One Christmas Wish by Katherine Rundell illustrated by Emily Sutton*

 Theo, a lonely boy, is left alone on Christmas Eve because his parents are more dedicated to work than home and family. Left with a neglectful baby-sitter, Theo spies a "shooting star" and wishes not to be alone. Suddenly, old ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree come to life and give Theo an incredible Christmas Eve.

Substantial length-(64 pages)

The illustrations look old-fashion. Quite a few two page spreads are included. Beautiful.

*Highly recommend.

Considerations/discuss: parents who love work more than child (but this is resolved by the end), the word a** when referring to donkey at the manger

-Borrowed from the library

Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell

 A teeny book packed with thought-provoking essays about children's books, their history, and their benefits. I do not agree with the author's politics.

-Borrowed via ILL.

A Knot Is Not a Tangle by Daniel Nayeri illustrated by Vesper Stamper

 Readers will learn about the complicated process of creating a rug in this picture book. An Iranian boy and his grandmother make a Persian rug together (from wool prepping to dying to weaving). The subject matter fascinated me. When children are learning about weaving, the Middle East, or Iranian culture, this book would be perfect to share.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Smell of Wet Dog & Other Dog Poems and Drawings by Barry Saltzberg*

 A wide variety of poems about dogs    

Some poems are from the dog's point of view; others are from the human's point of view. Based on his poems, Mr. Saltzberg has observed dogs and their antics very well! Fun poems!

I especially like the last poem! 

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam

 I almost read this book in one day! The plot will keep the reader engaged from the start until the end.

Eighth grader Ajay always gets straight As. His parents expect it. Their high expectations apply to many situations. Their strictness affects his and his sister's ability to maintain friends and to fit in. Ajay's priority at his new school is make the most popular boy, Jacob Underson, like him. Huge problem-Jacob does not like Ajay and finds ways to manipulate him each day. In desperation, Ajay agrees to steal a candy bar at the convenience store across from the school. This one act of dishonesty paves the way to more lies and deceit. How will he stop from lying so he can return to a life of integrity?

Faith is integrated but not Ajay's source of strength. The family is Catholic and attends Mass each Sunday. Ajay confesses to a priest about his sins. Families not from a Catholic background may want to discuss this belief system.

Discuss: lying, stealing, bullies, Catholicism, immigrants, heart attack, Ajay likes a girl, Mindy, and expresses his interest in different ways-they develop a good friendship

Readers who like characters who are flawed and realistic will appreciate this story.

-Borrowed from the library.

Impossible Creatures Book Two: The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie*

 To his delight, Christopher Forrester is summoned back to Glimouria Archipelago. Dragons are dying. He is needed to determine the cause.

Anya Arden, the princess of Dousha, is devastated when her grandfather dies. When her father is accused of murdering him, Anya begins to investigate. Soon she is banished from the castle.

She and Christopher join forces to decipher how to prevent the evil and the hatred seeping into the archipelago. Unusual creatures assist them ( The Guardian's Bestiary in the book is very helpful!).

An exciting fantasy book-the chapters are short. A reader could devour this book in one sitting! I like how Anya deals with her hatred and her desire for revenge (she realizes how detrimental they are)

*Highly recommend for 5th grade and older.

Considerations: feelings of hatred and desires to avenge, violence-some descriptive, the girl has center-stage for being fierce; the boy is more the supportive role, a man and woman share a kiss (very sweet)

-Borrowed from the library.

Orphan Train text set

 This past week my son's history textbook dedicated a portion of the chapter to the orphan trains, which started in 1853 and ended in 1929. Intrigued by this bit of history, I requested a few books about it. I borrowed all of the books from the library and also highly recommend them.

1. Orphan Train by Verla Kay illustrated by Ken Stark-picture book-rhyming text, expressive illustrations that add to the text  Younger readers can experience what life was like for an orphan child in the streets and then sent on a train to be matched with a family.  2nd-6th grade

2. Orphan Trains-Taking the Rails to a New Life by Rebecca Langston-George-Seven children who were orphans are featured in this nonfiction chapter book. Readers learn about their lives before being matched with a family and then what the family was like. I especially liked how the author provides information about them as adults. For grades 3-8th

3. Orphan Rider-One Boy's True Story by Andrea Warren-Featuring Lee Nailing, this book alternates chapters with basic information about the orphan train operation with Lee's progress-from being abandoned by his father to finding a home to being reunited with some of his brothers. For grades 2nd-8th.