What I've Been Reading Lately: Series of Things

The Witch Must Burn, The Wizard Returns, Heart of Tin, The Straw King, Ruler of Beasts Danielle Paige

As I mentioned in my last post, I really like the Dorothy Must Die series, where Oz turns into a dystopian hellscape. The ending of the 3rd book changed everything and as I desperately wait for the 4th, I've been loving this prequel series that shows how Oz got to the point it got to. We see how terrible Dorothy is, but how Glinda is really the evil behind the throne, and who just gets swept up in everything. Also, as I was putting this together I discovered that a new installment, Order of the Wicked, comes out next week! Squee!




Princeless: Save Yourself, Princeless: Get Over Yourself, Princeless: The Pirate Princess, Princeless: Be Yourself, Princess: Raven the Pirate Princess: Captain Raven and the All-Girl Pirate Crew Jeremy Whitley, illustrated by M. Goodwin, Emily Martin, Rosy Higgins, Ted Brandt, Brett Grunig

OMG. This is one of those things where everyone said it was AH-MAZING and it was still better than all the hype and love for it. If you're unaware, Adrienne is a princess, the youngest one, and she's been locked in a tower, just like her sisters, because being rescued is the best way to find a husband? She is NOT HAPPY about this. So she befriends the dragon that guards her and they make a jailbreak and head off to find and save all of her sisters. Meanwhile, her father has set out a band of mercenaries to track down whomever kidnapped Adrienne out of her tower. (Awkward!) Along the way she assembles an awesome team. It's Rat Queens for the Lumberjanes set (perfectly suitable for Middle Grade!). The first volume of the Princess Raven spinoff series still makes me laugh. When Raven (a pirate princess rescued by Adrienne with her own scores to settle) tries to assemble a crew, she gets mansplained so hard and it is just so pitch perfect and hilarious that I couldn't breath I was laughing so hard. This quickly became a comic that I collect instead of waiting for it at the library.



Enchanted, Inc., Once Upon Stilettos, Damsel Under Stress, Don't Hex with Texas, Much Ado About Magic, No Quest for the Wicked, Kiss and Spell Shanna Swendson

So I read this entire series a few years ago and reread it this month and *happy sighs.* I reviewed most of it when I read it. But this was everything I remember and more and just the perfect fun, comfort reread that I needed. I enjoyed rereading so much that I just went it bought it so I can reread it whenever I want. (They're all really cheap on Kindle right now, so now's a good time to check them out.)


Books Provided by... my local library, although I then went and bought all the Princeless and Enchanted, Inc titles.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

What I've Been Reading

I've read some great books lately!



Fade Out: Act Three Sean Phillips and Ed Brubaker. I loved this graphic novel Hollywood Noir trilogy. A murdered starlet, a corrupt studio system, blacklisting and the lingering effects of war? YES PLEASE. Less violent than their Fatale, Criminal, or Sleeper, this one was more up my alley, while still very much being the dark and compelling storytelling that make Phillips and Brubaker a favorite team of mine, even when their stories aren't my usual cup of tea.

Trade Me Courtney Milan. This was going to be my #TBRChallenge review this month, but I didn't get my thoughts collected in time. (womp womp) Anyway, a wonderful sizzling romance between Tina Chen, a poor college student and Blake Reynolds, software billionaire heir. After a heated class discussion in which Tina claims that Blake could never live her life, they trade places. Of course, you can't truly live another person's life, so they're in constant contact, and oh! the attraction! But both have issues and Tina's not about to get in a relationship with this guy, no matter how much she likes him. Even though it's set in college, but Blake and Tina are adults being adults and it's not a plot that can be solved by just talking to each other. (While they do have their secrets, that's not what's keeping them apart, and they're things the reader understands why they're being kept secret.) Sooooo good and I CANNOT wait for the next one in the series. CANNOT WAIT.

