• Home
  • Style Guides
  • Blog
  • Author Index
    • A - H Index
    • I - P Index
    • Q - Z Index
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
READING STYLE GUIDE

Words Words Words

3/15/2022

0 Comments

 

Worser by Jennifer Ziegler

William Wyatt Orser, known to his classmates as Worser, is the quintessential word nerd. Masterwork, his ongoing self-titled project is a binder filled with 321 pages of word-related “observations.”
Life has not been easy for this studious, sometimes too-smart -for-his-own-good kid. Worser’s sheltered world with his mother, a university professor, is shattered when she has a stroke. The brilliant academic is no more. In her place is someone with garbled speech, erratic movements, and the need for constant rest.
Aunt Iris, along with her two cats and outrageous art projects, moves in as mom’s caretaker. She also assumes the role of Worster’s guardian, meeting with school staff to discuss her nephew’s performance, suggesting that he update his wardrobe, offering to redecorate his bedroom, and calendaring his daily activities. Worser resents her intrusion into his well-ordered life. He makes it clear that she is not his mother.
​​Iris' rehabilitation methods for her sister includes finger painting, singing, and even dancing. Worser considers his aunt's therapy sessions demeaning and embarrassing. Her unconventional style is the antithesis of everything he knows.
Picture
His relationships at school are limited to a long-standing crush on Donya, a member of his Advanced Language Arts class and Herbie, a loner and lunchroom companion by default. Worser escapes to a small bookshop where spends hours developing additions to his Masterwork. In a attempt to impress Donya, he negotiates with the bookstore owner to allow her Lit Club to use the store for their weekly meetings. He joins the group.
Things get worser and worser when (a) Donya reveals that she is not romantically attracted to him; (b) the bookstore faces a monetary crisis; (c) his mother’s prognosis is problematic; and (d) Aunt Iris will continue to live with the Orsters. Readers along with the protagonist will hope that despite all evidence to the contrary, a magical solution will save the day. That does not happen. Alas, this is life. Worser’s life. A life filled with changes and challenges he cannot avoid. ​
The narrative invites readers into the mind of this seventh grade student. It is particularly effective as the story builds to a dramatic climax. The tension is almost unbearable as events lead to inevitable disaster. Superb pacing gently leads readers back from the story’s precipice to a resolution that offers hope.
This author has an uncanny ability to reveal the pain of a young boy coming to grips with loss. She paints people with loving strokes. Supporting characters are skillfully introduced as the plot unfolds and distinctive personality traits are revealed. Readers will sympathize with each. There are no bad guys, just difficult and unfair situations.
Worser tells a story of hurt and conflict where no one is at fault. It's a tale of finding friendship, help, and understanding where you never expect to find it. I fell in love with this quirky twelve-year-old. I can’t let him go. He is the boy of my heart. ​
Picture
Bonus: Masterwork challenges that Worser sets for himself make interesting explorations for those who enjoy word play. It's like Wordle, only better.
Picture
Offer: I will bake dozens of scones and build the author a secret hideout located in a tree top if she will write a continuation of Worser’s story. I’m already missing him.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 15, 2022  Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books  ISBN:  978-0823449569
0 Comments

Aftermath

8/17/2021

2 Comments

 

