Review: Limitless Roads Café by Samantha Picaro

Limitless Roads Cafe by Samantha Picaro cover shows a girl in glasses, a white top and jeans holding a clipboard in one hand and her cell phone in the other. Behind her is a line drawing of the outside of a cafe with a potted plant, an awning, and a small table with chairs.

Limitless Roads Café
Samantha Picaro
Published May 15, 2023

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About Limitless Roads Café

Kinsey Fontana relies on lists to navigate the world as an autistic teen. #Goals list: win her dream event planning internship (she knows it’s an ironic dream); master the art of masking; and gain Mom’s approval. Instead, she works at a café hiring teens with disabilities. Although she loves … Continue reading

Review: Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen

Worldwide Crush Kristin Nilsen cover shows a girl sitting on the back of a leather couch looking up. Behind her is a giant poster of a boy with a guitar.

Worldwide Crush
Kristin Nilson
SparkPress
Published July 11, 2023

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About Worldwide Crush

Rory Calhoun is a teen popstar with perfect teeth and messy hair who’s inspiring first crushes all over the globe. Millie Jackson is just one of the millions of fans who love him—but that doesn’t mean her heart doesn’t break for him every single day in this laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story.

How many of Rory’s fans collect “data” about him in a special notebook hidden in their underwear drawer? Or … Continue reading

Review: A Warning About Swans by R. M. Romero

A Warning About Swans by R. M. Romero

A Warning About Swans
R. M. Romero
Peachtree Teen
Published

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About A Warning About Swans

Swan Lake meets The Last Unicorn by way of the Brothers Grimm in a dreamy, original fairytale in verse which transports readers to the Bavarian Alps.

Bavaria. 1880. Hilde was dreamed into existence by the god Odin, and along with her five sisters, granted cloaks that transform them into swans. Each sister’s cloak is imbued with a unique gift, but Hilde rejects her gift which connects her to the souls of dying creatures and forces her to shepherd them into the afterlife—the “Other Wood.”

While guiding the soul of a … Continue reading

Review: Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert

Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert

Shadow of the Bird (Lightfall #2)
Tim Probert
HarperAlley
Published April 26, 2022

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About Lightfall: Shadow of the Bird

In the second installment of the Lightfall series, Bea and Cad continue their quest to stop Kest, the mythic bird who stole the sun.

After a battle that nearly cost them their lives, Bea and Cad awaken in the hidden settlement of the Arsai, mysterious creatures who can glimpse into the future. The Arsai’s vision paints a dire picture for their planet, as the bird Kest Ke Belenus–now awoken from a restless slumber–threatens to destroy all the Lights of Irpa. … Continue reading

Author Q&A with Maybe There Are Witches Author Jude Atwood

Author Q&A with Jude Atwood

I recently learned about a middle grade book called MAYBE THERE ARE WITCHES. In the book, a girl learns an ancestor of hers was hanged for being a witch. She finds her great-great-great-grandmother’s diary in the basement. Bad things start happening around her, things predicted in the diary. I’m generally a fan of intergenerational stories, so I’m super intrigued by this setup. When I learned author Jude Atwood was available to answer some questions about the book, I couldn’t resist hosting a Q&A. Here’s what I learned.

I find that a story was often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write MAYBE THERE ARE WITCHES?

I think a lot of writing decisions are … Continue reading

Review: Maybe There Are Witches by Jude Atwood

Maybe There Are Witches by Jude Atwood cover shows three people approaching a crooked house surrounded by mist.

Maybe There Are Witches
Jude Atwood
Fitzroy Books
Published June 13, 2023

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About Maybe There Are Witches

“I can’t think of a better fate for young readers.” -Steven T. Seagle, co-creator of Ben 10Big Hero 6, and Camp Midnight.

After moving to the tiny village of Biskopskulla, middle school student Clara Hutchins discovers that her family has a history in the region: one hundred forty years ago, one of her ancestors was hanged as a witch from the white oak tree on the edge of town. When Clara finds a mildewed diary in the basement, … Continue reading