Come with me and delve into the deep, dark woods of William Ritter‘s magical middle grade fantasy, The Oddmire, Book I: Changeling. (Available next week, on July 16, 2019) Magic is fading from the Wild Wood. To renew it, goblins must perform an ancient ritual involving the rarest of their kind—a newborn changeling. But when … More REVIEW: The Oddmire by William Ritter
This week, Storythreads dives into Kiersi Burkhart‘s YA fantasy, Castle of Lies, in which magic, machinations, and queer romance abound. (Released May 7, 2019) Thelia isn’t in line to inherit the crown, but she’s been raised to take power however she can. She’s been friends with Princess Corene her whole life, and she’s scheming to marry Bayled, … More REVIEW: Castle of Lies by Kiersi Burkhart
This week, Storythreads takes to the stars with a review of Joshua S. Levy‘s funny, fast-paced middle grade sci-fi adventure, Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy. PSS 118 is just your typical school—except that it’s a rickety old spaceship orbiting Jupiter. When the school is mysteriously attacked, thirteen-year-old Jack receives a cryptic message from his father … More REVIEW: Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy by Joshua S. Levy
I rejoin Caitlin from the Words in Living Color podcast blog to chat about The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe–in its book form and as adapted for the screen by the BBC in the 80’s and Walden Media in 2005. Have a listen HERE!
Today, it’s my pleasure to shine a light on Harper and the Fire Star, a charming middle grade fantasy and the fourth book in Cerrie Burnell’s Harper series. Harper lives in a city of cloud, rides a scarlet umbrella through the skies, and makes music with her pet cat Midnight. Her life bursts with enchantment and … More REVIEW: Harper and the Fire Star by Cerrie Burnell
Today on Storythreads, the worlds of Indian mythology and space opera collide in Sangu Mandanna’s YA novel, A Spark of White Fire, the first novel in The Celestial Trilogy. In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous … More REVIEW: A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
Twelve-year-old Molly Pepper and her mother Cassandra Pepper have inventions that could change the world! Except the World’s Fair won’t let them in because they’re women. But when a crazed inventor with a robot army and a mind-melting Death Machine tries to take New York City hostage, only Molly and her mom can save the … More A Dastardly Plot by Christopher Healy (Guest Review for The Book Wars)
In the most recent issue of The YAK magazine, I interviewed Middle Grade and Young Adult authors from the BC Lower Mainland about the importance of messy rough drafts! With wisdom from Nafiza Azad, Rachel Hartman, Tanya Lloyd Kyi, and Stacey Matson, we delve into the importance of revision and trusting the re-writing process. Check … More The YAK Speaks: Messy Rough Drafts
I rejoin Caitlin from the Bookology blog for her inaugural Words in Living Color podcast, wherein we nerd out over Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass–delving into the book, film, and upcoming BBC/HBO TV adaptation. Have a listen HERE!
Happy Hallow-week! With leaves falling, fireworks flaring, and pumpkins grinning, I’m very excited to welcome booktuber Emily of Page Turns to talk about the horror genre in the world of children’s literature! Tell me about your booktube channel, Page Turns? What’s it all about? My channel is all about scary children’s books! I talk about books … More Horror for Kids – with booktuber Emily of Page Turns