AfterMath by Emily Barth Isler

Lucy loves math. She loves precise definitions and phenomena that can be explained. She loves solutions.
There is one aspect that does not fit into her world view of calculations and exact answers. Her younger brother Theo was born with a heart defect. His short life was filled with doctors and hospitals and treatments. Now he is gone, leaving behind grieving parents and his sister Lucy.
Mom and dad decide that the best way to cope with their loss is to move to a new town. They select a city that has suffered a profound loss. Four years ago, a deranged shooter entered the elementary school, killing and injuring many inside the building. 
Lucy’s anguish as she witnessed her brother's painfilled demise stretch over five years is both similar and very different from the public tragedy that instantly affected the entire community.
Picture
Isler's characters provide a variety of perspectives on the aftereffects of grief. Lucy's father withdraws, remaining in bed or behind his newspaper. Her mother visits with a therapist and busies herself with making the family home fresh and different. Lucy learns that the bedroom in her new home was the bedroom of Bet who was a shooting victim. She develops an internal storyline for Bet. By chance, Lucy connects with Avery, a classmate who appears to be a pariah. Later, Lucy discovers that Avery's brother was the shooter.
The one place where Lucy feels most comfortable is math class, a world of formulas and equations. However, there is one concept that eludes her: infinity. Lucy searches to understand this mathematical expression throughout the book.  The text is brimming with math facts, riddles and jokes which are a counterpoint to the story's heart-rending subject matter.
While this is a story of grief and loss, AfterMath is a hopeful story. Through an extracurricular mime group Lucy learns new ways to express herself, make friends, and solidify her relationship with Avery. Her family begins to heal.
A touching story that avoids becoming maudlin. The author’s narration is well suited to the voice of a tender twelve-year-old. ​Occasionally a title is precisely the perfect fit. AfterMath is a brilliant title choice.
Audio copy accessed via NetGalley.
Pub date: September 7, 2021  Publisher: Carolrhoda Books  ISBN: 978-1541599116
2 Comments

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

7/21/2020

0 Comments

 

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

It begins with dragonflies. Dragonflies flitting everywhere in a sultry Louisiana town.
Kingston James, known as King, has become fixated with dragonflies. There’s a reason for his obsession. After his older brother Khalid suddenly and tragically dies, King is convinced that his brother has morphed into a dragonfly. Whenever he sees one of these large-eyed iridescent insects he feels that Khalid is nearby.
Callender tells a compelling story of grief and the oppressive burden that death places on a family. The loss of his brother has cast a pall over King’s home. Familiar family routines have been set aside. There is now an empty place at the table. The family dynamic is fractured.
One of the few constants for King is Sandy Sanders. Sandy is the friend he can confide in, can talk with about things that really matter. The two friends share a love for anime and manga, spending spend hours sketching characters and discussing their favorite stories.
To please his brother, King has severed this treasured friendship because Sandy is gay. Khalid convinced King that he should not associate with gays.
Picture
King knows that Sandy’s home situation is painful. He is physically and emotionally abused by his father, the town sheriff. Sandy's life becomes unbearable when his father discovers that his son is gay. Sandy runs away to escape his father’s vicious attacks.
King is the friend who comes to Sandy's rescue, finding him sanctuary in an abandoned shack. Together in this secluded place, the two learn to forgive, to accept one another, and make plans to move on with their lives. Sandy is ready to leave his abusive home for good. King is not sure if he should join Sandy. Is he ready to leave his grieving parents? Will his father accept his gay son?
King felt bound to honor his brother in a way that required him to deny his identity and hurt a friend. He now wonders: Will he honor his brother if he chooses his own life path?
The choice of the dragonfly is an apt metaphor This insect with large, often many-colored wings symbolizes change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization. King experiences a change in his view of himself and his world. Like the dragonfly he is emerging, ready to embrace his identity, his family, and friends.
King and the Dragonflies is a thoughtful exploration of grief, coming out, abuse, friendship, and healing.
​Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: February 4, 2020  Publisher:  Scholastic Press  ISBN:  978-1338129335
0 Comments

Missing Persons

10/24/2019

0 Comments

 
"I was so close to feeling like I had Jun’s story nailed down. But no. That’s not how stories work, is it?
They are shifting things that reform with each new telling, transform with each new teller.”
Someone close to you goes missing. There are questions. What happened? Why? 
This is an interesting premise for a young adult novel. The search rarely involves the simple task of locating an individual. It requires dogged determination and methodical sleuthing. This pursuit brings teens face-to-face with painful realities. Not all searches are successful. Not all that was lost is found.
Three unique stories have three common elements: drugs, crime, and family. ​Join each of these protagonists as they search for a missing person and in the process, learn more about themselves.

