Alysa Stewart, one of our nominating panelists for Middle Grade Fiction this year, contributes to Everead. Simply described as "a book blog," this site brings together the words of wisdom of a couple of book lovers who enjoy talking kids' books as well as sharing news, quotes, interviews, contests, and other tidbits.
One of the reviews featured on Alysa's blog discussed Middle Grade finalist Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things, written by Lenore Look and illustrated by the incomparable LeUyen Pham. Alvin is an irrepressible second-grade boy whose hilarious adventures at school place him squarely with the likes of Ramona Quimby. Except, maybe, for one thing:
Alvin says that he has been diagnosed with "so-so performance anxiety disorder." This means that he doesn't talk when he gets scared and won't make a peep in school!
Read the full review here.