Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

from goodreads

5 stars

There are some books that quite frankly I am embarrassed I haven't read yet. Many are books from my tween years that never seemed to have made it onto my stacks. Number the Stars is one of those books. I can't believe it has taken me over two decades to finally read it. I love The Giver and have read the rest of the books in that series, but for some reason I never made this one a priority.

When I made my books-I-want-to-read list for the year I made sure I put it on. I was not about to go through another year without reading it. What books do you have on your list that is like this. Are there any other books that you feel guilty or embarrassed about not reading yet?

Synopsis

Annemarie lives in Denmark. When her best friend's family need to hide she and her family need to be brave to help save them from the Nazis.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. It is a quick yet powerful read.

This is a great book to use as an introduction to the Holocaust and WWII. Much of the writings about WWII are either about France or Russia or Poland and the occupations that happened there. It always intrigues me and makes me want to do more research when I read a book that is set in a different/less popular occupied country such as Denmark. It is interesting to learn about how each of the occupied countries had different ways in which they dealt with the occupation. None of them are better or worse just different. Each country seemed to be dealt different cards and had to figure out what to do with them.

While it doesn't go in depth you still feel the stress of the situation, the confusion of the situation and the hope that things will get better and work out.

If you haven't read this in a while or haven't read it yet I encourage you to do so. It is always good to reflect. This book would be good for kids 10 and up.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

from goodreads

4 stars

So I can probably already hear what you are saying. "Hey where the heck are the picture books?" I promise next week I will be back with the picture books. But this book did have pictures throughout and it is a great one to read out loud, so to be fair, this is kind of like a picture book.

At the tail end of summer it was reading crazy here. I got through so many books. I want to post about the books I read before they get too far away from my memory. I do write down some of my thoughts but when I go to write my posts the book I write my thoughts in always seems to be missing. Seriously, I have elves in my house.

So next Tuesday I promise I will get back to the picture books.

Synopsis

Since his birth there has been something odd about Despereaux. When he falls in love with a human princess named Pea, the rest of the mice feel they must deal with him. It is truly a tale of love, kindness and being accepting of others.

My Thoughts

This has been on my list for quite awhile and I am so glad that I picked it up. It was on the feature wall in our library and I thought, why not. I will be reading this to my girls when they get a little older.

I loved the fantastical world that DiCamillo created. It's like it could be real life but there were some silly parts that made it seem other worldly. Such as, humans not thinking it strange that mice and rats could talk and that they knew the animals could understand them when they talked to them.

I loved the whole conflict of trying to be the same as everyone else, but then staying true to who you are. Despereaux, loves to read the books instead of nibble them. He loves staring at the light through the window instead of quickly running into the mouse hole. He finds love in unlikely places. All this causes conflict with the other mice, as they don't know how to deal with his oddities. This is a great story to introduce the concept of acceptance of those who do and see things differently.

The same for the rat Roscuro. He lives in the dungeon. As a rat he is not supposed to like light, and is always supposed to be mean to those who are thrown into the dungeon. Well one day he sees light, and it changes him.

It was interesting to see how being different affected Despereaux and Roscuro differently.

This book also demonstrates human cruelty in away that doesn't hide it but presents it in a kid friendly way. The character Miggery Sow makes me want to scoop her in my arms and love her.

I love how the author uses big words, stops the story and then either asks you to go look it up in the dictionary or explains it herself. Very cool. It's learning but in a fun and inviting way.

This was a fun book, a light book, a book that will make kids and adults think. This would be a great book to read out loud together. I think if you read it out loud it would be good for ages eight and up. If you were going to have your child read it by themselves I would suggest ages ten and up.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

from goodreads

5 stars

There are some books that are meant to be read at certain points of your life. There are books I read as a preteen and real teen, that meant a lot to me at that time period. If I tried to read them now they would not have the same impact. But there are other books that I read as a teen that still give me insight and help shape the world around me. They still help me decide what I should value in the world, and what I should change. The help me be me.

The Giver is one of these books. Every time I read it I fall in love with it again and I am able to re-evaluate what I find important and what I do not. What I want the world to become and what I fear.

I am bit leery about seeing the movie. This book is so near and dear to me I am worried what Hollywood is going to do to it. Will I be sitting there saying "that's not how it was in the book, why did they do it like that?" Or will it give me an even deeper understanding to the world that Lowry created and thus a deeper understanding into our own world? We'll have wait and see.

Do you have a book like this? A book that no matter which time in your life you read it it still gives you joy and fulfillment?

***Spoiler Alert***
I am going to do my best at not giving any spoilers. But I know this book inside and out and may inadvertently give too much information. So there might not be any spoilers, but then there may not be. So read at own risk. :)

Synopsis

Jonas is entering an important stage in his life. He is twelve and at that age he gets placed in the career that he will work in for his life. He is excited and nervous all at the same time. But, when his name is skipped over at the ceremony, the whole community is a titter. Then he meets, the "Giver".

