Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father's Secret Children

 

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

 Rating: PG - I feel like this book would be really good for about 7th grade and up. There's nothing overly graphic in it, a man is publicly whipped twice but that's about the extent of the violence. 

Summary:
Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston are Thomas Jefferson's children by one of the people he enslaved, Sally Hemings, and while they do get special treatment - better work, better shoes, even violin lessons - they are still slaves, and are never to mention who their father is. The lighter-skinned children have been promised a chance to escape into white society, but what does this mean for the children who look more like their mother? As each child grows up, their questions about slavery and freedom become tougher, calling into question the real meaning of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Told in three parts from the points of view of three of the children enslaved by Jefferson - Beverly, Madison, and a third boy close to the Hemings family - these engaging and poignant voices shed light on what life was like as one of Jefferson's invisible offspring.

My Thoughts: I LOVED this book. I felt like it did an incredible job addressing the disconnect between Thomas Jefferson, the great patriot and American president who wrote the Declaration of Independence, and Thomas Jefferson, a man who enslaved his fellow human beings. I love how the story was told through the eyes of children, who are trying to understand what slavery means, what freedom means, and why people think it's ok to enslave their fellow human beings. For instance, at one point, the children have a conversation with their mother about whether or not Thomas Jefferson is a good person. They are conflicted, because they can see how he is kind, how much he has done for the country, but they are also living in slavery and they know that is not right. The mother says to them "all of the good things about him - patriot, president, gentleman, educated and intelligent man - those are all true too. he's done many great things. I hope you can be proud of that part of him." But she also tells them that although she has had a very good life, she has never been mistreated and her children are safe "it's not freedom. Sometimes it looks pretty close to freedom. Sometimes it feels okay. Then something happens...and I'm reminded all over again that we live in a prison on this mountain. It's a prison no matter how comfortable it may feel." I thought this was so profound because there is this idea sometimes that "At least some slave owners were nice to the people they enslaved. Some of them were kind." As one of the characters declares in the book, "There isn't such a thing as a nice slave owner. Slavery is bad. It's evil. All slave owners are bad. If a person would own another person, you can't trust a word they'll say."

In another place in the book, two of the boys are looking at the framed Declaration of Independence on the wall in the hallway of the main house, and they read the first lines "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The younger boy is confused. He asks, "If Master Jefferson wrote that, how come he doesn't believe it?" The older boy replies, "He does believe it. At least, he thinks he does." They go on to discuss that the Declaration says "All men" not "all white men" and that self-evident means everyone knows it because it's so obvious. The younger boy says "But people don't know it." The older boy says, "I didn't read it to tell you that. I read it so you'd understand what those two old men (Jefferson and Lafayette) were crying about. They believed this a long time ago, when almost nobody else did, and Master Jefferson wrote it down, and they made a whole new country around it. And now they're so old they're almost dead and they're crying for what they did a long time ago." The younger boy says "But they didn't really do it" and the older replies, "I know. But they think they did." 

There were so many good moments in the book where I had to set it down to ponder for a bit. I thought the author did an excellent job writing this story and helping the reader (via the characters) come to their own conclusion about how to reconcile the amazing things the Founding Fathers did with the fact that many of them were also slave owners. I highly recommend this book.

Catch Me if You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

Author: Frank W. Abagnale with Stan Redding

Pages: 293

Rating: PG - I was pleasantly surprised at how clean this book is. I had been worried that it might go into detail about some of his sexual encounters, but it never ever did. The most detailed it gets was once he says "We stopped at a cabin for the night and in the morning she was no longer a virgin." That's it. Also there is almost no language that I can remember.

Summary:
Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one.

Known by the police of twenty-six foreign countries and all fifty states as "The Skywayman," Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the lam--until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as the nation's leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades, and ingenious escapes-including one from an airplane-make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit.

My Thoughts:  I devoured this book in just a couple of days! I have seen the movie several times and even still, the book was fascinating and held some surprises. Obviously, the movie embellished and changed a few things. A lot of it is very true to the actual story but some of it is different and there is also a lot MORE in the book. You can't cover everything in a 2 hour movie.

As I said above, I was pleasantly surprised by how clean this book is. There are no graphic sexual descriptions, and I don't remember encountering any language other than the occasional "damn".  This made the book incredibly addicting to read because I never got uncomfortable. There is also a neat little interview in the back where you learn even more inside information.

Not only was Abagnale smart, he was also incredibly lucky. He escaped more times than he should have done, flew under the radar for years, and just managed to always be in the right place at the right time. He even pulled off a bank robbery, completely alone, without guns or weapons of any kind, and without anyone even noticing until he was long gone.

Honestly I want to just start back at page one and read it again! Highly recommend this one.

And There Was Light

Author: Jaques Lusseyran

Pages: 282

Rating: PG (there is no language and he doesn't even ever get super descriptive about violence either. However, this is definitely an adult book because the writing is too...dense? for a younger audience. It's very deep and intense)

Summary:
When Jacques Lusseyran was an eight-year-old Parisian schoolboy, he was blinded in an accident. He finished his schooling determined to participate in the world around him. In 1941, when he was seventeen, that world was Nazi-occupied France. Lusseyran formed a resistance group with fifty-two boys and used his heightened senses to recruit the best. Eventually, Lusseyran was arrested and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp in a transport of two thousand resistance fighters. He was one of only thirty from the transport to survive. His gripping story is one of the most powerful and insightful descriptions of living and thriving with blindness, or indeed any challenge, ever published.

