History contains so many layers of stories!
During the Revolutionary War, George Washington created strategies to combat two enemies-the British and the small pox outbreak. This picture book focuses on Washington's deliberations about inoculating the troops.
I loved the illustrations and creative layouts.
Pair with Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson (middle grade novel).
**Highly, highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Ms. Fleming's father served as a litter-bearer during WW II on the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.With reluctance, he divulged bits of information to Ms. Fleming about his time in service. He died when she was fourteen-years-old. Decades later she pieces together his tidbits with research to share this narrative about WW II that was fought on American soil.
I liked how she incorporated views from the Japanese who were fighting against the Americans on these islands. Although this account is nonfiction, it is very engaging and reads like a narrative. I cannot comprehend how these men endured--the fog, the cold, the isolation. Read to find out why the public did not even know about these battles!
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Carlos lives in Guatemala during the 1980s where the government army is attacking villages to prevent them from joining the rebels/guerillas. As the army creeps closer to his village, he believes he is old enough to defend his mother and village. His mother, however, tells him to hide in the jungle. He is obedient. He climbs a tree and clings there all night. The next morning he hears the rebels traversing the jungle. When he approaches them, he discovers that his village has been wiped out by the army. Guilt weighs his soul. Then a chance to redeem himself arises.
A novel in verse
I read this book in one sitting. I did not learn much about the actual civil war in Guatemala but more about how the country people must felt enduring this turmoil. I loved the variety of poems Ms. Brown incorporated.
-Borrowed via ILL
Elsbeth Culpepper and her father move to Boston from Philadelphia after her mother and siblings die from the smallpox. Mr. Culpepper is employed as a sailmaker. Elsbeth is a kitchen maid in a separate location. She longs to apprentice as a seamstress. When her employer,a Loyalist, flees Boston, Elsbeth finds new employment, where the head kitchen maid is cruel and nasty. With the backdrop of the Revolutionary War, readers experience this era and the smallpox inoculation first hand through Elsbeth's first-person account.
I enjoyed this riveting tale. Ms. Anderson researches extensively and knows how to develop credible characters and how to immerse the reader into the historical event.
Warning: Elsbeth is a liar. Lying is her natural defense and solution. Her lies eventually get her into trouble. I still liked her as a character-her compassion, her perseverance, her cleverness are all admirable.
-Borrowed from the library.
Honor Flight Network sponsors veterans with a day in Washington, DC. Their goal is to honor veterans and to ensure them that they will not be forgotten. Readers join a veteran and his escort and experience this special honor.
Both author & illustrator were privileged guardians/escorts, so they are writing and illustrating as an eyewitnesses.
The notes provide a plethora of information.
A perfect book to read & share on Memorial Day or Veterans Day.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Babak, age 13, and his sister Sana, age 8, are orphans. When the British and the Soviets invade Iran, the British mistake their father and a group of goatherd as resistant fighters. They shoot at them, causing a rocky ledge to fall, killing them.
For a year the siblings live apart (in the same town) with Babak saving his money in a hole in a wall. After the money is stolen by his caretakers, he and his sister leave, hoping to join the nomadic tribe. Babak tries to convince them he can continue his father's former job teaching their children to read. The tribe's leader, Mr. Hussein, is not impressed with Babak. On their despondent trip back to their home town, they encounter a German spy and a Jewish boy on the run. These two individuals add excitement to the plot, which lasts until the last chapter!
I had not realized that WWII had trickled into Iran. So many books have been written about WWII so reading one about a little known topic (at least to me) was intriguing.
The chapters are short. The plot is well-paced. The characters are likable. I especially like how the first chapter (the main reason for his father's death) foreshadows the plot in the last chapter with opposite results!
God is mentioned often. But is it God or Allah? Probably Allah since Iran is mostly Muslim.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
My friend, a former librarian and an avid reader, recommended this book and its sequel. I am so glad she did!
The Lechow family struggles to survive in post-war Germany. Mother and her four children live in two rooms with a reluctant host. Overtime the two oldest children find employment which creates a more hopeful situation for the family.
Each of the children have unique and endearing personalities. Readers will be exposed to a point of view not often depicted in historical fiction books-the devastation in Germany and the hardships the German people experienced as they tried to rebuild their lives.
The author lived in Germany during this exact time period. Some of the events in the book are based on her experiences.
*Highly recommend (its sequel, Rowan Farm).
Discuss w/ more sensitive readers: Before the story begins, Margret's twin brother was shot (and their dog, a Great Dane). Margret relates the incident to the reader. Although his death affects her tremendously, it is not a focal point of the story.
-I own this book.
I bought Music Study with the Masters by Sonya Shafer (Simply Charlotte Mason) to support my son's study of Beethoven. The booklet included a list of books for "further study". This book was on the list.
Ms. Foster connects many influential individuals during this time period and through narrative, points out how they impacted the world and interacted with each other. Children who love relationships and finding connections will appreciate this method of relating history. I recommend reading it in one sitting or over a couple of consecutive days. I read a half of it and then resumed reading it a couple of weeks later. As a result, I had forgotten some of the connections.
