While reading through Facebook posts the other day, I noticed that it was Holocaust Remembrance Day. It struck me how coincidental that I had just started a book that features parts of the Holocaust, and then I realized that my son and I were reading a book that also talks about the Holocaust. Yesterday while substituting in a 9th grade English class, another wonderful book that happens during the Holocaust appeared. Listed below are these books as well as two more that are well worth reading and sharing with many people.
1.
This is my current read that I just started and already has me swept up in the characters. I love that Jodi Picoult takes on such challenging topics and ties them to current times.
2.
While reading this book, my son, Reid, a 13 year old, and I have had some interesting conversations about human nature and the choices that people make. I asked him what he would do if he saw people scaring and hurting people as the Nazis did. His reply, "Well, unfortunately, to some degree, this happens every day at Middle School and as hard as it is, I would stand by the person being harmed. If I don't, then who will?"
3.
Freshman in our school district are reading the first of the Night series. I would love to be a fly on the wall and hear the discussions that will occur from this thought-provoking novel.
4.
Lois Lowry rightfully won the Newbery for this incredible book.
5.
Author and illustrator extraordinaire, Patricia Polacco shares more of her rich family history in this masterpiece. I am so grateful for her gift of storytelling through words and art. I hope I can tell her in person someday.
I will bear witness and always remember so that those that lost their lives did not die in vain! Do you have any other must reads about the Holocaust?
This week's Friday Five Book Fix is all about our family's current reads. With Spring Break in full swing, we are enjoying some quality reading time.
Rae-the 11 year old
My daughter and I have enjoyed this sweet story about a sister and brother and their cat Zook. Their lives are told through the lives of their cat who is sick and staying at the veterinarian's office.
Goodreads Summary:
n this warmhearted middle-grade novel, Oona and her brother, Fred, love their cat Zook (short for Zucchini), but Zook is sick. As they conspire to break him out of the vet’s office, convinced he can only get better at home with them, Oona tells Fred the story of Zook’s previous lives, ranging in style from fairy tale to grand epic to slice of life. Each of Zook’s lives has echoes in Oona’s own family life, which is going through a transition she’s not yet ready to face. Her father died two years ago, and her mother has started a relationship with a man named Dylan—whom Oona secretly calls �the villain.” The truth about Dylan, and about Zook’s medical condition, drives the drama in this loving family story.
Reid, a 13 year old boy, is becoming more and more curious about history. We just finished Bomb, a nonfiction book about the building of the atomic bomb. I wanted to share a WW II fiction book, and Once was featured on a fellow school librarian/blogger blog, The Styling Librarian. I loved it with its depth and sense of humor while Reid wasn't as engaged. I hope to read the other books in the series.
Goodreads Summary:
Felix, a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942, is hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. The only problem is that he doesn't know anything about the war, and thinks he's only in the orphanage while his parents travel and try to salvage their bookselling business. And when he thinks his parents are in danger, Felix sets off to warn them--straight into the heart of Nazi-occupied Poland. To Felix, everything is a story: Why did he get a whole carrot in his soup? It must be sign that his parents are coming to get him. Why are the Nazis burning books? They must be foreign librarians sent to clean out the orphanage's outdated library. But as Felix's journey gets increasingly dangerous, he begins to see horrors that not even stories can explain. Despite his grim surroundings, Felix never loses hope. Morris Gleitzman takes a painful subject and expertly turns it into a story filled with love, friendship, and even humor.
Have you ever mourned the end of a book? Wished it could continue for another 100 pages or so? I just finished this book and LOVED it...maybe it was the setting being in a neighboring state or the time period which was the beginning of the 20th century. It totally engaged me and is lingering in my mind throughout my busy day.
Goodreads Summary:
At the turn of the twentieth century, in a rural stretch of the Pacific Northwest in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, a solitary orchardist named Talmadge carefully tends the grove of fruit trees he has cultivated for nearly half a century. A gentle, solitary man, he finds solace and purpose in the sweetness of the apples, apricots, and plums he grows, and in the quiet, beating heart of the land-the valley of yellow grass bordering a deep canyon that has been his home since he was nine years old. Everything he is and has known is tied to this patch of earth. It is where his widowed mother is buried, taken by illness when he was just thirteen, and where his only companion, his beloved teenaged sister Elsbeth, mysteriously disappeared. It is where the horse wranglers-native men, mostly Nez Perce-pass through each spring with their wild herds, setting up camp in the flowering meadows between the trees.
