Children's Book Reviews

 Here are links to all my reviews of children's books. I have made some effort to sort them by general genre, and am working on grouping/alphabetizing by author. That may take a while.

For more on my review process and policies, see here.

Other Kid Lit blogs
1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up
Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult, by Bruce Handy (review)

Historical Fiction:
The Lions of Little Rock (Kristen Levine)
The Mighty Miss Malone (Christopher Paul Curtis)
Tracks (Diane Lee Wilson)
Boxcar Children Beginning (Patricia MacLachlan)
Inside Out and Back Again (Tranhha Lai)
Bo at Ballard Creek (Kirkpatrick Hill)

Like the Willow Tree (Lois Lowry; Dear America series)

Behind the Masks (Susan Patron; Dear America series)

Boston Jane series (Jennifer L. Holm)
Gib Rides Home (Zilpha Keatly Snyder)
Dear Papa  (Anne Ylvisake)
Voyage on the Great Titanic (Dear America Diaries) (Ellen Emerson White)
I Lived on Butterfly Hill, by Marjorie Agosin
Humbug Mountain, by Sid Fleischman
P.K. Pinkerton and the Pistol-Packing Widows, by Caroline Lawrence
P.K. Pinkerton and the Petrified Man, by Caroline Lawrence
The Book of Lost Things (Mister Max #1), by Cynthia Voigt (audio book)
The Book of Secrets (Mister Max #2), by Cynthia Voigt
The Book of Kings (Mister Max #3), by Cynthia Voigt
Brown Girl Dreaming,  by Jacqueline Woodson
Stowaway, by Karen Hesse
Riding Freedom, by Pam Munoz Ryan
Listen, Slowly, by Thanhha Lai
Maddie's Dream (Ponies of Chincoteague), by Catherine Hapka
Will Sparrow's Road, by Katherine Cushman (audio book)
The War that Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (audio book)
  (Sequel)  The War I Finally Won, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (audio book)
Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie, by Kristiana Gregory (audio book)
Gingersnap, by Patricia Reilly Giff (audio book)
Our Only May Amelia, by Jennifer Holm (audio book)
The Trouble With May Amelia, by Jennifer Holm (audio book)
Paperboy, by Vince Vewter (audio book)
Weedflower, by Cynthia Kadohata
Bread and Roses, Too, by Katherine Paterson
Murder is Bad Manners (Wells and Wong #1), by Robin Stevens
First-Class Murder (Wells and Wong #3), by Robin Stevens
The Green Glass Sea (audio book) and White Sands, Red Menace, by Ellen Klages
Homecoming and Dicey's Song, by Cynthia Voigt
A Solitary Blue, by Cynthia Voigt (audio book)
Raymie Nightingale, by Kate DiCamillo (audio book)
The Silent Boy, by Lois Lowry
The Quilt, by Gary Paulsen
Wolf Hollow, by Lauren Wolk
Beyond the Bright Sea, by Lauren Wolk
Audacity Jones to the Rescue, and Audacity Jones Steals the Show, by Kirby Larson
The Warden's Daughter, by Jerry Spinelli
Stepping on the Cracks, by Mary Downing Hahn (audio book)
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
The Night Diary, by Veera Hiranandani

Stolen Child, Making Bombs for Hitler, and The War Below, by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (three books in one review)

Hattie Big Sky, and Hattie Ever After (audio books), by Kirby Larson
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly
The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly
Here Lies the Librarian, by Richard Peck
The Mad Wolf's Daughter, by Diane Magras (audio book)

Hunt for the Mad Wolf's Daughter, by Diane Magras (audio book)

The Hired Girl, by Laura Amy Schlitz (audio book)

Talking Leaves, by Joseph Bruchac (audio book)

Two Roads, by Joseph Bruchac

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier (graphic novel)
Maud and Addie, by Maureen Buchanan Jones
A Place to Hang the Moon, by Kate Albus
Northwind, by Gary Paulsen

