Best Children's Canadian Historical Fiction
As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where everything was taken away. "…Robertson handles a delicate task here admirably well: explaining residential schools, that shameful legacy, and making them understandable to small children. Flett’s gorgeous, skillful illustrations have a flattened, faux naïve feel to them, like construction paper collage, a style that works perfectly with the story. She nicely contrasts the school’s dull browns and grays with the riotous colors surrounding Nókom and gets much expression from her simple silhouettes. Flett's spring palette of warm blues and browns punctuated with splashes of red contrasts the loving moments between grandmother and granddaughter with stark winter whites and grays depicting boarding school life. The repetitive structure creates a predictable narrative; together the illustrations and Robertson's child-centred text make the boarding school experience accessible to a young audience without glossing over its harshness. A beautifully rendered story of resisitance and love, this is made all the more luminous by Flett's art - not just by flashes of fuschsia or scarlet among ochre grasses, but by her precisely observed images of the compact bodies of the uniformed children, bowed beneath the weight of the scissors, or lovingly tending each other's hair. "Done simply, but with devastating clearness this is the story of a woman telling her granddaughter of her time in one of the boarding schools to which Canadian First Nation children were taken.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The illustrations certainly complement the story."
"If you are looking for a book that can show aspects of the dark history of residential schools in a way that really young kids can read, understand and relate to, this is it."
"It's always tricky to write about traumatic experiences -- you don't want to pretend that they have no effect on children and therefore weren't that bad, but at the same time you want to honor the resilience that people do have."
"This book teaches about a dark chapter in Canada's history in a way that is appropriate for children."
"Absolutely a must buy in any picture book collection for any age."
Jonah and Katherine embark on a chilling journey to discover the Northwest Passage in this new installment of the New York Times bestselling series that brings history to life. Plenty of action and an extended author’s note sustain this fourth entry in the Missing series." Margaret Peterson Haddix is the author of many critically and popularly acclaimed YA and middle grade novels, including the Children of Exile series, The Missing series, the Under Their Skin series, and the Shadow Children series.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The fourth installment in The Missing series, Torn by Margaret Peterson Haddix, follows Jonah and Katherine as they travel back in time to the year 1611. Taking matters into their own hands, Jonah (still disguised as John Hudson) and Katherine (who is invisible thanks to the time traveling device, the Elucidator) try to make sense of the odd mishaps in time that keep occurring and attempt to save history and rescue their friends who are still stuck in the year 1600."
"Son really liked the series."
"So, I would hilly recommend this book but start at the first, or else nothing will. make sense!"
"I chose this rating because I like the series and because the way this book was made you never would of expected half of the stuff that happened in there to happen, that's why I rated this book."
"My daughter loves this series."
"My almost 14 year old son loved this book and series."
"I am a 12 year old girl who loves reading and when i started reading the missing series i fell in love."
"Lots of drama with not much substance."
Master storyteller Christopher Paul Curtis's Newbery Honor novel, featuring his trademark humor, unique narrative voice, and new cover art--now in paperback! *Starred Review* After his mother rebukes him for screaming that hoop snakes have invaded Buxton, gullible 11-year-old Elijah confesses to readers that "there ain't nothing in the world she wants more than for me to quit being so doggone fra-gile." His most recent book, Elijah of Buxton, has garnered multiple awards, including a Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the TD Children's Literature Book Award and the CLA Book of the Year, and was a finalist in the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature. "This novel came to me in a way that was far different than any other," says Curtis.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Only Christopher Paul Curtis can take me to the lowest depths of man's inhumanity and then bring me back on the path of hope and resilience."
"We also see through Elijah's eyes, when he runs off to the USA, the terror slaves lived with every day, and the faith that allowed them to keep going in spite of the terror."
"Purchased for 10 year old Daughter 4th Grade Battle of the Books."
"Confusing at first to see where the story was going... spent a lot of time living the life of Elijah... but then, the plot thickens and it all makes sense why we needed that build up."
