11/25/21 4.5 stars, a ghost story with a mystery. Readers who like ghost stories and mysteries will love this story set in 1920s Pittsburgh. Young Oph11/25/21 4.5 stars, a ghost story with a mystery. Readers who like ghost stories and mysteries will love this story set in 1920s Pittsburgh. Young Ophie can see and communicate with spirits. Will she be able to help Clara remember how she died? Could it be murder? 7/2/24 The first time I read this, I felt like it was a ghost story for both children and tweens. Upon rereading it, it read as if it was for tweens and young teens. For some reason in the past few years, my feelings about books with murders in them has changed. This one also starts with a lynching....more
This one had been on my radar for quite awhile; it was first published in 2018. I am not sure why I waited so long to read it. Set in late 1940s ChicaThis one had been on my radar for quite awhile; it was first published in 2018. I am not sure why I waited so long to read it. Set in late 1940s Chicago and at only 112 pages; the story of how young Langston (view spoiler)[who after his Mama passes away migrates from Alabama with his father to the North (hide spoiler)] learns about his namesake will be accessible to many young readers....more
Companion novel to Turtle in Paradise. This story about Beans and his money making schemes in depression era Key West, Florida had me laughing out louCompanion novel to Turtle in Paradise. This story about Beans and his money making schemes in depression era Key West, Florida had me laughing out loud more times than I could count on one hand (or two). Even though, it's geared towards kids; anyone who fondly remembers The Little Rascals ...more
Crow has been raised by a man who calls himself Osh since birth. Now twelve-years-old Crow sets out to learn more about the parents who put her in a sCrow has been raised by a man who calls himself Osh since birth. Now twelve-years-old Crow sets out to learn more about the parents who put her in a skiff at birth; she learns that there's more to her past than simply discovering who her birth parents are and why they gave her up. Set in 1925 on the Cape Cod islands, this is more of a mystery or coming of age story than historical fiction. Give this to the fans of TV shows like The Curse of Oak Island. The mystery surrounding Crow's past is fascinating!...more
I really enjoyed this one! Set in 1929, we don't really know how old Bo is. We only know that she is too young to attend school. Set at a mining camp iI really enjoyed this one! Set in 1929, we don't really know how old Bo is. We only know that she is too young to attend school. Set at a mining camp in a small town in Alaska, each chapter is its own little sweet story about what happens to Bo or the various townspeople through the course of a year. With short chapters and darling illustrations by LeUyen Pham, it's an easy one to read, set down, and read again when one has time. Give this one to fans of Louise Erdrich's Birchbark House series, Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, or those who are fascinated by all things Alaska....more
**spoiler alert** Could this Newbery Honor book be a future classic? Taking place in 1911, our heroine 14 year-old Joan (or is that 18 year-old Janet) **spoiler alert** Could this Newbery Honor book be a future classic? Taking place in 1911, our heroine 14 year-old Joan (or is that 18 year-old Janet) is spirited and strong willed. She does not plan to get married and is determined to become a schoolteacher like her deceased mother wished for her. So, she runs away from an unloving father to Baltimore. Luck is on her side because she quickly finds employment as a maid to a kind and loving Jewish family. Janet is an aspiring Catholic so this creates comedy and conflict in the first part of this book. But then a young man takes an interest in Joan. She begins to come across as a giddy schoolgirl. She starts to question her faith and the future her mother hoped for her....more
What would it be like to grow up in the early 1960s in a small town whose population is declining? The town is Norvelt, Pennsylvania, a real town whosWhat would it be like to grow up in the early 1960s in a small town whose population is declining? The town is Norvelt, Pennsylvania, a real town whose population in 2000 was 1,682 when counted with the nearby town of Calumet for census purposes. The main character is a twelve-year-old boy, Jack Gantos, who has been grounded for the summer. That's not Jack's only problem. He gets bloody noses almost daily. He has a couple loony toons for parents. He's helping an older woman with arthritis write obituaries for the local paper (it's the only way his mother lets him escape his prison at home). I liked Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder which takes place in the 1930s and has similar characters much better. If the Newbery committee wanted to give the medal to a humorous story set in the 1960s with a boy protagonist, I would have preferred Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. What I am really wondering is what young readers think of this one. ...more