Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Tamaya and Marshall have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy since elementary school. They have to walk the long way around the thick woods between their houses and the school, since the woods are off limits. But one day, Marshall leads Tamaya into the woods to avoid a bully. While there, Tamaya encounters some... Continue Reading →
Jayson must do whatever it takes to get by after his mom dies and her boyfriend leaves. He plans to avoid the foster care system no matter what - and plans to keep playing basketball on his middle school team too. Jayson gets away with it too - until one day he’s discovered and is... Continue Reading →
Lynda Mullaly Hunt wrote One for the Murphys, an audiobook I enjoyed. So when I saw she had written Fish in a Tree, I immediately picked it up to read. I was not disappointed. Ally, the main character, has never done well in school. Usually, she’s able to distract the teacher by acting out. Plus,... Continue Reading →
Julie Berry authored one of my favorite books, The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. So when I saw she had written these titles on Audible, I added them to my library. Wishes and Wellingtons and Crime and Carpetbags follow the adventures of Maeve and her friend Alice, boarding school roommates. Maeve is always in trouble,... Continue Reading →
Lou loves her house - the oldest one in town. It has all sorts of hiding places, history and the library is right across the street. She and her friends have created all sorts of memories in that house. But now, hiding in her favorite spot, she overhears her parents talking. The town council has... Continue Reading →
Rick Riordan’s latest foray into the world of mythology encompasses the Norse gods. In fact, The Sword of Summer is similar to his Percy Jackson series in that Magnus Chase is a demigod - the son of a Norse god and a human. The difference is that Magnus is homeless. He’s living on the streets... Continue Reading →
Overnight, Gerta finds her family divided. One night, her father and next older brother went to West Berlin to find supplies for her family. The next morning, she finds East German soldiers building a massive concrete wall, sealing her, her oldest brother and their mother inside East Berlin. Gerta tries to live her life, but... Continue Reading →
Dash Gibson is one of the first people to live on the moon. Cool, right? Dash would be the first to tell you that living on the moon is not the luxurious vacation it's advertised to be. In fact, Dash finds it rather boring. So much so that school is an event to look forward... Continue Reading →
Life at an English boarding school can be so boring. Hazel Wong has discovered that. She's actually rather OK with boring, but her friend Daisy Wells is not. Daisy has been in trouble for reading mystery novels, but that doesn't stop her. Daisy convinces Hazel to start a secret detective agency at school. But they... Continue Reading →
If you love games and strategy, you’ll love Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein. The famous game inventor Mr. Lemoncello has built a brand new library in his home town in Ohio. To celebrate the grand opening, he’s invited twelve 12-year-olds for an all-night lock-in in the library. Kyle Keeley is determined to... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 