Publications about books for children and young adults
Every Day by David Levithan Middle School, High School Knopf 325 pp. 8/12 978-0-307-93188-7 $16.99 Library ed. 978-0-375-97111-2 $19.99 e-book ed. 978-0-307-97563-8 $10.99 “A,” the narrator of Levithan’s brilliantly conceived novel, wakes up in a different sixteen-year-old’s body every morning and has to adjust to different physical characteristics, a different family, a different school, different [...]
We saw Flight last weekend, and the first two hours were completely riveting both for–SPOILER–the minute-by-minute, you-are-there depiction of a plane flight in increasingly worse trouble; and for Denzel Washington’s portrayal of a bad-boy pilot who enjoys a drink or three. Upon takeoff. But–SPOILERRR–the last twenty minutes encompassed no fewer than three endings as the [...]
Horn Book reviewer Susan Dove Lempke writes about being a proud defender of spoilers who met her Kryptonite in Code Name Verity. I recently listened to the fabulous audio edition of the book, and, despite, knowing how everything would turn out, found myself so taken in by the voice that I kept hoping the book [...]
Personally, I find the ARC cover more to my liking (and truer to the story), and the final art makes the book look like it’s about an angel who moonlights as a stripper. But then, I’m not a fourteen-year-old girl.
I’ve been a steadfast follower of blogger Tavi Gevinson and her fashion/feminist escapades for years now, so perhaps I am a biased reader, but I absolutely loved Rookie Yearbook One (Drawn & Quarterly, September 2012), a massive compilation of all of Rookie Mag‘s brightest moments. Rookie Magazine, an online magazine aimed at teenage girls, was [...]
Pursuant to an article coming up next year in the Magazine, we were having an old discussion today: how do teen readers feel about downer endings? Conventional professional wisdom has long been that teens themselves and open-minded adults applaud (where appropriate) an “uncompromising” conclusion to a book, and only conservative, rigid adults who don’t like [...]
Veteran YA novelist Caroline B. Cooney is providing the keynote address for School Library Journal‘s upcoming virtual conference, SummerTeen: A Celebration of YA Books, and I thought this would be a good time to ask her about her electronic life–via email, of course. Roger Sutton: Your latest novel The Lost Songs (Delacorte) relies on [...]
The YA book boom seems to be continuing with no sign of abating, and I continue to be in awe of the Horn Book editors and reviewers who patiently (okay, maybe not always patiently — see this one trend Katie and Elissa spotted) go through them to tell you about the best. Here is some [...]
Startlingly similar blurbs on the ARCs of these upcoming YA titles grabbed my attention. on Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury, August 2012): “perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin and Suzanne Collins” on Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (Penguin/Razorbill, December 2012): “ideal for fans of George R.R. Martin and Kristin Cashore” As [...]
Hi, my name is Martha, and I’m an audiobook addict. I first became hooked early in the new millennium when serving on ALSC’s Notable Children’s Recordings committee (chaired by the inimitable Mary Burkey). Now, audiobooks are a daily presence in my life. I listen to new ones on my commute to work, and some favorites [...]
