Lion’s Lair

Open the book and walk into the land of werewolves and vampires.  Since I know little of this fantasy world, I learned a lot about the characteristics of these two species.  Now I suppose I will need to find some other viewpoints so that I have a clearer understanding of what are the universal common [...]

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Set in the year 1953, this story immediately made many connections for me.  I was 11 in 1953 as well.  Penny’s mother would not let her go swimming for fear of contracting polio in the public pool.  I remember those fears. 
 
But the story is not about me.  It is about the growing up a [...]

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Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
This book was listed as one of the Newbery honor books. Of course I had to order it and see for myself what makes a winner.  I also declare it a winner of Mrs. M’s awards. 
A young girl, orphaned and shifted from family member to family member, inherits a [...]

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Published this past year, 2006, the book has been nominated for the best ten books for young adults by the ALA. 
The story is set in
Germany, (has many German phrases) and focuses on a young girls life during the years 1941-1944.  While it is based on a real life story, the perspective of the war [...]

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Finally, The End arrived;  the last book of The Series of Unfortunate Events that is.  I wanted to read this one because I had heard comments that two characters die in this book.  I wanted to find out who died. 
Lemony Snicket wrote true to form.  He identified many new words with brief definitions included [...]

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