A new school year and a new reading page for Violet! We're starting with August of 2009 and will continue until next July 2010. Enjoy browsing here and please let us know if there are some of your favorites here too! For last year's book list and reviews please visit here :)
Classification :: (HF) Historical Fiction (F) Fiction (B) Biography (N) Novel
Rating Legend :: (1) didn't like it (2) it was ok (3) liked it (4) really liked it (5) it was incredible
Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder Notes :: A modern magic story modeled after the Edward Eager books. The amusing story of four children who discover magic in the form of a wall. To make a wish they have to first use a key that they found to unlock the wall, then with one hand on the wall, they make their wish. One wish took the children to the wild west, another to Camelot to see Merlin. On another journey they even find a dog which they return to Merlin. This was a really fun book to read, perfect for summer! Rated (4++) (F) Summer '09
Nim at Sea by Wendy Orr Notes :: A lovely sequel to Nim's Island, this book is both funny and exciting! When Nim's sea lion friend Selkie is kidnapped by the Troppo Tourists Nim has to stow away on the cruise ship to rescue her. She takes along her iguana Fred who all the children on the ship love at first sight. As the story goes on, Nim and Fred make friends with two of the children on the ship who then help her to rescue Selkie and escape. This would make a wonderful read aloud and was also excellent summer reading. Rated (5) (F) Summer '09
Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson Notes :: A ten year old girl named Marly along with her twelve year old brother Joe, their mother and father who has just been released from a POW camp go to live at Maple Hill Farm where her mother always went to vacation as a little girl. The house belonged to Marly's great-grandmother. Many surprises await the family as they decide to permanently make their home at Maple Hill. Marly and Joe love the magic of sugaring time at Maple Hill Farm, and are very happy that their father is recovered from his terrible experience during the war. A nice book that is well written, even though there are a few boring parts. Rated (4) (F) Summer '09
Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff Notes :: This story is set in the time of WWII. Every summer Lily goes with her grandmother and her father to the ocean in New England and stay for the whole summer. But this year, Lily's father is off to war, her best friend is moving and she'll have to spend the whole summer with just her grandmother of whom she is not that fond. When a refugee boy from Europe comes to stay with her next door neighbors at the beach she discovers a friend in him. This is a pretty good book written the slightly dramatic style of the author. Rated (4+) (HF) Summer '09
The Moffat Museum by Eleanor Estes Notes :: This is the last story in the Moffat series. Janie, Joey, and Rufus Moffat decide to create a museum in their old barn out of all of the stuff that represents the Moffat family. People from all over town come to the free Moffat museum to see things like the bike that they all learned to ride on, a painting by done by their sister Sylvie, and much more. Besides the starting of the museum, Sylvie gets married, Rufus gets a paper route, and Joey gets a real job. Only Janie is left to decide what she is going to do next. This was a wonderful end to the Moffat series and would make a great read aloud, as would all the others. Rated (5) (F) August '09
Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott Notes :: Ben Brown and his poodle Sancho ran away from the circus, and are now roaming the countryside searching for Ben's father who left for California several years ago to train wild horses. But Ben and Sancho are soon discovered in an old carriage house by two little girls and he lets them persuade him to go home with them. He is fed, washed, and warmly clad by the girl's mother who also finds Ben a job by taking him to see a rich old neighbor who is in need of a handy boy. Ben is soon happy working for the old man and visiting the two little girls Bab and Betty. When a friend of the old man's comes to visit him and to move back into her house, (she had been away in Europe), she is touched by Ben's tale of woe, of the cruel people at the circus who beat him. Ben is equally touched by Miss Celia's kindness, and agrees to come work for her instead, helping her to amuse her wheelchair ridden brother. After a few days with Miss Celia, a letter comes to Ben with word that his father is dead. Ben is heartbroken, but he tries to be brave and he has a lovely life with Miss Celia and her brother Thorny. But then Sancho is kidnapped and Ben is sure that he cannot go on. But in a few months Sancho is returned to him and then his beloved father who wasn't really dead at all. The story ends happily with Ben and his father planning to keep working for Miss Celia and her new husband. This was an awesome book as are all the Louisa May Alcott's! Rated (5) (F) August '09
Kristina the Girl King (Royal Diaries) by Carolyn Meyers Notes :: This is the diary of Kristina the daughter of a Swedish King. It tells the story of her unwanted life as a princess because she'd rather have been a boy. When her father died she became King but abdicated after only a year on the throne. She never married and was a very independent young lady. I did not really like this book in particular, it was kind of weird. Rated (2) (HF) August '09
Born to Trot by Marguerite Henry Notes :: A young boy named Gibson White hopes and dreams of driving his horse Rosalind in trotting races all around the world just like his father. But when Gibson is confined to a hospital for six months, his hopes waiver. He is stuck in a hospital room laying bed while his father is training and racing Gibson's horse. During those long months, Gibson reads the famed story of Hambletonian, the world's greatest trotter. Little did he know that one day his own horse would become even faster than that famed horse. Later, Gibson and his father trained Rosalind's offspring in races around the country. This story of Rosalind and Gibson White is true. It is a good book and I would definitely recommend it to horse lovers! Rated (4) (F) August '09
Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze Notes :: Randy and Oliver Melendy are afraid that their year without the other Melendy's is going to be a very dull one. But when they suddenly begin to find coded messages they are led on a year long adventure. They meet new people and make new friends and find many pleasing new hideouts. This is sure to be a year that the Melendy's will never forget. This is the last book in the Melendy series. It is a great book, as are all the others! Rated (5+) (F) August '09
Harriet the Spyby Louise Fitzhugh Notes :: Harriet is an unusual little girl who likes to spy on people and then write down what she sees in one of her many notebooks. When her friends get a hold of her notebook that she accidentally drops, for Harriet it is a disaster. Harriet is angry with herself, but most of all she is angry with her friends. After reading all the mean things she wrote about them in her notebook, the friends have formed a club to get back at her. As the story goes on, Harriet decides that maybe she doesn't want to be a spy when she grows up, and that maybe she should apologize to her friends. In the end, Harriet makes up with her friends, and her parents start spending more time with her. this book was not one of my favorites. I think that the author depicted Harriet as a rude, self centered little girl, who received no love from her parents. I did not really like it. Rated (3+) (F) August '09
Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw Notes :: This is the thrilling story of Jim Keith, a young man who ran away from his family at eight to join his adventurous uncle, hunting and trapping in the forests and fields of young America. But when young Jim is attacked by a grizzly, and taken in to live with the Crow Indian tribe, his whole life is changed. He lived for six years as Talks Alone the adopted son of the Crow Indian Chief. He runs away from the Indians after he decides he can't live with them any more. He teams up with a seasoned trapper, Tom Rivers, and spends the next few years hunting and trapping with him. After a time, a dirty, crumpled letter finds it's way to Jim, and it turns out to be from his long ago brother. He begs Jim to come and help him, his sister Sally, and little Daniel. Jim answers their plea, and fins his brothers and sister mistrustful and suspicious of his new ways. The story continues as Jim and his siblings learn to trust each other. Jim learns to let go of his past and they all become a family again! This is an awesome book! Rated (5) (HF) Sept. '09
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: This is the last book in the "Anne of Green Gables" series, but it isn't really about Anne. It is about Rilla, Anne's youngest daughter. Rilla Blythe is fourteen years old when the story begins. She has beautiful wavy chestnut hair, pale creamy skin, and beautiful eyes. She does not want to continue her schooling, or go to college, she just wants to "have fun", as she describes it. But the beginning of WWI crushes all her hopes and dreams. Her brother Jem goes off to war, and her brother Walter goes too after being ridiculed by his friends about not being "manly" because he didn't join up right away. And then Kenneth Ford, the young man she danced and talked with at her first dance, joins up and leaves too. Her brothers going off to war completely changes her life, and then when she brings home a baby in a soup tureen, to take care of and raise, it changes even more. The long years of war are terrible for Rilla and her parents; and then even more terrible when Walter is killed. But through it all she thinks of Kenneth Ford, and the promise they made to each other when Kenneth came to see her on leave. Rilla's other brother Shirley also joins up, but not until towards the end of the war. When the war finally ends, the little boy that Rilla brought up returns to his father, home from the war, and Rilla's brothers come home and Rilla marries Kenneth. This was not one of my favorite LM Montgomery books. The time period was dark and sad. Also, Rilla is nothing like Anne, with no imagination and kind of dull. But I still liked it, it was pretty good. Rated (4) (HF) Sept. '09
They Loved to Laugh by Kathryn Worth Notes :: When gentle, quiet Martitia Howland's parents die, she must go to live with Doctor David Gardner, and his five frightening sons. For Martitia, the five teasing, laughing boys are a nightmare, bent on making her laugh. They tell her that they only tease her because she will not laugh, and that they would stop if she only would. But solemn little Martitia never learned how, and the Gardner boys are bent on teaching her. As Martitia begins to get used to living with the Gardners, she learns from Mrs. Gardner how to cook, keep house, and weave. She starts to love her new life in the country. But when her Uncle James comes from the city to take her with him, Martitia finds out that she really loves the Gardners, even the loud boys. Her Uncle, though, is determined to take the matter to court. Will Martitia become a Gardner? Will she have to go live with her uncle? Read it and find out :) Rated (4+) (F) Sept. '09
First Farm in the Valley by Anna Pelowski Notes :: This is the first in a series of books written by Anne Pellowski. The story is about five year old Anna, a girl whose mother and father came from Poland, living now in young America. Anna and her brothers and sisters live with heir mother and father on a farm a ways away from the town, but near other Polish families on their farms. Anna's whole family helps with the planting and harvesting of the wheat, oats, hay and garden vegetables so they are always busy. When Anna's father decides that she is old enough to take the sheep to their pasture in the morning and bring them back at night, Anna is excited and proud that her father thinks she is responsible enough. Many things happen in Anna's life; she gets a new baby brother, she gets new cousins when her Aunt marries a widower with children and much more! This was a pretty good book, but I didn't like it as much as some of the others in the series. There are some great pictures sprinkled throughout the book. Rated (4) (HF) Sept. '09
Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry Notes :: Anastasia Krupnik is a thirteen year old girl whose father is a poet and whose mother is an artist. She has a small pink wart on her thumb which appeared when she turned ten years old. She also has a green composition notebook in which she keeps lists of her favorite words and lists of what she likes and what she doesn't like. She crosses things off and adds things to her lists throughout the book. Like her father, Anastasia wants to be a poet, but when her teacher asks her to write a poem for school, she ends up getting an F. Her mother tells her that not everyone is meant to be a poet. When Anastasia's mother and father tell her that they are going to have a baby, Anastasia says that she doesn't want a baby and that she is going to run away. But her father gets her to stay by telling her that she can name the baby. Anastasia is still upset about the baby, and so she decides that she wants to become a Catholic. When her mother asks why, Anastasia says that if she becomes a Catholic, she can change her name to Anastasia Perpetua Krupnik, and wear a wedding dress for her First Communion. But on her way to see the priest she changes her mind. The story ends with Anastasia naming the baby Joe, after her deceased grandfather. This was an okay book, but not one of my favorites. Rated (3) (F) Sept. '09
Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, RMS Titanic 1912 by Ellen Emerson White Rated () (HF)
Plain Girl by Virginia Sorenson Notes :: This is the story of an Amish girl named Esther who is being forced to go to public school by the county, instead of learning at home with her mother and aunt. Esther is afraid to go to school, because she fears that she will want to run away and leave her parents, after seeing all the new and wonderful things, the same way her brother Daniel did. She is afraid the kids at school will make fun of her and be mean. Esther's father forbids her to speak to, or even look at any of the children, and will not even let her ride on the school bus. In her plain dark blue dress, white apron and bonnet, she stands out of all the other girls, in their colorful dresses, and dainty shoes. Much to her surprise, Esther begins to love school, and thanks to her mother and aunt, does very well. In secret, she becomes friends with a girl that sits in front of her at school. As the story goes on, Esther begins to wonder why Amish people do not ride in cars, do not war buttons on their clothes, and only wear dark colors. She begins to wish her brother Daniel would come home. At the end of the story, her long lost brother returns to the family. This is a great book, and I really enjoyed it!!! Rated (4+) (HF) Sept. '09
