Category Archives: satire

It’s still summer in Sweet Valley.

Posted on Sep 26, 2019 by

If you’re lucky enough to live where the mercury never falls below 50, you can totally still sneak in some beach reading in these early days of Autumn.  And what’s beachier than a nostalgic romp through Sweet Valley, California?  Better … Continue reading →

Posted in favorites, graphic-novels, humor, nostalgic, satire | 4 Comments

Classic Juv/YA Fantasy: The Princess Bride

Posted on Jul 24, 2017 by

William Goldman. The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure. Orlando: Harcourt, 2007. Rating: 4.85 out of 5 chocolate-covered resurrection pills Rating #2: This book is so good I read it twice in a row, … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic Juv/YA fantasy, fantasy, favorites, folklore/fairy tales, humor, meta, movies, romantic, satire | 4 Comments

2014 Favorites

Posted on Jan 30, 2015 by

Edit 02/07/15:  Ack! I missed a few.  See the amended “More Books” section, below. Let’s take a quick look back at 2014… My favorite books reviewed here @ Postcards: (click on each cover for the review)       Favorite books reviewed … Continue reading →

Posted in comics, fantasy, folklore/fairy tales, LGBTQIA, magical realism, mermaids, meta, re-reads, satire, spooky, year-end review | 3 Comments

“…inside that peach stone is a tree, folded a million times. So go and plant it.”

Posted on May 24, 2013 by

Back in March, sj tweeted to me about this new informal club that Becoming Cliché was starting:  the From the Bowels of Obscurity Children’s Book Club [pause while we wait for our inner 12-year-olds to stop giggling at “bowels.”  Hee!] … Continue reading →

Posted in challenges, family, fantasy, folklore/fairy tales, mermaids, nostalgic, Ocean Girl radar, re-reads, satire | 3 Comments

The Emoticon Generation

Posted on Apr 10, 2013 by

Guy Hasson.  The Emoticon Generation.  infinity plus, 2012.  PDF review copy. Early in March, Andrea Johnson of the Little Red Reviewer asked if I’d like to participate in a blog tour for Guy Hasson’s The Emoticon Generation.  I’ve never participated … Continue reading →

Posted in fantasy, satire | 10 Comments

Classic Juv/YA fantasy: The Water Babies

Posted on Sep 20, 2012 by

Charles Kingsley.  The Water Babies.  London: Harper Press, 2011. So, there’s this kid named Tom.  He’s a chimney sweep, and his boss is a jerk, and clearly not the best role model, so one day, while they’re sweeping some rich … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic Juv/YA fantasy, fantasy, folklore/fairy tales, humor, satire | 2 Comments

Double Feature: a drama queen and a gothic heroine (sort of)

Posted on Apr 10, 2012 by

Lisa Mantchev.  Eyes Like Stars.  New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2009.  356 pgs. I’m counting this in the Fantasy category of “Quest the second,” in the Once Upon a Time challenge. SETTING:           The Théâtre Illuminata, where all the plays ever … Continue reading →

Posted in fantasy, humor, romantic, satire | Leave a comment

Failing with Style

Posted on Mar 6, 2012 by

Inspired by NPR’s latest “Three Books” article, “Try and Try Again:  3 Tales of Spectacular Failure,” here is my own list of three notable literary “failures” (or are they?). Stargirl, the title character of Jerry Spinelli’s  YA novel. I can’t … Continue reading →

Posted in favorites, humor, satire | Leave a comment

Partly Nostalgic Review: Shel Silverstein!

Posted on Feb 2, 2012 by

A lizard in a blizzard Got a snowflake in his gizzard And nothing else much happened, I’m afraid. But lizard rhymed with blizzard And blizzard rhymed with gizzard And that, my dear, is why most poems are made.* Sixteen years … Continue reading →

Posted in author focus, humor, nostalgic, poetry, satire | Leave a comment

2011 favorites

Posted on Dec 30, 2011 by

These are my favorite reads from 2011 – not all of these titles were published in 2011, and some aren’t “Juv/YA” titles per se, but no matter! Castle Waiting, Vol. 2, by Linda Medley.  Pub. 2010. The art and writing … Continue reading →

Posted in family, fantasy, folklore/fairy tales, graphic-novels, humor, meta, nonfiction, romantic, satire, year-end review | Leave a comment