Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank

About the Novel:

It’s about keeping the faith.

Growing up poor in 1953 in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia doesn’t bother Lydia Hawkins. She treasures her tight-knit family. There’s her loving mama, now widowed; her whip-smart younger brother, BJ, who has cystic fibrosis; and wise old Gran. But everything falls apart after Gran and BJ die and mama is jailed unjustly. Suddenly Lydia has lost all those dearest to her.

Moving to a coal camp to live with her uncle William and aunt Ethel Mae only makes Lydia feel more alone. She is ridiculed at her new school for her outgrown homemade clothes and the way she talks, and for what the kids believe her mama did. And to make matters worse, she discovers that her uncle has been keeping a family secret—about her.

If only Lydia, with her resilient spirit and determination, could find a way to clear her mother’s name...

About the Author:

Marilyn Sue Shank earned her PhD in special education from the University of Kansas, where she majored in learning disabilities and behavior disorders and minored in counseling psychology and families with disabilities. She has taught general and special education at the elementary, secondary, and college levels.

Marilyn’s work has been published in journals, and she coauthored the first four editions of Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s Schools. Child of the Mountains is her first work of fiction. She lives in West Virginia with her three rescued dogs.

My Thoughts:

Oh my, what an endearing and emotional read!  I loved this one for so many reasons!

I have a soft place in my heart for stories involving Appalachia and the people who live there.  Much of my family calls these mountains home, I chose a college there, and my husband is from the Southwestern Virginia area and calls these mountains his home.  For those reasons, and just a pure love of the history of the area, books like this reach me on a whole new level!

I also have to give the author much credit because it is hard, I imagine, to write in the mountain dialect.  If you're not used to reading it it can be hard to follow but once you get into it you are hooked and it adds a whole deeper element to the story.

Lydia is such a complex character and the author really does a magnificent job portraying her and it was a amazing to watch her character grow and change throughout the novel.  Her story is heartbreaking but hopeful, and seeing all of the people who care about her and help her through touched my heart.

Just as valuable to the story are the supporting characters, they each have their special place in this novel and add something to the story that otherwise would not be.  One of the most touching was Mr. Hinkle, who showed Lydia that she should be proud of her culture, heritage and dialect.  He is evidence that a special person can show up in a child's life at just the right moment.  What he and Ms. Parker do for Lydia is beyond words.

I also enjoyed reading all of her "firsts" - lip gloss, nylons, etc.  It was exciting to see someone so humble experience that and as a reader I felt her excitement right along with her!

This book is about lessons...those we are taught within ourselves and those taught to us by others.  All valuable because they add to our character.  Lydia was the voice through this novel but it holds a bigger message that I think we all can learn from.

I love this novel, I read it in just a few short hours because I just couldn't put it down.  I am adding it to my reading list for my 6th grade book club students.

Book Rating: 5/5

Submerged by Dani Pettrey

If you want a suspenseful romance with a little history and faith splashed in, grab this book - it is a phenomenal read!

About the Novel:

A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers.

Yancey, Alaska was a quiet town . . . until the truth of what was hidden in the depths off the coast began to appear.

Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a small town. She's returned to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash and is determined not to stay even an hour more than necessary. But then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.

Cole McKenna can handle the deep-sea dives and helping the police recover evidence. He can even handle the fact that a murderer

has settled in his town and doesn't appear to be moving on. But dealing with the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge.

She broke his heart, but she is not the same girl who left Yancey. He let her down, but he's not the same guy she left behind. Can they move beyond the hurts of their pasts and find a future together?

About the Author:

Dani Pettrey is a wife, homeschooling mom and author. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves–the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of one’s faith and plenty of romance. She’s a huge fan of dark chocolate, is always in search of the best iced mocha and her dream is to one day own a little cottage on a remote stretch of beach. She and her husband reside in Maryland with their two teenage daughters. Visit her web site at www.DaniPettrey.com!

My Thoughts:

Wow, what a suspenseful read!  I am not usually into murder mysteries but this one had me on the edge of my seat and I really appreciated that!

When murder shocks the small town things are thrown into upheaval and the author does a great job of keeping readers interested in all aspects of the mystery.  I will say that some of the lineage information included about the Romanov family got hazy but simply because I am not that knowledgeable about Russian history.  Despite that, I appreciated the foray into a history that I don't know, it was interesting. 

