THE LOST CELT written by A.E. Conran, Gosling Press, 2016, is a treasure of an adventure story with heart, perfect for a middle-grade reader who also loves video games. “The best kind of children’s adventure story …. Not to be missed.” Katherine Applegate, Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal THE LOST CELT is a page-turner… Read more »
March 2016
Paper Wishes
Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban It is quiet and peaceful walking along the shore with Grandfather and Yujiin, Manami’s beloved dog. But the quiet won’t last. Things are normal. Grandfather tells stories Manami knows well. They walk on the beach. Yujin cocks his head, perches beside them, licks their hands. Things are not normal. Each day new ships arrive. Warships. Soldiers are… Read more »
Villainous villains and other dark thoughts
With a name like Dylan Snivels, who wouldn’t be a villain? A super-villain, at that. Seems baby Dylan comes from a long line of villains, but in Dylan the Villain, written and illustrated by K. G. Campbell (Viking 2016), it’s Dylan’s fight to remain on top in the villainous world of kindergarten that we care… Read more »
The Dead Bird
If that isn’t a perfect title for a children’s picture book, I don’t know what is. What child can resist reading a picture book called THE DEAD BIRD? In this case, it’s a reissue of the classic written by Margaret Wise Brown published in 1938, and recently re-illustrated by Christian Robinson, (Harper, an imprint of… Read more »
All things GREEN
Here are some of my favorite books about nature and all things GREEN! When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Julie Morstad (Neal Porter Books, 2016) Julie Fogliano is one of my favorite picture book authors. Her newest, just out this month, is a collection of poems that capture seasonal moments… Read more »
Robin Yardi on The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez
It’s a pleasure to welcome Robin back to ReaderKidZ! DIANNE: Hey, Robin! You’ve had quite a year. Your first picture book, They Just Know: Animal Instincts (Arbordale, 2015) came out last September, and now, we get to celebrate the publication of your first middle grade novel, The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez. Congratulations! In… Read more »
The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez
The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez by Robin Yardi (Carolrhoda Books, 2016) is the story of Mateo, a boy who thinks of himself as a knight with magical powers, his new best friend, Ashwin, and a couple of … shall we say… interesting skunks. Mateo swears that the skunks not only stole his beloved, old trike, but… Read more »