SF/Fantasy:
Ginnie Dare: Crimson Sands (Scott Roche)
The Four Fiends (Nikki Bennett)
Igraine the Brave (Cornelia Funke)
Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers (Dav Pilkey)
The Princelings of the East (Jemima Pett)
Goblin Secrets (William Alexander)
The Princelings and the Lost City (Jemima Pett)
The Traveler in Black and White (Jemima Pett)
The Talent Seekers (YA) (Jemima Pett)
Bravo Victor (Jemima Pett)
Willoughby the Narrator (Jemima Pett)
The Princelings of the North (Jemima Pett)
Loki's Wolves (K. L Armstrong and M. A. Marr)
The Last Dragonslayer (Jasper Fforde)
Seventh Grade (Alien) Hero (K. L. Pickett)
Kringle (Tony Abbott)
North of Nowhere (Liz Kessler)
Princess Academy (Shannon Hale)
The Orphan and the Thief (M. L. LeGette)
Snort and Wobbles (Will MacMillan Jones--early middle grade)
Lycanthor the Werewolf (The Dragon Fyre Blade Book 1) (Aiden Storm)
Redwall Audio books (Brian Jacques)
BookElves Anthology Vol. 1
A Pair of Docks, by Jennifer Ellis
The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, by Fiona Ingram
Fizz and Peppers at the Bottom of the World, by M. G. King
Zoe and Zak: The Ghost Leopard, by Lars Guignard
The Shadow of Atlantis, by Wendy Leighton-Porter
The Shadow of the Minotaur, by Wendy Leighton-Porter
The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
Treasure (Seed Savers #1), by S. Smith
Lily (Seed Savers #2), by S. Smith
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tale, by Richard Peck (audio book)
When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead
Dragons at Crumbling Castle, by Terry Pratchett (audio book)
The Twistrose Key, by Tone Almhjell
Withering-By-Sea, by Judith Rossell
The Camelot Kids, by Ben Zackheim
The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L. Holm
The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill
Greenglass House, by Kate Milford
Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler
Last Day on Mars, by Kevin Emerson
When Santa Fell to Earth, by Cornelia Funke
Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters, by Margaret Dilloway
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
Bounce!, by Megan Shull
Granted, by John David Anderson
The Tail of Emily Windsnap, by Liz Kessler
Castle Hangnail, by Ursula Vernon
Mandrake's Plot, by Helen Laycock


General Fiction:
Humphrey the Classroom Hamster (series) (Betty Birney)
Scat (Carl Hiaasen)
Callie's Rules (Naomi Zucker)
Write On, Callie Jones (Naomi Zucker)
The Princelings and the Pirates (Jemima Pett)
Pictures of Hollis Woods (Patricia Reilly Giff)
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette (Jeanne Birdsall)
The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets (by Stanley and Katrina Von Cat)
    Interview with the author's Mom
Parched (Melanie Crowder)
Shirley Link and the Safe Case (Ben Zackheim)
Shirley Link and the Hot Comic (Ben Zackheim)
Shirley Link and the Treasure Chest (Ben Zackheim)
Three Times Lucky (Sheila Turnage)
   The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing (Sheila Turnage)
   The Odds of Getting Even (Sheila Turnage)
Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew (Melissa Perry Moraja)

Wonder (R.J. Palacio)
Frankie Dupont and the Mystery of Enderby Manor (Julie Ann Grasso)
Frankie Dupont and the Lemon Festival Fiasco (Julie Ann Grasso)
Frankie Dupont and the Science Fair Sabotage (Julie Ann Grasso)
Frankie Dupont and the High Seas Heist (Julie Ann Grasso)
Mockingbird (Kathryn Erskine)
The Music of Dolphins (Karen Hesse)
Origami Yoda (Tom Angleberger)
The One and Only Ivan (Katherine Applegate)
Fearless Joe Dearborne (Lisa Whitney Mitchell)
Wonderstruck (Brian Selznic)

Out of the Deep (Mysteries in our National Parks series), by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson
The Penderwicks in Spring, by Jeanne Birdsall
Bloomability, by Sharon Creech (audio book)
The Headmaster's Cave, by D. S. Allen
Heartbeat, by Sharon Creech (audio book)
Chomp, by Carl Hiaassen (audio book)
The Turn of the Tide, by Rosanne Parry
How to Speak Dolphin, by Ginny Rorby
Big Nate books, by Lincoln Pierce
The Thing About Jellyfish, by Ali Benjamin
Fireflies, by Bree Wolf
The Boy on the Porch, by Sharon Creech (audio book)
Summerlost, by Ally Condi
Island of Beyond, by Elizabeth Atkinson
Far From Fair, by Elana K. Arnold
Rain Reign, by Ann Martin
Connect the Stars, by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague
Crenshaw, by Katherine Applegate
Just Like Me, by Nancy J. Cavanaugh
Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper (audio book)
Gangsta Granny, by David Walliams
The Only Road, by Alexandra Diaz
Moo, by Sharon Creech (fiction in verse)
It Ain't So Awful, Falafal, by Firoozeh Dumas
Umbrella Summer, by Lisa Graff
Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Towers Falling, by Jewel Parker Rhodes
Lucky Broken Girl, by Ruth Behar
Quicksand Pond, by Janet Taylor Lisle
The Summer of Bad Ideas, by Kiera Stewart
After Zero, by Christina Collins
The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle, by Christina Uss (might be more like fantasy in some ways)
Harbor Me, by Jaqueline Woodson (audio book)
The Voice of the Xenolith, by Cynthia Pelman
Almost Paradise, by Corabel Shofner
Wishtree, by Katherine Applegate
A Stitch in Time, by Daphne Kalmar 

