Monthly Archives: February 2013

Writing Wednesday: Can you end a sentence with “in”?

Yesterday afternoon, I found myself writing a note in which I ended a sentence with the word “in.” The English teacher in me almost began to twitch at the prospect of ending a sentence with a preposition until I realized … Continue reading

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Monday Book Review: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

At this point, I’ve read three of the nominees for Best Juvenile Mystery for the 2013 Edgars. This is my favorite so far. It’s got an unusual mystery told with memorable characters and an engaging voice. Title: Three Times Lucky Author: Sheila … Continue reading

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Writing Wednesday: Every day vs. Everyday

A student asked me about this a couple days ago. It’s one of those grammar rules I feel like I know inherently simply from being a voracious reader, but we took a moment in class to pinpoint the distinction between … Continue reading

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Monday Book Review: Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger

I don’t know if this book will win the 2013 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery, but it definitely wins for longest title! Title: Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O’Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (And Some Nerdy Kid) Save the … Continue reading

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Monday Book Review: The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George

This week I tackled the 400+ page behemoth that is The Edge of Nowhere.  This is the second contender for the 2013 Edgar for Best YA Mystery that I’ve read this year. It was also recently nominated for the Agatha Award. … Continue reading

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Writing Wednesday: Should you cut all your adverbs?

Many people I’ve met through writing groups (both online and in person) talk about how “evil” adverbs are and how we should cut them from our writing. Stephen King talks about this in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the … Continue reading

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Monday Book Review: Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

I’m on my second week of reviewing the nominees for the 2013 Edgar Award. This week I tackle a contender for the juvenile category. Title: Spy School Author: Stuart Gibbs Age: upper middle grade (to me this book screams “twelve-year-old … Continue reading

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