Lumberjanes Vol. 3: A Terrible Plan Shannon Watters, Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A Allen. It's a free day at camp, so Mal and Molly are on a picnic, which is totally not a date. Nope. Not at all. Only, they end up following the bear woman through a portal and have to fight some dinosaurs. The other girls decide to get as many of their boring badges as possible, to hilarious results. I love Lumberjanes! My only complaint is that the trades are SO FAR behind the issue releases. This trade just came out this month and collects issues 9-12. Meanwhile, issue 25 just came out this week. SO FAR BEHIND. Luckily, the next trade is out in July, so hopefully they're catching up?



Rat Queens Vol. 3: Demons Kurtis J Weibe, Tamara Bonvillain, Tess Fowler. Hannah is going back to Mage University to save her father, and all of her secrets are about to come out, and it's going to get very dark as the Rat Queens might just get pulled apart because of it. WHICH IS TERRIBLE BECAUSE THIS IS GOING HIATUS! There are 2 issues scheduled to be released and then... nothing and I'm not sure how they can wrap this up in 2 issues, and OMG WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE DOING TO ME?!

Hamster Princess: Of Mice and Magic Ursula Vernon. My daughter (age 4.5) loves these books when we do a chapter or two at bedtime. I like them so much that I go back and read the chapters I miss when I'm not the one who did bedtime the night before! (I don't do that with most books!) Harriet is struggling with her abilities now that she's no longer invincible (and she really misses cliff diving) but that doesn't stop her from going on another quest. This time, it's a spin on Twelve Dancing Princesses. I don't know who's more excited for this fall's release of Ratpunzel, me or the kiddo.

Study of Seduction Sabrina Jeffries. Lady Clarissa has a giant dowry, no desire to marry, and a stalker with diplomatic immunity. Lady Clarissa is the ward of Warren (Marquess of Knightford) who asks his friend Edwin (Earl of Blakeborough) to squire Clarissa about town and protect her while Warren has to travel to Portugal on some business relating to Clarissa's brother. Edwin and Clarissa have known each other since they were children, but they're like oil and water. But... in order to stop this stalker, they fake an engagement, which then leads to them actually wedding. But can they love each other? Will the dark horrors of their past (especially Clarissa's) allow them to love anyone? Sizzling and so good! You spend half the book screaming "JUST KISS ALREADY" and the other half screaming "JUST TALK ALREADY!" (even though you totally know why they won't talk and you can't really blame them. Some things are impossible to talk about.) So good.



East of West Vol. 5: All These Secrets Jonathan Hickman, Rus Wooton, Frank Martin, Nick Dragotta. I love this series, but this volume was a bit "eh" mostly because in any long story, you need occasional bridge volumes to get you from A to B and they're necessary but not super exciting and this is a bridge volume, but it's building to something big, so I'm excited for volume 6. (Which doesn't have a release date yet. Blargh.)

A Royal Pain Megan Mulry. My friend Megan threw this in my face and told me to read it, so I did. Then she saw it on my desk and said "OMG THAT'S SO GOOD" and I had to remind her I only read it because she threw it at me and told me to! Bronte has a great career and moves to Chicago for a relationship that immediately falls apart. After rebuilding her life, she meets a lovely PhD student who's about to move back to the UK. They start a no-strings-attached fling. Only the student just happens to be heir to a Duke and he wants strings, because he's in love. Bronte doesn't want to give up everything she's built, not again, and it's one thing to dream of being a duchess, but the reality seems a little less desireable. I wanted a bit more from the ending, but I couldn't put it down, and was so excited to see when I grabbed the Amazon link while writing this that it's actually the first in a series?! And I just checked and the second on is on the shelf at the library so... I'm going to go act on that knowledge.

I'll hopefully be back next week with more of what I've been reading! I'd like to do this every week.


Book Provided by... Rat Queens and The Study of Seduction provided by my wallet. Everything else came from the local library.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

This summer, I read comics

I've been reading a lot of comics this summer, and it's the greatest.

