Personal Reading
The Mermaid's Tale
by L. E. Richmond
A retelling, of sorts, of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. I heard about this book through an author interview on the Read Clean YA with CJ podcast.
Library description: Locklyn Adair has never fit in. The legs she inherited as a result of her great-great-grandmother's curse make it impossible for her to belong under the sea. When her niece is also born without a tail, Locklyn is determined to save her from similar rejection by sending her to the only place in the Undersea Realm where legs are acceptable—the Lost Island of Atlantis.
Darin Aalto would do anything to protect his family, even spearheading an impossible quest to find treasure that has been lost for over a hundred years. But when his best friend, Locklyn, joins his crew, his ability to keep her safe—and his shot at winning her heart—comes perilously close to being swept away.
A family curse, lost treasure, unrequited love, and a race against time intertwine as Locklyn and Darin seek to save their family, their kingdom, and eventually the entire Undersea Realm without losing each other.
It was a well-written, fascinating story that kept me turning the page (or listening to the audiobook at every opportunity I could make). It does end on a major cliff-hanger, and the second book is not due out until October. The chapters alternate between Locklyn (in first person) and Darin (in third person). It's all written in present tense, which I find kind of annoying, but the story line compensated for that pet peeve of mine. I kind of wish Darin's chapters had been written in first person to keep it consistent.
Content considerations:
- There is danger and violence that might bother sensitive readers.
- There are allusions to unwanted advances by some male characters on some female characters.
- The main female character is very aware of the physical attractiveness of the main male character.
- There is a lot of relationship drama.
Emma
by Jane Austen
Emma is a leading lady in her small village of Highbury and has been spoiled by her father and governess. No one except their neighbor, Mr. Knightley, has ever seen or told her of her faults (which he does quite regularly). She has lofty ideas of her abilities as a matchmaker and employs them with disastrous results. She is well-intentioned and not malicious, though ill-advised. Though she had pledged never to marry herself and never has designs on any man, she eventually comes to realize that Mr. Knightley is the man she really wants. I was reminded of Proverbs 27:6, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy." Mr. Knightley is exactly this kind of friend to Emma, caring enough to give reproof that wounds, even at the risk of losing the love he hopes for. I listened to the audio version read by Alison Larkin (which is excellent!). I loved this even more than the first time I read it 4 years ago (and I loved it then).
Mr. Knightley's Diary
by Amanda Grange
The story of Emma, told from Mr. Knightley's perspective. I read it in tandem with Emma. I really enjoyed this side of the story and picked up a lot of details that I had missed when reading Emma.
Praying the Bible
by Donald S. Whitney
An excellent guide to how to use the words of Scripture (especially the Psalms) to revitalize your prayer life. We tend to say the same old things about the same old things when we pray, and it can get boring (to us, to those who listen to us, and perhaps to God himself). The author shows how to read through a Psalm (or any passage of Scripture), phrase by phrase and turn it into fresh prayers about whatever is on our hearts. In this way, prayer truly is a "conversation" with God -- he speaks to us through the Scripture, and we speak to him in response to that Scripture. Highly recommend!
Dog of the High Sierras
by Albert Payson Terhune
Unlike most of Terhune's books, this is a full-length novel rather than a collection of short stories. A man is making a living growing grapes in a small valley in the Sierra mountains in California. Some new neighbors appear (a man and his grown daughter) and mysterious things begin to happen, including threats and attacks on all of them. Through all of it, the man falls in love with the girl at first sight. My daughter thought it was "mushy-gushy," and it is -- in a 1920s sort of way. The romance aspect would be considered extremely mild by today's standards. Contrary to what the title would lead you to believe, the dog is not really a prominent part of the story. Even the fight at the end focuses more on the man's fight with his attacker rather than the dog's fight with another attacker. This book was quite different from any other Terhune book I've read, and definitely not my favorite.
You Don't Cry Out Loud: The Lily Isaacs Story
by Lily Isaacs
A memoir by the matriarch of the southern gospel band "The Isaacs," recalling her parents' experiences in concentration camps in Poland during the Holocaust, her own life growing up in hippie culture of New York City, the start of her music career, her turbulent courtship with the man who would become her husband, her conversion to Christianity, her battle with scoliosis and breast cancer, and adjusting to life after divorce after 28 years of marriage. She came to faith in a Pentacostal church and describes some of the legalism involved in that culture, as well as the belief in "prophetic words" from modern day Christians (which she seems to believe in as well, although she's not promoting it in her book).