Kathleen and the Celtic Knot (Girls of Many Lands book) by Siobhan Parkinson Notes :: Kathleen Delaney lives in Dublin, Ireland in 1937. When she is given the chance to take Irish dancing lessons, she isn't all that thrilled. But when she tries the first lesson, she finds out that she really has a gift for it, and that she loves it! Her family scrapes up just enough money to pay the rent for for their tiny apartment, and to buy food, so dancing lessons are out of the question for Kathleen. But when she tells that to the teacher, the teacher tells her that she thinks Kathleen has talent, and she will teach her for free. Kathleen is very glad that she will be give the chance to continue dancing and she soon rises to be the best in the class. After several weeks,the teacher asks Kathleen to compete in an upcoming competition. At first, Kathleen is overjoyed, but whenn she finds out that she has to buy a special dancing outfit, she is sure her family can't afford to spend any extra money, so she keeps the news a secret. Eventually, her mother finds out, and she tells Kathleen the she will buy some fabric, and make her a costume. But whenn Kathleen's mother suddenly takes sick, all Kathleen's hopes are lost. Kathleen is afraid her mother is going to die, but her aunt tells her otherwise, and even makes her a costume out of old green velvet curtains. Kathleen's mother gets well, and Kathleen dances in the competition and wins first place! This was a pretty good book. Rated (4) (HF) Oct. '09
Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden Notes :: This was a very enjoyable book to read; it reminded me of something Frances Burnett would write. It was alot like The Secret Garden, or The Little Princess. Miss Happiness and Miss Flower are two little Japanese dolls that are sent to Nona Fell, a little girl from India, now living in England with some cousins. The dolls were sent to Anne and Belinda, Nona's cousins, but Anne says she is too old for dolls and Belinda is not interested in them, so Nona takes them in. When Nona decides to make a proper Japanese doll house for Miss Happiness and Miss Flower, she needs to enlist the help of her other cousin Tom who can do carpentry and build. When Nona goes to the bookstore to find a book on Japanese houses, she makes a new friend in the grouchy old bookkeeper. Soon, everyone in the family is interested in Nona's doll house and Belinda begins to feel jealous of her. Belinda wishes that Nona would go back to India, but most of all she longs for Little Peach, a doll that was mentioned in the letter that came with Miss Happiness and Miss Flower, but was never sent. The doll house is built with success and in the end, Belinda receives Little Peach, whom Nona sent for for Belinda. Endnotes: In the back of the book, it has instructions on how to make your own Japanese doll house. This is an awesome book!!! Rated (5+) (F) Oct. '09
Maggie's Door by Patricia Reilly Giff Notes :: This is the 2nd book in the Nory Ryan's Song trilogy. It picks up the story right where Nory Ryan's Song left off. Nory Ryan and Sean Red are both traveling the road to get to the ship that will take them to America. Nory and her brother Patch are able to get tickets on the ship and so they have bunks to sleep in and food, but Sean doesn't have any money so he gets a place as a cook's assistant on board the ship. The voyage is long and hard, but Nory and her little brother survive and so does Sean. Sean and Nory travel almost the whole voyage unknown to each other, but then Sean is burned very badly on the arm and Nory is summoned because she can heal. Nory and Sean have a very joyful reunion and travel the rest of the voyage together. This was a great book, although it was pretty sad because the conditions that they lived through on the ship were very bad. Rated (4) (HF) Oct. '09
Winding Valley Farm byAnne Pellowski Rated (4) (HF) Oct.'09
Blue Willow by Doris Gates Notes :: A Depression era story of a girl named Janey Larkin who has never has a real home since the Depression struck her family. When Janey's family comes to stay at an old house they found, Janey hopes that maybe this will be her real home. I am not sure why the author chose the title of this book because the blue willow plate in the story is not really the focal point. At then end of the story, everything turns out for the better for the Larkin family. Janey's father gets a job and they get a real house and one of Janey's wishes comes true, she gets to go to a real school. All in all, the was a good book, although a little slow in places. Rated (3+) (HF) Oct.'09
My Secret War: The WWII Diary of Madeleine Beck (Dear America series) by Mary Pope Osborne Notes :: Madeline Beck's diary tells of her life with her mother living in a boarding house, and writing letters to her father, who is in Hawaii, "protecting" the South Pacific. She tells how know no one wants to be friends with her at school, and how she doesn't like the boarding house. Life is looking pretty bleak for her until she meets Johnny Vecchio, a boy who, like herself is interested in all the news of the war. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, Madeline and her mother are fearful that Madeline's father was killed in the bombing. But thankfully they recieve a reassuring letter that he was not hurt a bit. Madeline and Johnny decide to start a victory club to help the war effort. It is a big hit, and soon the whole school is involved. Then a telegram comes with the news that her father was wounded in action. Madeline and her mother are devastated, and Madeline even resigns from her officer's position in the victory club. After a few weeks, news comes that Madeline's father is in a hospital, and is doing okay. Madeline rejoins the club, and everyone is happy to have her back, especially Johnny. Then, Madeline discovers a disturbing secret, that German spies and vandals are in America, and doing some harmful work. Madeline and Johnny tip off the FBI about the whereabouts of the criminals, but do so anonymously. The criminals are apprehended and put in jail. In the end, Madeline's father is moved to an army base in California, and Madeline and her mother move to California to be with him. Epilogue: Madeline goes back to Rhode Island and marries Johnny Vecchio. (This was a great book!) Rated (4) (HF)
Surviving the Storm: The Dust Bowl Diary of Grace Edwards (Dear America) by Katelan Janke Rated (3+) (HF)
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale Rated (5++) (F)
Leyla, The Black Tulip (Girls of Many Lands) by Alev Lytle Croutier Notes :: Laleeta has a special touch for growing flowers, especially tulips. When her father is supposedly killed in a war, Laleeta and her brother are determined to take care of their mother and siblings. But when Laleeta ends up on a slave ship bound for the faraway palace of Topkapi, she is starting on the beginning of an exciting adventure.Rated (4+) (HF)
Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: The fourth book in the Anne series, Anne of Windy Poplars is a great book, written in the true L.M. Montgomery style. Anne has left Redmond college to teach and become principal at a high school in Summerside, P.E. Island. The book is partially made up of letters from Anne to Gilbert, which I liked. Anne comes to Summerside with high expectations for herself and the school, but the Pringles, (the large network of family that "rules the roost" in Summerside) are determined to make Anne miserable, because someone in their family did not get the job of principal at Summerside high school. The first months are unenjoyable for Anne, as there is a majority of Pringle children in her classroom, who follow their parent's instructions to disobey the teacher. But as usual Anne finds a way to conquer the difficult Pringles, this being in the form of an old journal of a sea-faring Pringle which Anne found, that has some news that is horrifying to the Pringle clan. Frantic that Anne will tell everyone in Summerside about this monstrosity, the Pringles promise that their children and themselves will behave in the future. What was this piece of news? Well you will have to read the book to find out! This is just the beginning of Anne's adventures in Summerside, which I will leave you to discover for yourself! Rated (5+) (F)
