Welcome to Litsy!

Listened to some more Spinning Silver while processing books this morning—including the tagged book, which has a pterodactyl under the dust jacket! Plus did some yoga before bed. Good #BFC day! #BookFitnessChallenge

Having a dapper Saturday morning with the dactyl hill squad

We are a dino-loving family & as such know raptors cannot take a human rider, however if we can forgive it in Jurassic Park, we can forgive it here. Recommended for #MiddleGrade historical fantasy readers. The Author‘s Notes are uh-maze-ing.
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Probably my last #24in48 post. I still have a few more hours & even with the hiccups, will likely hit my goal of 18ish hours.

Took yet another #24in48 reading break for a sound Mastermind butt kicking by my 16 YO, who pronounced herself the smartest person in the house. I took a pic instead of helping to clean up. You know why they don‘t send donkeys to school?
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Another #TFOB author, another engrossing read.

#24in48
#clearingmytbr
@24in48

This action-packed #middlegrade read has Magdalys and her fellow kids from the Colored Orphans Asylum taking on corrupt city officials, navigating the Draft Riots, rescuing friends, and surviving Civil-War-era New York... all while riding dinosaurs. The action goes a bit too fast for me, but my trouble following it could just be sick-brain. Author DJO adds historical notes at the end for context. Definitely recommended. #kidlit #dinosaurs 🦕 🦖

All right, I‘m feeling a cold coming on, so I‘m finishing my hot chocolate and taking this intriguing #kidlit book to bed. Goodnight, Litsy 😴

So the kid just finished and he loved it!!! We talked about what it meant and how the kids were so young and dealing with the Civil War, slavery and racism. He loved the dinosaurs and the main character Magdalys. He is very much ready for the second book as am I.

Headed back to work with this vibe playing. #nowplaying🎧 DJ Older's #DactylHillSquad Older is one of my favorite #YALit writers, and I can't wait to get into this!
It's 1863, and dinosaurs roam the streets of NY during the Civil War? I'm in! #audible #audiobooks

The kid is reading Dactyl Hill Squad!!! I repeat the kid is reading Dactyl Hill Squad! I loved this book and I‘m hoping he does too!

It‘s 1863 and Magdalys Roca resides in New York‘s “Colored Orphan Asylum,â€� although she knows she came from Cuba with her siblings.

Set against the Civil War, Magdalys and her friends at the asylum find themselves with the Vigilance committee battling against a network of slave traders. Oh, and there‘s dinosaurs. Because, why not?

Great middle grade read taking on racism. Can‘t wait for #2!

100 out of 100 #crossculturalstories read
WOOHOO!!!!

I‘m pretty much in hot chocolate heaven since Reddiwip and Bailey‘s now offer an almond milk option.

I‘m almost finished with this fantastic book- dinosaurs and the Civil War, who would have thought?
#vacation

This book was so damn good and I can‘t wait for my kid to read it! This is a historical fantasy based in New York during the Civil War! It‘s an adventure novel but it deals with very weighty topics like racism and slavery. But somehow you continue to have faith in these kids who know there are people who want to put them in chains but they choose to fight on the backs of dinosaurs for themselves and their friends!!!! I loved this.

Reading this now because I told the kid I get to read it first. I wanted him to be able to get to it during winter break! He is going to love this!

What a great time to be a middle grade reader—there is so much quality writing & great storytelling, it‘s an embarrassment of riches. Case in point, this alternate history of the Civil War featuring dinosaurs (& wow are they cool!), a girl who can talk to dinosaurs, a wicked magistrate who threatens a group of orphans, & the promise of more to come. Older also writes YA & he should have some more fans after this one. A very entertaining read.

Never leave home without a book—there‘s a short wait for a special order babka to come out of the oven at my favorite coffee shop (shout out to the owner Val for making it happen on a busy weekend), but I‘m not bored! I‘m using the time to enjoy a cortado and Older‘s fantastic Dactyl Hill Squad. This is a brilliant MG book, it is on a lot of “best ofâ€� lists, and I really like it. Can‘t wait to finish and recommend to young readers!

Brown kids fighting during the Civil War on dinosaurs. Quite frankly I don't know how you top that. (AND, if you've read DJO's Bone Street Rumba series one of the characters here is a ghost in one of those books!) Definitely going to buy paper copies for my niece and nephews to read. 🦕

#middlegrade #DJO #dinosaursarecool

I‘ve never read anything like this, and I daresay you haven‘t either. It‘s the American Civil War—with dinosaurs! In 1863 New York, Magdalys is one of several kids who barely escapes being burned down with the Colored Orphan Asylum on the night of the Draft Riots. She and her friends team up with pterodactyls to rescue other orphans who have been kidnapped to be sold into slavery. Despite the serious subject, this story packs plenty of fun!

So excited I got to meet author Daniel Jose Older for the second time at the Texas Book Festival!! The first time was in 2015 for his amazing YA urban fantasy Shadowshaper. This time for his new middle grade series starter Dactyl Hill Squad. His work and his words always inspire me as a middle grade/YA writer-in-progress.

Hurricane book #1 I can‘t wait to see what Older has in store for this one!

Ooooh look what I got my hands on today! Thank you @kathyellendavis !â�¤â�¤â�¤

What my soul needs right now.