Back to the Indie Corner series Arlene Mark’s The Year Without a Summer (August 2022, SparkPress) is a heartwarming and relevant novel for middle-grade and YA readers. It’s certain to provoke thoughtfulness and discussion about the climate and empathy for those around us. For two eighth-graders, disasters erupt—natural, man-made, and […]
Read MoreFeatures
Review of Michael Rothenberg’s In Memory of a Banyan Tree
Review by Mary Woodbury In Memory of a Banyan Tree by Michael Rothenberg (Lost Horse Press, 2022) American poet Michael Rothenberg’s newest collection of poems travels backward and forward on an important journey, encompassing poems written between 1985-2022. The reason I say forward is that nowadays writers speculate more than […]
Read MoreSynopsis of Men, by Mary Woodbury
The following article contains spoilers. Alex Garland’s Men is a fascinating folk horror classic that, while exalting the English countryside’s nature and beauty, also gazes sternly at patriarchy and religion. The cast is incredible. Jessie Buckley’s range of emotions and Rory Kinnear’s many faces enhance the weird and wonderful […]
Read MoreSpotlight – Katie Welch
Click here to return to the series About the Book This month, I’m happy to re-introduce Katie Welch to Dragonfly; we’ve talked in the past about her book The Bears. Katie and I met some time ago, when I lived on Canada’s west coast. She eventually headed to Vancouver to […]
Read MoreTurn the Tide, Elaine Dimopoulos
Turn the Tide Middle Grade Fiction by Elaine Dimopoulos Reviewed by Kimberly Christensen When twelve-year-old Mimi Laskaris moves to Wilford Island, Florida, she immediately falls in love with the beautiful shoreline and its creatures. Then she discovers “ghost bags”—single-use plastic bags that have been left to litter the beaches. Mimi […]
Read MoreSpotlight – Jewell Parker Rhodes
Click here to return to the series About the Book This month we travel to California, a beautiful state to which many dreamers have traveled. It’s also an area where wildfires have increased each year. According to NASA: Eight of the state’s ten largest fires on record—and twelve of the […]
Read MoreIndie Corner – Aleksandar Nedeljkovic
Back to the Indie Corner series I’m happy to reboot our Indie Corner this month with a spotlight on Aleksandar Nedeljkovic and his novel ALT (Atmosphere Press, 2022). ALT offers a glimpse into a perilous near-future version of our world—one we feared would come for us but desperately tried to […]
Read MoreWind, Ellen Dee Davidson
Wind Book Review Reviewed by Mary Woodbury Book information Author: Ellen Dee Davidson Publication date: February 1, 2022 Wind, by Ellen Dee Davidson, is a wonderful novel for children and adults alike. Starting with an adventurous and colorful book cover and getting right into the main character Katie’s whimsical daydreaming […]
Read MoreA Wolf Called Wander
A Wolf Called Wander Middle Grade Fiction By Roseanne Parry Reviewed by Kimberly Christensen Wolf pup Swift, one of five pups born to his mother in the same spring, wonders what pack role he will grow into. His bigger brother, Sharp, is more dominant and already has his eyes on […]
Read MoreStrange Fire, Joel Burcat – Book Review
Strange Fire Book Review Reviewed by Mary Woodbury Book information Author: Joel Burcat Publisher: Headline Books Publication date: February 2, 2022 Who better to write an ecologically based legal thriller than environmental lawyer Joel Burcat? As with his newest book Strange Fire, two of his previous novels, Drink to Every […]
Read MoreIndie Corner – Todd Mitchell
Back to the Indie Corner series Rebooted for the Indie Corner, I was so happy to read Todd Mitchell’s fantastic children’s book–for ages nine and up–The Last Panther (Penguin Random House, 2019). Todd and I talked about his endearing novel, set in future Florida. About The Last Panther When eleven-year-old […]
Read MoreHow to Bury Your Dog, Eva Silverfine
Title: How to Bury Your Dog Author: © Eva Silverfine Type: Fiction Novel Publisher/Ordering: Black Rose Writing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble Publication Date: December 2, 2021 Author Links: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Bookbub Reviews and Interviews: Kirkus Reviews, Midwest Book Review, Mixcloud, Karen E. Osborne Back to the Dragonfly […]
Read MoreSpotlight – Erica Ferencik
Click here to return to the series About the Book This month we travel to the Arctic—Greenland, specifically—with author Erica Ferencik, via her novel Girl in Ice (March 1, 2022, Scout Press/S&S). I’m absolutely floored after chatting with Erica about her firsthand experiences when writing. Valerie “Val” Chesterfield is a […]
Read MoreParadise on Fire, Jewell Parker Rhodes
Paradise on Fire (Middle Grade Fiction) Reviewed by Kimberly Christensen Flying cross-country for the first time, fifteen-year-old Addy leaves the Bronx to attend a wilderness camp with five other Black, inner-city kids. Although she’s never experienced life in a rural setting before, Addy takes to it quickly, rising early to […]
Read MoreIndie Corner – Barbara Newman
Back to the Indie Corner series This month’s Indie Corner explores Barbara Newman’s The Dreamcatcher Codes. Barbara Newman always wanted to be a cowgirl. Growing up in New York didn’t stop her. She took that can-do spirit and became an award-winning global creative director, leaving an indelible mark on brand culture. […]
Read More