Sixteen Brides

Title: Sixteen Brides
Author: Stephanie Grace Whitson
Pages: 243 in Advance Reading Copy
Published: 2010 Bethany House Publishers
Read For: Library Thing Early Reviewers
My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (somewhat above average)



Historically, this book covers the post Civil War era when many people's lives had changed dramatically, internally and externally, and were looking for a way to refocus and find hope again. I liked the bridge shown between the Eastern States involved in the Civil War, and the Mid-Western States being formed from people relocating. For the most part, the setting and little historical bits felt natural, if not altogether accurate (Harvard was founded in 1636, not 1650--a somewhat inconsequential yet puzzling mistake).

I enjoyed the personalities of the different characters and how their stories developed, even though I was initially a bit skeptical about how the author was going to be able to develop so many characters (don't worry, there weren't actually 16 brides to follow). I'm not really sure why "tiny waists" needed to be mentioned quite so many times, but as that was one of the very few things to distract me from the story, I can't complain much.

This is a very heartwarming book without too much romance or preaching (neither is something I'm very fond of in a book, but I think that the author achieved a nice balance). It was idealistic in that all of the major problems and conflict happened before the story even began and were all resolved perfectly in the end. Each chapter is prefaced with a brief scripture, reaffirming that the intent of the book is not only it's entertainment value.  Definitely a feel-good story, but for being heartwarming, encouraging, idealistic, romantic and easy to read I think it hit it's mark.

From the back cover:

     Lured West by the promise of prime homesteads, sixteen Civil War Widows uproot and move to Plum Grove, Nebraska.  But more than land awaits their arrival...

     When the women finally stumble off the train, they are greeted eagerly by the local bachelors--with marriage proposals!  As the true motive behind the offered land is revealed, the women muster all the faith, courage, and cunning they can to survive their new circumstances.  Especially when they begin to discover that no one in their group is exactly who she appears to be...

The Story of Christianity: Volume One, Ch. 1-6

I'm finally doing something that I've long had the desire to do: read up on church history.  I received both volumes of The Story of Christianity by Justo L. Gonzalez for Christmas, and have found it very readable and interesting so far.  The first volume consists of 36 chapters cover the Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation.  Here are some main items of interest to me in the first sixth of the book:

(p. 15) "Rome had a vested interest in having her subjects from different lands believe that, although their gods had different names, they were ultimately the same gods...In that atmosphere, Jews and Christians were seen as unbending fanatics who insisted on the sole worship of their One God--an alien cyst that must be removed for the good of society."  (This, in combination with laws about emperor worship, was the reason for persecution.)

(p. 31-32) "Gentiles were invited to become children of Abraham by faith, since they could not be so by flesh.  This...was made possible because...Judaism had believed that through the advent of the Messiah all nations would be brought to Zion." (Early Christianity was not a rival religion, just another sect of Judaism.  Christians were initially persecuted by other Jews because they feared the Christian beliefs would incur the wrath of God for not being obedient enough. The distinction between Jews and Christians became clearer as more Gentiles converted and didn't want to be identified with the Jewish rebellion against Rome.)

(p. 35) "...all social activities [in Roman culture] --the theatre, the army, letters, sports--were so entwined with pagan worship that Christians often felt the need to abstain from them."  "Since Christians worshiped an invisible God, pagans often declared them to be atheists."

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Title: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Author: Jamie Ford

Pages: 285

Published: 2009 Ballantine Books
Read For: Monday Night Book Club

Chosen By: Tracy, March 2010

My Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

I have been developing a bit of an aversion to New York Times Bestseller books, in part because I get frustrated with how certain topics get uber-popular (not much of a fad follower, myself) and partly because they can occasionally feel somewhat simple or formulaic.  In this sense Jamie Ford's book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, is a standout, making me rethink my budding prejudice.

Taking place during "the war years" in Seattle, the main characters Henry and Keiko demonstrate a human bond that surpassed political and racial tension.  Lest this sound simple and sweet, let me assure you that it is nothing if not a difficult journey.  Misunderstood at home and at school, with disappointments and challenges left and right, Henry nevertheless strives to be faithful, respectful and honest.  The story filled me with so much compassion and sympathy--for the characters as well for the thousands and thousands (around 110,000) of Japanese Americans that were removed from their homes and placed in internment camps during WWII.  I loved the jazz culture that was woven throughout the story, and thought that the ending nicely balanced out the rest of the book.

For the story of hope, for experience in different cultures, for the glance into history, I would recommend this book.  Simple to read, yet touching and filling all the same.

