The Winter Orphans by Kristin Beck is based on a true story. These type of books are always special to me. This one tells the story of brave women who were able to keep children away from the Germans who wanted to take them to work camps. The kids in the book were very brave also. I enjoyed this book very much! (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
"The Winter Orphans" by Kristin Beck
The Winter Orphans by Kristin Beck is based on a true story. These type of books are always special to me. This one tells the story of brave women who were able to keep children away from the Germans who wanted to take them to work camps. The kids in the book were very brave also. I enjoyed this book very much! (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
"We Must Not Think of Ourselves" by Lauren Grodstein
We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein is historical fiction. When Hitler took over, he locked a number of Jews in what became known as the Warsaw Ghetto. Adam is offered the chance to join people who are writing about this so that people will know what is happening. This was a hard book to read because of the terrible things these people went through. I liked the interviews the best. It's an amazing story! (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Thursday, December 28, 2023
"The Nature of Fragile Things" by Susan Meissner is Thrilling Historical Fiction
Thursday, November 30, 2023
"The Sky Over Rebecca" by Matthew Fox
The Sky Over Rebecca by Matthew Fox is a light, enjoyable middle grade novel. Kara sees a snow angel by the lake but no footprints. She decides to investigate and there starts the adventure of her life. This book has a good storyline, good action and good characters with a good ending. (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
"Small Mercies" by Dennis Lehane
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane takes place the summer in Boston before black and white kids are bussed so they can go to school together. A white girl goes missing and a black teen boy is killed by a train under mysterious circumstances. This is a good book. The main characters were developed very well! (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
"West With Giraffes" by Lynda Rutledge
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge is based on true story how two giraffes went on a 12-day road trip to the San Diego zoo just as World War II was about to start. An old man tells the story, and what a story it is! I enjoyed this because it has a good storyline and some good fiction with a good ending. This was recommended to me by a friend from pickleball. (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
"The Arctic Fury" by Greer Macallister is Outstanding!
The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister is historical fiction at its best! It is about 12 women who come together to go on a secret rescue mission to the Arctic and the trial when not all 12 return. I thought this book was outstanding! I was into it from page 1. The writing is good and the characters were very believable. It switches between the mission and the trial with a very good ending! Do not miss this one! (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Saturday, October 1, 2022
My Weird School FAST FACTS Series by Dan Gutman
Explorers, Presidents, and Toilets by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book that I found extremely interesting and filled with fun facts about U.S. history. I learned new things in an enjoyable way and highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about U.S. history, including the history of toilets! (Karen’s review, 5 stars)
Dogs, Cats, and Dung
Beetles by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book I found to be informative
and funny! It is filled with interesting
fun facts about all sorts of animals as well as some jokes throughout the
book. I especially enjoyed the chapter
on presidents’ pets. Arlo and Amanda
both alternate sharing facts in a fun way.
I highly recommend this book to any animal lover. (Karen’s review, 5 stars)
Sports by Dan Gutman if a FAST FACTS series book I found to be interesting and funny. Arlo and Amanda both alternate sharing facts as in the other books in this series. Most sports are covered, but I noticed pickleball was not included. I especially liked the baseball and basketball facts, but enjoyed the whole book. I liked that at the end it encourages kids to search the internet for their own weird facts about a subject that interest them. (Karen's review, 5 stars)
Dinosaurs, Dodos, and Woolly Mammoths by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book that I skipped because I just am not interesting in reading about dinosaurs and other extinct animals. I included it here because it is part of this series.
Monday, May 16, 2022
"The Diamond Eye" by Kate Quinn
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn is based on a true story. Mila Pavlichenko lives a quiet life. She works at the library and looks after her son. The war changes that and she turns into a deadly sniper! This is good stuff!! I enjoyed the story line and Mila is a great character! This has good action and and exciting ending. (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Sunday, April 3, 2022
"The Lady's Mine" by Francine Rivers is a Great Read!
Thursday, February 3, 2022
"The Last House on the Street" by Diane Chamberlain
Saturday, November 20, 2021
"Irena's War" by James D. Shipman
Irena's War by James D. Shipman is based on a true story, and what a story it is! Irena works as a social worker in Warsaw, Poland. When the Germans take over, she works out a deal that she will be the head of a food bank. When she finds out that the Jews are being rounded up, she joins a resistance group to save as many people from the Germans as she can.
Saturday, July 17, 2021
We Both Liked "This Tender Land" by William Kent Krueger
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
"The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah is One We Both Liked a Lot!
