Happy Sunday! I use Sundays to plan and prepare for the upcoming week. I have been asked so many times about the resources that help me plan a full week that I decided to launch the “Planning the Week” feature with three concomitant components: a recommended book to make your commute easier; a healthy recipe… Read More Book Recommendation: ‘The Prank List’, by Anna Staniszewski
Let’s be honest here: I’m turning into quite the Anna Staniszewski fan, what with my review of I’m With Cupid, The Gossip File, and The Prank List, and her two previous appearances on Sahar’s Blog, the first in the form of a guest post centered on The Gossip File and her first appearance in the… Read More Author Spotlight: Anna Staniszewski
In her Dirt Diaries series, the third and last installment of which I recently reviewed, author Anna Staniszewski continues to develop the character of tween-aged Rachel Lee in a refreshingly positive way. The narrative in this book is not watered down into a simplified, black and white, good versus evil story. Books such as The… Read More Author Spotlight: Anna Staniszewski
The use of the supernatural in storytelling is at its best with it serves to highlight concepts important to both advance the plot as well as deepen our understanding of the characters. In I’m With Cupid, Anna Staniszewski does exactly that. Thirteen year-olds Marcus and Lena seem to be your stereotypical North American middle schoolers,… Read More Book Review: ‘I’m With Cupid’ by Anna Staniszewski
In the third and final installment of The Dirt Diary series, we meet Ava—Rachel Lee’s alter ego of sorts. When Rachel’s Florida visit starts going sour, she turns to Ava to spice things us a little. For the trip which was supposed to be an occasion for her to catch up with her beloved Dad,… Read More Book Review and Guest Post: ‘The Gossip File’ by Anna Staniszewski
I have to confess from the beginning that I am particularly demanding when it comes to books written for preteens. After all, they are particularly vulnerable to the influences of their environment, be they positive or negative. The Prank List by Anna Staniszewski made for an interesting read. The main character, Rachel Lee, is set… Read More Book Review: ‘The Prank List’ by Anna Staniszewski