A clip from page 12:

Young Henry Lee stopped talking to his parents when he was twelve years old.  Not because of some silly childhood tantrum, but because they asked him to.  That was how it felt anyway.  They asked--no, told--him to stop speaking their native Chinese.  It was 1942, and they were desperate for him to learn English.  Which only made Henry more confused when his father pinned a button to his school shirt that read, "I am Chinese."  The contrast seemed absurd.  This makes no sense, he thought.  My father's pride has finally got the better of him.

For the Record: February 2010

My goal this year is to get some books read that have been on my shelf for awhile, and so far this year I have been rather unsuccessful at reaching that goal.  This month only 1 of my books fell into that category.  Oh wel.  Better than none I guess.  I read a lot of Junior Fiction this month. (fun!)

11. (4)  The Underneath, Kathy Appelt.  Wow, this book was totally unexpected. I picked it up at the bookstore, looking for a nice animal story to read aloud to the kids--Newbery Honor meant it should be good, right? It is not a nice happy animal story, but it was amazing to read aloud. It was heavy. There is exposure to Native American spiritual myths, animal mistreatment by a character with a drinking problem, and much suspense. I typically will not continue reading books with such stuff, but this was different. My kids were hooked, we all loved it, though my youngest couldn't listen to some of it. Not for the tenderhearted. If I'd preread it, I probably wouldn't have read it aloud to them yet because of the heavy content, but the writing was lovely. Reminded me of The Fox and the Hound.

12. (2) Gentlemen of the Road, Michael Chabon. This book was terrible. Really, a score of 2 out of 5 is too generous.  The story could have been interesting, but it just wasn't told well. The writing was an odd mix of styles, as if writing an adventure story didn't come naturally to the author (the afterword was much more cohesive and well-written than the book itself). The first chapter was so heavily hit by the thesaurus that it was comical. See my full review here.

13, 14, 15. (4.5) Dragon Slippers, Dragon Flight, and Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George. This series was just great...especially the first book.  My 11yo ds agreed--he couldn't stop reading them either.  I found them while browsing Amazon for fantasy/adventure books for my boys, and they had great reviews.  They are exciting and suspenseful without being frightening, they span genders and ages, they involve magic without getting into mysticism, and are surprisingly moral. I am really not a fantasy fan, but these books may have changed my mind.

16. Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, or Add, Charles J. Sykes (4) This was the book I finally got off my shelf! It was good, still applicable even though it was written 15 years ago, amazingly enough. The info was great, helped to put things into perspective.

17. The Friday Night Knitting Club, Kate Jacobs (3) felt oh-so-very-average in plot and writing style. I thought it'd be a nice happy feel-good story...and it was until about page 300 of 350 when it totally changed tracks. hmpf.  I am willing to admit, however, that my disappointment is only partially due to the hasty, ill-fitting happy ending.  The other part was probably because I had preconceived notions and expectations.

18. Black Ships Before Troy, Rosemary Sutcliff (3.5-4) A good retelling of the Iliad, read aloud to my kiddos.  It would have even been better if I'd had the illustrated version.

19. Al Capone Does My Shirts, Gennifer Choldenko (3.5-4) Really good, for the older side of JF readers I think. I liked the Alcatraz/1930/autism focus. The main character was really easy to identify with, and I felt so bad for him that it was kind of depressing...thus my thoughts that it's better for someone with some emotional maturity.

Gentlemen of the Road

Title: Gentlemen of the Road
Author: Michael Chabon
Pages: 196
Published: 2007 in serial form in The New York Times
2008 in book form by Del Rey (Ballantine) Books
Read For: Monday Night Book Club
Chosen By: Suzanne, February 2010
My Rating: 2 stars (below average, sorry)

I don't like disliking books. As silly as that may sound, I say it because I want to make the point that I am typically an optimistic person, and like to find the good things about everyone and everything, I like to broaden my horizons and I try to be open minded. One of the reasons I really enjoy my book club is because it forces me to branch out and read things that I would not otherwise choose. Every once in a while, however, I need to be honest and admit that I am simply not a fan.

Gentlemen of the Road is my first experience with Michael Chabon's writing, and I have to say that I enjoyed reading the Afterword far more than I did the novel itself. Because of that, I'm going to guess that this was not the best novel with which to begin reading his works, especially considering that another of his novels won a Pulitzer Prize, an honor much easier to imagine after reading the Afterword. Unfortunately, my dislike of how the novel was written may prevent me from reading anything else of his for quite a while.