One day, while in town to sell his fruit at the market, two girls, barefoot and dirty, steal some apples. Later, they appear on his homestead, cautious yet curious about the man who gave them no chase. Feral, scared, and very pregnant, Jane and her sister Della take up on Talmadage's land and indulge in his deep reservoir of compassion. Yet just as the girls begin to trust him, brutal men with guns arrive in the orchard, and the shattering tragedy that follows sets Talmadge on an irrevocable course not only to save and protect them, putting himself between the girls and the world, but to reconcile the ghosts of his own troubled past.
I just enjoyed listening to this audiobook with a 12 year old girl. We laughed, cried, sat on the edge of our car seats and just enjoyed being transported into a crazy road trip told by one of my favorite authors, Gary Paulsen and his son.
Goodreads Summary:
Dad and Ben haven't been getting along recently and Dad hopes a road trip to rescue a border collie will help them reconnect. But Ben is on to Dad's plan and invites Ben's thuggish buddy, Theo. The family dog, Atticus, comes along too and the story is told by Ben and Atticus. When their truck breaks down, they commandeer an old school bus, along with its mechanic, Gus. Next, they pick up Mia, a waitress escaping a tense situation. Only sharp-eyed Atticus realizes that Theo is on the run—and someone is following them.
My daughter and my latest favorite picture book...yet another fractured fairy tale of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. This is a modern version with some charming pictures.
Goodreads Summary:
In this award-winning author/illustrator’s witty sequel to the traditional Goldilocks story, Little Bear is all grown up and Goldilocks is a distant memory. One day, Little Bear wanders out of the woods and finds himself lost in the Big City. Will he find the city too noisy? Too quiet? Or just right? And what are the chances of him bumping in to someone who remembers exactly how he likes his porridge?
To say I like the library is an understatement. I.Love.My. Library. Everything about it!! I'm always sad when I learn of folks who are unaware of the FREE resources available without leaving your house. For this post, I have listed five of my favorites from our local library in Oregon. Many libraries across the U.S. have these same options.
Please click on the thumbnail image to go to the website.
1. E-Books
With all the electronic devices available, ebooks are quite the rage, but can get expensive, especially if you or your family member is a voracious reader. Of course, your local library has solved the problem for you with free ebooks available with only your library card information and a click of the mouse. Many school libraries have this option also.
2. Audiobooks
Having just completed a long road trip with a group of teens, I know the value of a good audiobook to capture and hold their attention. Library2Go has a variety of options available to fill your electronic needs.
3. Free Music
My daughter and I have been collecting our three free songs off of freegal for over a year and have amassed quite a music library without spending a dime. HUGE variety of songs both popular and old, as my daughter would say, are available.
4. Online Resources
There are a number of databases available to help in your quest for quality information without leaving your couch. With my goal of learning Spanish, I am going to try the free Powerspeak option from my public library.
5. Online Catalog and Request Materials Resource
And my favorite and most used resource is the online catalog where I can look up the latest New York Times bestsellers like the one below and request it. In a few short days or weeks, it will become available to me and conveniently be ready for pickup at my earliest convenience. Oh and don't forget there are videos available too--and only for $1 and three weeks of viewing pleasure. LOVE IT!!
Spring Break is coming to Oregon! This Friday's theme honors the state's incredibly diverse and jaw-dropping beautiful scenery as well as cultural, historical and culinary delights! The following five books are my favorite go-to resources for traveling the city and back roads of the "platypus" state.
1.
Amazon description:
A complete and updated guide to traveling and hiking in Eastern Oregon, this book includes everything you'll need to plan a trip to the Wallowa Mountains, Steens Mountain, the high desert country near Bend, the Ochocos, or Hells Canyon. Travel guide information includes where to stay and what to see, including museums and bed & breakfasts, with up-to-date prices. Trail information covers virtually every route in the area, with special symbols identifying the best paths for hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers, and backpackers. GPS readings are given where useful. Sixteen pages of color photos include a guide to the wildflowers of Eastern Oregon. An appendix of 100 More Hikes in Eastern Oregon covers remote paths where you can get away from it all.
2.
Public Library Summary:
The Pacific Northwest teems with colorful history and unique legends—and this tour of the Beaver State is no exception! Check out the gas station restroom that looks like cowboy boots as you search the skies for a man flying across the state in a lawn chair tethered to helium balloons. And how about visiting that �city” in eastern Oregon with a year-round population of zero to two, depending on whether anyone gets trapped in the snow? Can it get any weirder than this!
3.