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Picture
​Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: June 18, 2019  Publisher: Kokila ISBN: 978-0525554912
Born in the Philippines but raised in the United States, seventeen-year-old Jay learns that his Filipino cousin is dead. Stunned by the tragedy and his family’s reluctance to divulge any of the details, Jay returns to the land of his birth to ascertain what happened to his gentle, thoughtful relative.
​Tracing the life of Jun is challenging. The family is unwilling to discuss anything about him or his life. Jay suspects a cover-up and wants to learn the truth.
He is startled by what he eventually finds and realizes that surviving can be dangerous for a young man trying to make his way through a drug-infested sub-culture.
Ultimately Jay develops an appreciation for his Filipino heritage and decides to make a major life change.
​Hopeful, heart-wrenching, unforgettable storytelling.

Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork

Picture
​Audiobook accessed via Overdrive
​Pub date: October 1, 2019  Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books ISBN: 978-1338312829
Devastated by the disappearance of her friend, investigative reporter Sara Zapata discovers the astonishing number of young girls who have gone missing. Her published news articles begin to draw attention. As she searches for answers, things take a frightening turn when she discovers that key pieces of information are missing. Her family is threatened and her home is no longer a safe place. Sara learns that her brother may have jeopardized the family's future by a decision which will brings him into the influence of the drug cartel. Will she find her friend? Can she protect her family? Sara will risk all to discover the truth and remain true to herself.
Seeking asylum and crossing the border from Mexico into the United States make this book particularly relevant.

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest

Picture
​Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: April 26, 2016  Publisher: Scholastic ISBN: 978-1338032352
Best friends Libby and May invented Princess X, a comic featuring a sword-wielding warrior princess wearing a gold crown and red sneakers. One fateful night Libby's mother fell asleep while driving across a bridge. The car tumbled into the icy water with Libby and her mother trapped inside. Libby is dead. Princess X is no more.
Three years later May discovers Princess X stickers directing her to a website. She wonders: Why this sudden reappearance of Princess X? May sets off on a dangerous mission to uncover what happened that fateful night. Her quest pits her wits and her nerve against a cunning man with a deranged plan. A can't-put-it-down combination comic and prose thriller. ​​
0 Comments

Faith & Miracles

8/27/2019

0 Comments

 

The Miraculous by Jess Redman

To me, every hour of the light and dark is a miracle...unspeakably perfect miracles!
Walt Whitman
Picture
Wunder Ellis is a miracologist, a person who collects evidence of miracles. From the time he was six years old, he became aware of phenomena that could not be explained with traditional logic. He records and numbers these entries in a journal titled The Miraculous. 
Wunder's faith in miracles is destroyed when his infant sister dies. He no longer believes. He removes all evidence of miracles from his room: a Calendar of the Saints, statues of angels, books and scriptures from many different faiths, and his framed baby photo inscribed with the Willa Cather quote Where there is great love there are always miracles.
The Miraculous is a story of grief, viewed from the perspective of faith. Faith that is lost and faith that is eventually regained. Wunder and his father worship at St. Gerard's, a traditional Christian church. However, the narrative includes references to numerous faith traditions including Jesa, the Korean ceremony to honor the dead, the Hand of Fatima, and the Twin Miracle of the Buddha. His newly found friend Faye wears a black cloak and is a student of the paranormal, specializing in the study of witches and ghosts.
Wunder and Faye visit an abandoned house located near the cemetery. An old woman, who Faye suspects might be a witch, lives there. The witch sends the two on various missions, first to deliver letters to community members who have experienced a loss, then to locate a branch from a mysterious tree. As they perform these tasks, they come to understand loss, both their personal losses and the losses of others. They discover connections between people and bereavement. They see that miracles can take many forms. They begin to believe.
A New Testament verse plays an important part in the story.  Redman alters the Biblical text slightly to read.
Behold! I tell you a miracle. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.
This is a richly layered story of pain and grief. Fantastical elements blend perfectly with the heartbreaking reality of death. ​Like Wunder, readers will recall their own encounters with miracles. And like Wunder, they will be changed.
....hidden miracles, the ones that are so often forgotten, the never-ending memory of a cherished one, the hands of friends, new and old, reaching out to hold you up, the love you receive, even when that love comes from someone you cannot see or hear.

