Teens read books. They know what they like about books as well as what they dislike. When I was teaching, I loved to share good books and talk about a good read with my students. It was fun to be able to pass along a good book recommendation as well as receive a tip about [ Read the full article… ]
Author: Carla Sarratt
Middle Grade Book Review: Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It
Author Sundee T. Frazier’s debut novel Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything In It is the tale of a bi-racial boy in search of answers. Brendan is a 10 year old scientist who has questions about everything in his universe. Thanks to his science teacher Mr. Harrison, Brendan has learned the scientific method and seeks to [ Read the full article… ]
YA Book Review: Sunrise Over Fallujah
Last weekend I participated in Mother Reader’s 48 Hour Reading Challenge. Participants get 48 hours to read and review books of at least a fifth grade reading level. This was right up my alley and I was able to read so many great books by familiar and unfamiliar authors. African American author Walter Dean Myers’ [ Read the full article… ]
Faith in Fiction
Christian fiction is not a new phenomenon. I grew up reading Catherine Marshall and Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series in the 80s. In the 90s, the Left Behind series gained widespread notoriety on the literary scene. Within African American Christian fiction, there are several well known authors including Jacquelin Thomas, Kendra Norman Bellamy, Michelle [ Read the full article… ]
What’s New in YA Releases?
The release of new books is an exciting day for book lovers all over especially when it’s a book by an author that you love. With the news that the number of books by African American authors was down in 2007 compared to 2008, it is with pleasure that I present to you a list [ Read the full article… ]
Books Across America
In the fifth grade, I vaguely remember coming home one Sunday afternoon from church and seeing people standing at the intersection of Northfield Rd. and Miles Ave. in Cleveland, Ohio holding hands. That human chain was known as Hands Across America which was an event created to fight hunger and homelessness. In elementary school, we [ Read the full article… ]
28 & Beyond: The Divine Series
Known for her Christian fiction titles written for adults, it was a delight last year to encounter Jacquelin Thomas’ debut YA title Simply Divine which is the first title in a series of books about fifteen year old Divine Matthews-Hardison. After turmoil erupts with her parents, she is forced to go live with a family [ Read the full article… ]
It’s No Mystery: The 2008 Edgar Awards
It’s still the season to recognize authors, books, and darn good writing. Named after Edgar Allan Poe, the Edgar Awards are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America to honor the best mystery writing in fiction, non-fiction, and film. Nominated for Best Young Adult is Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin who was [ Read the full article… ]