Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
Listened to on the Libby App
Released 2009
Children's fiction, letter writing, Afghanistan, school stories
Recommend: Yes, for sure
Abby is a 6th grader and not the best student. She is looking at repeating 6th grade unless she can complete an extra credit project. Her project entails writing a student in Afghanistan and learning about what school is like there and what his family and culture is like and creating a bulletin board and report about what she learns. She is hesitant at first, but motivated and it turns out to be a wonderful experience learning about Sadeed and his family.
I always enjoy reading Clements' books. My favorite is Frindle which I read aloud to my kids when I was homeschooling. His books are easily engaging and inspiring and exciting! Highly recommend all he writes.
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
This is a re-read for me
Published in 1985
1986 Newbery Honor book
Children's fiction, historical fiction, family
Recommend: Yes!
Anna and Caleb lost their mother years ago and together they, with their father, live in the midwest in the late nineteenth century. Sarah comes from Maine answering an advertisement from their father for a wife and mother. The children are excited and apprenhensive. They want her to love her new home and desperately want her to stay with them.
This is a sweet short story that always warms my heart. The author wrote several more stories about Sarah and her new family: Skylark, Caleb's Story, More Perfect than the Moon, and Grandfather's Dance. There are also movies based on the books.
The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller
Listened to on the Libby App
Released in 2024
Mystery, murder, antiques
Recommend: Yes
Freya finds herself living alone after a divorce and her only daughter leaves for college. Her long ago past surfaces as she learns of the death of someone who used to be her mentor in the antique business, but with whom she has had a falling out. She is pulled back into the business of finding lost antiques and antiquites by her Aunt Carole. The two of them are a formidable pair as they go about finding lost treasures and the murder of their friend.
I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was similar in setup to Agatha Christy mysteries. The narrator was wonderful and try as I might, I did not guess the ending! This author has more mysteries planned for the future.
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
This is a re-read for me
Published 2009
Young Adult fiction, time travel
Recommend: Yes
Gwyneth is born into a family that has a time travel gene. Everyone thinks it's her cousin who has the gene, but then Gwyneth suddenly vanishes one day and shows up hundreds of years in the past. Her journey to the past only lasts a matter of minutes, but if she doesn't let her family know so they can get her to the chronometer which helps control her time travel she will continue to vanish at random intervals. Not everyone is happy that she is the time traveler and she faces enemies as she is swept into a world full of secrets where she cannot tell who to trust and who to fear.
I read this series, The Ruby Red Trilogy, when they first came out. Kerstin Gier is German and I had to patiently wait for all of them to be translated into English. Time travel books have lots of issues for me, but this one was entertaining. Gwyneth is a spitfire and I really enjoyed reading about her adventures. The next two book sin the series are Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green.