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Rowan Hood

Rowan Hood - Children's book

Published: 2001 Theme: Women's Strength Best for: Girls, age 11 and up "Her band might somehow help folk to help themselves, Rowan thought, rather than just giving them gold stolen from rich men's packs, gold soon spent. But she could not say that, for she loved everything about Robin Hood." The book has a wonderfully clever premise -- that Robin Hood actually fathered a daughter by an aelfen woman... If you love tales of Robin Hood, this is a perfect complement, bringing in the feminine...

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Circle of Magic – Books 2, 3, and 4

Circle of magic Children's Books

Published: 1998 Best for: 12 and up Theme: Magic and Nature "Did Niko see this way all the time? Didn't his eyes get tired? There was magic everywhere in Winding Circle, she'd found...in the south gate..., in the stones in the path..., in windows and doors..." I decided to review all these children's books together because they are similar in many ways, and also, quite different than the first book in the series...

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An Elephant in the Garden

An Elephant in the Garden- Children's Book

Published: 2011 Theme: The Madness of War, and Survival Best for: over 11 "If they hate us, Karly, it is because we have also bombed their cities. What we are seeing now is a world gone mad, children, a world full of brutes, all intent on killing one another. And we should not forget that we are all responsible for making it happen." This children's book is an utterly fascinating and unique piece of historical fiction. In essence, this is a story of WWII from the point of view of a family of German refugees...

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Moon Over Manifest

Published: 2010 Theme: Community, Honoring the Past Best for: 11 and older "Death is like an explosion," Miss Sadie said, her accent thick, like the humid air that hovered heavy around me. "It makes people take notice of things they might have overlooked." This is a serious historical fiction children's book, covering some pretty intense topics, all set in 1936 and earlier. From bootlegging to the Ku Klux clan, from immigrants to war casualties, this book is no light reading.

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The Sword in the Stone

Sword in the Stone Children's Book

Published: 1938 Theme: Compassion for all creation Best for: good readers over age 10 "The Wart did not know what Merlyn was talking about but he liked him to talk. He did not like the grown-ups who talk to him like a baby, but the ones who just went on talking in their usual way, leaving him to leap along in their wake, jumping at meanings, guessing, clutching at known words, and chuckling at complicated jokes as they suddenly dawned."

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Rebound

Rebound - Children's book

Published: 2000 Theme: Compassion, Friendship Best for: Boys age 10 and up "You know, it wasn't so much about being in the wheelchair that I learned about, but how people reacted to me being in the chair. People treat you different. They act like you're...you're..." "Stupid!" David snapped." What a courageous book for someone to write. And what a perfect book for middle school boys. The author is a middle school teacher, and clearly knows the issues boys are up against...

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The Diamond in the Window

Chldren's Book Diamond in the Window

Published: 1962 Theme: Fantasy & Mystery Best for: ages 11 and up "The sky grew blue-black, and they left the shadowy earth behind. There were stars above them and below them. Their wagon floated gently among them as though it had been a rowboat floating in the Concord river." How delightful to find a children's book with so many of my favorite people: the transcendentalists, Krishna, and children who love adventures.

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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Children's book Charlotte Doyle

Published: 1990 Theme: Breaking Conventions Best for: ages 12 and up "What could I do? All my life I had been trained to obey, educated to accept. I could hardly change in a moment. 'Please lead me,' I mumbled, as near to fainting as one could be without actually succumbing." What an unusual children's book. I admit I was riveted, despite the amount of drama and violent scenes. There was something so compelling about the way it was written, as a first person journal of a 13-year-old...

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The Goose Girl

Children's Book- Goose Girl

Published: 2003 Theme: Finding One's True self Best for: ages 12-14 "It's important to know stories. I felt the earth shift to make a place for you when you were born, and I came to tell you stories while you are young." Just as Ani's aunt knows the power of story, and passes it to her niece, so author Shannon Hale passes that same power to today's young readers...

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Princess Academy – Palace of Stone

Children's Book - Palace of Stone

Published: 2012 Theme: Ethical Choices Best for: 12 and older "What to do? She thought of History, Ethics, and Diplomacy, as well as Peder and Esa's ma, who said 'Truth is when your gut and your mind agree.' This sequel to Princess Academy is a wonderful way to bring the questions of change, ethics, and choices to young people.