"A work of historical fiction, the novel tactfully and respectfully educates readers about issues related to slavery and freedom, all while entertaining us with moments of humor and humbling us with scenes of loss and sadness."
"The opening funny chapters draw the reader in well, but the characters and events keep one firmly with Elijah. A very appropriate book for an intermediate-grades reader, especially one studying U.S. history, a lone reservation is that, because the speaking is dialectically true, there are times when the speech or era-appropriate words may be unclear to a young reader ("I'm-a" or "our'n" for example or "spectacles" or "brogans")."
"This wonderful book tells the story of Elijah, the first freeborn child in the Canadian settlement of Buxton, a real village of runaway slaves who gain their freedom in Canada."
"I love a book that makes me laugh and cry, not to mention hope and pull for the characters."
Best Children's African Historical Fiction
Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way. *Starred Review* After 11-year-old Salva’s school in Sudan is attacked by brutal rebel soldiers in 1985, he describes several terrifying years on the run in visceral detail: “The rain, the mad current, the bullets, the crocodiles, the welter of arms and legs, the screams, the blood.” Finally, he makes it to refugee camps in Ethiopia and then Kenya, where he is one of 3,000 young men chosen to go to America. In chapters that alternate with Salva’s story, Nya, a young Sudanese girl in 2008, talks about daily life, in which she walks eight hours to fetch water for her family. Then, a miracle happens: Salva returns home to help his people and builds a well, making fresh water available for the community and freeing Nya to go to school. The switching viewpoints may initially disorient some, but young readers will be stunned by the triumphant climax of the former refugee who makes a difference with the necessities that we all take for granted. Teachers may want to point out the allusion to Nelson Mandela’s A Long Walk to Freedom (1995) echoed in this moving book’s title.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought the feature that reads it to him which he loved and made it more interesting since they had music and the reader used different voices for each character."
"While I mourned for Salva for the loss of his brothers, his uncle, and his childhood, I rejoiced in his perseverance, his dedication, the friendships, and the love he discovered along his journey."
"I especially liked the juxtaposition of Nya's contemporary story with Salva's past story."
"First of all I didn't realize this was a true story, don't know how I missed it."
"Bought this for my grandson , great price and he needed it for school project."
"I'm reading this aloud to my 5th grade class -- they love it, particularly the more exciting story of the boy who is evading lions, crocodiles, starvation, and soldiers to get to America."
"I read this to my 5th grade class and I’ve never seen a group of upper elementary kids run to the carpet to be read to like this."
"My niece read this for school on my Kindle."
Best Children's American Historical Fiction
Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan’s brawn, Little Ann’s brains, and Billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. Praise for Where the Red Fern Grows A Top 100 Children’s Novel, School Library Journal ' s A Fuse #8 Production. A Must-Read for Kids 9 to 14, NPR. Winner of Multiple State Awards. Over 7 million copies in print! Any child who doesn’t get to read this beloved and powerfully emotional book has missed out on an important piece of childhood for the last 40-plus years.” — Common Sense Media “An exciting tale of love and adventure you’ll never forget.” — School Library Journal “A book of unadorned naturalness.” — Kirkus Reviews “Written with so much feeling and sentiment that adults as well as children are drawn [in] with a passion.” — Arizona Daily Star “It’s a story about a young boy and his two hunting dogs and . When the victory over the mountain lion turns to tragedy, Billy grieves, but learns the beautiful old Native American legend of the sacred red fern that grows over the graves of his dogs. [with] careful, precise observation, all of it rightly phrased.” — The New York Times Book Review “One of the great classics of children’s literature . Any child who doesn’t get to read this beloved and powerfully emotional book has missed out on an important piece of childhood for the last 40-plus years.” — Common Sense Media “An exciting tale of love and adventure you’ll never forget.” — School Library Journal “A book of unadorned naturalness.” — Kirkus Reviews “Written with so much feeling and sentiment that adults as well as children are drawn [in] with a passion.” — Arizona Daily Star “It’s a story about a young boy and his two hunting dogs and .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wilson Rawls’ classic, timeless story of a young boy’s coming-of-age is heartbreaking, sentimental, and utterly charming. For two years he waits, collecting enough money doing whatever jobs he can, he finally raises enough for two puppies who are delivered via train to the town closest to where he lives. Selling skins to Sears Roebuck & Co. was enough then to fulfill that dream and then later to get him enough money to fly enough hours to be conscripted (after being declared 4F) to train pilots at Americus, Georgia."
