"I kept meaning to start a librarian blog," says YA nominating panelist Abby Johnson, of Abby (the) Librarian. "[A]nd then one day…I did. I started it as a way to join this great community of kid-lit loving librarians, teachers, authors, students, parents, etc." In addition to sharing information and insights about children’s library programs, she also posts book reviews that are down-to-earth, thorough, and varied.
One of her recent reviews presents Cybils YA nominee Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd, which was shortlisted for the Guardian children’s fiction award. Set against the backdrop of the often-violent conflict between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, this story of mystery and suspense is also, at heart, a tale of family.
In her review, Abby describes a gripping story with poetic writing and a compelling main character:
It’s 1981 and Fergus McCann is 18 when he and his uncle find the body.
It’s the body of a girl, preserved for thousands of years in the bog,
and it looks like she’s been murdered….
Click here to read the full review.