Goodreads Summary:
Recounted in a fresh style that's fun for armchair travelers and hikers alike, this guidebook tells the stories behind 56 of Oregon's most scenic historic sites. Come follow Lewis and Clark's trail across Tillamook Head. Ride with Chief Joseph on his tragic retrat through Hells Canyon. Discover paths to fire lookouts, lighthouses, and abandoned gold mines. Relive legends, discoveries, scandals, and triumphs that rocked the West. Come hike Oregon's history!
4.
Goodreads Summary:
A guide to Oregon's wilderness areas, including newly designated areas as well as old favorites from Mt. Hood and the Three Sisters to the Wallowas and Steens Mountain. Includes 70 pages of maps, 40 pages of color photos, and more than 200 b/w photos.
5.
Goodreads Summary:
In this economy it's all about local, and Portland has developed a beautifully creative and bountiful food and drink ecosystem. This book is the indispensable access guide to it all. Portland, the little foodie town that could, is quickly becoming the national capital for all things edible and artisan. For cooks, tourists, people who love to eat, localtarians, wine lovers, cheese freaks, Parisian ex-pats in search of a decent baguette, cocktail hounds on a 100-mile diet -- this is the guide to the goods.
I am personally a fan of mice...in books that is! I am embarrassed to say that I am the screaming, up-on-the-chair lunatic when it comes to mice inside a room. I am endeared to the pink eared, brave beyond their size characters in many children's books.
1.
A middle grade fiction book that makes a wonderful read aloud with lots of personification examples. I have had many a child fall in love with Poppy and the author, Avi through this book and series.
Goodreads Summary:
At the very edge of Dimwood Forest stood an old charred oak where, silhouetted by the moon, a great horned owl sat waiting. The owl's name was Mr. Ocax, and he looked like death himself. With his piercing gaze, he surveyed the lands he called his own, watching for the creatures he considered his subjects. Not one of them ever dared to cross his path . . . until the terrible night when two little mice went dancing in the moonlight . . .
2.
Ahhh...the memories of my beat-up, chewed-upon, stained-filled copy of this delightful book. This treasure's sweet illustrations with a calm story will become a favorite of your families too.
Goodreads Summary:
A friendly wood mouse visits his many friends and neighbors. He talks to trout, ducks, a woodpecker, and even coaxes a shy newt out from his hiding place to say hello. The only animal he is not so friendly with is the owl, from whom he runs and hides. This beautifully illustrated, gentle story is now back in print for a new generation.
3.
If Stuart Little and the Mouse and the Motorcycle were cupcakes, they would have been inhaled and left without any crumbs. When our kids were wee small, we devoured these books. Yum, yum good!
Goodreads Summary:
Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Though he's shy and thoughtful, he's also a true lover of adventure.
Stuart's greatest adventure comes when his best friend, a beautiful little bird named Margalo, disappears from her nest. Determined to track her down, Stuart ventures away from home for the very first time in his life. He finds adventure aplenty. But will he find his friend?
4.
Goodreads Summary:
Ralph the mouse was terrified. All he had wanted to do was ride the little motorcycle someone had left on the table. Instead, both Ralph and the motorcycle had taken a terrible fall - right into the bottom of the wastepaper basket. He was trapped, left to wait for whatever fate was in store for him.
5.
I have reviewed this book before and mentioned how parents pounded down the library door to request this book. Unfortunately, due to its
Goodreads Summary:
Tumtum and Nutmeg have a wonderful life but the children who live in Rose Cottage, Arthur and Lucy, are miserable. So, one day Tumtum and Nutmeg decide to cheer them up.
My five book fix is like me... all over the place. This week's features are a bit of this and that...something for everyone.
1.
My son, a 7th grader, and I have learned so much from this nonfiction marvel. Steve Sheinkin deservedly won multiple book awards last month for his well-researched account of how the Atomic Bomb came to be. I did not know that:
the bomb began in Germany during WWII.
Albert Einstein wrote a letter to FDR persuading him to put money and effort into the U.S. creating a nuclear bomb program.
Convicted U.S. spies for the Soviets were only given 13 years if their espionage activity happened during WWII.
Goodreads Summary:
In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.
2.
Yep, it is as good as all the hype. Oprah and I could be good buddies...we both love dogs, books and a good steady man. This book choice is hard to believe it is the author's first published novel...excellent writing, creative format, and leaves me wanting to know more about each of these twelve carefully crafted characters.