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg Notes :: This is the story of a brother and sister who run away from home, and live for more than a week in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York city. Twelve year old Claudia ran away with her younger brother, because she wanted to become a heroine; at least, she wanted to be one to herself. The perfect opportunity arises when they discover the newly arrived statue of an angel, said to be done by Michelangelo. Actually, the museum experts did not really know if it was done by Michelangelo or not, and so Claudia is determined to find it out herself, and so become a heroine. After doing some research, Claudia finds out that the statue was donated to the museum by Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Mrs. Frankweiler used to live in the city, but now she has moved away to her estate in the country, so they can't very well go and see her. But after trying to uncover further clues and failing, they decide that there is nothing else for them to do, so they go to find her. In the end, they find out from Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler that Michelangelo really did sculpt the statue. This was a good book, and I liked the part about them staying at the museum. Rated (3+) (F)
When Christmas Comes Again: The WWI Diary of Simone Spencer (Dear America) by Beth Seidel Levine Rated (3+) (HF)
The Silver Sword (Escape from Warsaw) by Ian Serralier Notes :: Rated (4+) (HF)*
Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery Rated (5+) (HF)
Further Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: This is a lovely collection of stories written by L.M. Montgomery. I loved most of them, but there were some that were sad or not very good. Rated (5) (F)
National Velvet by Enid Bagnold Notes :: I tried reading this a few years ago, but never finished it because it was so boring. This time I actually finished it but it was still boring. It was not like the movie at all. And I did not like how the author portrayed Velvet's mother. The best part was definitely the end, when Velvet won the Grand National. Rated (3) (F)
Water Street by Patricia Riley Giff Notes :: This is the last book in the Nory Ryan trio. It is not exactly about Nory herself, but her daughter Bridget, or Bird, as everyone calls her. Bird wants to be a healer just like her Mum, and every Saturday, they go together around the big city of New York to heal. But on one of her excursions, something her mother has to do horrifies her so much, that she is completely against ever trying to help her mother or heal again. Meanwhile, someone comes to live in the room up above Bird's family; a boy of fourteen named Thomas, and his father who can never seem to stop drinking. Thomas practically becomes one of the family, eating meals with them, and walking to school with Bird. Although Bird refuses to go with her mother, one day when her Mum is gone, a girl comes to find Bird, and begs her to come and help her mother and siblings who are sick. Bird reluctantly agrees to come, and when she discovers that the girl's mother, baby sister and little brother have scarlet fever, there is nothing for her to do except help them. When the doctor finally gets there, Bird goes home, and is haunted that maybe the girl's family died because she used the wrong remedy. But when the girl comes to see her a few days later with good new of her family's recovery, and with a chicken for her, Bird's mind is set to rest. But Bird is still against being a healer, until her brother is wounded in a fight, and Bird is the only one who can help him, even though it means doing the one thing she was so horrified of; stitch up his cut. In the end Bird saves her brother's life, and Bird decides that she does want to follow the profession of healing, and takes a nurses training course. She also ends up marrying Thomas. This was a great end to the series, and I really enjoyed it! Rated (4) (HF) Read Nov '09
Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia (Royal Diaries) by Anna Kirwan Notes :: This was my favorite "Royal Diaries" book that I have read so far. There was no gory or weird things that happened, and Victoria's mother wasn't as bad as some of the mothers in these books, even though she was under the influence of someone who wanted control of the throne of England. Victoria's life was kind of boring until she became the Queen of England at eighteen. Rated (4) (HF)
The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig Notes :: This is the true story of the author and her parents sent into exile in Siberia, during WWII. Esther and her parents are Jewish, living in Poland Rated (5) (HF)*
Early Sunday Morning: the Pearl Harbour Diary of Amber Billows (Dear America) by Barry Denenberg Notes :: This was not a very good book at all. It was about a girl who moved to Hawaii right before the bombing of Pearl Harbour. It was tragic and sad, although a true story. I didn't like it. Rated (2) (HF)
Summer of the War by Gloria Whelan Notes :: Rated (5) (HF)* Read Dec '09
All-of-a-kind Family by Sydney Taylor Rated (5) (F)
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale Notes :: This one was pretty good, although surprisingly violent. I liked Princess Academy, also by Shannon Hale alot better. Rated (3) (F) Read Dec '09
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Notes :: This is a great book, much better then the movie, which they made really weird, with lots of added material to make it modern. I would not recommend seeing it. Rated (5) (F) Read Dec '09
Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: Rated (5+) (F)* Read Dec '09/Jan '10
Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: This is the second book in the Emily trio. Emily is now fourteen, and all her friends are going to Shrewsbury High school. Emily wants to go too, but her Aunt Elizabeth thinks that it is not necessary for a Murray girl of New Moon to receive any further education. But the rest of Emily's relatives persuade Aunt Elizabeth to let Emily go for three years. Aunt Elizabeth consents, on one condition; if she goes, Emily will not write any stories in the three years she is at high school. For Emily this is devastating, but her desire to go to high school is so great, that she agrees. She consoles herself with the fact that she can still write poetry. Another thing Aunt Elizabeth insists on, is that Emily will not stay in a boarding house while she is at high school, instead she will live with her despicable Aunt Ruth. Emily is disappointed, for she had wanted to share a room with her best friend Ilse, whom Aunt Ruth will not even allow in the house. But Emily knows it is no use to argue with Aunt Elizabeth; she is lucky even to be allowed to go to high school. The three years Emily spends at high school are full of good and bad times (mostly good), and Emily learns to get along with her Aunt Ruth. During the first two years, Emily faithfully keeps her promise to Aunt Elizabeth, and does not write any stories, except for school assignments of course, but continues to write her poetry, and begins sending them to magazines to be published. She receives many refusal notices, which are discouraging, but do not stop her. Her first poem that is published, is called "Garden Dreams". She earns so much by her pen that at the beginning of the third year, Aunt Elizabeth decides that Emily, can write stories again. Emily is delighted of course. In her years at high school, Emily receives two proposals of marriage; one from her friend Perry, and one from her cousin Andrew, whom the entire Murray clan has been shoving at Emily. She refuses both. When asked by Aunt Elizabeth what is wrong with Andrew, Emily replies that nothing is wrong with him, but that he is boring, and entirely too good. Aunt Ruth is quite horrified that Perry asked for Emily's hand, and says that Emily has good sense at least about that. This is an awesome book, I think my favorite Emily novel! Rated (5++) (F) Read Jan '10
