Plot: Meggi Beth has a story that she carries around on her back. It’s big and heavy and it’s making her tired. She sits down to rest. Meggi Beth calls out to people walking by to see if they’ll hear her story and help carry it, making her story lighter. Some people want to help but can’t. Others don’t hear her at all. Will there be anyone to help Meggi Beth? Or will she have to continue to carry her story by herself?
Rating: 4.3 – a cute book with an unexpected ending
Opinion: This was a very cute story. Especially since it started out kind of sad. It’s got a great message to it. To me, I saw that we live in a busy world and don’t often notice the people around us and that everyone has a story to tell. Talking with others can help easy the heaviness of our stories. Others may take away something different. Adults reading to their kids will understand it immediately. It’s written in a way that they can explain it to kids easily, too. I hope it can help teach empathy to those who read it and that there are different ways to care and show empathy. Empathy may not come in the forms we expect, too. This is a wonderful book and I hope others get the chance to share it with their families.
Plot: Roth Braun is the son of a Nazi commander. He’s devoted to his father and follows his commands. His father asked him to find the Stones of David, stolen by a Jewish woman at the camp he was stationed at. Roth will see it done at whatever cost. Stephen is a Jewish orphan from WW2 now living in the States. A friend of his mentor, Chaim, has told Stephan that he’s the son of a wealthy Jewish woman, Rebecca, who’s just recently passed. The only reason he know is because he has a scar in the shape of a Stone of David, which Rebecca donated to a Holocaust museum. Now Stephan is desperate to find out more about his mother. He slowly becomes more and more desperate to find the Stones of David. Roth and Stephan converge on Rebecca’s former house. But what they find is anyone’s guess. The more clues they find, the more desperate the men become. When all the clues are found, they realize there’s one more clue to be found. The race to the final location starts. Who will get there first? Will the Stones of David stay safe? Or will they be destroyed?
Rating: 4.1 – a good suspenseful historical fiction
Opinion: This was better than I thought it would be. The focus is more on the historical fiction and not as suspenseful as I thought it was going to be. Though it still had a creepy factor and had a lot of twists and turns. I had a guess about one of the characters, but it was proven wrong. I thought she was going to be more important, but the author used her as a scapegoat. The history was from a different viewpoint from what I’m used to for WW2, a Nazi officer. The book jumps from the 70’s to the 40’s throughout the book. So, the tie ins to the other parts of the book were clever and subtle. Though I was a little concerned about the ending. It didn’t feel like love, but a bit creepy. It was one of those, we were meant to find each other and fall in love. But the situation that happened in didn’t really fit in with the book’s thriller theme. Other than that one thing, it was a good book. I’d recommend this book for anyone who likes historical fiction and thrillers.
Plot: Yohl Ik’nal is a young noble woman, and niece to the ruler of Lokum Ha, a prominent city of the Maya. She’s brought up among the priests and priestesses, as she’s a gifted student. Yohl is also destined to become ruler. Though there are some who oppose her and her city. As she grows, her enemies start to make their move. For a show of strength, Yohl is promised to Han Pakal. Can their strength be enough to stop their enemies? Or will the enemies take over the city? Or can Yohl and Han find a way?
Rating: 3.0 – a different take on the Maya
Opinion: This was a pretty good book. Not at all what I was expecting. The book focused more on the history of the Maya, instead of a story. It also focused more on the Maya’s culture. At times I felt like I was reading a history textbook. I couldn’t really connect to the characters because the author focused so much of the Maya culture and history. The author also started a side character, then had them disappear or didn’t do much with them. While I enjoyed learning so much about the Maya, I felt like the story didn’t have much of a plot. I felt myself skimming parts of this book because of all the historical and cultural details in the book. While that’s not bad, it’s not what was expecting in this book. This is a great boon for those who love history and want to learn about the Maya.
Plot: “Amy the Dancing Bear” is about a little bear who just wants to keep dancing! It is her bedtime, and her mother comes into her room several times and asks her to get ready for bed. Each time, Amy says that she must keep dancing. The sunset it so beautiful that it moves her to dance, and her pirouettes fill her with joy! Her mother does tasks like washing the dishes and listening to a record in between each bedtime check, and eventually mama bear falls asleep in the bathtub.
Mama Bears dreams of her little bear daughter dancing around and never growing tired. When Amy finds her mother drifting in and out of sleep, she wraps her up in a towel and tucks her into bed. Amy herself is finally in her pajamas and as her mother looks out the window, there is a constellation of a dancing bear in the sky. Amy finally heads to bed, as the moon is high in the sky.
