We all know Lois Lane as a feisty star reporter for the Daily Planet and Superman’s girlfriend. But what was she like as a teenager? Gwenda Bond asked that question and created the Lois Lane series that begins with Fallout. Lois Lane is 16 years old and new to East Metropolis High School. She has promised…
According to Anita Valle in the second book of the Dark Fairy Tale Queen Series, Sneaky Snow White, Snow White was no angel. Though we’d like to think of her as an innocent young woman fleeing for a life threatened by an evil queen, Valle goes beyond the veil of legend and reveals a darker…
Life II Have a few regrets? Wish you could make some changes in your life? Think back to one event in your timeline you remember with clarity. Now, step back into yourself during that specific event and live your life again with all of your present day knowledge. That is the premise of Scott Spotson’s…
Andrea, a high school student, and her middle school brother, Bobby, were pried from comfy Florida living and tearfully moved to Stevensville, Idaho, a small town country community. Mom Shelly Taylor was a successful associate at a Tampa advertising agency, so she didn’t like the move either. Dad Steve Taylor had a job offer in…
A cryptid is a parahuman with a few animal-like traits. Shay, a high school senior is oblivious to the fact that she is one. Yes, she can see and communicate with ghosts and she has jet-black hair as deep and rich as a black cat. But, does that make her one? Hugh, a college freshman,…
Summer 2016 is right around the corner. What better way to enjoy a day at the beach than to bring a good book to soak up the sun? Here are 12 YA books on the SCBWI “Summer Reading List” by California writers. With each book you’ll find its category, author, brief description, and link to…
Jeanne Bannon is the author of The Beautiful Monster Series. She says, “I’ve always loved to read about vampires, especially the Vampire Lestat books by Anne Rice. Another of my favorites is Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. My aim for Beautiful Monster was to remain true to the folklore and genre. I didn’t want to…
Sam Vives, a Barcelona teen, is just a normal boy dealing with usual problems–homework, friends, and school bullies like Rafa who has targeted Sam since he was 7. When Sam and Rafa are paired during fencing class Sam wins easily, but gets smacked illegally by Rafa’s heavy sword. Later that day, limping home, Sam’s thoughts turn…
With kids about to exit schools by the droves, it’s a good idea to keep them reading during the summer months. If children take a vacation from reading over the long hot summer their reading skills could fizzle. Studies have shown that students can lose up to three months of reading progress over the…
Red Fever wiped out Maelyn’s entire village. Just a toddler, she left her dead family in search of bread. Luckily, a kind stranger found the little girl crying on the side of the road. He and his wife adopted her and loved her like any good parent would toward their eldest daughter. Eight other girls…