The Louisa May Alcott Christmas Treasury by Louisa May Alcott Notes :: This is a wonderful collection of stories and poems, that are amusing, charming, and yet full of Christmas spirit. I really liked this one, and plan to read it for many Christmases to come! :) Rated (5) (F) Dec '09/Jan '10
SOS Titanic by Eve Bunting Notes :: Barry O'Neill is traveling on the Titanic, going to meet his parents in America. Up till now, he has lived with his grandparents in Ireland, and he wanted it to stay that way. He is impressed with the grandeur of the Titanic, but is dubious about traveling on the same ship as his enemies, Jonnie and Frank Flynn. Jonnie and Frank are two boys also from Ireland, but from a poor family. They had gotten into lots of trouble, and so had been ordered to leave the country. They also brought their sister Pegeen, whom Barry falls in love with. Several times Barry gets beat up by Jonnie and Frank, but he manages to fight back. But all feuds are forgotten when the Titanic hits an iceberg and begins to go down. Barry risks his own life to go down to the bottom of the ship and save the steerage passengers, who were trapped behind the gates. He got Pegeen out, but Jonnie and Frank, who had gone to find another way out, were killed. Barry and Pegeen were two of the 705 to be rescued out of the 2,200 that set out on the Titanic. Rated (4) (HF) Jan '10
Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: This is the last book in the Emily trio. Emily decided to stay at New Moon and write, and so that is just what she is doing. She is writing story after story, her mind never running out of ideas. But there are many times when Emily is horrible lonesome, for Teddy and Perry and Ilse are all following their careers elsewhere, leaving her alone. She has loved Teddy for as long as she could remember, but when his letters to her become cold and unfriendly, she loses hope, and her long years of suffering begin. After writing her first novel, Emily is deliriously happy and takes it to her friend Dean to read and tell her his honest opinion. (Mr. Carpenter has died.) Dean lies to her and tells her it is not good, because he is afraid that if her book is published he can't persuade her to marry him, thereby causing Emily great distress and anguish. While Emily is running down the stairs and outside after burning her book, she trips over Aunt Laura's sewing basket, and her foot is pierced twice by the sharp scissors, hence rendering her bedridden for the winter. Dean stays with her, and comforts her through the long pain-filled winter, and as if to reward him for this, Emily convinces herself to marry him, even though she knows in her heart that she does not love him. Dean buys the Disappointed House for Emily, and they have a marvelous time furnishing it. But one day, when she is alone in the house, she has a vision of Teddy, and she senses that he is in great danger. She gets him away from the ticket office where he is about to purchase a ticket to come home on a ship. Emily awakens, and then she knows that she belongs completely to Teddy. The next day she discovers that the ship he was to have sailed on hit an iceberg and went down. She saved him from death. Emily tells Dean she cannot marry him after all, and he leaves for some unknown country, never to be seen again by Emily. When Emily hears the news that Teddy and Ilse are engaged, she is heartbroken. Ilse doesn't even love Teddy, she is just marrying him because he was considered such a fine match. (He had become a world known artist by that time.) Emily tries to forget Teddy; she writes another novel, this one about a family called the Applegaths. It is published, and even Aunt Ruth is proud of her. The two weeks in which Ilse comes home to prepare for her wedding are the hardest that Emily had ever lived through. Ilse wanted Emily to be her bridesmaid, and so she complied, although reluctantly. At the last minute, when Ilse is ready, and all the relatives and Teddy are waiting for the ceremony to begin, an aunt comes in late and tells everyone that Perry was killed in a car accident. Ilse apparently had loved Perry for as long as she could remember, and so she bolted out the window, and ran to the hospital where Perry was, (he was only bruised, he didn't even have anything broken), and told him that she loved him, and she said she would marry only Perry and no one else. Teddy is angry at being made a fool of, and so he leaves for Montreal, and Emily doesn't see him for a few years. Then he returns and whistles for Emily like he did when they were children. Emily runs to him, and he tells her that he never loved Ilse, and always loved her, but there had been many misunderstandings between them, several invoked by Teddy's mother, who had always hated Emily. Then they are married, and Emily is finally with Teddy. I did not like this one as much as the other Emily's. Rated (5) (F) Feb '10
Letters form Rifka by Karen Hesse Notes :: The story of a Russian Jewish girl in 1919. Rifka and her family must escape to America, to be with her three older brothers; Isaac, Reuben and Asher, and to get away from the cruel Russian army, who forced her other brothers Nathan and Saul to join up, and stole from Jewish families everywhere. Rifka must be brave as she and her family face Russian and Polish guards, typhoid fever, terrible traveling conditions, and many more hardships. But the worst of all is when Rifka develops ringworm, an awful skin disease which causes her to lose all her beautiful golden hair. The doctors will not allow Rifka to go to America, for fear she will spread the disease, so Rifka must stay in Belgium until her ringworm is cured, while her family goes ahead to America. Finally, when the disease is gone, Rifka is on her way to America, but is delayed by a terrible storm, in which the ship barely escapes sinking. When Rifka reaches America, she is detained at Ellis Island, because the doctors are worried about her hair, which never grew back. Rifka thinks it is absolutely ridiculous that the doctors will not let her go to her family just because her hair did not grow back. Then she finds out that the real reason the doctors are worried is because they think that if her hair does not grow back, she will not be able to find a husband, and so the government will have to support her. In the end, Rifka is able to convince the doctors to let her go with her family, and miraculously, her hair begins to grow back! All through her journey Rifka records what happens in her volume of poems by Pushkin, writing on blank pages and in between the lines of poetry. She writes in the form of letters to her beloved cousin; Tovah, whom Rifka had had to say goodbye to, back in Russia. This was a pretty good book. Rated (3+) (HF) Read Jan '10
The Borrowers by Mary Norton Notes :: This was a well written book, full of a sense of humor and imagination. I loved all the descriptions of the Borrower's house, and how they used human sized things to create Borrower sized furniture and things, like a padded jewel case for a sofa, and stacked matchboxes for a chest of drawers. It was a great quick read, and I highly recommend it for a family read aloud! Rated (5) (F) Read Jan '10
Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace Notes :: This is the first in the Betsy-Tacy high school stories. Betsy is starting high school, and she knows from her sister Julia how wonderful it is. She and Tacy only wish that Tib was there to start the adventure of high school with them. Although Betsy makes many new friends, she and Tacy will always be inseparable. This is an awesome book, but isn't everything written by Maud Hart Lovelace!!!! Rated (5++) (F) Re-Read Jan '10
Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson Notes :: This is about a girl named Tally, whose father is sending her to a boarding school, so as to escape the bombing of England during WWII. Tally has absolutely no wish to leave her loving father and her aunts (her mother died), and go to some boarding school. But when she sees that her father will not change his mind, she resigns herself to it. The school is called Delderton, and when Tally's snooty cousins hear of it, they are horrified. Tally wonders what is so awful about it. When she arrives at the school, she makes friends instantly, and discovers what a nice place Delderton is, a school where you can do exactly as you please. Then one day, when Tally goes to a movie with her friend Julia, she sees a newsreel which tells about the king of Bergania, and how brave he is to refuse the Nazis to travel through Bergania, on their way to conquer other countries. In the newsreel, Tally sees the king's son, whom she thinks looks lonely. Then, when suddenly a chance arises for some of the children at Delderton to travel to Bergania, and perform folk dancing with other children form all over Europe, Tally jumps at the chance. She coaches the children in folk dancing, and manages to get them to Bergania. All goes well until the king is tragically murdered by a Nazis officer. Mattimeo, a man who had been traveling with Tally and the children, and making sure they came to no harm, turns out to be a long lost friend of the king. Mattimeo takes the prince out of harm, and the children all help him to escape, and come back to Delderton with them. The prince is named Karil, and he and Tally become fast friends, just like Tally had imagined. But when Karil's cruel great uncle comes to take him away, they are devastated, for they had thought Karil would be returning with them. They promise to write letters back and forth, and they do, but Karil's letters to Tally, and Tally's letters to Karil are secretly stolen by Karil's spoiled cousin Carlotta, whom Karil will supposedly marry one day. Karil thinks that Tally won't write to him, and Tally thinks that Karil won't write to her. Karil is desperately miserable, and tries to find a way to escape, but the cruel uncle locks Karil in his room every night, after a failed escape had occurred. Then, when Karil discovers that Mattimeo had come to see him, but had been kicked out of the house by the uncle, he is more determined then ever to get away. He ties a different tactic; he pretends to have forgotten all about Tally and the children from Delderton, and acts very protecting towards Carlotta. He begins to act like a king, and the uncle is very pleased, and agrees to not lock the door of Karil's room. Karil fools everybody and is about to make his escape, but then the uncle tells him some shocking news. Karil is to be sent to a terrible boarding school, where boys are beaten, and there are strict rules and regulations. At the train station, Karil sees Tally and the other children on their way to Delderton. He jumps out of his train, and runs to catch the Delderton one. Tally and the others are delighted, and all the misunderstandings are cleared up. Karil spends a glorious week at Delderton, before his uncle finds out. Then, when two policemen arrive at the school, the children think they have come to take Karil away. But on the contrary, they have come to tell him that his uncle is dead. The book ends nicely, and I really thought it was a great book!!! Rated (5+) (HF) Read Jan '10
Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace Rated (5++) (F) Re-Read Feb '10
Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace Rated (5++) (F) Re-Read Feb '10
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne Notes :: This is a story of two boys really, a boy named Bruno, and the boy in the striped pajamas. Bruno never wanted to move away from his nice house in Berlin to a place called "Out-with". But that is where he meets the boy in the striped pajamas, a Jewish boy named Shmuel imprisoned in the Aushwich concentration camp. Bruno and Shmuel become great friends, unknown to Bruno's Nazi father, or the soldiers in the concentration camp. The end is very sad, for when Bruno goes inside the concentration camp, disguised in the striped pajamas, to help Shmuel look for his father, they and many others are taken to a windowless room where they are killed by poison gas. It was sad. Rated (3) (HF) Feb '10
Betsy's Wedding by Maud Hart Lovelace Notes :: This is an all time favorite, the last in the Betsy-Tacy series, and definitely one that you will read many times!!! Rated (5++) (HF) Re-Read Feb '10
Neela, Victory Song by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Girls of many lands) Rated (4+) (HF) Feb '10
After the Train by Gloria Whelan Notes :: This is the story of a thirteen year old boy named Peter Liebig, who lived in Germany, ten years after WWII ended. His father was a solider for the German army. He is perfectly happy with his life; it is summer, and he and his two best friends do everything from fishing in the dangerous part of the river and saving an escaped man from the communist side of Germany, to earning money at the beach. But when Peter discovers a letter while snooping in his mother's room that he was never meant to see, he begins to doubt whether the people he is living with are really his parents. Peter tries to find out on his own if he has other parents, but he does not dig up any more information. Peter finally confronts his "father" and demands to know who his real mother is, but he is completely taken aback when Mr. Liebig replies he doesn't know. Mr.Liebig promises to tell Peter everything, but only after he talks to Peter's "mother" about it. Peter waits for several days, and finally they are ready to talk to him. They tell Peter that while Mr. Liebig was away at war, Mrs. Liebig had to stay alone. She worked as a nurse for German soldiers, and one day, some trucks drove into the place where she was stationed. The Trucks turned out to be full of people, and Mrs. Liebig knew by the yellow stars on their coats that they were Jews. When the Jews were being marched past her amazed eyes, one of them tried to break away and run, and the guard surrounding them were distracted. A woman shoved her baby at Mrs. Liebig and told her to take him, and save him. Mrs. Liebig hid the baby that was Peter and took care of him until the war was over and Mr. Liebig could return to them. Peter is astounded. He had never guessed that he was a Jew. Mr. and Mrs. Liebig tell him that he can choose if he wants to be Jewish, or his previous religion of Christianity. Peter continues to live his life as before, but there is a difference that was not there before. Peter discovers what it was really like for Jews during the second world war. This was an awesome book, very gripping; I read it in a day! Rated (5) (HF) Feb '10
Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott Notes :: Jack and Jill are two friends who are always together, hence the nicknames Jack and Jill. Jack and Jill really do fall down a hill, but not from fetching a pail of water. They are on a sledding expedition with lots of other children. Jill persuades Jack to go down a steep and dangerous part of the hill, because a boy called Joe told her she couldn't do it. Jack consents reluctantly to go down three times with her. The first two go well enough, but the third has disastrous effects. They take a very bad spill against a fence post; leaving Jack with a broken leg and a wound on his head, and Jill with a badly injured back, so bad in fact that she cannot even move without terrible pain. The rest of the story is about their recovery, and all the goings-on during it. Jill and her mother live in a tiny house, while Jack, his mother and his brother Frank live in a large house next door. Jack's mother (Mrs. Minot) takes pity on Jill and invites her and her mother to come and spend Christmas at their house, for Jack and Jill and their friends had made many plans for Christmas, many of which could not be carried out now. Jack and Jill are confined to bed, and though she did not know it yet, Jill's back injury was so bad that the doctor feared she might be bed ridden for life. Christmas passed by with many surprises for the invalids; one of them being a lovely room filled with plants, and arbors, flowers, and bird and butterflies suspended from the ceiling, an indoor garden for them to rest and read in. Jill and her friends Merry and Molly make resolutions to be their own missionaries, and try to improve themselves. Their first attempts are slightly disastrous; Jill finds that she enjoys improving others rather then herself, and in the midst of this she discovers a letter from Mrs. Minot to a cousin, saying in it that she fears Jill will never be able to walk again. Jill is devastated, but Mrs. Minot helps her by telling her about a girl she once knew called Lucinda, who was bed ridden for twenty years. But Mrs. Minot told Jill that Lucinda was so cheerful, and good and sweet, that instead of others coming to help her, people come and tell their troubles to Lucinda, who helps and cheers them. Jill is inspired, and resolves to be like Lucinda. Merry persuades her mother to let her "dress up" her bedroom, for she loved beauty in all things, and her plain room is a sad disappointment to her. Her mother reluctantly agrees, and Merry sets her room up beautifully, only to have her red curtains catch fire from the open hearth. This is disappointing, but Merry does better with creating a little bower for herself in the sitting room, with potted plants at the window and hanging flower baskets all around, where she can sit and do her fancy work. Molly's mother had died when giving birth to her little brother Napoleon Bonaparte (nicknamed Boo), and her father is always so busy with work that he has no time to take care,, or to pay any attention to his children. Miss Bat the house-keeper takes absolutely no trouble to take care of Merry and Boo, only cooking meals, and rarely bothering to wash the dishes afterword. Molly does her best to fix herself and Boo up; mending their clothes, and giving Boo a bath, a hard task, since he hates bathes, but she manages to do it, only to wake up in the middle of the night to find him sick, the result of having him go to bed with wet hair. Molly tries hard, but with no help from Miss Bat or her father, she is discouraged. But then, when Miss Bat overhears two women talking about how nice it was that she had finally taken notice of the children, for their father was very rich, but the children had always gone around looking like rag-bags. Miss Bat decides to clean house, thus catching the attention of Molly's father, who finally starts to notice his children. Thus, Molly succeeds in her mission, as also did Merry, and Jill too, for she learned to how to be quite patient and cheerful, even when her back hurt her. Jack and Jill have several more adventures, and by the end Jack is helping Jill to begin to walk again, and a trip to the seaside greatly strengthens her. In the end, Jill is almost as well as she was at the beginning, and Jack only has an occasional slight limp. There is a peek into the future at the end, and Jack and Jill are married. Rated (5) (F) Feb '10
The Impossible Journey by Gloria Whelan Notes :: Marya and her brother Georgi live with their parents in Leningrad, the used to be St. Petersburg of Russia. Communism has Russia in a tight grip, and everyone is a suspect. But Marya and her family manage to live pretty normal lives; going to school on week days, and to church on Sundays. But all that changes when Marya and Georgi's parents are accused for taking part in the murder of Stalin and are then taken away by the Soviet Secret Police. Marya and Georgi are able to stay with some neighbors for the time being, and while Marya is determined to find her parents, everyone else seems to want her to just try and forget anything happened. The Soviet Police were the most feared in all of Russia, and people who went into their headquarters were said to never come out again. But Marya is obstinate, and so she skips school to search for her parents among the various headquaters and prisons. After alot of searching, she finds her mother, and is able to talk to her for a few minutes. She maages to give Marya a letter, which tells her to take care of Georgi and never be separated from each other. As it turns out, she has been sentanced to five years exile in Siberia, and no one knows, or will tell, what happened to the father. Marya tells Georgi that they are going to go and find their parents instead of being sent to an orphage by the mean neighbors. So, they pack their bags and run away. The journey is incredibly hard, and Marya and Georgi face starvation, cold, and hungrey animals on this perilous journey. In the end they find their mother, and then their father, only to have him die from the harsh treatments of the labour camp where he was sent. This is a great book, but the ending is unfortunatly sad. Rated (4+) (HF) Feb '10
The Puzzle of the Paper Daughter by Kathryn Reiss Notes :: This is the second "Julie" book in the American Girl's mystery collection. When Julie and her best friend Ivy's precious dolls are stolen, the girls have to figure out who could be the theif, and what he or she could want with their belongings. And then, when Julie finds a note that could possibly be important in solving the case, she and Ivy are led through puzzling adventures in their search for an old doll of Ivy's grandmothers' that could hold the secret of the Paper Daughter. A very good book, much better than the first Julie mystery! Rated (5) (HF) Feb '10
Secrets at Camp Nokomis by Jacqueline Dembar Greene Notes :: Rebecca is sent away from her home in New York city to a summer camp for girls in the country, so as to avoid a frightening polio outbreak. She can't seem to make any friends, and one of her tent mates is a bully; always wanting everything for herself. Rebecca is starting to think maybe camp wouldn't be as fun as she thought, when she begins to notice something mysterious about another of her tent mates; a girl named Tina. Rebecca tries to be as friendly as she can, because Tina seems to be lonely as well. Tina seems to be nice girl, but there ids definetly something mysterious about her. Will Rebecca find out what it is? Or will the bullying tent mate ruin Rebecca's summer? If you want to find out, read this book! This is the first "Rebecca" mystery in the American Girl's Mystery collection. Rated (5) (HF) Feb '10
Missing Grace by Elizabeth McDavid Jones Notes :: This one is the fourth "Kit" book in the AG mystery series. When Kit's dog Grace mysteriously disappears, and with almost no trace as to where she, Kit is led on a desperate search to find her beloved dog, who is maybe worth more than Kit would have ever imagined. A good book! Rated (5) (HF) March '10
