Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Miranda cannot figure out what is wrong with her best friend, Sal. He just quit talking to her. Then she started receiving strange notes. And met Mason, a boy with strange notions. As Miranda tries to figure out the source of the notes, and what's wrong with Sal, she realizes someone she loves is in... Continue Reading →
Hope grew up moving from location to location as her Aunt Addie moves from job to job in the restaurant industry. The most recent move from Brooklyn to rural Wisconsin was forced by Addie's former business partner stealing all the diner's money - from the cash register and the bank accounts. Hope is frustrated and... Continue Reading →
Ani was supposed to meet her best friend Weevil. She was NOT supposed to be arrested by the governor's wardens. And Weevil was certainly not supposed to allow himself to be arrested too. And neither of them were supposed to be tested for the deadly plague running through the land - the Scourge. The River... Continue Reading →
Pinmei's grandmother is the neighborhood storyteller and always has the perfect story for Pinmei and the villagers. But the emperor's soldiers break into Pinmei's house and kidnaps her grandmother. Fortunately, Grandmother was able to hid Pinmei in a large pot, so the soldiers didn't kidnap her. So Pinmei and her friend Yishan set out to... Continue Reading →
What fascinates me is how author Laura Marx Fitzgerald can write such compelling books and interest me in art at the same time. I thought Blue Balliett did a fairly good job merging art and plot in her books Chasing Vermeer, etc. Laura Marx Fitzgerald takes it to another level. I enjoyed Under the Egg,... Continue Reading →
At the end of Pax, Peter and his pet fox, Pax, were separated. Pax, Journey Home picks up a year later. Pax is living in the wild with his mate, Bristle, and her brother, Runt. Peter is living with Vola, lonely and unwilling to let anyone into his heart. He’s grieving his father’s death in... Continue Reading →
Samuel lives on the frontier of the colonies - in a small settlement on the edge of the woods. He teaches himself how to hunt, track and live in the woods, feeling its rhythms and life. One day his world is shattered. As he is on a ridge in the woods, he sees smoke rising... Continue Reading →
I guess I’m on a bit of a survivalist streak. I’ve run across several great books at the thrift shop that I recognize, but hadn’t read - I guess that’s the best explanation as to why now. Sam feels confined and unhappy sharing the small New York City apartment with his large family. When his... Continue Reading →
I was a bit late to the Enola Holmes craze. I first heard of her when Netflix came out with the movie. I read that the movie was based on a book series - and when I saw my absolute, most favorite narrator read the books… I was hooked. The Enola Holmes series starts with... Continue Reading →
Brian is alone. Really alone. He was on his way to visit his dad when the single engine airplane he’s flying in crashes in the Canadian wilderness. All he has is his tattered windbreaker and the hatchet his mom gave him right before he left. And he realizes that the plane was probably very off... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 