My Thoughts: I found this book...a little tough to get through. There is very little dialogue, and some of the philosophical ideas the author expounds upon went a bit over my head. The story was very interesting, that's for sure, but I felt like he spent way too much time on his childhood and very few pages on his work with the Resistance and subsequent imprisonment. I did enjoy the many reflections on how although he could not see with his eyes, he could still see in many other ways, and most of the time he did not consider himself handicapped at all. I think his general attitude about life is incredibly admirable and worth emulating. He also was one who survived the concentration camps by focusing on helping others instead of on his own difficulties. He fully believed in God the entire time, and realized the importance of just letting each moment of life be what it is and just accepting it.

I think in order to get the full effect of this book you have to pause a lot to reflect on what has just been said. It's not a book you can just read through quickly (like I did). It was definitely a different perspective than I have read before though and was very good!

Trilogy: The Kingdom and the Crown

Author: Gerald N Lund
Books in Trilogy: Fishers of Men (639 pgs), Come Unto Me (570 pgs) Behold the Man (679 pgs)
Rating: PG


Summary: In an ancient land in a time foretold by prophets, a babe was born beneath a shining star. Thirty years later, Jesus of Nazareth began teaching a message of hope, peace, and love. He claimed to be the Son of God, and his words and his life - would change the world. In Fishers of Men, the first volume in the series The Kingdom and the Crown, best-selling author Gerald N. Lund transports us to the days of Christ's mortal ministry and invites us to experience the emotions and events of those extraordinary times. Reports of Jesus of Nazareth have reached the ears of David ben Joseph, a merchant in Capernaum, who has waited and watched for the Messiah ever since a special, starlit night thirty years ago. He and his family decide to see for themselves whether or not the rumors are true and journey to hear Jesus. Though David is quick to accept Jesus as the Messiah, the rest of his family is more cautious. His wife, Deborah, and his son, Simeon, leaders in the rebellious Zealot movement, look for a Messiah that will crush the Romans with power and the sword, not one preaching a message of love and forgiveness. Meanwhile, reports of Jesus have reached into the very heart of Jerusalem, and both the powerful Sadducee Mordechai ben Uzziel and the Pharisee Azariah are growing uneasy with the news. Though they hold opposing political views, both agree that something must be done to stop this man from Nazareth before he gets out of hand. However, in Mordechai's own household the influence of the carpenter from Nazareth begins to create conflict.

In Come Unto Me, volume 2 of the bestselling series The Kingdom and the Crown, Simeon of Capernaum wrestles with how to undo the damage wrought by his reluctant conversion to a man called Jesus of Nazareth. His determination to follow the teachings of the Master has cost the life of one friend and sent three others to a Roman prison to await execution. How can he stay true to the teachings of Jesus, which require that he love his enemies, and yet deliver the friends who face death because of him? A similar dilemma faces Miriam of Jerusalem. Her father, along with the other leaders of the powerful Sanhedrin, are determined to stamp out the growing popularity of this itinerant preacher from Nazareth. But Miriam too has found Jesus to be far more than a mere man, and this poses a terrible choice for her--will she follow family or faith?

In Behold the Man, Jesus of Nazareth has been preaching in Judea for three years and has gathered many followers with his teachings and miracles. But he has also made enemies among the rulers in Jerusalem, who fear his power and his influence and who have conspired to put an end to him by whatever means possible. Mordechai ben Uzziel's life couldn't be any worse. His daughter, Miriam, has vanished from Rome, spirited away by none other than his old nemesis - Simeon ben David. Meanwhile, Mordecha's credibility with the Sanhedrin is jeopardized when the council learns that his own daughter has become a disciple of this so-called Messiah. Simeon ben David's life could not be any better. After struggling to follow the Savior and to testify of his knowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, Simeon has found peace and joy in following the Master. More than that, he has found love; he and Miriam will be betrothed before the feast of Hanukkah. The family of David ben Joseph continues to follow Jesus, though the Savior's teachings now carry an undercurrent of sorrow and unsettling prophecy. And despite increasing danger, Jesus' ministry draws him inexorably toward Jerusalem. Along the way, Jesus performs miracles of astounding power; healing a woman afflicted for almost two decades, restoring sight to a man born blind, and raising Lazarus after four days in the grave. But not everyone is thrilled to hear Jesus declare, I am the light of the world; I am the bread of life during the Feast of the Tabernacles. As the end of Jesus' ministry and his life approaches, the lines are swiftly and solidly drawn between those who will stand for Jesus and those who will tear him down. The final volume of The Kingdom and the Crown series, Behold the Man details the last week of Jesus' life his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the spiritually fulfilling Last Supper, and the crowning achievement of the atonement that begins in the Garden of Gethsemane and culminates in the Garden Tomb.

My Thoughts:  These books were fantastic! I have always loved historical fiction because it's more interesting than reading straight history, but you learn all the same stuff, and the emotions and experiences of the fictional characters are so easy to relate to. I always feel like these things probably did happen to some family or another. This WAS the experience of SOMEONE who lived at the time the book is written about.

The author wrote these books very carefully. He did not want to make Jesus into someone he was not, so in the Author's note at the beginning of the first book he explains that he tries to follow what is written in the New Testament accounts as closely as possible. Every time in the novels that Jesus is teaching the people or performing a miracle, the account comes directly from the Bible. The author fabricates some of the personal identities of the people the Savior heals, and he also fabricates the specific reaction of the witnesses, but the events and the words of the Savior himself come straight from one of the four Gospels. Obviously, what is written in the Bible isn't going to cover anything, so there are a few times when the author fabricates a conversation or an action of the Savior, BUT it is never anything of doctrinal consequence, and at the end of each chapter he includes the reasoning behind what he wrote and sometimes some historical context which I found fascinating.

