Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting"Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live.” 
Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting is beautiful and thought provoking, a snapshot of just a couple of days in the life of Winnie Foster.  Winnie gets restless and "runs away" into the woods. There she meets an unusual family who change her perspective on the world. Is eternal life a blessing or a curse? 

Quick and powerful, much like Kneenock Rise, Natalie Babitt manages to pack a lot of wisdom into little packages. Clocking in at 139 small pages, this lovely story stays with you. 
Lexie 770, Ages 8+

Eleanor Elephant is Completely Fine

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
"There are days when I feel so so lightly connected to the earth that the threads that tether me to the planet are gossamer thin, spun sugar. A strong gust of wind could dislodge me completely, and I'd lift off and blow away, like one of those seeds in a dandelion clock."
Gail Honeyman, Eleanor Elephant is Completely Fine

This book is hilarious, heartbreaking, and by the end I absolutely loved Eleanor!  Eleanor has been going through her life alone, through a series of small interactions she comes out of her shell and opens herself up to friendship. As you can tell from the quote at the beginning of the post the writing is beautiful. It is also really funny. Super wry and understated Eleanor's inner dialogue was the best part of the book. "She wasn't actually chewing gum, but her demeanor was very much that of a gum chewer." Eleanor's observations about her coworkers, people on the bus, behavior at parties, and beauty rituals were spot on and gut busting.

There is a dark undercurrent, but the mood of the book is really hopeful. A lot of aspects of the book reminded me of the Rosie Project. Contains some salty language and excessive drinking. Overall my favorite new read of the year!

Love and First Sight

Love and First Sight
What a fun book! My daughter read this book in two days and loved it. This is squarely in the YA category, cute love story, a few misfits, and a little drama. Main character Will Porter decides to transfer from his school for the blind to a regular high school. He wants to be as independent as possible and the only way to do it is to make his own way in the world. When an experimental surgery to give him sight becomes a possibility, he has to decide if being able to see is worth the risk of changing who he is. 

I really loved the different perspective that came with this book! it was interesting to hear the characters trying to describe things to Will using visual metaphors and how hard it was to convey certain things. The author lost his leg to cancer at age nine, so he has faced a different set of challenges.  I appreciated his interpretation on what it may be like to be blind. 

Content notes: there is a few instances of mild swear words (maybe 5), and a small amount of kissing.  670 Lexile, Ages 12+

Death on the Nile: A Hercule Poirot Mystery 
"It seems all wrong to me--her looking like that. Money and looks--it's too much!...Got everything, that girl has. Doesn't seem fair..."
Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile

Linnet Ridgeway has it all, and if she doesn't have it yet she can get it.  On her honeymoon trip to Egypt everything boils over in the hot sun.  This moody mystery has it; jilted love, revenge, and rebellion.  A romantic cruise on the Nile, where evil is lurking just under the surface. 

Unlike some of Christie's novels, this one weaves a more intricate plot that is going strong well before the mystery unfolds. It's a real page turner from the beginning, as many possibilities of plot and intrigue are possible. 

A great vacation/summer read, for anyone who loves a good who done it!

Alex Rider

Stormbreaker (Alex Rider)
Alex knows something is fishy with the way his uncle died. The car he was driving is covered with bullet holes, what was he really up to? Does Alex have the courage to take up where his uncle left off?

Full of gadgets, man eating squids, and odd characters; Alex Rider is James Bond for kids. This series will appeal to boys who like video games and action movies. With 14 books in the series, it could keep a boy occupied for months!
670 Lexile, Ages 10+

Dragon Slippers

Dragon Slippers, Dragon Spear , and Dragon Flight
What a fun series for middle grade and tween girls. Creel is sent as a sacrifice to the local dragon in the hopes that she will be rescued by a knight, become rich, and in the process bring the family out of poverty. What unfolds is a surprising tale of friendship and intrigue!

Creel is talented at embroidery and has some big ideas about how she wants to live her life. Empowered by the slippers she choose from the dragon (which contain some magic) she embarks in her new life to find some great friends and some enemies. Chock full of action and secrets, this series is a perfect summer binge!

