Snow White In New York by Fiona French

What if Snow White was not a princess but a jazz singer, and instead of living in a castle in the forest she made her home in Manhattan during the 1920s? Such is the premise of Fiona French’s wickedly original take on this classic fairy tale. Snow White is a young girl living in New York City during the...

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

Growing up, like every other kid on my block, I spent months looking forward to summer. Not just because it meant I was done with homework or because I could stay up as late as I wanted reading. No, I loved summer because that’s when my relatives came to visit. I come from a rather large extended family...

The Frog Prince, Continued by Jon Scieska

I love fairy tales, and while some people may argue the original versions are always the best, I have always appreciated when an author takes something classic and spins it into something new. Sometimes these new adaptations are so brilliant I get jealous that I didn’t think of it first! Such is the case...

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

A horoscope book once told me that I am a bit like a detective. While I don’t really buy into astrology in general, in this one particular instance the writer was spot-on. I have always loved mystery books and solving puzzles, so it’s no surprise that I absolutely adore Ellen Raskin’s book, “The...

Daphne’s Book by Mary Downing Hahn

Even though it’s been nearly 20 years since I picked it up for the first time, Mary Downing Hahn’s “Daphne’s Book” still remains an absolute favorite of mine. Like the main character, Jessica, I was a writer and reader, constantly imagining up stories and characters. I also had to sit by and watch...

La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Review

La Oruga Muy Hambrienta, or The very hungry caterpillar is one of the best books ever written for children and adults. Written by Eric Carle the book is about a caterpillar and his never quite satisfied hunger for new and interesting things. ...