
May 20, 2022 by Betsy Bird
The Last Mapmaker offers readers proof positive that you can write succinctly, sacrificing nothing, while showing your readers absolutely everything.
May 13, 2022 by Betsy Bird
A book about sexual abuse by trusted family members. Or, put another way, a messy, complicated, unique, necessary creation for those who will need it most.
May 6, 2022 by Betsy Bird
With care, grace, and not a little cleverness, Zoboi doesn’t just introduce Butler to kids in the book Star Child. She makes it very clear from the get go that young Octavia was one of us. A supremely relatable person with a drive and output that far outstripped her times.
ADVERTISEMENT
April 26, 2022 by Betsy Bird
An accounting of a family and a tight knit community dealing with the repercussions of a hate crime, this book expertly navigates between taking into account the seriousness of the content while also punctuating it periodically with joy, laughter, and light.
April 15, 2022 by Betsy Bird
I don’t do it very often, but sometimes, when the right one comes along, I’ll even review board books. Today I have discovered the wonder and beauty of Laura Gehl and Gareth Lucas’s Odd Birds.
April 8, 2022 by Betsy Bird
Beware the mobs. Beware joining them. Beware and aware of what they’re capable of, and don’t disregard them either. But beware your worst instincts most of all.
ADVERTISEMENT
April 1, 2022 by Betsy Bird
What happens when a book takes tall tales and liar’s tales and then ties all of that into some of the finer examples of trash talk and blacktop exaggeration? The Legend of Gravity by Charly Palmer is that link.
March 21, 2022 by Betsy Bird
The Lock-Eater is a marvelous example of how you may render old ideas new, if only you’ve the ability to combine smart, timely writing with the current zeitgeist. Our kids are lucky they get to tap into books like this. Let’s hope for more of the same.
March 11, 2022 by Betsy Bird
“Maybe because blue has such a complicated history of pain, wealth, invention, and recovery, it’s become a symbol of possibility, as vast and deep as the bluest sea, and as wide open and high as the bluest sky.” I consider a truly gorgeous bit of picture book history in the magnificently written and illustrated BLUE.
March 4, 2022 by Betsy Bird
An ideal book for a grandparent to read to their own offspring’s offspring. Especially if that kid can’t stand it when grown-ups get facts wrong. Here’s one fact that isn’t wrong: This book is delightful. A win of an import.
Teen Librarian Toolbox
by Amanda MacGregor
Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.