From time to time I will include reviews posted on Goodreads on this page. Please leave your own comments about any books you see here or any others you would like to review yourself! Please check back often!
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When a book makes me think about it for long after I have finished it I know it was a good one. The War that Saved my life was one such book. This was a different perspective of World War II than I have explored in the past. Rather than focusing on the battles or various adult issues, this story instead dealt with the youngest victims of the war: the children who were evacuated from London to cities in the country to protect them from bombings. As if being afraid of war wasn’t bad enough, 10 year old Ada Smith lived in constant terror of her mother, who kept her hidden in their flat because she was embarrassed of Ada’s club foot. Ada’s mother hit her constantly, locked her away, and prevented her from life outside of their home. When Ada hears that children are being evacuated, she finds a way to run away from her horrible life with her mother.
In Kent, Ada and her brother are placed with Susan, who made it very clear that she did not want to care for any children. As Ada discovers the world outside her flat, she has to learn simple things like what grass is, but, more importantly, she must learn to trust others as well as herself.
This book is a wonderful example of how there is both bad and good in the world, and how love trumps hate, even when things seem absolutely desperate. Highly deserving of its Newberry honor, I absolutely recommend this book to both children and adults.
You can purchase The War that Saved My Life by clicking here.
A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really think that Bear and Mouse may be my new favorite characters! I love how they are each other’s yin and yang – great lessons and a good, fun read!
You can purchase A Birthday for Bear by clicking here.
This Tree Counts! by Alison Formento
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book and felt that my 6 year old learned a great lesson about how every single tree has a variety of important functions. A great book for Earth Day and year round!
You can purchase This Tree Counts! by clicking here.