Goodreads Summary:
In 1923, fifteen-year-old Hattie Shepherd flees Georgia and settles in Philadelphia, hoping for a chance at a better life. Instead, she marries a man who will bring her nothing but disappointment and watches helplessly as her firstborn twins succumb to an illness a few pennies could have prevented. Hattie gives birth to nine more children whom she raises with grit and mettle and not an ounce of the tenderness they crave. She vows to prepare them for the calamitous difficulty they are sure to face in their later lives, to meet a world that will not love them, a world that will not be kind. Captured here in twelve luminous narrative threads, their lives tell the story of a mother’s monumental courage and the journey of a nation.
3.
Every once and awhile, I need a good mystery to take me away from all the wackiness of everyday life. My mom, a mystery only kind of reader, introduced me to this series which takes place in Venice, Italy. The seduction of good food, wine, scenery and the debate on who did it has me hooked.
Goodreads Summary:
There is little violent crime in Venice, a serenely beautiful floating city of mystery and magic, history and decay. But the evil that does occasionally rear its head is the jurisdiction of Guido Brunetti, the suave, urbane vice-commissario of police and a genius at detection. Now all of his admirable abilities must come into play in the deadly affair of Maestro Helmut Wellauer, a world-renowned conductor who died painfully from cyanide poisoning during an intermission at La Fenice.
But as the investigation unfolds, a chilling picture slowly begins to take shape--a detailed portrait of revenge painted with vivid strokes of hatred and shocking depravity. And the dilemma for Guido Brunetti will not be finding a murder suspect, but rather narrowing the choices down to one. . . .
4.
If you have not experienced the coconut pie from the Dahlia Bakery in Seattle, then you have not tasted heaven on earth. At one of our dear friend's wedding a few years ago, they had pie instead of cake and my life will never be the same after that taste of coconut-induced nirvana. Now, I have the recipe and I know of someone's birthday in about a month...and it's no joke. (The bane of having an April Fools birthday.)
Goodreads Summary:
When it comes to delectable, freshly baked cakes, pies, cookies, and muffins, nobody beats the world famous Dahlia Bakery of Seattle, Washington. Owner, Iron Chef, and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Tom Douglas offers up the best loved recipes from this incomparable bread and pastries mecca in The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook--featuring everything from breakfast to cookies and cake to soups and jams and more--demonstrating why the West Coast wonder has long been a favorite of foodies and celebrities, like Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis and Serious Eats founder Ed Levine.
5.
The cover grabbed my eye due to my love of yellow houses and I am so glad that I checked it out. Hildy Good epitomizes the addict with her ability to reason away the addiction, to try and control the desire, and to deny the consequences on her and others lives. With all the frustration that comes with seeing into the mind of an addict, my heart also hurt for the struggle that she encompassed in her battle to overcome. Wonderful book well worth reading!!
Publisher Summary:
The Good House tells the story of Hildy Good, who lives in a small town on Boston's North Shore. Hildy is a successful real-estate broker, good neighbor, mother, and grandmother. She's also a raging alcoholic. Hildy's family held an intervention for her about a year before this story takes place--"if they invite you over for dinner, and it's not a major holiday," she advises "run for your life"--and now she feels lonely and unjustly persecuted. She has also fooled herself into thinking that moderation is the key to her drinking problem. As if battling her demons wasn't enough to keep her busy, Hildy soon finds herself embroiled in the underbelly of her New England town, a craggy little place that harbors secrets. There's a scandal, some mysticism, babies, old houses, drinking, and desire--and a love story between two craggy sixty-somethings that's as real and sexy as you get. An exceptional novel that is at turns hilarious and sobering, The Good House asks the question: What will it take to keep Hildy Good from drinking? For good.
Getting outside...exploring our natural world...and sharing it with others is the theme for this weeks...
FIVE BOOK FIX FRIDAY
1.
My latest favorite picture book featuring a little girl whose family is all caught up in the plethora of technology options...laptop, smartphone, video games, etc. that our family is prone to these days. She steps outside and quickly connects with the natural world via bugs, animals and plants. I appreciate this gentle reminder about appreciating the important parts of life...connections!
Goodreads Summary:
Outside the world is bright and colorful, but Lydia's family is too busy with their gadgets to notice. She says Hello to everyone. Hello? Hello! Her father says hello while texting, her mother says hello while working on her laptop and her brother doesn't say hello at all. The T.V shouts Hello! But she doesn't want to watch any shows. Lydia, now restless, ventures outside. There are so many things to say hello to! Hello rocks! Hello leaves! Hello flowers! When Lydia comes back home she decides to show her family what she has found, and it's hello world and goodbye gadgets!
