"One For The Murphys" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

One For the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is about being someone’s hero and showing unconditional love. Although it is considered juvenile fiction, I really liked it! The main character, Carly, has been neglected and abused but finds a good foster home while her mother recovers from a beating she took from her husband. Julie Murphy, the foster home mother, is the wife of a fireman with three boys that shows kindness and love to Carly who doesn’t quite know what to make of it. This heart-warming book has humor, a good message, and is a touching quick read. It made even made me tear up at certain parts. If you like stories about kids and family, I recommend this one! It will tug at your heartstrings.
 (Karen's review, rating 5 stars)

Here's a trailer for the book:
(This is the author's debut novel, her first draft of it received the Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children's Literature.)


This book was recommended by I am a Reader, Not a Writer. Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are linking this up to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop in response to this prompt: Book Review time! Recommend a great book, perfect for these stormy fall days! We'd like for you to subscribe so you get all our reviews. Click the link to check out the other prompts and perhaps link up a post of your own.

"Into The Darkest Corner" by Elizabeth Haynes

You just have to make time to read Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes —it's awesome!! It tells the story of young pretty Catherine Bailey. She was in a very abusive relationship with Lee. The thing that makes this book so good is that it follows her and Lee's relationship but also three years later as she is trying to recover and get back to being normal again. You get two stories at once! The writing is superb and the ending shocking! This is a page turner that is hard to beat. It doesn't get any better than this! Must read! (Gerard's review: Rating (5+ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Related Post:  See another review of this at Tiffany's Bookshelf

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"Hand Me Down" by Melanie Thorne

Hand Me Down by Melanie Thorne is a pretty good book told by Liz, a young teen girl.  Her mom lives with an ex-con who treats the whole family pretty bad.  Her dad is a drunk who lives with a woman and Liz's younger sister who still believes in her dad.  This leaves Liz pretty much in no-man's land when it comes to living arrangements.

This book goes quick and does have a happy ending for Liz which I am glad about.  All in all, I enjoyed it.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"The Homecoming of Samuel Lake" by Jenny Wingfield

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield is a good story about three families.  Tragedy hits when Swan's grandfather commits suicide and her father, Samuel Lake, loses his church. Samuel Lake is a preacher with a wife, a daughter named Swan and two boys. He lost his church so moved his family to live with his wife's parents in Arkansas. The preacher's kids meet a boy named Blade who is abused by his father who is their neighbor. Swan determines to help Blade hide from his father. The author does a good job of story telling about good and evil using three families--the Lakes/Moses and Ballengers. Through the story, the little girl and father both pray for miracles, trusting God for a good outcome.

Here's a little teaser for you:

I know you're probably afraid of your daddy.  I'm afraid of him, myself, and I only saw him once.  So why don't I have my daddy talk to your daddy?  My daddy's a preacher.  He talks people into changing their ways all the time. (pg. 57)

This book held my attention because there is the story about the kids trying to protect Blade, the family dynamics, the faith angle and the murder. This was an interesting read with lots of characters that I liked.
(Karen's review:  My rating: 4 of 5 stars)

(Read on Kindle for free through library.)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Glimpse" by Carol Lynch Williams

WOW! Double WOW!! Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williamsis an awesome read about two sisters, Lizzie and Hope, who live with their mom. One day Lizzie tries to kill herself but doesn't go through with it and is taken to a mental hospital. Hope cannot figure out why and when Lizzie tells her to be careful, she is really confused. One day Hope finds out by listening to her mom talking to Lizzie about a terrible secret they share. The suspense about this secret builds all the way through! It is a hard book to put down. This is the third book I read by Carol Lynch Williams and is by far her best!  It has a super ending too! I'm telling you to read this book, it is fantastic!

Glimpse is one of the most unusual books I have ever read because the whole bookiis written in free verse!
(Gerard's review)
Check out my teaser for this one.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at

the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter (UPDATED 6-1-11)

Wow and wow! I didn't think I would like Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter this much, but I did! Always a good thing when I am pleasantly surprised. Three Little Words is the true story of Ashley and her brother who were put into foster care because their mom was unfit to raise them. It reads like a novel but the sad part is that it is true. It was an eye opener for me that this kind of stuff goes on. I enjoyed it right from the start. It has a super ending! I highly recommend you put this on your TBR list!
(Gerard's review)

Here's our teaser for this. Karen plans on reading this one too.

