From Author Rebecca Grabill
This Joyful Mess
Strange Little Family: The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell
What a strange book. Jarrell’s is the story of a hunter and mermaid who fall in love and make a family from a bear cub, a lynx, and an orphaned boy. The story is uncannily realistic for all the lack of realism...
Little Black Sambo vs. Sam and the Tigers
I have this story in a set of old blue storybooks from the 20s. My grandmother read it to me when I was a girl. It was my absolute favorite then, and I still enjoy it now. It’s considered to be absurdly racist, primarily the stereotyped...
Oh, No! She's Missing! Miss Nelson, that is.
Clever story line, simple and fresh illustrations. I expect parents took issue with a story about naughty children and a teacher who is called a witch back in the day. It’s standard fare now, though. I mean I have...
Little House by Any Other Name Might Smell Like: Birchbark House
It’s Little House but from the Native American perspective! I love it.
Erdrich accomplishes a lovely coming of age story with many of the same devices Wilder uses. Incredibly specific detail, a gentle narrative that strays from close 3rd limited to omniscient...
My Favorite Queen: Elizabeth
Dense, detailed, drenched in history. Jane’s passion comes through every intimate detail. I wonder if it shouldn’t have been YA. I could imagine my 9yr-old son asking, “What’s a lover, Mom?” And the sheer density of information: all the political intrigues, much pre-understanding about the times assumed...
Hamline Universtiy MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults: residency, January 2010
Hamline Universtiy MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults: Highlights from residency thus far?
And the Thunder Rolls: Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Love the voice. “Mama’s gonna wear you out.” It sings with authenticity with enough description to make the setting vivid without being overwhelming, and all of it is in Cassie’s voice (more or less), which makes it interesting as well as...
Fiction Meets Nonfiction: Quack! Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey.
Natural science and strong plot combine to make a classic.
This is a cute story about a mother duck seeking...
A Childhood Favorite: Corduroy by Don Freeman
A classic and one of my childhood favorites. I didn’t notice Lisa was African American until I read it again as an adult, but now I see the parallel between her race and her acceptance of Corduroy just the way he is -- especially given...
Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect. I’d love to hear from you!