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The Last Hours In Paris by Ruth Druart
The Circle The Last Hours In Paris by Ruth Druart is a powerful dual timeline novel that consumed me. The action is set in Paris in 1944 and in a provincial village in 1963. It alternates between the two time periods and from three different points of view. “The past is part of who we […]
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The Primrose Railway Children by Jacqueline Wilson
To The Moon And Back The Primrose Railway Children by Jacqueline Wilson is a wonderful modern re-telling of E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children. It is perfect for ages eight years and over and is sure to delight whatever your age. I am a huge fan of the 1970 film but have never warmed to the […]
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A Young Girl’s War by Sheila Nelson
A Snapshot In Time A Young Girl’s War by Sheila Nelson is a powerful account of the author’s experience of living in London during World War II. Sheila Nelson was born in 1931 and has a vivid snapshot of memories of the war as it impacted her childhood. Evacuated early on to Brighton proved to […]
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My Father’s Uniform by Jaitsche Wassenaar
The Impact Of Choices My Father’s Uniform by Jaitsche Wassenaar is a powerful account of the daughter of an NSB member living in Holland during World War II. The young girl is only eight years old in 1944 and is traumatically impacted by the cruelty she receives from her peers as her father is an […]
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The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson
Totally Superb The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson is an absolutely superb contemporary crime thriller. It is the second book in the Inspector Anjelica Henley series and can be read as a stand-alone. I would recommend reading book one The Jigsaw Man first so that you can see the character progression. The Binding Room is […]
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One Last Secret by Adele Parks
Oh! Wow! One Last Secret by Adele Parks is a marvellous contemporary psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. It is a compulsive read that I could not put down. The reader enters a world that is shady and secretive. All sorts of people are hiding who they really are. […]
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A Tailor In Auschwitz by David Van Turnhout and Dirk Verhofstadt
A Time Of Great Evil A Tailor In Auschwitz by David van Turnhout and Dirk Verhofstadt (translated by Kristien De Wulf and Jane Camerea) is a powerful and horrifying account of the plight of the Jewish people during World War II. The book came about after researching David van Turnhout’s paternal grandfather’s experiences during WWII. […]
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Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman
The much-hyped fantasy series opener Skandar and the Unicorn Thief breaks new ground in unicorn lore. Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman. Simon & Schuster, 2022, 418 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Mythical and Deadly Any reader who visualizes unicorns as sparkly magical creatures making rainbow poop will be disenchanted in the first few pages of this new fantasy series. Unicorns are indeed magical, but extremely deadly. And immortal, but rather than live eternally, they die eternally: skeletal beasts with rotting breath and savage teeth and hooves. That is, unless they bond and remain with their rider, the one human who…
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The Adventures Of Flora Bee: Saving Ruth Bee And Other Stories by Rhodri Davies
A Pure Delight The Adventures Of Flora Bee: Saving Ruth Bee And Other Stories by Rhodri Davies is an absolutely delightful book for young children. There are four individual tales which are totally charming and cleverly thought out. Adults reading the tales will raise a smile as we recognize several play-on-words. I particularly liked Red […]
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Your Pal Fred by Michael Rex
A fun graphic novel for young middle-graders, Your Pal Fred pictures a dystopian world startled by kindness. Your Pal Fred by Michael Rex. Viking, 2022, 257 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 7-11 To this grim landscape comes . . . Lots of bad stuff has happened in the world—big wars, aliens, robot, comets, and LOTS of cats, who stank up everything. The earth is a big rusty wasteland when siblings Pug and Plug go foraging for scraps and end up running from a conscription machine. Seeking refuge in a cave, they happen upon a cache of toys. From a box labeled “Your Pal Fred” steps…