What I liked most about this novel was the setting and characters - beautiful Alaska, simple beauty throughout the novel.  I also loved the characters, particularly Cole.  I think we can all look to someone like him as a great example of what a truly good person is and aspire to be just like him.  His acceptance of everyone, despite their flaws really made him special.  Plus the fact that he seems like the guy next door makes him even more likable.  Bailey was a bit different but I appreciated her humbleness and her honesty. 

This novel was picked as part of a Christian book club I participate in and it was a phenomenal choice.  I really loved the Christian themes throughout and the commitment by both of the main characters to their faith.

My only beef with this novel is Piper and Landon...I want to know what happened with them NOW!  I can't wait until book #2!  But like any good author of a trilogy, Pettrey has me chomping at the bit to get my hands on it!

Book Rating: 5/5

Information on Book #2: Shattered (release 2013)

Piper McKenna couldn’t be more thrilled that her prodigal brother, Reef, has returned to Yancey, Alaska, after five years. But her happiness is short-lived when Reef appears at her house covered in blood. A fellow snowboarder has been killed--but despite the evidence, Reef swears he's innocent. And Piper believes him.

Deputy Landon Grainger loves the McKennas like family, but he's also sworn to find the truth. Piper is frustrated with his need for facts over faith, but he knows those closest to you have the power to deceive you the most. With his sheriff pushing for a quick conviction, some unexpected leads complicate the investigation, and pursuing the truth may mean risking Landon's career.

With Piper waging her own search, the two head deep into Canada's rugged backcountry--and unexpected complications. Not only does their long friendship seem to be turning into something more, but this dangerous case is becoming deadlier with each step.

Tuck Everlasting by Nancy Babbit

About the Book:


Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

About the Author:


Natalie Babbitt was born Natalie Zane Moore on July 28, 1932, in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Laurel School for Girls, and then Smith College. She has 3 children and is married to Samuel Fisher Babbitt. She is a grandmother of 3 and lives in Rhode Island.

She is also a board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance a national not-for-profit that actively advocates for literacy, literature, and libraries.


My Thoughts:

What a delightful little story! It has been a long time since I have read this one, so long that I couldn't remember what it was about. I love re-reading, especially books like this from my childhood.

The story is neat, the characters heartwarming, and the tale of a spring in the woods that from one drink will make you live forever. While I could go on all day about the setting, the plot, etc. I think this review is better served by mentioning that there is a bigger message here. Living forever (a metaphor for things we want but probably shouldn't have) is not a good thing. Too often things we badly want, but know we shouldn't have, are not good for us. The author does a great job making you think about that and think about the negatives to something that would seem incredible.

I look forward to sharing this story with my 6th graders, most of them have seen the movie so I will enjoy sharing the story with them.

Book Rating: 5/5

The World We Live In (Last Survivors #3) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Whew, I am blown away...for sure.  I cannot believe how great this series was and I am sad to see it finished.  I hope (crossing fingers) that this author set the last book up to lend itself to a new trilogy outlining how the family does after they move.

About the Author:

Susan Beth Pfeffer was born in New York City in 1948. She grew up in the city and its nearby suburbs and spent summers in the Catskill Mountains. When she was six her father wrote and published a book on constitutional law, and Pfeffer decided that she, too, wanted to be a writer. That year she wrote her first story, about the love between an Oreo cookie and a pair of scissors. However, it wasn't until 1970 that her first book, Just Morgan, was published. She wrote it during her last semester at New York University; since then, she has been a full-time writer for young people.

For more on Susan Pfeffer, check out my last two reviews.

About the Book:

It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

My Thoughts:

As I mentioned earlier, this trilogy blew me away - I read all three books in just a few days and I absolutely couldn't put it down.  For young adults, these three books cover an issue becoming more and more prevalent in people's minds - disaster, and how they will prepare for it.

This author certainly has mastered her craft - she writes amazingly well and younger audiences will fall right into the suspense and adventure of these stories.  As an adult I found it thrilling finding out what would happen next and I was so invested in the characters that I really felt like I could feel their experiences, feel their heartbreak, and their fear.  When you feel like you truly experience something as you're reading it that is the mark of a successful piece of literature in my mind and these three novels do just that.

This was a fitting ending to Miranda and Alex's stories.  I loved how she wove their stories together because they are fantastic characters on their own so to see them come together and experience the situation was really neat.  The author leads right up to all of the characters being forced to leave and move on but everything is an uncertainty.  I hope it is not an uncertainty whether this author will continue their story - it would be a great companion set to this trilogy.

