About Kasey

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

Monthly Wrap-Up: July 2017

July 2017 Monthly Wrap-UpThe summertime always flies by, but July 2017 seemed like an especially busy month. My girl participated in a local theater production of The Lion King, which was loads of fun, and our fantastic new contributor, Gabrielle, posted her first review, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber.

In other big news, a new little reader will be joining my family this winter. Yep. In about five more months, my girl, who has been a solo kid her whole life, will become a big sister. We’re all excited and busy busy with the changes it will bring to our family.

Unfortunately, that means slowing down my blogging a little bit. If you’ve been … Continue reading

Review: We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian ConaghanWe Come Apart
Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published June 13, 2017

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About We Come Apart
Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess’s home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship grows into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and hopeful futures. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?

For fans of Una LaMarche’s Like No Other, this illuminating story told in dual points of view through vibrant verse … Continue reading

Review: The Song from Somewhere Else by A. F. Harrold

The Song from Somewhere Else by A. F. HarroldThe Song from Somewhere Else
A. F. Harrold
Illustrated by Levi Pinfold
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published July 4, 2017

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About The Song from Somewhere Else
Frank thought her summer couldn’t get any worse–until big, weird, smelly Nick Underbridge rescues her from a bully, and she winds up at his house.

Frank quickly realizes there’s more to Nick than meets the eye. When she’s at his house, she hears the strangest, most beautiful music, music which leads her to a mysterious, hidden door. Beyond the door are amazing creatures that she never even dreamed could be real. For the first time … Continue reading

Review: What Goes Up by Katie Kennedy

What Goes Up by Katie KennedyWhat Goes Up
Katie Kennedy
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published July 18, 2017

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About What Goes Up
Rosa and Eddie are among hundreds of teens applying to NASA’s mysterious Multi-World Agency. After rounds of crazy-competitive testing they are appointed to Team 3, along with an alternate, just in case Eddie screws up (as everyone expects he will). What they don’t expect is that aliens will arrive from another dimension, and look just like us. And no one could even imagine that Team 3 would be the only hope of saving our world from their Earth-destroying plans. The teens steal the spacecraft (it would … Continue reading

Review: The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy

The Disappearances by Emily Bain MurphyThe Disappearances
Emily Bain Murphy
HMH Books for Young Readers
Published July 4, 2017

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About The Disappearances
Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home–and the place where Juliet grew up.

Sterling is a place with mysteries of its own. A place where the experiences that weave life together–scents of flowers and food, reflections from mirrors and lakes, even the ability to dream–vanish every seven years.

No one knows what caused these … Continue reading

Review: Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

Ash and Quill by Rachel CaineAsh and Quill (The Great Library #3)
Rachel Caine
Berkley
Available July 11, 2017

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About Ash and Quill
Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny….

Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.

Their time is … Continue reading