Dragon Slippers 850 Lexile, Ages 8+
Dragon Spear  920 Lexile, Ages 8+
Dragon Flight 870 Lexile, Ages 8+

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery

One of  Christie's most famous novels, for good reason, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd did not disappoint! The set up in this novel is very traditional with a set list of suspects and alibis, and a list of motives that include blackmail and a will. However, the ending is WOW! If you like a good who-done-it this one is the ticket.

York: Book one The Shadow Cipher

York: The Shadow Cipher

Twins Theo and Tess along with their neighbor Jamie  embark on a century old quest to solve a puzzle for the Morningstar Treasure. Can they solve the puzzle in time to prevent their building from being demolished? 

With the threat of having to move out of their beloved historical home to somewhere more bland so they can afford rent, the trio decide to give the quest a shot. Many colorful characters emerge, such as the two suspicious men lurking around the building, a nosy Kindergarten age sleuth who likes to play dress up, and a club of old cipher searchers complete with an amazing super hero hideout.  Curfew, dinner time, danger, and dead ends threaten to derail their efforts. 

This is a really fun quest book, with a great twist on reality. It has the feel of a high tech version of National Treasure. The technology of modern day New York is much more advanced based on the inventions of the Morningstar twins, geniuses from the 1800's who had innovations in solar power and robotics. 

It was fresh and fun and I can't wait for the next book in the series! 
Ages 8+

The Women in the Castle

The Women in the Castle: A Novel
This heartbreaking story of the widows of the failed attempt to assassinate Hitler will stay with you. Marianne is tasked to bring together and protect all the wives of the brave men who tried to stop Hitler.

What follows is a look into the lives of three very different women. All strong in their own way. Marianne is capable and brusque. Benita is beautiful and full of life. Ania is quiet and unflappable.  

At times difficult, there were some parts I skimmed to preserve my sanity. This book was great, much in the same vein as The Nightingale, All the Light we Cannot See, and Everyone Brave is Forgiven. All great books about WWII cause you to question what it means to be a good person, and this book is no exception.

How do you find books your kids will love?

"There is no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books." 
James Patterson 

I remember vividly a time I took my kids to the bookstore. My son must have been in 3rd or 4th grade. He wanted to get a book similar to the above books and I made him buy Hatchet. Now there is nothing wrong with Hatchet, it's a wonderful book, other than the fact that he didn't want to read it at all! I took a moment when he should have been exited about getting to pick a new book and I ruined it. I obviously still have guilt!

Inversely, he has read the entire Diary of a Wimpy Kid series multiple times and still gets exited for the new books that come out every November.  All three of my kids actually fight over them (girl age 10, girl age 13, boy age 15)! Allowing your kids to read what they want, and helping them to find books they will enjoy is a constant battle. 

The series pictured above and many other similar series are wonderful because there are so many titles. So when you finish them you can just pick up the next book!

Here are some things I do to help my kids find books they want to read.
-Ask them!

-Look up on Goodreads read-a-likes for their favorite books
-Check out many books at at time! (If you buy them it will be more frustrating when they don't want to read them, too much wasted money.) 

-Figure out how to put books on hold at your library!

-If you find that they won't move on from certain books, The Cupcake Friends etc... Try to find books at a slightly higher reading level that have similarities. (Goodreads read-a-like is a great place to find this too.)

-Get books much lower than their reading level, and they will get hooked into the story more easily.

-Try some nonfiction! Some kids are just more interested in facts!

What do you do to help your kids find their perfect read? Have you made any reading ultimatums that have blown up in your face?

Star Wars: Jedi Academy 650 Lexile, Ages 8+
The Adventures of Captain Underpants 720 Lexile, Ages 7+
Strange Case of Origami Yoda (Origami Yoda 1) 760 Lexile, Ages 8+
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 1 1010 Lexile, Ages 9+

When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air
When Paul Kalanithi decided to study literature it was for what he could discover about humanity, "Books became my closest confidants, finely ground lenses providing new views of the world." When after he finished his literature degree he discovered he wanted more physical knowledge about the brain and body he decided to study medicine. 