Rating: 5/5
Opinion: I love this book for so many reasons! Number 1: The illustrations are amazing! The house that the bears live in is so flowery and relaxing. As you turn each page, the sunset changes into something more and more beautiful. The nature accents around each illustration really makes you feel like you are in a bear’s house! I love the mama bear in the bathtub illustration best. The bubbles are flowing over the edge of the tub, there is an amazing sunset in the background, and mama bear is starting to fall asleep.
Number 2: Amy the bear is such a wonderful character! All she wants to do is dance. Her mother sees how in love with dancing she is, and Amy’s excitement is so infectious that mama bear cannot tell her to stop. Amy does the tango with an imaginary partner, she does pirouettes, and she says that she is so inspired by the beautiful setting sun that she just absolutely must keep dancing.
Number 3: This book makes a perfect bedtime story. Lots of kids do not want to go to bed, and neither does Amy. This book begins with excitement and energy, and slowly moves into peace and relaxation. By the end of the book mama bear has already fallen asleep, and Amy is closing her bedroom door and turning out the light. I think “Amy the Dancing Bear” is a great book for kids to read with their parents and calm down after a busy day. I highly recommend this book! It’s a wonderful read!
Plot: Shi’mon and Yeshua are best friends living in Roman occupied Capernaum, Israel. Shi’mon’s heard of the Zealots movement against the Romans. He wants to join. Yeshua cautions him against it. But when Shi’mon’s father dies at the hands of the Romans, Shi’mon is outraged. He’s determined to join and train with the Zealots. During this time, Yeshua continues his studies to be a rabbi. Both boys hear word of a new rabbi, called Jesus. After Shi’mon is gravely injured in an attack against the Romans, Jesus finds him and heals him. Shi’mon starts to listen to Jesus. Jesus calls Shi’mon to follow him and be his disciple. Yeshua continues his studies in Jerusalem. He’s close to becoming a rabbi when his father comes to visit. A Zealot attack breaks out while his father is there and is killed by mistake by a Roman soldier. Yeshua turns to rage and revenge. He learns to become a Zealot. During Passover, Yeshua takes part in a massive Zealot attack in Jerusalem. But the attack goes wrong and Yeshua is arrested. On the last day of Passover, Jesus is arrested and put on trial. In exchange for Jesus, Yeshua is released. What will Shi’mon and Jesus’ other followers do? Will Yeshua seek forgiveness? Or will he return to his Zealot ways?
Rating: 4.0 – a different side of the Jesus story
Opinion: This was a great story. It was great to learn more about Jewish life during biblical times. The book talks about the process of becoming a rabbi and fishers daily routines. It also talks about what happened if you didn’t have enough money for the Romans, or if you tried to stand up to them. It shows why many Jews turned to the Zealots. As it’s a young adult book, it doesn’t go into as many details. The book describes both sides of who people thought Jesus was. My heart broke for Yeshua. I’m glad there was a redemption arc for both boys. He’d seen so much but he saw so much hate. I also loved that the book included Hebrew words and phrases. Though I wish there was a pronunciation guide to go with the guide at the end of the book. This is a great book for young adults, and adults, too. It’s great for anyone who wants to learn more about Jewish and Christian history.
Plot: It’s Chester Raccoon’s first day of school. But he’s very scared and doesn’t want to go. Mama Raccoon tells Chester all of the fun things he’ll be able to do at school. But Chester still doesn’t want to go. Mama gives Chester a secret way to know that she’ll always be with him. It’s called the kissing hand. Will it help Chester?
Rating: 4.5 – a cute book about overcoming fears
Opinion: This was one of my favorite books growing up. My parents read it to me a lot when I was struggling to adjust to a new school in the middle of the school year. It’s great for kids who are more sensitive. It’s a great book for kids are struggling with something big, new, and scary. It’s also good for a classroom to learn about emotions and ways to help with the big ones. Every kid loves the pictures, which are adorable. They love finding all the animals in the book. It’s a good book for the classroom and home.
