The subject of Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop has scared many a parent from reading this book aloud to their children. Quite honestly, some children may be too sensitive to listen to or read this book until they are older. You know your child best, do what's best for him or her. Twenty... Continue Reading →
Peter and the Starcatchers
If you are familiar with the original Peter Pan by JM Barrie, or watched the Disney movie, you probably have a myriad of unanswered questions, including: What is Neverland, and how did Peter get to there? Who is Captain Hook and how did he end up in Neverland? Why can Peter fly, but not the... Continue Reading →
Andrew Clements
I have tried to find a book by Andrew Clements I do not like, and I have had no success. Every book of his my children and I read we enjoy immensely. The first one we read was The School Story - a book about a girl, Natalie, who writes a book, and her and... Continue Reading →
My Father’s Dragon
My Father's Dragon is a delightful story about a boy, Elmer Elevator, and his adventures on Wild Island. Elmer (the 'my father' in the story) befriends an alley cat, who tells him of a dragon caught on an island, used by the animals on that island. Elmer decides to go on an adventure and find... Continue Reading →
Stoneheart
When we first meet George in Stoneheart, he is not a very likable guy. He's rather wimpy, trying to avoid conflict, mad at his mom, feeling guilty about his dad's death, in trouble with his teacher. Then, he breaks off the head of a stone dragon outside a London museum. And his world changes. The... Continue Reading →
Daughter of the Mountains
Momo is a little girl who lives high in the mountains of Tibet. One day, at a festival at the Buddhist monastery, she spots a beautiful Lhasa terrier the head monk owns. That Lhasa terrier is the most beautiful dog she has ever seen and she wants one oh-so-badly. She prays to the Blessed One,... Continue Reading →
The Land I Lost
Nhuong grew up in the highlands of Vietnam, before the Vietnam War. The Land I Lost is a collection of his memories from his youth, growing up in a small Vietnamese village. He has many adventures with his bull and cows, fishing for eels in the canals, and hunting in the jungles. My children were... Continue Reading →
Homesick
Jean Fritz grew up in China, the daughter of a couple who worked for the YMCA. She grew up during the time of conflict between the Nationalist Army and the Communists, right before World War II. Homesick is the story of her last year or so in China, as a 10-year-old girl. She hates her... Continue Reading →
The Twenty-One Balloons
The Twenty-One Balloons is the story of Professor William Waterman Sherman, who in his retirement, decides to go hot-air ballooning around the world. His adventure is quite mysterious, as the book opens with him being found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the midst of the most interesting wreckage. After a long journey,... Continue Reading →
Rascal
Rascal is the name Sterling North gives his tiny new pet raccoon he found one afternoon when out in the woods with his friend. The book, Rascal, is North's recollection of a few years of his childhood when Rascal was his constant companion. North is a delightful author, remembering funny stories of how Rascal would... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 