I just finished Ms. Marvel Vol. 3: Crushed and the series continues to be fun, as was Rat Queens Volume 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'Rygoth. I love to read about girls kicking ass! (See also, Nimona) One thing I really appreciate about Rat Queens and Nimona is that it's fantasy kick-ass fun, but there's underlying basis of pain. It's not always there or the focus of the narrative, but it bubbles up to color the story in a way that's really compelling. (Plus, now I have an excuse to yell I'M A SHARK! and see who laughs--new bestie test)

Oh, and I also read Lumberjanes which I loved for it's kick-ass girls and silliness, but also its friendship and their long-suffering camp counselor. I love these girls as an ensemble and their relationships. FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX for reals.


Also in ongoing series... Fables Vol. 22: Farewell happened. The final Fairest, Fairest Vol. 5: The Clamour for Glamour comes out on Tuesday, but Fables is done. This is the series that turned me onto comics and my feelings about it ending are so bittersweet. I'm going to miss these characters and their stories and their lives and how Willingham played with meta-fiction and what happens when you put fictional characters in the real world. At the same time, the final volume was wonderful. I think it was a fitting tribute and end to the series and, in many ways, it was a farewell. It wrapped up the narrative arc nicely, left some loose ends, but not ones that will drive me batty, and let the characters say goodbye (sometimes very literally). I have been nervous lately because the last few volumes have been a bit of a blood bath, and there is some of that here, too, but... it's good. It's really, really good. My only complaint is that it's done and I very selfishly want more, more, more, more. (Also, I asked my friends at Secret Stacks what I should read to fill the Fables void, and they got Bill Willingham himself to answer and zomg.)

But also, I've been reading some new series!

I read the entirety of Y: The Last Man because Bellwether Friends did an episode about it. I am in love with Saga (which was also a Bellwether recommendation) which is also by Brian K Vaughn, so I thought I'd pick up all the Y before listening to their episode, so I'd be able to better understand. Y is the story of what happens when suddenly, all males (human and animal) drop dead. Except for Yorick and his monkey Ampersand. Science and governments want Yorick, but he just wants to get from New York to Australia where his girlfriend-maybe-fiance was when the gender-cide hit, but it also explores what happens when a gender dies. You get radical feminist movement burning sperm banks, countries that had higher gender equality do better than those who had more men in charge, and also a lot of people in deep morning. Plus little things-- it hit at rush hour so a lot of the highways are clogged with cars and what do you do with that many dead bodies? It was really interesting and good. I like the way it explored the different aspects of this new world as well as all the different theories people had for what caused it. (People have feelings about the ending. It wasn't the ending I necessarily wanted, but I think it was good for the story, if that makes sense. Fangirl Jennie was "eh" but literary critic Jennie was "oh, yes.") Also, let's talk Saga. I've read the four volumes that are out now and so good. It's about love and family and survival against the backdrop of intergalactic war! And their nanny is a ghost. (Basically, star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of this inter-galactic war have a kid and everyone wants them dead because there can't be proof that the two sides can get along and all they want to do is live and survive as a family, but always running puts strain on a relationship!) Also, let's just talk about how the romance novels are also political tracts wrapped in love story, because a romance reader, YES. There is meaning and metaphor and all the other trappings of HIGH LITERATURE in romance (and really, all genre) but it gets written off so often, but not here. That warms my heart.

I've also picked up the first four volumes of East of West. It's this story of a futuristic alternate history US where the country's fractured into several other countries and there's a religious cult and Four Horseman of the Apocalypse are reborn, except for Death, because he's left them for love and it all ties back to this religious cult and a prophesy and it's weird and not quite my usual thing, but really good at the same time.

Also for something amazing, but a little different than my usual fare, Secret Stacks also recommended I check out Pretty Deadly which is also about Death falling in love with a person. But this time it's Death's Daughter who's riding for revenge. And there's a girl in a feather cape and old man who travel from town to town to tell her story. It's hauntingly surreal and I cannot wait for more. (Please tell me there's more!)

What comics are you reading?


Books Provided by... my local library, except for Fables, which I bought.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Meg Cabot's Royalty

Royal Wedding: A Princess Diaries Novel

From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess

Wahoo! Princess Mia is back! It's a few years post-college and she's trying to juggle the antics of her grandmother and father, her charity work, and her royal commitments. Sadness though! Mr. Gianni (the math teacher her mom started dating in the first book) died a little bit before this book takes place. :(

The big press speculation is why hasn't Michael proposed yet, but hey! as you can probably guess by the title, he does! And then they have to deal with the headache of letting Grandmere anywhere near the wedding plans.

