Monday, January 29, 2018

The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff

Winnie has a wonderful treehouse which turns out to be her safe place since her parents are always fighting over their time with her.  Winnie's parents are divorced, and they want to spend an equal amount of time with her.  Precisely--equal.  She spends 3 days with one parent, 3 days with the other parent, and on Wednesdays she gets to spend in the treehouse alone.  This sounds great to her parents, but when they continue to fight even though they never see each other Winnie is affected. 
She decides to revolt and stay in the treehouse.  Then, her friends decide to join her in a stand off against parents and parent rules.  Soon, the media gets wind of the plan, and the ten children are in the treehouse for not hours but days.  What will bring them down?  Find out in The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff.

The Great Treehouse War

Thursday, January 4, 2018

The Extra by Kathryn Lasky

Lilo is a young Sinti girl in Nazi Germany.  One night she along with her mother and father are snatched from their home and sent to a camp where other gypsies were sent.  Lilo and her mother were separated from her father immediately, but Lilo made quick friends with Django who could arrange things such as food and information.  Lilo and her mother were chosen for a medical procedure, but Lilo is able to hide and escape from it.  After her mother endures the surgery, Lilo knows that she has to do something or her mother is not going to survive.  Django finds out that the filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, needs extras for her film.  Since the inhabitants of this camp have darker skin, they fit the roles of the film nicely.  Django tells Lilo about it, and she secures a spot for her and her mother to go on site for the movie.  This saves them for a time, but more atrocities occur throughout the making of the film.  Leni Riefenstahl is no savior--she is out for herself and the Third Reich.  Who will survive in this story?  Find out in The Extra by Kathryn Lasky.

It is not the best Holocaust novel that I have read, but this novel tells a part of the Holocaust that is not generally discussed. For that reason, I recommend reading it if for no other reason than to remember the history.

Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner by Tim Tingle

Danny is a Navajo teenage boy when he watches soldiers burn down his home, kill his beloved sheep and capture his family to join in the Long Walk of 1864.  Danny decides to fight back, but he is labeled as a troublemaker.  He is then sent to a Civil War prison at Fort Davis where he is targeted for terrible treatment.  Danny has to battle bad men, but he does not forget his Navajo heritage along the way.  How will Danny survive and live out his destiny?  Find out in this quick read.

Again, this is a piece of history that is not talked about much which is why reading this type of novel is so important.  #weneeddiversebooks

Monday, January 1, 2018

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Well...you cannot go wrong with a special OBAG--Oldie but a goodie!

I read this book just recently as an adult.  What a great read!  If you have already read it, AWESOME!  I encourage you to read it again.  If you have not read it before, this is a solid suggestion.

Meg does not fit in at school.  People at school think that she is slow and a trouble maker.  Meg's little brother, Charles Wallace, also has the reputation for being weird and not too bright.  Nothing could be further from the truth as we see when they go on a quest to find and rescue their father along with their friend, Calvin.

Take a journey with these great kids as they travel through A Wrinkle in Time.