Esperanza Rising

by Pam Munoz Ryan
This book was great. Of course it reminded so much of my childhood, not that my family were migrant workers from Mexico, but that we lived in the San Joaquin Valley where this story takes place. Especially my memories from when we lived in Greenfield, California which actually was a little town on the outskirts of Bakersfield that was surrounded by cotton fields. I remember going to the truck stop on the corner and seeing the workers as they gathered for the days work and loaded into the back of pickup trucks. Every trip to visit my grandparents meant us driving past Arvin and the fields where we could actually see the shantys and the workers bent in the fields and up through the Grapevine. I grew up in a world surrounded by prejudice against the Mexicans and am grateful that many of my friends in school were Mexican and that through knowing them I learned that they were no different than me. I am also grateful that I chose to take three years of Spanish in High School and that through these experiences my love grew for Mexico and the Mexican people.

I know there are several books out there about Migrant Workers, but this one is not just informative, but also really well written. My kids enjoyed the book and I appreciate the chance it gave me to talk to them about my childhood and some of the memories that I still retain. It's funny, but one of the things the kids enjoyed the most is that the chapters were titled with a different food.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Yet another contemporary read that many of my friends recommended was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. This too was remarkable. I was a little wary when I opened the front page to find the entire text was written in the form of letters, but my wariness soon wore off as I began to be entranced in the lives of the characters who were writing the letters. I had no idea what to expect from this book. The last time my friends recommended a book that I had no idea what it was about I ended up reading Twilight. Not wanting to make that mistake again, but still believing that there might be something worthy in the book, I took my chances. Who would've thought that it would actually be a book not about literary societies, not about cooking, and not about romance, but a book about war and love. Notice that I do not consider love and romance to be the same thing. Well, I love reading about war and I tolerate a good love story, especially one filled with realistic characters and this book was just that.

All Quiet on the Western Front

To anyone who reads my blog, it is not news that I do enjoy a good war story. It's not that I enjoy suffering, but more that I want to learn about the causes of such suffering so as to be able to do my best to ensure that such pain and sorrow are not repeated. I know I am not influencial by the world's standards, but I also believe strongly that I am raising at least part of the rising generation that will be our future. I also believe that they should be taught the ugly part of our history so that they will not forget what it would be like to live in the filthy trenches of World War I or to be a slave in a Nazi concentration camp and have all dignity stripped from a person with their clothing. I do not like most video games or computer games that glorify war and make it seem appealing to the younger generation. My recommendation to any youth who enjoys fighting would be to read a book like All Quiet on the Western Front. It is a fictional story, but many WWI veterans have attested to it's accuracy in it's portrayal of trench warfare. It also goes further into the minds of the boys who were thrown into this war than you would expect and in doing so provides a clear picture of the tragedy that befell them. Although this book is generally considered a children's or young adult novel, I would not recommend it for most children until they are around 16 years old, or at least mature enough to handle the graphic details that are included. I would recommend it to all adults and say it is as good to read this book as it is to read Elie Wiesel's book entitled Night.

Peace Like a River

Peace Like a River, written by Leif Enger was a GREAT read! After reading the first paragraph I turned to Chris and in a giddy voice said, "I can already tell I'm going to love this book." It did not dissapoint. I won't say too much about the book because I think everyone should read it and I wouldn't want to spoil the fun for anyone. It is however, in my opinion, the perfect blend of spirituality, action, suspense, love, family values, and just has awesome characters. I don't read many contemporary books, but I'm so glad my friend recommended this one, it was just what I needed.

The Cay

by Theodore Taylor
In 1942, 11-year-old Phillip Enright lives with his parents on the Dutch island of Curaçao, but when the war moves too close for comfort, his mother decides to travel with him back to the safety of Virginia. When their boat is torpedoed, however, Phillip is blinded and finds himself adrift on a life raft with an old black man and a cat. They eventually land on a deserted island. Phillip is suspicious of "the large Negro," but soon grows to trust--and ultimately love--the patient and generous Timothy. I read this book to the kids and although this book says it's intended for grades 5-8, all my kids enjoyed it. It is however, a tear-jerker and I would not have made it through reading aloud if it weren't for my son finishing it for us. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading it's pre/sequel - Timothy of the Cay.

The Story of My Life and Little Lord Fauntleroy

As I continue to teach our daughters about heroic american women, I feel that Helen Keller is one woman whose life we must study and learn about. In preparation for teaching the girls about Helen Keller, I read her biography, The Story of My Life. It was Brilliant. She truly was one of a kind. I love her spirit, it reminds me of Clarissa. Clarissa does not do anything that she does not want to do. My challenge in life is to help her understand why she would want to do the things I am asking of her. I feel like I learned so much about both teaching and parenting by reading Hellen Keller's story of how Anne Sullivan helped her to see the world. I would recommend that all parents and teachers should read about the life of both of these women and their journey together. Although I knew the basic story of how Helen, being both blind and deaf, overcame her trials, I did not realize that she also became an advocate for all underprivledged persons, especially those with handicaps. I was pleased to learn about her efforts in Japan working with children in that country. Krystal actually ended up using the life of Helen Keller as a project for our history group study on the Civil Rights.

Another pleasing thing that came from reading this book is that Helen mentioned several times in the book how much she enjoyed the story of Little Lord Fauntleroy. That got me curious and as I love the Secret Garden is wasn't hard to believe I might enjoy another of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novels. And indeed I did. It was a truly delightful story full of hope and very fairytale like. I will definately recommend this classic to my children to read.

Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates

Our most recent read-aloud was Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge. It was a long read, but a welcome distraction to the dreary weather outside. We all enjoyed the two intertwined story lines, but would have preferred a little less Dutch history. We especially liked the characters of Hans Brinker, Peter Van Mounen, and Jacob Poot. This book is full of heroic values as Hans is faced with many difficult decisions of moral magnitude.