Monthly Archives: March 2018

March 30, 2018 · 8:01 pm

Columbus: Lies of a New World by Alexander Kennedy

Columbus: Lies of a New World tells the story of Christopher Columbus, both the good and the bad. It is pretty fair in its assessment of both. It’s pretty short and to the point so it reads fast. As far as content, it’s a solid 4. However, it is in very bad need of an editor. Random words that don’t belong are scattered throughout and that is very distracting. The formatting could use some work. The eighth chapter repeats quite a bit of what was said previously. For the content, though, I still recommend reading it.

3 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 37
Pages Read in 2018: 8688
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Filed under History, Reason: Pre-Reading for Cameron

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March 30, 2018 · 1:12 pm

The Second Mrs. Gioconda by EL Konigsburg

Why did Leonardo da Vinci paint the portrait of the plain second wife of a a merchant, the Mona Lisa? The Second Mrs. Gioconda follows the story of Salai, Leonardo’s young servant, through his friendship with another plain woman, the Duchess Beatrice, in order to attempt to answer this question. The book is a quick read and quite interesting. I recommend this book to middle grade age kids who are interested in or studying da Vinci.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 36
Pages Read in 2018: 8511
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Filed under Historical Fiction, Middle Grades, Reason: Pre-Reading for Fritz

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March 29, 2018 · 12:27 pm

Shot in Darkness by Heather Sunseri

Unable to answer Declan’s question, Brooke heads to Washington DC to house and dog sit for Ty and James. When a seemingly random mass shooting looks less than random, Brooke turns her focus on Romeo.

Shot in Darkness, the fourth of the In Darkness series, gives us some answers and also some excellent romance between Brooke and Declan. It’s shorter than the other books and so reads very fast. I highly recommend reading it (but read the others first if you want it to make sense).

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 35
Pages Read in 2018: 8347
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Filed under Reason: I Like the Series, Thriller

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March 28, 2018 · 5:52 pm

Covered in Darkness by Heather Sunseri

When severe thunderstorms knock out the power grid to all of Louisville, Kentucky, Brooke is on the case. Soon, it becomes apparent that the storms had nothing to do with the outage and she is really dealing with dangerous cyberterrorists.

Covered in Darkness, the third book in the In Darkness series, is filled with edge of your seat action that had me shouting in my head at Brooke to stop being so Brooke-ish and putting herself continually in danger. This book drops a few more hints about Declan’s background and what Dimitri really is. I very highly recommend reading this book. The first two books aren’t totally necessary to read first, but this one will make much more sense if you do.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 34
Pages Read in 2018: 8227
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March 24, 2018 · 10:35 am

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski

Twelve-year-old Molly Jemison is kidnapped and given to some women of the Seneca Tribe. She goes from frightened to learning about and embracing the Native ways, though always wanting to find her first family again.

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison is based on a true story. The book reads fast and guides the reader through Molly’s emotions as a captive of the Seneca people. I highly recommend reading it to middle grade age kids.

4 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 33
Pages Read in 2018: 7891
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Filed under Historical Fiction, Middle Grades, Reason: Pre-Reading for Fritz

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March 20, 2018 · 7:16 pm

Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry

Mafatu is terrified of the sea. This disappoints his father, the chief of the Polynesian Island where they live. Mafatu becomes determined to conquer his fear of the sea and sets off in a canoe.

Call It Courage is a pleasant story. It reads fast and teaches a nice lesson on conquering fear. I recommend it to middle grade kids.

4 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 32
Pages Read in 2018: 7567
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March 19, 2018 · 8:07 pm

High Tide in Hawaii by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie travel back in time to old Hawaii where they are supposed to build a ship. In the process, they learn about hula dancing and surfing and tsunamis. High Tide in Hawaii is sprinkled with facts about Hawaii (mostly provided by Jack’s reference book). I highly recommend this and all the Magic Tree House books to kids who have recently learned to read chapter books on their own. They are easy to read and are a little educational, too.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 31
Pages Read in 2018: 7435
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Filed under Children, Reason: Pre-Reading for Adrian

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March 19, 2018 · 5:18 pm

Ancient China by Terry Collins

Ancient China lets you choose your own adventure. There are three story paths with 43 choices and 24 endings. It’s a very fun way to learn a little bit about life in ancient China. I recommend it for elementary aged kids learning about China or interested in history.

4 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 30
Pages Read in 2018: 7347
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Filed under Children, Non-Fiction, Reason: Pre-Reading for Adrian

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March 19, 2018 · 3:47 pm

Ninjas and Samurai by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce

The nonfiction companion to go with Night of the Ninjas, Ninjas and Samurai gives tons of facts to kids who want to know more. It includes chapters on samurai life, weapons, armor and battles, ninja fighting, and what happened to the ninjas and samurai. I highly recommend this book to kids who have read Night of the Ninjas.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 29
Pages Read in 2018: 7235
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March 19, 2018 · 6:14 am

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

When his family could no longer afford to pay his school fees, Malawian teenager, William Kamkwamba, began checking books out from the library in an effort to stay caught up for when he could once again return to school. One of those books helped him figure out how to build a windmill to produce electricity. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is his story. I enjoyed it a whole lot. It’s amazing what a person can do if they set their mind to it. The story is told is a very engaging way and it reads pretty fast. I highly recommend this book to teens and up.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 28
Pages Read in 2018: 7107
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