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
Escape By Night is told by Tommy, a 10-year-old boy in Georgia during the Civil War. His father is a pastor whose church has been transformed into a temporary hospital to accommodate the large number of wounded Confederate soldiers returning from the front. When he sees an arriving soldier unwittingly drop a book in the … Continue reading
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail is a simple, cute story. Mouse Minor is small…very small…the smallest mouse in the Royal Mews in the court of Queen Victoria. He is constantly getting into fights with his older, bigger classmates. He knows the Headmaster doesn’t like him and when one fight goes too far he … Continue reading
The prologue of Benjamin Franklinstein Lives! shows us a creepy chamber in which the famous Benjamin Franklin has bolts fastened to his neck (like Frankenstein’s Monster) and is submerged in a coffin-like tub of gooey green liquid. We watch as he drifts into a coma state with his Caretaker from The Prometheus Order (a secret … Continue reading
I was ecstatic to see a new novel from Gary Blackwood! And (for the most part) I was not disappointed. Curiosity is the story of Rufus, a twelve-year-old born with a curvature of the spine and an inborn ability to play chess. Rufus lives in early 18th Century America. His mother died giving birth to … Continue reading
I liked a lot of moments in The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher. The author’s decision to portray Becky Thatcher (the classic character from Mark Twain’s Adventures of Tom Sawyer) as a bold and daring spitfire of a young girl in 19th Century America is perfect. Becky’s character is well-defined and three-dimensional in thought and … Continue reading
The best word I have for Liesl & Po is “lovely.” I loved the story. Although it never specifically identifies a time period, it seems very clear that it’s probably around Victorian times in Europe. There is a Lady Premier, an Alchemyst, an Innkeeper, and an evil stepmother–as well as “the most powerful magic in … Continue reading
Heart of a Samurai was my 6th grade son’s choice for our bedtime reading since it is a Lovelace Division II (grades 6-8) nominee this year. Our entire family was drawn into the story of Manjiro. His story begins when, as a 14-year-old boy, he and four other fishermen are caught in a terrible storm and shipwrecked on … Continue reading