All-of-a-kind family downtown by Sidney Taylor Notes :: Rated (5) (HF) March '10
More All-of-a-kind family by Sidney Taylor Notes :: Rated (5) (HF) March '10
Wishing for Tomorrow by Hilary McKay Notes :: Rated (5+) (F) March '10
Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw Notes :: Mara is a slave, desperate for freedom; away from endless work and drudgery, and from her hateful master. The story is set in Ancient Egypt, and it is one of my all time favorites. When a mysterious stranger comes and buys Mara, her whole life changes. Her new master refuses to tell her who he is, and what he wants her to do is astonishing. When Mara imagined freedom, she had never thought she would be a spy! For that is what her new master tells her he wants her to do; spy out rebels, while living in the palace of the Pharaoh as an interpreter for the syrian princess who is coming to Egypt as a bride for the Pharaoh's younger brother, Thutmose III. (This is set during the reign of Queen Hatsheptsut.) The new master gives Mara full liberty to refuse the mission, and says that he can simply sell her to some other master, but Mara agrees. So, he sends her on a ship with careful instructions, and threats of dire consequences if she runs off with the necklace he gave her to pay her way. Mara easily finds a ship, but she has no idea that also on board is someone who had his eye on her as well. This someone is Lord Sheftu, a noble who is determined to put Thutmose back on the throne his sister Hatshepsut stole from him. Lord Sheftu saw Mara as a possible candidate spy for him. Mara is forced into spying for him as well, and now she is tangled in a dangerous web of deciet and spying for both sides of the rebellion, and if either of her masters suspected that she was spying for the other side, they would instantly kill her. Mara must use all her knowledge and wit to keep herself safe, and out of danger. Rated (5++) (HF) Originally read in 2006; Re-Read March '10
All-of-a-kind Family Uptown by Sidney Taylor Notes :: This is the fourth book in the all of a kind family quintet, and one of my favorites out of the series. The All-of-a-kind family have moved out of their old home, and into the Broncs where they have a much better apartment, which is cleaner, and the right size for their large family. Many exciting adevntures happen to them inclueding Ella's boyfriend Jules going off to war (World War I), Hetty ruining Ella's new white dress by spilling punch all over it, Charlotte and Gertie trying to give their little cousin a hair cut and much more! These are very enjoyable books to read, and would make great family read alouds!! Rated (5) (F) March '10
Ella of All-of-a-kind Family by Sidney Taylor Notes :: Unfortunatly I think this is my least favorite all of a kind family book. It is the last in the series. Ella must decide if she wants to marry Jules or go on the stage as a singer. And after singing in a charity concert, she gets a call form Broadway, and it looks like she will go on the stage. She actually meets with a Broadway manager and sings for him. He is delighted and wants her on the stage immedietly. But there is one setback. She must spend one year performing in vaudville, before she can come to Broadway. She gives it alot of thought, and finally decides to go for it. Stage life is nothing like what she expected, and she is not quite sure what to think about it. Jules is very sad, because he wanted her to marry him, but now it looks like she is going on the stage. Ella and Jules drift further and further apart as her performances start, and she goes on tour. But finally Ella knows that she hates it, and wants to quit. And so in the end, she and Jules live happily ever after. Rated (3) (F) March '10
The Golden Road by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: The Golden Road is the sequel to The Story Girl, but not nearly as good. Most of it is boring and kind of sad. The Story girl and her cousins are all together for the last time on their Uncle Alec's farm and they decide to edit their own newspaper (parts of this are really funny, and probably my favorite part about the book). At the end of the year, during which they have had many adventures, the Story girl returns to Europe with her artists father, and Beverly and Felix go back to Montreal with their father. Another highlight was that the Story Girl became an actress when she grew up. It was dissapointing for me because all the L.M. Mongomery books I have read before have been incredibly good. Rated (3) (F) March '10
The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson Notes :: Rated (5) (F) March '10 *
The Turning by Gloria Whelan Notes :: Rated (3) (HF) March '10
The Borrower's Afield by Mary Norton Notes :: Rated (4) (F) March '10
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson Notes :: Re-read; Rated (5) (F) March '10
Saba Under the Hyena's Foot (Girls of Many Lands) by Jane Kurtz Notes :: This book was not a good one, a very disappointing book. Rated (1) (HF) March '10
Burying the Sun by Gloria Whelan Rated (3) (HF) March '10
The Stolen Lake by Joan Aiken Rated (3) (F) March '10
A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt by C. Coco De Young Rated (3) (HF)
Willow Run by Patricia Riley Giff Rated (4) (HF) March '10
Frozen Stiff by Sherry Shahan Rated (2) (F) March '10
Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski Rated (3) (HF) March '10
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead Notes :: Rated (4) (F) March '10 *
God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew with John and Elizabeth Sherill Notes :: Rated (3) (HF) April '10 *
The Perilous Road by Rated () () Read April '10
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (an obvious re-read for her after When You Reach Me ;-) Rated () (SF) Re-Read April '10
A Wind in the Door by Madeline L'Engle Notes :: Rated () () April '10
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff Notes :: Rated (4) (F) April '10
Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott Notes :: Rated () () April '10 *
The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson Notes :: Rated () () April '10
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgeson Burnett Notes :: Rated () () April '10
Emma and the Ruby Ring by Yvonne MacGrory Notes :: Rated () () April '10
Presenting Miss Jane Austen by May Lamberton Becker Notes :: Rated () () April '10
Summer Begins by Elizabeth Doyle Carey Notes :: Rated () () April '10
The Road to Yesterday by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: Rated () () April '10
The King's Daughter by Suzanne Martel Notes :: Rated () () May '10 Re-read
The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanor Jewett Notes :: Rated () () May '10
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeline L'Engle Notes :: Rated () () May '10
The Secret of the Ruby Ring by Yvonne MacGrory Notes :: Rated () () May '10
Hitty : Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field Notes :: Rated () () May '10
Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: Rated () () May '10
Trixie Belden: The Mysterious Code by Kathryn Kennny Notes :: Rated () () May '10
Brave Buffalo Fighter by John D. Fitzgerald Notes :: Rated () () May '10
Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery Notes :: Rated () () May '10
The Borrowers is a wonderful book. The beautiful descriptions of the details at those times are wonderful and filled my imagination. Antique furnitures with majestic look, luxury sofas. Just happy you have recommender the book.
Posted by: moving quotes | Sunday, October 03, 2010 at 07:18 AM