Nicholas Bruner
Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Young Adult Author
Tag: YA
What I’m Reading: Lotería
Now here’s a beautifully written novel for older kids: Lotería, by Karla Arenas Valenti. And great for practicing your Spanish, too, as there are numerous Spanish phrases throughout, always followed by a translation in the text. The book is organized around a game of… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Lotería”
What I’m Reading: Eleanor & Park
Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell, is a 2013 YA novel about, as you might guess, two characters named Eleanor and Park, who seem at first to have little in common but end up meaning everything to each other.
What I’m Reading: The Scam List
Oh, now this is an entertaining book. I’m not sure if it’s good for you, exactly, but it’s definitely entertaining. The Scam List, by Kurt Dinan, follows Boone McReedy, a seventeen-year-old whose dad is in jail for running con jobs, and who fears he’s… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: The Scam List”
What I’m Reading: Indian No More
Indian No More is a middle grade novel credited to two authors–Charlene Willing McManus, who conceived and wrote early drafts of the book, and Traci Sorell, her friend, who finished the book after McManus died in 2018. McManus was an Umpqua Indian from Oregon,… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Indian No More”
What I’m Reading: The Story That Cannot Be Told
The Story That Cannot Be Told is a YA novel by J. Kasper Kramer about Ileana, an eleven-year-old girl who lives in Bucharest, Romania, in the summer of 1989. And right here, I need to make a point, because to an adult the tone… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: The Story That Cannot Be Told”
What I’m Reading: One of Us Is Lying
One of Us Is Lying is a clever YA mystery by Karen M. McManus. It starts with five teenagers headed to detention after school. By the end of detention, one of the five is dead, and the other four all have a motive for… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: One of Us Is Lying”
What I’m Reading: The Unteachables
The Unteachables is about a class of seven eighth-graders in the Self-Contained Special (SCS) class at Greenwich Middle School. The SCS class is widely known among both students and teachers as “the unteachables,” kids who teachers just can’t reach and shouldn’t even bother. This… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: The Unteachables”
What I’m Reading: Tom Brown’s Schooldays
Hmm, I’ve just finished a book about an average English boy who gets called away to a special private school. When he arrives there, he’s accepted to one of several houses that each have their own special character. He’s not so hot academically and… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Tom Brown’s Schooldays”
