Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
I read The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley on a summer vacation a while ago, and my social media friends told me that McKinley had written a prequel to that wonderful book. I kept my eyes open for it, and discovered a copy at a thrift shop while on vacation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I... Continue Reading →
I’m a big Dave Barry fan. He’s got a great sense of humor and I’ve welcomed his fairly recent foray into middle grade fiction. The Worst Night Ever is a sequel to The Worst Class Trip Ever, although you don’t have to read the class trip book first to read this one. I enjoyed this... Continue Reading →
My daughter has been telling me to read The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series by Caroline Carlson since she first found it several years ago. I finally listened to Magic Marks the Spot and loved it! It’s a fun story about a girl who wants to become a pirate, her governess and best... 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 →
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 →
My daughter has wanted me to read The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley (author of my favorite, Beauty) for over five years. I kept promising to read it, and she nearly gave up hope. But I’ve read it - and thoroughly enjoyed it! In McKinley’s version of Robin Hood, Robin is an apprentice forester... Continue Reading →
Christopher Rowe is training to be an apothecary in London under a master who he has learned to love. But when fellow apothecaries are murdered, he is thrown into solving a terrifying mystery - with the help of his good friend Tom. Exciting, with puzzles within puzzles. Great for reading or listening for older elementary... Continue Reading →
Will loves life in the castle. He and his friends get into mischief whenever they can, and Will has a nose for when Cook replenishes the molasses in the pantry. He just wishes his father were there - and chafes under his mother’s worry. Then his uncle, the current lord of the castle, hosts an... Continue Reading →
The last companion novel to Savvy. I think they get better. Again, a different narrator helped immensely in enjoying author Ingrid Law's writing and the abundance of alliterations. If I were more clever, I'd write this review in rhyme - I think Law would appreciate that. 😊 Another fun story with crazy characters. I think... Continue Reading →
While Savvy by Ingrid Law was a fun story, it contained a plethora of alliterative adjectives. The audiobook narrator was rather bland, but I listened all the way through, so she wasn't horrid. I did like the characters. I just glanced at some of the reviews on GoodReads - and like me, there are many... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 