The Book Thief is quite an accomplishment. Five hundred and fifty pages of thought-provoking text in a very unique, slightly jarring style, all narrated by Death. The originality of this book made waves a few years ago, and that’s pretty hard to do. It’s a story of words. Words that prompted a Fascist regime, and […]
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by JK Rowling, 1998, Book Review
I just finished this second book in the Harry Potter series for my third time. The funny thing about these books, however, is that I can’t ever seem to remember them well. Because each of the seven takes place at the same location with the same characters, I get the plots all confused. There isn’t […]
See What I See, by Gloria Whelan, 2011, Book Review
Gloria Whelan has reconfirmed herself as one of my favorite authors with her latest book, See What I See. We share a state, and the passion with which she paints northern Michigan’s gorgeous scenery reflects my own love of “up north.” But it is her mastery of story and language that makes her one of […]
Author Gloria Whelan, and What I Did This Weekend
I just spent a beautiful weekend on Michigan’s Mackinac (pronounced Mack-in-awe) Island celebrating my fifteenth anniversary. It’s located in the little-known Straits of Mackinaw, right where the state’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas meet, and in my opinion, there aren’t many places more beautiful in all of America. The whole area is sparsely populated, with lots […]
Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula, by Elise Stokes, 2010, Book Review
I met Elise Stokes recently in a forum post discussing clean content in children’s literature. I was intrigued enough by our conversation to order her book, Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula. I’m glad I did! Not only are its pages free of objectionable content, they contain all the ingredients required for a superb adventure. […]
Okay for Now, by Gary D. Schmidt, 2011, Book Review (Kind of)
I have one word for you: A.m.a.z.i.n.g. Gary Schmidt has long been one of my favorite authors. In fact, I’ve kind of made him my very own personal back-pocket author. Years ago, when I was freshly out of college and toying with a writing hobby, I discovered his book, Anson’s Way. I finished the last […]
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne, 1870, Book Review
Jules Verne’s undersea adventure classic is a smooth blend of science and fantasy, so smooth I had to do a little research to verify where the line blurs. Written as a first person account (the narrator is a scientist), it contains many facts and figures “proving” observations with natural law. Many facts and figures. And […]
Trapped, by Michael Northrop, 2011, Book Review
“We were the last seven kids waiting to get picked up from Tattawa Regional High School…But we weren’t going anywhere. Mr. Gossell, Jason’s dad, Krista’s mom, whoever it was we were waiting for, they had nothing to do with us anymore. No one did. It was just the seven of us, the seven of us […]
The Outside of a Horse, by Ginny Rorby, 2010, Book Review
“There’s nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse.” The Outside of a Horse is an emotional, eye-opening novel that has pushed me into some new areas of thinking. I’m afraid my review may grow rather controversial before I’m done. Hannah’s mother died of cancer five years ago, and […]
Moon over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool, 2010, Book Review
I loved, loved, LOVED this book! Recommended to me by a sixth grade literature teacher, I gobbled it up in a two sittings. A few days later, I learned it won this year’s Newbery. Well-earned, I say! Following an illness, twelve-year-old Abilene’s father, Gideon, sends her away to friends in Manifest, Kansas, a town that […]