I learned so much from reading these books! I have learned some things about the parables Christ taught and why the people were so unprepared for him. I've always wondered why the people in Jerusalem completely missed the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. I knew that the Jews were expecting the Second Coming Messiah, the one who would smite their enemies and deliver Jerusalem from bondage. But I didn't get WHY. I also didn't understand why the Pharisees had become so strict on their observance of the law. How come they got trapped by this law-worship instead of remembering that the true intent of the law was to lead them to Christ? Well, this book has helped me understand both of those, plus a lot more. At the time of Christ, the Jews had just been through a LOT of captivity. They had just been allowed to return to Jerusalem from being captive in Babylon, but now they were under Roman rule and they did not like it. The reason they fixated so much on the warrior Messiah was because they felt sure that He was what they were waiting for to deliver them from the Roman empire. There are so many amazing prophesies about Jerusalem being delivered from bondage, it is no wonder they focused on this and felt sure the Messiah would come and do just that. They were tired of being under someone else's rule. And the Romans weren't exactly nice either. AND I did some research...the Jews never did escape their bondage. After the Romans, it was just someone else. They didn't get their "land" back until after World War II when the Allied powers felt bad for the Jews and said, hey we need to give you your homeland back, this is not fair, so we just gave them Palestine. Only....there were already lots of other people living there who weren't too keen on the Jews taking over. A problem which is still going on today. It's no wonder they are still looking for the Messiah.

The other thing...the Pharisees were so strict about all aspects of the law of Moses because they had read carefully in the scriptures...when the people were not keeping the commandments well enough, the Lord chastened them and they were punished. So, they came to the conclusion that all these years of captivity were because they were not doing a good enough job of keeping the commandments with exactness. They thought that if they could just observe the law BETTER, then surely they would be blessed with deliverance, and the Messiah would come. Unfortunately, they got much too caught up in this theory. That made sense to me too. They were just feeling neglected by God, and thought that if they kept the commandments absolutely perfectly, there was no way he could withhold his blessings. They were so afraid to do anything that might be construed as against the Law of Moses, because they wanted so badly to find favor in the eyes of God. I can completely see how this happened to them. It also gives Jesus's comment "except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" extra impact, because at the time, the people would have wondered how you could possibly be more righteous than these men who were so devoted to keeping the Law of Moses with exactness?

Other things I learned - when Jesus gave the sermon on the mount, there are several verses that we don't really give much thought to but which are actually quite significant. One is the phrase, " whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." In the book, it is pointed out that Jesus specified the right cheek. If a right handed person were to hit me on my right cheek, they would have to do it with the back of the hand. A backhanded slap was considered a great insult to a person's pride/reputation, and men killed each other over it. So Jesus was not necessarily saying that we should just let people rough us up and abuse us, but he was saying we should not let our pride get the better of us. Basically, if someone is trying to bait us, not to take the bait.

Another phrase, also from the sermon on the mount, that I've never thought twice about, "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." The book points out that one of the things any Roman could do at the time was stop ANY Jew, and force him to carry his pack for him for 1 mile. The Jews hated this, of course, so this statement from Jesus was really quite shocking! It is along the same lines as loving your enemies. So interesting.

Also, one of the parables Jesus told was discussed in the book. It's the parable of the unmerciful servant, found in Matthew 18:23-35. I had never really understood the gravity of this before. The one man owes his master 10,000 talents. Ok, big deal right? Well, apparently one talent would have been considered a LOT of money, 10 talents was a fortune. So 10,000 talents was an unimaginable sum. Probably similar to several billion dollars in today's money. So the fact that his master forgives him the debt when he asks for mercy is staggering. He doesn't just give the man more time, he completely forgives it. Then, that same man refuses to forgive the debt of one of HIS servants, which is a mere 100 pence. Hardly any money at all. If we're keeping with our earlier analogy of relating it to today's money, I'll just say the guy owed him $10. He has just been forgiven an unimaginable debt, and then he is unwilling to forgive the mere pittance owed to him. Christ is using this as an analogy for how we should forgive. We all sin in our lives. Thousands of little sins. Some big ones, but probably too many to count. And if we repent and ask for mercy, we will be forgiven. So what right have we to refuse to forgive one thing that another person has done to us? Even if it's a big thing? If we want to be forgiven of the thousands of things we have done wrong, we need to forgive all the things others do to us. It was a great new insight, one that was actually discussed in one of the general conference talks this past weekend. 

I also learned more about some of the other miracles Christ performed, why they were so important, and why he did it. There's the time he curses the fig tree...always seemed a little bit of an odd thing to do. These books go over that. Of course, most of these interpretations are largely the author's thoughts and feelings on the subject and it doesn't mean it's the only way these things should be interpreted, but I felt like I was enlightened some. I loved these books!

The only thing that could have made it better is if there were more! It ends with the resurrection, and I know the lives of the early Christians were not at all easy. I would have loved to keep reading to see how all the character's lives were affected by the religion they chose to accept. 

Ender's Game

Author: Orson Scott Card
Pages: 368
Rating: PG, some mild language, some violence.

Summary:
In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut--young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers, Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If the world survives, that is.

My Thoughts: I have NOT seen the movie, but I know they changed it quite a bit. This is just my review of the book. I really enjoyed reading it. I got sucked in right away and wanted to know what was happening next and how everything connected. The only thing that was difficult for me was that Ender is supposed to be 6 at the beginning, and although he does age throughout the book, for most of it, he's still under the age of 12. He is supposed to be a child genius, but I still struggled imagining him and his companions that young. I mainly imagined teenagers. I guess just because child warfare is so difficult to imagine.

