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MORE 'MIDDLE-GRADE-REALISTIC-FICTION' POSTS

    Review of the Day: Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya

    Betsy Bird, October 11, 2018 | Best Books, Best Books of 2018, Reviews, Reviews 2018

    Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish By Pablo Cartaya Viking (an imprint of Penguin Random House) $16.99 ISBN: 9781101997260 Ages 9-12 On shelves now The other day a woman contacted me and wondered if I could offer any picture book/middle grade/ YA suggestions for a list of various topics. The list consisted of things like “OCD”, […]

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    Review of the Day: Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

    Betsy Bird, July 13, 2018 | Best Books, Best Books of 2018, Reviews, Reviews 2018

    Harbor Me By Jacqueline Woodson Nancy Paulsen Books (an imprint of Penguin) $17.99 ISBN: 978-0-399-25252-5 Ages 9-12 On shelves August 28th A good book, whether it’s written for a nine-year-old, a nineteen-year-old, or a ninety-year-old can tilt your perspective, if only momentarily. Consider the concept of the “happy ending” and what it’s supposed to resemble. […]

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    Review of the Day: The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

    Betsy Bird, May 9, 2018 | Best Books, Best Books of 2018, Reviews, Reviews 2018

    The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl By Stacy McAnulty Random House Books for Young Readers $16.99 ISBN: 9781524767570 Ages 9-12 On shelves now The world would have us believe that the left brained and right brained amongst us can never see eye-to-eye. Think about it. How many times have you heard a perfectly intelligent person say […]

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    Review of the Day: The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

    Betsy Bird, April 19, 2018 | Best Books, Best Books of 2018, Reviews, Reviews 2018

    The Parker Inheritance By Varian Johnson Arthur A. Levine Books (an imprint of Scholastic) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-545-94617-9 Ages 9-12 On shelves now. The other day I was asked to come up with ten children’s book equivalents to Claudia Rankine’s book Citizen (which, should anybody ask you, is not for kids). To do this, I wanted […]

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    Review of the Day: The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez

    Betsy Bird, September 14, 2017 | Best Books, Best Books of 2017, Reviews, Reviews 2017

    The First Rule of Punk By Celia C. Perez Viking (an imprint of Penguin Random House) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-425-29040-8 Ages 9-12 On shelves now They don’t warn you in library school. They’ll tell you about all the cool children’s books you’ll get to read. They’ll stress how you’ll be able to make a difference in […]

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    Review of the Day: Patina by Jason Reynolds

    Betsy Bird, August 11, 2017 | Best Books, Best Books of 2017, Reviews, Reviews 2017

    Patina By Jason Reynolds Atheneum, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Books $16.99 ISBN: 978-1481450188 Ages 9-12 On shelves August 29th You cannot be a children’s librarian or an adult children’s book reviewer if you do not constantly remind yourself that you have to read outside your comfort zone on a regular basis. Our current […]

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    Review of the Day: The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish

    Betsy Bird, May 29, 2017 | Best Books, Best Books of 2017, Reviews, Reviews 2017

    The Ethan I Was Before By Ali Standish Harper (an imprint of Harper Collins) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-06-243340-4 Ages 9-12 On shelves now Southern Gothic children’s literature. Sounds crazy, no? But as weird as it might sound it’s a legitimate genre. You may think it’s all Flannery and Faulkner but kids have a delightful range to […]

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    Review of the Day: Ghost by Jason Reynolds

    Betsy Bird, August 11, 2016 | Best Books, Best Books of 2016, Reviews, Reviews 2016

    Ghost By Jason Reynolds Atheneum (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4814-5015-7 Ages 9-12 On shelves August 30th This is a generalization, but in my experience librarians really enjoy reading within their comfort zones. They’ll travel outside of them from time to time but always they return to the books that they like […]

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    Review of the Day: Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

    Betsy Bird, April 14, 2016 | Best Books, Best Books of 2016, Reviews, Reviews 2016

    Raymie Nightingale By Kate DiCamillo Candlewick Press $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8117-3 Ages 9-12 On shelves now My relationship to Kate DiCamillo’s books is one built entirely on meaning. Which is to say, the less emotional and meaningful they are, the better I like ‘em. Spaghetti loving horses and girls that live in tree houses? Right up […]

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    Review of the Day: Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

    Betsy Bird, July 8, 2014 | Best Books, Best Books of 2014, Reviews, Reviews 2014

    Absolutely Almost By Lisa Graff Philomel (an imprint of Penguin) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-399-16405-7 Ages 9-12 On shelves now. In the stage musical of Matilda, lyricist Tim Minchin begins the show with the following lines about the state of children today: “Specialness is de rigueur. / Above average is average. Go fig-ueur! / Is it some […]

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