More complicating factors:

1. Her dad was arrested for driving his new race car (at race car speeds) down the highway
2. Her dad is going to lose the election for Prime Minister
3. Her dad has another child, who's been living out in Jersey that no one knew about.

Plus, Mia's usual insanity.

Honestly, if you like the Cabot, especially The Princess Diaries this is a good one to pick up. I love seeing Mia as an adult--she has really grown and matured while still being Mia and I'm excited that the new middle grade series will let us see where her life goes!

Speaking of the Middle Grade series, even if you don't read the rest of the series, I recommend reading From the Notebooks along with this book. There is MAJOR plot overlap, but it's from two different sides. I love the scenes where Mia is thinking "OMG, I've ruined this girl's life" and Olivia is thinking "OMG! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!"

Olivia's track is also going to be very different than Mia's (how/why is a major spoiler so just trust me on this one) so I'm excited for the series in general.

Books Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Port Chicago 50

I am a Cybils second round judge. I am currently reading the all the nominated books in a fun "armchair readalong" way with the first round judges. My reviews and opinions are strictly my own and do not reflect the work of the committee.

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights Steve Sheinkin

During WWII, the armed forces were still segregated. Black men who signed up were subjected to segregated mess halls (sometimes eating the cold leftovers of their white counterparts) and barracks, and given the most menial jobs. They were often treated even worse when they were off base.

In the Navy, black sailors were only allowed to be mess attendants when on a ship. They weren’t eligible for promotion. At California’s Port Chicago, they had to load ammunition onto ships. Only black sailors had to do this and they were not given any training on how to properly handle explosives. Their white commanding officers took bets on which Divisions could load the most, creating a hurried and unsafe atmosphere.

On July 17th, 1944, there was an explosion. A small one, then a big one. 320 men died (202 were black men loading ammunition.) Another 390 were injured (mostly due to flying glass when the shock wave blew out windows.) The 1200 foot pier was gone, as were the 2 battle ships being loaded. No one’s entirely sure what happened or why, because anyone who saw it was killed immediately.

On August 9th, the black sailors, some still recovering from their injuries, were told to go back to work loading ammunition. 258 (out of 328) refused, saying they would obey any order but that one. On August 11th, facing mutiny charges, 208 returned to work. The remaining 50 were charged.

The trail was a racist farce and all were found guilty, sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, followed by dishonorable discharge. In 1946 their sentences were commuted and eventually all were discharged with honorable conditions (which is better than dishonorable, but not honorable. You can get VA benefits, but not the GI Bill). In 1999, President Clinton pardoned one of the mutineers, but many did not want a pardon--they wanted their convictions overturned.

Today, all of them have passed on. All of them are still convicted of mutiny.

No one will be surprised to hear that once again Steve Sheinkin has written a riveting account of history. It is a great one for WWII or Black History projects, or anyone interested in injustice, legal dramas, or the armed forces. In true Sheinkin fashion, he pulls in many threads--American racism, the Navy and War Department’s unwillingness to challenge that status quo, the personal stories of many of the sailors involved, the story of what was actually happening, and the impact it had in larger society then and today.

One thing I found interesting--Thurgood Marshall is introduced as an NAACP lawyer, working throughout the war to help defend black armed service personnel from racist persecution and injustice. He watched the trial and foughtfor years to appeal. But, it never mentions what Marshall goes on to eventually do. (I mean, it’s not like we all grow up to be Supreme Court Justices.)

There are many photographs throughout the text (unfortunately, a few have been blown up too largely and are pixelated) and I love the trim size--even though it’s written a bit younger than younger than Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weaponor The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery, but the trim size should entice older readers to pick it up.

It’s a story that many have sadly forgotten, but Sheinkin’s powerful storytelling will hopefully tell this story to many more readers.


Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Sisters

Sisters Raina Telgemeier

Raina, her sister Amara, her brother Will, and her mother are road-tripping to Colorado (her dad has to work and will fly out and meet them there.) Of course, Raina’s siblings drive her crazy and if she didn’t have her Walkman to drown them out, she’d go insane. The story alternates between the car trip and what happened before (Raina wishing for a sister, she and her sister fighting, the arrival of her brother, life in general in their cramped 2-bedroom apartment.)

As always, I love Telgemeier’s art and storytelling. I think the frame of the road trip works well. It’s also interesting because this focuses exclusively on her family, and as such, gives a different, more complex picture than the glimpses we saw in Smile. The other thing I liked was, when Raina and Amara reached their inevitable detente, they didn’t immediately become BFF. They gained a bit of understanding, but you know their relationship still wasn’t perfect.

Hilariously, I read this one a bit out-of-order. When I got it, I flipped to the middle just to kinda flip through it and I started reading. And then I got to the end, having only read the second half of the book. Then I had to go and read it again, but this time starting at the beginning.

It’s not my favorite of Telgemeier’s (she’s going to have a hard time topping Smile in my heart) but it’s still a great read.


Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Martin Bridge: Out of Orbit

This review originally appeared in the sadly long defunct Edge of the Forest. I'm reprinting my last few reviews there so they're still available

Martin Bridge: Out of Orbit! Jessica Scott Kerrin, illustrated by Joseph Kelly

The latest volume in the adventures of Martin Bridge gives the reader another two tales about Martin, a sort of elementary-aged every-boy. In the first, Martin’s classmate Harper, is always telling outlandish lies that Martin’s friends actually believe—things like Harper is getting a jet pack bike or that his father is really a spy. Although it is not explored in the context of the story, Martin’s main annoyance with this is that Harper’s stories often steal attention away from Martin. However, we do explore why Harper tells the tales he does. In the end, Harper’s story-telling is as very useful skill to have.

In the second story, Martin gets hurt while trying to emulate his favorite superhero, Zip Rideout. This prompts much soul-searching as to why comic book heroes and TV characters never get hurt, although they are often involved in situations where injury is bound to happen. Luckily, the creator of Zip Rideout is coming to school, so Martin can ask him some very pointed questions.

Kelly’s black-and-white graphite and charcoal illustrations break up the text nicely and add to the story—especially when illustrating how Martin pogo-sticks out of his tree house.

Martin’s problems and achievements are ones that kids will easily be able to relate too. Although he learns some good life lessons, the stories do not read as didactic—they are fun and enjoyable. Sure to be a hit with boys and girls alike.

Book Provided by... Edge of the Forest, for review

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue

Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue Tom Angleberger

When we last saw our origami alliance, fighting against the FunTime(™) menace, Rabbski had promised to “look into it” but it’s been weeks and nothing has changed. But this time, someone has taken the case file and given it to Principal Rabbski. With her own origami finger puppet.

Yes, Principal Rabbski IS Princess Leia (what?!). Whoever gave the case file to Rabbski knows that she did not force FunTime(™) on the school--she’s another victim, but whoever did it also knows that the case file is the only way for Rabbski to see that the Rebel Alliance isn’t fighting this just to fighting this, but to show they they have very real concerns and they’re trying to address in the most responsible way they can.

As we saw with Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett, this is a series that continues to grow really well and is just getting consistently stronger, which I didn’t think possible, but bam! there it is. I also like how it explored the deeper issue. The kids (and I think most of target-audience readers) would see this thing as imposed by Rabbski, because she's the highest authority they see, but she answers to someone else, and it's a good lesson/reminder that when it comes to educational policy, not a lot of it is set at the school level. (Also, I LOVE the tweets from the actors in FunTime(™).)

Oh... coming out in a few weeks is Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus, the LAST book in the series.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Attack of Jabba the Puppett

Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett: An Origami Yoda Book Tom Angleberger

The Fun Time Menace has fully descended on McQuarrie Middle School. All electives have been cancelled and the kids are instead being forced to watch horrible videos (featuring rapping calculators) teach them how to do basic math they already understand.

