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!

 

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart, a book review

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart, a book review

A middle-grade book review: Twelve-year-old Coyote Sunrise and her dad, Rodeo, wander America in their retrofitted school bus, with no plans, no schedule. Well, there is one scheduled item–a weekly call to Coyote’s grandma. In a call to Coyote in Florida, Grandma casually tells her that the park down the street is going to be dug up for development in four days.

read more
Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk, a review

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk, a review

When her father is struck by a falling tree and lies in a coma, Ellie wants nothing more than to heal him. He’d taught her some of the woodsy healing arts, and she sets out to try them first on a seemingly stillborn puppy, then on her helpless father, and on an injured neighbor everyone thinks is a witch.

read more
Chirp by Kate Messner, a review

Chirp by Kate Messner, a review

Chirp by Kate Messner, published in 2020, tells the tale of Mia, a twelve year old former gymnast who’s just moved from Boston to Vermont. Her family moved there to support her grandmother, whose unpredictability makes everyone wonder what’s going to happen next. Gram’s business, raising crickets for people food, is languishing.

read more
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead, a review

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead, a review

Georges, that's with a silent s, moves into a Brooklyn apartment building and meets Safer, another twelve-year-old who starts a spy club for the two of them. They're spying on a bird nest, on people in the building lobby (through the videocam), on people who wash...

read more