Since I feel like I'm behind the 8-ball in reading this book, I don't know what else to say about it, only that it was original and different, and I think the argument was there for allowing children to be children, no matter how brilliant they may be. 

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World

Author: Shannon and Dean Hale
Pages:  324
Rating: PG - there's no language but there is some violence, mostly against robots, and two baby kidnappings.

Summary:
WHO RUNS THE WORLD? SQUIRRELS! Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of . . . a squirrel! After failing at several attempts to find her new BFF, Doreen feels lonely and trapped, liked a caged animal. Then one day Doreen uses her extraordinary powers to stop a group of troublemakers from causing mischief in the neighborhood, and her whole life changes. Everyone at school is talking about it! Doreen contemplates becoming a full-fledged Super Hero. And thus, Squirrel Girl is born! She saves cats from trees, keeps the sidewalks clean, and dissuades vandalism. All is well until a real-life Super Villain steps out of the shadows and declares Squirrel Girl his archenemy. Can Doreen balance being a teenager and a Super Hero? Or will she go . . . NUTS?

My Thoughts: This book is geared toward late elementary/early middle schoolers, but it was sure a fun little read. Doreen is hilarious - she not only has squirrel powers, but she's hyperactive and thinks/speaks a mile a minute, like I imagine squirrels do. If you like squirrels, you'll enjoy this book immensely, that's all I'm saying! It's so random - you wouldn't think squirrel powers would be the base of a super hero, but here ya go! One of my favorite parts is when someone says "squirrel-proof bird feeder" and all the squirrels just bust up laughing cuz that's one of their favorite jokes. Ha!

The one thing I had an issue with in this book is when squirrel girl saves a baby from a car that's been stolen. The way that whole scene is written, Squirrel Girl is playing peek-a-boo with the baby (about 6 months old) through the front windshield which makes no sense because everyone knows a baby that little shouldn't be facing forward. But that's just me being annoyed about a technicality.

Room

Author:Emma Donoghue
Pages: 321
Rating: PG (although the subject matter is quite mature, since it is told through Jack's eyes, there's an innocence to it. There is no language, and the only mentions of sex are when Jack tells you he counts the bed squeaks when Old Nick comes in.)

Summary: To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer.

Room is a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilarating--a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child.

My Thoughts: I found this book to be completely riveting. I read it in 2 days! I think the fact that this book is written from Jack's perspective is genius. It manages to soften the entire thing so a scaredy cat person like me can read it without getting nightmares.

So the book begins with Jack just describing what life is like in Room. He and Ma have a very close relationship - they usually sleep together in the bed, and although he is 5 years old, Jack is still breastfeeding. Later in the book Ma explains that there was just really no reason to stop, which makes sense. Although they do have a TV in Room, Ma tries hard to make sure that Jack doesn't watch too much of it. She makes up a million other activities for them to do together to keep his brain working and his body active.

Jack believes that Room is the only place that exists. He knows that Old Nick comes from outside, but he has no concept of what outside is like. He thinks that everything he sees on TV is just made up. Other people don't exist, animals aren't real, etc.

Eventually Ma decides it's time to escape. The second half of the book deals with their adjustment to the outside world. It is just so fascinating and interesting. I highly recommend this book!
It was so interesting to me how Jack and Ma react differently to being on the outside. Everyone seems to expect Jack to be happy and excited, but he just wants to go back to Room because it's all he knows. For him it wasn't a harrowing nightmare, it was just life, and he was happy.

 I also love Jack's observation towards the end of the book that a lot of the parents don't seem to like their children. They take a picture when they do something cute but most of the time they're more interested in their friends or their phones. How true is that?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Author: J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne
Pages: 308
Rating: PG

Summary:
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places."

My Thoughts: I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, and it took me entirely too long to get around to reading this. But I'm glad I finally picked it up. I thought it was actually pretty good. I'm not a huge fan of reading plays, since plays are meant to be watched, not read, so you don't really get the same thing out of it when you just read it. I definitely think I would have enjoyed it more if I was actually watching it. I felt like some of it was kind of unrealistic and far-fetched, but I was still entertained and wanted to continue reading. As an HP fan, I was excited to read more about that world and the familiar characters I love so much. In case you haven't read it yet, this book centers around Harry's son Albus, who gets sorted into Slytherin house and becomes best friends with Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius. Desperate to prove himself to the world, Albus decides to use a stolen time turner to go back in time and prevent the death of Cedric Diggory. The results are disastrous. If you enjoy a good time-traveling story, you'll like this play. If it were to ever come to town, I'd probably want to go see it.

Series: The Tapestry

Author: Henry H. Neff
Rating: PG - some violent moments and some scary moments

 Book 1 - The Hound of Rowan - 414 pages: Max McDaniels lives a quiet life in the suburbs of Chicago until the day he stumbles upon a mysterious Celtic tapestry. Many strange people are interested in Max and his tapestry, and his discovery will lead him to Rowan Academy, a secret school where great things await him.

But dark things are waiting, too. When Max learns that priceless artworks and other gifted children are disappearing from around the globe, he finds himself in the crossfire of an ancient struggle between good and evil.

Book 2 - The Second Siege - 476 pages: In this second book of the series, grave forces are converging to seize control of the Book of Thoth, a hidden artifact whose pages hold the key to creating—or unraveling—the very threads of existence. Max McDaniels and David Menlo embark on a quest to protect the book from the demon Astaroth, who would exploit its secrets with dire consequence. And with Astaroth free after centuries of imprisonment, the world outside Rowan’s gates has already become hostile.

