Jean Craighead George wrote many books about nature and protecting the environment. I recently reread The Talking Earth, which is about a young Seminole girl name Billie Wind who spends 3 months on her own in the Everglades. When Billie Wind says that she doesn’t believe the legends of her people, she’s sent to spend […]
Anne of Green Gables
May 18, 2012 by 4 Comments
Review written by my 11 year old daughter, MRValentine. Anne of Green Gables is about Anne Shirley and her adventures at Green Gables in Avonlea. She gets into all kinds of trouble, finds friends, and loses her temper about her “hair of the most disastrous red.” I liked the book because you can find connections […]
Icefall
May 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jocelyn Koehler. Icefall is well-conceived suspense story that also happens to be a historical novel…with vikings. Somewhere in medieval Scandinavia, a king sends his children (daughters Solveig and Asa, and son and heir Harald) to a remote outpost, accompanied by a small band of warriors, where they’ll be safe from the coming […]
The Healer’s Apprentice
May 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I felt misled by The Healer’s Apprentice. I borrowed the book from Booksfree and, based on the publisher’s description, I expected a YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Had I realized from the beginning I was reading Christian historical romantic fiction instead of a fairytale retelling, I would perhaps have been less disappointed. I have to admit […]
George Washington’s Socks
April 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I can definitely see why George Washington’s Socks was on a book list for 5th grade book reports. It contains many lessons, just under the surface of the adventure. As an English major and former literature teacher, it felt heavy handed to me, but apparently they weren’t quite so obvious to my daughter until we […]
Girl in a Cage
April 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Girl in a Cage is a historical novel about Marjorie Bruce—princess of Scotland and daughter of Robert the Bruce. It’s told in journal-like entries about her current caged situation interspersed with narrative flashbacks about what led up to it. According to authors Jane Yolen and Robert Harris, the story fills in gaps in what history […]
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
April 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Overall, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos was fine. It has a spunky, super smart, and mystically aware 11 year old heroine and the vocabulary isn’t dumbed down, which is something I always appreciate. Theodosia lives in Edwardian London and spends much of her time in the museum her parents run. She has a younger […]
Fever 1793
April 2, 2012 by 3 Comments
Fever 1793 opens with 14 year old Mattie waking up, wanting desperately to roll back over and go to sleep instead of getting up to help in the coffee shop her mother owns. It’s easy for a modern reader to identify with her. She has a crush on a boy her mother doesn’t quite approve […]
The Season
March 21, 2012 by 2 Comments
Set in Regency England (the season of 1815, to be exact), The Season follows the first few months of the social debuts of Alex Stafford and her best friends, Ella and Vivi. In addition to the social pitfalls inherent to their status, there’s also a murder, spies, and romance. The story is full of the […]
Time Warp Trio
March 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Overview of the series Coming in at well under 100 pages, the Time Warp Trio books seem like they’re squarely aimed at the younger set. And they are great for newly independent readers who want some humor and attitude. However, they’re also great for reluctant readers or as a brain break for 9 to 12 […]
