Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
A friend recommended Dragon’s Gate by Laurence Yep after reading it with her high schooler. I was about to hunt it down at the library when I discovered it on my own bookshelf. Apparently, Dragon’s Gate had been a part of our homeschool curriculum as an independent reader, so I had never read it. I... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite stories from childhood is Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John. This is a sweet, difficult story of families living on a mountain in French-speaking Switzerland. Hard feelings and frustrations lead to an unforgettable and unforgivable accident. How the two families, especially the children, work through the ramifications of the... Continue Reading →
I read The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley on a summer vacation a while ago, and my social media friends told me that McKinley had written a prequel to that wonderful book. I kept my eyes open for it, and discovered a copy at a thrift shop while on vacation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I... Continue Reading →
Minerva and Keira King are twins, but most people wouldn’t know it. Keira was born black, like Mama. And Minni was born white, like Daddy. Now that the girls are in middle school, their differences are causing Minni to ask lots of questions - and notice the way people treat her differently than her sister.... Continue Reading →
I generally consider author Andrew Clements a middle-grade fiction author. He has written some heart-felt and incredibly funny books, most notably Frindle, which my whole family has enjoyed. While the age listed for his book Things Hoped For is 10 and up, I might consider upping the age a bit - particularly for sensitive readers.... Continue Reading →
I had an evening to myself this week so I read this gem of a book, Little Bits of Sky by S.E. Durrant. As my daughter says, “What? I’m not crying! You’re crying!” (Which means there were tears. Sad tears. Happy tears.) Little Bits of Sky is a beautiful, heartfelt novella. It contains some beautiful... Continue Reading →
For all the books I’ve read, I can’t believe I’ve read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl for the first time. Charlie is an unlikely recipient of a golden ticket to see the inside of Mr. Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory. The other children who have golden tickets are spoiled, rotten and selfish.... Continue Reading →
Several different people recommended Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga series to me. So of course I️ had to read it. I’ll admit that this fall has been pretty draining personally, which meant it took me a bit to get into the series. It starts with On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Peterson’s humor... Continue Reading →
The Girl from Felony Bay by J.E. Thompson is an exciting who-dun-it set on a plantation just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Abbey Force is hoping her father will wake from his coma so they can set things right. She has had to move with with her awful uncle and aunt, and her beloved plantation... Continue Reading →
Lydia and her brother Charles were determined to keep their little farm going even after their father left to find work in the west and their mother took their younger sisters to their aunt and uncle’s house. Then their mother wrote to let them know she had hired them out to different places to pay... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 