Far from home, cut off behind enemy lines, Max and his allies must journey across Europe, descend into the fabled Frankfurt Workshop, brave the tangled corners of the Black Forest . . . and cross beyond the veils of our very world.

Book 3 - The Fiend and the Forge
Rowan has lost the war, and while the Academy works to rebuild, outside its protected walls everything has changed. Astaroth, using the Book of Thoth, has created a world where demons rule, chaos reigns, and humans toil like slaves . . . and worse.

Outraged by Rowan's seeming complacency with the new order and reeling from personal tragedy, Max McDaniels sets out on his own for escape, for information, and for revenge.

In his travels, he will be forced to become many things: prisoner, gladiator, assassin. But can he become the one thing mankind needs most—a hero?

Book 4 - The Maelstrom:  The world is at the brink of ruin . . . or is it salvation? Astaroth has been weakened, and the demon Prusias is taking full advantage of the situation to create an empire of his own. His formidable armies are on the move, and Rowan is in their sights.

Rowan must rely on Max McDaniels and David Menlo and hope that their combined powers can stop Prusias's war machine before it's too late.

But even as perils loom, danger stalks their every move. Someone has marked Max for death and no one is above suspicion. Should the assassins succeed, Rowan's fate may depend on little Mina whose abilities are prodigious but largely untested.

And where is Astaroth? Has he fled this world or is he biding his time, awaiting his next opportunity?

Book 5 - The Red Winter: Rowan has won a battle, but not the war. With proper allies, Rowan’s armies could storm the demon stronghold, capture its ruler, and end the reign of demonkind. But while nations clash, a greater struggle lies elsewhere. In his desperate pursuit of Astaroth, Elias Bram scours the world for clues to the fiend’s true origins, identity, and purpose. His horrifying discoveries hint that not only is humanity at risk, but the earth itself. Its fate may depend upon three children. With their unmatchable skills, it’s up to Max McDaniels, David Menlo, and little Mina to tip the balance!

My Thoughts: If you're on goodreads, you'll notice nearly every review of this series is comparing it to Harry Potter. And I would have to agree. It is very reminiscent of HP. Young boy finds out he has magical powers, gets to go to a special, secret school to learn more about them, learns he is extra special, more so than his peers, there's a dark force out there that was defeated years ago but may still be alive...it's all so familiar. HOWEVER, it was different enough that I still enjoyed it, still wanted to see what would happen, etc. I think children who loved Harry Potter would be enthralled with this story. My only complaint was how quickly so many things were glossed over. For example, they never really delve deep into many of the classes Max takes at his school, or what exactly he is learning. Suddenly he just knows how to do things and you're left wondering when he learned it! I'm interested to see where this goes!  Just a tip, the books are loosely based on the old Irish legend of Cuchulain, which is briefly summarized in the first book, but I felt like the author did a terrible job of his summary. I didn't really understand it, and I didn't understand how it related to Max. I ended up looking it up on the internet, and found an easier to understand summary and now I feel much less confused. I would recommend you do the same.

Book 2 is where this series takes a sharp turn from the Harry Potter comparison. Harry Potter gradually gets darker and more intense with each book. This series jumps straight for intensity and darkness. If you want to continue the comparison, I would compare the first book with HP 4 and the second book with HP 7 in terms of intensity and action. I honestly would be wary of reading these books with too young of a child, I think middle school is honestly the earliest a kid could handle it. They are very dark. Max and his friends are fighting a very huge evil and it basically seems like they can't win, they can't get ahead. Oh, and a LOT of people die. I'm still intrigued enough to find out what happens in the next books though. 

When I went to start book 3, I got a few chapters in and decided to give this one up. So no, I did not actually end up finishing the series. I thought it was intriguing and interesting, but overall so incredibly dark and depressing and just so much evil, that I didn't really enjoy reading it. I would rather read something a bit more uplifting. So, I would say if you think this series sounds interesting go ahead and give it a try, it just wasn't for me. 

The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern
Pages: 387
Rating: PG - no language, but 2 people die, and there is a very vaguely described sex scene. 
Summary:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

My Thoughts: I have mixed feelings about this book. The circus is absolutely magical. I want to go there now so bad! All the descriptions of the different acts and tents are seriously so good. You just feel the mystery and the magic of the place. However, I found the storyline to be a bit frustrating. The game Celia and Marco are playing is vague and confusing. There seem to be no set rules, and no one is forthcoming about how it is supposed to work. I felt that although the circus itself was well-described, the characters are all a bit lacking. There just wasn't enough background to them. I also felt that the love story between Marco and Celia was lacking depth. One minute they don't know each other, the next second they're deeply in love for no discernible reason. It was kind of dumb. I just didn't emotionally connect with their love story in any way.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, if just for the pure imaginativeness of the author when coming up with circus tents. Also, the ending was satisfying. But, I was very frustrated by the general feeling of being lost and confused the entire time...and some of my questions were never adequately answered.

The Lake House

Author: Kate Morton
Pages: 492
Rating: PG (a few mild swear words, but that's really it.)

Summary:
Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories.

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. He is never found, and the family is torn apart, the house abandoned.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a novelist. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old Edevane estate—now crumbling and covered with vines. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.