This is a good book that made me appreciate all I have and how easy my life is compared to what people had to deal with during the Great depression. I felt the characters were real people and cared about them. This is a sad story about what love is and its importance. I couldn't help but wonder how this book would end and was satisfied with the ending. This book certainly opened my eyes and heart to the poor people who live in poverty. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction dealing with survival.
This book reminded me of The Children's Blizzard because both dealt with children trying to survive the elements, but I liked this one better because of the writing and because there is more action in it. (5 stars)
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Wednesday, March 10, 2021
"Dangerous Women" by Hope Adams
Dangerous Women by Hope Adams is a historical fiction novel during 1841. 180 women are on a ship heading to start a new life in a new town. They are small-time convicts. One woman is stabbed with a knife and is near death. Who did it and why? That is the mystery. This book lacked action in my opinion, but had a good ending and it was hard to figure who the murderer was. The ending was good so pulled it up to 4 stars. (Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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Wednesday, February 17, 2021
"The Children's Blizzard" by Melanie Benjamin--A Very Sad Story
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin tells the story of two young prairie school teachers who have to find an answer not found in their school books. How are they going to get the children left in their care home safe and sound when the weather turns from a warm day into a blizzard? The author does a very good job of making the reader feel how it was on that day.
This historical fiction book is much more than just that one day. You really get to know the characters! I had high hopes for this book going in and it certainly delivered. It was better than I expected! I LOVED this book and even read the author's notes, which I normally do not do. (Gerard's review, 1/31/21, 5++ stars)
Karen's review:
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin is based on a true event but with fictional characters. This is a very sad story with lots of death and guilt. Just reading it made me feel cold! Knowing this actually happened made it interesting and even sadder. It revolves around two sisters who both were school teachers and one of their students. Both teachers were only 16 and 17 or 18, Raina and Gerda. Raina made a right decision and Gerda, a terrible one. This is a story about immigrants and homesteading in the 1800s and survival. It has adventure and much heartbreak. Reading this for me was like plowing through a blizzard myself. (4 stars)
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Wednesday, January 13, 2021
"Orphan Monster Spy" by Matt Killeen (We both liked this One)
Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen takes place in Nazi Germany. Sarah, a blond Jewish teen, sees her mom killed on their way out. Sarah gets away but is befriended by a British spy who sees her potential and allows her to become a spy too and work for him.
I liked this book because Sarah was so clever and very athletic! She found herself in danger and always managed to come out on top! (Karen's review, 5 stars)
Gerard's review 12/23/2020: In Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen, Sarah's mom is shot at a checkpoint. Now Sarah is on the run. She is a Jew in Germany who is befriended by a man who needs Sarah to pull off a spy mission. She thinks she can do it, but can she?
I thought this book was really good. Sarah is a great character. I enjoyed her interaction with people her own age very much. It has a good story line with a good ending. (5 stars)
Teaser from page 11: Concentrate. It's like an accent, a gymnastic routine, a piano piece. Fix your mind on the task at hand.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2020
"Daughter of the Reich" by Louise Fein
In Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein, Hetty is a young German girl of a high ranking Nazi officer. Hetty is loyal to the Reich and ready to do her part. But as time goes on, Hetty begins to learn that all she believes to be good might not be so. She will not turn her back on her old friends.
This book is pretty good. It drew me in and kept my interest throughout. The story has good flow to it and the characters were brought out very well with a good ending. (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Teaser from page 22: Everything looks calm and friendly, but I can feel the evil hovering outside the safety of our iron railings, and I shudder. I imagine a great big guard dog, patrolling the garden. Just the idea of it makes me feel safer.
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Monday, August 10, 2020
"We Dream of Space" by Erin Entrada Kelly is historical fiction for kids
We dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly deals with three young teens who live in the same family--Cash, Fitch and Bird. They all go to the same school where the focus is on space and the launch of The Challenger. It is also about their day-to-day lives. I thought this book was pretty good and I enjoyed all the kids. It flowed along well with some funny parts too. (Gerard's review, 4 stars)
Teaser from page 22: "Maybe if you had a three-dimensional brain, you wouldn't be failing seventh grade for the second time," Fitch said. "Good luck getting any homework done with your right hand in a cast. Not that you know how to do it anyway."
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Friday, July 10, 2020
"The Kingdom of Back" by Marie Lu
Marie Lu is such a talented writer! I enjoyed reading about both the brother and sister very much and look forward to her next book!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)
Teaser from page 7: I closed my eyes. In the darkness, with only myself, I searched for the pulse of the music and let my hands find it.
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