Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Every once in awhile you pull a random book off the library shelf and fall in love. That’s what happened with The Mailbox by Audrey Schafer. I've never heard of this author before. I thought the description sounded interesting. I sobbed my way through the last few chapters late last night. It's a keeper. It's... Continue Reading →
I was reading chapter 8 in The Skylark’s War by Hilary McKay when I had a moment of deja vu - I’ve read this book before. I searched the archives - no record. Then I realized I had dozens of reviews on social media I am working on getting onto my blog. I scanned through... Continue Reading →
I was rather shocked by the plot twist at the beginning of Summer of Gypsy Moths. At the same time, I thought author Sara Pennypacker did a good job of revealing the thought processes of the two main characters in the midst of it. The result is a beautiful story of finding a place and... Continue Reading →
Esther just wants her mom to hug her and kiss her. She wants to be sure her mom loves her. Maybe if she keeps track of all the good luck superstitions her mother follows, her mom will love her more. In the midst of the Great Depression her family goes through lots of difficulties -... Continue Reading →
On the eve of World War II, Genevieve impulsively decides to stay in the Alsace region of France with her grandmother. And she doesn't even like her grandmother. Her aunt always says she doesn't think before she acts. Now Gen doesn't know who to trust and must learn how to care for her grandmother, the... Continue Reading →
Clearie’s dad is in the Navy, which means she’s moved around a lot. Now, she’s moving again - this time without her dad. He has to go overseas to occupied Japan. So Clearie is going to Alaska to live with her mother’s people. Alaska! What is in Alaska? Clearie barely remembers her mother. She’s never... 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 →
Author Ingrid Law continues to share her love of alliteration in Scumble, the first companion novel to Savvy. I will say a different narrator made all the difference in my enjoyment of her writing. I wasn't as distracted by the tumble of words and was able to enjoy the characters and their outlandish predicaments. A... Continue Reading →
I loved Holly Goldberg Sloan's Counting by 7's so I immediately picked up her newest book. (Yes, I published this on my socials several years ago.) Julia is still mourning the loss of her dog, Ramon, and focused on growing taller - because she is small (she does not use 'short'). Her mom forces her... 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 