Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Will's life on the African farm is magical. Day after blissful day roaming the plains on her horse with her monkey and best friend. Suddenly, her life changes and she's sent to England for school. How will she learn to live so far from her beloved Africa? I loved Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell... Continue Reading →
Jennifer A. Nielsen is one of the few authors who I consistently read and gladly purchase. Her newest book, Lines of Courage, is an exploration of life in Europe before and during World War 1. Nielsen follows five children from different countries: Felix, from Austria-Hungary, Elsa, from Germany, Juliette, from France, Kara, from Britain, and... Continue Reading →
Set in Romania, 1989, I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys follows 17-year-old Christian Florescu as he navigates life and protests under the brutal regime of Nicolas Ceausecu. Christian dreams of becoming a writer, but chances aren’t likely. His family is already marked because of his grandfather, an outspoken critic of the current regime and... Continue Reading →
Over vacation, I was delighted to find the third companion book to Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo. Beverly, Right Here starts right near the end of Louisiana’s Way Home and Beverly is mourning the loss of her dog, and that her friend, Louisiana, has moved away. Impulsively, she decides to run... Continue Reading →
I remembered loving Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. However, I didn’t write a review the first time I read it. I reread it on Christmas Eve (20. I laughed. I got teary. I am continually amazed by DiCamillo’s ability to tell such a beautiful story with few words. I was excited to see DiCamillo wrote... Continue Reading →
Other than Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia, I'm not a huge fantasy fan. I did, however, really enjoy this story. Bonus for middle-schoolers (& high schoolers) who love fantasy, this is the first of many in this series - seven, if I counted right. This story had everything. Fight between good and... Continue Reading →
Every once in awhile you pull a random book off the library shelf and fall in love. That’s what happened with The Mailbox by Audrey Schafer. I've never heard of this author before. I thought the description sounded interesting. I sobbed my way through the last few chapters late last night. It's a keeper. It's... Continue Reading →
Do you remember the Encyclopedia Brown books by Donald J. Sobol? I loved these books as a kid. Rereading the first one as an adult, I found it borders on cheesy. That does not mean even modern-day kids won't enjoy the little mysteries Encyclopedia solves for 25-cents each. Highly recommended for young readers - read... Continue Reading →
I was reading chapter 8 in The Skylark’s War by Hilary McKay when I had a moment of deja vu - I’ve read this book before. I searched the archives - no record. Then I realized I had dozens of reviews on social media I am working on getting onto my blog. I scanned through... Continue Reading →
I was rather shocked by the plot twist at the beginning of Summer of Gypsy Moths. At the same time, I thought author Sara Pennypacker did a good job of revealing the thought processes of the two main characters in the midst of it. The result is a beautiful story of finding a place and... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 