Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Jack Plank loved being a pirate. His fellow pirates liked him a lot too. But after a bit, it became clear to everyone that Jack was no good at plundering. That was OK, because someone needed to stay behind and keep the soup warm. But then hard times hit pirating, and the pirates couldn't keep... Continue Reading →
Lily can’t wait to get away from school and the city and head to Rockaway Bay with her grandmother and father. But when she arrives, she realizes this summer is going to be different. Her best friend, Margaret, is moving to a war factory town. Then Lily discovers her father is leaving for the war,... Continue Reading →
Henry Bower loves rocks. He’s read about them, dug for them, studied them as much as possible - which is a lot, since he’s homeschooled. One night, he sees a meteorite fall from the sky - and it lands in his family’s field in rural Maine. What a day! He and his little sister, Birdie,... Continue Reading →
Pinmei's grandmother is the neighborhood storyteller and always has the perfect story for Pinmei and the villagers. But the emperor's soldiers break into Pinmei's house and kidnaps her grandmother. Fortunately, Grandmother was able to hid Pinmei in a large pot, so the soldiers didn't kidnap her. So Pinmei and her friend Yishan set out to... Continue Reading →
What fascinates me is how author Laura Marx Fitzgerald can write such compelling books and interest me in art at the same time. I thought Blue Balliett did a fairly good job merging art and plot in her books Chasing Vermeer, etc. Laura Marx Fitzgerald takes it to another level. I enjoyed Under the Egg,... Continue Reading →
At the end of Pax, Peter and his pet fox, Pax, were separated. Pax, Journey Home picks up a year later. Pax is living in the wild with his mate, Bristle, and her brother, Runt. Peter is living with Vola, lonely and unwilling to let anyone into his heart. He’s grieving his father’s death in... Continue Reading →
September and Ivan have a lot of responsibilities - more than most children their age. Their dad travels a lot, fishing on different boats around the Alaskan coast. That leaves September and Ivan at home, alone, to tend to their property. Their mother died on the bay in a huge storm that wrecked their boat.... Continue Reading →
I guess I’m on a bit of a survivalist streak. I’ve run across several great books at the thrift shop that I recognize, but hadn’t read - I guess that’s the best explanation as to why now. Sam feels confined and unhappy sharing the small New York City apartment with his large family. When his... Continue Reading →
Brian is alone. Really alone. He was on his way to visit his dad when the single engine airplane he’s flying in crashes in the Canadian wilderness. All he has is his tattered windbreaker and the hatchet his mom gave him right before he left. And he realizes that the plane was probably very off... Continue Reading →
Gustave loves living in Paris and hanging out with his best friends, his cousin Jean-Paul and their friend Marcel. They almost won the synagogue Boy Scout scavenger hunt! They couldn’t find a yellow feather, which caused them to lose to the other team by just a few points. But Gustave’s life is about to change.... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 