Growing Bookworms Newsletter: March 25

Today, I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's and young adult books and raising readers. I usually send the newsletter out every two weeks, but this time it's been three weeks, because I have been on vacation.

Newsletter Update: In this issue I have six children's book reviews (picture book through young adult), one installment of my new #KidLitFaves series, and two posts with literacy and reading links that I shared on Twitter recently. I also have a review a of book for parents by Nancy Newman on Raising Passionate Readers. 

Reading Update: In the last three weeks I completed three middle grade, three young adult, and three adult titles. Very balanced reading indeed! I read/listened to:

• Jennifer L. Holm: The Fourteenth Goldfish. Random House Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed March 11, 2015, library download. I always enjoy Jenni Holm's books, and this was no exception. 
• Alexander Key: The Forgotten Door. Scholastic. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed March 18, 2015, on Kindle. A re-read of one of my favorite titles, perfect for vacation. 
• Roald Dahl: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Puffin Books. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed March 23, 2015, on Kindle. A re-read of one of my childhood favorites, which I hadn't read in decades. Also perfect for vacation. 
• Maureen Johnson: The Shadow Cabinet (Shades of London). Putnam. Young Adult Fiction. Completed March 8, 2015. My review.
• Harlan Coben: Found: A Mickey Bolitar Novel. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Fiction. Completed March 14, 2015, on Kindle. A quick, engaging read (if not terribly plausible). 
• Demitria Lunetta: In the End (In the After). HarperTeen. Young Adult Fiction. Completed March 22, 2015, on Kindle. The conclusion to a two-book dystopian series. 
• D. E. Stevenson: Celia's House. Sourcebooks. Adult Fiction. Completed March 8, 2015, on MP3. A re-read of an old favorite (my first time listening to the story). 
• Laura Lippman: Hush Hush: A Tess Monaghan Novel. William Morrow. Adult Mystery. Completed March 13, 2015, on MP3. Nice to see Tess Monaghan back at work, now mother to a three-year-old daughter. 
• D. E. Stevenson: The Four Graces. Sourcebooks. Adult Fiction. Completed March 15, 2015, on Kindle. This was my first time reading this Stevenson title, which I did not find to be her best work. Ah well. 

I'm listening to Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card, and reading The Shining by Stephen King (another book I had not read in decades). The books my husband and I have been reading to our daughter can be found here (though the list is not quite up-to-date).

Our vacation was to Disney World, and my daughter spent considerable time prior to the trip, at her own initiative, catching up on Disney-themed books. Once we were there, I can't say we had as much time to read with her as I might have liked, but of course real life experiences are important, too. Her favorite book these days is Mitchell Goes Bowling by Hallie Durand and Tony Fucile. She was also quite thrilled when we went through today's many packages to find new Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy paperbacks waiting.

What are you and your family reading these days? Thanks for reading the newsletter, and for growing bookworms. 

© 2015 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.