Newbery Medal Books
Thimble Summer
by Elizabeth Enright
It was a clean book; interesting, but no real unifying plot -- just a bunch of events that happen during one summer in the girl's life. The silver thimble doesn't really play as a big a role in the story as the description makes it sound. It's talked about in the first and last chapter and only briefly mentioned a couple of times in between. The author does a good job with descriptive language and imagery.
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
Young Underground Series Books 5-8
Library Description: In 1939, artist Georgia O'Keeffe creates nearly twenty paintings as she tours the Hawaiian Islands, but she refuses to paint pictures of pineapples the way her sponsors tell her to.
Genre: Historical Fiction. 1939 Newbery Medal winner.
Crispin: At the Edge of the World
Crispin: The End of Time
by Avi
This trilogy follows Crispin, a 13-year-old peasant boy in medieval England, as he is accused of a crime he didn't commit and hunted down by the steward of his area for reasons he can't fathom. He meets friends and allies as well as enemies, hunger, and despair. A riveting saga by a skilled author that kept me fully engaged. It deals with the great discrepancy between the poor and wealthy and the educated and ignorant in the feudal system of Medieval England, as well as the dominance of the superstitions of the Catholic church at the time. The first book won the Newbery Medal in 2003.
Content considerations:
- Somewhat graphic in descriptions of death, battle, and wounds
- The characters pray to and swear by God, Jesus, Mary, and many saints and devils
Children's Fiction
Young Underground Series Books 5-8
Chasing the Wind
A Light in the Castle
Follow the Star
Touch the Sky
by Robert Elmer
I read the first four books in this series in December 2021 and January 2022. The series begins the story of two Danish twins and their Jewish friend as they face dangers in Denmark during German occupation in WWII. Books 5-8 continue the story in the months following the end of the war. I liked the books well enough, but it did seem a bit unrealistic that three kids could be involved in so many adventures -- captive stowaways on a German submarine carrying art treasures stolen by the Nazis, rescuing the King of Denmark from an assassination attempt, negotiating with Russian soldiers occupying a Danish island, and other high-stakes plots. Recommended for ages 10+. Nothing graphic or violent, though there are some tense and dangerous situations.
Read-aloud (for Fun)
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by Elizabeth George Speare
(We listened to the audiobook while traveling on vacation this month) In April 1687, 16-year-old Katherine Tyler (known as Kit) leaves her home in Barbados after her grandfather dies and a 50-year-old man tries to marry her. She relocates to Wethersfield, Connecticut to live with her Aunt Rachel, Uncle Matthew, and her two cousins, Judith and Mercy, in their Puritan community. The community is suspicious of a Quaker woman who lives by herself on the edge of the village, eventually accusing her (and anyone who is friendly to her) of being a witch. This won the 1939 Newbery Medal.
Content Considerations:
• Please note that there are NO actual witches in this story. It’s only the superstitions of the villagers.
• The attitudes and actions of the villagers in accusing people of witchcraft could be disturbing to sensitive readers.
• The attitudes and actions of the villagers in accusing people of witchcraft could be disturbing to sensitive readers.
• It perpetuates the stereotype of Puritans as harsh, superstitious, and legalistic.
• There is a mild, sweet romance.
• There is a mild, sweet romance.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
by Howard Pyle
The original book about Robin Hood and his merry men and their adventures in Sherwood Forest, outsmarting the Sheriff of Nottingham. Overall, a clean, fun book. Being set in England in the Middle Ages, there is a lot of ale drinking, and they are always getting into fights. The epilogue does recount a sad ending to Robin's life. We listened to the audiobook while traveling on vacation and then finished it after we got home.
Read-aloud (Geography)
Georgia in Hawaii
by Amy Novesky
'Ohana Means Family
by Ilima Loomis
Library Description: In this cumulative rhyme in the style of "The House That Jack Built," a family celebrates Hawaii and its culture while serving poi at a luau.
