You haven’t heard of Peanut Johnson? That’s OK, not many have. If you love baseball, even if you don’t, you will enjoy A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson by Michelle Y. Green. Written in first person, Green did an excellent job capturing the voice of Mamie Johnson, her expressions, interjections and... Continue Reading →
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Moose is not happy about leaving his best friend in Santa Monica to move to Alcatraz Island. He knows its not easy for his dad to find a job in the middle of the Great Depression, but it just isn't fair. His mom has pushed this move on his family because the Esther P Marinoff... Continue Reading →
Duke
Children and teens sometimes wrestle with the question of courage - what does it mean to be courageous? How can I have courage when I'm so scared? Hobie Hansen constantly asks himself those questions, especially since his dad is courageously fighting in World War II. He finds great comfort in his dog Duke, who accompanies... Continue Reading →
The Truth of Me
Patricia MacLachlan has done it again. "Done what?" I hear you asking. She's written a beautiful book about difficult relationships and finding your way through them. In The Truth of Me, Robbie's parents send him to his grandmother's house for the summer. They are touring with their woodwind quartet for the summer. Robbie is fine... Continue Reading →
The Boy on the Wooden Box
If you have seen Schindler's List, you will know the basic story of The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson. Leyson was the youngest boy Schindler was able to save from the Nazi killing machine. He relates his story of growing up in rural Poland, moving to the big city after his father... Continue Reading →
Soldier’s Heart
The newspapers today are full of stories of soldiers struggling to re-adapt to civilian life, living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among other things. It made me ask the question - what about the soldiers of the past? Did veterans of World War I or II suffer from similar issues? What about those who fought... Continue Reading →
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail
Mouse Minor is what everyone calls him, but it's not his real name. The hero of The Mouse with a Question Mark Tail doesn't have a name. And it bothers him immensly. He never knew his parents either. He lives with Aunt Marigold under the Royal Mews, the carriage house of Buckingham Palace. Mouse Minor... Continue Reading →
The Three Questions
Author and illustrator Jon J Muth retells one of Leo Tolstoy's classic tales in the picture book The Three Questions. In his retelling, the main character is a boy who asks three important questions of his friends, a crane, a monkey and a dog. His questions are: When is the best time to do things? ... Continue Reading →
The Mapmaker’s Sons
Tom Hawkins does not remember his parents. He feels compelled to climb around the buildings at his boarding school in England - especially on stormy nights. One night, as he climbs to the school's bell tower, he runs into trouble. He's not sure what kind of trouble, exactly, which makes it worse. Men in black... Continue Reading →
Little House on the Prairie
If your library does not include the Little House books, the semi-autobiographical novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, put them on your Christmas list! Every home should have a set of these. The series start with Little House in the Big Wood, where Laura and her sisters live with their parents. She includes all sorts of interesting... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 