Posted in Book Reviews, Middle Grade Book Reviews

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig

By Chris Kurtz.

At my last library visit, I found a gem of a book that was the one I thought I’d like least of all. The library only had one of the six books I was searching for so I had to browse for good stories instead. I picked up this book because it was small and I liked the illustrations. I read a few pages from the middle and decided I liked the tone. I read the book flap and thought, “This will be a typical cute story. Maybe boring but good for research.” (I write middle grade so I like to read middle grade) I was surprisingly incorrect. Continue reading “The Adventures of a South Pole Pig”

Posted in Book Reviews, Picture Book Reviews

Julián Is a Mermaid

by Jessica Love.

Julián is a Mermaid is, for me, a book about why I love picture books. It’s a book about the innocence and imagination of children. It’s a book about love. Julián sees something beautiful on his way home and feels the urge, the need, to be as beautiful and magical. I’d say more but in case one of the 4 people who read this post actually want to read this book one day, I wouldn’t want to give anything away. I promise you it’s gorgeous on so many levels. Continue reading “Julián Is a Mermaid”

Posted in Book Nerd Stuff, Book Reviews, Middle Grade Book Reviews

Out of The Bug Jar

Someone once asked me “What are three books that influenced you the most?” And I had an immediate answer. He wasn’t expecting, however, for them to all be children’s books. Perhaps I wasn’t either, but there you have it. When we were children my parents brought us to the library on a very regular basis. I took a long time to venture out of picture books (which I still love) and didn’t always have the attention to stick with a book until the end. As my mother tells it, there was one book I renewed over and over again reading more times than she could count. That book was Out of the Bug Jar by Kathleen Thomas. This is the first of my three most influential books. (I will post about the others separately) Continue reading “Out of The Bug Jar”