Review: The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher

Today’s review of Middle Grade Fiction nominee The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, by Dana Levy comes from Middle Grade second round judge, Alex. An avid reader and a teacher, Alex has enjoyed reading since the age of four. Of the Fletchers, she writes: Everyone I know who has read Dana Levy’s The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher agrees that the …

Review: Viva Frida

A first-round Elementary/Middle Grade Non-fiction panelist, librarian and parent, Ellen, still manages to find time to blog at On the Shelf 4 Kids. She recently read nominee Elementary/Middle Grade nonfiction nominee Viva Frida, by Yuyi Morales. She writes: I like the way the visuals flow through Frida’s boisterous life and into a dreamlike state.  Much like the wounded deer she often …

Review: Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle

New first round Middle Grade fiction panelist, Brenda, who blogs at Log Cabin Library. A speech pathologist by profession, she says has a weakness for middle grade fiction with pretty covers and fairy-tale retellings. She reviewed the Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative fiction nominee Gabriel Finely and the Raven’s Riddle by George Hagen, saying: Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle is also about being …

Review: Colors of the Wind

Today’s review comes from Elementary/Middle Grade Non-Fiction round one panelist Reshama, at Stacking Books. I have to admit I featured this 1) because I met Reshama at KidlitCon last week and she’s delightful and 2) I met the author of this book at KidlitCon last week and she’s delightful as well. Of Colors of the Wind, Reshama writes: This is …

Young Adult Non-fiction – Category Description

Young Adult Nonfiction is not known for being the most glamorous category, perhaps others might say that is fiction. The books in this category do take our readers on journeys and with these journeys; we have the added benefit with knowing they are true. We do not have to ask readers to suspend belief because we know that when we …

Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction – Category Description

Inventive, wild, and wonderful–great speculative fiction for kids just keeps on coming! Along with the obvious wizards and aliens, this category includes books with talking animals, time-travel, ghosts, and paranormal abilities, and all the other books that might not have obvious magic or travel to distant planets, but which push past the boundaries of daily life into the realm of …