Book Reviews – Kids

Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen 2014

September 15, 2017

A great story and fun read aloud with plenty of action, humor and bizarre touches a la Carl Hiaasen.  I can recommend this from about 5th grade to adult. It’s a fast paced search through . . . read more »

Teddy & Co. By Cynthia Voigt 2016

September 15, 2017

I  don’t pretend to understand this little book but it is sweet, whimsical and philosophical. It’s tone reminds me of Winnie the Pooh; although modern, it is no less charming. I can recommend it as . . . read more »

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya 2017

September 15, 2017

I enjoyed this sweet coming of age story about a third generation Cuban American family in Miami. There is a lot of Spanish in this book. At first I found it annoying that there wasn’t . . . read more »

Across the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

September 15, 2017

This is an absolutely gorgeous historical fiction about an adopted child trying to find her roots. The roots turn out to be on Penikese Island ; one of the Elizabeth Islands off Cape Cod that . . . read more »

The Christmas Doll by Elvira Woodruff 2000

September 15, 2017

I can enjoy a sweet story with a happy ending but this one would have been too much for even me if it weren’t for the Dickensian elements. The writing is sentimental and predictable with . . . read more »

The Fashion Committee by Susan Juby 2017

August 5, 2017

This book took me by surprise. Extremely talented high school students enter a fashion contest where they compete for a one year scholarship to a selective art school. Its told in alternating chapters by the . . . read more »

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton 2015

July 24, 2017

I am overwhelmed by the beauty of this book. I love the prose, the characters, the setting and the questions posed. In 1969 a seventh grade girl who is half Japanese and half black moves . . . read more »

Brambleheart: A Story about Finding Treasure and the Unexpected Magic of Friendship by Henry Cole 2016

July 13, 2017

This is a charming animal fantasy where the hero is  little chipmunk who has trouble in school. When he makes a fabulous discovery he must rise to meet some very challenging circumstances that reveal his . . . read more »

Lilly and Fin A Mermaid’s Tale by Cornelia Funke 2017

July 8, 2017

This is a very fun short chapter book with colored illustrations. It’s a lively story with plenty of action and entertaining characters. It’s not an Early Reader but accessible to younger readers who can handle chapter . . . read more »

A Season of Daring Greatly by Ellen Emerson White 2017

July 5, 2017

This was a stretch for me because I know nothing about baseball and don’t follow it. I learned a lot! This is full of the jargon and gritty details of a professional ball player’s life; . . . read more »