Nevers Sara Cassidy

Genre: Elementary, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

This was a fun and funny book. I would say this is perfect for upper elementary and lower middle school. However, as an adult I found this a pleasure to read.

Odette is a  young girl who must take care of her mother Annalise. Annalise seems to have a habit of accidently killing people. They have come into the small French town of Nevers.  All Odette wants is to find a place they cans stay and call home and to fit in, maybe have a friend.  Odette finds a friend in a young boy named Nicois. The town is full of strange people. There is man who likes to smell people’s hands, and a man who wants to be a chicken. There is a pig and chick that have become inseparable, and then there is the donkey that brays in Latin every night. The strange thing is that Odette understands him. Odette’s mother has brought about some trouble for them because she has been looking for a box she hid under a bridge years before. Someone else is looking for it as well.

The book is a mixture of some fantasy, mystery and a bit of historical fiction all rolled into one great book. Kids will love this because they will be able to identify with the characters. This is a book I would highly recommend to readers of all ages.

Broken Roads: Returning to My Amish Father by Ira Wagler

Genre: Adult, Amish, Memoir

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Ira Wagler left his Amish background. This is something he did with lots of thought. For those who are not familiar with the Amish, leaving results in shunning. Essentially there is not much interaction between the family and the child who has decided to leave.  This doesn’t mean they can’t visit. The family always holds out hope that the one who left will come to their senses and return to their faith.

In this second book by Ira we get what I believe is a deeper look into his life after leaving. It begins with his reason for telling this story. On this occasion, he is preparing to go back home because his father is dying. He wasn’t the only one who left.  He is representing those siblings who left and can’t go back. He would go back to visit his family. There was always an admonishment to come. The title is very appropriate. Through the book, we see how the path he traveled through life was like a broken road. Through sharing his life with the public we see that no matter what our path looks like, no matter how broken it is, there is always hope. He shared both the good and bad decisions he made. He showed how far he strayed and how God always led him back.  This is not a book that is written in a strict chronological order. It felt more like sitting and having a conversation with the author where he shares stories as one thing connects to another.  I read this in just a couple of hours. I didn’t want to put it down.

Angry Books by Tacee Theobald

Genre: children's picture book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved this book. I think every parent and every elementary teacher should have this book. This story is told from the perspective of a book. It teaches children how to properly handle books. It not only explains what they should or shouldn't do but actually asks how would you feel if I did this to you. It makes them think about it in a way that they connect.  I teach middle school and I don't know how many times I say some of the very things to my middle school students. Let's start teaching kids at the youngest age how to treat a book.  My favorite in the whole book talked about fake reading. Yes, you can tell she was a former teacher. To all those kids out there who think you are getting away with it, forget it. She nailed it.