I discovered this book several years ago, when I was looking for historical fiction to suppliment an American history class I was teaching to my then-homeschooled daughter. I’ve just finished reading it with both of my boys for the same class. I’m still impressed. This is the story of Jamestown, told through the eyes of […]
I've reviewed lots of books and written 20 of my own.
Constance, A Story of Early Plymouth, by Patricia Clapp, 1968
Constance Hopkins was a passenger onboard the Mayflower. The daughter of Stephen Hopkins, neither she nor her father were part of the congregation of Separatist we commonly call Pilgrims but members of the Virginia Company. At least Steven was. Constance was merely fourteen when she made the journey. This is her story, the tale of […]
The Gollywhopper Games, by Jody Feldman
Every now and again I read a review on some book I’ve never heard of and locate a copy for myself. ThisKidErik is particularly good at growing my tbr list. The Gollywhopper Games is one he recommended. He gave it five bookworms. I give it four. This is a really fun book. Sort of a […]
Bone by Bone by Bone, by Tony Johnston
First let me give you fair warning. This one has excessive language. Often very offensive language. Obscenities, profanities. So why on earth am I featuring it? Because for mature readers, it offers a very honest, hard look at prejudice. Bone by Bone by Bone takes place in Tennessee in the 1950’s. David Church is the […]
The Starlight Chronicles, by Lisa Orchard
I’ve got a new series and a fantastic price to share with you guys today. The Starlight Chronicles Box Set, by Lisa Orchard is on sale for $.99. That’s three full novels for 99 cents! Here’s the blurb: Lark Singer is seventeen years old and already on the way to a brilliant music career. But as she […]
The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull
I’m super excited to be part of a blog tour featuring Brandon Mull’s new release, The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven. My son and I are currently choral reading (both out loud, together) the Fablehaven series as a fun way to help bump his reading level. Imagine my delight when I received an invitation to preview the new […]
Out of the Silent Planet (The Cosmic Trilogy), by C.S. Lewis (1938)
A huge fan of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series, I recently purchased the first in his “adult” sci-fi trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet. It’s comparable to H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, who wrote a few decades earlier than Lewis. But I found I didn’t care for this one as much as the work I’ve read […]
Grounded Trilogy, by G.P. Ching
Sometime in spring or early summer I picked up the first book in the Grounded Trilogy on a lark as a free BookBub download. Last week I rediscovered Grounded on my Kindle and gave it a try. Five days later, I have finished not only Grounded, but I purchased Charged and Wired and devoured all […]
The Educational Benefits of Audiobooks
“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” –Jim Trelease, author of The Read Alound Handbook The Benefits of Reading Aloud When I attended college back in the 1990’s, we elementary education majors got an earful about the 1985 findings of the U.S. Department […]
Alora series, by Tamie Dearen
Today I have the honor of introducing you to author Tamie Dearen. I met Tamie last spring. We’re in the Clean Indie Reads group together. When she asked for initial proofreaders for book two of the series that features below, I had just finished up Ella Wood, so I volunteered. (My mini-review: clean, compelling, hugely imaginative, and lovely. […]