Finley goes into his senior year in high school knowing three things: he loves his girlfriend Erin, he plans to have a stellar year as point guard of his basketball team, and then, somehow, he will get out of the rough Philadelphia neighborhood that has worn down his father and grandfather. But when his basketball [...]

I always love to read author Christina Hamlett’s insightful reviews. Today she is stopping by  with her thoughts of the book Starters by Lissa Price. Title: Starters Author: Lissa Price Genre: YA Publisher: Delacorte Books (2012) Despite this dystopian novel’s underlying political message that wealth is synonymous with evil and that the old guard can [...]

Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, or May B., has been hired to help at a neighbor’s farm. On the Kansas prairie that means the neighbor is 15 miles away and May will be there from August until Christmas. She doesn’t want to go, she’d rather stay in school, but her family needs the money her work will [...]

Before the Beatles became the sensation they are known as today, they were playing in dingy bars in Germany, trying to get by on cheap food and free places to stay. The people they met there, including photographer Astrid Kirchherr, would become significant influences on their look and their work. Baby’s in Black: Astrid Kirchherr, [...]

Donna Gephart, who previously penned the funny and thoughtful books as if being 12-3/4 isn’t bad enough my mother is running for president! and How to Survive Middle School, has another great book for middle-grade readers aged 9 to 12 coming out next week. It’s called Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen, and here’s my review. Ever [...]

Brother, I’m Dying is Edwidge Danticat’s memoir of growing up in Haiti and the U.S. In Haiti, most of her years were spent with her aunt and uncle, who felt more like the mother and father she barely remembered until they came back from New York to get her and her brother, Bob. Once in [...]

In southern California on the eve of World War II, Maddie and Lane go against each of their family’s wishes and marry. Although Maddie is white and Lane is a Nisei, an American born to parents who emigrated from Japan, they are sure their love for each other will help them overcome the obstacles. Pearl [...]

In a previous review, I talked about The Writer’s Workout by Christina Katz. Christina has been my writing coach over the years, and her new book is chock full of 366 tips to help anyone who writes for any reason. Why 366? Because 2012 is a leap year, so it’s a tip for every day. [...]