Titles: Book 1 – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Book 2 – Hollow City, Book 3 – Library of Souls, Book 4 – Map of Days, Book 5 – Conference of Birds, Book 6 – The Desolation of Devil’s Acre
Author: Ransom Riggs
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Plot: Book 1 – Jacob Portman is a normal, lonely sixteen year old. His closest friend is his grandpa. Jacob grew up hearing his grandpa’s childhood stories. His grandpa fled Poland to a small Welsh island during WW2. In Wales, he lived in a children’s home where the children had peculiar abilities (one can fly, another can conjure fire in her hands, one’s invisible, etc.). Then everything starts to change when his grandpa dies. Jacob finds his grandpa’s body in the Florida forest. Nearby is a white monster only he can see. His parent’s try everything to help him. They take him to a psychiatrist who suggests they visit the place where his grandpa grew up to help him recover. Jacob spends the time searching for his grandpa’s childhood home. All he finds is ruins, until he meets a girl named Emma. Emma shows him a magical place full of his grandpa’s stories. But there is a darker side to the stories. Now Jacob has to figure out how to help his new friends. But how can he? He’s completely normal right?
Book 2 – Jacob and his new friends are trying to help Miss Peregrine. They’ve rescued her but she’s injured and stuck in her bird form. They search for any help they can get and start by trying to navigate through WW2 England to reach London. Along the way, they search for ways to help Miss Peregrine. Others tell Jacob and his friends that they only way to help Miss Peregrine is to get her to the care of another ymbryne. But all of the ymbryne’s have been taken by wights and hollows. If the ymbryne’s haven’t been taken yet, they’re in even deeper hiding than before. To make matters worse, they only have three days at most to help Miss Peregrine before she becomes a bird forever, a real bird forever. Can they reach another ymbryne in time? Can they keep themselves save from the hollows and wights that hunt them?
Book 3 – Jacob and his friends have lost Miss Peregrine again. The bird they thought they’d saved was really Miss Peregrine’s evil brother Caul. Him and his band of wights are so close to achieving their goal of world domination. Now Jacob and his friends must travel to the Devil’s Acre. There’s a rumor that the wight’s headquarters are there. On the way there, they meet a guide, Sharon. Sharon is reluctant to help them in any way shape or form. Jacob and his friends promise to compensate Sharon in whatever way he needs. While they travel, Jacob’s peculiar-ness continues to grow. While there, Jacob starts to learn he can control the hollows. But will it be enough to help? Will they be able to stop Caul in time? Or will Caul be able to achieve his world domination?
Book 4 – The world, the peculiar and normal, is safe again. Jacob tries to adjust to normal life again. He’s back at his parents house, going to therapy again, and acting like he’s improving. That is until, they find his letters to Emma. Right when he’s about to be driven off to the mental institution, his peculiar friends come to his rescue. Jacob tries to have both his peculiar friends and his normal life, but his parent’s can’t accept his peculiar friends. With the help of Miss Peregrine, Jacob manages to leave and have his parents forget a few things. But after being treated like a child again, Jacob and his friends sneak off to his grandpa’s old house. They find a secret bunker under his house. Jacob’s grandpa did secret missions. Jacob and his friends start to take up some missions. But things don’t go as smoothly as possible. Peculiar life is much more different than anyone was expecting. When Jacob’s contact asks them to find a newly discovered peculiar, they get in way over their heads. Can they find this new peculiar? Can they help them? Or will these mysterious people stalking them get the new peculiar first?
Book 5 – H died saving Noor. He pleaded with Jacob to take her to another member of his secret hollow hunting society, called V. But her loop is hidden and no one has ever heard about it. Noor starts to remember clues about her childhood. That leads to a smaller and smaller search area. But other peculiars want Noor on their side, because she’s a powerful peculiar. Now they have to hide from other clans of peculiar while trying to find V. But when the captured wights escape, that leads to another level distrust of the ymbrynes. Will they be able to find V’s loop? Can the ymbrynes make peace with the other peculiars? Or will the wights ruin everything?
Book 6 – Caul is back. His followers are gathering and growing stronger by the hour. Jacob and his friends must find the other peculiars the prophecy mentioned. But they have to find a way to avoid hollows and wights. When they find them Caul is not far behind. They narrowly find their way back to safety. Now they have to plan to destroy Caul. But he and his followers are closing in. They’re continually finding ways to divide the peculiars. When Caul finally finds their hideaway, the peculiars find they’re outmatched. There’s still one way to fight, but it’s risky. Or there might be another way, but it’s even riskier. How will they survive? Or will Caul win? Or will their plans work?