"From leaving home to fetch his pups ,to hunting in the Ozarks, this boys journey will have you yearning for your youth, Wishing for simpler times, and feeling emotional."
"An emotional and heart touching story on the vein of Old Yeller."
"It takes a dog owner to feel what our heroine must have felt, devotion, caring, love and true devotion from mans best friend."
"Couldn’t stop listening!"
"My 10 yr."
"This was my favorite book of all time when I was little."
"This book has something in it for both adults and young people."
Best Children's European Historical Fiction
"Masterfully crafted". — The Wall Street Journal For readers of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See , Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies. Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See , Erik Larson's Dead Wake , and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity , this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff — the greatest maritime disaster in history. "— New York Times Book Review ♦ "Intimate, extraordinary, artfully crafted...brilliant. Praise for Between Shades of Gray : A New York Times Notable Book ♦ A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book ♦ A PW , SLJ , Booklist , and Kirkus Best Book ♦ iTunes 2011 Rewind Best Teen Novel ♦ A Carnegie Medal and William C. Morris Finalist ♦ A New York Times and International Bestseller ♦ "Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both. Gr 9 Up—While the Titanic and Lusitania are both well-documented disasters, the single greatest tragedy in maritime history is the little-known 1945 sinking by Soviet torpedoes of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety. ["Artfully told and sensitively crafted, Sepetys's exploration of this little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping": SLJ 12/15 starred review of the Philomel book. ]—Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC Praise for Salt to the Sea :A #1 New York Times BestsellerAn International BestsellerWinner of the Carnegie MedalFeatured on NPR's Morning Edition "Ruta Sepetys acts as champion of the interstitial people so often ignored — whole populations lost in the cracks of history. "— The Wall Street Journal [Sepetys is] a master of YA fiction…she once again anchors a panoramic view of epic tragedy in perspectives that feel deeply textured and immediate. In Salt to the Sea the hard truths of her herculean research are tempered with effortless, intimate storytelling, as her warm and human characters breathe new life into one of the world's most terrible and neglected tragedies." “A rich, page-turning story that brings to vivid life a terrifying—and little-known—moment in World War II history.” — Steve Sheinkin , author of Newbery Honor and National Book Award finalist Bomb "Brutal. "— Hypable * "Sepetys excels in shining light on lost chapters of history, and this visceral novel proves a memorable testament to strength and resilience in the face of war and cruelty." — Booklist, starred review * "Artfully told and sensitively crafted, Sepetys’s exploration of this little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"But more than that, the author has such a deft, confident hand that I could sense the amount of research she did and the respect she has for the survivors and victims of the Wilhelm Gustloff. Sepetys doesn’t overwhelm you with her knowledge, but inserts it subtly, weaving it into the backstories, thoughts, and actions of the characters. By using characters of different nationalities and loyalties, the author is able to show the many sides of Operation Hannibal, when Germany evacuated soldiers and citizens ahead of the Red Army."
"From the first page I knew I was not only in the hands of a real craftsman but also an author with je ne sais quoi. Sepetys is an author who handles language as fluidly and masterfully as a five star chef creating brioche from scratch. The structure was a little jarring, but once I got used to it, I decided it gave the whole work a theatrical flavor, as if I were reading a play. The subject matter is a bit intense for YA (and thus must be handled with extra sensitivity) and Sepetys did not hold back in her descriptions of the horrors of war. Not on the scale of Dostoyevsky or Hugo - but the author is young still, and I believe she has great ability to inspire empathy. I am withholding one star for the following reasons: It could have been more tightly edited - especially in the first ten pages when the characters were being introduced. Having the same moments repeated from the viewpoints of each character was boring especially since the new information was intuitive for the reader to begin with. The ending was wobbly and the final impact was lost in the disjointed story line."