My Thoughts: Initially, I felt like the pace of this novel was too slow. It is, after all, quite long. I admit, I skimmed through to the end to find out whodunnit, and for some reason, that helped me have the patience to start back and the beginning and actually read. I was glad I did, because there was a lot more to the story than I had gleaned from my skim-through. One thing I liked about this novel is that even though it's mainly told from the perspective of Sadie and Alice, most of the other important characters, including Baby Theo, get a chance to voice their thoughts for a few pages. Also, the summary doesn't tell you, but Sadie is staying in Cornwall on a sort of unofficial leave of absence. She refused to let a police case go, even after it was formally closed. This case continues to gnaw at her, and is eventually solved along with the Edevane case, which is very satisfying.

I loved that this book kept me guessing. There are many times when it seems so clear what is happening, only to be proven wrong a few pages later. The whole event (the disappearance of the boy) is much, much more complicated than anyone originally assumed. Love, honor, keeping promises, war, a secret affair, etc. It's all part of it. I added the label of Historical Fiction to this post because World War I and the "shell shock" the soldiers experienced plays an important role in the storyline. And just so you know, Sadie does manage to uncover exactly what happened to Baby Theo, but I won't tell you what it was. That part was a surprise, even though I already knew who was responsible and why, from my look-ahead.  If you like a good mystery, you may want to pick this one up.

Peter and the Starcatchers

Author: Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Pages: 451
Rating: PG (There is some fighting and scary stuff happening, a few people almost die, although no one actually does. I would definitely say this is for ages 9 and up)

Summary:In an evocative and fast-paced adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island, and orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil. Best-selling authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have turned back the clock to reveal the wonderful story that preceded J. M. Barrie's beloved Peter Pan. Peter and the Starcatchers is brimming with richly developed characters, from the scary but somehow familiar Black Stache and ferocious Mister Grin to the sweet but sophisticated Molly and fearless Peter. Page after page of riveting adventures takes readers of all ages on a voyage from a filthy, crime-ridden port in old England across the turbulent sea. Aboard the Never Land is a trunk that holds the "greatest treasure on earth"-  but is it gold, jewels or something far more mysterious and dangerous?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book! Basically, it's a prequel to Peter Pan, and I love it. It's simply written, in very short chapters, so easily manageable for kids, and also has an occasional illustration. Just as a disclaimer, it IS part of a series of what looks like 4 books, BUT I felt that this book stood on it's own very well, with a very satisfying ending. I don't feel anxious to go out and read the other books. I felt like after I finished this one it's very easy to go straight from this book to the story of Peter Pan with nothing else in between.

Peter is with a group of orphan boys being sent across the sea to become slaves for a rather terrifying king. However, there is a strange trunk aboard the ship, that seems to have some sort of magical powers, and Peter is determined to find out what it is. No sooner does he do so when their ship is overtaken by pirates. A battle ensues for possession of the trunk and it's contents, and we learn where Peter Pan gets his power to fly, his fairy Tinker Bell, and his rivalry with Captain Hook. Definitely a fun book to read! 

The Rithmatist

Author: Brandon Sanderson
Pages: 370
Rating: PG - there are a few murders, and some descriptions of how chalklings kill (by slowly eating off a person's flesh)

Summary:
More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity's only defense against the Wild Chalklings. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.
As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing―kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery―one that will change Rithmatics―and their world―forever.

My Thoughts: First off - if you're a Sanderson fan, you know his novels are normally very long and for adults. This one is intended for teens. Also, before you read any further, you should know it doesn't stand on it's own. This book came out in 2013, but it says "To be continued" at the end, and from what I've researched online, its sequel is not scheduled to be released until sometime in 2017!! It's unclear whether there will just be one sequel or if it will be a trilogy or more. However, the main mystery in the book (the disappearing students) IS solved before the book ends, there's just clearly more to it, and there are several plot points that aren't fully developed, which I assume will get their time in the next book.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book. Sanderson really has a gift of coming up with new worlds and new storylines no one has ever imagined before. This book is set in a kind of alternate America - it's a group of islands instead of one big land mass. Sanderson also references a few historical figures that are familiar to the average reader (such as Leonardo da Vinci), but he changes their stories/historical contributions slightly to fit in with his alternate reality, which is kind of fun. I enjoyed reading this, and trying to guess who was behind the kidnappings. I didn't even come close! It was a surprise ending for sure, but also a satisfying one. I do recommend this book, but wish I had waited to read it until the sequel came out. By the time I get to it I'm sure I'm going to have forgotten everything about this book!

When Crickets Cry

Author: Charles Martin
Pages: 334
Rating: PG - no swearing, no sex or innuendos, but some of the descriptions of heart surgery/traumatic events are a little intense.

Summary:

A man with a painful past. A child with a doubtful future. And a shared journey toward healing for both their hearts.
It begins on the shaded town square in a sleepy Southern town. A spirited seven-year-old has a brisk business at her lemonade stand. But the little girl’s pretty yellow dress can’t quite hide the ugly scar on her chest.
Her latest customer, a bearded stranger, drains his cup and heads to his car, his mind on a boat he's restoring at a nearby lake. The stranger understands more about the scar than he wants to admit. And the beat-up bread truck careening around the corner with its radio blaring is about to change the trajectory of both their lives.
Before it's over, they'll both know there are painful reasons why crickets cry . . . and that miracles lurk around unexpected corners.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. Particularly because you're sure the whole time that it's going to be a story about lost love and newfound love, but it's not. The main character, Reese, lost his wife 5 years ago from a heart defect she'd dealt with her entire life. Reese had known her since they were children, and had gone to medical school and become a renowned heart surgeon, all in pursuit of ultimately being able to fix his wife. When she dies anyway, he loses himself, and goes into hiding, per se. He starts going by his middle name, moves to a small town where no one knows him, and cuts all ties with his previous profession.

