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When I See Blue by Lily Bailey
So Very Powerful When I see Blue by Lily Bailey is a powerful children’s novel that explores the condition of OCD. It is perfect for ages ten years and over. I found it such a powerful insight into this paralyzing condition. The novel is told in the first person from the point of view of […]
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A Wedding At Sandy Cove by Bella Osborne
Fun Filled A Wedding At Sandy Cove by Bella Osborne is a most delightful contemporary novel that enchanted me from the start. There are the themes of being yourself, being brave and grabbing your dreams. Too often there are those who want to squash us. The novel shows we need to confront the bullies and […]
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*Marshmallow Clouds by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek
In Marshmallow Clouds, two poets look at the world, both the sublime and the mundane, through expressive wordplay. *Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play among Figures of Speech by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, illustrated by Richard Jones. Candlewick, 2022, 72 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 6-up Enjoying an Endlessly Interesting World God gives us a beautiful natural world, but he also gives the facilities to enjoy it—not only with our senses, but also with our imagination. The two poets who wrote this collection are indeed “at play,” letting their thoughts run free over stars and rain puddles and long summer days and fly swatters.…
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The Islanders: Search for Treasure by Mary Alice Monroe
The Islanders Series features three friends spending enlightening and adventure-filled summers on an island off the coast of South Carolina. The Islanders: Search for Treasure (Islanders Series #2) by Mary Alice Monroe, with Angela May. Aladdin, 2022, 254 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Home to Dewees Last summer Jake Potter thought his world was ending. His dad was wounded in Afghanistan and his mother shipped out to care for him. With no parent at home, Jake was deployed to the end of the world, or so it seemed: Dewees Island, SC, to spend the summer with his grandmother. There’s no internet or motor vehicles…
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Duty Calls At Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller
Strangers Become Friends Duty Calls At Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller is a marvellous historical novel and the third book in the Goodwill House series. It can be read as a stand-alone but I recommend reading the other books first. The war is continuing in 1940 as we rejoin the residents of Goodwill House. […]
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Welcome To Weaver Street by Chrissie Walsh
Community Spirit Welcome To Weaver Street by Chrissie Walsh is a marvellous historical novel set during World War I and beyond in Liverpool. The reader follows a newly married couple from Ireland as they land on the Liverpool docks in 1916. They are going to start a new life in England following the Easter Uprising […]
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Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Interlinked Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a powerful story set over the summer of 1969. It consumed me from the start and filled my heart with love. The story is told from a fourteen year old boy’s point of view in the first person. We really feel that we ‘know’ him. He is kind […]
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The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin
The “Homework Squad” shows attention-challenged students how to study smarter. The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin, PhD, illustrated by Tracy Bishop. Imagination Press, 2021, 131 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: Ages 8-14 ADHD may not be an official diagnosis, but all kids have trouble focusing from time to time. (My mind wanders to this day.) Four friends with the same problem banded together to practice study skills and find out what works best for them. Their sponsor Dr. Shiflin had plenty of exposure to ADHD kids, so he was able to guide and make suggestions. Now Hunter, Mateo, Michael, and Prisha…
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High School British Literature: A Lively Approach
High School British Literature: Dull and Difficult? When I arrived at college, I was absolutely, 100% convinced that British lit was my jam. But it’s safe to say that most of my peers, unless they were already diehard bibliophiles, didn’t share that same love of obscure Victorian novels. Fast forward 30 years, and it’s a sure bet that many contemporary teens aren’t signing up to read Tess of the D’Urbevilles, Great Expectations, or Jane Eyre when they could be watching Jurassic World or Maverick. Frankly, even I’m having a challenging time re-reading some of these titles as my own brain has gotten used to more distraction via device use. What…
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The Fort by Gordon Korman
Five boys find an unexpected place to come to terms with troubling life issues: The Fort. The Fort by Gordon Korman. Scholastic, 2022, 239 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-15 A Place of Their Own Evan’s parents are both in rehab after totally bugging out as parents. Jason’s parents are going through a nasty divorce, using him as a means of provoking and getting back at each other. Mitchell is no longer seeing a therapist for his OCD because his mom lost her full-time job and medical insurance. And C.J. takes crazy risks that leave him battered and bruised. Ricky the new kid has no…
