Bestselling kids’ author Alan Gratz talks about his love of detective novels and a book that surprised him
…of Ryan Hart, a fourth-grade girl in Portland, Oregon, who is dealing with all the usual troubles of grade school life while her family struggles with the loss of her…
The Southern Wildlife Watcher surveys the region’s creatures
…wheedling call.” Divided into creatures of the air, land, and water, the collection is both personal and practical. Each of the 36 short essays describes the distinguishing marks of an…
Julia Alvarez talks with Chapter 16 about sisterhood, global community, and living by metaphor
…Books of Chapel Hill. It was an unusual title for their list, so she was taking a chance with this kind of “ethnic literature,” which had always been considered sociological.…
A 14-year-old makes a difficult journey of self-discovery
When a dragonfly alights on the edge of the casket at his brother’s funeral, Kingston Reginald James is convinced Khalid isn’t really gone, just changed into one of the dragonflies…
Michael Ray Taylor talks about the wonders and wisdom found deep underground
…good news is that in recent decades most commercial caves have become more like those in state and national parks, delivering strong educational and conservational messages with their tours. Many…
Jill McCorkle’s Hieroglyphics explores the intricate passages of memory, time, and love
…different, sometimes incompatible ways. Lil is the family recorder, a habitual jotter and journal keeper who has for many years set down her unvarnished thoughts and memories with the aim…
