2019-01-21 17:13
And Again by Jessica ChiarellaScience FictionTouchstone, 2016What It's All About:A sick, faded actress, a young art student with lung cancer, a mother who's been paralyzed for eight yea… Read More
Blog Directory > Books & Literature Blogs > A Bookshelf Monstrosity books-and-literature Blog >
2017-11-22 16:38
It's been a great year of reading for me! I can't believe it's already time to wrap it up, but here we go. My top 10 in no particular order...If I Stay by Gayle FormanIn the blink of an… Read More
2017-11-01 18:38
By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget… Read More
2017-10-16 20:00
All's Faire in Middle Schoolby Victoria JamiesonDial Books (2017)Graphic NovelWhat It's All About:Homeschooled by Renaissance Fair enthusiasts, eleven-year-old Imogene has a hard time fittin… Read More
2017-10-03 12:56
The Stars Beneath Our Feetby David Barclay MooreKnopf (2017)Realistic FictionWhat It's About:It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t c… Read More
2017-09-30 11:03
By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget… Read More
2017-09-24 16:18
Postedby John David AndersonWalden Pond, 2017Realistic FictionWhat It's All About:In middle school, words aren't just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win y… Read More
2017-08-31 19:32
By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget… Read More
2017-06-12 14:30
The Sand Warriorby Mark Siegelillustrated by Ianthe BoumeRandom House (2017)Graphic NovelWhat It's All About:The Five Worlds are on the brink of extinction unless five ancient and… Read More
2017-05-26 15:00
Perks of Being a Wallflowerby Stephen ChboskyFirst dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes… Read More
2017-05-15 15:00
Armstrong & Charlieby Steven B. FrankHoughton Mifflin Harcourt (2017)Historical FictionWhat It's All About:Charlie isn't looking forward to sixth grade. If he starts sixth grade, ch… Read More
2017-05-12 15:00
Seventh grade writing teachers at my middle school recruited me to dress up in order to kick off their research projects -- all about the 1960s! Students were able to pick a topic they were… Read More
2017-05-08 12:00
Strong Insideby Andrew MaranissPhilomel (2017)NonfictionWhat It's All About:Perry Wallace was born at an historic crossroads in U.S. history. He entered kindergarten the year that the Brown… Read More
2017-05-05 12:00
With presidents and politics garnering lots of media attention (in the U.S. and elsewhere), children may be curious. No matter where you live, these presidential-themed picture books -- some… Read More
2017-05-01 12:00
Real Friendsby Shannon HaleIllustrations by LeUyen PhamFirst Second Books (2017)Graphic Novel (Memoir)What It's All About:Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends ever since they were lit… Read More
2017-04-28 12:00
By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget… Read More
2017-04-24 12:00
Unboundby Ann E. BurgScholastic (2017)Novel in Verse/Historical FictionWhat It's All About:The day nine-year-old Grace is called to work in the kitchen in the Big House, everyone warns her t… Read More
2017-04-21 12:00
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard all about Wonder. If you've been under said rock, learn more about this excellent book and the "Choose Kind" movement here. Then read the… Read More
2017-04-17 12:00
Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Basketballby Howard Bryant Philomel Books (2017)Sports NonfictionWhat It's All About:Giants of the game like Steph Curry, LeBron, and Mich… Read More
2017-04-14 12:00
Luck Uglies by Paul DurhamStrange things are happening in Village Drowning, and a terrifying encounter has Rye O'Chanter convinced that the monstrous, supposedly extinct Bog Noblins hav… Read More
2017-04-10 12:00
Overturnedby Lamar GilesScholastic (2017)Mystery FictionWhat It's All About:Nikki Tate's father has been on death row for killing his best friend in a gambling dispute, but he has always mai… Read More
2017-04-07 12:00
