“The tricky thing about giving opinions is that sometimes they cost you more than you wanted to spend.”–Stacey Lee, The Downstairs Girl I really liked this book. It is charming, witty, and laugh out loud funny. It is also poignant, thought provoking, and hopeful. 17 year old Jo Kuan has a secret. By day she […]
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This incredible story by Adam Gidwitz was a Newberry Honor book in 2017 and I am not sure how it didn’t win the Newberry Award. It is a unique and well crafted story that addresses hard subjects in a way that makes sense to kids and quite frankly, has some of the better explanations I’ve
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“A river no more begins at its source than a story begins with the first page.“–Diane Setterfield, Once Upon a River On a cold winter night, a tavern along the Thames becomes the spot for mystery and intrigue as a badly injured man, with a lifeless child in his arms, bursts into the room
“A river no more begins at its source than a story begins with the first page.“–Diane Setterfield, Once Upon a River On a cold winter night, a tavern along the Thames becomes the spot for mystery and intrigue as a badly injured man, with a lifeless child in his arms, bursts into the room where
“It wasn’t luck that made them fly; it was hard work and common sense; they put their whole heart and soul and all their energy into an idea and they had the faith.”–David McCullough–The Wright Brothers I really enjoy David McCullough’s books and this one is no exception. He brings Orville and Wilbur Wright to
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“It’s possible that all labels are curses. Unless they are on cleaning products.”― Holly Goldberg Sloan, Counting by 7s This is a powerful novel by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Willow Chance is a twelve year old genius obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions. She has a difficult time connecting with people other than her family and she
“It’s possible that all labels are curses. Unless they are on cleaning products.”― Holly Goldberg Sloan, Counting by 7s This is a powerful novel by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Willow Chance is a twelve year old genius obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions. She has a difficult time connecting with people other than her family and she
“The Mongols did not find honor in fighting; they found honor in winning.”–Jack Weatherford, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World How much do you know about Genghis Khan? I’ll admit I didn’t know much other than that he was a fierce warrior and leader whose army was extremely successful at conquering and
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“I could not endure a man who would let himself be ruled by me, and I would not endure a man who tried to rule me.”–Elizabeth Peters, Crocodile on the Sandbank This is a fun book and it is the first in the Amelia Peabody mystery series. Set in the 1880s, Amelia Peabody is a
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“I pray you never stand at any crossroads in your own lives, but if you do, if the darkness seems so total, if you think there is no way out, remember, never ever give up. The darker the night, the brighter the dawn, and when it gets really, really dark, this is when one see
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