The premise of the story is interesting, as was the actual story itself, when it could be found. An old fashioned adventure tale taking place in the 10th century, the story centered around two men trying to earn a living, one gig at a time, and inadvertently get caught up in the fight for a kingdom. The style of writing, however, did not match the style of the story and resulted in something that felt amateurish. The style of writing itself was disjointed, the dialogue having a very different feel from the narrative. Ideally, it would have been Charles Dickens (complex sentences and descriptions) meets Alexander Dumas (swashbuckling adventure) but poor execution resulted in that remaining the ideal, not the reality. The first chapter, especially, seemed stilted and uninviting, and felt very strongly of thesaurus overuse. At only 196 pages it didn't take too long to read, for which I'm grateful. Have you read it? Leave me a comment, I'd love to be proven wrong.

An excerpt from page 6:

The Frankish scarecrow slipped out from under his impaled hat and unfolded himself one limb at a time, running his fingers along the parting in his yellow hair. He looked from the African to the hat and back. His cloak, trousers, hose and boots were all black, in sharp contrast with the pallor of his soft hands and the glints of golden whisker on his chin and cheeks, and if he was not a priest, the he must, thought the mahout, for whom a knowledge of men was a necessary corollary to an understanding of elephants, be a physician or an exegete of moldering texts. The Frank folded his arms over his bony chest and stood taking the African's measure along the rule of his bony nose. He wore an arch smile and held his head at an angle meant to signify a weary half-amusement like that which plagued a philosophical man when he contemplated this vain human show.

For the Record: January 2010

I can't believe it's already a new year of reading! My goal this year is to make a major dent in the books on my bookshelf that still need to be read. I got to cross 2 of those off my list this month. Not enough! I tend to choose books by my mood, so it's definitely a challenge for me to read books that have been staring at me for years.

1. (3.5) The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Sixties, Jonathan Leaf. We just moved into a mid-century modern house in remarkably original condition, so I was inspired to know more about the '60s. This went quick, was definitely biased, (it had the obligation to contradict all the assumptions about the 1960s,) but very interesting all the same.

2. (4) The Help, Kathryn Stockett. I have to admit that I was surprised by how much I liked this book...I thought that with all the hype about it, I'd be let down. But I wasn't! I enjoyed the characters, and being plopped down in a different time and place.

3. (3) The Piano Teacher, Janice Y. K. Lee. This book was just average for me. Average writing style--pretty easy to read. The subject/storyline had real potential to be captivating and different, but fell a little flat for me. It took place in Hong Kong in WWII. There was a character with my name, which is unusual, so that was kind of fun.

4. (2.5) The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom. This was one of those books that has been on my shelf forever. I don't know where I got it, but I didn't really like it...I'm glad I got it done with though. It felt contrived, and I really don't like emotional manipulation or too much romance/feely stuff, so that may be part of the reason.

5. (3) Developing a Supernatural Lifestyle, Kris Vallotton. I'd started to read this a while back and then set it down, so it didn't take me real long to finish it. I don't often read Christian "self-help" type books, because there seems to be so little actual substance. This book really wasn't any different for me. There were some good things he said, but they weren't substantiated/developed quite enough for me. And he really needed a better editor (if he had one at all) really REALLY badly. There were quite often sentences that were repeated--word for word--one directly after another. You might be able to do that while preaching (for emphasis or some such) but it does not work in a book.

6. (4) The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook, Joyce Lankester Brisely. What a sweet storybook! Nice stories from a simpler time, and well written too. We all loved it, thank you Sonlight!

7. (3.5) Rabbit Hill, Robert Lawson. I'm on a little Newbery Medal kick, and so picked up this book. It had delightful drawings and anthropomorphism, a really sweet story. If you like to imagine that all those wild animals out there have personalities and relationships, then you'll probably enjoy this book. It's quick to read, exciting and heartwarming, simple yet thoughtful.

8. (3.5) Criss Cross, Lynne Rae Perkins. Another Newbery book: fun, funny, interesting mix of writing styles in the different chapters...a bit surprised it's a Newbery book though. It didn't have much of a storyline, more of a peek into the humor and wonderings of young teens.

9. (4) Abel's Island, William Steig. Yet another Newbery book. This one really captured me. The drawings added to a wonderfully told heartwarming story.

10. (3.5) When the Elephants Dance, Tess Uriza Holthe. I liked parts of this book, disliked other parts. It took place in the Philippines during WWII and contained many "the-moral-of-my-life-story" tales. Those tales I liked, but the story that was supposed to tie the whole thing together was tedious and unengaging.