UPDATED 6-1-11 (Karen's review):
Books like this make me so proud and grateful for parents who were foster parents to two sisters and a brother so they wouldn't have to be split up. The boy was the youngest, age 4, when they moved in and it was the only foster home they ever had. The girls were 5 and 6. Although my parents never adopted them, we were definitely a family!

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter is both heart-breaking and inspirational. When reading this, I was outraged at some of the foster homes this girl lived in and some of the social workers. Fortunately, it is not all bad and shows there were some very special people who came into her life that really helped her find good parents. Ashley and her brother were together in some homes but then were separated. I felt bad that her adoptive parents wouldn't take the boy too.

I really related to her feelings about visiting her mom and looking forward to the day when they would be reunited. The kids we took in always had this same hope that never materialized until after the girls graduated. Then they moved in with their biological dad nearby for a short time. I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about kids. Maybe it will even prod you to open your home to a child who needs a family!
Sorry for my personal experience tossed into this review, but it really hit a nerve with me.    Thanks, Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time for recommending this book to us!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Hidden" by Shelley Shephard Gray

Hidden by Shelly Shephard Gray is the first book in the “Sisters of The Heart” Series. When Anna finds herself in an abusive relationship with Rob, her boyfriend, and discovers he has been misappropriating his campaign funds, she decides to hide with an Amish friend, Katie, at her Bed and Breakfast inn. While there, she has time to think about things and finds romance with her friend’s Amish brother, Henry, and a safe haven for awhile and learns to put others ahead of herself. Anna seeks God’s guidance and finally comes to a decision about some major choices in her life and stands up to her controlling parents and Rob, finally figuring out who she is and what she wants.

Hidden deals with self-doubt, loneliness, friendship, romance and trust with some discussion questions in the back. My favorite character was Henry I liked the decision Anna made in the end and the general theme of the book about people hiding who they are was obvious and well done. This was a quick, light Christian romance/suspense story. I read the second in this series first, Wanted, which is more about Anna’s friend, Katie. I liked that one better and look forward reading the last one, Forgiven.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Japan get relief through Samaritan's Purse by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Boot Camp" by Todd Strasser

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser is a disturbing novel about Garrett, a boy sent to Harmony Lake camp for troubled teens, by his parents because he was out of control.  It is like a prison for teens, but they use physical and psychological abuse to get teens to become obedient.  Parents who send kids there paid $4,000 a month!  Teens are separated from their parents and the outside world for a minimum of six months.  In this book, Garrett really did not deserve to be there and befriended two others who didn’t deserve to be there either.  They escaped together but it did not end there.

I liked the ending, but won’t spoil it for you.  I found myself pulling for Garrett throughout the book and although this was fiction, it is based on real places that exist in the United States which is what disturbed me most.  No one should be treated this way!   The book was gripping, a page-turner that I was anxious to see how it would end.
 (Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Who's The Dummy Now? by Terry Fator

10 Stars!  Inspirational!
Who's The Dummy Now? is about Terry Fator, who won $1,000,000 on America's Got Talent 2.  He is a ventriloquist.  He tells his story in a fun way.  He overcame an abusive father, no friends really and everybody telling him he could not do it, but he did. 

Way to go, Terry!  I enjoyed your book so much!  I think everyone would like this one.
(Gerard's review 2/5/09)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Confessions of a Prairie Bitch" by Alison Arngrim

 I enjoyed reading Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim because it was mostly about the TV show I liked called “Little House On The Prairie.”  Alison was the actress who played Nellie Oleson on the show, the mean, snobby girl.  In her book, she shares how people really hated her because of her character on TV when she made public appearances dressed as Nellie.  She shares about her childhood which was so heartbreaking that she thought of the cast as her family and loved the diversion.  I liked reading about her auditions for the show, all that she had to go through in shooting the scenes and how the character of Nellie helped her to be more confident and outgoing.  It was amusing to read about her friendship with Melissa Gilbert (Laura on “Little House”) and her relationships with other people on the set.  The fact that people knew her from playing Nellie on the show opened doors for her to make a difference in social causes.  I recommend this book to anyone who loved watching “Little House On The Prairie.” 
(Karen's Review)   

Confessions of A Prairie Bitch gives the reader a good behind-the-scenes look at "Little House on the Prairie." I thought this was a great book. I enjoyed getting to know Alison too. It is a quick read and funny!
(Gerard's review)

We also read Melissa Gilbert's autobiography, Prairie Tale.

