Due to a change in circumstances, I’ll be taking an indefinite break from posting on this blog.
Take care, keep reading, and love to everyone.
“Elsewhere the world may be blustering or sleeping, wars are fought, people live and die, some nations disintegrate while others are born, soon to be swallowed up in turn — and in all this sound and fury, amidst eruptions and undertows, while the world goes its merry way, bursts into flames, tears itself apart and is reborn: human life continues to throb.
“So, let us drink a cup of tea.” ~from The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.
To celebrate Black History Month, here are five outstanding 2021 books by African American authors:
Fast Pitch by Nick Stone 2021
Playing the Cards You’re Dealt by Varian Johnson 2021
Forever This Summer (sequel to Love Like Sky) by Leslie C. Youngblood 2021
Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia 2021
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewel Parker Rhodes 2021
For more books by African American authors, see my post titled “Celebrating Valentine’s Day and Black History Month.”
Happy reading!
“I always get up and make a cup of coffee while it is still dark — it must be dark — and then I drink the coffee and watch the light come.” ~Toni Morrison
Winter is the perfect season to curl up with with a good mystery and a hot beverage. Here’s a list (alpha by author) of juvenile mysteries along with their year of publication. Several are by BIPOC authors.
If You Find This by Matthew Baker 2015
Chasing Vermeer and sequels by Blue Balliett 2004+
Brixton Brothers Series by Mac Barnett 2009+
The Red Blazer Girls Mystery Series by Michael D. Beil 2009+
The Book Scavenger Series by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 2015+
Zora and Me: the Song of Ivory by Victoria Bond & T.R. Simon 2010 (BIPOC)
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusty Bowling 2017
Flavia de Luce Mystery Series by Alan Bradley 2009+ (classified as for adults, but suitable for pre-teen and teen advanced readers)
The Usual Suspects by Maurice Broaddus 2019 (BIPOC)
Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries by Elizabeth C. Bunce 2020+
The World’s Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson 2016
Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes 2018 (BIPOC)
Finding Mighty by Sheela Chari 2017 (BIPOC)
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd 2007
The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton 2018
Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald 2014
Pumpkin Falls Mystery Series by Heather Vogel Frederick 2014+
FunJungle Series by Stuart Gibbs 2010+
The Detective’s Assistant by Kate Hannigan 2015
The Lost Art Mysteries by Deron R. Hicks 2017+
Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen Series by Marthe Jocelyn 2021+
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson 2018 (BIPOC)
OC Daniel by Wesley King 2016
The Wig in the Window (2013) & The Tiara on the Terrace (2016) by Kristen Kittscher
Goldie Vance Series by Hope Larson (graphic novels) 2020+(BIPOC)
Nooks and Crannies by Jennifer Lawson 2015
Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars by Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin 2007
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks 2020 (BIPOC)
Greenglass House and sequels by Kate Milford 2014+
Framed! Series by James Ponti 2016+
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin 1978
A-Z Mystery Series and Capital Mystery Series (for Emergent Readers) by Ron Roy 1997+
Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective Series by Octavia Spencer 2015+
Enola Holmes Mystery Series by Nancy Springer (novels and graphic novels) 2006+
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead 2009
The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens 2017
Wells & Wong Mystery Series by Robin Stevens 2014+
The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley 2017 (BIPOC)
The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson 2017
Mo & Dale Mystery Series by Sheila Turnage 2012+
Sammy Keyes Mystery Series by Wendelin Van Draanen 1998+
Eddie Red Undercover Series by Marcia Wells 2014+
Ernestine, Catastrophe Queen by Merrill Wyatt 2018+
Tangled Up in Luck by Merrill Wyatt 2021
The Emperor’s Riddle by Kat Zhang 2017 (BIPOC)
And let’s not forget the classics:
Hardy Boys Adventures by Franklin W. Dixon 1927+
Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner 1929
Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene 1930+
Trixie Belden Mysteries by Kathryn Kenny 1948+
Encyclopedia Brown Series by Donald J Sobol 1963+
The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner 1924+
My favorite? The Enola Holmes Mystery Series by Nancy Springer!
Happy reading!
“Tea and books: Mmmmm, two of life’s exquisite pleasures that together bring near-bliss.” ~Christine Hanrahan
For the holiday season, here’s a diverse list of books with a wintry setting. Brrr!
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson
The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh
The Lotterys More or Less by Emma Donoghue
Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee
Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
The Doldrums and the Helmsley Curse by Nicholas Gannon
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
Very Rich by Polly Horvath
WinterFrost by Michelle Houts
Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson
Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson
Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Poet’s Dog by Patricia MacLachlan
Greenglass House by Kate Milford
Lara’s Gift by Annemarie O’Brien
Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr
The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson
May B. by Caroline Starr Rose
Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine by Caroline Starr Rose
The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Delia Sherman
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Lost Frost Girl by Amy Wilson
Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin
“It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.” ~Dylan Thomas (from A Child’s Christmas in Wales)
October is my favorite month of the year, not just because it’s so cool and colorful, but because it has the funnest holiday: Halloween! To celebrate, here’s a list of creepy reads that’ll leave you feeling delightfully spooked. Read them at night with a steaming cup of your favorite autumn tea.
