Children's and Teen Book Reviews

“It should be said: Kevin Henkes is a genius,” wrote Bruce Handy in 2007 at the New York Times. I feel a bit like Handy in writing about Penny and Her Song, Henkes’ upcoming book, to be released by Greenwillow Books at the end of February. read more

Counting sheep takes on comical new meaning in Matthew Cordell’s over-the-top thematic twist on the arrival of not one but a dozen new siblings to young Davy’s family of sheep, qualifying this author/illustrator’s latest title, Another Brother, as a candidate for understatement of the year. read more

It’s not often you see picture books for young children which address depression. Sure, there are probably many informative nonfiction titles on the subject, but I specifically mean fictional titles that approach the subject in a metaphorical way. read more

In The Amazing Adventures of John Smith, Jr., aka Houdini, when the protagonist decides to write a book, it's not to gain insight on his character or bring a sense of logic to his life. It's to make money. read more