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The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany on the subway that she had a great life, but she wasn't as happy as she could or should be. This lead her to research what seems like anything ever written or said about...
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Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
This is a short little story about 12 year old Hollis Woods who has been moved around through several foster homes. She has been misunderstood and under-appreciated. She has been told she is trouble...
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Bookshop Talk
Bookshop Talk has humored me again and posted one of my reviews. It's pretty much the same as I posted on here, but check it out if you feel like it. It kind of makes me feel famous!They also posted...
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The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
This was a fun children's mystery. I think it would be great for 4th-6th graders, but maybe even better if read as a class. It definely feels old fashioned. I can imagine really great discussions...
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Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
This is another book that I've seen around a lot and always with positive reviews. When "I am Sam" recommended it on another post, I put it back on my hold list at the library. (I missed it once...
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because of mr. terupt by Rob Buyea
This is a charming story of an inspiring 5th grade teacher. It is told through 7 narrators, all students in the same class. While they are sometimes cheesy, and maybe stereotypical, I thought their...
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This Life is in Your Hands by Melissa Coleman
In 1968 Melissa Coleman's parents purchased property in Maine with the dream to live off the land. They build their home, they planted and cultivated crops, and raised their children in a simple,...
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By Bread Alone by Sarah-Kate Lynch
This book surprised me with it's substance. It took me a while to read the first couple of chapters, and I judged it incorrectly. When I finally dove in, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I...
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Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
I really liked this book! It has kind of a dreamy feel, and very little dialouge. The narration is told in present tense, "all of my life I have longed to be alone in a place like this.....to be in a...
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Sudden Flash Youth: 65 Short-Short Stories
Edited by: Christine Perkins-Hazuka, Tom Hazuka and Mark BudmanI really liked this collection. In college I was introduced to the concept of "short-shorts" and I think they are a fantastic literary...
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small as an elephant by Jennifer Jacobson
I thought this was a well-written story, but I have struggled to review it. I liked the writing style and I think young readers will enjoy all the excitement. Jack is a logical protagonist who tries...
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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
When I started this book, I thought it would be a fluffy teenage romance. Although it's a bit cheesy, I could see that a younger me would have enjoyed the playful banter and the excitement the main...
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mennonite in a little black dress by Rhoda Janzen
The subtitle of this book is "A Memoir of Going Home." Rhoda Janzen is an accomplished, smart, funny woman. This memoir mostly takes place during a sabbatical she takes in her early forties when she...
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Smuggler's Island
I think this is the first book I've read by Avi, but I've always been interested in checking him out because he has recieved so many awards, and turned out so many successful books. My 11-year-old son...
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One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Every Christmas my husband picks out a book for me. I love the tradition, and he often picks books that are perfect for me! I really enjoyed this one, but only recommend it hesitantly.One Thousand...
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The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
I really liked this book! I don't know much about Ernest Hemingway and I knew nothing about Hadley, his first wife.. If you're an expert, you might not enjoy reading this fictional account of their...
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Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple
My sister gave me this book for my birthday, and I LOVED it! I recommend it for sure.The story is told through a series of documents: e-mails, receipts, bills, letters, interspersed between first...
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Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
My 6th grade son read this book for Battle of the Books at school. I was intrigued that he enjoyed a book with not only a girl's name in the title, but a picture of her on the cover! He told me I had...
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The Spellmans Strike Again Lisa Lutz
So I looked through my archives and figured out that it was WAY back in 2009 that I read the first three books in Lisa Lutz's Spellman family series. I really enjoyed them at the time because they...
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The Age of Miracles
This story begins with the announcement that the Earth is turning more slowly. Instead of 24 hours, a day is now 25 and a half hours long, and gaining. So the conflict and setting are definitely...
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Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin
This book came highly recommended to me by my friend Sara. It is really good. It is really sad. I think it would be great to read in a classroom with middle school-ish aged kids because it could...
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The 100-year-old Man who Climbed out the WIndow and Disappeared by Jonas...
This was a fun book to read! I thought the story was hilarious, and it is reminiscent of books like Candide, or The Alchemist in the way that the main character is taking a life-changing journey. BUT...
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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This book is magical! I was drawn in so quickly and read it every chance I got! It kept my attention, and even though the ending let me down a bit, I recommend it.The very first chapter of the story...
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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
This is the kind of book I would like to write. Each short-short is powerful, pretty and just the right length. I love to read slice of life, coming of age type books, and Cisneros creates this kind...
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Ireland by Frank Delaney
I love listening to a good story, and I think telling one is an art. This is one of the ideas that is at the heart of Ireland. A captivating and mysterious travelling storyteller comes to Ronan's...
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