offer books that appeal to homeschoolers, including S.D. Smith @sdsmithereens, @littlepilgrimbook, @wolfbanebooks, @tuttle_twins and @tuttletwinstv ....
Amy Coney Barrett: A Justice and a Mother, a review
The picture book biography I am looking at today is Amy Coney Barrett: A Justice and a Mother, by Joyce Claiborne-West, illustrated by Ivana Besevic.
365 Days to Alaska by Cathy Carr, a review
In the middle grade novel 365 Days to Alaska, Rigel Jane Harman, age 11, loves her simple life. She’s good at hunting with her .22 rifle, fishing, and skinning rabbits. She spends many hours at the chores she’s called upon to do to help her little family keep warm and fed “off the grid.”
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong USA by Brenda Woods, a middle grade book review
This is a middle grade book you won't want to miss. It’s not long after the close of World War II, and war heroes get homecoming celebrations. But in the North Carolina town of Birdsong—and in other parts of the South—the parades are only for the white soldiers....
The Audiobook Is Out for The Long Shadow!
Great news! The audiobook is out for my award-winning short novel for kids 12-14, The Long Shadow. It's a time travel tale of racial reconciliation, aimed at kids 12-14. Winner of a Moonbeam Children's Book Award. At 4 hours, 41 minutes, it's relatively brief and only...
The Long Shadow, my book, featured
StoryJumpers Podcast, out of Christian radio in Delaware at 877TheBridge.com, features my book this week! Take a look. I am honored to be included in this podcast as Episode 15, just as the operation shifts from once a month to twice a month. People are noticing...
The Hedgehog of Oz by Cory Leonardo, a book homeschoolers will like
The Hedgehog of Oz by Cory Leonardo tells the tale of Marcel, a lost pet hedgehog. Marcel scrounges for candy and hides out in the ancient balcony of an old movie theater where he cares for two hens. What he really wants is to find his way home to his owner, but instead he’s caught, thrown in a truck, and driven far out into the country.
Introducing Free Homeschool Unit Studies: New Classics Literature
Would you love to find a free unit study guide for a good book your child hasn't read yet? I read a lot of recent middle-grade literature (for kids 8-12). As a homeschool veteran and curriculum provider and also a children's author, I feel a burden to help...
First Contact by T.D. Patrick: A Good Homeschool Read-Aloud
This chapter book for early readers makes a very good homeschool read-aloud. In First Contact, Book 1 of Terra Prime Adventures, T.D. Patrick tells the story of Zack, 12. He’s one of 1500 colonists snoozing in hyper-sleep for nine months while rocketing away...
The Edge of the Ocean, Strangeworlds Travel Agency #2, by L.D. Lapinski, a review
The Edge of the Ocean (Strangeworlds Travel Agency #2) by L.D. Lapinski tells a high-action tale with emotional resonance. Flick is a girl (age 12?) who lives in Little Wyvern, England. When her parents aren’t looking, she travels to other worlds through a magical...
Being Clem by Lesa Cline-Ransom, a review
Being Clem by Lesa Cline-Ransome tells a coming-of-age story set in 1940s Chicago. A nine-year-old African American boy loses his soldier father, a hero. It's sad, especially because his father has been gone so long that Clem hardly knew him. As time goes by, Clem...
Five Books for Boys This Christmas
These days, a great recent book for a boy can be hard to find, what with all the new offerings featuring girl power. But boys are still out there, and many of them like to read. If you want to promote reading in your family, perhaps a list of good recent boy books is...