My Thoughts

I love this book. To me this is the ultimate dystopian. I can still remember the first time I read this book. I was twelve, my mom handed it to me before a road trip. And I was sitting in the front of our Plymouth Sundance totally in awe.

I love the world Lowry creates. I love how she slowly gives you tidbits about the community. I started picturing it one way and then she gives us another clue and it totally changes how I picture things. This makes it exciting and also gives the choices the community has made greater impact. For example, I pictured the streets with a bit of a slant or hill, especially when going towards the river, but then I read that there were no hills or real contrasts in elevation. Mind blowing.

I love how this book teaches the importance of love and bonding with friends and family. It teaches how important our emotions are, especially those of love. It also teaches the importance of facing hurt, disappointment and heart ache, with bravery and patience as this helps us with our empathy and understanding of others.

There is one scene that disturbs me more as a mother than it did when I first read it. It is the one with the baby twins. Some might say this scene shouldn't be in the book. But I think it opens the door for important discussion. A discussion that teens need to have so they can decide where their moral compass lies.

I would love to have more answers to some of my questions about this community. Such as, how many other communities are like this? How are they able to control the weather? How did this get formed? Why are they so technologically advanced when some of the other books in the series seem not as advanced? And so on. But without these questions answered it is still a satisfying read.

It is a simple tale, and it doesn't go as in depth as some adult readers might want it too but, as a older kids/YA book, it is great. It begins the conversation. This is the first book in The Giver Quartet. I have read all of them. I think The Giver is still my favourite, though I did enjoy the other books as well. They deal with different issues, yet they still allow a conversation to be had. Books that provide the jumping off point for conversations can't be all that bad.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

from goodreads

4 stars

There was a really good post on Reading for Sanity about how we like books differently depending on the time and place we are in our lives. That is so true. There are some books that I loved as a kid but now as an adult I don't find them as great. Or, I could not read them at all as a kid but now I love them. Books, and our enjoyment of them, are so dependent on what is happening in our lives, what our family situation is, what our time situation is, what else we are reading at that moment. I guess that is why you feel you put yourself out there when you recommend a book or rate a book. Not everyone is going to agree with you. We are all in different places. You can't generalize with books. When you recommend books you are showing that person a glimpse into your soul, your inner workings. Books you love speak to you about a certain time and place in your life.

As part of the post there was a great link to an article which gave reading suggestions based on books you liked as kids. It was a fun article, and I now have many more books to add to my list. You can check out that article here.

Synopsis

Meg's father has been missing for a long time. He was a leading scientist working on something top secret for the government and one day just vanished. That has been hard on Meg, who doesn't like the knowing looks and the taunts that are said.

One night during a storm and interesting woman called Mrs. Whatsit comes to the Murray home. That meeting changes everything. Mrs. Whatsit and her friends take Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and new friend Calvin on a rescue mission to get Meg's father back.

My Thoughts

This has been a favourite of mine since I first read it when I was twelve. It is science fiction and fantasy at it's finest. So if you are looking for a book to make complete scientific sense, this book is not for you. But if you are willing to let your mind bend a little and take in possibilities, I think you will enjoy it.

The writing is simple, descriptive, yet sometimes forgettable. I just finished reading this last week, and I remember the gist of it, yet some of the pictures are not as clear in my mind as they are from other books I read longer ago.

What I love the most about this book is the whole exploration of agency, our ability to make choices for ourselves, and with those choices the possibilities of making mistakes. That gift of agency is so important. While it may be easier to let someone else make all your decisions for you, you will not grow, you will not learn and you will not love. L'Engle does a great job of showing us that, and making it fairly easy to understand.

As an adult reading this book, I got so annoyed with Meg. I found her at times to be whiney and pessimistic. As a teen I was able to understand her a bit more and found her less annoying. As an adult I grew to like Calvin's character more, but was left thinking "you seem so nice and normal and you want to get together with whiney Meg?" Oh well, times and seasons.

This is one of those books that you should read at least once in your life. This is the first of a series with the same family of characters. I think I will reread those soon to see if my thoughts of them have changed. But, from what I remember, it was an excellent series, great for age twelve and up.

The Hero and Crown by Robin McKinley

from goodreads

2 stars

The sun is finally out and the snow is starting to vanish. I can actually see grass, and mud, in my backyard and I am pretty sure I can also see the shoots of some bulbs peaking their heads up and out of the dirt. Every time I look into the yard I envision my kids playing harmoniously outside, my little one not eating dirt or grass at all and me lazing in my hammock with my book, reading in peace.

I know, I know. That is just a crazy fantasy. I don't even have a hammock yet. But sometimes it is the crazy fantasies that help keep you going.

Synopsis

Aerin is the daughter of King Albreth of Damar. Her mother was from the north (that's where all the crazies live) and died during childbirth. The court of Damar and the residents don't know what to make of Aerin and don't quite trust her as she is a "witch's child". Aerin seems to make the best of a crazy situation and becomes a great swordswoman and dragon hunter. This leads her to an even greater adventure, finding the lost crown.

