What if you took a journey to a fantasy world such as Narnia, but then had to come back to the real world where nothing has changed? In Laura E. Weymouth’s The Light between Worlds, Jamie, Philippa, and Evelyn Hapwell have spent six years in the kingdom of the Woodlands before coming home to 1944 […]
Three curses. A collection of hearts buried under the ocean floor. Mermaids born of human tragedy. A coastal town’s worst nightmare that rolls in with the mist. These 2018 YA debuts center on the sea creatures sailors feared—seductive and strong, and out to lure you to the bottom of the ocean. Follow the siren song […]
In literature, the woods are an in-between place where there are no rules. There is magic, which is often a form of trickery—and sometimes, the dirtiest tricks reveal the starkest truths. Those who wander may lose or find themselves, but they will never come out unchanged. If you’re in the mood for atmospheric autumn reading, […]
Sally Green, author of the internationally bestselling Half Bad series, makes her triumphant return with The Smoke Thieves (Viking). The first in a new trilogy, it follows five protagonists—a princess preparing for a political marriage, the soldier she loves, a servant hatching a plot against his prince, a wayward thief, and a young demon hunter risking […]
Lynn: The Boggart is back—and Nessie, too! That news brought a lot of happiness to our 8-year-old focus group member who, with his dad, had recently inhaled the previous two books. I was pretty geeked myself to see Susan Cooper gift readers with The Boggart Fights Back (2018). It’s taken me a while to get this […]
Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel, which already has a movie deal in the works, is a feast for fantasy lovers. A world stripped of magic, a people feared and oppressed, and a ruthless king create the foundation for Zélie’s story. Her quest to avenge her mother’s death and return magic to her people will keep readers […]
Lynn: We count you Bookends readers as friends. Having just read The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge (September) by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin, I know that, were I a goblin, I would affectionately address you as follows: You clammy, sweaty pedant! Get your toad-like hands on this book ASAP (as-soon-as-published)! Brilliant and very, very funny, writer […]
Lynn: Adam Gidwitz’s The Creature of the Pines (2018) introduces Elliot Eisner on his first day at a new school, which has started badly. It’s already three weeks into the school year—surely far too late to make friends. Even worse, the class is on a field trip to Pine Barrens with the terrifying Professor Fauna, whose […]
Furyborn, out from Sourcebooks / Fire last month, begins the new epic fantasy Empirium Trilogy from author Claire Legrand. The book, which debuted at #4 on the New York Times bestseller list, tells the story of two fiercely independent girls—a thousand years apart and on either side of a war—who are connected by a prophecy. […]
I’m beginning to wonder what N. K. Jemisin’s trophy collection looks like. I met a much-lauded children’s book writer who had one measly National Book Award that he used as a paperweight. Jemisin, however, has won this year’s Nebula Award for Best Novel, making 2018 her third consecutive year of taking home a major science […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
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