"Distracting Florian, however, is the young nurse, Joana, a Lithuanian who is leading a rag tag group to the safety of a ship leaving Germany now that Hitler has deemed it all right in the final months of the war. Finally, there is Alfred, a young sailor in the German navy who "writes" letters in his head to his love, Hannelore, while avoiding work and planning a dazzling future. Though these are the voices we hear, there are so many others involved and each one will wrap themselves around your heart, in particular the Shoe Poet and the Wandering Boy who are assisted in getting on the liner Wilhelm Gustloff along with the others."
Best Children's Explorer Historical Fiction
So, though he was the son of the Great Chief of Hikueru, a race of Polynesians who worshipped courage, and he was named Stout Heart, he feared and avoided tha sea, till everyone branded him a coward. The New York Times "Whether this author is telling of clipper ships, of the days of the covered wagon, of the South Sea Islands, he writes always with imagination and integrity. Like all hero legends Mafatu's story has a strength and simplicity that appeals to a wide range in age and it is beautifully told. Mr. Sperry's fine drawings have the same spirit of adventure as the story and enhance the feeling of tropical seas and jungle given in the text.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Although the story is from the perspective of a boy, I expect both boys and girls would get a lot out of the story."
"I remembered reading this book, and loving it, when I was ten."
"A fantastic story of courage, bravery, survival, and a respect of nature told from the perspective of an insecure Polynesian boy who had been an outcast in his tribe because of his fear of the sea."
"After a harrowing experience in his early years, he fears the sea and endures the ridicule of his father and his island people. Determined to grow up, Mafatu sets out with his dog, Uri, and an albatross, named Tivi, to face the wild sea and all that it contains. The settings are unlike most we ever read of in books, and in rereading this, my heart once again raced as Mafatu faced the hammerhead shark, the wild pig, the giant octopus, and the angry ocean."
"Call it Courage is to put it simply, an amazing classic novel written by the great Armstrong Sperry, who also wrote one of my favorite short stories, The Ghost of the Lagoon, which I read back when I was a child, and unfortunately, never had the chance to read anything else by the man until recently. Finally, it comes to the point where he has had enough and he sets off on a journey away from Hikueru along with his faithful dog Uri and Albatross Kivi,to prove his worth and bring his father and the community pride and joy."
"I really loved this book as a child."
"My son is reading this for a literature class and he likes it very much."
Best Children's Military Fiction
"Masterfully crafted". — The Wall Street Journal For readers of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See , Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies. Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See , Erik Larson's Dead Wake , and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity , this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff — the greatest maritime disaster in history. "— New York Times Book Review ♦ "Intimate, extraordinary, artfully crafted...brilliant. Praise for Between Shades of Gray : A New York Times Notable Book ♦ A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book ♦ A PW , SLJ , Booklist , and Kirkus Best Book ♦ iTunes 2011 Rewind Best Teen Novel ♦ A Carnegie Medal and William C. Morris Finalist ♦ A New York Times and International Bestseller ♦ "Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both. Gr 8 Up—With the same lyrical prose, eye for detail, and breath-stopping ability to unfold delicate layers of characterization and theme with skillfully paced revelations, the author of Between Shades of Gray (2011) and Out of the Easy (2013, both Philomel) presents a fictionalized World War II story based on a true tragedy. There's Joana, a pretty and empathetic Lithuanian nurse who harbors a heavy guilt; Florian, a mysterious young man struggling to hide his true identity; Amelia, a pregnant Polish girl; and Alfred, a sociopathic Nazi sailor with an inferiority complex. Along with a fully realized cast of secondary characters who comprise the small band of refugees slowly making their way through the frozen and battle-scarred Prussian countryside, Joana, Florian, and Amelia are determined to get aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German military ship evacuating civilians and wounded soldiers at the tail end of the war. Alfred, meanwhile, a low-ranking officer stationed aboard the ship, avoids work by hiding in the toilets, composing imaginary and boastful letters to a girl back home. VERDICT