Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
When Turtle’s mom gets a maid position with a woman who doesn’t like children, her mom sends her to her aunt’s house in Key West. In the middle of the Great Depression, you do what you have to do to get by. Turtle’s aunt and cousins aren’t thrilled to see her. And she isn’t thrilled... Continue Reading →
Do you need a good sobfest? Read The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Suzy has decided to stop talking. Something really bad happened the last time she talked to her good friend, so she’s not saying anything. Not to her mom. Not to her dad. Not to her brother. Not at school. Then her... Continue Reading →
Trad is an orphan living with his grandfather, who ignores him most of the time. One day, Trad is out on the moors, and finds a wounded knight. Somehow, Trad realizes he needs to hide the knight from his grandfather, which he manages to do. But as the knight recovers, he feels compelled to complete... Continue Reading →
Mall Percival lives in England during the days of the devastating Plague of 1665. Her village is rather remote, with very little contact with the great London Town. Until the new minister's wife wants a new dress, cut in London fashion. So the tailor sends for patterns from a relative in London. And with the... Continue Reading →
Annabelle enjoys her life in rural Pennsylvania, even if it's a little boring. Just as she is wishing for something exciting to happen, Betty Glengarry walks into her classroom. And Annabelle's life changes. Betty is a problem child, who was kicked out of her city school and sent to live with her grandparents. She threatens... Continue Reading →
Matthew J. Kirby is back! I was so very happy when I found The Lost Kingdom, his latest book, at the library. I actually grabbed the audio book, which is excellently read by Charlie McWade. The Lost Kingdom is another entry into Kirby’s unique genre, which I call historical fantasy. It’s historical - set right... Continue Reading →
It seems like a crazy title - how on earth can a war save someone's life? But the title is true to the book. In The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Ada tells her story first-hand. It's a difficult story of abuse and neglect. Ada is crippled, and her mother refuses... Continue Reading →
Marcia Williams has created a fun companion to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in Lizzy Bennet's Diary. Williams follows the storyline of Pride and Prejudice closely, including illustrations and small details of life not included in the book - like the fancy buttonholes Elizabeth is embroidering on a new waistcoat for her father. She also includes the "letters"... Continue Reading →
Galwyn Varianus is down on his luck. His father is dead and his fortune gone, so Galwyn must apprentice to his uncle, a boat captain. He hates life at sea, but seeing no other option, does his best to fit in and work hard. Then, his uncle agrees to take on passengers - passengers who... Continue Reading →
The Hueys are all the same. And there are quite a lot of them. They think the same, do the same things, and look the same. No one is different. Until one Huey - Rupert by name - knits a sweater. Then all pandemonium breaks loose. The Hueys in The New Sweater by Oliver Jeffers... Continue Reading →
