Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Heroes of the Holocaust by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun may seem like strange reading for Christmastime. I found it to be the perfect book to read to remind me of all the blessings I have in the midst of a difficult year. This book highlights teens from around Europe and their stories of resistance... 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 →
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 →
If your child is like mine, and an unashamed Civil War buff, he will enjoy reading Tillie Pierce by Tanya Anderson. Tillie grew up in Gettysburg and was there during the entire battle. Her home was downtown, but her parents wanted her to escape the worse of the fighting, so she went to a friend's... Continue Reading →
Can a kite really bridge two nations? Homan Walsh wonders the same thing. But Homan loves to fly kites, so when he finds out about a contest for kite flyers, he is ready to compete. The winner will receive $10 and the honor of determining the place to build a bridge between the U.S. and... Continue Reading →
I love to read stories about family history, whether it is mine or someone else's. Lucky for me, Elaine Snyder tells the story of her grandparents who immigrated from Russia to New York City around the 1900's in Anna & Solomon. This is a sweet story - one with a sad beginning, but a happy... Continue Reading →
Recently, my children and I learned quite a bit about the work women did to help the war effort during the Civil War. Quite a few women dressed up as men, and joined the army. Other women were couriers or spies. Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy by Seymour... Continue Reading →
Dan and his friends live the ideal small-town life in Grand Island, Nebraska. They swim, ride bikes, hang out together. When a severe thunderstorm alert is issued for that evening, Dan doesn't think much of it. It's a common occurrence in Nebraska. But what happens next is not. Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman... Continue Reading →
Children dealing with deployed parents can gain comfort from Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins (yes, the author of The Hunger Games). Collin's father was deployed to Viet Nam when she was six. In this picture book, she remembers what life was like with her dad gone, and the questions she asked about his... Continue Reading →
You haven’t heard of Peanut Johnson? That’s OK, not many have. If you love baseball, even if you don’t, you will enjoy A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson by Michelle Y. Green. Written in first person, Green did an excellent job capturing the voice of Mamie Johnson, her expressions, interjections and... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 