Mall Percival lives in England during the days of the devastating Plague of 1665. Her village is rather remote, with very little contact with the great London Town. Until the new minister's wife wants a new dress, cut in London fashion. So the tailor sends for patterns from a relative in London. And with the... Continue Reading →

I picked up Knightley & Son by Rohan Gavin for vacation reading this summer (of 2014. Yes, I am very late posting this review!). I love mysteries, and I thought this one about a father-son duo would be good. While it is well-written, and the characters are interesting, I found the plot rather difficult. Not... Continue Reading →

If your child is like mine, and an unashamed Civil War buff, he will enjoy reading Tillie Pierce by Tanya Anderson. Tillie grew up in Gettysburg and was there during the entire battle. Her home was downtown, but her parents wanted her to escape the worse of the fighting, so she went to a friend's... Continue Reading →

Annabelle enjoys her life in rural Pennsylvania, even if it's a little boring. Just as she is wishing for something exciting to happen, Betty Glengarry walks into her classroom. And Annabelle's life changes. Betty is a problem child, who was kicked out of her city school and sent to live with her grandparents. She threatens... Continue Reading →

Matthew J. Kirby is back! I was so very happy when I found The Lost Kingdom, his latest book, at the library. I actually grabbed the audio book, which is excellently read by Charlie McWade. The Lost Kingdom is another entry into Kirby’s unique genre, which I call historical fantasy. It’s historical - set right... Continue Reading →

It seems like a crazy title - how on earth can a war save someone's life? But the title is true to the book. In The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Ada tells her story first-hand. It's a difficult story of abuse and neglect. Ada is crippled, and her mother refuses... Continue Reading →