Search Results for: blog author review jane yolen

Author Interview—J. Scott Savage, on Writing Fantasy

Yesterday we were joined by J. Scott Savage, author of the soon-to-be-released young adult fantasy novel, “Farworld: Water Keep.” If you missed the first installment, you can click here to catch up. Scott, I understand “Water Keep” is the first of a series. How many books will follow, and how frequently will they be released? Seventeen books released one every three years. Just kidding! There are five books. The titles of books two, three, and four are Land Keep, Air Keep, and Fire Keep. I’m still working on the title for book five. They will be released one book every … Continue reading →

Children’s Book Radio – Podcast Review

Children’s Book Radio is podcast for parents, teachers, and children’s book lovers. The host, Sabrina Weissler says she is almost a preacher about the value of reading to children. Each weekly podcast has Weisller reviewing a book and features a “bonus”. The bonus may be an interview with a children’s book author, reader’s feedback, or information about a child related website. The podcasts vary in length, some are less than ten minutes, some are more than twenty. Weissler covers books from the Pre-K level all the way to books for young adults. She reviews new books as well as classics … Continue reading →

Author Review: Charles M. Schulz

We know Charles M. Schulz best as the creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip. I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look into the life of this highly talented man. As a child, he was moved up two half-grades, and became the youngest in his class when he reached high school. He was fairly shy and isolated, perhaps because of this age difference, but also perhaps because of a natural tendency. Discovering a talent, he began taking correspondence courses in art. In 1943, he was drafted into the Army and was sent to Europe to serve his … Continue reading →

Author Review – Jane Yolen

Jane Yolen is one of the most prolific authors of historical/medieval fiction currently on the market. Her eye for detail and rich descriptions lured me in from the start, as did the indepth knowledge of history she displays. As a lover of history myself, I was hooked. Let’s learn a little more about Jane Yolen. She was born in 1939, the oldest in her Jewish family. Her father worked as a journalist for the newspapers in New York, and her mother was a social worker, holding that position only until Jane was born, and then retiring. She too was a … Continue reading →

Girl in a Cage – Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris

I’ve mentioned just how much I enjoy the young adult historical fiction of Ann Rinaldi. I’m delighted to say that I’ve found another superlative author to add to my favorites list – Jane Yolen. I have read some of her adult fiction novels and found them to be very well done, and today I’d like to share with you “Girl in a Cage,” which was nominated for the Utah Young Adults’ Book Award and co-written with Robert J. Harris. History tells us that Robert the Bruce had one child, a daughter named Marjorie, who was captured by the English and … Continue reading →

Dragonflight – Anne McCaffrey

Dragonflight is the first book in the acclaimed Dragonriders of Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey. The first segment of the book won a Hugo award in 1968, and the second part won a Nebula award. Dragonflight takes place on a planet called Pern. The world of Pern has a complex social system of Holders (sort of like Kings), Crafters (blacksmiths, musicians, weavers, etc.), and Weyrfolk (riders of dragons and protectors of Pern). At their hatching, the huge dragons bond with humans. Together the dragons and their riders share a telepathic communication. In this first book it’s been 400 years since … Continue reading →

Pretties – Scott Westerfeld

“Pretties” is the sequel to the futuristic sci-fi novel “Uglies,” reviewed by me previously. As I stated in that review, I’m not really a sci-fi fan, but these books are fascinating to me. Tally Youngblood lives in a society where beauty is the ultimate goal. When the people in her town reach the age of sixteen, they are given surgery to make them incredibly beautiful, but at the same time, their brains are altered to make them less aware of what’s going on around them. They are being controlled and kept from uprising. Only a few have escaped the surgery, … Continue reading →

Beneath a Marble Sky – John Shors

“Beneath a Marble Sky” is the first novel for John Shors, but I would not have guessed it. His imagery is stunning, his word choice nearly flawless – I would have credited this book to a much more seasoned novelist. The book is a historical fiction set around the building of the Taj Mahal. We have all heard the story of the king who loved his wife dearly and was heartbroken when she died, and so he created a mausoleum in her memory and caused it to be the most beautiful building on earth. Shors took that kernel of information, … Continue reading →

Book of Enchantments – Patricia C. Wrede

The more I read by this author, the more “enchanted” I find myself. She has taken the traditional fairy tale format and tweaked it, even poking at the stereotypical and making it seem funny. You recall the review I wrote on “Dealing with Dragons” –I loved that book and will continue to snap up whatever else I find by the same author. “Book of Enchantments” is a collection of short stories that take place in fantasy worlds in ages past as well as our own world in our own time. I’d like to share with you the highlights of some … Continue reading →