Nielsen does an excellent job of helping us to understand why so few tried to escape East Germany – because of the danger, because of retribution to the loved ones who stayed behind, and because of uncertainty that the West was really any better. But the realities of life inside the wall are chilling.
Author: Sara Masarik
Curators of things Good, True, and Beautiful
Words on Fire
The story is based on true events that did depend on the work of the old and the young working in tandem to preserve Lithuanian culture through underground schools and book smuggling. The adults in this book are courageous and of excellent character, but they are also wise enough to see the bigger picture and to be fearful that the teens will martyr themselves unnecessarily.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Their friendship causes scandal and an awakening throughout the town. But, it ends in so much tragedy. This story is not hard, until it is. And once it is, it never gets much better. And it is all the worse because it is true. But, it is told well and is an excellent story to have in our hearts.
The Time Cat
This charming and imaginative story brings history to life. Gareth uses his first life to bring Jason to ancient Egypt and the city of Bubastes where cats are worshipped as gods. While there, they encounter some trouble, Jason learns a little something, and then they move along to the next life.
The Iron Ring
Alexander’s writing style is unique and really fun. He writes about so many different kinds of things with ease and grace. When describing this one to my family, I kept saying: “If Tonke Dragt and Rudyard Kipling wanted to write a hero’s tale inspired by The Lord of the Rings, I think that this is what we would get.”
The Labors of Hercules Beal
So, when I discovered that Gary D. Schmidt had written another modern book featuring the grown-up versions of Danny Hupfer and Mai Thi, I was curious and eager to give it a try. My kids have asked me which of his is my favorite. It might be this one. This one was a delight to read, and an invitation to sob all at the same time. I laughed, and I cried, and I enjoyed every bit of it. This book is hard, but not like Okay For Now. This book is creative. And, it is brilliant. There. I said it. I think that Gary D. Schmidt is brilliant. (And, I am not lying.)
A Little More Beautiful
This spring, I received the gorgeous new picture book, A Little More Beautiful by Sarah Mackenzie and illustrated by Breezy Brookshire. I was enchanted. I made a video celebrating it and intended to do a review for our site immediately. I opened my library at the same time, however, and this beauty was instantly checked…
Please Return to the Lands of Luxury
In Please Return to the Lands of Luxury, author Jon Tilton invites middle-grade readers into a modern fairy tale about a girl who embarks on a hero’s journey…
Sara Masarik of Plumfield Living Books Library in Wisconsin
I have always been a collector of books. My whole family is full of readers – my grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, cousins, and siblings. We all read. And read a lot. My grandparents and my parents each had rooms in their homes dubbed “the library” that were packed to the gills with books of all…
Hold My Hand and Run
I confess: when I saw the cover of this book and read the jacket description, I did not think I would like this book. However, I took her word for it and ordered a copy from the UK since I couldn’t find any here. Once it arrived, however, it took me a while to actually want to read it. Whatever I was expecting, I was wrong. And . . . McAllister was right.
The Spear
“He saluted courteously and went on. He heard her weeping softly as she returned to her rooms. The death of the old life was amazingly easy. But birth was slow and painful beyond belief.” – The Spear, Louis de Wohl In The Spear by Louis de Wohl and published by Ignatius Press, Cassius Longinus was…
Happy Birthday, Biblioguides!
One year ago this month, our dear friends at Biblioguides launched their new database and beautiful community. And what a year it has been! Just a few weeks later, we began laying the groundwork for the Plumfield Moms podcast. Sarah Kim and Tanya Arnold were some of our first guests on the podcast and, since…
Jack and Jill
In my childhood bedroom, there was a big white dresser with a massive hutch on top ideally suited to storing books. The dresser was pretty, and the shelves on top were inviting. I distinctly remember gazing at the prettiest book I owned: the Illustrated Junior Library unabridged edition of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. I…
The Reb and the Redcoats
I am always on the lookout for books that would be great as book club books. That special kind of book that will please the target audience while also challenging them. A book that is easy to want to read even if it isn’t always easy to read. A book that is well-written and thought-provoking….
The Red Keep
Years ago, I purchased all of the Allen French books that Bethlehem Books had available: The Red Keep, Rolf and the Viking Bow, and The Lost Baron. I listened to the John Lee audio version of Rolf and the Viking Bow one summer when I was gardening, but for some reason, I never came back…