Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
The cover illustration of children riding stone winged lions through the air caught my attention. It looked interesting - and unusual. And Through the Skylight by Ian Baucom certainly was both interesting and unusual. Set in modern-day Venice, siblings Jared, Shireen and Miranda are stuck exploring every. single. art. exhibit. in this Italian city. Their... Continue Reading →
You know you have found an excellent book when everyone in your family loves it - including your 15-year-old and your husband who doesn't enjoy listening to audio books. My 10-year-old picked out A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup to listen to in the van. The children and I keep an audio book... Continue Reading →
I just realized that I've been writing book reviews for nearly three years and have not written anything about one of my favorite series of all time - The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. Perhaps it goes without saying, except it's worth saying again, how delightful these books are. Originally, The Lion, the Witch... Continue Reading →
As Penny plays outside with her doll, she spots a beautiful blue marble in her neighbor's yard. She wonders if she should take it, and she decides she can. But Penny hadn't asked permission to have the marble, and as her conscience nags her, she loses interest in life. When she finally decides to return... Continue Reading →
Visits to great-grandparents can reveal a lot about children, and about the great-grandparent. In The Matchbox Diary, a young girl meets her great-grandfather for the first time. As she explores his library full of collections, he invites her to choose something and he will tell her about it. She chooses a cigar box full of... Continue Reading →
Jack Hawkins loves the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia. He loves hanging out with Uncle Hamp, away from the bustle of his home in Atlanta, learning the ways of the swamp and exploring it on his own. He's even made his own canvas canoe, and takes it exploring in the swamp. Soon, things go wrong.... Continue Reading →
I so thoroughly enjoyed The Cay by Theodore Taylor that when I discovered Timothy of the Cay, I pounced on it. "Kids, look!" I cried. "Remember The Cay? Here's a prequel-sequel." "What does that mean?" they asked. Good question, I thought. What is a prequel-sequel? It's a masterfully-written story, telling Timothy's story before he ended... Continue Reading →
Lucas Bell lives a rather dreary life, even though he lives in the largest house in town. His guardian is a stingy old man, not much interested in his existence at all. His tutor is nice enough, but quite distracted. He's stuck in a bedroom or schoolroom most every day, and the town he lives... Continue Reading →
Ellsworth Duncan has an interesting family history. He's heard all about it, even though he lives across the country from the square where his father grew up. Then comes the invitation to return to the square to hunt down the last treasure of his great-great-great... grandfather John Matthew Smith. The family is in trouble, and... Continue Reading →
We first met Rosalind in Small Acts of Amazing Courage, also by Gloria Whelan. In All My Noble Dreams and Then What Happens, we are back in India with Rosalind, her parents and her aunts during the turbulent times of the 1920's. Rosalind's 'adopted' baby is doing well in the orphanage, where her Aunt Louise... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 