Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
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 →
E.L. Konigsburg is best known for her wonderful book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. She also wrote one of our family's favorite books, A View from Saturday. Now, I have to tell you about another of her books, A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver. This book focuses on the historical... Continue Reading →
Walter bakes delicious sweet rolls and breads for his village. The Duke and Duchess particularly enjoy his sweet rolls every morning. Then disaster strikes! The cat knocks over the milk, and Walter is forced to use water, instead of milk in his sweet rolls. The Duke and Duchess threaten to banish him from the village... Continue Reading →
Illustrator Mark Pett creates another beautiful wordless book in The Girl and the Bicycle. A young girl and her brother are walking down the street, when she spots a beautiful green bicycle in the store window. She works and works and works to earn enough money to buy it, only to discover it's gone when... Continue Reading →
"Henry loved books. But not like you and I love books, no. Not quite..." reads the front fly of this book. I'm afraid to say more about the story - I mean you can guess the gist of it. But if I tell you more, I might give away the ending. And it's a lovely... Continue Reading →
Jonas' world sounds perfect. Everyone realizes when they've given offense, and apologizes. Those who've been offended always accept the apology. Each evening over dinner, Jonas' family discuss their feelings, and every morning over breakfast, they discuss their dreams. Their lives are regimented. Controlled. Everyone does what he or she is supposed to do. Jonas knows... Continue Reading →
P.K. Pinkerton is in deep trouble... in more ways than one. He is at the bottom of a silver mine, trying to figure out a way to outwit Wittlin' Walt, the Very Bad Man after his inheritance. This is where we find P.K. at the beginning of The Case of the Deadly Desperados, by Caroline... Continue Reading →
Maggie Fortini listens to every game her beloved Brooklyn Dodgers play, usually at the firehouse with her father’s former co-workers. When Jim joins the firehouse, she is shocked to discover he is a huge fan of the Dodgers arch-rivals, the New York Giants. She determines to never be his friend. But slowly, he wins her... Continue Reading →
Before the dreaded plague swept through London in 1665, Michael Cornhill lived a very happy life with his foster family. But Master Cornhill by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is not a book about the plague. The story opens with Michael returning to London after spending a winter in the countryside to escape the plague. But the... Continue Reading →
