Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
We first met Rosalind in Small Acts of Amazing Courage, also by Gloria Whelan. In All My Noble Dreams and Then What Happens, we are back in India with Rosalind, her parents and her aunts during the turbulent times of the 1920's. Rosalind's 'adopted' baby is doing well in the orphanage, where her Aunt Louise... Continue Reading →
I almost squealed with delight when I discovered Hattie Ever After, the sequel to Kirby Larson's Hattie Big Sky. Of course, I immediately came home and devoured it, I was so anxious to find out what happens to Hattie after she leaves Montana. I appreciated Larson's treatment of Hattie - even though she loves a... Continue Reading →
Solveig, her older sister and younger brother, the crown prince, are trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between a narrow fjord and towering mountains. Their father sent them there, along with a band of fierce and restless warriors, to protect them during battle with his sworn enemy. But mysterious things are happening - food missing,... Continue Reading →
Imagine growing up in the wilderness, with no adults to care for you, feed you or clothe you. Imagine sleeping outside all the time - winter and summer - not knowing any other human being or knowing how to talk. In 1797 in southern France, mountain villagers returned home with what sounded like a crazy... Continue Reading →
One of the great things about books is that they take readers to another time and place, and help us to see the world from a different perspective, whether historical, geographical, or ... I have read some great books which focus on children living with a disability - Follow My Leader, The Cay, The Door in... Continue Reading →
When we first started reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, my children and I were rather confused. Throughout the book, Park weaves together the stories of two children who grew up in Sudan. One story starts in 2008, the other starts in 1985. In 2008, Nya walks to the pond twice... Continue Reading →
Rendi has a problem - an attitude problem. In my childhood, a General Bad Attitude (GBA) was grounds for punishment. In Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin, Rendi has run away from home, so his parents aren't around to punish him. Instead, he's forced to work as a chore boy at an inn... Continue Reading →
As I browsed the library's website and shelves, I often picked up The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby, but put it right back down. I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to it - I wasn't in the mood for a fantasy novel (which it isn't!), I needed to find picture books to review... Continue Reading →
When I read this book aloud to my children, they were on the edge of their seats, begging me to keep reading. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy tells the story of Buran, the daughter of a poor merchant in Baghdad. She has six other sisters, and her family despairs... Continue Reading →
Like every other 12-year-old, Jim Davis longs for thrills and adventures. And unwittingly, he finds it when he comes across a ring of pirates. These pirates aren't friendly, swash-buckling type. They are serious smugglers. At first, Jim finds them to be friendly and interesting. But his 'friend' Marah turns out to be more dangerous than... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 