A Rebel Alliance is needed.

There are a ton of new origami Star Wars characters introduced in this one as Tommy & Co. recruit members to their cause to get rid of FunTime. They’re smart about it--they use math to know how to throw the test to show that FunTime wasn’t effective--if X number of kids fail, then they can get rid of it for next year. They also find ways to work some of their missing electives back in.

The problem is that even though the kids are actually being rather reasonable, Principal Rabbski’s not really listening to them, and they’ll need help from some very unexpected places to get their point across.

I really like the turn the series took. It’s about a much bigger issue than just one student or one piece of maybe magical origami. It’s an entire school movement, and it tackles so many issues we face in education today-- the FunTime menace isn’t real, but it is. (*cough* AR *cough*) We put so much emphasis on test scores, that’s we’ve opened a market for people to cash in without any real benefit to the schools and students and this book really looks at this, in a hilarious manner.

I also really liked how Dwight chose each character for the different kids in the alliance. Much like he showed with the original Origami Yoda, Dwight notices things about people and knows how to nudge them in the right directions.


Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Interview with Holly Schindler

As part of her blog tour for The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, Holly Schindler is stopping by to talk to us about her book, writing, and other things!

Your previous novels have been YA-- what's the difference between writing YA and MG and why did you make the switch?

Actually, I started writing YA and MG at the same time. A bit of backstory: I got my master’s in the spring of ’01, and was encouraged to devote full-time attention to getting my writing career off the ground. I still wanted to do my part to pay my own bills, though, so I started teaching music lessons in the afternoons. And I was shocked at how familiar those kids seemed—as familiar as the kids I’d known when I was in school! They actually inspired me to try my hand at writing in the juvenile market; I dove in headfirst, trying both MG and YA at the same time. (The first books I published were YA, but I’d been writing MG all along as well.)

The main difference is that your characters have different abilities, which changes your plot to some extent. Something as simple as the ability to drive can change your book dramatically; a teen has access to a car, so they can go literally anywhere. An MG character has a bike—their “backyard” is much smaller than a teen’s. It changes the shape of the book.

Librarians are always on the look out for books with diversity--especially stories that feature characters of color that aren't about race, so it's worth mentioning that your main character Auggie and the mean girl, Victoria, are both African-American. However, this fact is very subtly coded in the text (and one reference to Auggie feeling like her skin looked like mud while Victoria's was fine imported chocolate) so readers might miss it. Can you talk a bit about diversity in middle grade lit, why you made your characters African-American, and why you wrote it the way you did?

My YAs began with concepts: in A Blue So Dark, I played with the idea of mental illness and creativity being linked; in Playing Hurt, I explored learning the difference between loving someone and being IN love. But THE JUNCTION began with a figure—Grampa Gus. I saw him as clearly as I’ve seen anyone in my life. When I first envisioned him, he was African American. But as I drafted the book, I knew I wanted a neighborhood to look every bit as diverse as the figures in Auggie’s yard. I wanted to show the different faces who were all in the same boat.

Your book deals with a lot of heavier topics--class, beauty, eminent domain, changing friendships, and missing parents, and deals with them well, but it's not a heavy book. Why were these issues important for you to discuss and what was your process for dealing with them without making the story a total bummer?

It’s funny—early critique of the book when I was attempting to shop it was that the original beginning chapters were a bummer. (I certainly didn’t think so, but I did go back and rework those opening chapters several times—even after the book was acquired—in order to make them feel lighter.) The trick is pulling the reader in early on so that they know it’ll be a delight to come to your book—not something they dread! You want to draw a reader back, make sure they will finish your book, be hungry for another read.

If you had Auggie's artistic talent what changes would you make to your house? (Personally, I'm all about colored glass in my windows!)

I’m with you on the colored glass! And the sidewalk—I’d love that, too.

If you could go back in time and talk to yourself when you were Auggie's age, what would your advice be?

Never, never, never be afraid to say what you think. Even when it goes against what everyone else is saying or doing.

What are you working on now?