Artfully told and sensitively crafted, Sepetys's exploration of this little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal Praise for Salt to the Sea :A #1 New York Times BestsellerAn International BestsellerWinner of the Carnegie MedalFeatured on NPR's Morning Edition "Ruta Sepetys acts as champion of the interstitial people so often ignored — whole populations lost in the cracks of history. In Salt to the Sea the hard truths of her herculean research are tempered with effortless, intimate storytelling, as her warm and human characters breathe new life into one of the world's most terrible and neglected tragedies." “A rich, page-turning story that brings to vivid life a terrifying—and little-known—moment in World War II history.” — Steve Sheinkin , author of Newbery Honor and National Book Award finalist Bomb "Brutal. "— Hypable * "Sepetys excels in shining light on lost chapters of history, and this visceral novel proves a memorable testament to strength and resilience in the face of war and cruelty."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"But more than that, the author has such a deft, confident hand that I could sense the amount of research she did and the respect she has for the survivors and victims of the Wilhelm Gustloff. Sepetys doesn’t overwhelm you with her knowledge, but inserts it subtly, weaving it into the backstories, thoughts, and actions of the characters. By using characters of different nationalities and loyalties, the author is able to show the many sides of Operation Hannibal, when Germany evacuated soldiers and citizens ahead of the Red Army."
"Distracting Florian, however, is the young nurse, Joana, a Lithuanian who is leading a rag tag group to the safety of a ship leaving Germany now that Hitler has deemed it all right in the final months of the war. Finally, there is Alfred, a young sailor in the German navy who "writes" letters in his head to his love, Hannelore, while avoiding work and planning a dazzling future. Though these are the voices we hear, there are so many others involved and each one will wrap themselves around your heart, in particular the Shoe Poet and the Wandering Boy who are assisted in getting on the liner Wilhelm Gustloff along with the others."
"But this story centers on two things: the reasons why four young people from four distinctly different backgrounds have become refugees from the atrocities of the advancing Russian army and around the ship that will hopefully be their salvation - the Wilhelm Gustloff. When at last they arrive in Gotenhafen, they must band together in order to gain a berth on the ship Wilhelf Gustloff. The Germans are evacuating ahead of the Russian army's arrival and while those from the upper rungs of society are given cabins aboard the ship that hold two thousand, another eight thousand injured soldiers and refugees are taken aboard."
Best Children's Medieval Fiction Books
The international bestselling Ranger's Apprentice series turns up the tension in John Flanagan's latest epic of battles and bravery. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series. A fine addition to a popular series, this volume sends the three main characters into adventures that they can survive only by relying on one other. --Carolyn Phelan "A fine addition to a popular series, this volume sends the three main characters into adventures that they can survive only by relying on one other.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With much of the action in the previous book this book is a race to catch to catch the antagonist."
""Halt's Peril" is Book 9 in the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. While I enjoyed "Halt's Peril," it just wasn't as good as the previous books."
"This series is excellent for those who love the middle ages, dungeons and dragons, and just people who like heroes who stand up to the bad guys instead of wimps who wonder why things are like they are and if they should get involved."
"John Flanagan has written a great adventure, complete with death defying action and near disaster."
"I live in America, and was VERY excited when I learned there's a company that imports from Australia; the book's not out here until October 5th. 2) I would have extended the beginning of one of the chapters, as it mystifies the reader, and would be much better if it kept the suspense up a little longer. If you are a hopeless romantic (not meaning love scenes, but drama) with a vivid imagination and a thirst for adventure and humor, as I am, this is the book for you. Be forewarned, however; it does move a little slow in places, but that seems to just make the other bits even more interesting, especially the times when Will comes close to cracking. I was a little disappointed that the Black O' Malley was not really Sir Keren; it would have opened up quite a few possibilities if he had survived Macindaw, by some miracle."