I don't know about you, but I find that Dork Diaries is even more popular than Wimpy Kid at our middle school! I'm constantly directing readers to other great books to read after they've fin… Read More
2017-04-03 12:00
Well, That Was Awkwardby Rachel VailViking (2017)Middle Grade FictionWhat It's All About:Gracie has never felt like this before. One day, she suddenly can't breathe, can't walk, can't a… Read More
2017-03-31 12:00
By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget… Read More
2017-03-27 12:00
Hidden Figuresby Margot Lee ShetterlyHarper (Nov. 2016)Narrative NonfictionWhat It's All About:Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated… Read More
2017-03-24 21:32
We're just finishing up our Spring Book Fair, and I've been so impressed with this season's titles!It's also my first middle school book fair and I have to say I like the selection better th… Read More
2017-03-20 12:00
Nothing But Troubleby Jacqueline DaviesKatherine Tegen Books (Nov. 2016)Humorous fictionWhat It's All About:Odawahaka has always been too small for Maggie's big scientific ideas. Between her… Read More
2017-03-17 12:00
Disappearance of Emily H.by Barrie SummyYou'd think that the ability to see memories attached to objects would be useful when starting a new school, but it's not much help to eighth-grader R… Read More
2017-03-13 12:00
Shortby Holly Goldberg SloanDial Books (January 2017)Realistic Fiction/Humor FictionWhat It's All About:Julia is very short for her age, but by the end of the summer run of The Wizard o… Read More
2017-03-11 16:12
By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget… Read More
2017-03-11 14:44
Held on Middle Tennessee State University's campus here in Murfreesboro, the Southeastern Young Adult Festival is the brainchild of four middle and high school librarians in my district. Thi… Read More
2017-03-10 13:00
What Do You Do With a Problem?by Kobi YamadaThis is a story for anyone, at any age, who has ever had a problem that they wished would go away. It's a story to inspire you to look closely at… Read More
2017-03-06 13:00
Mighty Jackby Ben HatkeFirst Second Books (September 2016)Graphic Novel/FantasyWhat It's All About:Jack might be the only kid in the world who's dreading summer. But he's got a good reason:… Read More
2017-02-27 13:00
Frogkisser!by Garth NixScholastic (2017)Fantasy Chapter BookSummary:Poor Princess Anya. Forced to live with her evil stepmother's new husband, her evil stepstepfather. Plagued with an unfort… Read More
2017-02-24 13:00
I recently ordered a bunch of new books and wanted to show them off to my students in a fun way. Enter one of my school's reading teachers, Mrs. Russell, and a collaboration was born! W… Read More
2017-02-20 13:00
Shackles From the Deep by Michael CottmanNational Geographic, 2017NonfictionSummary:A pile of lime-encrusted shackles discovered on the seafloor in the remains of a ship called the Henr… Read More
2017-02-17 17:48
By keeping a pulse on what our students are checking out at our middle school library and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget… Read More
2017-02-13 13:00
Ghostby Jason ReynoldsAtheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books (August 2016)Realistic FictionSummary:Running. That's all that Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But never for a track tea… Read More
2017-02-10 13:00
Touch & Go: A Novel by Lisa GardnerLove You More) thinks it's fishy that all three were taken -- and no ransom demanded -- and races to discover what it is about the seemingly pictu… Read More
2017-02-02 22:14
I've been at my new position as a middle school librarian for about a month now, and I was ready to do something fun to promote reading with my kiddos.I've seen Blind Date With a Book all ov… Read More
2017-01-30 13:00
Word of Mouseby James Patterson & Chris Grabensteinillustrated by Joe SutphinJimmy Patterson Books/Little, Brown (2016)Fantasy Chapter BookSummary:What makes Isaiah so unique? First, his… Read More
2017-01-27 13:00
The Scorpion Rules by Erin BowThe Scorpion Rules, the 1st in the Prisoners of Peace series. " style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: 17px… Read More
