by Carolyn | Boys, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Recommendations
You may have noticed the nod to Pinocchio in the title of The Real Boy. But Anne Ursu’s book isn’t a retelling. She takes elements and themes from the story of that wooden boy and weaves them into a fantastic tapestry that speaks to very real issues. The...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Classics, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Read Alouds
I was enchanted by this lovely fairy tale. Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin is a retelling of the story of Snow White and Rose Red. (Which, apparently, isn’t at all the same story as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves). The Story Snow and Rose grow up in a...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School
I wrote this review a while back, but this year’s Newbery awards reminded me that I never posted this review of last year’s winner, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. The Story The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill is the story of Luna,...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Fantasy, Highschool, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Young Adult
I almost didn’t read Beyonders by Brandon Mull. After I had read several recommendations for his book Fablehaven and found I didn’t care for it, I hadn’t planned to pick up another book by the same author. However, one of my readers encouraged me to...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Bible, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Read Alouds, Recommendations
The Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers is a delightful middle-grade fantasy series. It’s based loosely on the life of King David from his shepherd days to his coronation. I had previously read the first book, The Bark of the Bog Owl, and recommended it on the...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Scary Stories
Do you get super excited when one of your favorite authors comes out with a new book? Me too! (I’m assuming you said yes, right?) I loved Cassie Beasly’s debut middle-grade novel, Circus Mirandus, so when her new novel, Tumble & Blue, arrived in the...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Parenting
Orphan Island is a beautiful, poignant story for kids on the verge of leaving childhood. My older two kids are about the same age my brother and I were when we started sharing book recommendations back and forth (which we still do to this day). So it’s no...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Book Lists, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Picture Books, Poetry, Read Alouds, Recommendations
I don’t know how it started, but there has been a surplus of funny picture books with dragons published in the last few years. And when I say funny, I mean hilarious. I literally can’t read some of these without laughing out loud. If you have a child who...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Scary Stories
Sometimes, when you have been anticipating a new book in a series, it won’t measure up. Well, I’m happy to say that’s not the case with The Door Before. It was stunning. The Door Before surprised me in multiple ways. First of all, it’s not just...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Cultural Diversity, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi is one of the most fascinatingly beautiful books I have read in recent memory. I finished it (the audiobook version) in less than a day. The Story In a fantastical land where color and magic are intimately connected, Alice is born...
