“He wriggled his arm to see the bracelet, true and clear on his wrist. Somewhere stored in his heart, were all the bright days he had ever known, all the love ever shown to him, all the joy he had ever felt. It was all there, still inside him. And he knew that somewhere in and beyond the beating of his own heart was the Heart that broke with love for Mistmantle, and was beating still, and always would.”
Author: Sara Masarik
Curators of things Good, True, and Beautiful
The Hiding Place
To the reader who does not think they can read one more Holocaust book, I understand. I resisted this one for years. Now I understand. I wish that I had read this at the same time that I had read In My Hands and others – it would have given me a healthier helping of hope. Most of this book is not about the concentration camps. Most of this story is about real people and their real lives before, during, and after the war.
The Remains of the Day
I recommend this novel to the mama who is looking for something subtle and contemplative. Something that works her mind but does not overwork it. I would love to return to this one and with a few friends and be able to discuss it.
The Mystery of Harry Potter
This book articulates the primary objections and concerns that Christian families may have with regard to Harry and responds to them with commentary from other critics, evidence from the text, and good research. I am incredibly grateful for that!
The Penderwicks
For years I have mostly stayed quiet about it because those who love The Penderwicks really love those stories. And there is nothing inherently wrong with the books that I read, so I just didn’t think it mattered what I thought. Years later, however, I heard so many people asking about them, so I thought it prudent to articulate my objections.
In Defense of Beverly Cleary
I am no gatekeeper for what is good, true, or beautiful in children’s literature. But I have read widely and carefully. And, I do think that Cleary offers something very living for our little people. In this article, I wish to explain why I find her stories worthy of shelf space in my library.
Dandelion Fire (2nd Cupboards Book)
In Dandelion Fire, we have the antidote to this poison. In the first book of the Cupboards trilogy, Henry doesn’t know who he belongs to or where he fits. In this middle book, we spend far more time inside the worlds within the cupboards. We meet Henry’s family, we discover new evil, and we spend a lot of time laughing at bureaucratic faeries.
Sergeant Reckless
When the time came for real fighting, Pvt. Reckless proved herself to be incredibly loyal and brave. Despite being hit above the eye and in her left flank with pieces of shrapnel, she made fifty-one trips up to the cannon, going a distance of thirty-five miles up and down steep terrain fully loaded, and carrying nine thousand pounds of ammunition. The impressive little mare helped to change the entire course of the war.
A Break With Charity
Rinaldi’s historical fiction invites the reader into true historical events with front seats to the action. She lets us see what is happening through the eyes of someone who was actually there. In Salem, however, none of the girls in the circle of accusers were sympathetic characters. Instead, Rinaldi scrupulously researched the lives of others in the town and allowed us to look through the eyes of Susanna English.
Straw Into Gold
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and am glad to recommend it as a family read-aloud or to middle-grade readers. It is not as intense as most of his other books of this length, but it is as well written. I would especially recommend this book to those who are teaching writing or to aspiring young authors. This story is a brilliant example of how to take a known story, look at it from a different perspective, follow it down an unknown road, and come out with something new and compelling out of the deal.
Sarah and Me and the Lady by the Sea
In a style reminiscent of Hilda van Stockum or Alta Halverson Seymour, this story celebrates family life and friendship. The Abbotts do make friends on the Peninsula, and they do learn how to take care of themselves. More importantly, they learn important things about themselves and what they are truly capable of. This was a very enjoyable and quick read that would ideally suit our middle-grade readers. Girls of 8-14 might particularly enjoy this one.
Lines of Courage
Nielsen makes us care about each of these characters, and she connects them in ways that were, to me, plausible and interesting. I am the product of the schools of my time, and I was taught next to nothing about WWI. This book gave me a fascinating look into this confusing and tragic war. Like Nielsen’s other books that I have read, this book is squeaky clean, historically interesting, and well-told. I think that this could be a wonderful teen book club because there are a lot of layers to all of this.
Just Like That
ust Like That is hard. Not Okay For Now hard, but hard. It is also lovely. And tearful. And sweet. Typical Gary D. Schmidt, it has several key literary influences that are obvious, but it also reminds me of things that are not mentioned in the text. Diane and I both thought that this one had strong roots in Oliver Twist and maybe a little bit of David Copperfield. I also felt like it reminded me of the Anne of Green Gables books and the Kevin Sullivan mini-series – “Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel,” specifically the Kingsport Ladies College scenes. While this one can absolutely be read as a standalone, it makes sense to have at least read The Wednesday Wars so that you know who Meryl Lee is.
Hattie Big Sky
In 1918, sixteen-year-old Hattie receives a letter from her mother’s brother inviting her to take up his Montana land claim. By his own account, he has lived the life of a scoundrel, and that is why he didn’t ask for her sooner. But, the doctors have told him that he will not live long enough to see his claim proven. He wants Hattie to inherit the claim and all that he has in the hopes that she can finish the work that he has started and earn herself a future free of family charity. Hattie barely blinks before she writes to accept.
Sherry’s Teen Girl Book Picks
I have a lovely patron who is a voracious reader. She has read and re-read so many excellent books. At sixteen, a student in a classical school, and being raised in a faithful Catholic home, she is looking for books that are new to her, exciting, well-written, and morally on point. She reads quickly and…