A Grief Observed

These fictional accounts of children who suffer loss are some of my personal treasures.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: July 30, 2019  Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)  ISBN: 978-0374309749
0 Comments

Blue

10/4/2018

0 Comments

 

Blue by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Picture
Sometimes it’s not simply that a picture that is worth a thousand words. Blue conveys a wealth of emotion with hues of a single color. Laura Vaccaro Seeger's signature painting style captures the essence of the relationship between a boy and his dog primarily with a variety of blues.
Ingenious cut-outs lead the reader to explore vignettes of the twosome’s shared experiences: exploring outdoors, frolicking at the beach, playing tug-of-war. From infancy, the bond between these companions remains constant through the seasons of their lives: midnight blue, silly blue, stormy blue, chilly blue. Rhymes are subtle and flow naturally, never feeling forced or contrived.
Tender moments. Poignant memories. A heart full of love.
It is impossible for me to read this book without tears.
For anyone who has loved and lost a treasured pet, this little gem offers solace and comfort. A stellar picture book that celebrates the capacity that art and color have to heal a wounded heart.
Thank you Laura for this treasure.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: September 25, 2018  Publisher: Roaring Brook Press ISBN: 978-1626720664


​For Sam, the little pup I tucked inside my coat
​and brought home one Friday night.
"Please, can we keep him?" I begged.
From that night on, you became a true companion.
I will never forget you, my dear friend.
Picture
0 Comments

Matylda with a y

3/14/2017

0 Comments

 

Matylda Bright and Tender by Holly M. McGhee

Picture
I absolutely did not want to read another book about death. Just like Wallace Wallace in Gordon Korman's Classic No More Dead Dogs, I was finished with books where an important character dies. As a result, little Matylda sat and sat and sat on my shelf. No more dead or dying characters. No more stories about death.
But then... there was that bright orange cover with the striking gecko image. Hard to ignore. Eventually I succumbed and read Matylda, Bright and Tender and I'm thankful that I did.
​Sussy and her best friend Guy are on their way to the local pet shop when a tragic accident takes Guy's life. She is left with excruciatingly painful flashbacks, an emptiness inside that can never be filled and their shared pet gecko. What makes this story of hurt and healing distinctive is the voice of young Sussy. Holly H. McGhee captures the essence of a grieving soul. Narrative carefully straddles but never crosses the line between poignant and maudlin.
This slim middle grade book lives up to its name, a tale that is both bright and tender.
Bright Spots
A gecko named Matylda "spell it with a y so it's all her own... Matylda of the Ancient Face and Starfish Toes...Matylda, the warrior with heart who'd never been beaten."  
Trapping crickets "MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN!" Guy called to the crickets in the backyard.
Feeding crickets to a gecko "I couldn't stop looking at the antenna sticking out, still moving back and forth, slowly... It's between two worlds, You know what I mean...the antenna is still in this world, but the rest of her isn't anymore...like the cricket's here and somewhere else at the same time."
Luck "Luck's another story...You just get it, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Unless there's a ladybug, of course - then it's always good."
Tender Moments
​Friendship "It was like we were backward and forward at the same time."  I'm okay with it," I said. "As long as you're with me!"
​Power of love  "Love can make anything happen...The world can be a perfect circle sometimes."
Turning back time "I wanted to do it over, and I couldn't do it over. The spokes came fast, faster, spinning spinning spinning..
Loss "The days came and floated in and out, and my blinds were open and they were closed, and I lay in my bed and I wanted to go to the boy I loved, I wanted to go to Guy, to follow the path of my friend."
Healing "You and me, Matylda with a y, we're different now."

​Prior to reading McGhee's book, I was vaguely aware of leopard geckos, but had little specific knowledge about these fascinating little reptiles and their capability to be excellent pets. Need further convincing? Check out this video.
Just look at that face. Peer into those expressive eyes. Who can resist such little charmers? Not Guy. Not Sussy. Not me.
0 Comments

Magic and Miracles

3/29/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
“Where there is great love there are always miracles...One might say that an apparition is human vision corrected by divine love..."
"Miracles... seem to me to rest not so much upon... healing power coming suddenly near us from afar but upon our perceptions being made finer, so that, for a moment, our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there around us always.”  
Willa Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop
 
I recently pulled out my worn, well-marked and beloved copy of this Willa Cather classic. 
Does magic exist? Are miracles real? 
I believe that the answer to both questions is "yes".
Stories provide readers with the opportunity to step into the very real world of wonder and enchantment.   

