Book Review Books Children MIDDLE GRADE (Ages 8-12)

“Feathers, Treasures, & Sandy Paws: The Trilogy” by Shirley Lee Baldwin

Feathers, Treasures, & Sandy Paws: The Trilogy is a delightful collection of Baldwin’s three books following eleven-year-old Jack Cooper and his group of loyal friends, both human and furry, as they go on adventures and explore the world around them. This collection includes Empty Pockets, Big Little Secrets, and Time Will Tell, which put our cast of characters into new mysteries with a fairy-tale-type feel. Empty Pockets introduces readers to the group of friends and animals, allowing us to explore Old Town Hansford Landing and really get a feel for the salty air around it while seeing Jack through a few moral quandaries. Big Little Secrets focuses more on a cozy mystery, with a thief stealing a family heirloom, while Time Will Tell takes us through history alongside pirates, with a dash of time travel.

Read More...
Book Review Books Children Cultural/Ethnic/Regional MIDDLE GRADE (Ages 8-12) PETS & ANIMALS (Adults & Children's Books)

“Peter Little Wing and the Bay of Islands” by Regan W.H. Macaulay

In Regan Macaulay’s second installment of the Peter Little Wing series, kiwis Peter and Bess must find their way home after a clerical error results in their release into the New Zealand wilderness. Meanwhile, his friends set out to rescue them. Along their journey, Peter and his companions encounter a wide variety of animals and species, many of whom join them in their adventures. Macaulay combines an action-packed journey with themes of friendship, animal conservation, and preservation of indigenous knowledge.

Read More...
Book Review Books Children General Fiction HISTORICAL FICTION TEENS (Ages 13-16)

“The Nightingale Kept Singing” by Teddi Ahrens

Teddi Ahrens’ The Nightingale Kept Singing is an affecting historical novel about a teenage girl forced into adulthood during the siege of Leningrad. Told through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Nadezhda “Nadia” Petrovskaya, the novel presents war not primarily as a contest between generals and armies, but as a daily struggle to preserve one’s humanity while hunger, cold, violence, and grief strip ordinary life down to its foundations.

The story begins on June 22, 1941, as Nadia and her family travel from Leningrad to the village of Lisy Nos for their annual summer holiday. Their excitement ends when a radio broadcast announces the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Nadia’s father leaves for defense work, while her older brother Dima volunteers for the army. Her mother soon returns to Leningrad to assist with wartime projects, leaving Nadia, her sister Anya, six-year-old Sasha, and Great-Aunt Vera at the family’s rented cottage.

Read More...