Number the Stars

Lois Lowry is one of my favorite authors. Yes, I know she writes youth fiction meant for middle to upper elementary or middle schoolers. But her books are classics or classics in the making. They are well written, great characters, and sweet story lines.

She has written a jewel of a book, Number the Stars, about a little girl in Denmark during the German occupation. Her family helps smuggle out their Jewish friends. It's full of the typical tense solider moments. Will the Jewish family make it or will they get caught? It's written from a child's perspective, which gives a sweet childish innocence mixed in that we rarely see. Great book to introduce kids to the Nazis and WW2. And a quick, easy read for adults.

Phoenix Rising

Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse is a great little book. It's juvenile fiction but really good. I read it to make sure of was appropriate for my 3rd grader. I'll wait to let her read it until we study chemicals in school since it's a book about a radiation leak, although it is appropriate for her to read now. Maybe a "damn" or two is the only thing in there. The main character, Nyle, is growing up with her grandmother on a farm. There is a radiation leak near their town and the book is about the affects of it. A sick boy and his mother end up living in their farmhouse with them. The relationships in the book are sweet, as are the characters.

I would recommend for adults as well as older kids. If you read it as an adult, just keep in mind it's meant for kids.

Stone From the River

This book is good in theory; it just didn't capture me quickly enough to keep my attention. It is well written though. It's about a dwarf growing up in Germany. There were too many stories about her growing up and not enough plot. Which means the character development was great. And if I could get captured by the plot that was slowly developing, I think it would turn out to be a great book. I gave it 102 pages before moving on. Maybe I'll try again when I have more energy.