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

Picture





Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley weaves a spell around readers as they follow young Micah on his quest to discover the circus of his grandfather's childhood.  He hopes to lay claim to the miracle that his grandfather was promised so long ago. 

"You have to believe it to see it".
Nine qualities of miracles and magic:
1. Where there is hope, there are miracles.
"Something magical, he reminded himself. Maybe a new story. Maybe something happy."
2. Sometimes the most unexpected event can be a miracle.
"I've got a fish...Will that work?"
3. Miracles defy logic.
"There must be a logical explanation for this."
4. Miracles are not a question of size.
"Just because magic is small doesn't mean it is unimportant,"
5. The time table for magic is indeterminate.
"It means it's good for as long as it's good," he said. "And then it's not."
6. Magic requires faith.
"As if we did not already know that faith is such a fragile thing," he murmured.
7.  Magic means enjoying the moment.
"Because when you try too hard to hold on to something, you break it."
8. Memories are tied to magic. Magic is tied to memories.
"I've never seen anything like this in all my days. You've put memories into a bit of leather. Don't you see how remarkable that is?"
9. Magic is meant to be shared.
"What do you think magic is?" 
"I guess it's what's inside of people like you," he replied. "The parts of you that are too big to keep to yourself."
1 Comment

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

1/6/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jason Reynold's latest book takes readers into the world of seventeen year old Matt. To help him cope with the crushing pain of losing his mother to cancer, he begins to attend funerals of strangers.
Nine reasons to read The Boy in the Black Suit
1. Bob Marley
Listen to his Jamaican Regge Three Little Birds
2. Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Free admission in winter. Tuesday-Friday 8:00 am -4:30 pm
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
3. Chocolate chip cookies.
Matt's recipe included in the book.
4. Daisy Miller
Remember the Henry James classic? This is not that Dasiy Miller.
5. Funeral home. How many YA books include this in the setting and plot...but not in a creepy way?
6. My Girl
Soulful rendition by the Temptations
7. Polaroid cameras
Remember waving the photo to develop the image?
8. The suit
Matt totally carries off the look. See cover photo.
9. Love
It's all about love and loss and healing.



0 Comments
    Author/Illustrator Index
    Get the latest updates delivered directly to you inbox:

    powered by TinyLetter

    Category

    All
    Activity Books
    Adventure
    Africa
    Alphabet Books
    Animals
    Anthology
    Art
    Asian
    Audiobook
    Author-interview
    Author-profile
    Awards
    Bilingual
    Biography
    Black Lives
    Board Books
    Book Awards
    Book-club
    Book Stores
    Book Trailers
    Classroom Connections
    Comics
    Coming Of Age
    Cosplay
    Creativity
    Diversity
    Early Readers
    Fairy Tale
    Family
    Fantasy
    Food
    Friendship
    Girls
    Grahic Novel
    Grief
    Halloween
    Historical Fiction
    Horror
    Humor
    Immigration
    Informational-books
    Latinx
    Lgbtq
    Library-activities
    Literacy
    Magical-realism
    Maker
    Math
    Memoir
    Middle Grade
    Music
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Native American
    Nonfiction
    Own Voices
    Picture Book
    Poetry
    Prose-and-comic
    Read Aloud
    Reading
    Reading Writing Connection
    Realistic Fiction
    Romance
    Self Acceptance
    Series
    Social Issues
    Sports
    STEM
    Storytelling
    Texas Connection
    The-margin-project
    Translation
    Wordless
    Ya Lit

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Barbara Moon

    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
    2013, - present  Audies judge 
    American Library Association Book Awards and Lists 
    ​2017 YALSA Award Nominating Committee
    2016 Excellence in Nonfiction 
    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

    Professional Reader
    Picture
    Frequently Auto-Approved

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.