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"One Child" and "The Tiger's Child" by Torey Hayden

One Child by Torey Hayden is very interesting, but also very sad.  It is about Shelia, a bright 6-year-old girl who tied up a 4-year-old and set him on fire and was put in Torey’s “crazy kid” class until a space opened up in the State mental hospital for her. She had a high IQ, was a bed wetter, had an abusive, alcoholic father and was abandoned on a freeway by her mother who kept her younger brother. She was quite a terror, but Tory “tamed” her and became very attached to her. She was cut bad by her uncle who raped her and was in the hospital for a month. She was able to enter regular classes again. Very good book, but left you wondering what happened to Sheila. (The Tiger’s Child is the sequel)

The Tiger’s Child by Torey Hayden

(Sequel to One Child)

Very good about Shelia as a teenager and how she had blocked a lot of her childhood out. Her memories came back the more she talked with Torey. Became a manager of McDonalds which disappointed Torey. Mixed up Torey with her mom who abandoned her at one point. Also worked with Torey with some disturbed kids which was good for awhile.
(Karen's review 10/05)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Twilight Children: Voices No One Heard Until a Therapist Listened" by Torey Hayden

Twilight Children by Torey Hayden is one of best books Gerard ever read. Very good! Really interesting how she was able to help multiple personality Cassandra who was a real terror.

A child psychiatrist helped Cassandra (7 yr. old) who was abducted by her father for two years and was sexually abused. She developed multiple personalities but did get better eventually. Also about a 4 yr. old, Drake and Friend (his stuffed tiger) who couldn’t talk but who was thought to have selective mutism. Mother was only one who knew the truth until she confided in the psychiatrist who tried to help Drake speak. 

This is quite an interesting book that both Gerard and I liked very much.  I found it very fascinating.  It is the first book we read by Torey Hayden.
(reviewed 9/05)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Beautiful Child" by Torey Hayden

WOW! A really GREAT BOOK! My favorite of her books. Cried at the end.

In Beautiful Child Torey Hayden shares about her challenging special ed class and how the teacher struggled throughout the year and turned it around. Venus was the most challenging of all because had very serious abuse in the home and was mostly unresponsive except when attacking other kids when they accidentally bumped her. Finally got the help she needed after the hospital treated her for hypothermia, had to amputate her toes, and found 22 broken bones that had healed or were in various stages of healing. 

It also revealed the struggle Torey had with her aide who was totally on a different page philosophically and really undermined what she was trying to do.
Some of the things teacher did that worked was behavior modification with traffic lights, singing between activities or to refocus kids when they started fighting, closed eye journey, special one-on-one time at recess with Venus —held her on her lap.
(Karen's review 9/05)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

The Last Child by John Hart

The Last Child by John Hart had my attention all the way through.  It's a novel about Johnny, a very brave 13-yr-old boy who conducts his own private investigation when his twin sister turns up missing.  With his help, Detective Hunt eventually finds her and figures out what happened as well as solving the disappearance of another missing girl.  I liked this book because the ending caught me by surprise and I was right there trying to figure out what happened along with the detective.  I felt bad for Johnny and was pulling for him and his mom throughout the book.  His faith in God was shattered, but restored in the end.  This book deals with abuse, law enforcement issues, friendship and dealing with grief.
Karen's Review (5/22/10)

One of the Best Books I’ll Read This Year!

The Last Child by John Hart is fiction.  It’s about Johnny Merrimon whose twin sister was abducted.  Johnny thinks he can find her and then their family will go back to being together again.  I really liked this book.  All the characters are very believable as is the story line.  I did not see the ending coming at all!  The Last Child rocks!  It’s a can’t put down thriller!

(Gerard's Review 5/7/10)