People whose stories are told: Richard Trevithick, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Toussaint L'ouverture, Robert Fulton, Lewis & Clark, James Madison, George Stephenson
*Highly recommend.
-I own this book.
When reading an introduction in my geometry teaching manual, I read about a mystery series by A.E.W. Mason. Knowing that the series would appeal to my fifteen-year-old, I proceeded to search for it in my library system. They did not own the mystery series but had this title available to borrow. The storyline and the psychological aspects of it would intrigue my son. Both my son and I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. We actually owned the movie based on the novel (but I did not realize it until after my son was reading the novel.). The story compelled him so much that he created a presentation with his thoughts. He presented them to us and the grandparents. We then watched the movie. My oldest son said he would not have understood the movie without his brother's beforehand summary.
Harry, the son of a reknown military hero, withdraws his papers from the military when learns his group will be leaving to fight in the Sudan. Three friends each send him a white feather, denoting cowardice. His finace is standing there with him when he receives the feathers. Upon hearing his decision to withdraw, she plucks a fourth feather from her fan and hands it to him, ending their engagement. Harry then spends years trying to redeem his honor.
The novel starts off a bit slow but gains momentum after the first quarter. A story of honor, friendship, love, and sacrifice
*Highly recommend.
-My son owns this book.
Jakob has been working at Bletchley Park, a code-breaking facility trying decipher the Nazi's Engima cipher. When his sister Lizzie avoids her journey to America, he is forced to share his room with her and have her join the secret group at Bletchley Park. Within minutes she proves her worth and wins over the Colonel.
Two plots will engage the reader-the progression of deciphering at Bletchley Park and Lizzie's attempt (& then Jakob's) of trying to find the truth about their mother's disappearance.
Very engaging and interesting! I loved Lizzie (I usually don't care for female characters). This book is full of humor & hope despite the sobering setting & plot.
**Highly, highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Marta and her mother live in the attic room of Hotel Balzaar. While her mother cleans the rooms during the day, Marta roams the hotel, trying to be quiet as a mouse. She longs for her father, who has been fighting in the war. It has been over a year since they had received a letter from him. Then the countess arrives at the Hotel Balzaar. During her stay she relates stories to Marta. At first the stories seem meaningless and disjointed. As time progresses, Marta begins to understand their connection.
I love how Ms.DiCamillo incorporates light and hope into all of her stories. Although I enjoyed this book, I think I love how Ms. DiCamillo writes the best. Her word choice is powerful.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
PG-13 (intense war "experience" & language)
My sons and I just finished studying WWII in American History. Our history textbook mentioned Dunkirk with a few sentences. I wanted them to understand more deeply how amazing the Dunkirk rescue was.
Viewers will be thrust into the desperation the English and French soldiers felt when the Germans trap them on the beaches of Dunkirk. The enemy attacks them by air. Civilian boats leave the English coast to bring their men home. So inspiring how regular civilians risked their lives as their military men had already done so.
The movie is organized by three separate timelines (& three separate stories)-one week at the beach, one day on the boat, and one hour in the air (RAF). The producer, Christopher Nolan, brings the three time periods together by the end. It was rather confusing. We did not care for this method. My youngest thought it was unnecesary for a teen civilian to die by a stupid accident ( killed accidently by a rescued soldier) on a rescue boat. He said that was one character you could connect to and become attached to, and then he dies! Not much dialogue, which some viewers may not like.
Since it occurs mostly at sea, a lot of drowning scenes were included. I could not watch them.
-Borrowed from the library.
The Heroic Rescue at Dunkirk in World War II
A girl shares how she and her father rescue French and British soldiers in their fishing boat from the beach at Dunkirk. The girl and her father are not based on actual rescuers but represent the courageous ordinary citizens who risked their lives those nine days. The foreword contains insightful words from Christopher Dreyer, who commanded His Majesty's Motor Torpedo Boat 102 during this rescue. The author's note and Winston Churchill speech enhance the fictional account.
Ms. Borden's word choice and sentence composition are beautiful and full of imagery.
I wish more children's books existed about this historical event.
*Highly recommend.
-I own this book.
DVD-starring Daniel Day-Lewis
After my son finished reading the novel, we invited grandparents over to watch the movie.
My husband, my son, and I were prepared to be very sad after watching the movie. We, however, did not connect to the characters and were not affected by their deaths like we thought we would be. The movie plot was centered around the romances between the characters. The characters who died were not the same ones who died in the novel (minus Uncas). The romance was a very minor role in the novel, almost nonexistent to the plot. The movie plot also portrayed Duncan as a cowardly and untrustworthy person. In the novel he was an upstanding man. My son and I both liked the novel more. . significantly more.
The landscape filmed is breath-taking and beautiful. I loved the scenes with Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook running through the forest, up rocks, and through creeks/waterfalls.
