Category Archives: Authors
Kindred Spirits: Reading The Mouse of Amerhest
Classic Children’s Literature, Critically The Mouse of Amherst by Elizabeth Spires Below I’ve written a critique of this wonderful book. I am always interested in the relationship between children and works of art. The essay below is thick on the scholarly stuff, … Continue reading
Lanesha’s Listmania: Books from the Blog
Children’s Books from the Blog, Now on Amazon! Hello everyone! Lanesha (or rather her online avatar, me) has created a Listmania! list on Amazon dedicated to the books discussed on this blog. I love the Listmania service on Amazon. It’s … Continue reading
Hurricane Katrina for Children
August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and forever changed the lives of many. People suffered and people died. The wave hit the poorest areas hard, and so a storm became an issue of race and class. I highly recommend Spike … Continue reading
Dear America Series Update
Recently, I began reading the Dear America series. I started with Standing in the Light, by Mary Pope Osborne, of the famous Babysitter’s Club series! The book was fascinating. Written in diary form, it falls under the genre of the … Continue reading
Filed under Authors, Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Middle-Grade Novels, Questions for You, YA
Historical Fiction Interview and a Giveaway!
The wonderful blog, From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors, has posted an interview with Clara Gillow Clark. The blog also features a giveaway of signed copies of several books, including Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos. Check … Continue reading
Dear America and Women (Back) in the Future!
Dear America: A series worth its salt In a previous post, I mentioned a Dear America book as one of my top-ten choices for best books about the American Revolution. I’m often leary of children’s books series that have a … Continue reading
Definitions of Historical Fiction Part 3: Sadako’s Paper Cranes
David Beagley’s Definition of Historical Fiction Recently, I discovered a wonderful podcast recording of two courses taught by David Beagley at La Trobe University in Australia. The podacast is presented by ITunes U, a wonderful facility that allows professors to record their … Continue reading
(Yesterday) in History: Historical Fiction on the 4th of July
Top-ten books about the American Revolution Kids love fireworks. Kids love flags. Kids love reading books about the American Revolution. Without further ado: 1. Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes A quintessential work of children’s historical fiction. The story of young … Continue reading
Filed under Authors, Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Middle-Grade Novels, Questions for You, YA
Goodbye, Maurice
It would be a shame to let the month pass without mentioning the death of a crucial writer for children. As most of you know, on May 8th, Maurice Sendak died at the age of 83. His work was crucial because … Continue reading
Filed under Authors, Book Reviews, Thoughts on Children's Literature