2017-01-23 13:00
If the Magic Fitsby Susan Maupin SchmidRandom House, 2016Fantasy Chapter BookSummary:Inside an enchanted castle, there's a closet--a closet with one hundred dresses that nobody ever wears. D… Read More
2017-01-20 17:39
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean HowePublishers Weekly), Entertainment Weekly editor Sean Howe delves into the tangled and contentious personal relationships among Marvel's talen… Read More
2017-01-16 13:00
How Things Workby Tamara ReslerNational Geographic Kids (2016)Middle Grade NonfictionSummary:Explains the science behind a variety of objects, such as erasers, hoverbikes, microwaves, and mo… Read More
2017-01-13 13:00
Hidden Figuresby Margot Lee ShetterlyWilliam Morrow (2016)In this debut, Shetterly shines a much-needed light on the bright, talented, and wholly underappreciated geniuses of the institution… Read More
2017-01-09 13:00
The Friendship Experimentby Erin TeaganHMH Books for Young Readers (November 2016)Middle Grade Realistic FictionSummary:Future scientist Madeline Little is dreading the start of middle schoo… Read More
2017-01-06 13:00
Elwood Bigfoot: Wanted: Birdie Friends! by Jill Esbaum; illustrated by Nate WraggCryptid life can be lonely, and in this quirky tale one isolated bigfoot named Elwood embarks on a campa… Read More
2017-01-02 13:00
Snow Whiteby Matt PhelanCandlewick Press, 2016Graphic NovelSummary:The scene: New York City. The dazzling lights cast shadows that grow ever darker as the glitzy prosperity of the Roaring Tw… Read More
2016-12-31 13:00
Revisit Bookshelf Monstrosity's most popular posts of 2016! 10. Review: Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving 9. Books by Theme: What to read after Small Great Things 8. This Lib… Read More
2016-12-30 13:00
If you liked The Little Paris Bookshop...Fifty-year-old Jean Perdu is a literary apothecary on his barge bookshop moored on the Seine in Paris. Gifted at prescribing just the right book for… Read More
2016-12-26 13:00
Level the Playing Field by Kristina RutherfordOwl Kids Books (2016)Middle Grade NonfictionSummary:Level the Playing Field examines the root of these issues by taking readers throug… Read More
2016-12-23 13:00
Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries... by Paul RosolieKirkus Reviews), Rosolie recounts eye-opening adventures, from fostering an orphaned anteater an… Read More
2016-12-19 13:55
Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge: the Dirty Secrets Behind Early American Medicineby J. Marin YounkerZest Books, 2016Middle Grade Narrative NonfictionSummary:Riots over the medical use of cad… Read More
2016-12-18 01:35
Absalom's Daughtersby Suzanne FeldmanHenry Holt and Co. (2016)Historical FictionWhat's It All About?Self-educated and brown-skinned, Cassie works full time in her grandmother’s laundry… Read More
2016-12-16 13:00
If you Liked: Then Try: Do No Harmby Henry MarshIf you believe that brain surgery is a precise and exquisite craft, practised by calm and detached surgeons, this gripping, brutally… Read More
2016-12-14 13:00
Growing Up Amish by Ira WaglerTyndale House (2011)MemoirWhat's It All About?Ira Wagler was born in 1961, the ninth of a Canadian Amish couple's eleven children. At seventeen, in the dar… Read More
2016-12-12 13:00
Children of Exileby Margaret Peterson HaddixSimon & Schuster (2016)Middle grade science fictionSummary:For the past twelve years, adults called “Freds” have raised Rosi, her… Read More
2016-12-09 13:00
Flavia de Luce, Canadian author Alan Bradley's precocious 11-year-old chemistry-loving creation, has charmed mystery readers since her award-winning debut in 2009's The Sweetness at the… Read More
2016-12-07 13:00
Fat Girl Walkingby Brittany GibbonsDey Street Books (2015)Memoir/HumorWhat's It All About?Told through a series of larger-than-life snapshots, a hilarious memoir in essays about love, sex, m… Read More
2016-12-05 15:21
Dara Palmer's Major Dramaby Emma ShevahSourcebooks Jabberwocky (July 2016)FictionSummary:Dara Palmer dreams of being an actress, but when she does not get a part in the school play she wonde… Read More
