Eric has always loved football. It’s his senior year, scouts are making phone calls, a college scholarship seems secure. So why can’t he work up any enthusiasm? Because his dad has always been so closely entwined with his game, and three months ago a drunk driver unraveled everything. His dad is gone. Ann Herrick does […]
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 […]
Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus, 2010, Book Review
A storm, a shipwreck, and five stranded Japanese fishermen picked up by an American whaler. The problem? They can never go home. Because of Japan’s strict isolationist policy and fear of outsiders, those who leave Japan can never return. The year is 1841. Young Manjiro, like the other fishermen, is suspicious of his blue-eyed rescuers. […]
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 […]
Ramona and her Father, by Beverly Cleary, 1977, Book Review
Ramona and Her Father is another installment in the life of the Quimbys. Within, Mrs. Cleary maintains her characteristic anecdotal style, but she’s tied her chapters more fully together to give us a glimpse inside the mind of this precocious child. And to our surprise, we find a regular girl with logical reasons for her outlandish behavior. Ramona is […]
The Door in the Forest, by Roderick Townley, 2011, Book Review
The best words I can think of to describe The Door in the Forest, by Roderick Townley, are “unique” and “vague.” Unique because Townley takes everyday themes like death, war and rebellion and weaves around them a tale unlike anything I’ve ever read before. With a little magic, the focus suddenly leaves the commonplace and […]
In Honor of Beverly Cleary
Today I’d like to pay tribute to one of the most accomplished, most celebrated, most beloved children’s authors in history. Growing up, the name Beverly Cleary rolled off my tongue as easily as “Ronald Reagan” or “Michael Jackson”. Everyone knew who she was. And her characters – Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, Ribsy, Beezus and Ralph […]
Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick, 2011, Book Review
Through my intricate web of literary connections (yeah, right), I managed to get my hands on an advance copy of Brian Selznick’s brand new book, Wonderstruck. It won’t be released until September 13, 2011, so I feel very privileged to provide a sneak peek at this captivating new middle grade novel. Some of you may […]
Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne, Book Review
This entertaining novel was first published in 1873 by French writer, Jules Verne. It is the story of a rich English gentleman who accepts a bet to travel around the entire world (no easy feat in 1873; one that had only recently become possible) in 80 days. The gentlemen of the Reform club, of which […]
Gravity, by Abigail Boyd, eBook Review
I don’t usually gravitate toward the paranormal. I hold some strong religious views and am of the opinion that the occult can be dangerous. But I’ve agreed to review Gravity, so I will judge Ms. Boyd’s craft, not her subject matter. And my conclusion? Abigail Boyd is a gifted writer! In Gravity, Ms. Boyd has created three […]