Author Archives: Mrs.N

Does My Head Look Big in This?

Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah Author bio: Australian Muslim of Palestinian and Egyptian heritage. On Rukhsana Khan’s booklist & recommended by Na’ima B. Robert in her piece for the Guardian.  Kaye M has mixed feelings … Continue reading

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Remembering D-Day, Reading about the War – 4 Great YA Books!

My grandfather was on the USS Tuscaloosa, a heavy cruiser stationed off Utah beach on June 6, 1944.  By this time, roughly 7 am, they’d already been using heavy guns for over an hour.  The nearby destroyer, USS Corrie was … Continue reading

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Scarlett Undercover

Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham Recommended by Kaye M.  Here’s a cool inside look at Jennifer Latham’s relationship with her character. Scarlett has just her sister Reem now that her parents are dead. Reem is hard at work as a … Continue reading

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Wanting Mor

Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan Author bio: Born in Pakistan and raised in Canada. Rukhsana Khan was nice enough to put together a Teacher Guide if you are interested in using this in the classroom. It is possible for a … Continue reading

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In the Search for Diversity, Finding Religion

Islam is the second largest religion in the world and yet so far, in the five years I have been blogging, I have only reviewed two books featuring Muslim characters.  One of these is actually just a single story in … Continue reading

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Starry River of the Sky

Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin This is a companion to Lin’s lovely book,  When the Mountain Meets the Moon. A young boy runs away from home with no destination, only the wish to be far away from … Continue reading

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Princess in Black

The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale One of the latest and most adorable entries in the world of beginning chapter books comes from Shannon Hale (and her husband/sometimes writing partner). Princess Magnolia is sweet and beautiful and … Continue reading

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Saint Anything

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen Sydney’s brother Peyton has always been the center of attention: first because of his daring and charisma, later because of his trouble with the law.  When things get bad for Peyton, Sydney all but disappears … Continue reading

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The Slippery Map

The Slippery Map by N.E. Bode (took me a while to get that) Gah.  Unlike the charming letter Suzanne Selfors used to begin Smells Like Treasure, N.E. Bode’s letter feels adult and dry.  Evidently our author is dealing with a … Continue reading

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Bone Gap

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby I came to Bone Gap with no expectations.  This is fairly unusual for me, seeing as I usually pick books that fit a specific theme.  So I was immediately taken with a sense of foreboding … Continue reading

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