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Teen Librarian Toolbox
by Amanda MacGregor
July 30, 2014 by Angela Carstensen
Both of today’s novels are about far more than romance, but love is certainly one element they share. Another is a strong cultural setting. Jean Kwok is known by many librarians and teen readers as the author of Girl in Translation, which earned her an Alex Award. Mambo in Chinatown features a slightly older protagonist, […]
April 14, 2014 by Angela Carstensen
On Such a Full Sea was published in January, so we are a bit behind here. Truth be told, we did not receive a copy for review, nor did we assign the book to a reviewer. I mention this because it’s such a great example of two of the strengths of presenting book reviews in […]
November 13, 2013 by Mark Flowers
Today we have two very different, almost opposite, biographies about acting, written by journalists: one a cautionary tale of talent wasted, the other an inspirational story of talent emergent. Sokolove’s Drama High tells the inspiring story of a high school drama teacher pushing his students toward success, while Edwards’s Last Night at the Viper Room […]
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October 14, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
Jillian Cantor has taken Anne Frank’s Diary of A Young Girl and written an alternate fiction in which Margot, Anne’s older sister, did not die in Bergen-Belsen after all. Instead, she survives and makes her way to Philadelphia. But, in a way, she is still in hiding. Margot has changed her name, hidden her Jewish faith, and […]
July 15, 2013 by Mark Flowers
And speaking of Alex Award winners, today we have two more reviews of novels by previous winners. Neil Gaiman is one of those magical writers who seems to be able to write for any age level, with a Newbery Award under his belt, popular graphic novels for teens and adults, and two Alex Award winning […]
July 1, 2013 by Mark Flowers
Before I began writing this post, I always believed that the famous retort to the question of why one would climb Mount Everest–“Because it’s there”–had been spoken by Edmund Hillary, the first Westerner to ascend to the peak. But in fact, they were the words of George Mallory, the first of three real life figures […]
June 17, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
Today we review two notable debut novels featuring teen protagonists who are talented at the sports they love — riding and rowing. There are a surprising number of similarities between these books. Both take place in elite boarding schools, and feature teens who are new kids among long-time classmates, less wealthy outsiders struggling for the […]
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