Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
I love Shannon Hale’s books, but was reluctant to pick this one up. Book of a Thousand Days is written as a diary. Yawn, I thought. I was wrong. Dashti is a new lady’s maid to Lady Saren. As soon as she reports to her new mistress, they are whisked off to an isolated tower... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Tim loves his big brother, Sam. He knows Sam is smart, brave and always knows the right thing to do. Then Sam enlists in the Revolutionary Army, against the wishes of Tim and Sam’s father, who is loyal to the king. Tim is torn between love for his father and brother. How can he choose... Continue Reading →
Iron-Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill is the most thought-provoking middle grade fiction book I’ve read recently. In the fantasy genre, it tells the story of an unusual princess - an ugly one. She and her friend awaken an evil god, the Nybbas, who whispers lies to the entire kingdom. Violet and Demetrius must find more... Continue Reading →
Sarah helps her father and brother run their small farm on Long Island, just before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. The tensions between the Patriots and the Loyalists in her neighborhood come between her father and brother. When her father tears up the Common Sense pamphlet by Thomas Paine, the local Patriots come hunting.... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 