My Name is Phillis Wheatley by Afua Cooper

My Name Is Phillis Wheatley: A Story of Slavery and Freedom by Afua Cooper

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Told in the voice of Phillis Wheatley, this story retells her life as she was captured at 8 years old in her homeland and brought to Boston to be a slave in the late 1700's. She is bought by the Wheatley family who educates her and realizes she is brilliant. She writes poetry and becomes famous at only 13 years of age.



This is a good one to add to the American Revolutionary biography unit. Phillis recounts meetings with both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington as well as life during that time period.



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In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke

In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Opdyke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An amazing memoir of a young Polish girl living 7 years in WWII Poland. She is a young Catholic girl who finds herself taking small steps in helping Jews survive the horrors of Poland and Germany during the war.

This is for mature students since there is mention of the soldiers beating and raping Irene. However it is not told with any detail. She does make some moral decisions. A story of courage and strength.

I read it in two days. It is difficult to put down. Wonderful Read!

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No Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Grades 3-6



Kids will like this one. It is humorous and a mystery of sorts. It is a battle of the wills between Wallace Wallace, star athlete, and his English teacher. Wallace rebels against writing a review for his teacher's favorite book, which the drama club happens to be turning into a play. Wallace must sit in detention daily during rehearsals and gives suggestions and new dialogue to the play turning it from dull to fun. Meanwhile someone is sabotaging the play and seemingly blaming it on Wallace. Who is ruining the play? Will Wallace find out? Will Wallace get back on the football team in time to help win another championship?



Read to find out.....



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Also Known as Harper by Ann Haywood Leal

Also Known As Harper by Ann Haywood Leal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


p243   grades 5-8

Subject matter for mature readers.

realistic fiction, poverty, homelessness, family, friendship, death, single parents, alcoholism, tragedy.

Story of a family that falls apart and spirals into poverty, eviction, and homelessness. The father developed alcoholism and has run away and left them penniless. Mother is a house cleaner struggling to feed the family and not able to pay rent. They are evicted and the family must leave everything behind and take only what fits into their car. Harper Lee, main character, and her brother, Hemingway, struggle with not being able to attend school due to hardship on their mother with basics of transportation while maintaining a job.The kids are left all day long to fend for themselves and meet other kids who also live in poverty and are homeless. They learn about a whole niche of people who are learning to deal with homelessness while maintaining some dignity and sense of themselves.

The story leaves you with a lesson of learning to see people and have empathy. To know that the people who live in poverty have a story and life to them and often have families they are struggling to keep together.

Quote from book: "If folks don't like the way you look, they almost never take the time to find anything out about you. They just make up their own stories." Dorothy Pine p146.



Similar to Fastest Friend in the West by Vickie Grove, How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Conner,  and Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor.



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Extra Credit by Andrew Clements

Extra Credit by Andrew Clements

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A good story but ending was less than satisfactory. I think there was an understanding developed about people being similar no matter what your culture but Clements missed an opportunity to have more depth in a cross cultural understanding.I liked the message of the importance of doing your work and taking school seriously.



Similar to Frindle. Kids will like this one. Great for independent readers grades 3-5.



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Family Reminders by Julie Danneberg

Family Reminders by Julie Danneberg

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Fast read. I read it in about 45 mins. This means that it probably a good fit for for my third and fourth graders. I sometimes get upset that the WAW titles have so few that the younger kids can actually read independently, but this is one they should be able to handle.



Unfortunately the plot is superficial. Family lives in a mining town, dad mines. He gets injured and the family makes a miraculous adjustment with few problems in only one year. The fact that the family has a nice house with a parlor and upstairs when dad is only miner seems far fetched to me. Mom only has to take in laundry from two miners who overpay her and they are able to keep the house and make ends meet while Dad turns to carving figurines and becomes an artist and craftsman. All due to the upbeat Pollyanna attitude of Mary, the daughter. Mary prods him in to playing the piano again and turning his hobby into full time employment. It seems a bit cheesy but younger kids will probably like this one.

It does not give much detail and feel for a historical fiction


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Amaranth Enchanted by Julie Berry

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Listened to this one as an audio book, not sure if that had an impact or not. This one was okay but the main character did not resonate with me.

This one is a fairytale Cinderella tale. Prince, girl in rags falling in love with the prince, a witch, a ball, an evil aunt (instead of a stepmother) then add a thief, a hunt for a jewel. Happy ending with all the ends tied up neatly. Girls might like this one. Best characters were Peter and the goat.







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