I love, love, love this book! As a staunch environmentalist, I have
always been on the side of preserving old growth and maintaining our forests. This story showed an alternate side of things—how families live off the profits
from lumber and rely on it to eke out a livelihood.
Set in Humboldt County
amongst the Redwoods and wild surf, this book mastered character development
and had me seriously invested in the lives of the main characters. I appreciated the author’s research into the subject and enjoyed having my views
tested. This book is highly recommended!
*'Probably the best novel I'll read this year. It's about work and love and characters who ring true. By the time I was 50 pages in I couldn't put it down. Can't stop thinking about it' Stephen King*
For generations, Rich Gundersen's family has made a living felling giant redwoods on California's rugged coast. It's treacherous work, and though his son, Chub, wants nothing more than to step into his father's boots, Rich longs for a bigger future for him.
Colleen just wants a brother or sister for Chub, but she's losing hope. There is so much that she and…
This novel was so packed with raw emotion it was overwhelming at times.
There were many layers and themes, including gender, racism, and poverty.
I felt a personal connection to the two main characters, drawn in by
their loneliness and the undefined and often unrecognized strength they both
possessed. The plot was gripping in its intensity, and I found myself cheering
for the two girls as they navigated the incredible obstacles in their way.
I
usually read for a few minutes before bed, but this book had me staying up
late, unwilling (and unable) to put it down. The ending achieved what so many
don’t. A clear resolution and a satisfying conclusion to the storm of events we
had weathered together.
THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER! "Remarkable debut.... [a] nearly flawless tale of loss, perseverance and redemption."-Publishers Weekly, STARRED review Set in 1920s Mississippi, this debut Southern novel weaves a beautiful and harrowing story of two teenage girls cast in an unlikely partnership through murder-perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing and If the Creek Don't Rise. Ada promised herself she would never go back to the Trace, to her hard life on the swamp and her harsh father. But now, after running away to Baton Rouge and briefly knowing a different kind of life, she finds herself with nowhere to…
Despite
the fact that this book was fairly predictable in its plot, I loved the way the
main character ends up digging into her past to discover who she truly is. She
finds forgiveness and love along the way, which, while trite, also resonates on
many levels.
Life is so packed with big and little hurts that eventually, a
person can get too weighed down, hauling them all around. Learning to understand
people’s actions and show empathy is a lesson we can all benefit from.
A novel of secrets, memory, family, and forgiveness by the bestselling author of When Never Comes.
Lizzy Moon never wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family's strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm's withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.
The inspiring story of a Puritan woman whose passion for writing poetry broke barriers.
Late at night, with her children tucked into bed and her husband away on business, Anne Dudley Bradstreet composed poems by candlelight. She let her thoughts from the day tumble out, memorizing each poem line by line before daring to shape the words onto scraps of scarce parchment. Puritan women in the 1600s weren't allowed to be writers. But when the world learned about Anne's poetry, even she was astonished by what happened next.
This charmingly illustrated picture book tells the inspiring story of how a Puritan woman overcame the obstacles facing women of her era to become one of the most famous poets in history. A gifted writer of deep faith, Anne Bradstreet blazed a trail for the rights of women to study, write, and achieve.
Based
on realistic ideas with just a touch of the zany, imaginary world kids
live in, this series is so good.
The simplistic stick figure drawings, the
goofy ideas Greg has, and the alarmingly amazing antics of his
not-featured-enough 4-year-old brother, Manny, have us giggling together
each night before bed.
This
picture book not only packed an important message about acceptance and
friendship, it managed to make us laugh, too!
When a boy adopts a cat,
everyone thinks the cat is too negative. But the boy discovers that the
cat loves books, which helps him get over his discomfort in reading.
My
own son struggles with not wanting to read for homework, but he enjoyed
this story and its humorous message.
Two-time Caldecott winner Sophie Blackall spins a winning tale about Max, a feline whose behavior doesn't win any raves, except from the boy who believes in him and finds a way to turn a negative into a positive.
When a boy is FINALLY allowed to get a cat, he has no doubts about which one to bring home from the shelter. But Max the cat isn't quite what the family expected. He shuns the toy mouse, couldn't care less about the hand-knitted sweater, and spends most of his time facing the wall. One by one, the family gives up on…
This series is so good for teaching kids about
real, historical events. I love the way the author takes real catastrophes
and places a fictional child as the main character.
My son loved it
because it’s edgy, just dangerous enough to give him a little thrill
without giving him nightmares! My son also enjoyed learning about these
events and would often repeat facts about them later, proud that he had
learned so much. I highly recommend this series.
An exciting graphic novel adventure, combining historical fact with high-action storytelling.
Ten-year-old George Calder can't believe his luck - he and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George's life changes forever...
Vivid full-colour art Includes a non-fiction section at the back of the book Plus facts and photos about the real-life events
