Reviewed by Kimberly Christensen Young adult fiction Before you start this book, make sure you have a cold glass of water handy! Dry is a multifaceted exploration of a major drought event in Southern California, set in the modern day and entirely realistic feeling. The book follows five main characters, […]
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Reviewed by Kimberly Christensen Trouble at Turtle Pond by Diana Renn Middle-grade fiction Miles Kaplan, animal lover, moves to a new town with a terrible secret: Last year, he accidentally let the class rabbit escape and it was never seen again. The fallout was bad enough that Miles and his […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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I’m surprised at the few negative reviews I’ve read of Don’t Look Up, a movie written, produced, and directed by Adam McKay. I was determined to watch the movie with an open mind, just like I do everything else, so disregarded such reviews. Also, while the movie is critiqued more […]
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Kesterson by Craig Wilson ISBN: 978-1662908286 Publisher: Gatekeeper Press Publication date: May 14, 2021 Reviewer: Mary Woodbury Craig Wilson’s novel Kesterson (Gatekeeper Press, 2021) is a refreshing story I wish we could see more of these days. Full of political intrigue and mystery, the novel provides tension between good and […]
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O Man of Clay by Eliza Mood ISBN: 978-1939269959 Publisher: Stairwell Books Publication date: December 2, 2019 Review by Mary Woodbury Ursula K. Le Guin once said that speculative fiction was more about the real world than we usually imagine, and that’s true when it comes to authors writing about […]
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Young Adult Fiction Reviewed by Kimberly Christensen High school junior Leila has bounced between group homes and foster homes for her whole life—until her recent adoption. Whenever things felt chaotic in her personal life, Leila found solace in nature. Environmentalism became her passion—so much so that she and her best […]
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Ark of the Apocalypse by Tobin Marks ISBN: 978-1-63337-237-5 Publisher: Boyle & Dalton Publication date: March 14, 2021 Review by Mary Woodbury Review Tobin Marks’ Ark of the Apocalypse is, in part, a thrilling, page-turning journey into a fictionalized history of our world, with a look-back at some of our […]
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Orleans by Sherri L. Smith Young Adult Fiction Reviewed by Kimberly Christensen Reading novels about the environment requires a certain amount of getting comfortable with potential dystopian futures. For example, it would be extremely difficult to avert a climate crisis without thinking through the logical outcomes of the current course […]
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