People change. So do stories. Sometimes, when a story holds a certain special magic, woven by compelling universal emotions, it endures through the years, decades and centuries. As it is told and retold, it takes on characteristics of the personalities and cultures who tell it. In the case of Cinderella, for example, she started out […]
Tag Archives: Bridget Hodder
June
21
TAKEDOWN by Laura Shovan – Review by Bridget Hodder
posted by CBethM
It isn’t surprising that author Laura Shovan, who won several distinctions for her thoughtful novel-in-verse, THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY, has a new book out this week. However, fans of her last novel might be surprised to learn that the new one is about…wrestling. So let’s begin this review by pointing out […]
March
13
THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS by Ammi-Joan Paquette – Reviewed by: Bridget Hodder
posted by CBethM
“Late at night, that’s when the magic was strongest. When stories swirled like fog and trembled like dreams made real.” There’s a tender, shimmering enchantment to be found at the heart of Ammi-Joan Paquette’s new Middle Grade novel, THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS. In Middle Grade literature, it’s rare to find the […]
January
24
THE SOMEDAY BIRDS by Sally J. Pla – Review by Bridget Hodder
posted by CBethM
THE SOMEDAY BIRDS is a triumphant debut with the resonance and depth of an instant classic. Author Sally J. Pla’s story digs deep into the truth of the autism experience and comes up with wisdom, hilarity, tenderness, and precious, complicated hope. Emily Dickinson described hope as “the thing with feathers.” For our main character, […]
October
19
Finding Perfect by Elly Swartz – Review by Bridget Hodder
posted by CBethM
Most of us have done it, at one time or another. We’ve joked about being “kind of OCD.” We say it when our colleague keeps his desk meticulously neat; when our friend goes back to the salon the instant she gets a chip in her nail polish; when we check our phones […]
August
23
Stories, Actually…. by Bridget Hodder
posted by CBethM
For several years, I taught reading through the Resource Room of a public elementary school, where we often had to pull out inclusion kids from vibrant mainstream classrooms during Language Arts or “free reading” periods. We taught these students the basics of reading from a regimented, workbook-based program required by our curriculum. And yet, […]
Nerdy Book Club 