Last week I got to talk to one of my favourite people, Ann Foster, about middle grade fiction. When not working at the Saskatoon Public Library recco-ing kids and teen books, she is writing about fashion in TV over at You Know You Love Fashion (currently chronicling the enviable wardrobe of Phryne Fisher) and spearheading a… Continue reading Middle Grade Gift Suggestions 2016
Category: Graphic Novel
Middle Grade Monday: Ghosts
Cat is not at all excited to be moving to foggy, seaside Bahia de la Luna, particularly when she learns that it is a sort of capital for ghosts. But doctors have agreed that it is a better place for her sister Maya, who has Cystic Fibrosis. Cat is torn between wanting to make new… Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Ghosts
Middle Grade Monday: Fall 2016 Preview
This has already been a staggeringly good year for middle grade (don't call it a comeback), with personal favourites such as Raymie Nightingale, The Wild Robot, Look Out for the Fitzgerald Trouts, and Pax garnering all sorts of buzz and attention. Here is a sampling of the new kids on the block this fall: Ghosts … Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Fall 2016 Preview
Middle Grade Monday: Summer Reading Picks 2016
Whether you're lakeside, poolside, or inside, summer is the best time to read. Silly, spooky, thought-provoking and engrossing; here are some new(ish) books guaranteed to keep you or the middle grade reader in your life occupied this summer. Wolf Hollow We all have those keystone books in our lives, the ones so deeply affecting that… Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Summer Reading Picks 2016
Middle Grade Monday: Harriet the Invincible
If you don't already know Ursula Vernon, you will soon. This author-illustrator is on the verge of making it big. The creator of the very funny Dragonbreath series as well as a few equally hilarious middle grade novels, Vernon's new series Hamster Princess casts my new favourite rodent in a proposed series of fractured fairytales.… Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Harriet the Invincible
Middle Grade Monday: Sunny Side Up
With that bright blue cover, bouncy font and beach-y theme, Sunny Side Up looks like a typical summer read. But looks can be deceiving. Sunny Side Up is a moving story about coming to terms with difficult secrets disguised as a typical summer read. So-called 'typical' elements include a summer spent away from home, steamy days spent… Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Sunny Side Up
The Art of Noticing: Sidewalk Flowers Review
As a kid I used to pick Dandelions, purple clover and Queen Anne's Lace and bring them home to be put in a vase and displayed on the kitchen table. I did not understand the difference between a weed and a flower. It's all a matter of perspective; one person's weed is another person's flower.… Continue reading The Art of Noticing: Sidewalk Flowers Review
Skate Like a Girl: Roller Girl Review
There is a surge in middle grade graphic novels featuring female protagonists that I am totally into. Some of these books are memoirs ( Smile, Sisters, and El Deafo) and others are fiction (Drama, Chiggers, or This One Summer). Fiction or non-fiction, they are all fabulous, and now there is a new kid on the block… Continue reading Skate Like a Girl: Roller Girl Review
What To Read This Summer- YA Edition
The May long weekend has come and gone, my patio furniture is out, it seems that summer is finally, FINALLY just around the corner! Here are some great YA reads for those summer days, starry nights (*cough* shameless plug)*: We Were Liars I have been a big fan of E. Lockhart for many, many years.… Continue reading What To Read This Summer- YA Edition
Girl Crushing on Raina Telgemeier: DRAMA Review
I have a mad girl crush on Raina Telgemeier*. Her work is fresh, funny, sweet, and relevant. She is a master of her craft and has created a name for herself middle grade graphic novels for girls that feel just as rich, resonant, and fun as traditional novels. I gushed on and on about her… Continue reading Girl Crushing on Raina Telgemeier: DRAMA Review
Vikki VanSickle 