2.
This book suggestion comes thanks to my dear friend, Stacey, a former bookstore employee and current library media assistant extraordinaire. When I mentioned the theme for today, she chuckled as she mentioned this clever book which is a great play on the similar theme of Hello, Hello!'s technology overload. The good ole babysitter standby...the TV...is the teacher of this tale.
Goodreads Summary:
This is Todd.
These are Todd's parents.
And this is Todd's TV.
Todd's parents are always busy. But Todd's TV isn't busy. It just sits there. So one day, Todd's TV decides to lend a helping hand. This is the heartwarming story of that day, and what happened afterward. You'll laugh, you'll cry--but most of all, you'll be giving your TV a break. It probably needs it.
3.
This middle grade chapter book is quite popular with 4th through 6th grade girls who like adventure books with a female protagonist.
Goodreads Summary:
Eleven-year-old Megan is stuck in the wilds of Vermont for the summer with no TV, no Internet, no cell phone, and worst of all, no best friend. So when Megan gets lost on the Appalachian Trail with only her little dog, Arp, for company, she decides she might as well hike all the way to Massachusetts where her best friend, Lucy, is spending her summer. Life on the trail isn't easy, and Megan faces everything from wild animals and raging rivers to tofu jerky and life without bathrooms. Most of all, though, Megan gets to know herself--both who she's been in the past and who she wants to be in the future--and the journey goes from a spur-of-the-moment lark to a quest to prove herself to Lucy, her family, and the world.
4.
Fun series about a spirited girl who knows how to use her creativity and make it a wonderful day!!
Goodreads Summary:
Lulu’s older brother says she is too little to play with him. Her mama and papa are busy too, so Lulu has to make her own fun. This is a situation for Ladybug Girl! Ladybug Girl saves ants in distress, jumps through shark-infested puddles, and even skips along the great dark twisty tree trunk—all by herself. It doesn’t matter what her brother says, Ladybug Girl is definitely not too little!
5.
This book reminds me so much of my own nature boy who once upon a time, at a high mountain lake, gathered many floating logs, and crafted a raft which he floated out to the middle of the crystal clear lake. This story and its breathtaking illustrations will inspire many others to float along their own river to admire the craftsmanship of nature.
Goodreads Summary:
A flock of birds was moving toward me along the river, hovering over something floating on the water. It drifted downstream, closer and closer, until finally it bumped up against the dock. Though it was covered with leaves and branches, now I could tell that it was a raft. I reached down and pushed some of the leaves aside. Beneath them was a drawing of a rabbit. It looked like those ancient cave paintings I'd seen in books--just outlines, but wild and fast and free. Nicky isn't one bit happy about spending the summer with his grandma in the Wisconsin woods, but them the raft appears and changes everything. As Nicky explores, the raft works a subtle magic, opening up the wonders all around him--the animals of river and woods, his grandmother's humor and wisdom, and his own special talent as an artist.
FAMILY FRIDAY Reading Fest is a weekly update showcasing the wide variety of books our family is reading. Due to our different ages and reading preferences, I hope blog readers will find something that interests them. Enjoy a dip into the Millis home of books!
RAE--THE ELEVEN-YEAR OLD REALISTIC FICTION READER
Bloomability by Sharon Creech
My husband and daughter started this book together about a girl who moves to Switzerland to attend an international school. There is a possibility that our family might be overseas next year and our daughter's top country to visit/move is ...you guessed it-SWITZERLAND!! And as you may remember from last week, Rae's favorite author is Sharon Creech.
Goodreads Summary:
When she is whisked away to an international school in Switzerland, Dinnie Doone discovers all the "bloomabilities" that life has to offer. From Newbery Award-winning author Sharon Creech is a story about everyday joys. bloomability
Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
Yep, Sharon Creech. again. I love that Rae is searching everywhere...public library, school library, bookstores, friend's bookshelves, thrift stores, crack in the sidewalk ( : for her favorite author's books. This is her read to self book which she is devouring like that hot chocolate we had at Timberline Lodge...rich hot chocolate topped with cascade of whipped cream, caramel and fudge sauce and broken bits of a toffee bar on top. Oh my!!
Goodreads Summary:
Newbery Medalist Creech ("Walk Two Moons") masterfully weaves this story, told in free verse, about a young girl finding her identity and learning how it fits within the many rhythms of life.
Run run run.
