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Maw Books Blog
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Blogging about all things books! I review every book I read and tell you how it is. Topics include book reviews, book lists,book recommendations, reading challenges, reading group guides, and how books play a part in my daily life.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'published 2009'
My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, Illlustrated by Catherine Stock
After reviewing three books this week about Sudan, I conclude with one last picture book: My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed and illustrated by Catherine Stock. Sangoel, his mother and his little sister are all refugee...
War Child, A Child Soldier’s Story by Emmanuel Jal
Why do I love reading memoirs? Because of books like War Child, A Child Soldier’s Story by Emmanuel Jal. What an incredible book that had me thoroughly engrossed. I think using the word engrossed is supposed to be a no-no when reviewing boo...
Saying Grace: A Prayer of Thanksgiving by Virginia Krull, Illustrated by Timothy Ladwig
Saying Grace: A Prayer of Thanksgiving by Virginia Krull and illustrated by Timothy Ladwig is a lovely new book on the importance of prayer and gratitude for our blessing. Although saying grace or blessing our food wasn’t a new idea among ear...
Gracias Thanks by Pat Mora, Illustrated by John Parra
My father-in-law has often joked (but totally serious) that Spanish is the language that we speak in heaven. He loves the language. He’s fluent in Spanish and uses it on a daily basis in his work and my mother-in-law recently learned it as...
A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
When I last reviewed A Visitor for Bear and interviewed the author, I was ecstatic to know that there were more books about Bear and Mouse in the works and A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton is one of those...
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is the perfect realistic fiction book with a fantasy twist. It’s a mystery too. As well as a coming of age, friendship book. In fact, When You Reach Me dabbles a little in many genres. In a short 197 p...
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
Okay folks. Surely you’ve seen this book around haven’t you? Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. I’d seen the cover before but had never taken the time to pick it up and so I was a tad excited when it wa...
The Book That Eats People by John Perry, Illustrated by Mark Fearing
My boys LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. The Book That Eats People by John Perry and illustrated by Mark Fearing is the book that they have been picking out of my huge stack of picture books all week. We read it at least three times straight through the...
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
I really want to share A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis with you. It’s so fun. Great story, great design, great color. It was so much fun to read. But how can I even begin to review it when Betsy at Fuse #8 has already written a rev...
Always My Brother by Jean Reagan and Illustrated by Phyllis Pollema-Cahill (with a giveaway)
Always My Brother by Jean Reagan and illustrated by Phyllis Pollema-Cahill is a very touching book and fills a need for books written for grieving children. In this lovingly written story, Becky and her brother John do everything together. Like r...
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown had me in love as soon as I laid my eyes on it. See, my other love is gardening. If I wasn’t blogging about books than I probably would be blogging about gardening. I’m not a pro by any means but I...
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, Illustrated by Marla Frazee
How can I not love All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon when it’s illustrated by Marla Frazee? I adore Frazee. And All the World is no exception. How does Frazee do it? I discovered Frazee last year (links to other reviews at end of post)...
Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty
I picked up Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty at the library because I couldn’t resist that adorable cover. Brought it home to discover that it’s a Cybils nominee. Score! Poor shy Jeremy lives on the top floor of a three-story a...
Dear Vampa by Ross Collins
Dear Vampa by Ross Collins is such a cute Halloween book although I admit that I didn’t think so on first impressions from thumbing through it. Once I sat down and read it, I thought it was fun. The Pires, who live in Pennsylvania aren’...
Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis has one of the strangest main characters I’ve ever read. Mazzy is just so quirky. No doubt about it. To tell you the truth, it’s been months since I read this book (yes – shoot me, I’m...
Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal
In Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal, the home of thirteen-year-old Pinky is full of secrets. Having lost her mother in infancy and given up by her father, Pinky lives with her aunt and uncle and three boy cousins in Bombay, in what used to be a be...
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo is in the same magical vein as The Tale of Despereaux. Although the book doesn’t start out with the words “Once Upon a Time,” it certainly has that fairy tale feeling with the first li...
Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
I picked up a copy of Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines when I was at Book Expo America in New York City earlier in the summer. I must admit that I was intrigued with the book but I was afraid it was a copycat of The Hunger Games, so I didn’...
Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
How could I resist a book like Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin with a cover like that? As soon as I saw this book on display at my local library I snatched it right up. Didn’t even read the back cover or anything. I just knew ...
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr (Including Video from Launch Party)
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr is Sara’s best book yet. 15-year-old Sam has always been defined as the pastor’s daughter. But not all is well behind closed doors. Citing the pressures of being a pastor’s wife, Sam’s mother is ...
Benny the Baffled Behemoth by Melissa Leembruggen, Illustrated by Trish McKinney
What in the world is a behemoth? From Job 40:15 in the Bible, “Look at the land beast, Behemoth. I created him as well as you . . . “ In addition to an animal being described in the Bible it also means something large in size or pow...
Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
I have been wanting to read a Sandra Dallas novel for a long time given the fact that a dozen of you have recommended her to me. And now I’ve had a chance to read her newest book, Prayers for Sale and, wow, what a talented author. It’...
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick is the type of book that I can not recall reading anything similar to it’s subject matter: that of a 18- year-old soldier in Iraq. I’m sure they are out there but I’m not sure where they are. ...
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Again Not Really a Review – But Rather Me Geeking Out On Release Day!) & Where You Can Win a Copy with Much Swag
Today is the day!! Catching Fire is in a bookstore near you! How exciting! I feel like there should be confetti and much fanfare. I was fortunate enough to read Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins nearly three months ago and it is the book that ...
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look
In my review of Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, Schools, and Other Scary Things I said that the book was perfect in every way. That I wanted to give it a little hug. Naturally, I couldn’t wait for it’s sequel Alvin Ho: Allergic to Campin...
Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
I can’t help myself. Since discovering free-verse novels, I am completely in love with the genre. Despite the fact that the subject matter of Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas is one that literally makes you sick to your stomach, it&...
Dork Diaries: Tales from a NOT-SO-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell
In full honesty and transparency I was a little excited to receive Dork Diaries: Tales from a NOT-SO-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell for review. This author certainly knows how to promote herself. First the book arrived in a box, not an env...
Wife of the Gods, An Inspector Darko Dawson Mystery by Kwei Quartey
I was drawn to Wife of the Gods, An Inspector Darko Dawson Mystery by Kwei Quartey for the cover alone. I just love how African it feels. Wife of the Gods is a whodunit murder mystery and in full honesty if the book wasn’t set in Africa w...
First Comes Loves, Then Comes Malaria by Eve Brown-Waite
With a title like First Comes Loves, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third-World Adventure Changed My Life by Eve Brown-Waite I had no idea what I was expecting from this book. I had skimmed just enough of the re...
Unite or Die, How Thirteen States Became a Nation by Jacqueline Jules, Illustrated by Jef Czekaj
Unite or Die, How Thirteen States Became a Nation by Jacqueline Jules and illustrated by Jef Czekaj is a perfect book to sit down with this holiday weekend with your kids and learn exactly how the constitution was created. And trust me, perhaps my ...