The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
Small Spaces, Dead Voices, and Dark Waters by Katherine Arden
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
The House With a Clock in Its Walls and other books by John Bellairs
Doll Bones by Holly Black
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
The Ghost Road by Chris Cotter
The Witches by Roald Dahl
A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano
Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro
The Graveyard Book and Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Wait Till Helen Comes and other books by Mary Downing Hahn
The Great Ghost Rescue and Dial-a-Ghost by Eva Ibbotson
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
How to Catch a Bogle Trilogy by Catherine Jinks
The Dark Thirty by Patricia McKissack
The Book of Bad Things and other books by Dan Poblocki
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (three books) by Alvin Schwartz
City of Ghosts, Tunnel of Bones, and Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab
Beware! scary stories picked by by R.L. Stine
Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stine
Lockwood & Co Series by Jonathan Stroud
The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden by Emma Trevayne
Nightbooks by J.A. White
Happy reading!
Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and teapot bubble. Give me autumn, give me tea; Give me spooky Halloweens!
My July 12, 2017 post was a list of “100 Juvenile Books That Take Place in the Summer.” Here are some more. These were published between 2017-2021.
JFIC novels that take place in the summer and were published between 2017 and 2021:
All the Ways Home by Elsie Chapman
Any Day with You by Mae Respicio
August Isle by Ali Standish
Battle of Junk Mountain (The) by Lauren Abbey Greenberg
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol (Graphic Novel)
Brother Wars: Cabin Eleven by Steven K Smith
Camp Average by Craig Battle
Camp by Kayla Miller (Graphic Novel)
Camp Clique by Eileen Moskowitz-Palma
Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
Chirp by Kate Messner
Effie Starr Zook Has One More Question by Martha Freeman
Emperor’s Riddle (The) by Kat Zhang
Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora (The) by Pablo Cartaya
Finally, Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett
Forever This Summer by Leslie C Youngblood
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Girls of Firefly Cabin (The) by Cynthia Ellingsen
Guggenheim Mystery (The) by Robin stevens
High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson
Hope in the Holler by Lisa Lewis Tyre
House that Lou Built (The) by Mae Respicio
Jelly Bean Summer by Joyce Magnin
Junior Lifeguards Series by Elizabeth Doyle Carey
Key to Everything (The) by Pat Schmatz
Kind of Paradise (A) by Amy Rebecca Tan
Lemons by Melissa Savage
Line Tender (The) by Kate Allen
Matchstick Castle (The) by Keir Graff
Mystery of the Moon Tower (The) by Francesco Sedita
Parker Inheritance (The) by Varian Johnson
Quicksand Pond by Janet Taylor Lisle
Rambler Steals Home (A) by Carter Higgins
Rating Your Bunkmates and Other Camp Crimes by Jennifer Orr
Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang
Season of Styx Malone (The) by Kekla Magoon
Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Silver Meadows Summer by Emma Otheguy
Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim
Summer and July by Paul Mosier
Summer at Meadow Wood by Amy Rebecca Tan
This Would Make a Good Story Someday by Dana Alison Levy
Thousand Questions (A) by Saadia Faruqi
To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan
What Happens Next by Claire Swinarski
When I Hit the Road by Nancy J Cavanaugh
When Life Gives You Mangos by Kareen Getten
Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin
Wild Blues by Beth Kephart
Wrong Way Summer by Heidi Lang
Of the ones I’ve read, I particularly enjoyed Lemons by Melissa Savage, a funny and touching story of two friends searching for BigFoot while coping with family loss.
Happy reading!
“American-style iced tea is the perfect drink for a hot, sunny day. It’s never really caught on in the UK, probably because the last time we had a hot, sunny day was back in 1957.” ~Tom Holt
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May is both Older Americans Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Here’s a list of 25 middle grade books that include grandparents. Several are by Asian American authors.
The Blackbird Girls / Anne Blankman
The Witches / Roald Dahl
Louisiana’s Way Home / Kate DiCamillo
Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It / Sundee Tucker Frazier
The Fourteenth Goldfish / Jennifer L. Holm
Sunny Side Up / Jennifer L. Holm
The Thing About Luck / Cynthia Kadohata
When You Trap a Tiger / Tae Keller
Listen, Slowly / Thanhha Lai
Dream Within a Dream / Patricia MacLachlan
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse / Joseph Marshall III
Merci Suárez Changes Gears / Meg Medina
Chirp / Kate Messner
The Turtle of Oman / Naomi Shihab Nye
Astrid the Unstoppable / Maria Parr
A Long Way from Chicago / Richard Peck
A Year Down Yonder / Richard Peck
As Brave as You / Jason Reynolds
The Good Thieves / Katherine Rundell
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu / Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Heidi / Johanna Spyri
The Runaways / Ulf Stark
Clean Getaway / Nic Stone
Gone Crazy in Alabama / Rita Williams-Garcia
Echo Mountain / Lauren Wolk
Happy reading!
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
![Island Treasures: Growing Up in Cuba by [Alma Flor Ada, Antonio Martorell, Edel Rodriguez]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+4kH6ebZL._SY346_.jpg)
The Reading Café 