Author Archives: Kasey

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

Review: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Avi
Scholastic, Inc.
Published October 27, 2015 (Orig. 1990)

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About The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is excited to return home from her school in England to her family in Rhode Island in the summer of 1832. But when the two families she was supposed to travel with mysteriously cancel their trips, Charlotte finds herself the lone passenger on a long sea voyage with a cruel captain and a mutinous crew. Worse yet, soon after stepping aboard the ship, she becomes enmeshed in a conflict … Continue reading →

Belated Spring 2025 Backlist Reading Check-in and Life Update

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Spring 2025 Backlist Reading grid

A Very Belated Spring 2025 Backlist Reading Check-in and Life Update

Yet again, life got in the way of my best blogging intentions. I meant to post this spring 2025 backlist reading update early in June, but some health issues got in the way. I was finally sitting down today (late July) to do some catching up, and discovered this unfinished draft. Yikes!

I read a lot of audiobooks last spring, which was lovely. A lot of them were shorter books because my attention span just wasn’t great. But you’ll see some pretty noteworthy titles on the list, including Monster by Walter Dean Myers, Nothing But the Truth by Avi, and Last Night at the … Continue reading →

Review: White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History by Ann Bausum

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White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History by Ann Bausum

White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History
Ann Bausum
Roaring Brook Press
Published August 12, 2025

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About White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History

This powerful and unflinching examination of racism in America by award-winning historian Ann Bausum deconstructs the warped history of the Civil War for teen readers, perfect for fans of STAMPED, JUST MERCY, and ACCOUNTABLE.

Warning: This is not your average U.S. history book.

After the Civil War, the Confederates may have laid … Continue reading →

Review: Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin

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Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin

Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire
Don Martin
Page Street Press
Published August 5, 2025

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About Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire

Witch apprentice Verity Vox has never encountered a problem magic can’t solve. So when a cryptic note invites her to Foxfire, she goes.

With her apprenticeship limiting her services to a year, Foxfire will be her biggest challenge yet. The town has already lost its only bridge, and many loved ones have disappeared in dealings with a shady magic peddler named Earl—leaving the whole town wary of magic.

Even as Verity wins the … Continue reading →

MMGM Review: The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz

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The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz

The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe
Uri Shulevitz
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published August 12, 2025

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About The Sky Was My Blanket

From celebrated Caldecott Award–winning illustrator Uri Shulevitz comes the gripping and revealing true story of a young Polish exile fighting to survive in war-torn Europe.

Born in the tumult of World War I, a young Jewish boy named Yehiel Szulewicz chafes at the borders of his hometown of Żyrardów, Poland, and at the rules set in place by his restrictive parents. Brimming with a desire for true adventure, he leaves home … Continue reading →

Review: Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B. B. Alston

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Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B. B. Alston

Amari and the Despicable Wonders (Supernatural Investigations #3)
B. B. Alston
Balzer + Bray
Published August 27, 2024

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About Amari and the Despicable Wonders

The highly anticipated third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations series that began with Amari and the Night Brothers!

Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Nevermoor.

War has come to the supernatural world, and Amari’s two worst enemies are leading the charge.

Elaine Harlowe has manipulated her way into becoming prime minister, using her mind control ability to … Continue reading →