My next MG—and my next YA, Feral, which releases on August 26! FERAL is my first thriller:

It’s too late for you. You’re dead.

Those words float through Claire Cain’s head as she lies broken and barely alive after a brutal beating. And the words continue to haunt her months later, in the relentless, terrifying nightmares that plague her sleep. So when her father is offered a teaching sabbatical in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out of Chicago, away from the things that remind her of what she went through, will offer a way to start anew.

But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire quickly realizes something is wrong—the town is brimming with hidden dangers and overrun by feral cats. And her fears are confirmed when a popular high school girl, Serena Sims, is suddenly found dead in the icy woods behind the school. While everyone is quick to say Serena died in an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it—for she was the one who found Serena, battered and most certainly dead, surrounded by the town’s feral cats.

Now Claire vows to learn the truth about what happened, but the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to discovering a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley. . . .

With an eerie setting and heart-stopping twists and turns, Holly Schindler weaves a gripping story that will make you question everything you think you know.

What are you currently reading?

The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing

What are you currently watching?

RAKE. THE AMERICANS. (Not really kid-friendly, eh?)

What are you currently listening to?

The SteelDrivers. Will Hoge (he’s my favorite, actually).

Thanks for stopping by Holly!


Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Junction of Sunshine and Lucky

The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky Holly Schindler

Auggie likes her neighborhood and going to the dump with her Grandpa Gus, a trash hauler. But her school has closed down, and she and her friends have to go to a different one, in a neighborhood with a lot more money. Suddenly, the fact that Auggie and her friends don't have new things is a big deal. Suddenly Auggie's best friend would rather spend time with Victoria, who sneers at Auggie and Grandpa every chance she can. Victoria's father is on the town council and he's started the House Beautification Committee and everyone has to comply. Auggie has some grand ideas to make her house beautiful, but not everyone agrees with her idea of beauty.

I haven't read any middle grade in a while--my time on Outstanding Books for the College Bound really focused my reading on teen and adult, mostly adult, titles. This was a great re-introduction to the age range. Schindler really captures a lot of Auggie's confusion and the delicate politics of a 5th-grade classroom and changing friendships. I loved Auggie's voice and the brave face she put on. There is A LOT going on under the surface of this story, and some very BIG ISSUES are touched on--class divide between Auggie's neighborhood and the rest of town, eminent domain (the House Beautification Committee will never be happy with Auggie's neighborhood for spoiler-y reasons), the fact that Auggie lives with her Grandpa while her mom is out in California becoming a star. But despite these big issues, it's not a downer book. The story is told through Auggie's voice, and a lot is about her artistic vision for making her house beautiful, making it into its own work of art.

Also, I should note, Auggie's town is very diverse and Schindler writes race with a very sublte hand. Auggie and the mean girl, Victoria, are both African-American. But race doesn't play a role in the story.


Book Provided by... the author, for inclusion in her blog tour.

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Lost in London

Lost in London Cindy Callaghan

Jordan Jacoby has a boring life in a boring town. She lives next door to her school--and her father works there. She wants to try something new, so her parents let her go on a school trip* to London, where she’ll be staying with her mother’s old sorority sister, who has a step-daughter Jordan’s age.

Only once she gets there she finds that Caroline and her friends are much richer and cooler and mature than Jordan. And Caroline really doesn’t want much to do with Jordan, especially if it means hanging out at tourist sites instead of shopping.

But then Caroline and Jordan get locked into Daphne’s overnight (think Harrods, but bigger. And cooler, as if that were possible!) The same night there’s a major break in. Now they’re being blackmailed, unless Jordan can stop it-- and win over Caroline in the process.

There are some Brit-picky things about this, but once I got over myself, this was an enjoyable middle-grade/tween caper. I appreciated that although Caroline was snotty and spoiled, she wasn’t vicious or overly poorly behaved. Her friends are nice, and each have their own personalities. I really liked Jordan. Even though she was pretty out of her depth, she kept her head for the most part, and stood up for what was right. This is one I really would have loved when I was 10.

Check back later today for an interview with Ms. Callaghan!

