Now, a tale about a ship’s captain wouldn’t be complete without a treasure map, but this is a modern-day story, so there’s no rolled up canvas with a big red X written in blood. But there is a map. And …
Continue ReadingThe next time you hear folks complaining that kids aren’t reading enough, point them to a new study by the Association of American Publishers. A new monthly industry snapshot report produced by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) confirms what …
Continue ReadingIf you’re thinking to yourself that you’ve seen something already on the book Cloak by James Gough on GeekDad, you’re not wrong. An earlier interview and synopsis of the book from fellow contributor John Booth back in December caught my …
Continue ReadingSome say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. But everyone seems to agree that after the end of the world we’ll end up living in some sort of totalitarian regime that controls our thoughts, whether by …
Continue ReadingLegend by first-time novelist Marie Lu treads ground that has been covered by many other YA books in recent years. A young but gifted underclass teen nicknamed Day goes underground to try to save his family and his community from …
Continue ReadingWhat would your teenage self think of your adult life now? I know that’s a question many of us have pondered. I’ve often seen messages “to my younger self”: what people would tell their high school-age selves if they could …
Continue ReadingI recently took a brief reading break from one of my favorite genres, steampunk. But given the recent release of a number of steampunk-related books, I just couldn’t stay away. I’ll be writing up reviews on a few of them …
Continue ReadingI’m very excited to show you the cover for my new young adult book. My Steampunk dark fairytale, INNOCENT DARKNESS, book 1 of THE AETHER CHRONICLES, debuts August 8, 2012 from Flux. For more information or to enter my cover reveal contest please check out the details on my blog.
Continue ReadingHello. My name is Patricia and I’m the mother of a 9-year-old reluctant reader. “Hi Patricia!” I have to say…I don’t have the most happy-motherly thoughts about having a son who doesn’t enjoy reading the way I did when I …
Continue ReadingHello. Â My name is Patricia and I’m the mother of a 9-year-old reluctant reader. “Hi Patricia!” I have to say…I don’t have the most happy-motherly thoughts about having a son who doesn’t enjoy reading the way I did when I was younger. Â In fact, last week I had received a note from my oldest son’s […]
Continue ReadingI recently had the pleasure to interview long time author and scholar, Alan Lawrence Sitomer. His newest book, The Downside of Being Up, hit the shelves September 15th, and is an enlightening look at puberty for boys. It is one …
Continue ReadingConsult Ruth Suehle’s delightful chart, and then read on for the rest of her article over at GeekMom!
Continue ReadingI had every reason in the world not to read Harry Potter. I just wasn’t going to do it. Oh, people told me I ought to. “You like hobbits! You like magic! You like elves!” But I didn’t see the point. I had my beloved books. And by the time the craze was really hitting, […]
Continue ReadingSomething that jumped out at me at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con was the abundance of panels that focused on comics and graphic novels for teens–so many YA-centered panels I wasn’t able to attend them all. But I did make it to two of them: Comics for Teens and the art-focused Teen Comics Workshop I […]
Continue ReadingRecently, an article on dark themes in young adult books in the Wall Street Journal rocked the YA community–and not in a good way. Rebuttals are popping up everywhere on blogs run by YA authors, book bloggers, and YA readers (teens and adults alike). The hashtag #yasaves was trending worldwide on twitter over the weekend. […]
Continue ReadingI have two young boys… no girls. But I’d like to imagine that if I did have a girl that she might grow up with the confidence and curiosity demonstrated in the character of Ruby Skye, Private Investigator. Ruby Skye, …
Continue ReadingChildren’s inner lives may not seem all that complicated. But they are, even if kids may not fully be fully aware of the complexities they’re dealing with until they’re much older. That’s one reason it’s hard for them to talk …
Continue ReadingI’ve been a fan of John Scalzi’s blog, Whatever, for a while now. In fact, I’d been reading and enjoying posts there for quite some time before it hit me like a slap to the head: I hadn’t actually read …
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I’ve been a fan of John Scalzi’s blog, Whatever, for a while now. In fact, I’d been reading and enjoying posts there for quite some time before it hit me like a slap to the head: I hadn’t actually read any of the man’s books. What in the world was wrong with me? I set […]
Continue ReadingThe Golden Kite Awards are given each year to the most outstanding children’s books published during the previous year, and written or illustrated by members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. The following blurbs are from the SCBWI Press Release. Jennifer Holm’s novel Turtle in Paradise receives this year’s Golden Kite […]
Continue ReadingHarry Potter Week is coming to a close over at GeekMom, but that doesn’t mean we’re short on posts. As we prepare for the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the posts are just heading up. First …
Continue ReadingAh, the age-old question: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? Wait, age-old? Until I ran across this poster at Comic-Con this summer I confess I hadn’t ever given it a thought—but I immediately knew I needed this book. …
Continue ReadingMy friend Paul Jessup is a speculative fiction author who also happens to be quite the geek. Aside from pondering tales about talking swords and sentient space-ships, he loves tabletop RPGs, adores Supernatural, and draws inspiration from his own kids… …
Continue ReadingMy boys, 14 and 17, belong to a book club whose tastes run heavily towards science fiction. You could almost call it a mother-son book club, since at least one mom (the facilitator, who studied at RPI) and often one …
Continue ReadingThere’s disagreement in the Ceceri household over Candor. The GeekTeen, who is always happy to test-drive YA novels that are sent for review, was ultimately unimpressed. I found it an engaging read that raises some interesting issues. The difference, I …
Continue ReadingThe paradox of book reviews is that it’s hard to know whether you’d be interested in a book unless you know something about it first; but quite often a review tells you more than you’d want to know so you …
Continue ReadingAs the summer months approach, I find myself dreaming about reading by the ocean or under the branches of a big (preferably not Whomping or Old-Man) willow. And while I don’t usually have trouble finding books I like for my …
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