My Thoughts

To the people who decide who wins a Newbery Award. What were you thinking exactly. Can you clue me in, because I don't quite get it. I really didn't like this book. And I know that just because I don't like a book doesn't mean it can't win an award. But this book was so awkward to read. I felt like I had to reread every paragraph. I was constantly getting lost and not quite sure what was happening. And then Aerin goes on a crazy big adventure and it seems like it is over before it begins. Or, she is one way and then the next paragraph, boom she is different. I had no idea how it happened. (I know this is vague, I just don't want to give away too much of the story incase you want to read it.) I also found that the story line in the first half jumped around a lot. One minute we are in one timeframe, the next we are in a completely different timeframe. It would have been nice to get the memo. Because of this it was really hard to get into the story. And if I read one more description of someone doing something "as a lover" would do I am going to go crazy. This is a kids book after all.

I also had a problem with the weird love triangle near the end. Does she really love the person she ends up with or is she just biding her time until he is dead so she can get with the other guy. It is really weird and I don't know how I should feel about it.

That being said, the world that McKinley thought of was very interesting. I would love to know more about it. The ideas of different Sols i.e. levels within the aristocracy is very interesting. As well, I would like to know more about the Mages. She does a good job of introducing you to the world but doesn't do a good job of explaining how it came to be. Perhaps I need to read The Blue Sword for that. I don't know.

I looked on goodreads just to see what other people thought of the book and rated the book. I was surprised that most people rated it a 4 or 5. I guess choppy writing and crazy timeline jumps don't bother most people. So, you might still like it. Perhaps kids would like it more. The book is probably aimed at aged 10 and up.

The only reason why I finished it was for a church book club and I felt obligated. I would have shelved it long ago. For not a very long book it took me over a week to finish it, mainly because I had to reread sections so much.

It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville

from goodreads

3 stars

I am a firm believer in holding a book in your hands and manually turning the pages and experiencing the full joy of an actual real book. That being said, having an e-reader has its place. Like, if you are going on vacation, or you travel a lot for work. In order to read this book for my book club I read it online. Project Gutenberg is a site that has over 42 000 books that you can download. You can also just read it online. That is super cool. Libraries can only hold so many volumes and copies so this is a great way to read hard to find books. And it's free! Can it get any better? I also found this book here. Google is truly amazing.

Synopsis

It's the 60s and Dave Mitchell is fourteen and living in Manhattan. He is discovering the changes that occurs in relationships with parents, friends and girls. He meets some pretty interesting people all because of his cat named Cat.

My Thoughts

Even though this is a Newberry Award winner, it is not what you would typically expect from a Newberry Award winner. Usually Newberry's make you think and questions things. It rubs people the wrong way and usually has rich language and storytelling. This book is very straight forward and simple. There are no grand descriptions or life changing revelations. Yet, it seems to work. You truly believe that it is a 14 year old boy narrating.

I found it to be a bit disjoined and found some of the characters were flat. It would have been nice to see a bit more of the actual family dynamics and understand Dave's father more. You sort of get hints and whispers, but nothing concrete. Was his dad decent or not. It is hard to tell.

I don't think it is one of those life altering books, like the Giver. Though, a reader can take comfort in the ordinariness of Dave's life. He lead a ordinary life just like most people. We can identify with misunderstanding parents, hard friendships, how to handle the opposite sex.

I think this a book that would be best appreciated if you were a teen in the 60s. You would understand more about life at that time. It was a more simple time in a lot of ways and this book reflects that.

So to me, It's like This, Cat, was a meh book. There really wasn't that much to get excited about, but it wasn't so bland that you couldn't read it.

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

from goodreads

4 stars

This is a beautiful story. I enjoyed reading it, yet, it is not a story that will stick with me forever. Have you read book like that? While you are reading it you enjoy it so much, and then later, you try to recall the story it is gone or the details aren't as clear.

Synopsis

In this story we meet a young girl named Abilene. She and her father were drifters, jumping one train after another. One summer her father sends her to the town of Manifest, where she is to live with a man named Shady. When she discovers a box with someones keepsakes, hidden beneath the floor boards, Abilene ends up on a quest to discover who the mementos belong to and in the end discovers where she belongs as well.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were easy to picture, though some of the secondary characters were not as fleshed out as they could have been.

Even though the book skipped between two time lines, it was not confusing. It was always clear what timeline was what and the transitions flowed seamlessly. That is so essential for a multi-time line book and the author did a fantastic job of it.

There were times when the story sort of lagged and I wanted to skip ahead, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think we all need a town like Manifest to return to, a place where everyone knows your name and accepts your part in it. It is timeless and full of what Abilene would call "universals". Although it is labelled as a young adult audience book, it would be enjoyed by those of a more mature audience as well.