Hot stuff
Robin McKinley’s Dragonhaven is set in Smokehill National Park somewhere out west, where the major draw is a population of Draco australiensis — Let’s stop there. I love this novel about a national park with dragons, which is also a meditation on parenting, communication, and memory. The premise alone was enough to sell me on … Continue reading
Preparing for Potter
I’ve never read Harry Potter. Working in a bookstore with loads of diehard Potter fans, my usual excuse often fell short. I tried telling people that I was simply too old when the books came out. The first book was published in the fall of 1998 in the U.S. and I was in eighth grade. … Continue reading
How do you solve a problem like Siobhan?
Superheroes are for boys! With these four words, my five year-old niece Siobhan cut right through my chest and pulled out my heart. She was so adamant when she said it, you’d think it had been on the news or something. Admittedly, five year-olds tend to be adamant about everything, from why the purple crayon … Continue reading
Eva Ibbotson on love and war
Eva Ibbotson’s characters are haunted by the war. Which war? It depends on which romantic historical novel we’re talking about, but one thing’s for sure: neither her brave heroines nor her strong heroes can ever go back to Vienna. Ibbotson (1925-2010), the beloved and bestselling author of chapter books for children such as Which Witch? … Continue reading
