Author Archives: stephanielowden

Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee. Random House Children’s Books, New York, NY, 2022. Middle Grade. Maizy is spending the summer in Last Chance, Minnesota, because her grandpa is ill. She and her mom live in Los Angeles, and … Continue reading →

The Patron Thief of Bread by Lindsay Eager. Candlewick Press, MA, 2022. At eight years of age, “Duck” is the youngest of the Crowns, a gang of dirty, thieving orphans. “Gnat” is the leader of the group and on this … Continue reading →

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat. Candlewick Press, MA, 2022. Middle Grade Sai is the assistant to the most respected mapmaker in Mangkon: Paiyoon Wongyai. She is lucky to have this job, as she cleverly lied her way into it. … Continue reading →

Grandma’s Window by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Christy Tortland. Brandylane Publishers, Inc. Richmond, VA. 2023 “Mateo sat alone on the way to his new school. Everyone on Bus 22 seemed to have a friend and he felt left out.” Grandma’s … Continue reading →

I’ve been reading a lot this summer. Stay tuned for more reviews. Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland. Balzer + Bray an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2022 New York, NY. YA It’s 1937. FDR is President. There is a … Continue reading →

If you follow the Goodreads review site, you will see that they have a new list out as of March: 100 books banned by school districts in Florida. These books were initially pulled “for review” in Duvall County, a county … Continue reading →

Zee Grows a Tree by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand.  Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts, 2021. “One morning, little Zee Cooper arrived in the world. The very same day, a Douglas-fir seedling emerged from the soil at Cooper’s Christmas Tree … Continue reading →

Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal. Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts, 2021 “Zonia lives with those she loves in the rain forest, where it is always green and full of life.” So begins the story of a small girl whose family … Continue reading →

  Butterflies Belong Here by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Meilo So. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2020 “Last Spring, we took a class picture. That’s me in the back. I was a little like a caterpillar then: quiet and almost invisible. … Continue reading →

Who Is Singing? By Janet Halfmann, Illustrated by Chrissy Chabot. Pen It! Publications, LLC, U.S.A 2021 “Cheer-o-lee, cheer up! Who is singing? Take a Bow, Robin, hopping on the ground hunting earthworms. Cheer-o-lee, cheer-up!” The first page of Who is … Continue reading →