Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
I picked up Crossing the Farak River by Michelle Aung Thin at my local library because I noticed the name - and then when I read the description, realized it’s set in Myanmar (or Burma). My dad has travelled there many times, so I’ve developed an interest in the country and its people. Crossing the... Continue Reading →
Wayne Grover met the real-life Ali in the mid-1970’s when he was in Saudi Arabia for his job. A lifelong mountain climber, he wanted to explore the deep rifts he’d heard about along the western edge of the Arabian desert. As he explored, he came upon a remote village deep in a rift larger than... Continue Reading →
Coronavirus quarantine has me revisiting old friends. I pulled a box of books from the storage unit and my daughter went through it, looking for familiar faces she wanted to re-read. She can’t read them all at once, so I grabbed a few I wanted to read again from her stack. Detectives in Togas by... Continue Reading →
When Turtle’s mom gets a maid position with a woman who doesn’t like children, her mom sends her to her aunt’s house in Key West. In the middle of the Great Depression, you do what you have to do to get by. Turtle’s aunt and cousins aren’t thrilled to see her. And she isn’t thrilled... Continue Reading →
Kate, Michael and Emma grew up in orphanages, but they are not orphans. As the oldest, Kate remembers their parents best. She remembers her mother saying good-bye, promising they would be together as a family again. But that was ten years ago. Ten difficult years. Kate has done her best to keep the memory of... Continue Reading →
Do you need a good sobfest? Read The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. Suzy has decided to stop talking. Something really bad happened the last time she talked to her good friend, so she’s not saying anything. Not to her mom. Not to her dad. Not to her brother. Not at school. Then her... Continue Reading →
A German Jew. A fanatic member of the Hitler Youth. Both were victims of the Nazi party - one more obvious than the other. Parallel Journeys by Eleanor Ayer, with Helen Waterford and Alfons Heck, tell the stories of these two young people, born just miles apart. Helen Waterford managed to escape Nazi Germany for... Continue Reading →
Daniel witnessed the crucifixion of his father, and ever since he has passionately pursued driving the Roman legions from his homeland of Israel. He joins a band of outlaws, living in caves and robbing caravans. His grandmother's death forces him to leave the outlaws to care for his sister, but does not quench his desire... Continue Reading →
Trad is an orphan living with his grandfather, who ignores him most of the time. One day, Trad is out on the moors, and finds a wounded knight. Somehow, Trad realizes he needs to hide the knight from his grandfather, which he manages to do. But as the knight recovers, he feels compelled to complete... Continue Reading →
Nicholas Young was tired of his life in England. He hated school (for good reason - made me shudder!) & when he ran away, his father apprenticed him to a butcher. Even worse than school, if you could believe it. So Nick stowed away on a ship. But not just any ship - the HMS... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 