Russell F. Hirsch
Imagine that! Opening and Closing Images
Great books begin with great openings. It’s our first taste of a story that will excite, move, and enthrall us. And endings are just as...
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Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 16
- 2 min
Making Music With Words
Great writing has two main components: The “storytelling” component — big, structural things, like an exciting plot, good pacing, and...
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Russell F. Hirsch
- Jan 11, 2019
REVIEW: A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
Today on Storythreads, the worlds of Indian mythology and space opera collide in Sangu Mandanna’s YA novel, A Spark of White Fire, the...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Nov 18, 2018
The YAK Speaks: Messy Rough Drafts
The YAK features articles devoted to Education, Writing, Children’s Literature, and Speech Arts. It is published by The Bolton Academy of...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Nov 6, 2018
Podcast: Adapting The Golden Compass
I rejoin Caitlin from the Bookology blog for her inaugural Words in Living Color podcast, wherein we nerd out over Philip Pullman’s The...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Oct 15, 2018
BLOG TOUR: The Flight of Swans by Sarah McGuire
Six years of silence. Magic as dark as black swan feathers. Sacrifice, struggle, and the interweaving of worlds. Today Storythreads hosts...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Oct 4, 2018
Adapting Books for Stage & Screen – with Caitlin Boyle
Today, I’m thrilled to present an interview with Caitlin Boyle, an expert on children’s book adaptations for stage and screen! You can...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Sep 27, 2018
BLOG TOUR: Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery
Pub date: Sep. 1, 2018 from Carolrhoda Lab (an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group) Available in Canada through Thomas Allen & Son Today,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 23, 2018
REVIEW: Sword of Power by Oliver Potzsch
Today, we’re diving back in time to 17th-century Prague! Getting historical? We’re getting there through the historical fantasy novel...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jul 25, 2018
Review: Game of Secrets by Kim Foster
This week, I have the pleasure of reviewing Game of Secrets, a YA Victorian thriller, by Kim Foster, who just so happens to be Canadian,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jul 10, 2018
Canadian Corner: J. Fitzgerald McCurdy
As a kid growing up in the Harry Potter generation, I devoured fantasy novels—and since a new HP book only landed on the shelf every two...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jul 1, 2018
Canadian Corner: William Pasnak
Happy Canada Day! This July, I highlight underrated Canadian fantasy novels for kids, especially those from decades past that still stand...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jun 17, 2018
Graced with Epic-ness: Kristin Cashore’s Series Structure
In this post, I finish my examination of Kristin Cashore’s excellent Graceling Realms series. (Part one here!) The title of the post may...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jun 11, 2018
Graces and Ghosts: Kristin Cashore’s Elegiac Fantasy
***Onward, there be spoilers!*** Although the series is beloved first and foremost for its powerful and deep-feeling heroines, a central...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Apr 6, 2018
Writing Rewind! Tips from Recent Reads
Today, I break down a few skills (skillz?) on display in recent reads from the past month, specifically, books by Sayantani Dasgupta,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Mar 27, 2018
Review: Pullman’s Book of *FAIRY* Dust
Released last October, La Belle Sauvage, is essentially a prequel (or as Pullman calls it, an “equel”) that takes place a decade before...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Mar 12, 2018
The YAK speaks! Diversity in kidlit
I recently had the opportunity to contribute some articles and book reviews to The YAK, a magazine devoted to Education, Writing,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Feb 15, 2018
BLOG TOUR: Chainbreaker by Tara Sim
CHAINBREAKER | Tara Sim Publisher: Sky Pony Press Available in Canada through Thomas Allen & Son Retail Price (CAD): $29.99 HC Pub. Date:...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jan 29, 2018
Five YA Fantasies to Fanboy about in 2018
New year! New reads! Below, in no particular order of awesomeness, you’ll find five fantasies for YA fans that I am particularly looking...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Nov 10, 2017
Pullman vs. Lewis: the Fantastical Frenemies
Last month, master storyteller Philip Pullman, published The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, marking a return to the world of His Dark...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Oct 26, 2017
BLOG TOUR: Timekeeper by Tara Sim
Timekeeper by Tara Sim Paperback Release: Oct. 31, 2017 Publisher: Sky Pony Press Available in Canada through Thomas Allen & Son 404...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Sep 7, 2017
#TBT Interview with Kenneth Oppel
Today, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre announced its slate of fantastic finalists for the annual TD Canadian Children’s Literature...
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