He found his true calling in medicine, “Those burdens are what make medicine holy and wholly impossible: in taking up another’s cross, one must sometimes get crushed by the weight.” Ultimately, he is his own test case on what the process is for someone facing death. 
"...I had trained for years to actively engage with death, to grapple with it..and in so doing, confront the meaning of a life."
"The fact of death is unsettling. Yet there is no other way to live." 

 This book to me is about learning how someone confronts their own mortality and how to live with that day to day. His wife, Lucy Kalanithi says, "Pauls decision not to avert his eyes from death epitomizes a fortitude we don't celebrate enough in our death-avoidant culture." 

I loved this book because for me it was a reminder that we all are going to die. We all try to forget this fact of life, and that it is a journey we are all on every day. What do we do with this life and what makes it worthwhile? 

Tales from Deckawoo Drive

We first meet Leroy Ninker when he robs the Watson's home in Mercy Watson Fights Crime. At the end of the story it says, "The thief, Leroy Ninker, is interested in reforming himself. He would like to become a cowboy." Leroy Ninker Saddles Up is how Leroy becomes a cowboy. We begin with Leroy working at the drive in movie theater and dreaming of owning a horse. What follows is a hilarious and heartwarming look into his lonely life. All of the characters are familiar from the Mercy Watson series and have the same simple charm and funny dialog. I like how in all of the Tales from Deckawoo Drive adults have dreams and goals.

The language in both Mercy Watson and Tales from Deckawoo Drive is charming and complex, which is rare for books written for this age group. These books are perfect for kids who want a more challenging chapter book with beautiful pictures. 

Leroy Ninker Saddles Up: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume One 
570 Lexile, Ages 6+


Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Two 
430 Lexile, Ages 6+


Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Three 
480 Lexile, Ages 6+


Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume Four
To be released on October 10, 2017

The Lost Book of the Grail

The Lost Book of the Grail: A Novel
“King Arthur's Knights had been the first book Arthur had read late at night under the covers with a torch...it was he supposed, thinking back on it, the first book that had showed him what reading was really all about.” 
Charlie Lovett, The Lost Book of the Grail

This book is perfect for book lovers! Charlie Lovett is a former antiquarian bookseller, and it shows in this novel. A breathtaking fictional account of a search for the buried mysteries surrounding  a small cathedral in England.  Arthur, the main character, has a cathedral library of old vellum manuscripts basically to himself. The descriptions of the process of making the vellum, the feel of the ink on the page, the smell, and the history of the area is intoxicating. 

The story begins with a promise to his grandfather, an unbelievable mystery, and an unfinished guide book. When Bethany shows up to digitize the library Arthur is slow to convert to the idea that worthwhile information should be found online. Thus kicks of a fun love/hate romance plot.  Arthur's love of the library and "real books" is captured in his anger at the renaming of the library to the "Media Center."  It made me want to real a lot of old books! 4 Stars

Flavia de Luce

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery
Flavia de Luce is a chemistry genius with a knack for stumbling upon murder. Set at Buckshaw a sprawling, failing, English estate this series makes you long for a rainy day and a hot cup of cocoa. I have read the whole series multiple times! This series was written for adults but the main character is an 11 year old girl. Content wise, I would say it is appropriate for tweens and up! Highest recommendation possible!
960 Lexile

The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
Penderwicks became an instant classic when it was published in 2005. Set in an idyllic cottage on a grand estate, the Penderwick family summer vacation is one I truly envy! The tone of this series is nostalgic and classic, reading them made me want to revisit The Secret Garden and Anne of Green Gables.

There rest of the books in this series are fabulous as well. They are in order; The Penderwicks (800 Lexile), The Penderwicks on Gardam Street (850 Lexile), The Penderwicks at Point Moquette (940 Lexile), The Penderwicks in Spring (880 Lexile).

Ages 8+

Dreamland Burning

Dreamland Burning
Although Dreamland Burning is a YA novel: it doesn't feel like one. (There is almost no romance.)
Terrifying, thoughtful, and impossible to put down it reads like a thriller. Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma it goes back and forth between 1921 and today. Jennifer Latham brings to light the Tulsa race riots, an event mostly forgotten by history. All the main characters are forced to look at themselves and decide who they want to be. Ages 12+