Book Rating: 5/5

The Dead and Gone (Last Survivors #2) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Must read, must read, MUST READ!

About the Book:

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

About the Author:

Susan Beth Pfeffer was born in New York City in 1948. She grew up in the city and its nearby suburbs and spent summers in the Catskill Mountains. When she was six her father wrote and published a book on constitutional law, and Pfeffer decided that she, too, wanted to be a writer. That year she wrote her first story, about the love between an Oreo cookie and a pair of scissors. However, it wasn't until 1970 that her first book, Just Morgan, was published. She wrote it during her last semester at New York University; since then, she has been a full-time writer for young people.

She has won numerous awards and citations for her work, which range from picture books to middle-grade and young-adult novels, and include both contemporary and historical fiction. She is also the author of the popular Portraits of Little Women series for grades 3-6, and has written a book for adults on writing for children.

To date, she has written more than 60 books. About David was awarded the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award. The Year Without Michael is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and winner of the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award; it was also named by the American Library Association as one of the hundred best books for teenagers written between 1968-1993.

When she is not working, she enjoys watching movies, both new and old, and collecting movie memorabilia, reading biographies and histories, and eating foods that are bad for her. She lives in Middletown, New York, with her two cats, Alexander and Emily.

Named the American Library Associations Young Adult Library Services Association Best Book for Young Adults 2007 and Teens’ Top Ten Booklist in 2007. Finalist for the Andre Norton Award, Quill Awards, Hal Clement Awards.

My Thoughts:

I knew it, I just knew that this book would be just as good as the first in the series.  I love it when a trilogy gets better because so often they just tend to get worse as you read.

This book, like the first, was full of suspense, mystery, adventure, and real-life scenarios that we should all probably consider.  What takes these books to the next level is the real life lessons that the author includes that are applicable to everyone, not just those facing a crisis or disaster.

The ideas of self-reliance, decision-making, and young people rising to the occasion permeate through these novels and the author brilliantly writes about their circumstance. 

One major theme that rises to the top is that of family, friendship, and compassion for others.  No matter the tough decisions these characters face (and some of them end up making a choice that we would balk at), there is never a moment when they are callous about it.  They do what they have to do to survive, which is all we can expect from them.

This author really does write with a vengeance.  I am so into these novels, they are certainly on my list of favorites and I have to conclude this review so I can delve into #3!

Book Rating: 5/5

 

 

Life As We Knew It (The Last Survivors #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Wow, wow, wow...what an amazing read!  So amazing that I literally could not put it down until I finished it (which was at 2 a.m.)  And one of the best things is that this is a trilogy so there are two more amazing books to read!  The next one deals with the same natural disaster but from the point of view of someone who lives in NYC (contrasts with the first book which was a rural setting.)  The third combines the characters for the finale.  I have a feeling that this is a trilogy that the books get better and better :)




About the Book:

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

About the Author:

Susan Beth Pfeffer was born in New York City in 1948. She grew up in the city and its nearby suburbs and spent summers in the Catskill Mountains. When she was six her father wrote and published a book on constitutional law, and Pfeffer decided that she, too, wanted to be a writer. That year she wrote her first story, about the love between an Oreo cookie and a pair of scissors. However, it wasn't until 1970 that her first book, Just Morgan, was published. She wrote it during her last semester at New York University; since then, she has been a full-time writer for young people.

She has won numerous awards and citations for her work, which range from picture books to middle-grade and young-adult novels, and include both contemporary and historical fiction. She is also the author of the popular Portraits of Little Women series for grades 3-6, and has written a book for adults on writing for children.

To date, she has written more than 60 books. About David was awarded the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award. The Year Without Michael is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and winner of the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award; it was also named by the American Library Association as one of the hundred best books for teenagers written between 1968-1993.

When she is not working, she enjoys watching movies, both new and old, and collecting movie memorabilia, reading biographies and histories, and eating foods that are bad for her. She lives in Middletown, New York, with her two cats, Alexander and Emily.

Named the American Library Associations Young Adult Library Services Association Best Book for Young Adults 2007 and Teens’ Top Ten Booklist in 2007. Finalist for the Andre Norton Award, Quill Awards, Hal Clement Awards


My Thoughts:

This book has it all...suspense, mystery, adventure, and boy does this author do an amazing job weaving the story together.  There were moments when I laughed, moments when I cried, and moments when I held my breath for this family as they faced the trials and tribulations.

