I Have Lived a Thousand Years – Read It and Rate It

I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton Jackson Biography Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) This book was about a young Jewish girl trying to survive the Holocaust.  It tells of the horrors that went on and gives a first-person, inside view of everything that went on while she was there with her mother.  This book reminds us of how horrible man can be.

I Will Always Write Back – book review

I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda (w/Liz Welch) Autobiography Biography Memoir Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) When Caitlin was 12, she was given the opportunity to choose a pen pal from another country.  She picked Zimbabwe because it sounded “like the beginning of an adventure.”  She and her pen pal, Martin Ganda, began exchanging letters, and over the years became best friends despite the many miles between them … Read more

Crossing Niagara – Read It and Rate It

Crossing Niagara by Matt Tavares Biography Nonfiction Picture book Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Crossing Niagara is a nonfiction story about a guy named (called) Great Blondin.  He crossed Niagara on a 3 inch wide rope and never fell.  He did many tricks, including carrying a man on his back and standing on a chair.  He finally left Niagara because he felt there was nothing left to accomplish.

Who Was Rosa Parks? – Read It and Rate It

Who Was Rosa Parks? by Yona Zeldis McDonough Biography Juvenile Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) Rosa Parks was an amazing woman who stood up for what she believed in. One day when she was on a bus, the bus driver told her to move to give her seat to another man on the bus. Rosa Parks replied, “NO.” So the bus driver called the police. She was put in jail not … Read more

Who Was Joan of Arc? – Read It and Rate It

Who Was Joan of Arc? by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso Biography Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) When Joan was a young girl she got a vision that she would lead an army into battle and would win. Joan thought it was impossible…Later she was leading the army into battle. She got another vision saying she would be hit with an arrow during battle. And she was hit with an arrow … Read more

Disaster Diaries – Read It and Rate It

The Disaster Diaries by Sam Sheridan Nonfiction * Star (A waste of time!) The book was supposed to be a self-help book on survival, but I learned nothing from it. The author only told stories about being in the Merchant Marines. He traveled the world to “learn” but all he did was spend a lot of money to learn how to steal cars. He also was rude to almost everyone.

Look Up! Bird-watching in Your Own Backyard – book review

Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate Nonfiction Picture book * * * * Stars (Great!) Annette LeBlanc Cate is an enthusiastic amateur bird-watcher who shares her passion for our feathered friends with a young audience in this introduction to bird-watching. Using goofy cartoon birds (who have something to say about EVERYTHING) she explains how to find and identify birds, how field guides work, how birds are classified, and much, much … Read more

Saving Audie – book review

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent photos by William Munoz Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Michael Vick, NFL quarterback, was running an illegal dog-fighting ring and raising “fighting dogs” at his appropriately named “Bad Newz Kennels.” When information about his crimes came to light, the dogs were seized, as evidence, and spent many months in isolation in an animal shelter. In the past, fighting dogs … Read more

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Larvae – book review

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (and Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Bridget Heos presents and answers the questions expecting insect parents might have IF they were capable of asking questions (and needed the answers) in an informative and amusing way. “Congratulations, insect parent-to-be! You must be very excited. You may be feeling proud but also a little scared. Your babies will … Read more