"These are some of the best adventure books I have ever read."
"For those unfamiliar to the series, Will is a King's Ranger in the medieval Kingdom of Araluen. That question is asked when Halt is struck by a deadly poison arrow. I loved Book 8 a lot because Horace, the knight, joined Will and Halt's party. And here's the part I loved most: one of my favorite characters from a previous book that I thought I would never see again returns! It doesn't leave you begging for more, but I found myself wanting to read the tenth and final book, THE EMPEROR OF NIHON-JA already."
"Always a fun read and written so youngsters can understand."
Best Children's Ancient Civilization Fiction
#1 New York Times Bestseller A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. A quick moving plot and sassy, believable dialogue make this a compelling and enjoyable mystery, with just the right amount of romance and magic. Intimacy is dealt with in a straightforward way, without graphic details, and a subtle message of strength is portrayed through the brave independence of the protagonist. VERDICT This well-written mystery will be a surefire hit with teens.—Sunnie Lovelace, Wallingford Public Library, CT Praise for "The Wrath and the Dawn" #4 on the Summer 2015 Kids' Indie Next ListAn Amazon Best Book of the Year for 2015 Young AdultA New York Public Library Best Book for Teens for 2015 A "Seventeen Magazine "Best Book of 2015A YALSA 2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick "Renee Ahdieh's lush debut novel, "The Wrath and the Dawn," is a suspenseful and beautiful reimagining of "The Arabian Nights," with an edge. Lushly imagined and powerfully characterized, it s a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance. Set against a backdrop of political intrigue and a simmering revolution, this is a carefully constructed narrative of uncertain loyalties, searing romance, and subtle magic in a harsh desert city. Don t be surprised if the pages melt away and you find yourself racing through warm, golden sands or drinking spiced wine in cool marble courtyards. You will want to hear, taste, and touch everything.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As far as Khalid, he's on par with Christian Grey in the fact that he's supposed to be smoking hot but is about as attractive on the inside as a molding onion. For the first 3/4 of the book, his bland personality simply bored me, but by the last fourth I was screaming at him every time I turned a page. Every single person that dies or gets hurt is a result of Khalid's selfish nature and self loathing, and he doesn't even care enough to even attempt to make himself likable in any sort of way, just goes around the palace with a woe-is-me attitude even though everyone else is suffering way more because of his actions. I don't get what the big craze is these days about "tortured, haunted" leading males in fiction who hurt women because they're "damaged." For me, it's really unattractive to see a guy waltzing around hurting people because somebody did him wrong in the past, and a woman chasing after him trying to tame the monster. The most we know about her is that she can shoot a bow, she's angry all the time, and that she's trying to kill the guy who murdered her best friend, which she epically fails at for no reason because...I don't know...he's hot? There are so, SO many romantic and beautifully detailed scenes that would've stolen my breath away IF I could stop wishing the people I was reading about would just die already, and that's what really makes me upset."
"I knew from reading reviews that the storytelling would be beautiful and that the romance was written in an admirably eloquent style and at times just plain swoon-worthy (of course that’s where the conflict comes in with the plot and its questions on whether Khalid is actually a monster or not). Khalid was an interesting male lead with some great lines but he still feels like a mysterious shell (hmmm)."
"I think I am falling in line with the general reader pack when I say that I wish their first night had gotten deeper emotional treatment, more of the why behind Khalid's fascination was exposed ( you can't convince me his interest was piqued solely by Shazi's hatred-- all his wives must have hated him) , the girl banter with affectionate insults is really the best part, and the action and romance don't really take off until about halfway through the book."
"The setting is wonderful, so rich in details, in sights, in smells, in sounds and textures, that you feel immersed in the "Arabian Nights" world from the first to the last page."
