The other day, Kris said that she was interested in the children's books and mysteries I was reading in addition to Horse. So here are some of them.
In no particular order:
Operation Do Over by Gordon Korman (a middle-grade fiction book)
(Note: I listened to this book, and the narrator was excellent.)
Ty and Mason have been best friends forever. They are 12-year-old, straight-A students and science geeks. Their favorite topic is time travel. All goes well until a new girl, Ava, comes to town, and they both have a crush on her. Their relationship is severed over Ava. I won't give any more away, but the book has a time-travel element to it. As with Korman's other books, the characters are well-thought-out and relatable. The time-travel element adds an extra dimension to the story.
Korman's stories are told with humor and heart. I have not read all of his books (he's written over 100 middle-grade books), but my favorite is The Unteachables, about a classroom of misfits and a teacher who is just biding his time until he can retire.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler (an elementary school fiction book)
The first version of this book was published in 1924. Another version was published in 1942, and that version is still being published today. It's been on several lists for the best children's books of all time.
I first heard the story of the Alden children in second grade. Every day after our noon recess, Mrs. Murry, my teacher, read us a chapter. I loved the book and liked how the 4 orphaned children made a cozy home for themselves in a boxcar. In the end, they go live with their grandfather. I read this recently when I needed a feel-good read with a bit of nostalgia.
Down Cut Shin Creek by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer (a children's nonfiction book)
This book is about the packhorse librarians in Kentucky. I picked it up at the library after reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, an adult fiction book, to learn a little more about them. This book agrees with the descriptions of things I read in the Troublesome Creek book.
Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar (a middle-grade fiction book)
From the publisher: Spanning over 500 years, Pura Belpré Award winner Ruth Behar’s epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life.
This book is fairly typical of many kids' books today that deal with serious subject matter. It was a well-written, good book, and I predict it will be an award-winner.
House Love by Patic Richardson
This is the same person, also known as the Laundry Guy, who wrote Laundry Love. Both books are told in a folksy way, including stories about people from his life who inspired him. Unlike Laundry Love, which is full of all kinds of laundry advice, House Love is more general with fewer specifics. This is one of my nighttime reads when I want a non-emotional book before I go to sleep. I actually asked for a copy of Laundry Love last Christmas after reading a copy from the library because of the wealth of info in it. I am going to be perfectly happy reading House Love and returning it to the library.
I think that's enough for now. I'll add a few more to the list tomorrow (or whenever I get around to it.)
Until next time...