I have been somewhat "prepper" minded since the last hurricane came through our area - hardly a scenario as shown in this book, but 12 days without power will make you start wondering.  This book reinforced my ideas about being prepared and helping your family survive.

This is the first time I have read anything by Pfeffer but she in one book has risen to my list of favorite authors.  She is an amazing storyteller and I was in every way right in this novel with the characters facing all of the hardships they were.

This is a story about survival and perseverance and how individuals can triumph in the face of severe hardship and even death.  I highly recommend this novel, it is one that I will be adding to my classroom library and encouraging my students to read.

AMAZING!

Book Rating: 5/5

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

It's been a while since I have reviewed a book that I am not to sure about...I have been on a winning streak with positive book reviews.  Buckle your seatbelt and see how you feel about this one.

About the Book:

ZACK, HIS DAD, and new stepmother have just moved back to his father’s hometown, not knowing that their new house has a dark history. Fifty years ago, a crazed killer caused an accident at the nearby crossroads that took 40 innocent lives. He died when his car hit a tree in a fiery crash, and his malevolent spirit has inhabited the tree ever since. During a huge storm, lightning hits the tree, releasing the spirit, who decides his evil spree isn’t over . . . and Zack is directly in his sights.

Award-winning thriller author Chris Grabenstein fills his first book for younger readers with the same humorous and spine-tingling storytelling that has made him a fast favorite with adults.

About the Author:

Chris Grabenstein did improvisational comedy in New York City with Bruce Willis and Robin Williams until James Patterson hired him to write advertising copy at the J. Walter Thompson agency.

He spent seventeen years writing and producing television and radio commercials. During that time,he also wrote for Jim Henson's Muppets and co-authored the made-for-TV movie THE CHRISTMAS GIFT starring John Denver, which first aired on CBS-TV in 1986 and is rerun on cable channels every holiday season.

Chris quit advertising in 2001 and spent four years in a spare bedroom writing screenplays, TV shows, plays and novels nobody wanted to produce or publish.

In 2008, Random House Children’s Books published Chris’ first ghost story/mystery for middle grades (ages 8-13) readers, THE CROSSROADS. It went on to win both an Anthony and Agatha Award. The second book in that series, THE HANGING HILL, also won an Agatha Award and inspired Chris’ play CURIOSITY CAT, which is now published by Samuel French and available for production everywhere. The third book in the Haunted Mystery series, THE SMOKY CORRIDOR, is currently a finalist for the Black Eyed Susan young readers’ award in Maryland. The fourth book, THE BLACK HEART CRYPT, was published in 2011.

Chris has a new middle grade series with HarperCollins: RILEY MACK AND THE OTHER KNOWN TROUBLEMAKERS. He calls it a “Dortmunder caper series” for kids or “an Ocean’s Eleven for eleven-year-olds.”

Chris is currently working on a new middle grades book for Random House called ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO’S LIBRARY.

He recently released an e-book exclusive for young readers THE EXPLORERS' GATE, inspired by his daily runs through New York City's magical Central Park.

Chris lives in New York City with his beautiful and beloved wife, J.J., who, by the way, is the world’s best first editor and an excellent audio book narrator (she does the Haunted Mystery series for Audible).

They share their tiny apartment with two cats (Parker and Tiger Lilly) and 60-pound dog named Fred who has the best credits in the family: Fred starred on Broadway in the musical version of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG.

My Thoughts:

Okay, here's the dilemma. As a middle school teacher I can clearly see how kids will LOVE this book - it has all the classic elements that younger audiences are into: a ghost story, supernatural beings, a mystery, a main character that you just want to like right from the start, and an evil antagonist who comes around to haunt the living. I am considering adding this title to my book club rotation list for my 6th grade students.

That being said, the adult side of me struggled with this one because while it is a quick read and an entertaining one, the writing feels floppy and amateurish. I think that parts of the novel, especially at the end, jump around so much that it is a little hard to follow and the whole story doesn't "flow" like I like a novel to.

The storyline about Zach's mother just seemed not a relevant as the author might have intended and when Judy shows Zach the kind of love that a mother should it just doesn't have the warm and fuzzy feeling that it should. Gerda's character was interesting, but even that didn't hit-home like an evil character should. In other words, I didn't hate her like I should have!

I am torn on this book... I can see the value in it, but it just wasn't for me. I am always interested in checking out more by an author just to see if it was the one particular book or it is the author as a whole that I struggle with. I will be sure to get my hands on another work by Chris Grabenstein.

Rating: 3/5 Stars