"The Guardians" by John Grisham

The Guardians by John Grisham is about a small non-profit called Guardian Ministries dedicated to freeing wrongfully convicted prisoners. Cullen Post, a lawyer and an Episcopal minister, is the founder. He works with three others and gets into some dangerous situations. The main case in this book is him trying to free Quincy Morgan who was convicted of murdering a lawyer.

I thought this book was pretty good but it moved slowly. Much of the book involved searching for new evidence in a cold case and getting the witnesses to admit they lied in court 22 years ago. It seems the judicial system could be improved simply by doing away with swearing witnesses in to tell the truth. It is misleading to do that, because some lie anyway but the jury is under the impression since they swore to tell the truth, they do. That is not the case. (Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 3: There is an appeal bouncing around somewhere in the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, and when it lands on the desk of the right law clerk within the hour this execution will be stayed. Duke will return to the horrors of solitary confinement and live to die another day.


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"White Bird" by R. J. Palacio (a graphic children's novel)

White Bird by R. J. Palacio is a story about a young Jewish girl named Sara.  Her childhood is a good one until world War II starts and Hitler and his army start to take over Sara's homeland.  This is a graphic novel so it goes really fast!  The story line is a good one and it kept me engaged throughout.  The pictures were very nice and middle-school readers will enjoy this and also learn some valuable life lessons from factual history.  I think adults would enjoy this too, like I did.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 7:  "...Those were dark times, yes...but what has stayed with me the most is not the darkness......but the light.  That is what I have held on to all these years......and that is the story I want to share with you now."

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"The Chestnut Man" by Soren Sveistrup - A Mystery

The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup is about a psychopath that is on the loose and must be stopped!  When he strikes, he leaves a Chestnut man at the scene as his calling card.  You will have to read the book to understand what that is.  When the detectives check for fingerprints, they find that the belong to a girl thought to be dead long ago.  Say what?

I read the large print version (over 700 pages) and was engaged for the most part.  There were a lot of detectives which was a bit confusing.  The writing was good though and I really never knew what was coming next!  I was surprised by the ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 14: 
She's known it for a while, yet somehow not--and only now, as the voice whispers it to her, does she understand that it's true.  She wants to scream as loudly as she can, but her gust are already halfway up her throat, and when she feels the bludgeon stroke her cheek she flings herself headlong with all her strength and staggers deeper into the gloom.  

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"The Batboy" by Mike Lupica

The Batboy by Mike Lupica is another good sports book for kids that I enjoyed as well. Brian’s parents are divorced and baseball has become his life, just like it was for his dad. This story is about Brian’s best summer ever when he gets to be batboy for the Detroit Tigers and sees baseball from the inside. Then his own baseball team is having a great season too! To top things off, his all-time favorite player, Hank Bishop, is making a comeback and signed with the Tigers! Unfortunately, Hank is not what he expected, but Brian still pursues a friendship with him in spite of Hank’s harshness towards him.

There is a lot of baseball in this book which I enjoyed. It gives some insight into baseball history and even shows the struggles of a player going through a slump. It captures the excitement of the game and was a pleasure to read. I loved the ending!   I highly recommend this to any kid who likes baseball.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 15: Working for the Tigers, even if it’s just for one summer, is my dream. And my mom, even though she isn’t too big on baseball since my dad left, is always telling me that you can’t know if your dreams are out of reach until you actually reach for them.


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"The Last Train to London" by Meg Waite Clayton is Historical Non-Fiction

The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton is based on true events!  Hitler and the Nazis are on the march.  People who oppose him are anxious to flee, but with borders being closed, it is not going to be easy!  One woman takes it upon herself to smuggle children out of Nazi occupied lands.  What a story!

I enjoyed this book that flowed along.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 51:  "They have families elsewhere, in England or in the United States?"
"Yes, of course, Mr. Tenkink," Truus answered.  "That's why they find themselves standing in bare feet in the snow outside a burning Jewish orphanage."

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!