Category Archives: Use Your Gray Matter

Use Your Gray Matter: Were the (original) American Girls Slatebreakers?

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Brianna

It must be nice to retire at the young age of 27. In turns out that in doll years, however, 27 is ancient. I recently learned that Molly McIntire, one of the fictional girls of the American Girl series and … Continue reading →

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Use Your Gray Matter: Amelia Bedelia Does the Time Warp

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Brianna

When I was growing up, I was fond of Amelia Bedelia. As a kid with a predilection for language and words, I thought that a character who took everything literally was absolutely hysterical.  I remember Amelia Bedelia looking like this: … Continue reading →

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Use Your Gray Matter: Summer Reading

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Brianna

Use Your Gray Matter: Summer Reading Temperatures are rising and university courses are wrapping up. Soon, our friends in elementary, middle, and high schools will be out for the summer as well. Because I work with young people, my life … Continue reading →

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Use Your Gray Matter: Why Katniss vs. Bella Doesn’t Help Anybody

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Sarah

I love The Hunger Games. We both do, here on this blog. It’s no surprise – Katniss is an outstanding, unbelievably Slatebreaking character. From her fierce loyalty to her family, her amazing survival skills, her ability to outsmart almost anybody … Continue reading →

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Use Your Grey Matter: Was Shakespeare a Feminist?

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Sarah

AAAAAAND it’s time again! It’s another theme week. Last time we did one of these we celebrated the amazing Meg Cabot, this time around we’re switching gears (and centuries) and talking about William Shakespeare. So we’ll be upfront here: we … Continue reading →

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Use Your Gray Matter: Girls with Bad Attitudes

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Brianna

I sat down the other day to read Judith Viorst’s latest children’s book, Lulu and the Brontosaurus. It was a cute story packed with snark. But you know what? Lulu is a total brat. She throws tantrums. She feels that … Continue reading →

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Use Your Gray Matter: Screen Time vs. Page Time

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Brianna

Friends, I love to read. I do. I keep a book in my bag at all times and will shamelessly whip that thing out whenever I can: in line at the grocery store, at the coffee shop, at the bank, … Continue reading →

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Use Your Gray Matter: Covering Cover Art

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Sarah

This is a topic that has certainly been, ahem, covered, in a lot of places already. But since we’ve been referencing our feelings about book covers, at least briefly in all of our reviews, I wanted to start the conversation … Continue reading →

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Fancy Nancy & the Male Gaze

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Brianna

This post inaugurates a new feature category here at Slatebreakers in which we critically analyze some aspect of kidlit or YA. We’re calling it “Use Your Gray Matter.” This category is named after a line of dialogue from one of … Continue reading →

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