Rating Books

I've kept track of the books I've read for the last 8 (almost 9) years. When I first started out I also included an ultra-brief review, but as time went on I lost the patience and inspiration. They were too short to be meaningful, but I didn't have time to write longer reviews.

Since I've started cataloging and organizing my books on LibraryThing.com I've tried to keep up with rating all the books I read, and reviewing them as much as possible. I have to admit that it is nice to be able to look back on these opinions, because it doesn't take long for a memory to become less vivid. LibraryThing.com has a 5-star rating system. They do have half-stars too, though, so in reality it is a bit more flexible than simply 5 choices.

I'm always interested in how different people distribute ratings. How often do they hand out those 5-star ratings? Does it tie into the person's overall optimism/pessimism? I'm really interested in how people view a 3-star rating on a scale of 1 to 5.

I find that I am pretty stingy with my 1-star and 5-star labels. Most of the books I read fall somewhere in the 3-4 range. This is my thought process:

3-stars: average. Plain old average. Nothing special nor terrible...many books are simply average to me.

2-stars/4-stars: something in the storyline or writing really set it apart as particularly irritating or lovely. These books provide me with enough interest to be able to talk about them at length.

1-star/5-stars: either so shockingly horrible or so amazingly wonderful that they will be thrown in the ocean/fire/recycle/trash or be purchased multiple times and end up being buried with me when I die just in case "you can't take it with you" ends up being not-so-true after all. These books have typically evoked such strong feelings that I have a difficult time discussing them because I don't know where to begin (or if I will ever stop once I do begin).

What about you? Is everything you enjoy worth 5 stars? Does everything you rate start at 1 star and move up from there? Am I the only crazy one who even thinks about this stuff?

New-to-me Newbery Books

I had the great pleasure today of visiting a bookstore all by myself--without children along, preventing me from spending as much time as I wished in whichever section of the store I desired. And which section of the bookstore--you may ask--did I decide to spend the majority of my time? Why, the Junior Fiction section of course. My "To-Read" list is so long, that a good quality junior fiction book is often a very satisfying read. And it has the added bonus of being quickly finished, and I am then able to recommend the books to my children.

All 5 of the books I ended up buying today were Newbery Medal (or Honor) books.

1. Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
2. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
3. Abel's Island by William Steig
4. Whittington by Alan Armstrong
5. Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

I already finished reading Rabbit Hill, which had delightful drawings and anthropomorphism. Which one next? I'm thinking Criss Cross.

Hello, My Name Is...

How do you approach a book when you see it for the first time?   Whether it is in the bookstore, library, or on someone else's shelf, do you have a standard way for finding out what that new book is all about?

I read How to Read Novels Like a Professor last year, (one of my least favorite books of the year,) and in it the author claimed that when people approach a book for the first time, they always turn to the first page and read the first sentence...they never turn directly to the middle of the book.  When I read that, I was both amused and irritated because I don't know if I have ever turned directly to the first sentence when looking at a book for the first time.  Certainly first sentences are important, and I enjoy comparing them, but that's not how I approach a book.  I want to be a bit better acquainted with a book before I go reading its first sentence.  Here's how I go about it:

I look at the cover: the title, the author, the art, the awards/comments; I look at the back cover: who reviewed it? does the summary hold my interest? anything else interesting?  If it's a hardcover I'll look at the inside flaps for the same sort of information.  Then I slowly fan through the book--backwards, mind you--to get a general idea of the book: font size, feel of the paper, density of words on a page, amount of dialog.  I stop at random places while flipping to read a sentence or two; getting an idea of the writing style.  By the time I've reached the front of the book again, and take another look at the front cover, I have a pretty good idea of whether I'm interested in reading it or not.  I actually don't usually read the first sentence until I've purchased or borrowed the book and put in on my "To Be Read" or "Currently Reading" list.

I found out recently that this is almost exactly how my dad looks at a new book too.  But then discovered that my older brother and mom do it very differently--but equally similar to each other.  Time to approach my younger brother to see what he does!  What do you do?

Reading in 2009: A Year in Review

2009 was another great year for me for reading.  My determination at the beginning of 2008 to get myself reading again--it had become a nearly nonexistent pastime since the birth of my youngest daughter--not only really paid off in 2008, but has also helped to reinstate reading as a normal part of my life in the years since then.