2016-12-03 19:31
That's all for today, folks Read More
2016-12-02 13:00
Ann Patchett is the author of six novels, The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician's Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, and State of Wonder. She was the editor of… Read More
2016-11-30 13:00
The Good Fatherby Diane ChamberlainMira (January 2012)Literary FictionWhat's It All About?Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his o… Read More
2016-11-29 16:26
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Left Out by Tim GreenHarperCollins (Sep. 2016)Sports fictionSummary:All Landon Dorch has ever wanted is to be like everyone else. His deafness and the way… Read More
2016-11-28 13:00
Week 5: (Nov 28 – Dec 2) – (Lory) New to My TBR: It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link b… Read More
2016-11-25 13:00
Jodi Picoult’s new book Small Great Things explores racial prejudice through three perspectives: Ruth, a black nurse charged with the murder of a white supremacist’s ba… Read More
2016-11-23 13:00
Daredevilsby Shawn VestalPenguin (April 2016)Literary FictionWhat's It All About?Fifteen-year-old Loretta slips out of her bedroom every evening to meet a so-called gentile. Her strict Mormo… Read More
2016-11-22 13:00
Panda Pantsby Jacqueline Daviesillustrated by Sydney HansonKnopf, 2016Picture bookSummary:Witness a hilarious battle of wills in which a young panda tries to convince his father that pants m… Read More
2016-11-21 13:00
Today’s Nonfiction November (hosted by Katie at Doing Dewey, Lory at Emerald City Book Review, Rachel at Hibernator’s Library, Julz at&nbs&hell…Read More
2016-11-18 13:00
The Zero Degree Zombie Zone by Patrik Henry BassBakari Johnson's worries about running for fourth-grade hall monitor against popular Tariq suddenly seem less important after he's sucked… Read More
2016-11-16 13:00
Freedom's Childby Jax MillerCrown (June 2015)Fiction thrillerWhat's It All About?Living in witness protection to hide from her late husband's violent family, Freedom Oliver risks her life in… Read More
2016-11-15 13:00
Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doomby Booki VivatHarper Collins, 2016Fiction chapter bookSummary:Nervous about middle school because her family does not get her and her friends k… Read More
2016-11-14 13:00
This week's Nonfiction November topic is hosted by Sarah at Sarah’s Book Shelves.Book Pairing: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. It can be a &ld&hell…Read More
2016-11-11 12:00
"One mark of Elizabethan success is that the queen survived to die in her bed in 1603.But it was a near-run thing."~ from Stephen Alford's The WatchersThe Watchers: A Secret History of… Read More
2016-11-09 12:00
The Lost Girlsby Heather YoungWilliam Morrow, 2016Literary FictionWhat's It All About?In the summer of 1935, six-year-old Emily Evans vanished from her family's vacation home on a remote Min… Read More
2016-11-08 12:00
Samson in the Snowby Philip C. SteadRoaring Brook, 2016Picture BookSummary:One sunny day Samson, a large and friendly woolly mammoth, encounters a little red bird who is looking for yellow f… Read More
2016-11-07 12:00
Welcome to Week 2 of Nonfiction November! This week's post is hosted by Rachel @ Hibernator's Library. On to today's topic:Choosing Nonfiction: What are you looking for when you pick up… Read More
2016-11-04 11:00
"No one knows where he has been and who he has met, and he is in no hurry to tell them."~ from Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the BodiesThe Emancipator's Wife by Barbara HamblyShe surviv… Read More
2016-11-03 11:00
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony BourdainEcco/Harper Perennial, 2000Nonfiction memoirWhat's It All About?A New York City chef who is also a novelist recounts his experiences in the… Read More
2016-11-02 15:59
The Lost Girlsby Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett, and Amanda PressnerHarper Perennial (2011)If you're a 20-something working and living in New York City, you're living the dream -- right? No… Read More
2016-11-01 11:30
