Welcome to my new blog, which now includes content from many of the blogs I’ve created over the years. You can now also access content via category from this one page instead of having to search for my individual blogs, which were scattered over various platforms and websites.
(Updated April 17, 2017, plus check reader comments) The quandary: You want to support someone’s new book and as much as you’d like to buy it, you can’t. Perhaps you can’t justify the cost of the new book right now. Perhaps your author friend is prolific and has multiple books . . .
FAMILIES, FAMILIES, FAMILIES! by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang is a wonderful celebration of family love, no matter what the size or type. Adorable and goofy family portraits included nontraditional as well as traditional families. Published by Random House Children’s Books this year. Suzanne produces, develops and writes for children’s television. Max codirected the film . . .
One of my favourite recent reads is THE BLACKTHORN KEY, a debut novel from Kevin Sands, coming out from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster this September. Wow. Really, REALLY loved this. When people ask me for recommendations for good, new middle grade novels, I will not hesitate to list this book. It’s a . . .
Donna Gephart is a professional nerd. She’s written five novels filled with humor and heart for Penguin Random House, including How to Survive Middle School, Death by Toilet Paper and Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen. She’s also written some compelling grocery lists and award-winning Post-it notes to her dogs. For free activity/reading guides, lots of fun . . .
Timothy Young has been an animator, puppet maker, toy designer, sculptor, art director and graphic designer. He’s designed for Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, the Muppets, Disney, and Universal Studios. Tim is the author/illustrator of 5 picture books with a sixth out this fall, Do Not Open The Box. He lives in Easton, Maryland. You . . .
#BookADay: CITY OF SAVAGES by Lee Kelly (Saga Press/Simon & Schuster, 2015). I just finished this strong debut from YA author Lee Kelly; I *loved* the focus and development of the sister relationship throughout, and the dual-narrative works really well. Add a suspenseful plot with some unexpected twists, and it’s a book that . . .
Joyce Wan designed her first greeting card when she was in first grade for a city-wide greeting card design contest. The design won first place and was subsequently sold through a major department store chain. Twenty years later that design would inspire a design studio called Wanart whose products and books . . .
#BookADay: THIS ONE SUMMER written by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books/House Of Anansi, 2014). Bought this at The Beguiling Books & Art a while back after hearing it won the Governor General’s Award for Children’s Illustration. I found that the book perfectly captured the feeling of summer in both the text and . . .
Karen Krossing wrote poetry and rants as a teen and dreamed of becoming a published writer. Today, she’s the author of seven successful novels for kids and teens, and she conducts writing workshops to empower emerging writers. Her latest is Punch Like a Girl (Orca, 2015). I met Karen through Torkidlit and CANSCAIP, and have been . . .