And then Reese meets Annie, a little girl with the same heart problem as his deceased wife.  She needs a heart transplant but, since she's so small, only the best will do. She's holding out for that perfect surgeon. Now Reese just has to decide whether he can confront his painful past and be the person Annie needs him to be.

I really thought this book was excellent. It's compelling, the storyline is really good, even though it gets vague in places, religion is weaved throughout but isn't overwhelming, and the ending is surprising! I actually got to what I thought was the end, and stopped for a few days because I was so upset about what happened. But then I finally finished it and the ending was not what I thought it was. You may want to give this one a try. It's a sweet story, and like I said, you totally think Reese is going to find a new woman or something but that doesn't even happen. It's all about Annie. And I love that. It doesn't have to be a love story that brings someone out of depression.

Wonderland Creek

Author: Lynn Austin
Pages: 385
Rating: PG
Summary: Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But the happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real one. To top it off, Alice loses her beloved library job because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

Longing to run from small-town gossip, Alice flees to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the tiny coal-mining town of Acorn, a place with no running water, no electricity, and where the librarians ride ornery horses up steep mountain passes to deliver books. When Alice is forced to stay in Acorn far longer than she planned, she discovers that real-life adventure, mystery - and especially romance - may be far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

My Thoughts: Lynn Austin is quickly becoming a favorite author for me. She writes clean, Christian novels in an non-annoying way. I've read a lot of Christian novels that always have this one character that is so sappy and annoying with the way they just live their religion so perfectly and basically act like God pretty much lives in their house. I just feel like those characters are totally unrealistic. This novel does have an old woman, a former slave named Lillie who has had just a litany of terrible things happen to her in her life, but is committed to God and is always saying things like "Just trust in God. The Lord knows what he's doing." But Lillie also has quite a personality, and is involved in some events that seem pretty shady at first, including helping a man fake his death and funeral. I just feel like Lillie is much more of a realistic character than those you typically find in Christian novels.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book, even though the historical fiction part isn't as huge as in some of Austin's novels. The packhorse librarians were a real thing during the Depression, which I thought was really interesting. Also, the town Alice visits happens to be in a 60 year feud between two of the families that make up the town. It reminded me of the Hatfield's and the McCoy's. Alice really learns a lot about herself and about caring for others as she works herself into the lives of these humble mountain people. She does find love, but the book is not centered around that story, and it's not all sappy and ridiculous. Austin is pretty tame with the way she writes her love stories. If you're looking for a good, CLEAN adult novel...check this out! I've read two other books by this author, and I'm sure I'll continue to enjoy more of them.

Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse

Author: Jennifer Worth
Pages: 293
Rating: PG
Summary:

The sequel to Jennifer Worth's New York Times bestselling memoir and the basis for the PBS series Call the Midwife
When twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Worth, from a comfortable middle-class upbringing, went to work as a midwife in the direst section of postwar London, she not only delivered hundreds of babies and touched many lives, she also became the neighborhood's most vivid chronicler. Woven into the ongoing tales of her life in the East End are the true stories of the people Worth met who grew up in the dreaded workhouse, a Dickensian institution that limped on into the middle of the twentieth century.
Orphaned brother and sister Peggy and Frank lived in the workhouse until Frank got free and returned to rescue his sister. Bubbly Jane's spirit was broken by the cruelty of the workhouse master until she found kindness and romance years later at Nonnatus House. Mr. Collett, a Boer War veteran, lost his family in the two world wars and died in the workhouse.
Though these are stories of unimaginable hardship, what shines through each is the resilience of the human spirit and the strength, courage, and humor of people determined to build a future for themselves against the odds. This is an enduring work of literary nonfiction, at once a warmhearted coming-of-age story and a startling look at people's lives in the poorest section of postwar London.

My Thoughts: This book was considerably more depressing than the first one, and much less about midwifery. In fact, I don't think there was much mention of birth at all in this book. It was much more concerned with the history of the poor in London, which was horrible by the way! Workhouses were the governments form of "caring" for the destitue, but in reality it was worse than death for many. Some people actually committed suicide to avoid the workhouse. Widows who had no other choice but to enter the workhouse with their entire family were immediately separated from their children, and they often never saw them again. The discipline was harsh and unmerciful...young children were severely beaten for the smallest infractions. I couldn't believe such a thing even existed!

The book is split into three main topics - the workhouse, the scandal of one of the nuns being put on trial for shoplifting, and then the story of an old man named Mr. Collett, who served in the army, barely survived, and then lost his entire family in World War II. I thought each of the stories was just fascinating, and I particularly was impressed with Mr. Collett, who is unfailingly grateful for what he has. He lives in deep poverty, but talks about how it is such a luxury that he has a roof over his head, a bed to sleep in and food to eat. He has hope that he will see his wife and children again soon He's truly an inspiring man and his story is touching.

Worth makes the point in this book that we rarely ever hear the stories of the desperately poor from this time period,  and they are so humbling. I am overwhelmingly grateful that such issues are no longer a part of our daily lives. I sped through this book in just a few days, I found it so fascinating and it just opened my eyes to how much people have suffered throughout history, even in times of peace.