I read a total of 110 books in 2009: 53 were Junior/Young Adult Fiction, (most were either read aloud to my children, or read because one of my kids thought I'd enjoy it,) 17 were Nonfiction, 17 were--by my estimation--Classics, and the remaining 23 were regular old Adult Fiction.  These number include 9 book club books, and 5 Early Reviewer books from LibraryThing.

My Top 5 Books of the Year: (in no particular order)

The Johnstown Flood, David McCullogh

David McCullough does a great job at relating history in general...in The Johnstown Flood he does really well with the pace and laying the groundwork for the situation. He has organized his thoughts and presented them so well that it is not a struggle to read or understand. Because he is so logical and methodical in his retelling, it is easier to experience the time in history he is discussing, rather than feeling like you are slogging through it.  The Johnstown Flood is an incredible story, much deserving of this retelling.

 

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

What an amazing book. Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The writing is exquisite, with a surprising amount of depth. There are so many layers to this book, which makes it highly re-readable. Also very easy to read for the amount of insight. Oh, and a great story too!

War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

Amazing in so many ways. The characters were wonderful, and the story captivating. Tolstoy's insights and discussions were a joy...I love the way his mind works: the allegories, the poetic philosophy countered by logic. I devoured it in less than 2 weeks and didn't want it to end. I found it surprisingly readable and don't think that it at all deserves the reputation for heft, and denseness that it's received.

The Song of the Lark and My Antonia,Willa Cather

Song of the Lark convinced me to read all of Cather's works. The theme wasn't quite as strong as in O Pioneers, but there were moments that were so insightful, beautiful, and touching that it was very much worth the reading. I love how all of the feelings and emotions are described and explained. The sentiment mixed with duty (whether to others or oneself) is tangible. How Thea's journey to unleash her artistic side is so intrinsically tied to her memories of home makes for a deeply touching story.  I've fallen in love with Willa Cather's writing. I had to rush through reading My Antonia because I was on a deadline, and I wish that I hadn't. Willa Cather's books, in my experience, benefit greatly by spending a little time with them.  I've loved everything of hers I've read. They each have different things that make them shine. Lovely, touching, enjoyable reading.

Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout

What enjoyable writing! I flew through the book because it was such a satisfying read. I really liked how the book was organized as short stories that added up to tell about Olive and her town in Maine. All the characters were so real that I found myself amazed at times. My only complaint is that it got to be pretty depressing. All the stories are about life changing calamities that aren't necessarily balanced out with hope. There was an overriding theme of the fear, loneliness and uncertainty that goes along with old age. Strout seemed to do a great job in expressing those feelings.

The Complete List of Nonfiction:

1. Shakespeare: The World as Stage, Bill Bryson—4 stars
2. The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition, Jim Trelease—4 stars
3. Honey for a Child's Heart, Gladys Hunt—4 stars
4. Growing Up in Coal Country, Susan Bartoletti—4 stars
5. Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp, Jerry Stanley—4 stars
6. Children of the Great Depression, Russell Freedman—4 stars
7. A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World, Tony Horwitz—3.5 stars
8. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, Gary Chapman—3 stars
9. The Middle Place, Kelly Corrigan—4 stars
10. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books), Elizabeth Payne—3.5 stars
11. Landscaping With Fruit, Lee Reich—4 stars
12. Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting, Stu Campbell—4 stars
13. How to Read Novels Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster—2 stars
14. The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, James Cross Giblin—3 stars
15. A New Kind of Christian, Brian D. McLaren—3.5 stars
16. The Johnstown Flood, David McCullough—4.5 stars
17. Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, Nathaniel Philbrick—4 stars

The Complete List of Classics:

1. Emma, Jane Austen—4 stars
2. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath—4 stars
3. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, W.S.Merwin—4 stars
4. Agnes Grey, Anne Bronte—4 stars
5. Canterbury Quintet : The General Prologue and Four Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer—3 stars
6. The Importance Of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde—4 stars
7. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen—5 stars
8. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee—5 stars
9. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy—5 stars
10. The Song of the Lark, Willa Cather—4.5 stars
11. My Antonia, Willa Cather—4.5 stars
12. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle—4 stars
13. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle—4 stars
14. Hamlet, William Shakespeare—4 stars
15. The Stranger, Albert Camus—4 stars
16. A Separate Peace, John Knowles—3.5 stars
17. Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie—3 stars

The Complete List of Adult Fiction:

