We discovered the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne when my oldest was in kindergarten. I have to admit, I was unsure how I would like them when we first checked them out of the library. But after reading the first book, Dinosaurs Before Dark, aloud to my children, I decided I had... Continue Reading →
The God King
As my children grow older, I admit I am more and more frequently reading ahead in our school books. It's hard to resist - the books are so great! My new favorite author is Joanne Williamson. She writes historical fiction that's just superb. The God King is one of those books. The main character is... Continue Reading →
Walk the World’s Rim
My younger two children and I just finished reading Walk the World's Rim by Betty Baker this morning. This is my second time through the book, their first. We really enjoy this book, which is a fictional account of a real-life event. A Spanish expedition sailed from Cuba to explore Florida in 1527. Of the... Continue Reading →
Dolphin Adventure
If you have a child in your life who loves animals, especially dolphins, she will love this book! I read Dolphin Adventure aloud to my children several times, and they have read it on their own many more times. Wayne Grover, a deep-sea diver based in Florida, tells the story of how he met a... Continue Reading →
The Mysterious Howling
When I picked up this book at the library, a part of me wondered what I was doing. In fact, the first time I picked it up, I put it back down again and didn't check it out. Several weeks later, I spotted it again and couldn't help picking it up again. That time I... Continue Reading →
Peter and the Starcatchers
If you are familiar with the original Peter Pan by JM Barrie, or watched the Disney movie, you probably have a myriad of unanswered questions, including: What is Neverland, and how did Peter get to there? Who is Captain Hook and how did he end up in Neverland? Why can Peter fly, but not the... Continue Reading →
My Father’s Dragon
My Father's Dragon is a delightful story about a boy, Elmer Elevator, and his adventures on Wild Island. Elmer (the 'my father' in the story) befriends an alley cat, who tells him of a dragon caught on an island, used by the animals on that island. Elmer decides to go on an adventure and find... Continue Reading →
Daughter of the Mountains
Momo is a little girl who lives high in the mountains of Tibet. One day, at a festival at the Buddhist monastery, she spots a beautiful Lhasa terrier the head monk owns. That Lhasa terrier is the most beautiful dog she has ever seen and she wants one oh-so-badly. She prays to the Blessed One,... Continue Reading →
The Land I Lost
Nhuong grew up in the highlands of Vietnam, before the Vietnam War. The Land I Lost is a collection of his memories from his youth, growing up in a small Vietnamese village. He has many adventures with his bull and cows, fishing for eels in the canals, and hunting in the jungles. My children were... Continue Reading →
Homesick
Jean Fritz grew up in China, the daughter of a couple who worked for the YMCA. She grew up during the time of conflict between the Nationalist Army and the Communists, right before World War II. Homesick is the story of her last year or so in China, as a 10-year-old girl. She hates her... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 