My Name Used to Be Muhammad: The True Story of a Muslim Who Became a Christian

Author: Tito Momen with Jeff Benedict
Pages: 278
Rating: PG (Tito is beaten several times, and there are some references to sexual activity...this book is high school level and up)

Summary:Tito Momen was raised Muhammad Momen. He was born in Nigeria and taught to observe the strict teachings of Islam. Beginning at age five he woke at 4:45 every morning to attend the mosque and perform dawn prayer with the other men in his village. He began training to memorize the Qur'an at age six by copying the entire Qur'an word for word. He was being raised to become a leader among clerics, capable of leading a jihad, or holy struggle, to convert nonbelievers to Islam. But Tito's path took an unexpected turn when he was introduced to Christianity. His decision to believe in Jesus Christ cost him his family and his freedom. Tito thought he would spend his remaining days enduring a life sentence in an uncivilized Egyptian prison. For fifteen years he suffered and waited and prayed. Tito says, "I never gave up hope. I never stopped believing." Although he was falsely imprisoned, beaten, and ridiculed, Tito's remarkable true story is one of faith, forgiveness, and testimony that God does hear and answer prayers.

My Thoughts: I thought this book was extremely interesting. I read the entire thing in just a few days. It's a quick read, and moves along really well. I like that in the beginning, he adds a disclaimer saying that his experiences with Islam are on the extreme side, and that he knows there are MANY peaceful, loving, and tolerant Muslims in the world. I felt like that was so important in a world that general lumps all worshipers of Islam into one, terroristic group.

This book was really inspiring to me because Tito's story is an example of the fact that the Lord is truly in control of our lives, even when it seems that nothing is going right. Tito's life is a testimony to the fact that all our trials will be for our good. It seemed like nothing good was coming of Tito's decision to convert to Christianity, but in the end, he looks back and shows the reader how all of his hardships had been a blessing in disguise. For instance, while in prison he developed some serious health issues. While these issues were quite the trial, they are also the reason he was ultimately released from prison. I thought it was a great book, and super interesting, particularly since Muslims are basically forbidden to convert to Christianity. Tito was risking his life when he chose to convert. Most of us don't have to deal with that. And it begs the question....how strong is my faith? Would I be willing to give up everything in order to keep it?

Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen

Author: Tamora Pierce
Pages: Book 1: (I lost the paper where I wrote this down but both books are between 300-400 pages)
Book 2:

Rating: PG (in book two there is a vague reference to sex and of course, there is fighting and killing, but nothing super gory or descriptive)

Summary:Trickster's Choice:
Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods.
Trickster's Queen: Aly’s adventure continues. . . . No longer a slave, Alanna’s daughter is now spying as part of an underground rebellion against the colonial rulers of the Copper Isles. The people in the rebellion believe that a prophecy in which a new queen will rise up to take the throne is about to be realized. Aly is busy keeping the potential teenage queen and her younger siblings safe, while also keeping her in the dark about her future. But Aly, who is usually adept at anticipating danger and changes, is in for a few nasty surprises.

My Thoughts: I enjoy these two books, even though they aren't my favorite of the Tortall novels. Aly is a spunky, independent, smart character and I love her quick thinking and sly mind. She's very good at what she does. The trickster god Kyprioth decides to use Aly to help him gain back his lands from the people who took them hundreds of years ago. There is a prophesy stating that this will happen but he needs help. Aly is that help. There are definitely some fun twists and turns, including crows who can become human, magic used unwisely, and lots of spying and intrigue. Again, not my favorite of the Tamora Pierce books, but still good for a read.

Matilda

Author: Roald Dahl
Pages: 240
Rating: PG

Summary:
Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she's just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It'll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it!

My Thoughts: I know this is a really old book, but I've actually never read it before, so I gave it a try. In case you haven't read it, it's a very quick read, good for kids, probably best for mid-to upper elementary students. The first thing I thought when I read it was "Whoa! This book is so outdated!" 4 year old Matilda walks herself to the library and back every day to read books while her mother goes off to play bridge or bingo or something with her friends. The response of the librarian is to "keep an eye on her." Any book written nowadays, that child would be in foster care faster than you can blink!

Matilda's parents are absolutely horrible, and they aren't very nice to her either. She devises clever ways to get back at them for the way they treat her, although I noticed it's mainly her father who gets the pranks pulled on him. Then Matilda goes to school where first of all, she's learning her times tables in kindergarten (was that a thing?) but she meets the headmistriss, Miss Trunchbull, who abuses the students and teachers in her school in a way that would never in a million years be tolerated in a real school.

I never read this as a kid, so I'm just responding to it as an adult and honestly I thought it was a bit over the top. But kids will probably still like it for years to come because the heroine is a child overcoming those crazy adults.

The Wind in the Willows

Author: Kenneth Grahame
Pages: 259
Rating: PG - only because the word "ass" is used numerous times - this book was written in an era where that word was simply another word for "fool" or "stupid" and no one thought anything of using it as such.

Summary:
The adventures begin when Mole, feeling all the restlessness that springtime brings, abandons his burrow to discover the magic of the great river. With the able assistance of Rat, Mole learns to row and swim, and the chums fill their idyllic days with summertime rambles along the river and cozy fireside feasts on crisp nights. The pair take to the open road with the pleasure-loving Toad, track reclusive Badger to his snug lair, and stand together to reclaim Toad Hall from an invasion of stoats, ferrets, and weasels.

My Thoughts: This is a nice little book and each chapter is pretty much it's own little story. Toad's story is woven throughout but mostly, you could just read a chapter at random and have a cute little anecdote. The language used in this book is rather old fashioned, which makes it kind of fun, because I wasn't familiar with all the vocabulary used in it. It's definitely a children's book, although I don't know how many children would actually be captivated by these simple little stories in today's fast-paced world. Which is a shame really. I also wasn't really a fan of Toad. He's really full of himself, and he kind of gets off scott-free in the end, which I didn't love either. But there are a lot of really good lessons about friendship in here.