Flying Frogs and Walking Fishby Steve Jenkins and Robin PageHoughton Mifflin HarcourtInformational picture bookSummary:See animals roll, fly, walk, leap, climb, swim and even flip! This book… Read More
2016-10-31 18:03
I'm so looking forward to participating with Nonfiction November this year. This event is hosted by the 5 lovely bloggers listed above. I'll be posting every week in November about a differe… Read More
2016-10-24 19:05
Wishby Barbara O'ConnorFarar, Strauss, and Giroux (Aug. 30, 2016)Fiction chapter bookSummary:A story about a girl who, with the help of the dog of her dreams, discovers that family doesn't a… Read More
2016-10-22 19:13
Sooo..I apologize for the long absence. I'm just going to jump right back in and let you know my favorite books of the year so far! I've leaned more towards non-fiction than in past yea… Read More
2016-04-10 20:00
The Key to Extraordinaryby Natalie LloydScholastic (Feb. 23, 2016)Fantasy Chapter Book“Some books are so special that you never forget where you were the first time you read them.&rdqu&hell…Read More
2016-04-03 23:00
When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie FoglianoRoaring Brook (Mar. 1, 2016)Nonfiction PoetrySummary:Flowers blooming in sheets of snow make way for happy frogs danc… Read More
2016-03-27 20:00
photo by Toby Neal By keeping a pulse on what my kiddos are checking out and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have mo… Read More
2016-03-15 20:00
Big Nate Blasts Offby Lincoln PeirceBalzer + Bray (Feb. 16, 2016)Chapter BookSummary:Nate has a crush on Ruby. But after his scrap with Randy Betancourt makes headlines in the Weekly Bugle… Read More
2016-03-09 21:56
Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poemsby Bob RaczkaRoaring Brook (Mar. 8, 2016)PoetrySummary:Who says words need to be concrete? This collection shapes poems in surprising and delightful ways… Read More
2016-03-08 21:30
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregivingby Jonathan EvisonAlgonquin Books (August 2012)Adult FictionSummary:After losing virtually everything meaningful in his life, Benjamin trains to be a c… Read More
2016-03-02 21:00
The Muralistby B. A. ShapiroAlgonquin (Nov. 3, 2015)Historical Fiction What It's About:When Alizee Benoit, a young American painter working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), vani… Read More
2016-03-02 21:00
The Muralistby B. A. ShapiroAlgonquin (Nov. 3, 2015)Historical Fiction What It's About:When Alizee Benoit, a young American painter working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), vani… Read More
2016-02-29 21:00
Mother Bruceby Ryan T. HigginsDisney-Hyperion (Nov. 24, 2015)Picture BookWhat It's About:Bruce the bear likes to keep to himself. That, and eat eggs. But when his hard-boiled goose eggs tur… Read More
2016-02-27 13:41
photo by Toby Neal By keeping a pulse on what my kiddos are checking out and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have mo… Read More
2016-02-25 21:00
Under the Wide and Starry Skyby Nancy HoranBallantine (Jan. 14, 2014)Historical FictionWhat It's About:Nancy Horan chronicles the unconventional love affair of Scottish literary giant Rober… Read More
2016-02-25 21:00
Under the Wide and Starry Skyby Nancy HoranBallantine (Jan. 14, 2014)Historical FictionWhat It's About:Nancy Horan chronicles the unconventional love affair of Scottish literary giant Rober… Read More
2016-02-22 21:00
Glow: Animals With Their Own Nightlightsby W. H. BeckHoughton Mifflin Harcourt (Dec. 15, 2015)Informational Picture BookSummary:Why be afraid of the dark when there is so much to see? Whethe… Read More
2016-02-18 21:00
A Fifty-Year Silence: Love, War, and a Ruined Year in Franceby Miranda Richmond MouillotBroadway Books (Jan. 19, 2016)MemoirWhat it's about:A memoir by a young woman who travels to France t… Read More
2016-02-18 21:00
A Fifty-Year Silence: Love, War, and a Ruined Year in Franceby Miranda Richmond MouillotBroadway Books (Jan. 19, 2016)MemoirWhat it's about:A memoir by a young woman who travels to France t… Read More
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