Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright is a lovely read / listen for all ages. Portia and her younger brother, Foster, visit their cousin Julian every summer. This summer Julian has moved to the country. Portia and Julian explore and find a row of Victorian houses bordering on a swamp. It's a former resort, occupied by... Continue Reading →
Karen Cushman is an author I will always read, although I wouldn't put her in my top 10 list. Her books are enjoyable yet definitely for 4th-grade or older. I enjoyed Alchemy and Meggy Swan - a realistic look at the down and out in Elizabethan England. Meggy's parents both reject her. Her village hates... Continue Reading →
The monks of the Chronicles of Sorrowing fear the goat the most. Answelica has taken a piece of each of them with her sharp teeth and hard head. So when Brother Edik finds a child asleep with Answelica, he is terrified. How did that child get there? And what will that goat do to her?... Continue Reading →
Jennifer A. Nielsen is one of the few authors who I consistently read and gladly purchase. Her newest book, Lines of Courage, is an exploration of life in Europe before and during World War 1. Nielsen follows five children from different countries: Felix, from Austria-Hungary, Elsa, from Germany, Juliette, from France, Kara, from Britain, and... Continue Reading →
Set in Romania, 1989, I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys follows 17-year-old Christian Florescu as he navigates life and protests under the brutal regime of Nicolas Ceausecu. Christian dreams of becoming a writer, but chances aren’t likely. His family is already marked because of his grandfather, an outspoken critic of the current regime and... Continue Reading →
Every once in awhile you pull a random book off the library shelf and fall in love. That’s what happened with The Mailbox by Audrey Schafer. I've never heard of this author before. I thought the description sounded interesting. I sobbed my way through the last few chapters late last night. It's a keeper. It's... Continue Reading →
I was reading chapter 8 in The Skylark’s War by Hilary McKay when I had a moment of deja vu - I’ve read this book before. I searched the archives - no record. Then I realized I had dozens of reviews on social media I am working on getting onto my blog. I scanned through... Continue Reading →
My daughter has wanted me to read The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley (author of my favorite, Beauty) for over five years. I kept promising to read it, and she nearly gave up hope. But I’ve read it - and thoroughly enjoyed it! In McKinley’s version of Robin Hood, Robin is an apprentice forester... Continue Reading →
Christopher Rowe is training to be an apothecary in London under a master who he has learned to love. But when fellow apothecaries are murdered, he is thrown into solving a terrifying mystery - with the help of his good friend Tom. Exciting, with puzzles within puzzles. Great for reading or listening for older elementary... Continue Reading →
Esther just wants her mom to hug her and kiss her. She wants to be sure her mom loves her. Maybe if she keeps track of all the good luck superstitions her mother follows, her mom will love her more. In the midst of the Great Depression her family goes through lots of difficulties -... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 