middle grade animal fiction

Tag: middle grade animal fiction

April 8, 2023 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers, ill. Shawn Harris

Though you may not be the biggest fan of books populated by furry woodland creatures, read The Eyes and the Impossible and you will find a thoroughly well-written, occasionally touching, funny, strange little book that sticks both its landing and in your memory. It might even turn you around on the whole animal fiction thing.

June 14, 2019 by Betsy Bird

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

oxes? How scary can that get? Answer: Hoo-boy. Hold onto your hats folks. Turns out, what terrifies a fox can terrify a child just as easily. For some readers the fact that everyone here sports red fur will make the horrors a little better. For others, much much worse.

September 11, 2012 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat By Dave Shelton $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-385-75248-0 Ages 9 and up On shelves now First off, I like it. I think it’s important to make that note right upfront. Particularly since I’m probably going to break out terms like “bizarre”, “peculiar”, “odd”, “weird”, and “eerily strange” (or “strangely […]

Review of the Day: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

March 7, 2012 by Betsy Bird

The One and Only Ivan By Katherine Applegate Illustrated by Patricia Castelao Harper Collins $16.99 ISBN: 9780-06-199225-4 Ages 9-12 On shelves now All right, the topic is Famous Ape Books of Children’s Literature. And . . . go. Care to name any? Well there’s Curious George, of course (often mistakenly called a monkey in spite […]

Review of the Day: The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright

August 9, 2011 by Betsy Bird

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale By Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright Illustrated by Barry Moser Peachtree Press $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-56145-595-9 Ages 7-12 On shelves October 1, 2011 Animal stories. Done well and you get something like Charlotte’s Web or The Incredible Journey. Done poorly and you cannot name for me […]

Review of the Day: Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

May 9, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Diamond Willow By Helen Frost Farrar Straus Giroux $16.00 ISBN: 978-0-374-31776-8 Ages 8-14 On shelves now Poetry Friday, lovelies. Check out Writer 2b for the round-up. The sentence “I told you so!” is deeply satisfying. Granted, the satisfaction you feel when you say it only lasts a minute or two, but for a little while, […]