1. Life Of Pi, Yann Martel—3.5 stars
2. Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers, Ralph Moody—4 stars
3. I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb—2.5 stars
4. The Secret (Seasons of Grace, Book 1), Beverly Lewis—3 stars
5. The Tattooed Girl, Joyce Carol Oates—3.5 stars
6. Love's Pursuit, Siri Mitchell—2.5 stars
7. Snow, Orhan Pamuk—4 stars
8. Land of My Heart (Heirs of Montana #1), Tracie Peterson—3 stars
9. Sarah's Key, Tatiana De Rosnay—3 stars
10. A Flickering Light (Portraits of the Heart, Book 1), Jane Kirkpatrick—4 stars
11. The Coming Storm (Heirs of Montana #2), Tracie Peterson—3 stars
12. To Dream Anew (Heirs of Montana #3), Tracie Peterson—3 stars
13. The Hope Within (Heirs of Montana #4), Tracie Peterson—3 stars
14. Loving Frank, Nancy Horan—3.5 stars
15. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, Susan Gregg Gilmore—3 stars
16. Tender Graces, Kathryn Magendie—4 stars
17. Fair and Tender Ladies, Lee Smith—4 stars
18. They Came Like Swallows, William Maxwell—4 stars
19. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Shaffer and Barrows—4 stars
20. The Day the Falls Stood Still, Cathy Buchanan—3 stars
21. So Long, See You Tomorrow, William Maxwell—4 stars
22. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami—3 stars
23. Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout—4 stars

The Complete List of Junior/Young Adult Fiction:

1. The Best Christmas Ever, Sylvia Green—2 stars
2. The Fire Within, Chris D’Lacey—3 stars
3. Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Beverly Cleary—4 stars
4. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo—3.5 stars
5. Gone-Away Lake, Elizabeth Enright—4 stars
6. The Terrible Wave, Marden Dahlstedt—4 stars
7. Earthquake!: A Story of the San Francisco Earthquake, Kathleen Kudlinski—3 stars
8. Ramona and Her Mother, Beverly Cleary—4 stars
9. Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine—4 stars
10. The Cay, Theodore Taylor—4 stars
11. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer—3 stars
12. Jackaroo: A Novel of the Kingdom, Cynthia Voigt—4 stars
13. Rough and Ready; Or, Life Among the New York Newsboys, Horatio Alger Jr—4 stars
14. Ramona's World, Beverly Cleary—4 stars
15. Miracles on Maple Hill, Virginia Sorensen—4 stars
16. The Winged Watchman, Hilda VanStockum—4 stars
17. A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt, C.Coco DeYoung—4 stars
18. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Judith Kerr—3.5 stars
19. One Eye Laughing, The Other Eye Weeping, Barry Denenberg—1.5 stars
20. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry—4 stars
21. The Gadget, Paul Zindel—3.5 stars
22. Journey to America, Sonia Levitin—3.5 stars
23. Snow Treasure, Marie McSwigan—4 stars
24. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt—4 stars
25. On the Banks of Plum Creek, Laura Ingalls Wilder—4 stars
26. Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren—4 stars
27. Skinnybones, Barbara Park—2 stars
28. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, Robin McKinley—4 stars
29. By the Shores of Silver Lake, Laura Ingalls Wilder—4 stars
30. The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks, Nancy McArthur—3.5 stars
31. Miracles on Maple Hill, Virginia Sorensen—4 stars
32. The Cricket in Times Square, George Seldon—4 stars
33. The BFG, Roald Dahl—4 stars
34. Tirzah, Lucille Travis—3.5 stars
35. Beauty In The Fields, Anne Tyra Adams—2.5 stars
36. A Place in the Sun, Jill Rubalcaba—3 stars
37. Charlotte's Web, E.B. White—4 stars
38. The Golden Goblet, Eloise Jarvis McGraw—4 stars
39. Mara, Daughter of the Nile, Eloise Jarvis McGraw—4 stars
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum—3 stars
41. Hittite Warrior, Joanne Williamson—3 stars
42. God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah, Joanne Williamson—3 stars
43. Mr. Popper's Penguins, Richard and Florence Atwater—3.5 stars
44. The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis—4 stars
45. Adara, Beatrice Gormley—2.5 stars
46. Earthquake at Dawn, Kristiana Gregory—4 stars
47. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis—4 stars
48. On Fortune's Wheel, Cynthia Voigt—4 stars
49. The Secret History of Tom Trueheart, Ian Beck—3.5 stars
50. Tirzah, Lucille Travis—3.5 stars
51. Fairest, Gail Carson Levine—4 stars
52. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster—4 stars
53. Justin Morgan Had a Horse, Marguerite Henry—4 stars