Diamond Willow

This is a beautiful and finely-crafted book, lent to me by my friend John, who is on GR but who is also a neighbour. He met the author when she paid a visit here. I started it late last night, and had to stay in bed this morning until I finished it! I’m writing this review before attending to the lo......more

I make a point of telling everyone who will listen that the best writers are children's/YA authors. The last two books I finished - The Underneath by Kathi Appelt and this one - are perfect examples. Books that are funny, heartbreaking, suspenseful, hopeful without crossing the line into sappiness........more

The sentence "I told you so!" is deeply satisfying. Granted, the satisfaction you feel when you say it only lasts a minute or two, but for a little while, as you do your "I told you so" dance, you get to feel that thrill of vindication sweeping through your veins. I often feel this way when an autho......more

When I first picked up this book I thought it was a very strange layout. Students love free verse novels but I was concerned that this layout would be difficult for them to follow. But once I started reading the book I realized that your eye just follows the lines automatically and the little hidden......more

Started a bit slow, but I really liked the ending. Written in a very similar style to Hidden by the same author, with the story told in verse with an additional message revealed on each page. Ages 8 and up.......more