How Quickly She Disappears by Raymond Fleischmann

I loved this book!  I found the plot interesting filled with twists I didn't expect and I was invested in Elizabeth's story, both past and present.  There were times I wanted to cover my eyes at the choices characters were making but was too hooked not to see things play out. I loved the remote isolation of the Alaskan setting with the "present" 1941 time frame.

This book will be published January 14, 2020 by Berkley Publishing Group.  I gave this book a rating of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for an honest review. #HowQuicklySheDisappears #NetGalley. 

Severed Knot by Chyssa Bazos

I really didn't realize that Scottish and Irish Christians were indentured to plantations in the West Indies in the 17th century.  It becomes clear that the author did a lot of research for this book as the detail of the day-to-day lives of  the Scottish hero and Irish heroine make you feel as though you are there.  It was disturbing at times to read of the entitlement of some, while they abuse and mistreat others that had no control over their circumstances.  I was captivated by the building romance between Iain and Mairead, and with their resilient spirit that kept them going through many trials and tragedies.

Severed Knot will be published June 7, 2019 by BooksGoSocial.com.  I gave this book a rating of 4/5 stars.
#NetGalley #Severed Knot

Juvenile Review - My Two Grandads by Floella Benjamin

Both of Aston's grandfathers are musicians: one plays the trumpet in a brass band, while the other plays steel drums in a steel band.  Even though their music and backgrounds are very different, they learn to blend and play together to help Aston's school. 

I liked the story in that Aston loves and wants to learn how to play the instruments of his two very different grandfathers.  I did not like the font chosen for this book; most pages have several lines of text and I found it a bit small. Sometimes letters within a word shift in their vertical position, and, while this can resemble notes on a sheet of music, I didn't find it as easy to read.  I gave this book a rating of 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. It will be published May 7, 2019 by Frances Lincoln Children's Books. 

#MyTwoGrandads #NetGalley

Juvenile Review - The Worst Christmas Ever by Kathleen Long Bostrom

Matthew, his family, and his dog Jasper move to California and Matthew is not happy about it.  Everything is different, and Matthew can't stop thinking about how things were back home.  Now, Christmas is coming, and although the rest of his family is excited, Matthew is certain it will be a disaster.  Then something happens - will Matthew predictions come true, or will the miracle of Christmas happen after all?

This is a good story about how it can feel when a child moves, and how it is important to remember the things that do not change.  Beautiful illustrations throughout the story help convey the family's emotions and even reveal a few clues. I gave this book a rating of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. #NetGalley #TheWorstChristmasEver

Juvenile Review - The Night of His Birth by Katherine Paterson

What a wonderful story full of wonder, faith and praise. "Sing out, my soul, the wonder..." begins and ends the story, and sounds like a line from a hymn. The illustrations add to the dreamlike wonder of Mary's descriptions of her newborn son, the loyalty and support she has in Joseph, and her incredulity that God chose her of all people to play such an important role in this miracle. Adults reading this story to their children will feel they've been given a glimpse of some of the things "Mary pondered in her heart."

I received a downloaded copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback/review.  This book will be published September 17, 2019 by Flyaway Books.  I gave this book 5 stars. 

#TheNightofHisBirth  #NetGalley

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

Ogden Milton originally purchased Crockett Island, in Maine, as a symbol of "what made them Miltons." Three generations of Miltons have now spent every summer on their island. What will time, with its many secrets, reveal about what the Miltons were really made of?

I enjoyed this book very much, although for the first 100 pages or so I found it hard to keep track of who was who (especially Evelyn and Evie).  I would have preferred dates or names to change storylines, rather than the chapter breaks.  Racism, social standing, and the roles society expected men and women to play are all explored here.  I gave this book 4 stars.

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

It is 1970 in North Carolina, and the main character, Carly, has not only lost her husband to the Vietnam war, but has just been told the baby she is expecting has a major heart defect and will not survive long after birth.  Carly is offered a chance to save her baby's life, but it will require her to suspend her fear and disbelief and step into the unknown.

I have mixed feelings about this book.  On one hand, I liked most of the characters and I could identify with the lengths a mother would go to save or protect her child.  On the other hand, I found it hard to suspend my own disbelief.  If time travel was as it is described in this book there would be people disappearing into portals all the time! There were also a couple of times when Carly seemed to make choices that were out of her character and more about fitting the plot of the book.  I enjoyed the various references to the seventies.  I gave this book 3 stars.

Juvenile Review - Song For a Whale by Lynne Kelly

Twelve year old Iris is deaf and feels a bit lost and alone.  Then one day at school, she learns about Blue 55, a hybrid whale who sings at a much different frequency than any other whales in the ocean.  Iris becomes obsessed with finding a way to help this whale know he is not alone.

What a wonderful story about connection and communication on many levels: child vs. parents, deaf vs. hearing, whales vs. other whales, and humans vs. whales.  The author does an amazing job tying various threads about whales, space, radios, and grief together so that her characters learn how to connect and communicate with each other. I gave this book 5 stars and can't wait to read it to middle grade classes.

Teen Review - Internment by Samira Ahmed

This book terrified me. Why? Because the behaviour and treatment towards Muslims in this book is upsetting and horrific. There are also hints of this book currently in the news, in terms of racism, hatred, and the treatment of refugees in the United States. You will tell yourself while you're reading it that this story can't/won't possibly come true, and then the author reminds you that it has already in American history with Japanese-American citizens during WWII. 

I would love to see this become required reading in early high school, not only to teach the younger generation what can happen when there is hate and prejudice in the world.  The book contains some some kissing, some swearing, and some violence. Although there were instances that were teen-focused, I had no problem relating to it as an adult. I gave this 5 stars, and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Recursion by Blake Crouch

I loved this book at the beginning.  I was into the characters, I was intrigued with the idea of trying to retrieve memories for people with Alzheimer disease, and it was fast-paced reading with lots of twists and turns.  However, I wasn't as fond of second half of the book.  I found the timelines harder to keep track of, and I wasn't as engaged with the characters.  I also found the science behind everything harder to grasp in the second half. I gave this 3 stars.

A Girl Named Lovely: One Child's Miraculous Survival and My Journey to the Heart of Haiti by Catherine Porter

This is one of those books you find yourself thinking about for days after you finish reading it.  Porter blends what she sees in the aftermath of Haiti's earthquake as a journalist, with what she feels not only as a fellow human being, but as a woman and mother.  Porter is candid about the personal internal struggles she faced as well as her struggles to affect change within Haiti's culture and infrastructure.  The only issue I had with this book was that some of the humanitarian efforts in Haiti did "more harm than good." I would hate to see individuals get discouraged from aiding others in need because their idea of helping is different from someone else's.  That being said, I give this book a rating of 5 stars.

Juvenile Review - The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt

I have to admit I don't really get the hype about this book.  I loved the premise of Rock Paper Scissors having a "legend" but, for me, the book was all about looking for a new fight.  It seemed to me that you could only be friends with one of the "heroes" if you proved yourself to be equal or better to one of them.  I would not read this to a classroom at school.