Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
You might think that a story about pioneering families in Alaska would be the most unusual part of Sweet Home Alaska, by Carole Estby Dagg. You’d be wrong. The most unusual part, at least in my opinion, are the names of her main characters - three sisters named after Greek muses. The twins are lucky... Continue Reading →
Peter has an unusual pet. He rescued Pax as a kit, and raised him into the fox he is today. But Peter’s father enlisted in the military to fight in the war, so Peter has to go live with Grandfather. Peter’s father insists Grandfather will not want a pet fox, and forces Peter to release... Continue Reading →
Tamaya and Marshall have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy since elementary school. They have to walk the long way around the thick woods between their houses and the school, since the woods are off limits. But one day, Marshall leads Tamaya into the woods to avoid a bully. While there, Tamaya encounters some... Continue Reading →
Julie Berry authored one of my favorite books, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. So when I saw she had written these titles on Audible, I added them to my library. Wishes and Wellingtons and Crime and Carpetbags follow the adventures of Maeve and her friend Alice, boarding school roommates. Maeve is always in trouble,... Continue Reading →
Lou loves her house - the oldest one in town. It has all sorts of hiding places, history and the library is right across the street. She and her friends have created all sorts of memories in that house. But now, hiding in her favorite spot, she overhears her parents talking. The town council has... Continue Reading →
Felix has lived through quite a lot, as you can imagine any Jewish boy has during World War Two. Now that the war is over, he is struggling to survive in the midst of the destruction in Poland after the war. He has his best friend, and his work. But even though the war is... Continue Reading →
Joana has been walking for days. She’s gathered around her others fleeing the Russian troops advancing through the eastern lands of the Third Reich. There’s Eva, a giantess of a woman, Poet, who is a shoemaker and waxes poetical about shoes, boots and feet, and Ingrid, a blind girl Joana found lost at a train... Continue Reading →
Josie Moraine lives a - well - unusual life. She adores books, and works, and lives, in a local bookstore. She also cleans the house where her mother lives - notorious Madame Willie Woodley's house. Yes, this means Josie's mother is a prostitute. Josie definitely does not want to follow in her mother's footsteps, but... Continue Reading →
Eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson is looking forward to exploring Spain, the lad of his mother’s birth. He and his parents are in Madrid - his mother to reconnect with her country; his father to sign an oil deal with General Francisco Franco. Daniel befriends other Americans - Ben, a newspaper reporter, and Nick, the son of... Continue Reading →
Note: I wrote this review about five years ago, and am just publishing it now. I picked up Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lai because the story intrigued me. It’s about 12-year-old Mai, the daughter of immigrants from Viet Nam. Her parents have just co-oped her summer plans. Instead of spending it on the beach with... Continue Reading →
