Review: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani cover shows a black swan on the left, white swan on the right above a school crest of blue and white. In the lower foreground, a girl with short black hair faces left and a girl with white blonde hair looks at the camera.

The School for Good and Evil (School for Good and Evil #1)
Soman Chainani
HarperCollins
Published on May 4, 2013

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Each year the schoolmaster collects two children from Sophie’s village. She longs to be chosen to attend the School for Good and grow up to be a fairy tale princess. Her best friend Agatha, hopes only to be left alone. … Continue reading

Top Ten Authors I’ve Read Most

toptentuesdayTop Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s topic is about which authors I’ve read most. I’m breaking my top authors into two categories: books I read as a child and books I read as an adult/reviewer. Obviously authors with big series that I followed have a huge advantage here, but there were a few that surprised me.

Top Authors I Read as a Child

babysittersclub1. Ann M Martin.

Okay, you guessed it. I was a total baby-sitter’s-clubber. I must have read over thirty of those books in my tween years. Mary Anne was my favorite, but Stacey and … Continue reading

Upcoming Reviews: August 2015

escape-from-sudanEscape From Sudan by Amanda DiCianni: I’ve been looking forward to reviewing this book for some time. I think novels like this can be a great tool to introduce kids to world events.

scar-girlScar Girl by Len Vlahos: After the intense ride of book one, it was pretty much a given that I’d want to read and review the sequel to The Scar Boys. I’m eager to find out what has happened to the boys since the end of their last adventure, and I’m curious about the format of the book. I’ve heard the story is related through an interview format, which sounds different and fun.

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Thoughts on Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Some Notes on What Happens in Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Jean Louise returns to her home in a small southern town to visit her ailing, aged father and his protege, Henry, also her beau. During her visit she discovers that the man she’s admired and trusted all her life as the most fair and just man has somehow shifted into someone with whom she deeply disagrees. Her once peaceful town has become a place where races are deeply divided, and where respect for one another has evaporated. The change throws her into despair and agony, and she fights to be understood and to understand what has happened.

So the story goes something like this: Once upon a time, Harper Lee wrote a … Continue reading

Review: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth WeinRose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Disney Hyperion

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Eighteen year old Rose Justice volunteers as a civilian pilot in England during World War II. She works alongside Maddie and other young female pilots transporting planes and personnel to assist military forces. When an enemy aircraft draws Rose off course during one of her transport flights, Rose finds herself captured in enemy territory. Her troubles have only begun. Soon after German forces arrest her, she is sent to Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp. Rose faces brutal treatment at the hands of her captors. Her love for poetry and bonds with other prisoners challenge her to survive.

Readers of Wein’s novel Code Name Verity will … Continue reading

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin TerrillAll Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Disney Hyperion

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The walls of her tiny prison cell and the soothing voice of the boy in the cell next to hers make up Em’s world. She waits, dreading the moment the doctor will come again, because she knows he’ll use whatever means necessary to force her to reveal the location of coveted documents. When Em finds a message hidden in the cell’s drain, she knows following the instructions are the only way she can be free. She must find a way to kill the doctor and prevent the creation of the time machine that will destroy the world as she knows it.

As Marina prepares to … Continue reading