Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
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 →
Life at an English boarding school can be so boring. Hazel Wong has discovered that. She's actually rather OK with boring, but her friend Daisy Wells is not. Daisy has been in trouble for reading mystery novels, but that doesn't stop her. Daisy convinces Hazel to start a secret detective agency at school. But they... Continue Reading →
Esther is determined to join her father in Cuba and work to get the rest of her family out of Poland. She is the oldest child, after all, even if she is a girl. Papa agrees, and Esther travels alone across Europe and the Atlantic to join him in Cuba. Her new home enchants Esther,... Continue Reading →
Gina Filomena has a new neighbor whose wide, welcoming smile catches her off-guard. She like his smile. She likes his imagination, which makes her look at her neighborhood differently. When Antonio shows up at her class, and offers his generous smile to everyone, Gina feels a bit put out. But the tenor of the whole... 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 →
When Theodora’s grandfather dies suddenly, she’s left to fend for herself and her mother in the family’s duplex. Her grandfather’s last words to her lead her on an odyssey, looking for a treasure that would keep her and her mother afloat. Along the way, Theodora learns she can trust her instincts, and other people. Mostly.... Continue Reading →
I admit. I am very late to this party. But people are still talking about Harry Potter, still love Harry Potter, and I know many people who haven’t yet read Harry Potter. I have finished book one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and I have to say I was expecting much worse. As I’ve... Continue Reading →
This is one of those books I picked up, and put down, over and over again at the library. The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry - the title both thrilled and scared me. I finally decided to listen to it - how scandalous can a middle grade book be really? Rather scandalous,... Continue Reading →
Abilene Tucker has only known life on the road. She and her daddy followed the railways, living in camps while her daddy worked odd jobs to keep them fed. Then one day, her daddy sent her away to live in Manifest, Kansas. Manifest, Kansas. Why there? Why now? Abilene feels abandoned. She knows how to... Continue Reading →
