M.L. Little, Author

Review of My Dog Book, My Cat Book, Superstar Dogs, and Superstar Cats from Running Press Publishers (RP Kids) This was a four-for-one deal and as cute as it gets. I have a lot I want to talk about so I’m going to break this up. First, My Dog Book and My Cat Book. These are interactive scrapbooks for kids to record memories, photos, and drawings of their pet. And they charmed the heck out of me. The layout is crisp and simple, yet so adorable. I would have been all over these when I was 8. Or 12. Or now. I love the clever writing prompts and bullet-journal style. The little doodles inside are so cute. If a child filled out the prompts in this book, it would make such a great keepsake for their life later on. Next, Superstar Dogs and Superstar Cats. I would have been all over these books, too, full of motivation to have the *coolest* dog ever. These are advanced tricks. I’m not sure I could pull half of them off even today because I’ve never been good at that kind of st...

I have a confession to make. I adore  The Odd Life of Timothy Green .  Do any of you have that slightly embarrassing movie that you love, and watch about yearly, but pretty much keep a secret? That is Timothy Green for me. Of course, now I'm revealing that secret to the Internet, but it is what it is. The Odd Life of Timothy Green tells the story of a pushing-middle-age couple, Cindy and Jim, who must finally come to terms with their childlessness. One night, in the midst of their sorrow, they write a list of all the qualities they always hoped their child would have, then lock the list in a box and bury it in a garden--essentially, burying their dream. "We can get a puppy," says Cindy in a thick voice, teetering between resignation and bitterness. But they don't get a puppy. Instead, they crawl into bed, exhausted, sharing a burden too great for words. Then the rain falls. Then a filthy child appears in their home. And in place of their buried drea...

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own. Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn— releases April 2, 2019 1️⃣Cat herself. Cat was such a refreshing middle-grade character in that she was still such a child and content to be that way. She wanted to ride her bike and go fishing. No boyfriends or drama. Her friendship with Harriet was so cute and I was 100% on board. 2️⃣CHICKEN. 🐔 Oh that little boy. It took me maaaybe six pages to fall in love. I want to just scoop him up and take him to the library and then read about sharks with him in his library basket. Just a perfect (but messily realistic) little character. 3️⃣The family-centered story. I am a sucker for these, and some are perfect (Here Today by Ann M. Martin) while others fall flat (ahem, Rules). Caterpillar Summer lands gloriously in the same category as Here Today. Gillian McDunn handled the balance perfectly in that Cat was able to enjoy a friendship without the fam...

Last night my brother and I watched A Wrinkle in Time and I was really excited about it for some reason. Did it hold up to the source material? Well, I read the book ages ago, didn't really like it, and only remember a few key plot points—the missing dad, three weird ladies, the creepy identical houses, and Charles Wallace getting possessed, and ending up with purple circles for eyes...and all of that happened in the movie. Except the purple circles. So as far as I know, it was a faithful adaptation, but I'm not the one to ask. This review is about the movie itself, not as an adaptation. In the first couple of minutes, we're introduced to an insecure, brooding Meg played by Storm Reid, her adopted brother Charles Wallace (I don't remember if he was adopted in the book or not), and Meg's new friend Calvin, who doesn't do much of anything except follow Meg around. Then we meet the three ladies, one at a time. Oprah is like twenty feet tall for some reason, an...

Review of Welcome to Ludicrous by Virginia Henderson  On page 37, the fussy and cynical Priscilla Pinwick describes the town of Ludicrous as a "train wreck." This could not be more succinct. I hate to use my unpublished story as an example here, but Ludicrous is a town that makes Glennerdells look normal. And yes, I just said that about a town called Glennerdells. In fact, it was so crazy that for the first few chapters I had a hard time getting into it. But now that I'm done with my journey into Ludicrous and back again, I present the official review, the good and the bad. The bad: --It's a bit unpolished. Commas where there shouldn't be, incorrect grammar like "had went." Sometimes the wrong word was used, such as multiple times the word "corporate" was used instead of cooperate. Nothing major that muddled the meaning, however. The good: --Priscilla Pinwick's name. A+ --Food descriptions. Just for the record, food descript...

When I started out reading a beat-up library copy of 1872's The Princess and the Goblin, I had no idea it would end up being exactly the book I needed at the moment. In fact, for the first two chapters, it struck a serious nerve. There was no goblin in sight, and the princess was giving me a migraine. Sure, maybe Irene kicks off the adventure by exploring, but as soon as she gets lost or runs into trouble she flings herself to the ground crying until she is rescued. Do you have any idea how tiring this gets? I don't care that she's only eight. I happen to know a very plucky eight-year-old. Just seriously....STOP THE CRYING. The entire book got on my nerves for several chapters, come to think of it. Why? This takes place in a village where no one can go out at night. Also, there's a creepily mysterious lady spinning yarn in a tower. This is all good stuff. Good stuff indeed. So why was I driven nuts? Well, enter Curdie, bringing utter relief simply by being a char...

Last night I finally realized why I dislike Hallmark movies. It's because I've seen commercials with more artistic merit than a two-hour Hallmark film. No seriously, I have. Watch this one. Really, watch it. This is a commercial.  Or this one. This will do something to your stone-cold heart.  Or for that matter, the commercials they show during each Olympics. They tell a whole story in such a short amount of time.  But nevertheless, I am nothing if not open-minded. There is a handful of Hallmark movies I have genuinely enjoyed. So last night, I sat down to watch The Christmas Train, wondering if this would be added to the prestigious handful.  We start off with a generic white male, our main character. A moment later we see a generic white female. The two are not together yet, but it is already obvious to the viewers (in this case, me) that they will be married before the credits roll. This ain't my first Hallmark rodeo. Anyway, Main Guy is ...