Best Children's Renaissance Fiction Books
This beautiful new edition of Tomie dePaola’s 1978 classic retelling of a French legend stars a little juggler whose unique talent leads him to what might be a Christmas miracle. A Newbery Honor winner, he has written and illustrated a number of books for Simon & Schuster, including Caldecott Honor book Strega Nona , as well as Oliver Button Is a Sissy , Charlie Needs a Cloak , Michael Bird-Boy , and Andy, That’s My Name . A Newbery Honor winner, he has written and illustrated a number of books for Simon & Schuster, including Caldecott Honor book Strega Nona , as well as Oliver Button Is a Sissy , Charlie Needs a Cloak , Michael Bird-Boy , and Andy, That’s My Name .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"She caught on to the concept that Giovanni was aging throughout the book, and had a lot of fun spotting him in each picture and saying, "There's Giovanni!" "She's not mad, she's just *stern* because Olivia wants to read five bedtime stories and her mommy just wants to read one.")."
"I read it to my children when they were little, but will NOT ever part with my copy!"
"I loved this story when we checked it out of the library."
"Granddaughter loved it."
"I was at a book fair in Chicago many years ago and Tomie dePaola was signing a book."
"My children love this book."
"I got this to read to my kids for studies about Italy, but it was so much more."
"My favorite book to read to the kids."
Best Children's Holocaust Fiction Books
The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that is now a major motion picture, Markus Zusak's unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul. Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands. Across the ensuing years of the late 1930s and into the 1940s, Liesel collects more stolen books as well as a peculiar set of friends: the boy Rudy, the Jewish refugee Max, the mayors reclusive wife (who has a whole library from which she allows Liesel to steal), and especially her foster parents. –Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is by no means a piece of high literature, which one might associate with writers like Proust, D.H Lawrence, Conrad, or Dickens, but it is just as compelling and its creative force and greatness lies in an unbelievable cast of characters, an amazing story, and an honesty that rings out loudly and clearly. I shed many tears while reading this book, and laughed many times, and the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced were well earned by the masterful storytelling and writing by its author."
"He's not the usual scythe and darkness death we have seen before but a death who is just doing his job and trying not to get too distracted by the strange lives of the living he passes by. However words become so much more to our young heroine: a bridge connecting her to her foster Papa, Hans Hubermann; a way to escape the horrors happening around her, both figuratively and literally; a way to emotionally relate and communicate to the young Jewish man the Hubermanns hide in their basement. How else might a young German girl, a member of the local Hitler Young group, deal with the unwarranted hatred she sees being thrown at Jewish people like the young man in their basement she has come to love like family? Another unforgettable character is Papa, a man who seems to have unlimited amounts of kindness and another character who refuses to let the propaganda of the Fuhrer dement what he knows to be the right way to be."
"The Book Thief by Markus Zusak follows the life of a girl named Liesel Meminger in Germany during World War II. The majority of the story encompasses Liesel’s journey in Molching with her foster parents, the Hubermanns, where she learns to read, builds connections, steals books (as implied by the title), and lives through the struggles of war. Liesel’s best friend was “permanently hungry.” Liesel and her foster parents also hide a Jewish man named Max in their basement for a share of the story. Zusak brings a more human lense to the people in Germany, and demonstrates that they struggled in the war."
Best Children's Prehistoric Books
In this Newbery Medal-winning novel, Daniel bar Jamin is fired by only one passion: to avenge his father's death by crucifixion by driving the Roman legions from his land of Israel. "A dramatic, deeply felt narrative whose characters and message will long be remembered."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you like this book I encourage you to read other books by this timeless author."
"I enjoyed the beginning like most Speare books and this one actually kept me hooked."
"My daughter was assigned this book at school."
"Great book that I used for a school project."
"My son does not like to read but he is really enjoying this book."
"The story is involved and intricate with enough action and adventure to capture my 9 year old son but also enough romance to intrigue my 12 year old daughter."
"Although fiction this book was a powerful tale of redemption and faith."
"I have this book four stars because it was a faith book and it is good for anyone to read."