Rating: 4.0 – a good young adult fantasy series
Opinion: This was a great young adult and fantasy series. This series does a great job of explaining how people get their peculiarities. And it’s not done in a way that’s overloading, or too much at once. It also build healthy relationships for young adults to look up to. Though there’s some drama surrounding some of the main people’s relationships, it’s realistic, more so than some other young adult series I’ve read. And another positive thing is that there’s no love triangle. One relationship ends cleanly and another relationship starts. The couple also doesn’t forget about their friends. This series has a slow build in each book. For most of the books, it’s very slow. Towards the end of each book, the plot moves faster and faster. Each book ends with a good open ending that easily continues to the next book. While these books aren’t always the most exciting books I’ve read, they’re still very well written. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. It’s different than a lot of other young adult books I’ve read. I’d recommend this for any young adult who loves fantasy.
Plot: Quackers is a duck, not really, who enjoys the life of a duck. Until he wanders away from the pond and finds a barn. There he meets another cat. Quackers finds another animal he can understand. His new friend teaches him how to be a cat. After a while away front pond, he starts to miss it. He returns to the pond, but wants to find a way to be both places. How can Quackers achieve his goals? Can he live at both places?
Rating: 4.5 – a cute book about being yourself
Opinion: This is another classroom must. It’s a very cute book about a cat who grew up with ducks and thinks he’s a duck. When he learns he’s a cat, he learns how to be a cat. But he learns how he can be a cat and a duck. Quackers learns to how to be true to himself. I’ve read this book with the older kids at work and they love it. They think it’s kinda funny that there’s a cat who thinks he’s a duck. It’s a good lesson for all kids to learn, too. They learn that it’s okay to be yourself. It’s a great addition to any classroom.
Plot: This book is told in parallel narratives: one takes place in Louisiana in 1875 in the years of reconstruction, the other takes place in Louisiana in 1987.
Louisiana, 1875: In the upheaval of Reconstruction, three women set off on a journey. They begin as unwilling and untrusting companions: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the heir to a plantation that has seen better days; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. The group heads for Texas, each carrying their own secrets and troubles. Lavinia and Juneau Jane are hoping for information on their stolen inheritance and freedom from their desperate financial situation, but Hannie is hoping that the pilgrimage will lead her to information on the family she was torn from. Along the way, they encounter other freed slaves hoping for information on the families they thought they had lost forever. The three women begin keeping a list of names and information in an effort to help reunite people with their loved ones.
Louisiana, 1987: First-year teacher Benedetta Silva hopes that by taking a subsidized job at a poor rural school she will finally be free of her hefty student debt. When she finds herself in a tiny Mississippi River town that is suspicious of new ideas and new people, she begins to have second thoughts. On top of that, Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students and struggles to connect with them in a meaningful way. When Benny discovers the story of the three girls from 1875, she finds a way to not only engage her students, but her entire new community.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Opinion: I had previously read Lisa Wingate’s book Before We Were Yours and absolutely loved it, so I was eager to read this one. Now, I do not usually enjoy books told from multiple storylines. I either find myself more engaged with one story line than the other, or the story lines and characters start to get mixed up in my head and I lose interest entirely. That was not at all the case with this book. I found the writing itself to be fluid and enjoyable, and the characters to be relatable even if they weren’t always likeable. I think what I enjoyed the most was knowing that this book was based loosely on real events – there were real “books of lost friends” during Reconstruction, individuals placing ads looking for the families and friends they had been separated from. Knowing that made reading this story even more poignant. I couldn’t help but put myself in the characters’ place as they dealt with various difficulties on their journey. I also thoroughly enjoyed the way Wingate wove the two storylines together. I was deeply appreciative of the fact that the author tied up all the loose ends, and not in a way that felt trite or forced. The characters felt alive to me, not stagnant as they sometimes do, and the obstacles they faced were used as opportunities for character growth and development. What I really loved was that each of the women changed dramatically from the time they were introduced, each growing in a way that felt appropriate for both the time period and who they were as people. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, with a focus on women’s historical fiction.
Plot: Did you know that dragons love tacos? They do. They love all things taco, except for spicy salsa. Whatever you do, do not give them spicy salsa on their tacos. This book tells you how to give dragons the best taco party ever.
Rating: 3.4 – a silly book for kids
Opinion: This is a cute kid’s book. The kids get a kick out of it. They love the dragons in it. They’ll point out which dragon is doing what and tell me which ones are their favorites. The kids also find it funny that dragons like tacos. It introduces them to the idea of an interactive narrator. It confuses the younger kids I’ve read it to, but they’ve gotten the hang of it after a few times. This is a good book for kids who need a laugh and who enjoy dragons.
A Bookworm's Book Reviews 