A Typical Day

Why is it more enjoyable to watch movies about people who study and write rather than write myself.  During movies like The Paper Chase and Finding Neverland, I find myself saying, "Yes, I WILL study/write/achieve great things...as soon as this movie is over...."

The movie ends.

I have yet to study/write/achieve great things.

Maybe tomorrow...or next weekend.  Whatevs.

Tasty Rating Explanation!!!!! !!!! !!! !! !

!!!!!      Seconds, please!!!!!  Thirds?  How about fourths?

!!!!        Delicious, nutritious and filling.  Plus, with a cherry on top.

!!!          A good tasty meal.  What you'd expect.

!!           Maybe I'll have a small portion.

!             Sustenance, but I think I'm hungry for something else.




Or in other terms...


!!!!!            I want to marry this book/character/author right now, my love is so great!  Give 
                   me seconds, thirds, or fourths, with a cherry on top!  

!!!!             I love this book but I don't know if I'm in love with this book!  I'd definitely 

                   consider having a cup of coffee after dinner with it.

!!!              Let's be friends. I'd braid this book's hair, while watching movies and munching on 

                  snacks!

!!                I went on one awkward date with this book. The key word is awkward!  I ate 

                   quickly, so the date would end sooner.

!                 The dreaded ex!  Check, please.

YA and Children's Authors on Twitter

Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak, Twisted, Wintergirls) @halseanderson
Pam Bachorz (Candor) @pambachorz
Holly Black (Tithe, Ironside, Spiderwick Chronicles) @hollyblack
Coe Booth (Kendra, Tyrell) @coebooth
Robin Brande (Fat Cat, Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature) @RobinBrande
Libba Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Going Bovine)  @libbabray
Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments Series) @cassieclare
Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon's Lexicon) @sarareesbrenna
Jennifer Brown (Hate List) @JenniferBrownYA
Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampire series) @rachelcaine
Ally Carter (Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover, Gallagher Girls series) @OfficiallyAlly
Kay Cassidy (The Cinderella Society) @kayCassidy
Cherry Cheva (DupliKate, She's So Money) @cherrycheva
Tera Lynn Childs (Oh.My.Gods!, Goddess Bootcamp, Forgive My Fins) @teralynnchilds
Matthew Cody (Powerless) @matthew_cody
Sharon Creech (Love That Dog, Hate That Cat) @ciabellacreech
Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods series, Angles on Sunset Boulevard) @MelissadelaCruz
Sarah Dessen (Along for the Ride, Keeping the Moon) @sarahdessen
Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush) @becfitzpatrick
Neil Gaiman (Wolves in the Walls, The Graveyard Book) @neilhimself
K.L. Going (Fat Kid Rules the World, King of the Screwups) @KLGoing
John Green (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns) @realjohngreen
Lise Haines (Girl in the Arena) @LiseHaines
Deborah Heiligman (Charles and Emma, Jump into Science:  Honeybees) @DHeiligman
Ellen Hopkins (Trick, Burn, Crack, Identical) @EllenHopkinsYA
Maureen Johnson (13 Little Blue Envelopes, Girl at Sea, Devilish) @maureenjohnson
Michelle Knudsen (The Dragons of Trelian, Library Lion) @michelleknudsen
Justine Larbalestier (How to Ditch Your Fairy, Magic or Madness, Liar) @JustineLavaworm
Margo Lanagan (Tender Morsels, Black Juice) @margolanagan
Malinda Lo (Ash) @malindalo
E. Lockhart (The Treasure Map of Boys, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks) @elockhart
Carolyn MacCullough (Once a Witch, Stealing Henry, Falling Through Darkness) @CMacCullough
Robin McKinley (The Blue Sword, The Hero and the Crown, Chalice)  @robinmckinley
Lisa McMann (Wake, Fade) @lisa_mcmann
Carolyn Mackler (Guyaholic, Love and Other Four-Letter Words) @carolynmackler
Lisa Mantchev (Eyes Like Stars) @LisaMantchev
Kate Messner (Spitfire, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.) @KateMessner
Lauren Myracle (TTYL, Thirteen, bff) @LaurenMyracle
Barbara O'Connor (Greetings from Nowhere, How to Steal a Dog) @barbaraoconnor
Claudia Osmond (Smudge's Mark) @claudiaosmond
Jackson Pearce (As You Wish) @JacksonPearce
Mary Pearson (The Adoration of Jenna Fox, The Miles Between) @marypearson
Diana Peterfreund (Rampant) @dpeterfreund
Julie Anne Peters (Keeping You a Secret, Luna, Rage) @julieannepeters
Frank Portman (King Dork, Andromeda Klein) @frankportman
Cherie Priest (Boneshaker) @cmpriest
J.K. Rowling (The Harry Potter series) @jk_rowling
Carrie Ryan (The Forest of Hands and Teeth) @carrieryan
Fran Slayton (When the Whistle Blows) @FranSlayton
Emily Wing Smith (The Way He Lived) @emilywingsmith
Natalie Standiford (How to Say Goodbye in Robot, The Dating Game series) @natstandiford
Rebecca Stead (First Light, When You Reach Me) @rebstead
Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver, Lament) @mstiefvater
Nova Ren Suma (Dani Noir) @novaren
Robin Wasserman (Seven Deadly Sins series, Skinned Trilogy) @robinwasserman
Scott Westerfeld (Uglies series, Peeps, Leviathan) @ScottWesterfeld
Suzanne Young (The Naughty List) @suzanne_young
Sara Zarr (Story of a Girl, Once Was Lost, Sweethearts) @sarazarr

Know of more children's authors that tweet?  Feel free to add to this list of authors in the comments!

The Hungry Readers' Mission

As readers and reviewers of young adult and children's literature, our goal is always to give our honest opinions about the books we read.  Monica may examine books through a librarian's perspective and Michele through a teacher's, but they both examine through the lens of voracious book lovers.

Monica knows there is a book out there for every child--the trick is finding it! Don't worry. She's here to locate the perfect piece of literature for you, no matter how much you complain that there's nothing good out there.

Michele's priority as a reviewer and teacher is to consider whether a book is engaging.  Who will the literature appeal to and how can a teacher make use of that to encourage an enjoyment of reading for the student?

We are always hungry: for picture books and chapter books, for comics and classics.  Our hope is to appeal to our readers' appetites and tempt them into trying something--whether it's a newly published novel or a ripe classic.

We are also both interested in writing.

So far, Shel has had two short stories published as SJ Kessel in

Coach's Midnight Diner:

and in the debut issue of Jelly Bucket.

You can see her briefly speaking about the Twilight series here.