Rated R for violence, one passionate kissing scene-you know when it is exactly going to occur & can fasat forward no problem-no inappropriate "skin" is shown (no kissing scenes in the novel), one character commits suicide by jumping off a cliff (this did not happen in the novel)
-Borrowed from the library.
I read this classic so I could interact with my son as he reads it for English this year. Critics have a lot to say about the lack of character development, the awkward dialogue, racism & sexism, and wordiness. Despite becoming distracted at times by the wordiness and older word choice, I thoroughly enjoyed this classic. When reading the classics, one needs to understand what society was like at that time, their worldview, and to appreciate the classic's contribution to literature. In other words, consider its context and seek its value. It was considered the first "Great American Novel", and Cooper was called the first American author.
Readers should be aware that Cooper sometimes calls a character by their first name and then in the next sentence by their title/their role or their last name. I found this confusing sometimes!
After reading this book, I am now reading a collection of essays about birding. My brain needs a break! This read was arduous but worth it!
Considerations: violence, very graphic killing of an infant in chapter 17, death of characters
*Highly recommend.
-I own 2 copies of this book (one for me, one for my son). I would love to find a copy with N.C. Wyeth's paintings in it.
We will be watching the movie when my son finished the novel.
DVD-recommend for ages 13 and older
Abbie Halberstadt recommended this TV series in her book M is for Mama. Our whole family enjoyed it! It was refreshing to watch a show where the main character has honor and integrity even if he would be justified in taking a different route.
Viewers witness Horatio Hornblower rise to high ranks in the British Royal Navy. He encounters despicable men, dire situations, and harrowing challenges. Each episode is packed full of adventure and intense scenes. It is not a relaxing show!
*Highly recommend.
Warning:(why I recommend it for 13 years and older) swearing, intense action/violence (war and fighting), blood/gore from war, some drinking, some cleavage, a woman prisoner gives herself sexually to a guard so he would release her and her fellow prisoners-you see them together-easy to fast forward/have them turn their eyes
-Borrowed from the library.
Jamie has given up on life. After fighting in the war, he returns to the states to find his parents are deceased and contends with a wound that won't heal. He escapes the hospital and ventures out on his own, walking the roads in California. He passes a lovely cottage where an elderly man calls for help. Michael Worthington is the owner of the flower-filled property. As he tries to recover in the hospital, he asks Jamie to live there and care for his gardens and his apiary. Jamie forms friendships with a next door neighbor woman and a fiesty youngster who is Michael's partner, and also meets a mysterious woman on a stormy night. In the process, Jamie begins to heal physically and spiritually.
*Highly recommend for those who like a longer story written in the 1920s. I found the story a bit unrealistic at points, preachy, and old-fashion but still enjoyed it. Also, the word d**n was used a few times throughout the book but seeking God was also a component. I felt the two were incompatible.
Recommended for high school and older/warnings-one character has a baby out of wedlock, d**n a few times, **SPOILER ALERT-the fiesty youngster, Scout, does not reveal her gender until the end. She doesn't like being a girl so she tries to act and dress like a boy (an interesting aspect to include in the 1920s . . .I found it especially interesting because of our current situation with gender identity!)
-Borrowed inter-lib loan
Award-winner- Coretta Scott King Honor Award
Ms. Williams shares Garang's story as he abruptly leaves his home in southern Sudan when the war kills his village and family. Garang reveals the hardships he and the lost boys faced and how faith and their willingness to help each other sustained them.
My thirteen-year-old has been reading books about the Lost Boys and refugees in Africa the last couple of weeks (When Stars Are Scattered & A Long Walk to Water) for literature. He will read this picture book to cement his learning.
Recommended watching: God Grew Tired of Us documentary-depicts several of the "Lost Boys" coming to the U.S.A. and their adjustment. A review will be posted soon.
-Borrowed from the library.
My thirteen-year-old and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing our favorite characters from Avonlea in this Christmas special. Felix is missing in action during the war. As a result, Janet struggles to celebrate the season or even support the military effort. Hetty feels threatened by the new school superintendent. When she hurts her back and requires surgery, she begins to re-evaluate her life and relationships.
I was disappointed that Gus and Jasper were not part of the Christmas cast. This production seemed more dramatic and more serious than the regular seasons.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed via inter-lib loan.
I loved this book! Superbly written and well-developed and well-researched. While trying to find books to enhance our poetry theme for December (Longfellow's poem, "Christmas Bells"), I discovered this novel. After reading it, I feel like I know Longfellow and feel like I have a deeper appreciation for the Christmas song, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day".
Ms. Chiaverini alternates chapters relaying the story plots from two different time periods. Readers join Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in the 1860's and experinece his sorrow over his wife's horrific death, his time of grieving and his anxiety about his son joining the military during the Civil War. His story is told over four years. Chapters in between Longfellow's story focus on one Christmas season in the present with individuals involved with a children's choir and their separate stories. The church and the children's chorus are the characters' commonality.
I was amazed how Ms. Chiaverini weaves together all the stories into a cohesive novel. Another bonus is the entire story is wholesome! I would gladly share this novel with a junior higher or high schooler!
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