*It’s a school trip in that she has to do a project, but she seems to the only one going and she and her parents organize everything.


Book Provided by... the publicist, for a blog tour post

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Clementine and the Spring Trip

Clementine and the Spring Trip Sara Pennypacker

It’s Spring! It’s Spring! Margaret is happy because that means Spring Cleaning. Clementine is happy because that means field trip.

But Clementine’s field trip may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Clementine thought she’d be ok even though the 4th graders have RULES about silent eating. Margaret is in 4th grade and they’ll be partners-- Margaret knows all about silent eating and Clementine can do all the dirty stuff.

But then Olive comes. Olive doesn’t mind having a food name. Olive has her own language, but Clementine can’t figure it out, unlike the other kids. Olive doesn’t understand about silent eating and then Clementine’s required to be her partner! What will she do now?

Oh Clementine, still such a great series! I love Margaret and her excitement over spring cleaning and her horror at dirt floors (how do you sweep a dirt floor to keep it clean? It’s dirt!)

I also really like that Clementine’s mom is still pregnant and she and her dad are still working on the table--it really shows the long-range time of these projects.

I also really liked her reaction to Olive-- Clementine’s really taken aback that Olive doesn’t mind having a food name the same way she does. And when Olive’s secret language takes off and Clementine can’t manage it-- hoo boy. Clementine gets jealous. It’s a really well-done plot line.

All in all, I still love this series and can’t wait for the next installments!


Book Provided by... my local library

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Nonfiction Monday: Little White Duck

Little White Duck: A Childhood in China Na Liu, illustrated by Andres Vera Martinez

So, I may have been a little over-excited about this one. There aren't a lot of books about post-Mao, pre-Tiananmen China. Let alone for kids. Let alone in comic book form. Na Liu was a small child when Mao died and everything changed. In a series of short stories, she shows glimpses of her childhood, comparing it with how her parents grew up during the Great Leap Forward and Great Famine. In one memorable story, she accompanies her father to his country home and sees how privileged her life really is. This will be enlightening to American readers, as Na Liu's life isn't easy compared to modern American standards-- I don't know of any America schools where kids are assigned the duty of killing rats, and have to bring in the tails as proof.

That said, I wanted more. I wanted more context and more history for these stories. I don't think that will turn off of confuse the intended audience-- if nothing else more context might overwhelm the younger readers this is aimed at. There's enough her to understand what's happening, and I think it's great for children. But, as an adult reader, I did want something more than a few childhood vignettes--especially because this is a time period SO unexplored across all age-ranges, formats, and genres. It's a great book for kids, but it left me a little underwhelmed.

Today's Nonfiction Monday is over at Abby (the) Librarian.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Popularity Papers: Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang

The Popularity Papers: The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang Amy Ignatow

Lydia and Julie are back! This time, Lydia convinces Julie that they need to start a rock band. Julie makes Lydia sign a contract saying that this is not one of Lydia’s popularity schemes. First, they have to learn how to play some instruments (hilarity ensues) Roland’s in the band. Jane manages to worm her way in, too (drama ensues) and then… they have to play some shows. Even though they’re not that good. In fact, they’re horrible (more hilarity ensues.)

Things I loved about this book: Jane and Chuck break up, and Chuck’s like “Hey Lydia” and Lydia doesn’t fall for it. She’s pretty firm in that she doesn’t want to be friends with him after what happened in the last book and how he just ditched her for Jane. Lydia knows she’s worth more than that, and she’s not taking any less.

Also, their lyrics are hysterically awful.

AND OMG MELODY! Lydia’s older sister has always been an odd voice of reason, coming from an angry goth girl. At the end of the last book, we are told that something MAJOR happened and we finally get to see it. I love the new Melody. I like the glimpses we get of who she is based on what *hasn’t* changed.

Things I love about this series that haven’t changed: Lydia and Julie are still awesome. I love the full color comic/word novel hybrid. I love their friends, especially Roland and Jen.

But most of all, I love Julie’s dads. They’re so perfectly wonderful parents while being horribly embarrassing at the same time.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.