Tag: YA

Revisiting New Orleans…

Back in October, I read Paula Morris’ “Ruined” and I was immediately hooked. It had all the makings of the a great “spooky season” read….ghosts, New Orleans, history, a family curse, and New Orleans cemeteries. As I told a friend about the book, I looked it up online to check the author’s name and discovered there was a second book. It continued!

I’m always excited when the story continues and quickly ordered a copy of “Unbroken.” Rebecca returns to New Orleans with a friend from home to visit family and one friend, Anton. New Orleans without a ghost and a family curse should hopefully be less stressful until a mysterious boy shows up in New York asking for help in New Orleans.

While Rebecca tries to keep the ghost hidden, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. Talking to an invisible person draws attention to you. Rebecca has to share the news with her friend from home….she sees ghosts and one needs her help. Helping a ghost is never easy and other ghosts become angry and try to stop her.

Sometimes second books don’t live up to the first. It feels like a desperate attempt to continue a completed story. That was not the case here. The story continued. It flowed. It made sense. Rebecca and her dad visiting family in New Orleans was logical. The ghost that found her didn’t feel forced. The story took different turns than the first and while the characters and location were the same, it was definitely a new story that continued from the last book.

I would definitely recommend both “Ruined” and “Unbroken.” I could see the streets of New Orleans as I turned the pages and I really enjoyed both books. If you are looking for a ghost story that isn’t scary, but rather friends and enemies that span centuries, be sure to check these books out.

When your secrets go viral…

How do you keep things private in a digital age? When things can easily be shared online? When hackers can access devices and cloud storage, is anything ever really safe?

In “In Case You Missed It” by Sarah Darer Littman we see what happens when your safe protected cloud storage is hacked and shared online. Sammy, a high school junior is busy with the APs and getting her driver’s license. She keeps a personal diary on her computer so her little brother can’t find it and read it.

Sammy’s dad is the CEO of a major bank. He is under enormous stress because there are protesters outside the bank protesting bank actions. Sammy is aware of his stress, but she’s a teenager busy with her own school stress. While it might seem like there is no overlap, their whole world is turned upside down when hackers hack into bank documents then turn their attack on her father, personally. They hack into the family’s cloud storage and start sharing everything they find online…including Sammy’s personal diary.

Every thought, every frustration, the time she lied to her parents…all out there for her classmates and parents to read. Things at the bank are worse than ever and her dad stays at work for days on end because he is dealing with the issues there. Her entire school has read her diary, her friends are furious and refuse to speak to her. The ultimate irony in Sammy’s mind is that her mom tells her not to read any of their emails or texts shared online but Sammy’s mom reads her diary. On top of losing her friends, Sammy is caught lying to her parents through her diary and is now grounded. While Sammy’s secrets are on the internet being read, so are her parents’ secrets and Sammy learns the biggest secret they’ve been keeping from her. Definitely check out this book to see what happens when all those private thoughts and email exchanges are now available for the whole world to read.

This YA book is well written and readers of all age can identify with the question – how safe is anything online? The story flows well, is captivating and took turns I didn’t expect (which I really enjoy in a book). Friendships end, family dynamics change, Sammy learns a lot about herself, her real friends, and if you have to choose who is going to snoop through your diary….she’d rather it was just her little brother. I highly recommend this book.

I’m back with a Halloween read

It’s been a while and I’ve missed sharing children’s books with all of you. For those new here, I write about favorite children’s and YA books (and why I think adults should read them too!). You may wonder why children’s and YA books. I have so many good memories of being read to as a child, reading books myself, and visiting my favorite characters in books. I love revisiting favorite childhood books and finding new amazing books to share.

Now that we are close to Halloween (my favorite holiday), I’m enjoying Halloween books. One book I love to reread this time of year is Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It’s just scary enough without bringing on nightmares for a chicken like me.

I especially love that the story is local. I always enjoy when we can share books with children and bring them to life. The legend takes place in Sleepy Hollow, NY, a short drive from here. After reading the book with your child, visit Washington Irving’s home, Sunnyside or stop by the Old Dutch Church (yes, it is still standing) and while there you can visit Washington Irving’s grave out back. While there, cross the headless horseman’s bridge. To walk the steps of the story brings it to life in a whole new way. I have such great memories of my mom taking me to Sleepy Hollow and walking the same path Ichabod Crane walked in the legend.

I found an old copy of the legend on vinyl which is equally amazing. If you want more ways to bring it to life after reading, the old Disney cartoon is available on Disney+. For older readers, also check out Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow.”

Check back in next week when I share my favorite YA book that builds off of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”