Required Reading

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been pretty excited about this new Minx line from DC Comics since I first heard about it. The new titles are inspired in part by the fast growth of translated Japanese comics called manga. While gory and violent themes aimed at boys are staples of manga, fantasy and [...]

From Booklist Gr. 6-9. When 14-year-old Rachel learns that Miri, her “vegetarian, socially inept little sister” and her divorced mother are witches, her reactions run the gamut from incredulity and annoyance that she isn’t similarly gifted to shrewdness as she plans how her sister’s abilities can be marshaled to solve a passel of problems. Can [...]

I admit it, I adore Meg Cabot. I like Meg Cabot way more than I probably should…she of the Princess Diaries fame is an extremely prolific and immensely readable chicklit/YA author. There’s nothing surprising or unexpected about her stories, and yet she captures my attention and imagination in a way that’s truly commendable. Her protagonists [...]

When Rand and I went to Toronto to visit Debbie, we spent some time wandering around a bookstore. I saw this book, picked it up and showed it to Debbie, and said “I really wish I’d had this idea first.” The premise is great–a cute, popular cheerleader from Beverly Hills, who just so happens to [...]

This was completely adorable…a YA romance based on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” It’s told primarily through best friends Hermia and Helena’s e-mails, instant messages and diary entries. The characters’ voices were completely distinct, realistic and believable. I almost didn’t want it to end. I’d reccommend this to anyone who likes Shakespeare, romance, or movies like [...]