Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
I was surprised to find that Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted) wrote a historical fiction novel, yet was willing to give it a try. Let’s just say my weekend to-do list is still waiting for me because I spent my time reading. Loma loves listening to her Bela’s bedtime stories, learning how to cook and... Continue Reading →
I picked up Crossing the Farak River by Michelle Aung Thin at my local library because I noticed the name - and then when I read the description, realized it’s set in Myanmar (or Burma). My dad has travelled there many times, so I’ve developed an interest in the country and its people. Crossing the... Continue Reading →
Here’s a classic I have never read - until this weekend. I found it in the homeschool box, realized the kids all had to read it and thought I’d better read it, too. Who knew Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne would be so captivating? Maybe you did, but I didn’t! This... Continue Reading →
Wayne Grover met the real-life Ali in the mid-1970’s when he was in Saudi Arabia for his job. A lifelong mountain climber, he wanted to explore the deep rifts he’d heard about along the western edge of the Arabian desert. As he explored, he came upon a remote village deep in a rift larger than... Continue Reading →
Coronavirus quarantine has me revisiting old friends. I pulled a box of books from the storage unit and my daughter went through it, looking for familiar faces she wanted to re-read. She can’t read them all at once, so I grabbed a few I wanted to read again from her stack. Detectives in Togas by... Continue Reading →
When Turtle’s mom gets a maid position with a woman who doesn’t like children, her mom sends her to her aunt’s house in Key West. In the middle of the Great Depression, you do what you have to do to get by. Turtle’s aunt and cousins aren’t thrilled to see her. And she isn’t thrilled... Continue Reading →
Kate, Michael and Emma grew up in orphanages, but they are not orphans. As the oldest, Kate remembers their parents best. She remembers her mother saying good-bye, promising they would be together as a family again. But that was ten years ago. Ten difficult years. Kate has done her best to keep the memory of... Continue Reading →
Do you need a good sobfest? Read The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Suzy has decided to stop talking. Something really bad happened the last time she talked to her good friend, so she’s not saying anything. Not to her mom. Not to her dad. Not to her brother. Not at school. Then her... Continue Reading →
By all accounts Taro should be dead. The son of a samurai is always killed when his lord is defeated in battle. But Lord Takeda's soldiers decide to spare him, and take him with them. So Taro becomes a servant in the house of Lord Akiyama, learning how to be a servant. But when his... Continue Reading →
Halima and Atiyah were pledged to each other at birth. Growing up together allowed their love to grow as their tribe traveled the desert. Then Atiyah is torn from his tribe and Halima to study at the great university in Fez. He misses the freedom and challenges of life in the desert, and he misses... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 