Refugee, by Alan Gratz (borderline YA)

Nowhere Boy, by Katherine March (audio book)

Twerp, by Mark Goldblatt (audio book)

Restart, by Gordon Korman

The Line Tender, by Kate Allen (audio book)

Wish, by Barbara O'Connor (audio book)

Fighting Words, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (audio book)

The Other Half of My Heart, by Sundee T. Frazier (audio book)

Ghost, by Jason Reynolds (audio book)

Middle Grade Classics:
The Door in the Wall (Marguerite de Angeli)
A Child's Christmas in Wales (Dylan Thomas)
Kitty's Class Day and other Proverb Stories (Louisa May Alcott)
Elidor (Alan Garner)
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (Alan Garner)
The Winged Watchman
Homer Price (Robert McCloskey)
Knight's Fee (Rosemary Sutcliff)
Escape From Warsaw (The Silver Sword)
An Old-Fashioned Girl (Louisa May Alcott) 
The Flight of the Doves (Walter Macken)
Nancy and Plum (Betty MacDonald)
The Lion's Paw (Robb White)
Little Lord Fountleroy (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
Sod House Adventure (Bonnie Bess Worline)
The Cay (Theodore Taylor)
Timothy of the Cay (Theodore Taylor)
I Capture the Castle (YA Classic) (Dodie Smith)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle)
Meet the Austins and The Moon By Night (Madeleine L'Engle)
Waterless Mountain, (Laura Adams Armer)
The Enchanted Castle (E. Nesbit)
The Children of Green Knowe (L.M. Boston) (audio book)
Sue Barton series (Helen Dore Boylston)
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (Margaret Sidney) (audio book)
Anne of the Island (L.M. Montgomery) (audio book)
The Whipping Boy (Sid Fleischman)

Harriet the Spy (Louise Fitzhugh)

Dragons in the Waters, Madeleine L'Engle

Gone-Away Lake, by Elizabeth Enright (audio book)

Seacrow Island, by Astrid Lingren

Helen Dore Boyleston

Picture Books (note: I seldom review picture books. Usually only for friends or if something is too good to pass up):
Moo! (David LaRochelle)
The Librarian on the Roof (M.G. King)
Pea Soup Disaster (Elaine Kaye)

Middle Grade Non-Fiction:
Camping for Kids 
Kids Gone Camping
Camp Out!  The Ultimate Kids' Guide
Amazing Girls of Arizona (Jan Cleere)
Spilling Ink (writing book for kids)
Horton and the Kwuggerbug (Dr. Seuss)
Three books on Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Women Heroes of World War I, by Katherine J. Atwood

Young Adult:
The Honest Truth (Dan Gemeinhart) 
Wind Catcher (Jeff Altabee and Erynn Altabee) 
Under the Empyrean Sky (Chuck Wendig)
Tomboy (Graphic Novel) (Liz Prince)
Copper Sun (Sharon Draper)
Ink and Bone (Rachel Caine)
Bone Gap  (Laura Ruby)
All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) (Ally Carter)
Battle Magic (Tamora Pierce--more YA than children's)
The Falcon's Malteser, by Anthony Horowitz (children's feel to the writing, but a high body-count)
Petey, by Ben Mikaelsen
Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys
Salt to the Sea, by Ruta Sepetys
Going Over, by Beth Kephart
Annie On My Mind, by Nancy Garden (audio book)
The Children  of Willesden Lane, by Mona Golabek (audio book)
Tempests and Slaughter, by Tamora Pierce

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher (audio book)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith (audio book)

FTC Disclaimer/review policy:
I never accept books to review for any fee.  If given a review copy, I accept only under the understanding that I will give an honest review, with no guarantee of a positive review.  I reserve the right if offered a book to review to decline to do so for any reason or no reason, including my personal generic preferences.  I source the majority of the books I review from the library.  The opinions expressed in my reviews are my own and those of no one else.