Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Anna Comnena grew up in the palace. Her parents, and her grandmother, groomed her to succeed her father as emperor. She was very secure in her position - until her brother was born. At first, his brith meant nothing. Her father, as emperor, could choose his successor, and he had chosen her. But as her... Continue Reading →
Action. Adventure. And a female protagonist!? Yes! Bird McGill has always wanted to fly an airplane. Her current obsession is a P-40 Warhawk, the plane the US is flying when it first enters World War II. Born to Fly by Michael Ferrari tells Bird's story of not fitting in with the other girls, of finding... Continue Reading →
Jonathan Capewell is a farm boy who loves to read about big-city detectives. While milking the cows, he dreams of going to the big city and solving crimes. Then suddenly he's sent with his grandfather, a photographer, on his journeys around Maine. Jonathan isn't sure why, but he thinks it has something to do with... Continue Reading →
Set in ancient Mongolia, I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson follows the story of Oyuna, a young girl who brought bad luck to her family. How? When she was a baby, a horse crushed her foot. Now that she's nearly grown, she's determined to bring good luck to her... Continue Reading →
Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting tells the story of Marianne, a young girl heading West on the Orphan Train. Her mother left her at the orphanage years earlier, promising to come for her after she had made a home for them out west. She never came back. Marianne is convinced her mother will meet... Continue Reading →
We have often teased our children about boxing them up and sending them to visit their grandparents via the post office. These conversations usually happen when they are missing their grandparents and we have no immediate plans to visit them. In Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell, that is exactly what happened! Little May wanted... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite books as a child was Snow Treasure, about children in Norway who smuggled millions of dollars worth of gold out of the country under the nose of the Nazi invaders. Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus is also about Norway after the Nazi invasion, but it's not as innocent as... Continue Reading →
Greenhorn by Anna Olswanger is a deceptively small, short book. Although it has pictures on almost every page, and the story is short, it's topic is rather heavy. Aaron is a student at a yeshiva in New York in 1946. His classmates and he are asked to welcome nearly two dozen boys from Poland who... Continue Reading →
Rosalind wonders again and again, "How can kindness get you into so much trouble?" Her father is away at war, and her mother is sick, so Rosalind is left on her own. Well, not exactly her own. There are always plenty of servants around her house in British India. She gets rather tired of hanging... Continue Reading →
Johnny Tott knows that Kaspar is a special cat. He traveled to London's Savoy Hotel with his owner, a Russian opera singer. Johnny gets to know and admire Kaspar as he gets to know and admire his owner, the opera singer. But when tragedy befalls the singer, Johnny decides to care for Kaspar. Then Kaspar... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 