The Magicians Nephew

I love, love, love The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I have read them all before, but had the opportunity for our Book Group to re-read The Magicians Nephew as I was reading it to the kids. I know some people don't like this book that much, but this is one of my favorite books in the series. It's not my favorite because the storyline is so riveting, but first of all because the writing is like pure poetry in it's perfection and because of the analogy to The Creation and all the elements therein. I have never read this book when I haven't read the Creation account in Genesis alongside it. I just can't get over how beautifully C. S. Lewis synchronizes literature with faith and spirituality. This is truly a classic for all ages and one that I personally could read over and over again.

Walk Two Moons

by Sharon Creech
While preparing to take our 3-week long road trip across the United States, I stumbled upon this book that talked about a girl who tells her story as she is traveling across the United States. I was excited to find that in the story she travels from the Chicago area to Idaho, exactly the way we were planning to go. I really enjoyed reading about her travels as we were making the same trip. I tried to stay a step ahead in my reading and I actually found that as we arrived in places like The Badlands (see picture of me and Clarissa above), that I already knew some of the touristy information from the book or was able to tell the kids a story from the book about the place we were visiting. Although this book was a tear-jerker, I really enjoyed it. Oh, who am I kidding, I love books that make me cry. I love the idea of this girl sharing her stories and experiences with her grandparents. This is a children's book, but again, I wouldn't read it to my younger children, I would wait until around Jr. High before letting them read it as it does have some dramatic events that take place.

The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett
I picked up this book for free at a children's museum that had a literature promotion going on. This is a 1930s detective novel that is so typical of the 30s crime scene that I'm pretty sure every detective movie and book must be based off of this one. Although detective novels are not my typical genre and as a result I may not be qualified to judge this, I think it was a very good book. All the details were described so well, that I felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading a book. There is, as a side note, a movie that was made in 1931, but I haven't seen it yet.

Jacob Have I Loved

This book was written by Katherine Paterson, the same author as other children's books like, The Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins. I remember my friend reading this book when we were kids and I had no interest in such books at the time. I was too busy reading Choose Your Own Adventure books, or Elvis by Priscilla Presley. As I write this review, it is several months after reading the book and I honestly can't remember much about it. It doesn't happen very often that I forget the main points of a book I've read. I usually read most of the book about three times before I'm done with it. Having said that, I remember it being about a girl who was more interested in crabbing and the sea than in the arts and beauty like her twin sister. I do think it was a good book, but apparently, not life-changing. This book is suggested for children ages 9-12. Although I don't think that it would be inappropriate for younger children, I think that it is more suited toward the Jr. High, High School level readers.

Keturah and Lord Death

by Martine Leavitt
So, I really went out of my box in reading this book. This is not classic, it's not classroom literature, and it's not historical. It is mystical, romantic, "spell-binding," and a really good story. This was one of my summer reads, when I typically stray from anything educational and just focus on fun. I would have never found this book on my own; it was recommended by a friend. The book is Young Adult, rated for 7th grade and up. There isn't anything inappropriate in it for younger kids, but the heroine is 16 and is looking for her one true love. For a contemporary read that is a little dark, but really interesting, I would definitely recommend this book.

Lois Lowry Pack

I love cheap books, so I never pass up a Scholastic deal. I especially love their packs where they lump several books together either of similar topics or by the same author. One of my Scholastic purchases was the Lois Lowry pack. The two books I received written by Lois Lowry were The Giver and Number the Stars.

The Giver is one of those books that you like while you're reading it and then finish and you're not sure you liked it. It is about a Utopian, futuristic society. It was written well and really makes you think about the government and control, freedom and responsibility, but there are definitely some mature elements and themes to deal with emotionally. While I was reading it, I found myself talking to Chris about it and even had disturbing dreams about it. As Jared would hear me talking about it, he kept asking about it and if it was something he should read. I had to respond that I didn't think he should read it yet. It is not a children's book. It is a Young Adult book and should be reserved for when they are mature enough to understand the complexities of the ideas presented.

It is hard to believe that Number the Stars was written by the same author. It is so different. This book is about a family during World War II who help a Jewish girl escape. It was really good and although there were some tense moments, I would definitely read this to my children, as well as recommend it for adults.

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.