"Little Shoes" by Pamela Everett (Historical non-fiction)

Little Shoes by Pamela Everett is a true crime story.  Pamela's dad lost two sisters.  He does not talk about this so Pamela decides to look into what became of her dad's sisters.  This book is hard to read because of what it describes, but it is gripping too which makes it hard to put down!  The pacing of this book is well done.  The writing really made me feel like I was right there.  I always enjoy reading about true events that I am not up to speed on, but I can't say I enjoyed this.  However, it is very good and am glad I read it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
Little Shoes by Pamela Everett is the true story about how the author researched into her families past to find out what happened back in 1937 to her two aunts that she just learned she had. This is about their murder and the question of whether the guy charged was really the guy who did it. This is a very sad and disturbing book!

The author wrote this to memorialize the three girls who were murdered, two of which her family never spoke of much. I really didn’t enjoy this one because not only was the murder of the three little girls horrible, but then it seemed to me that justice was not even served. I felt the guy who was convicted was really innocent! This book points out pitfalls in our criminal justice system when it comes to wrongful convictions. I found the research extremely interesting about eyewitnesses. The emotions I felt while reading this were sadness and anger. Much of the book moved very slowly for me, but things picked up once the trial got underway. Overall, this book is very unsettling.
(3 stars)

Karen's Teaser from page pg 79: And I thought about the leading cause of wrongful convictions—a problem with police investigations that’s still with us today.
Eyewitness misidentifications have led to 75 percent of the wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence in our country, and many of those mistakes happen early in the process when police are desperately seeking a suspect, just as they were in Inglewood in those frantic days after June 26.

Gerard's Teaser from pg. 16:  She politely fended off reporters' continued questions about whether the girls would have gone with Eddie the Sailor.  She held a hand to her mouth, choking back tears, and told them, "I'm afraid to let myself think what might have happened to them."

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"Smoke in the Sun" by Renee Ahdieh

Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh is the follow up to Flame in the Mist. Mariko is trying to rescue her boyfriend from the Black Clan, Okami, but it will not be easy!  This book does not have as much action as the first; however, it does have a very strong ending!  Mariko is a strong, likeable character and I really enjoyed the parts of the book she was featured in.  My thanks to the author for ending the story in two books instead of three.  It is well worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from pg. 9:  So Yumi had begun with a rock.  The sound it had made as it struck the emperor's spirit tablet reverberated through her ears.

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"Last Man Out" by Mike Lupica

Last Man Out by Mike Lupica is about a brother and sister whose father was a Boston fireman who died rescuing a family from their burning house. Tommy played football and his dad would always sit in the top corner of the bleachers to watch his games. His sister, Em, was the star on her soccer team and her dad also attended all her games. This story is how the father’s death affected Tommy and Em and how they were able to help each other.

This book is sad, but with a good ending—well sort of. It does show how important it is to enjoy every chance you get to play and how things can change very quickly. Both Tommy and Em felt angry at losing their dad and dealt with the pain differently. I liked this book and would recommend it.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 23:  Tommy wished this was all a dream and he could wake himself up.  A nightmare that would end as soon as his eyes opened.

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"Fast Break" by Mike Lupica

Fast Break by Mike Lupica is a fast read because it is so good!  It is about a 12-yr-old boy named Jayson who sees basketball as his way out of the projects.  When his mom dies, the guy she was living with abandons Jayson and he finds himself on his own, hungry and stealing bread and peanut butter to live.  This book is about him growing into a better teammate and also turning his life around with some help.

I loved this book because it drew me in quickly and I couldn't help but pull for Jayson to have a good life.  There is a lot of basketball in this book at middle school level; however, the main story line is more about Jayson overcoming obstacles in his life and learning to trust people.  I got so absorbed in this one that I missed my bus stop and didn't even notice until another rider told me!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)  

Teaser from page 25:  He walked toward the store and knew in his heart that he was being walked right into the Child Protective Services system.  He didn't know how it worked or where he was going, but he was smart enough to know that the game was officially over.

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"Shoot Out" by Mike Lupica

Shoot Out by Mike Lupica is about Jake, a very good soccer player who was on the best team, but moved and now finds himself on the worst team without even a chance of making it to the playoffs. Once he gets done feeling sorry for himself, he discovers a new role—that of team leadership and helping his teammates get better. His biggest challenge is Kevin, who is a loner and seems not to care about soccer at all since his mom died. He wanted to quit, but his dad would not let him. Jake decides to try being his friend and in the process, sees how much talent Kevin really has.

I think this story is one that could help a good player who finds himself on a very bad team make the best of it. It is a very quick children’s read, but I enjoyed it.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from pg. 11: No, it wasn’t Belmont that Jake disliked. It was their so-bad-it-actually-hurt twelve-year-old travel soccer team.


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