Anna Mallon lives with her family in County Longford in the 1880s during the Land Wars in Ireland. They are tenant farmers on the Lord’s lands, struggling to raise enough crops to both feed themselves and make enough money to pay rent. Rent continues to climb and the weather continues to interfere with their ability … Continue reading
I have to fess up and say that, although I love most of Kate DiCamillo’s work, I was not a fan of Raymie Nightingale. It has been a delightful surprise that I have truly enjoyed both Louisiana’s Way Home and this newest addition, Beverly, Right Here. We were introduced to Beverly Tapinski in Raymie Nightingale … Continue reading
Today I want to share a book that I read for the first time almost ten years ago and it immediately became a fixture on my “All-Time Favorites” list. I found Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by accident at the library. I was looking for a book by another author whose last name … Continue reading
Planet Earth is Blue centers on Nova Vezina, an autistic, largely nonverbal 12-year-old who loves astronomy and is anxiously awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. She and her sister, Bridget, have been in foster care for several years. Nova’s story begins with the words: “Bridget was gone.” We realize, through flashback, that … Continue reading
This one was a 4/5 star read for me. Lyndie is eleven years old in 1985, the daughter of a former war protester/activist and a Vietnam veteran. She is fascinated by (and quite knowledgeable about) American history–particularly the Civil War. She, her mother and father have just moved into her grandparents’ home. Lyndie doesn’t exactly … Continue reading
Wolf Hollow is not a book I would have picked up on my own. I read Wolf Hollow because it is on the list of Maud Hart Lovelace nominees for 2020. I know, also, that it was Newbery Honor book in 2017. I listened to this one on Audio and did not have any preconceived ideas … Continue reading
Part historical fiction, part mystery and part contemporary middle years coming-of-age story, The Parker Inheritance weaves many themes into its complex, but highly structured, plot. The main character is Candice Miller. She is twelve years old and her parents have separated. She and her mother have come to Lambert, South Carolina to stay while their … Continue reading
Max and the Midknights is a new series by Lincoln Peirce, the creator of the Big Nate series. I enjoyed Big Nate stories immensely with my children when they were in elementary school. I am so thrilled that this new series does not disappoint! As implied by the title, Max and the Midknights takes place in medieval times. … Continue reading
I originally read The War That Saved My Life two years ago when it was first published in 2015 and so I am excited to see it show up on the Lovelace nominee list for 2017-18! The War That Saved My Life is Ava’s story. When we meet Ava she is nine years old, living … Continue reading
I think Kizzy Ann Stamps will be a popular Lovelace choice, particularly for girls in grades 3-6. Kizzy Ann will be in 6th Grade in the fall of 1963. We meet her the summer before she attends–for the first time–the integrated elementary school in their Virginia town. The book is told in the form of … Continue reading
