Jane Litte's Blog, page 122

REVIEW: Halfway to Harmony by Barbara O’Connor

Walter Tipple is looking for adventure. He keeps having a dream that his big brother, Tank, appears before him and says, “Let’s you and me go see my world, little man.” But Tank went to the army and never came home, and Walter doesn’t know how to see the world without him.

Then he meets Posey, the brash new girl from next door, and an eccentric man named Banjo, who’s off on a bodacious adventure of his own. What follows is a summer of taking chances, becoming braver, and making friends?and may...

REVIEW: The Smallest Man by Frances Quinn

‘I want you to remember something, Nat. You’re small on the outside. But inside you’re as big as everyone else. You show people that and you won’t go far wrong in life.’

A compelling story perfect for fans of The Doll Factory, The Illumination of Ursula Flight and The Familiars.

My name is Nat Davy. Perhaps you’ve heard of me? There was a time when people up and down the land knew my name, though they only ever knew half the story.

The year of 1625, it was, when a single shilling changed my li...

REVIEW: Domesticating Dragons by Dan Koboldt

Noah Parker, a newly minted Ph.D., is thrilled to land a dream job at Reptilian Corp., the hottest tech company in the American Southwest. He’s eager to put his genetic engineering expertise to use designing new lines of Reptilian’s feature product: living, breathing dragons.

Although highly specialized dragons have been used for industrial purposes for years, Reptilian is desperate to crack the general retail market. By creating a dragon that can be the perfect family pet, Reptilian hopes to ...

What Sirius has been reading

Common Goal (Game Changers #4) by Rachel Reid  

New York Admirals goalie Eric never thought his friends-with-benefits arrangement with much-younger Kyle would leave them both wanting more…

Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.

Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken ...

REVIEW: The Sea in Winter by Christine Day

In this evocative and heartwarming novel for readers who loved The Thing About Jellyfish, the author of I Can Make This Promise tells the story of a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again.

It’s been a hard year for Maisie Cannon, ever since she hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions.

Her blended family is loving and supportive, but Maisie knows that they just can’t understand how hopeless she feels. With everything she’s dealing with, Maisie is...

REVIEW: Unplugged by Gordon Korman

From New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a hilarious middle grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp—where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos. Perfect for fans of Korman’s The Unteachables and Masterminds series, as well as Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries.

As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, spoiled Jett Baranov has always gotten what he wanted. So when his father’s private jet drops him in the middl...

REVIEW: Joint Custody by Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Jackie Logsted

A mischievous dog takes matters into his own paws when his beloved owners split up in this offbeat romantic comedy.

The Man has custody Monday through Friday, The Woman has custody on the weekends. But that’s not enough for Gatz, who will do anything to bring them back together—even if it kills him. And it almost did. Of course he knows chocolate is bad for him, especially two whole pounds of it, but it’s the risk he’s willing to take to get them back together.

Gatz knows that The Man and Th...

On Susanna Kearsley: gleanings and the value of them

Earlier this year, I read The Deadly Hours – well 2 of the stories in it anyway – which featured Weapon of Choice by Susanna Kearsley. The POV character is Hugh, who was the male lead in A Desperate Fortune. Hugh and Mary are most prominently featured but there are 2 other couples who appear to one degree or another as well – Anna and Edmund from The Firebird and Daniel and Eva from The Rose Garden (reviewed here by Sunita).

The story itself is a self-contained little mystery (all the novellas i...

REVIEW: Do Not Let Your Dragon Spread Germs by Julie Gassman, illustrated by Andy Elkerton

Your dragon loves to hug and high-five and shake hands and sing and blow bubbles and share happiness everywhere she goes. Dragons want to spread joy to everyone! But some of those actions are also spreading germs. It’s time to wash your hands, mask up, and teach your dragon how to share joy in a safe and healthy way.

Review

Should you happen to have gotten a dragon for a holiday gift, you want to keep it, yourself, and others safe. Here’s a guide on what you need to do in this age of Covid.

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REVIEW: A Year of Everyday Wonders by Cheryl B. Klein, illustrated by Qin Leng

From first haircut to first ice-cream cone, each year brings a new cycle of experiences

With each new year come countless little wonders. From the highs—first snowfall, first new

umbrella, first beach trip—to the lows—first missed bus, first lost umbrella, first sunburn—

every year older means another cycle of everyday experiences.

In their clever, playful, observant picture book, acclaimed author Cheryl B. Klein and illustrator Qin Leng explore many truths of childhood through a calendar year...