Category Archives: family

Mindful Make-believe: “The Gypsy Game” on compassionate cosplay

Posted on Oct 7, 2019 by

Spooky Salutations, Postcardians!  Welcome to… Halloween Month 2019! Re: this year’s theme.  Rather than Selkies, Sequels, and Second Chances, I’ve decided to focus on Compassionate Cosplay, (Literary) Candy Crushes, and Sinister Selchies (look, there’s a ‘c’ in there!) Today’s post will … Continue reading →

Posted in family, Halloween, opinion, spooky | 6 Comments

Salt inside the words: Helen Frost on writing for children

Posted on Aug 30, 2019 by

A few weeks ago, Fort Wayne author Helen Frost led a children’s lit workshop at the Allen County Public Library, where she offered advice on historical research, “writing the other,” and not stressing too much about the children’s publishing industry. … Continue reading →

Posted in author focus, family, historical, poetry, writing | 3 Comments

The October Report: Night and Silence

Posted on Oct 23, 2018 by

Apparently, the faeries snuck one last gift into my bag before we left the Twilight Realm. Rating:  4.89 out of 5 nasty, allergy-inducing sachets of marsh magic. The newest October Daye book, Night and Silence, is so amazeballs that the faeries … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fantasy, favorites, folklore/fairy tales, Halloween, October Daye, selkies | 2 Comments

And how’s YOUR summer job? (mermaid edition)

Posted on Jun 19, 2018 by

Ah, the summer job.  A classic coming-of-age experience for many teens —  a chance to learn responsibility, gain new skills, and earn some extra clams.  My first job back in high school was, of course, shelving books at my hometown … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fantasy, graphic-novels, LGBTQIA, mermaids, re-reads, romantic | 8 Comments

Nostalgic Double Feature: October Edition

Posted on Sep 30, 2017 by

It’s that awesomest time of year again, the month for reading spooky, paranormal stories; stocking up on snack-size Butterfingers; and putting together your kick-@$$ October Daye costume. This month, I’m prepared with several Halloween posts featuring nostalgic middle grade titles, … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fantasy, Halloween, historical, nostalgic, re-reads, spooky | Leave a comment

Comics follow-up: summer of superheroes (and Nordic kid adventurers)

Posted on Aug 19, 2017 by

Back in late April/early May, partly with the help of Free Comic Book Day, I dipped into several new (or at least recent) franchises, discovering some awesome titles such as America, Ms. Marvel, and the Hildafolk comics by Luke Pearson. … Continue reading →

Posted in comics, family, fantasy, folklore/fairy tales, LGBTQIA, romantic, summer of superheroes | 2 Comments

Dreadnought

Posted on Aug 6, 2017 by

April Daniels. Dreadnought. New York: Diversion Books, 2017. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 color-changing costumes with built-in USB ports It’s been a summer of superheroes for me. I’ve been keeping up with the new America comics every month, as well … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fantasy, favorites, LGBTQIA, summer of superheroes | Leave a comment

Our Own Private Universe

Posted on Jun 17, 2017 by

Robin Talley. Our Own Private Universe. Ontario: HarlequinTEEN, 2017. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Prince songs that are secretly your favorite song ever This book, you guys. This book is sexy like woah. Like, it goes into all the steamy, … Continue reading →

Posted in family, LGBTQIA, music, romantic | 5 Comments

2016 year-end review

Posted on Dec 17, 2016 by

It’s that time again!  Peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes, last-minute shopping and family reunions, and lists of this year’s highlights. As a general reading trend this year, I’ve been reading a lot more LGBTQIA literature, and I think it’s an awesome … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fantasy, favorites, folklore/fairy tales, humor, LGBTQIA, magical realism, romantic, selkies, year-end review | 2 Comments

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Posted on Aug 11, 2016 by

J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne.  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.  New York: Arther A. Levine Books, 2016. Rating:  2 out of 5 illegal Time Turners Sooo…yeah.  There’s going to be a lot of nitpicking in this post.  Consider … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fantasy | 3 Comments