That's what twelve-year-old Annie loves to do. When she's barefoot and running, she can hear her heart beating . . . thump-THUMP, thump-THUMP. It's a rhythm that makes sense in a year when everything's shifting: Her mother is pregnant, her grandfather is forgetful, and her best friend, Max, is always moody. Everything changes over time, just like the apple Annie's been assigned to draw. But as she watches and listens, Annie begins to understand the many rhythms of life, and how she fits within them.
Twelve-year-old Annie ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomes pregnant, her grandfather begins faltering, and her best friend (and running partner) becomes distant.
REID--THE 13-YEAR OLD SCIENCE FICTION FANATIC WITH A MOM FORCING A HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK
Fahrenheit 451 Graphic Novel by Tim Hamilton
Reid LOVES Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels...that's about it when it comes to books. So, while subbing at a middle school I came upon this fantastic combination. With To Kill a Mockingbird, The Hobbit and now this book, he is getting his Classic food oops book group also.
Goodreads Summary:
For Guy Montag, a career fireman for whom kerosene is perfume, this is not just an official slogan. It is a mantra, a duty, a way of life in a tightly monitored world where thinking is dangerous and books are forbidden.
In 1953, Ray Bradbury envisioned one of the world’s most unforgettable dystopian futures, and in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the artist Tim Hamilton translates this frightening modern masterpiece into a gorgeously imagined graphic novel. As could only occur with Bradbury’s full cooperation in this authorized adaptation, Hamilton has created a striking work of art that uniquely captures Montag’s awakening to the evil of government-controlled thought and the inestimable value of philosophy, theology, and literature.
The Devil's Paintbox by Victoria McKernan
The teacher and lover of history in me chose this one for our reading time. We are both enjoying traveling on the Oregon Trail in a higher level book. A few years ago, we read Westward to Home and Apples to Apples which inspired us to follow the trail through Oregon.
Goodreads Summary:
When orphans Aiden and Maddy Lynch first meet trailrider Jefferson J. Jackson in the spring of 1865, they’re struggling to survive on their family’s drought-ravaged Kansas farm. So when Jackson offers an escape—a 2000-mile journey across the roughest country in the world—Aiden knows it’s their only choice.
They say there are a hundred ways to die on the Oregon Trail, and the long wagon journey is broken only by catastrophe: wolf attacks, rattlesnakes, deadly river crossings, Indians, and the looming threat of smallpox, “the devil’s paint.” Through it all, Aiden and Maddy and a hundred fellow travelers move forward with a growing hope, and the promise of a new life in the Washington Territory. But one question haunts them: who will survive the journey?
ED--THE LIVE VICARIOUSLY THROUGH ANOTHER ADVENTURER'S LIFE
In Search of Captain Zero by Allan Weisbecker
Our nonfiction reader is thoroughly enjoying the Outdoor Adventure book award choices. He reports that "they tell about an adventure with some soul and depth attached to it."
Goodreads Summary:
In 1996, Allan Weisbecker sold his home and his possessions, loaded his dog and surfboards into his truck, and set off in search of his long-time surfing companion, Patrick, who had vanished into the depths of Central America. In this rollicking memoir of his quest from Mexico to Costa Rica to unravel the circumstances of Patrick's disappearance, Weisbecker intimately describes the people he befriended, the bandits he evaded, the waves he caught and lost en route to finding his friend.
In Search of Captain Zero is, according to Outside magazine, "A subtly affecting tale of friendship and duty. [It] deserves a spot on the microbus dashboard as a hell of a cautionary tale about finding paradise and smoking it away."
AND ME--
Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School by Kim Baker
I am trying to return to my former habits of reading a kid book and then an adult book. Pickle was a quick read about some middle schoolers who join together to perform pranks. Clever storyline...would have loved to have seen some recipes for the pickle and other preserved veggies.
Goodreads Summary:
This is the story of THE LEAGUE OF PICKLE MAKERS.
Ben: who began it all by sneaking in one night and filling homeroom with ball-pit balls.
Frank: who figured out that an official club, say a pickle making club, could receive funding from the PTA.
Oliver: who once convinced half of the class that his real parents had found him and he was going to live in a submarine.
Bean: who wasn't exactly invited, but her parents own a costume shop, which comes in handy if you want to dress up like a giant squirrel and try to scare people at the zoo.
TOGETHER, they are an unstoppable prank-pulling force, and Fountain Point Middle School will never be the same.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
I just started this book that has received tremendous reviews. I am hoping it will lead me to my serendipity!!
The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.
